OD&D Clones?

[aldarron]

How many Clones of OD&D exist out there?

I'm not sure this is true about these games, but I have heard of some projects attempting to make games maximizing Gygax' influence. Would this mean that games not seeking to do this would be more true to the input of Arneson, Kuntz and others?

-Havard

Interesting. Can you point to any of those projects? In any case, AD&D + UA and Perilous Journeys are the quintisentialy Gygaxianated RPGs.

Do you mean true clones of 3LBB Havard? The Big Brown Book almost fits the bill, except for lack of use of funny dice and perhaps the overemphasis of CHAINMAIL man to man. Probably the yet to be released Delving Deeper, of course.

But if you broaden the field to "inspired by" theres who knows how many. Even Basic Fantasy has large sections (magic items for ex) that replicates 3LBB's and not much else.

Are these games more true to Arneson etc? Yes, but usually not by much. AD&D looms large over most of the clones. LL, drawing on B/X may have the most cosmopolitan/least Gygaxian influence, but even that is barely noticeable rules wise.

The clone writers tend to look to Gygax and AD&D when structuring thier games. Hardly anybody looks to the FFC for rules for example, and more to the point, they don't look to emulate Arnesons inventiveness in the way they pitch the rules - more keep on the borderlands, less temple of the frog. Fred Funk's campaign is a great example of the open inventiveness Arneson inspired.