I have been looking around for the last beta version of Lejendary AsteRogues.  I read here and there that there was a freely distributed play test beta version 4.0 completed.  Does anyone have that here?  I found the 2.1 version that Trigee (Gygax) freely distributed for play testing using the wayback machine, but I haven't found the later beta versions.

Here are the version 2 beta documents from the wayback machine from the original site Trigee provided them.

Wayback Machine pull of the version 2.0 and 2.1 documents as they were provided by Trigee

It was a very obscure question.  So, no worries if no one has an idea about the continued existence of the later versions.  I was interested in some advice in it for science fiction settings with Lejendary Adventures, which the 2.1 version does provide anyway.  The swashbuckling ability included in the Essential edition of Lejendary Adventures came from Gary's writing on the AsteRogues, for example.

Quote from: Kuroth;575720I have been looking around for the last beta version of Lejendary AsteRogues.  I read here and there that there was a freely distributed play test beta version 4.0 completed.  Does anyone have that here?  I found the 2.1 version that Trigee (Gygax) freely distributed for play testing using the wayback machine, but I haven't found the later beta versions.

I do not have said playtest documents, but I wanted to post in this thread to thank you for the link. This is great to still have access to those after all this time. I'm in your debt. I haven't had the time to dig into the documents yet. Probably won't for the next while. But once I do, I'll try to unearth this thread and get the conversation going, if it hasn't taken off by then.

Quote from: Benoist;575976I do not have said playtest documents, but I wanted to post in this thread to thank you for the link. This is great to still have access to those after all this time. I'm in your debt. I haven't had the time to dig into the documents yet. Probably won't for the next while. But once I do, I'll try to unearth this thread and get the conversation going, if it hasn't taken off by then.

Glad to reduce time spent digging through the internet for something.  Those are remarkably obscure to locate.  There is a lot of interesting detail in those documents.  I am looking over them still myself.  There was a campaign developed by a master that was placed up on a campaign log.  I don't know Barabuz, but I provide a link to his campaign based on the AsteRogues content here too.  Just follow the link titled Rules on the site.

ALPHA-TRION VI

If this thread is pulled by search in the reasonable future, a couple years, and the wayback machine is no longer pulling the documents, send me a private message.  I can send them to you.

Chris Clark or Jon Creffield may have copies of version 3 or 4, though I don't know if they ever stop by here.

Never heard of it and only skimmed the docs.

So this is Gary Gygax's Spelljammer, using the Lejendary Adventures system? Color me intrigued.

Someone should write a retro-clone conversion! I'd do it but my Spelljammer-fu is weak.

Quote from: The Butcher;576030Never heard of it and only skimmed the docs.

So this is Gary Gygax's Spelljammer, using the Lejendary Adventures system? Color me intrigued.

Someone should write a retro-clone conversion! I'd do it but my Spelljammer-fu is weak.

My main interest in looking this over after this time has been to consider how Gary handled science fiction in general with the system. The new abilities he added. The approach he took for large powered vehicles. The statistics for higher energy weapons. The orders he chose to create and similar questions.  

Much like the Essentials set, it is very light on setting, with mention of the setting he used to play test the rules incorporated into various descriptions,  somewhat like the AD&D 1 core books. So, setting details are there in item descriptions, ability descriptions, extraordinary ability activation descriptions and similar content.  Here is a quote from the description of starships.



“Spaceboats & Spaceship: All of the space vessels are very boat-/ship-like.  Picture, if you will, a bullet-nosed cylinder as the hull basis.  To this add a not deep (about the depth of the hull) keel whose lower portion is rather bulbous (about one-quarter the diameter of the hull so as to to accommodate drive engines.

At the stern, where one might expect to see a rudder, there is a dish resembling a radar antenna.  This directs the energy output gathered from the sails.  Turning helm wheel changes the direction in which the magnegrav propeller directs the energy thrust, thus the direction of the sailed vessel.  Of course on spaceboats this is a small device, while on spaceships it is proportionately larger.

To the upper portion of the hull is affixed an outward-angled plating which extends upwards sufficiently to support one or more decks flush across the top of the cylindrical hull.  Thus, this lower, outer deck is equal in width to the diameter of the hull.

The plating then angles slightly inwards, rising about eight feet per deck.  A vessel with no gun deck has only the “planking” to give the vessel a flat “upper” (or “outer”) deck. In ships there might also be a forecastle and/or sterncastle built upon the base deck to form foredeck and sterndeck.  Those ships with a gundeck or several such layers of superstructure, with or without fore- and sterncastle, then have the subsequent inward-angled "scantling" sides.  Gun deck(s) and fore- and sterncastle are added superstructure built above the main hull and all such structures are partially open to allow guns to operate.  Thus, when "on deck", hands must wear voidsuits (spacesuits), for they are in the vacuum of the void.

