What games from the early 80's are still being published?

[Garmorn]

With all of the history treads lately I have been what games that are on the shelf now that are still very close to what the where like in the early 80's (84 or earlier)? For an example of close I would except D&D 3.5 but not D&D 4e because of the radical changes. I am not sure Path Finder would count because it is a spin off on 3.x but I will listen to arguments pro and con for it.

I know of Rolemaster Classic being a virtual reprint of the original rules.

Are there any others out there that have not changed a whole lot?

 

[Bedrockgames]

With all of the history treads lately I have been what games that are on the shelf now that are still very close to what the where like in the early 80's (84 or earlier)? For an example of close I would except D&D 3.5 but not D&D 4e because of the radical changes. I am not sure Path Finder would count because it is a spin off on 3.x but I will listen to arguments pro and con for it.

I know of Rolemaster Classic being a virtual reprint of the original rules.

Are there any others out there that have not changed a whole lot?

I think many of their games actually came out around '78 (can't remember for sure) but many of the Chaosium games are still being published. I believe Mongoose is publishing Rune Quest. Cthulhu stuff is still coming out.

 

[Garmorn]

I think many of their games actually came out around '78 (can't remember for sure) but many of the Chaosium games are still being published. I believe Mongoose is publishing Rune Quest. Cthulhu stuff is still coming out.

Yes but Rune Quest underwent a major revision close to DD 3.x to 4. The magic system had major changes. I don't know about the rest.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Champions. It actually hasn't changed that much since 1981 - a massive flaw from my perspective.

Retro-clones such as Labyrinth Lord (B/X D&D), Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game (also B/X), OSRIC (AD&D 1e) and Mutant Future (Gamma World).

Retro-Clones | RetroRoleplaying

Old is new again: a guide to ‘retro-clone’ roleplaying games « To the Blogmobile!

 

[Steel_Wind]

Rolemaster Classic is a reprint of RM 2ed, ca. 1988. The first edition from the original blue cover Character Law was the early 80s version from Peter Fenlon's home campaign.

 

[grizzo]

Travller Tunnels & Trolls, Gurps

 

[Steel_Wind]

Travller Tunnels & Trolls, Gurps

GURPS was not early 80s. It was still the Fantasy Trip at that point.

 

[Garmorn]

Rolemaster Classic is a reprint of RM 2ed, ca. 1988. The first edition from the original blue cover Character Law was the early 80s version from Peter Fenlon's home campaign.

Actually it came out in 84 (Checked the history online.) and there is very little difference. There is less difference the between DD 1 and DD 2.

For got about Champions (I knew there where some changes but did not know that they where all minor.)

I will have to look into the retros.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Actually it came out in 84 (Checked the history online.) and there is very little difference. There is less difference the between DD 1 and DD 2.

For got about Champions (I knew there where some changes but did not know that they where all minor.)

I will have to look into the retros.

If you are saying there is very little difference between the skill list on the back cover of Character Law 1, and the skill list as is appears in RMC2 - you never played a character under both systems.

The difference in the game after the revised Character Law and Campaign Law and after RMC1 and RMC2 is HUGE.

Spell Law and Arm's Law/Claw Law did not change -- and the base underlying mechanics are the same. But everything else did. The Skill list expands by ... a factor of 20+. There is also Creatures and Treasure in RM2 which did not even exist in RM 1st Ed. The number of base classes mushrooms - all the Spell Lists in RMC1 and RMC2 are added. Background options in RMC1 are added which dramatically change character generation. It's a HUGE difference.

RMC1 and RMC2, taken together, are about 10 times the page count of the original Character Law.

 

[darjr]

GURPS was not early 80s. It was still the Fantasy Trip at that point.

Yea, GURPS 1986, so it's close, and I think man-to-man came out before that.

Fringeworthy is supposed to have a Savage Worlds edition soon.