In another thread I read that Palladium Fantasy started out as a D&D homebrew game.

Just how similar is Palladium Fantasy to D&D?

How much work would it be to use old D&D books and supplements with Palladium Fantasy (compared to say using old D&D books & modules with Castles and Crusades)?

How does Palladium Fantasy 1e compare to 2e, and which is more D&D like?

In what ways is Palladium Fantasy superior or inferior to D&D 3.x?

Quote from: ConanMKIn another thread I read that Palladium Fantasy started out as a D&D homebrew game.

Just how similar is Palladium Fantasy to D&D?

Let preface my remarks by saying that along with TMNT, Palladium Fantasy is probably my favorite Palladium game.  Kevin S., Eric Wujcik, and Bill Coffin knew how to do sandbox, somewhat old-school, inspiring, bells-and-whistles fantasy gaming right, in my opinion (with just a smidge of the kitchen sink thrown in, especially compared to Palladium's other games).

Well, PFRPG 1e was very close to AD&D.  PFRPG 2e is somewhat different from the current incarnation of D&D, but close enough that folks going from one to the other shouldn't have a problem finding common ground.  A few differences in Palladium are several different magic systems (including one which allows you to make your own wards using effect/modifier combinations), Power Points instead of spell slots (which I like), percentile skill system (you still roll a d20 to strike), and traditional "monster" and non-human races that are given a lot more of a front-and-center treatment as viable player option.

Like 3.5, I've also found PFRPG pretty easy to bend, houserule, and mold into what I've wanted.  (For example:  I didn't like roll-under skills, so I switched them to roll over, without having to change much of anything).

QuoteHow much work would it be to use old D&D books and supplements with Palladium Fantasy (compared to say using old D&D books & modules with Castles and Crusades)?

Well, with 1e, it'd be easier.  With PFRPG 2e, it would get a bit tougher.  In my opinion, from what I've seen of new systems, you'd be able to convert older modules, but since Palladium presents several of monster races a bit different from the D&D baseline, there'd be a bit more of a switch there. But the general gist should go over quite easily.

QuoteHow does Palladium Fantasy 1e compare to 2e, and which is more D&D like?

1e is very much more a direct descendant of AD&D, so it's definitely the most AD&D-like.  2e brings things more in line with the rules the rest of Palladium's Megaverse uses, though some of the things that bother folks about the Megaversal system really aren't present or don't show too much in PFRPG.  PFRPG 2e is like D&D if you think of D&D in terms of a sandbox game, with rules, tropes, and presentation that fit that pretty well.

Really, I liked both editions, but 2e has enough variants, arcana, classes, lists, and so forth to keep me entertained for a good while.  My last fantasy campaign before my current Rolemaster one was Palladium Fantasy (which we pretty easily houseruled to try out a few tweaks).

QuoteIn what ways is Palladium Fantasy superior or inferior to D&D 3.x?

Well, it's a matter of taste, really.  I use Palladium Fantasy because I love the enthusiastic, inspiring tone.  3.5 is more cleanly presented.  Palladium Fantasy does a great job of making typically monster races playable, and uses Power Points and several diverse magic systems.  3.5 tends to be a little cleaner, with stats meaning more.  So there are a few trade-offs.  The biggest thing I can say with PFRPG, and this is just personal opinion, is that after reading it and its supplements, I feel more pumped and enthused about running a session, thanks to the written tone.  In a way, its a throwback to the 1e DMG in that regard.

BTW, if anyone's interested in finding about more about PFRPG, I do have some of my houserule notes around here somewhere.  I'd be happy to try to find them.

Thanks for the detailed reply!

Quote from: Zachary The FirstBTW, if anyone's interested in finding about more about PFRPG, I do have some of my houserule notes around here somewhere.  I'd be happy to try to find them.

Sure' I'd love to see anything you've got and are willing to share.