Airlock hatches are all accessed from the deck superstructure.  There is but one ladder “up and out” on spaceboats.  On spaceships there are two to ten "ladders" for personnel, the number depending on vessel size.  Likewise there are one to four cargo hatches.

At the bow this superstructure resembles the bowsprit of a sailing ship, as there is a support for the foremast here.

The masts are affixed to the cylindrical hull, and all outer decks are built around them and gun spaces.  Masts and spars are metal with metallic sails held in place with cables.  Collector cables run from masts into the main hull.”
Gary Gygax, Lejendary AsteRogues: Multi-Tiered Fantasy Science Role-Playing Game 140-141 (playtest beta version 2.1, Trigee 1999).

I'd like to add that Lejendary Asterogues was Gary's last passion before he passed away. While he was directing me to develop the Castle Zagyg mega-dungeon, he was hard at work writing and rewriting Lejendary Asterogues, gradually coaxing it into publishable shape. Often at the end of the day, when we would chat (mostly me barraging him with questions and clarifications), he would tell me how much he'd gotten done that day, and he was genuinely excited and passionate about this expansion to the LA game. I may not be correct, but I believe this was the last RPG project he was actively working on before he passed. I have not read it yet. I've been saving it . . .

Quote from: ghul;576119I'd like to add that Lejendary Asterogues was Gary's last passion before he passed away. While he was directing me to develop the Castle Zagyg mega-dungeon, he was hard at work writing and rewriting Lejendary Asterogues, gradually coaxing it into publishable shape. Often at the end of the day, when we would chat (mostly me barraging him with questions and clarifications), he would tell me how much he'd gotten done that day, and he was genuinely excited and passionate about this expansion to the LA game. I may not be correct, but I believe this was the last RPG project he was actively working on before he passed. I have not read it yet. I've been saving it . . .

I really had that feeling reading it too.  He really did work on projects that he enjoyed all the way up to the end.  Thank you for the insight Ghul!  I do plan on using the rules in a Lejendary Adventures science fiction campaign down the road about one campaign from the upcoming fantasy one.

Wow, fascinating. I'd never even heard of this.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;576493Wow, fascinating. I'd never even heard of this.

RPGPundit

That's crazy Pundit. It is at the very least a good thing to look over when you take up writing on a science fiction game or a modern one.  I look forward to setting up a Lejendary Adventure science fiction campaign with this content as a guide.  Good times.

I think the way abilities are associated with equipment lists in Lejendary Adventures and AsteRogues would work well in the games you have made Pundit.  It would combine well with the desire to integrate various somewhat random lists that you have in Forward.  The way Gary uses abilities would help provide inspiration in the approach you took to skills too.  So, just some feedback.

To be honest I never paid very much attention to anything Gary did after AD&D.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;577093To be honest I never paid very much attention to anything Gary did after AD&D.

Always time to rectify that.  I didn't get around to looking at Ars Magica* until 15 years after it was made.  There are about 1500 complete roleplay games out there and all, and that doesn't even count the incomplete ones.




*I knew the players about would not want to take up certain aspects of the system, but I have it today for just such a group to appear.

Quote from: Kuroth;577094Always time to rectify that.  I didn't get around to looking at Ars Magica* until 15 years after it was made.  There are about 1500 complete roleplay games out there and all, and that doesn't even count the incomplete ones.




*I knew the players about would not want to take up certain aspects of the system, but I have it today for just such a group to appear.

I did buy Dangerous Journeys, and I wasn't very impressed.
I also got Cyborg Commando... well, the less said about that, the better.

RPGPundit

It isn’t easy going in a different direction when one is so bound to the origin.  Cyborg had an interesting dice mechanic.  It was the sort of game that was never intended to be anything bigger than Metamorphosis Alpha.  A fun little game you know, like your Gnomes game.  Dangerous Journeys has some interesting aspects, particularly the Necropolis campaign book and the Aerth world scheme.  With Lejendary, it was one of the few games of recent history that got an excited reaction from the players about, rather than the neutral norm.  It was the Troll Lords boxed set that made that impression. My present Lejendary Adventure campaign takes place in Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Stygia, using Necropolis as a sourcebook and other Egypt themed items from here and there, with a fair dose of Lovecraft evil on the edges.