Could someone explain Lamentations of the Flame Princess to me? And why it's so popular? And why A Red & Pleasant Land won some ENnies awards a few years ago?
I kind of get that these are retro OSR games, but why is this one so popular compared to more obscure ones like Labyrinth Lord?
>>46771032
Its all about the tone and scenario settings. The rules/gameplay is early D&D made simpler, so OSR tick. But the general mood, focus of storylines is extremely dark, twisted and brutal. Winning combo in the eyes of many it would seem.
>>46771032
Its a mix of its rules being a solid and adaptable amalgamation of old school OSR and having some really unique modules.
Check out Red and Pleasant Land, Deep Carbon Observatory, The God that Crawls and Death Frost Doom for a good spectrum.
>>46771720
>>46771857
Ok, thanks. What's the best module to start with for beginners in the OSR sense (veterans of regular RPGs)? Something that would highlight everything Lamentations has to offer.
>>46772316
The God that Crawls is a hotdamned classic. Run it.
I guess I'll repost the link to the treasure trove of these adventures:
https://mega.nz/#F!3FcAQaTZ!BkCA0bzsQGmA2GNRUZlxzg!jJtCmTLA
>why it's so popular?
Edge, meme culture and author's being a faggot.
>>46771032
>Using real-world terms makes this more powerful. This is not some made-up religion involving deities with too many apostrophes in their name. This is about Roman Catholics and Lutherans and how they see Jesus Christ and your players will take it more seriously because of it. This is not made-up kingdom #1 having a conflict with made-up kingdom #2, this is Sweden invading Germany and the anxieties, fears, and hatreds will need to be expressed in real world terms involving groups that you or your players can identify with.
I love this guy already.
>>46772911
At the risk of sounding un-educated, I have to disagree with this premise. I don't know shit about Sweden, so I don't identify with that group at all. I'd feel pretty weird role-playing someone Swedish, while a "fantasy kingdom" that my friends and I make up together is very identifiable, because we all know almost everything there is to know about it.
It plagiarizes 1st edition modules hard enough to get popular with old grogs who never moved on and edgelords who want to pretend that's what D&D is about while skirting the line close enough not to have a meeting with Hasbro's legal team.
>>46771032
But who IS the Flame Princess and what is she lamenting?
>>46773118
At the risk of sounding like an elitist cunt, I already know far more about medieval Sweden, or pretty much any European country, than I do about Superfantasia or any random magic kingdom, and it takes me far less time to identify with them than it would to identify with some crappy writer's "shadow dwarves" or whatever.
Also, odds are good that you know more about Jesus Christ than you do about Mord'Lag'Nodleg, Scion of the Harbingeress, Grey Apostle of Narfandangle, so even the uneducated get a free pass.
>>46773246
Good question. I think it's a marketing gimmick.
>>46773246
She's lamenting the lack of of good writers.
>>46771032
>I kind of get that these are retro OSR games, but why is this one so popular compared to more obscure ones like Labyrinth Lord?
because even it doesn't have an official setting, the idea is o use Real World 17th Century Earth, so instead of having to buy the guide of greyhawk, just grab a history book and you are done
also is a good way to grab some old maps
and even i don't like all the "cannibal corpse album art" thing i can really like the ideas of Reggiealso i can play victorian Dr. House
>>46773118
Just portray all the Swedish NPCs as either Pewdiepie or Skwisgaar Skwigelf.
>>46773284
>Also, odds are good that you know more about Jesus Christ than you do about Mord'Lag'Nodleg, Scion of the Harbingeress, Grey Apostle of Narfandangle, so even the uneducated get a free pass.
Actually, I'm pretty sure I know less about Jesus, and even if I don't, it won't take me long to learn all there is to know about Mister Longass Name there because there's less material on him and far less of it is contradictory. I can also say much the same about whatever magic kingdom you're talking about.
>>46773286
>>46773348
Dunno who Swiggidy Swooty is, but a nation of Pewdiepies sounds both funny and horrifying.
Sadly LotFP seems to only be going for one of those.
>>46773284
That's fine if you're a Medieval history fan (hell I think it's pretty cool and I know bits and pieces, but Sweden is a touch obscure) but that doesn't help most people.
I don't have a problem with real settings, and I think it would be cool to do a fantasy game in Medievel Europe, I just don't think saying it's "more relatable" is a good reason.
>>46773246it was the name of Reggie VI metal fanzine in 1998
http://suvudu.com/2011/06/an-interview-with-james-raggi-iv-publisher-lamentations-of-the-flame-princess.html
http://lotfpmetal.blogspot.com/2008/11/lotfp-heavy-metal-blog.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20061110142353/http://www.lotfp.com/content.php?editorialid=2
http://www.metalcorefanzine.com/lotpinterview.htm
What's the difference between the Regular and Grindhouse edition of LotFP?
