Now I know I’ve been out of the RPG circles for quite some time, but how did I not hear of a freakin’ Labyrinth Lord BOX SET…and when can I get one (meaning: When will the English translation hit the shelves at my local Gaming Store/Barnes & Noble)?!
Again, since I’ve been missing out on what has turned into a cornucopia of material within the OSR, I’ve been trying to do a little catch-up. I’ll noodle around on the various blogs and whatnot, but when I searched for “Labyrinth Lord” on YouTube and found THIS…
…at first I thought, “Wait, is this…THE Labyrinth Lord game that I know and love?!” THEN I thought, “Dammit, I don’t understand Spanish.” THEN, after I saw the sparkling new books with a fresh layout and art in this video…
…I thought, “Dammit, I don’t understand Spanish.”
This box, coming from a company called Nosolorol instead of Goblinoid Games, eh? Well, no matter who or what printed these beauties up, I’m a sucker for a nice box set. The separation of the LL gaming rules into the traditional player’s guide, GM guide, and bestiary is…well, neat looking, although seemingly unnecessary except to appear to have more goodies in the box. However, if this set combines the traditional LL rules with the Advanced Edition Companion maybe the separation is for the better. If someone familiar with this product could shine a light on that bit, please let me know.
The overall look is definitely more of a modern twist than the original “purple” and “black and red” editions of Labyrinth Lord. Yes, I absolutely adore the aesthetic of the original LL rulebooks, but the new art/layout wouldn’t deter me in the least from purchasing the box set. I’m sure others feel the same way.
I’d like to think the look of this game (and its marketing as well) will help get this box in the hands of people who never would have looked twice at the previous editions. The original edition got MY attention because it promised, through appearance alone, that THIS was old-school. You want in-print B/X D&D? Here ya go!
Now that the OSR has split into 100,002 different iterations of our favorite games to satisfy even the hardest-hearted old-school gamer's style of play, maybe it’s a good time for the original retro-clones to go after some new blood. NOT by changing the rules, but providing an appetizing visual hook that appeals to young gamers.
Hell, even as a gamer over 40, this box set gets my salivary glands pumping (…yum!).
Hell, even as a gamer over 40, this box set gets my salivary glands pumping (…yum!).
So my discovery of this alluring box set is a blessing and a curse, I reckon. I love to see the old-school games growing and branching out to potentially new gamers…I just wish I could read it!
