Review: Microlite 20 fifth - adamantine edition
Lately, i've been working on translating, editing, layouting and co-creating an OSR game. Its pitch is "The "Ravenium Rush" brings hundreds of new settlers on the "Satanic Planet", but only a few will survive the horror, the demons, and the corporate greed..."
With my creation mate (he created the setting), we decided we wanted an OSR system.
I had my eyes set on EXTINCTION, which is an really really good hack of the Black Hack for Space-Horror like Alien (the movie), with a touch of other Sci-Fi influences (blade runner, for example).
We could have tried to make a module for EXTINCTION, but we wanted our system to be under the hood.
I've then looked around at other influences, because I felt that I would only want to copy EXTINCTION and add here and there some bits and odds, if we were to go "the Black Hack way".
So I needed some other basis to have my mind crunch on.
I decided to look at 5E clones/simplifications and so on, because I really like the 5th Edition and its elegant mechanics (and newer people to the hobby were more keen on trying something based on what they know).
1.) What is it?
"Microlite 20 fifth - adamantine edition" is the latest incarnation of the microlite series of D&D simplifications. Microlite has a good reputation, this version is 17 pages long (including a character sheet and the "OGL licence" for the 5E)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J_gPJjuDygOQWnVKXyLcAuGcIUNHeSsf/view
2.) When did I hear about it for the 1st time?
On the RPG forums and discord I delve, Microlite is often cited as a reference for D&D simplifications (there's a microlite 74, one on D&D3, another on D&D4, and this one simplifying D&D5 [There are more than just those])
3.) What did I expect?
I expected somthing easy and streamlined vaguely related to the 5th Edition. For Vanilla Fantasy.
4.) What did I find?
A stremlined and simplified version of the Basic Rules of 5E. Which means it's open source content, for the vast majority.
It keeps the 5E feel and its iconic mechanics (advantages, Bounded accuracy) but refines it to its most simple core:
You now have only 3 Attributes and 4 skills, along with 4 classes. Still it is very well designed and written, making the core shine like a 100 GP pearl (yeah, identify is important).
It allows itself the luxury to add monster creation rules that generates 1-line-stat-blocs, encounter building guidelines, and an appendice to introduce more classes.
I really liked the quick and simple ruleset.
It's not as deadly as an OSR, but you could apply some rules from 5E-HARDCORE-MODE from Runehammer to spice up / OSR up the game experience.
5.) Will I use it ?
I need to convert my co-autor to base our game on this, but I'm really tempted to create a game based on this motor. I would make it less simple in the end, but I hope it would be an upgrade on the basis, not an over-complexification.
If he's not up for it, maybe I'll build a game around it for this blog. Or rebuild around this ruleset my SciFi project "Stellar Fiefdoms"
6.) Would I recommend buying it?
Well, since it's free, you should definietly grab a pdf. Then print it as a pamphlet at work (it's 16 pages, once you remove the page 16 where the licence is), read it in the train back home and play with your hastily got together friends and neighbourgs.
Maybe also print a one-page-dungeon?
Disclaimer:
Some of the links included in this article are affiliate-links.
One day, I will have a few dollars credit on Drivethru and I'll re-buy an item on Pay What You Want (PWYW) I found very useful there. So somehow this is supporting indie creation, right?
Any of you played with Microlite 20 fifth?
What is you go-to 5E related system?
Do you jerry-rig your 5E?
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