>>46773466
I think its more in the aesthetic where the down-to-earth nature of setting a game in a real religious war really shines. The module goes into great depth about what you find on the road - this isn't red dragons battling in the skies, this is war orphans starving in the streets, families losing homes, deserters and looters killing each other to survive. Its a grim and tense atmosphere you don't often find.
This example is kind of the crux of the divide over LotFP. You either think its overly edgy or uniquely atmospheric.
>>46773711
>The module goes into great depth about what you find on the road
yeah you find a FUCKING FARM on the Road
>>46773769
>yeah you find a FUCKING FARM on the Road
>FUCKING FARM
Is that the place where people...you know...with animals? Or just a farm with a lot of people who like to have carnal relations?
>>46773711
That's kind of cool. I see why some people would find it edgy, though. I think the key is to make sure WHY you find stuff like that, not because the world is edgy and grimdark, but because this region is at war and war sucks.
Of course, that assumes you don't want it to be edgy and grimdark, which is valid I suppose.
>>46773822
on the trove look for tales of the scarecrow
and this being LotFP maybe both
>>46773822
It's why highly trained fuck-breeders rear and train domesticated fucks for people not to give.
>>46773769
Thats a totally separate module, Tales of the Scarecrow.
Unless you are referencing the farm with bandits trying to fake ghostly goings-on with a plothook involving a kidnapping, secret tunnels and a family who got Salem-Witch-Trialed but who were actual creepy pagans with the patriarch moldering in a secret insect room in the basement, awaiting fresh meat.
Quite the farm, I would say.
GRINDHOUSE OR REGULAR, MOTHERFUCKERS?!?
>>46773884
nah i'm just referencing a dick move... changing the bandit farm with the Scarecrow farm just for fuck with the players
>>46773935
Oh, that would hurt. I remember using Scarecrow as a system test for some rulehacks I found and getting a near TPK in about an hour. Lucky it was a one-off.
>Monster
>On a successful hit, it does no damage, but instead attaches a new human arm to the character in a random location. If the creature is damaged and it successfully attacks, it will instead take the arms of the persons it targets, one arm at a time. This does 1d8 Hit Points of damage to the victim, who must then save versus Paralyzation or go into shock. Adding the arm into its collection will restore 1d8 Hit Points to the creature.
Yup, this game is edgy as fukc. But I like it.
>>46774112
>The creature attacks by willing a tumor to grow in a target within 100’, and it accomplishes this with a
normal to-hit roll. Targets which are hit grow a tumor of some size. Roll 1d4 to determine this tumor’s “size factor.” This is the amount of encumbrance points the tumor adds to the target
and the chances in 6 that, when the character is successfully attacked, the attack hits the tumor
MFW, not only does this fucker give you a giant tumour as its attack, it can then hit your tumour?!? That is goddamn adding insult to injury.
>>46774358
>If a tumor is hit, the character takes normal damage from the attack plus the same damage again as the trauma causes the tumor to release toxins into the character’s body. (This will happen every time the character is damaged by an area effect attack as well.) Then the victim must make a saving throw versus Poison, or suffer 1d4 more points
of damage.
>Keep track of the damage the character suffers due to those failed Poison saves. When the amount cumulatively suffered by that specific type of damage (even if some is healed along the way) equals the character’s maximum Hit
Points, the character is taken over by the tumor and transforms into a living mass of cancer. Game over.
>The victim’s tumors have eyes all over them in the same manner that the creature itself does. The creature can see out of the eyes on its victims’ tumors.
OK, that's it, I'm out.
>>46773917
Deluxe
>>46771857
>>46772818
>chariot in the God That Crawls
I'm using this even if I don't play the game.
>>46771032
> Could someone explain Lamentations of the Flame Princess to me?
It's an OSR clone.
> And why it's so popular?
It's a good OSR clone.
> And why A Red & Pleasant Land won some ENnies awards a few years ago?
No idea. Never read it.
> I kind of get that these are retro OSR games, but why is this one so popular compared to more obscure ones like Labyrinth Lord?
1) LL is hardly obscure.
2) LotFP is a streamlined DnD without all the annoying fiddly bits from earlier or later editions. Except for Saving Throws, of course. This fucker HAD to keep those retarded Saving Throws.
>>46774544
>This fucker HAD to keep those retarded Saving Throws.
>Save vs Wands to stop being so annoyed about it
>>46774490
Danke.
>>46771032
>Better Than Any Man
At first I thought this was a reference to the woman on the cover preferring tentacle sex to a human male...but then I read the adventure.
Well played, LotP. Well played.
