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Guide to Playing D&D for Free with Retro-Clones
Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Cheapskates hoping to pick up a game of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) will be dismayed to find the boxed set of the 4th edition, though currently on sale, would typically cost over $100, far more than most other games out there. Those who had played earlier versions of the game might also be shocked to find the new version vastly different from what they are used to, possibly causing them to spend additional resources hunting down a preferred older version.
Fortunately, with the help of “retro-clones” and d20-based games inspired by the original D&D, a free or very affordable game exists for nearly every version of D&D. This list includes clones for each edition of D&D, from 0e through 3.5e, plus "rules-lite" alternatives and "old school" games that pull from multiple versions of D&D without emulating any one of them in particular.
Notably, no clone or streamlined d20 version of AD&D 2e yet exists, though some argue that Hackmaster comes close. As for D&D 4e, you can try the Quick Start Rules to see if you like it before investing in it.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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d20-Based Retro Game
For newcomers to D&D-style gaming, I think the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game (BFRPG) is the best fit. Unlike the game clones listed below, BFRPG aims for enhanced playability rather than pure rules emulation, while also providing more detail and player aids than stripped-down "rules-lite" games.
Based on d20, BFRPG recognizes that some modern improvements from earlier editions of D&D are worth keeping, but stays away from the complexity of D&D 3.5e by emulating the feel of earlier editions. It is most comparable to "Classic" or "BECMI" D&D with some rules imported from AD&D and modern mechanics at its heart. With some effort from the DM, it should be able to play most of the top-ranked D&D adventure modules without forcing your group to deal with the weaknesses and inconsistencies of older versions of the game.
For a complete game that balances the old with the new without feeling too barebones, BFRPG is an excellent choice.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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D&D 3.5e - Rules-Lite
One of the biggest complaints about D&D 3.5e / Pathfinder is the overwhelming complexity of the rules, which many players love for building uniquely powerful characters, but most DMs agree dramatically slow prep time. Microlite20 is a rules-lite version of D&D 3.5, which aims for full compatibility with only two pages of rules. It seems just as playable as BFRPG (above), even for old school classics that I detail more in this list, and is probably more directly compatible with D&D 3.5e modules, but newcomers will need more descriptive aids for them to know what they are doing.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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D&D 3.5e
D&D 3 made a radical departure from AD&D but mechanically remains closer to these original games than D&D 4. If you want the incredible depth and complexity of D&D 3.5, then you'll want Pathfinder, called by some "D&D 3.6." It manages to pack D&D's usual three books' worth of material into one massive core rulebook. True cheapskates will love the fact that the nearly 600-page Pathfinder SRD is freely available online and won an ENnie for Best Free Product in 2008.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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AD&D 1e
OSRIC is a rules emulator for AD&D 1e. AD&D 1e does not rate as well as the most recent versions of D&D (3.5e and 4e), but this version has spawned more top-ranked adventure modules than any other. If you want to play these modules with little if any conversion, then OSRIC is the way to go.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Basic/Expert D&D
For those who want the best of Old School without the fancy innovations of modern D&D, Labyrinth Lord is your game. A clone of Basic/Expert D&D, this game is the closest you'll get to a free version of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, the top-ranked version of D&D core rules here on GeekDo.
Among some groups, Labyrinth Lord compares quite well to the other games on this list. It is also noteworthy among rules emulators like OSRIC and Swords and Wizardry for receiving being the runner-up in two Indie RPG Awards and having the highest rating on both RPG.net and GeekDo. This thread features fans of Labyrinth Lord comparing it to BFRPG (above).
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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D&D 0e - Rules-Lite
D&D 0e is already pretty "rules-lite" compared to more recent incarnations, but, if you really want to get hard core on minimizing rules, check out Microlite74, which takes Microlite20 and tweaks it to feel more like D&D 0e. The designer presents Microlite74 as an "introduction" for modern gamers to old school gaming, but implies that other systems might be better suited for sustained play. The 2.0 version is fully compatible with other 0e systems.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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D&D 0e
Swords and Wizardry is a rules emulator of the very first (0e) edition of D&D. If, for some reason, you want to play the original, Swords and Wizardry is your game.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Indie-Infused
Forge-inspired indie games intentionally depart from D&D's various models for gaming, so any entry here should be considered a stretch for "playing D&D for free." That said, D&D fans will appreciate Clinton R. Nixon's offerings: Donjon and the Shadow of Yesterday, which Eero Tuovinen describes as "still the single best attempt at combining a classical tabletop fantasy adventure roleplaying game with modern, Forge-style design." Cheapskates who enjoy these games will want to check out other indie games that will expand their gaming horizons.
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Posted Thu Dec 3, 2009 2:28 am
Eagle River
Alaska
Peterborough
Unspecified
Fortunately WoTC still have some of their old modules available for download.
Some are for D&D, some are for AD&D1 and some for AD&D2.
Oakland
California
Thanks for the link. I've also created lists of cheap but extremely well-regarded old school D&D modules: here and [geeklist=49568]here[/geeklist].
Oakland
California
I changed my mind and went ahead and did this.