What Do You Know!?

Admission Fee: 10 DEX, 10 INT.

There's not much that I don't like about Tunnels and Trolls, but that's not to say it's perfect. Far from it, and one of the nagging problems I have with the latest edition (7.5, not the French 8th Edition or, the forthcoming deluxe edition) is the fact that 1st level Wizards start out with 20 spells spread across all four disciplines.

That's double the amount that their 5.5 counterparts started out with!

Granted, some of the new additions don't do anything towards tipping game balance but, that's not really the point. My problem isn't even the ever spiraling list of spells. My problem is that we've added so much new material and a Wizard is just a Wizard.

It's almost the assumption that everyone that goes off to Wizard college follows the same curriculum, when where in the real world we choose what to study based on the career we want to pursue or, we choose to learn more about the things that interest us. Either way, the keyword here is choice.

There is already a website out there (which I am struggling to find for some reason) that divided up the spells into such categories as "Fire Mage" and what not. Which, I felt was a great idea and, I have already archived Bruce V. Edwards great work on magical colleges over at my old website, which is exactly along the lines of what I would hope to achieve if I undertook this task myself.

So, my question is if you were in the driving seat of the deluxe Tunnels and Trolls project, how would you handle spells?

What He Lacks In Originality, He Makes Up For In Lack Of Originality

Well, I really wish that I had seen this sooner...


T&T NEWS -- (COMING SOON) This is the brand new Rule Book for Tunnels & Trolls that will be released by Outlaw Press Inc very soon. It will be called Tunnels & Trolls Solo Rules - 8th Edition and it will have a mixture of all the rule editions. As the title implies, it will help those who aspire to be better Solo Writers and Solo Players, with special rules devoted to solo play. This will be the largest edition of Tunnels & Trolls ever released. This version will offer many new and exciting features, such as updated rules, several new character races, additional equipment, new weapons, combat examples, new spells, a new treasure generator, all set in the World of Kaball (i.e. Trollworld), but designed specifically for the Solo Player and Writer in mind. This web site will be the only place you can purchase a copy of the Tunnels & Trolls Solo Rules. As you can see by the picture, the new book is coming together very quickly. Who hasn't really wanted a set of Tunnels & Trolls Rules that dealt primarily with Solo Rules? Watch this space and you will get your chance to buy a copy of this Deluxe Edition! It will sell for-- PRICE: $15.00

Because I love to start the day with a laugh.

A lot of people think that the secret to humor is surprise but with Ken St Andre's recent announcement of a deluxe edition of the Tunnels and Trolls roleplaying game going into development, James Shipman trying to jump on the bandwagon is no great shocker to anyone.

Have no doubt however, that what is being pushed by James (ILLEGALLY) as a new product will be no more than a poorly edited crapfest.

Looking through the advert I strongly suspect that the basis for his latest pathetic cry for attention will be the 7.5 box set released by Fiery Dragon. This edition was packed with tons of new equipment, new spells and, pretty much everything else that he's trying to suggest that he's been "working on" for his "brand new" rule book.

On top of this it would appear that he plans to slap in a couple of articles from previous issues of the Hobbit Hole on the subject of solo writing, in my opinion unquestionably without the original authors permission.

Trawling further through his web of lies, the next thing that stands out to me is that he starts out by calling the product, the "Tunnels and Trolls Solo Rules - 8th Edition", which then becomes just the "Tunnels and Trolls Solo Rules" and, ends up being the "deluxe edition".

This is just wrong on so many levels, in no small part due to the fact that the 8th edition of the rules already exists! Next we have to take into account that James has no legal ownership over the Tunnels and Trolls name, so no right to use it without permission. Last but not least, Ken is already working on a completely different product that will become the deluxe edition.

So he can't legally call it a Tunnels and Trolls product. Even if he could, 8th edition is already out there and, the deluxe edition is also already in the works...

Still, this is exactly what I have come to expect of Shipman and, he never fails to disappoint with his string of disappointing failures.