I Have Been Rolling Up Some Tunnels & Trolls Characters!

Tunnels & Trolls is one of my favorite role playing games.  It showed me that a role playing game could be simple, fun, and suitable to solitaire play.  Recently I have been reading through the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls rules.  I was hesitant at first as 5.5 T&T was an edition that I loved.  I bought the 7th edition and I always felt that 5.5 was a tad bit better.  Deluxe T&T takes everything that I like about 5.5 and refines it.  I will need to convince my group to run a few sessions of dT&T soon.

My copy of Buffalo Castle, where many a character has met their death

One of the best ways to get a feel for rules is to play the game.  Fortunately T&T has a long tradition of providing solitaire modules for times when you can't find a GM or group.  Tunnels & Trolls solo modules follow the choose-your-own-adventure format, where you read a paragraph, are presented with choices, and then turn to a certain page or paragraph depending on what you pick.  Saving throws and combats take place within the solo module, as T&T combat can be run by one person.

I have rolled up three characters so far using the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls rules.  I love the ease of character creation.  Roll eight stats, calculate combat adds,  roll for height, weight, and starting gold, equip, and the character is ready for adventure.  I have run my three unlucky warriors through Buffalo Castle (one of the most famous solos) where they have all perished.  I have run two through the solo adventure The Abyss, where they have a chance of exiting the afterlife.  Both failed.  I like the changes that have been made to the warrior class, and I have been able to try out the poison rules for the first time.

While solo adventures are a fun diversion between game sessions, I find that their best value is that they are a great way to learn and master the rules of the system.  When I first read the T&T rules I liked them but I was uncertain how they fit together.  After one run through Buffalo Castle I understood how the rules worked and the tone of the game.  Tunnels & Trolls is a game of risk and reward.  Characters can achieve great glory or be crushed quickly under the heal of a monster.

There are free Tunnels & Trolls solos available on the web.  You can try one out if you are curious as to how the system works, or just want a quick dungeon crawl experience.

Buffalo Castle is available on the publisher's main website.  You will stumble around  a castle, fighting monsters and having encounters.  Goblin Lake is one of my favorite solos, as you play as a goblin trying to win favor in your tribe.  Both of these solos use the 5.5 rules which are close to the Deluxe T&T rules.  Know that Deluxe T&T has amped up the power level for warriors in the new edition.

#RPGaDAY2015 Day 17: Favorite Fantasy RPG

My favorite fantasy RPG is Tunnels and Trolls.  It is a quirky game based on a simple set of rules.  It only requires 6 sided dice, so all you have to do is scrounge through some board games and Yahtzee sets to play.  The list of playable species is crazy.  Leprechauns and fairies are considered playable, and it is just as easy to play a dragon, tiger, or ape-man as long as you get GM approval.

One bonus of T&T is that it has long been supported by solitaire modules, allowing you to run your character if you don’t have a group.  The rules have their idiosyncrasies but they also encourage you to make your own rules.  I love the gonzo and DIY ethos of the game.  If you have never tried it, the new deluxe edition is out now.  You can also try out the system for free with this quickstart.