Castles & Crusades
Encyclopedia
Castles & Crusades is a role-playing game
published by Troll Lord Games
in 2004. It was conceived as a reimagining of classic Dungeons & Dragons
using streamlined mechanics from third edition Dungeons & Dragons. The game uses many of the d20 System
mechanics, but eliminates skills and feats and expands the number of character classes to 13. Another feature is the reversion of some rules to the original versions seen in original Dungeons & Dragons
(often referred to as "OD&D") or first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D).
The system that Castles & Crusades uses is called the SIEGE Engine. A significant new mechanic is the notion of "Primes", often referred to by gamers as the 12/18 system. Through selection of character class and race, players designate some of their character's attributes as "Prime". These Prime attributes use a challenge base of 12, while non-Prime attributes use a challenge base of 18. Tasks based on the Prime attribute are therefore much easier to accomplish than those based on non-Primes. Primes allow a wider variety of characters to be created because characters of same class may excel at different types of tasks.
The first three products produced for Castles & Crusades were an introductory boxed set, the Players Handbook, and Monsters & Treasure, a list of creatures and magic items for the game.
In 2005, a full 128-page hard cover version of the C&C Players Handbook and Monsters & Treasures book were released. A 4th printing of the Players Handbook as well as a 3rd printing of the Monsters & Treasure have been released in 2009.
A collection of alternate rules and guidelines for modifying the system, the Castle Keepers Guide, was released in February, 2011.
Troll Lord Games
has published dozens of adventures for the system, and small-press publisher Goodman Games
has produced three adventures for Castles & Crusades under license.
The name of the game derives from the Castle & Crusade Society
, founded in the pre-Dungeons & Dragons era, by Gary Gygax
. The title is in homage to the roleplaying industry's birth.
The shared lineage and resulting similarity in rules between Dungeons & Dragons
, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, HackMaster
, and Castles & Crusades simplifies conversion of rules and statistics between the games.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
published by Troll Lord Games
Troll Lord Games
Troll Lord Games is an American publisher of role-playing games , The Crusader magazine and other board/dice/card games....
in 2004. It was conceived as a reimagining of classic Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
using streamlined mechanics from third edition Dungeons & Dragons. The game uses many of the d20 System
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
mechanics, but eliminates skills and feats and expands the number of character classes to 13. Another feature is the reversion of some rules to the original versions seen in original Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(often referred to as "OD&D") or first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D).
The system that Castles & Crusades uses is called the SIEGE Engine. A significant new mechanic is the notion of "Primes", often referred to by gamers as the 12/18 system. Through selection of character class and race, players designate some of their character's attributes as "Prime". These Prime attributes use a challenge base of 12, while non-Prime attributes use a challenge base of 18. Tasks based on the Prime attribute are therefore much easier to accomplish than those based on non-Primes. Primes allow a wider variety of characters to be created because characters of same class may excel at different types of tasks.
The first three products produced for Castles & Crusades were an introductory boxed set, the Players Handbook, and Monsters & Treasure, a list of creatures and magic items for the game.
In 2005, a full 128-page hard cover version of the C&C Players Handbook and Monsters & Treasures book were released. A 4th printing of the Players Handbook as well as a 3rd printing of the Monsters & Treasure have been released in 2009.
A collection of alternate rules and guidelines for modifying the system, the Castle Keepers Guide, was released in February, 2011.
Troll Lord Games
Troll Lord Games
Troll Lord Games is an American publisher of role-playing games , The Crusader magazine and other board/dice/card games....
has published dozens of adventures for the system, and small-press publisher Goodman Games
Goodman Games
Goodman Games is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Goodman Games is best known as the publisher of the Dungeon Crawl Classics series of adventure modules, as well as the Dragonmech and the award-winning Etherscope role-playing games, and has...
has produced three adventures for Castles & Crusades under license.
The name of the game derives from the Castle & Crusade Society
Castle & Crusade Society
Formed by Gary Gygax in 1968, the Castle & Crusade Society was a chapter of the International Federation of Wargaming dedicated to medieval miniature wargaming.Its membership included Gary Gygax, Rob Kuntz and Dave Arneson....
, founded in the pre-Dungeons & Dragons era, by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
. The title is in homage to the roleplaying industry's birth.
The shared lineage and resulting similarity in rules between Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, HackMaster
HackMaster
HackMaster is a role-playing game produced by Kenzer & Company, being a revised expansion of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It started out as a fictional game, a parody of the most ludicrous aspects of D&D played by the characters of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic strip by Jolly R. Blackburn...
, and Castles & Crusades simplifies conversion of rules and statistics between the games.
External links
- Troll Lord Games is the publisher of Castles & Crusades. The site includes a list of products in the line.
- Castles & Crusades Society Currently active C&C Society, publishes the quarterly "Domesday Book"
- Goodman Games publishes several adventure modules under the Castles & Crusades license.