Castles & Crusades

Castles & Crusades is a fantastic game. Many are switching to this as a 5E replacement, and it seamlessly integrates into campaigns, playing like the game you are used to. Everything works. The characters feel like Basic D&D. I can run them from 4x6" notecards and have more space than I need.

This is a "sell your 5E books" sort of game, where you can forget the past 10 years ever happened and play the game you love, telling the stories you want to share together.

The remastered edition is even better, with no OGL and no SRD content, and finally standing on its own as an independent game. The game seamlessly integrates with any classic or OSR adventure, making conversion a trivial task.

The SIEGE Engine, which runs the game's internals, is the best single-mechanic d20 resolution system in gaming. This is even better than Swords & Wizardry's "one save" mechanic, which is already genius.

You can not go wrong with this game.

Compared to other games, such as Old School Essentials, C&C offers more content, including classic classes, a higher power level, and additional options. The characters feel more capable and competent. The game has more "stuff," and the save and skill system is more modern and streamlined. There are no unusual save categories, such as "Save versus Wands." While OSE is the best old-school game ever written, C&C feels more modern but retains the old-school charm.

OSE is still one of the best-organized and presented books in gaming, and has influenced a generation of games since its release with its clean, two-page spread design, bulleted format, and clearly presented information. If all you want is an entire world in one or two small books, and that will be your gaming library forever, OSE is the clear winner.

This is a game that can sit in a backpack with a bag of dice and provide a lifetime of fun.

Versus Swords & Wizardry? S&W is a simplified version of AD&D, and it plays like a rules-light first edition. C&C still feels like it has more "meat on the bones" as S&W will lean back into that "basic dungeon" model of play, with no frills. The SIEGE Engine makes the difference here again, with that system providing the tools for a bard's smooth-talking skills, whereas in older games, how that is done either is just made up on the spot, or roleplayed with no dice rolls.

The SIEGE Engine gives C&C a fallback point where, if something needs a mechanic, you can use that, and the game feels like it has a full skill and ability check system. These other games do not have that, and rely more on the "old school method of play where if you roleplay it well, or are smart and figure out the trap, the referee just says, "you do it," and play moves on without a roll.

With C&C, players accustomed to making "search checks" and "persuasion checks" have a system to fall back on. Check "athletics?" In C&C, that is a DEX or STR save. There are no skills, only professions and classes. The SIEGE Engine is elegant and expressive, allowing for both the old-school "talk it out" method and a clean system to roll against in a pinch.

C&C is the better game for 5E players, as it utilizes a framework they are accustomed to, but it is only employed when necessary. This is even easier than Shadowdark, since we have more direction and clarity on how SIEGE checks are made, and there is more to the game than a handful of classes and levels to advance in.

Shadowdark, like OSE, is small and compact. Shadowdark wins on the random tables and world creation in the books, and those tables are also very useful in OSE. The options in OSE, especially the Advanced rules, far outdo Shadowdark. OSE also has the stronghold, followers, and dominion endgame, water travel, and many other game rules that a dungeon-focused game omits.

Shadowdark wins for being more like a board game, and also emphasizing time management and teamwork. This also uses a rules-light version of 5E rules. It somewhat limits its handling of things beyond the dungeons, and using it for a lengthy, epic campaign is not as straightforward as in other games.

C&C and OSE will play that epic game much easier.

When I play C&C, my first reaction is, "Why do I need 5E? This is doing all it does but much easier, with fewer books, and no computer software needed to manage characters." Then, my 5E books are put in storage, and C&C handles everything for much less cost and hassle. I get guilty when Tales of the Valiant books come out, and 5E goes on the shelf again.

But, honestly, if I were to keep one and not the other?

It would be Castles & Crusades all the way.