What would you like to see in a 'table-ready' version?


I’m working on another update and I want your input!

The Littlest Brown Book intentionally leaves out information missing from the LBBs. However, several people have reasonably expressed interest in a ‘table-ready’ version with the most glaring gaps filled in. Though I don’t want to add bloat to a project whose main selling-point is being pocket-sized (nor do I want to make an inferior copy of Delving Deeper or Swords & Wizardry), I think it would be good to offer a version with less assembly required.

Currently, I’m thinking of adding the following:

  • Missing monster stats
  • Stats for a few of the monsters suggested in the LBBs but not in any encounter table (androids, cyclopes, etc.)
  • Pithy descriptions for monsters that warrant it (mainly the Martians)
  • A Chainmail-derived combat/initiative procedure
  • Slightly more detailed guidelines for making dungeons & wilderness
  • Some ‘missing’ stocking tables (traps, gem types, other?)
  • Fleshed-out hireling rules, drawing on the wages listed in U&WA

I’m on the fence about these:

  • Chainmail ‘Man-to-man’ weapon vs. armor tables
  • Naval combat

And I think the following are out-of-scope (though I’m willing to be convinced otherwise):

  • Full domain rules (castle building, mass combat)
  • Advancement past the highest named level (F9/MU11/C8)
  • Most material from Greyhawk & later supplements

My question is: what else would you like (or not like) to see in a slightly-expanded Littlest Brown Book? (Second-littlest Brown Book??) Any/all suggestions, thoughts & ideas are welcome!

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Comments

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(+1)

From your lists, I would suggest you include:

  • Missing monster stats
  • Lists of the  few of the monsters suggested in the LBBs but not in any encounter table (androids, cyclopes, Martians, etc.) with brief bullet point outline of how to stat creatures out on one's own
  • Chainmail-derived combat/initiative procedure
  • Slightly more detailed guidelines for making dungeons & wilderness
  • Fleshed-out hireling rules, drawing on the wages listed in U&WA
  • Naval combat
  • Aerial Combat
  • Castle building, mass combat

I would agree with you with regards to nothing in from the various Supplements. Let this be a kind of template for folks to use to build their own "supplements."

Fight on!

Duly noted, thank you! I think the plan will be to prepare condensed versions of all of these, then decide which to include in the main book and which to make available as printable add-ons. One lesson from doing this is that it’s not at all easy to predict how much can be trimmed from a given section without just going and doing it.

I really like the idea of brief guidelines for statting your own creatures!

(+1)

I'm probably like a lot of people out there, in that we dream of the meaningful naval campaign,  but I understand not wanting to fuss with it, lol! Love this project, and it's already an amazing resource!

Thank you so much! I am planning to try re-writing the LBB naval combat rules along the lines of everything else – the question is just how much I can condense it. If I can get it few pages, I’ll put it in the next update, otherwise I’ll put it in a supplement.

(+1)

I really enjoy the lightness of this book. Other than missing and additional monster stats, I can't think of anything it really _needs_. I've always looked at OD&D and its retroclones as good bases for building upon. The other stuff you listed would be best in a Littlest Brown Book Supplement.

(+1)

Thanks so much for weighing in! That makes sense. I have been kicking around ideas for a supplement, probably formatted as a slim, print-friendly booklet (working title “Supplement I: Silversparrow” lol). So I’ll definitely consider anything dropped from this list for inclusion there.