Quote from: Ted;1053035I am strongly considering running an old school (read: dungeon dive) game online for my real-life gaming group.  For several reasons we don't need wilderness or an intricate plot--everyone is buying into the premise that there is a dungeon, go explore it my dudes.  We have played a host of games, but I think an old school game checks a number of different boxes for a weekly 2-3 hour session on twitch/skype every week.  I would run basic D&D, but the problem is all the players know the modules or would know of them, so I need a newer adventure that will slip under their radar.  I own some of the core system products (e.g., ACK, Astonishing Swordsmen, etc.), but not many modules beyond my old D&D basic and AD&D "library."  So my ask is for a recommendation:

1. System: What system is the closest (including the same) to basic D&D with all its glorious tracking of encumbrance, illumination, turns/rounds, etc., but I'm open to a system with modest changes that include any sound, simple streamlining;
2. System/Module: Both system and module support a troupe style game that will forgive a player for missing a session (e.g., a nearby town that the group can return to with regularity and trade out characters if the fighter is missing that night); and
3. Module: Medium deadly with cool traps, challenges, foes and . . . you know, the stuff of legend.  I'm not an over-the-top crazy gonzo guy, but clearly "because Magic" is always a valid answer.

Thanks in advance.

Why not just play WoW?

Then you have to pick a special Warcraft keyboard!  That doesn't make anything easier Shawn! ha

While Shawn is being sarcastic, in the end, the best way to get the game you want is to make things yourself.  While I enjoy looking over other people's work and ideas, I usually make my own adventures that fit the campaign.  My D&D gaming uses my own original D&D based rules that I had printed up for myself. The ease of being free from publishers is one of the good things about present day gaming.

Quote from: Kuroth;1053286The ease of being free from publishers is one of the good things about present day gaming.

Hell yeah!

And there are many excellent small press options worthy of support if people want to buy shiznack.

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;1053279Why not just play WoW?

Just looking to stand on the shoulders of giants.  But I do grow all my own staple crops in my backyard and sew all my own clothing.

Quote from: Kuroth;1053286..., in the end, the best way to get the game you want is to make things yourself.

Of course, no argument that scratch homecooking is better, healthier and more satisfying. But sometimes the convenience of grabbing a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work is all you need to get started on dinner.

All the suggestions on this thread have been really helpful, much appreciated.

Liberation of the Demon Slayer would be great match with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers.  The pdf is free over on Drivethru.  It's by the irrepressible Venger As'Nas Satanis, with dungeon levels drawn by Dyson Logos.  

It has a full sized dungeon with multiple levels and a countryside for various character needs.  It's a little on the tough side, but if you have players that were able to survive Gygax adventures at the suggested levels under their designed games, then it will be fine.  Demon Slayer would work really well with one of the free straight forward OSR games, such as Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry, since Venger provides a number of rule ideas to mix things up a bit, which can add some variety to straight laced games!

Liberation of the Demon Slayer

Quote from: Kuroth;1053308Liberation of the Demon Slayer would be great match with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers.  The pdf is free over on Drivethru.  It's by the irrepressible Venger As'Nas Satanis, with dungeon levels drawn by Dyson Logos.  

It has a full sized dungeon with multiple levels and a countryside for various character needs.  It's a little on the tough side, but if you have players that were able to survive Gygax adventures at the suggested levels under their designed games, then it will be fine.  Demon Slayer would work really well with one of the free straight forward OSR games, such as Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry, since Venger provides a number of rule ideas to mix things up a bit, which can add some variety to straight laced games!

Liberation of the Demon Slayer

The toughest thing about that adventure is mapping the dungeon rooms to the map key - after level 1 they don't match at all!

If we're talking Venger, I heartily recommend his The Islands of Purple Haunted Putrescence, but it might be too gonzo for the OP's needs.
https://www.amazon.com/Islands-Purple-Haunted-Putrescence-Venger-Satanis/dp/1500121592

Here's some reviews:
http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/2015/04/rpgpundit-reviews-islands-of-purple.html
https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/16/16656.phtml

The Islands of Purple Haunted Putrescence is another choice to liven things up alright!

Quote from: S'mon;1053329The toughest thing about that adventure is mapping the dungeon rooms to the map key - after level 1 they don't match at all!

I don't quite get this S'mon.  The letters are keyed to rooms.  C3 means room C on the third level.  Perhaps the side level or mini-plane "0" is throwing you?  It is given as a possible side track in level 2. The mini-plane is detailed at the beginning of the second level text as A0-G0, then the actual listings for the second level begin, with C2. It looks fine to me.


Often people didn't get around to playing the classics of other games for one reason or another, many of which are easy to convert over to early D&D or AD&D.  With reprints and the ease of electronic content, these can be ran today.  I bet everyone has a few from other games that they have never been able to DM, since the intended game is never taken up in earnest.

Here is an easy suggestion of a classic dungeon, Dungeon of the Bear written for Tunnels & Trolls.  It is very easy to run under D&D or AD&D.  Most of the monsters have D&D counterparts and the level range of characters is similar to D&D. A sword is a sword, etcetera.
Dungeon of the Bear at Drivethru

Quote from: Kuroth;1053387The Islands of Purple Haunted Putrescence is another choice to liven things up alright!

I don't quite get this S'mon.  The letters are keyed to rooms.  C3 means room C on the third level.  Perhaps the side level or mini-plane "0" is throwing you?  It is given as a possible side track in level 2. The mini-plane is detailed at the beginning of the second level text as A0-G0, then the actual listings for the second level begin, with C2. It looks fine to me.

Yeah, try actually running it then...

(Conceivably Venger might have fixed the issue subsequent to the printing I have, but AFAIK he admits there's a big problem - it was his first effort, and he mucked it up. I think he may have written the entries without reference to the maps he was ordering from Dyson.)

