#battlesystem

[oldschoolfrp]

AD&D Battlesystem, miniature wargame rules by Douglas Niles, with Jeff Easley box art (TSR, 1985)

[vintagerpg]

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. This is Battlesystem (1985), the box set of mass combat rules TSR spent decades trying to shove back into D&D, even as D&D was mostly leaving its wargame roots behind.

This is a craaaaazy product for the time. A two-inch box set packed with a rulebook, a scenario book, roster sheets, reference cards, piles of chits, a booklet of cardboard fold-up terrain, two metal miniatures and a guide to painting miniatures. This was obviously meant to entice players. If the contents of the box weren’t enough, the Jeff Easley cover featuring barbarian cavalry on triceratops-back at least makes a compelling case. The thing was a full-blown wargame, though, requiring lots of stats and math and resolution charts. Even if the various watered down introductions to Battlesystem (like those in the Dragonlance modules) convinced folks to try the full Battlesystem rules, they’d be crushed in an avalanche.

My favorite part of the boneheadedness of Battlesystem is that it doesn’t actually require miniatures. That’s why there are all those cardboard chits in the box. But why? Didn’t TSR play dirty with the Grenadier over the license for official D&D miniatures to found their own official miniature forge? Yes, indeed, they did. And the miniatures were so bad, production so agonized, that TSR shuttered the miniature division…just before Battlesystem hit shelves. Truly, the game wizards.

[dndhistory]

Advert for AD&D BattleSystem (Dragon #105, January 1986)

[cortes-productions]

Knowledge is the wizard's best weapon! Presenting battling 101, sure to be a hit with newly fledged wizards! We'll be showcasing more clips in the future so like and follow our blog for more! Today's clip... the poisonous drop attack!

[gwennido]

ALEATALE- Page 4

AU of Undertale

(HEY ! I am not bi-lingual, then if there are any mistakes in the texte, I’ll be glad to have some corrections, and to correct consequently.)

You can read some explanations there : [INTRODUCTION]

Just a lesson from Flowey '_' I think the action of dodging is the most important of the game x)

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If you want to support me, you can buy me a Cappucino <3

Thanks to Bohemian kitty and Argentdandelion for their help :3

[thepolishersref]

Siblings Unite attack from Suikoden II. Small chance that Nanami will do a funny version instead of the normal version. Great storytelling about her personality.

Also some really good slashes in there!

[oldschoolfrp]

"The infinity train is a virtually indestructible weapon of enormous magnitude designed by Yrkhetep." A mob of howling worm-spirits rides the crazy train off the rails without wheels, almost like a timely metaphor for something. (AD&D supplement I14: Swords of the Iron Legion, a collection of Forgotten Realms Battlesystem adventures, TSR, 1988; illustrations throughout are by multiple artists with no credits)

[oldschoolfrp]

After several attempts at publishing Battlesystem as a mass battle warfare game, TSR produced a different man-to-man version as Battlesystem Skirmishes by Bruce Nesmith (1991). This book was again illustrated with photos of Ral Partha miniatures, and legendary gamemaster Duke Seifried provided much of the terrain.

The cover's tag line "The miniatures game for everyone!" probably was a response to many RPG players' reluctance to take on a project of painting more than one character at a time. I remember experienced painters at this time being astonished that anyone could paint as many as 6 or 12 similar figures for a game, much less 100s as pictured in the earlier Battlesystem rules.