It is possible he renumbered the rooms in updates, since the first room for the second level is listed as C2, no A2 or B2 in it.  I don't know.  I went through the first four levels and it worked out.  I don't like pdfs for keyed modules.  Can't just flip back in forth very easily, without losing your place in the pdf.  I should use pdf tools to make reader placed markers.

Quote from: Kuroth;1053387Here is an easy suggestion of a classic dungeon, Dungeon of the Bear written for Tunnels & Trolls.
Dungeon of the Bear at Drivethru

Absolutely recommend Dungeon of the Bear!! Take That You Fiend!!!

And Flying Buffalo is selling T&T 4e for it's original $4 1977 price!!
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/108306/Tunnels--Trolls-Rules-Version-4?src=also_purchased

As always, I most heartily recommend Tunnels & Trolls as a tremendously fun fantasy RPG!

EDIT: Here is my review of T&T 5.5e. I'm also a big fan of the earlier editions of T&T.
https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11474.phtml

Thanks for the all the recommendations.  I've landed on LotFP and going to run the intro adventure Tower of the Stargazer.  Picked up Caverns of Thracia as well as other locations.  The plan is to sprinkle in various locations around the starter town.  I haven't read all of Yoon-Suin, but that is a really rich resource for ideas.

At the risk of going to the well once too often, I am curious about another aspect of play--number of PCs, do you allow (or even encourage) a player to bring more than one character on an adventure?  I am predicting at least two deaths in the first 30 minutes tonight and don't want people to be twiddling their thumbs.

Quote from: Ted;1053035I am strongly considering running an old school (read: dungeon dive) game online for my real-life gaming group.  For several reasons we don't need wilderness or an intricate plot--everyone is buying into the premise that there is a dungeon, go explore it my dudes.  We have played a host of games, but I think an old school game checks a number of different boxes for a weekly 2-3 hour session on twitch/skype every week.  I would run basic D&D, but the problem is all the players know the modules or would know of them, so I need a newer adventure that will slip under their radar.  I own some of the core system products (e.g., ACK, Astonishing Swordsmen, etc.), but not many modules beyond my old D&D basic and AD&D "library." So my ask is for a recommendation:

Gotcha, that helps to make informed recommendations.

Quote from: Ted;10530351. System: What system is the closest (including the same) to basic D&D with all its glorious tracking of encumbrance, illumination, turns/rounds, etc., but I'm open to a system with modest changes that include any sound, simple streamlining;

Closest to Basic would be Blueholme, Labyrinth Lord, and Basic Fantasy, I think, but I don't play those systems, and I don't think most of them include encumbrance, etc. (since those were pretty handwaved in Basic BITD).  I recommend OSRIC as the AD&D clone if you want the gritty sub-systems of AD&D.  Free PDF @ http://knights-n-knaves.com/osric/ and you can order our high-quality hardcover via our web page http://black-blade-publishing.com/Ordering.aspx (you can also order from Lulu, but our printing is much better than Lulu POD, and and is only $0.80 more).  If you're looking for fresh monsters that your players won't know, you can also buy Monsters of Myth at the same time

Quote from: Ted;10530352. System/Module: Both system and module support a troupe style game that will forgive a player for missing a session (e.g., a nearby town that the group can return to with regularity and trade out characters if the fighter is missing that night); and
3. Module: Medium deadly with cool traps, challenges, foes and . . . you know, the stuff of legend.  I'm not an over-the-top crazy gonzo guy, but clearly "because Magic" is always a valid answer.

Excellent OSRIC modules include:
- James Boney's adventures from XRP @ http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/josephbrowning?searchTerms=boney along with Matt Finch's Pod Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (and sequels) and Keith Sloan's three modules too:  http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/josephbrowning?searchTerms=sloan
- Rob Kuntz's adventures from Black Blade:  Cairn of the Skeleton King, Tower of Blood, and Bottle City (an original level excerpted from Castle Greyhawk)
- Rob Kuntz's Dark Druids from Chaotic Henchmen (also ex-Greyhawk, and also available from Black Blade or from Guy Fullerton directly @ http://www.chaotichenchmen.com/p/dark-druids-by-robert-j-kuntz.html
- Guy Fullerton's F1 Fane of Poisoned Prophecies and F3 Many Gates of the Gann (also available from Black Blade or from Guy directly)
- Anything by Gabor Lux, including his recent Beyond Fomalhaut #1 and #2 zines, and The Barbarian King @ http://beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com/ (I think we're out of stock on his titles at the moment)

If you're looking for a toolkit mega-dungeon, you may want to check out our zine, The Twisting Stair, at https://www.facebook.com/The-Twisting-Stair-188990931592220/

Good reviews on Gabor's blog above, as well as Bryce's http://tenfootpole.org/ironspike/?s=osric reviews blog

Allan.

Quote from: Ted;1053816At the risk of going to the well once too often, I am curious about another aspect of play--number of PCs, do you allow (or even encourage) a player to bring more than one character on an adventure?  I am predicting at least two deaths in the first 30 minutes tonight and don't want people to be twiddling their thumbs.

With a full table it's normally one "real" character per player, but encouraging hirelings and henchmen, which in turn can be quickly given stats and a class if a player takes one over due to losing their first.  And in any case, in a starting session I would find an excuse to bring in replacement characters swiftly, even if it doesn't make a lot of sense in game.  Other explorers, tied up in a closet, whatever it takes to not make a new player watch everybody else play D&D for four hours.

Now that I've got some experience with DCC I'm considering porting over the funnel idea the next time I run my own game, with 4-5 0 level characters per player on a starting adventure, and seeing who survives to level up.