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Them Deeper Bones?
Them Deeper Bones is a retro adventure role-playing game in the vein of the BECMI (“Red Box”) D&D and AD&D 2nd Edition. In TDB adventuring heroes set out to explore the post-post-apocalyptic fantasy world and piece out the history of their lost homeland. If you like to solve problems through your own wits and role-playing instead of dice-rolling and character optimisation, this is the TTRPG for you.
Some key features:
- Role-playing as the primary problem solving tool. Think using your wits in escape rooms, but where the sky’s the limit on how strange the puzzles can get.
- Streamlined d20-based system - of summing up dice with the base d20 instead of static bonus and penalty mathematics.
- Emphasis on the exploration and archeology parts of dungeon crawling, with treasure serving as a tool, not the end purpose.
- Magic system that allows individual spells to be both relevant and unpredictable.
- Tense and fast-paced combat system. The players have all the information they need to act thanks to the decide first initiative, things escalate quickly and the innovative Grit Dice method used stops it from ever becoming a grind.
- Group-focused play - through the Rediscovery Company framework that makes developing and investing in the whole group as important as individual characters in it
(preview currently from version beta.1.3.0)
Tools and Downloadables
Current ToDo -list
The Player's Book — Current published version: beta.1.5.0 (4th March 2022).
Changes from beta.1.4.1:
- Terminology changes: "Hit Dice" to "Grit Dice". "Armour Class" to "Defense Value".
- Saving Throws for spells clarified to have a TN of the Magic Roll result
- Spells tweaked a bit to fit the new Saving Throw rule & from playtest, and renamed in many cases
- Fighters and Magic-Users reroll Attack/Magic based on their current Grit Dice, not level.
- Lifestyle options to Living Costs
- Clarifications to henchmen and hireling hiring.
- Clarifications to helpless and 0 GD
- Lots of various text fixes
The Guide Book — Current published version: beta.1.4.1 (17th December 2021).
Changes from beta.1.3.0:
- Opponents have suggested combat maneuvers if they already didn't have special attacks.
- Reorganisation of the data to three books.
- Basic guide instructions (saving throws, ability scores).
- Social interactions added to gameplay procedures.
- Fireball-analogue added to Treasures chapter as an example of a more powerful spell.
The World Book — Current published version: beta.1.3.0 (27th August 2021). Still in the old format.
Work in Progress:
- The Old Bear House example adventure
- Mundane treasures
- Winter, movement, skiing and snow
- Crafting magic items
- Chase rules
- Hireling death cost
- More opponents (repeat task)
- More perks (repeat task)
- More magic items (repeat task)
- More spells (repeat task)
Video
Development Blog
Ludography
The games I know to have had a huge influence on the development of Them Deeper Bones:
- Frank Mentzer’s Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (The “Red Box”), Finnish translation (1988)
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition
- Dungeon Crawl Classics
- Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells
- Runequest, Finnish translation (1988)
- Lamentations of the Flame Princess
- Blades in the Dark and Forged in the Dark games
- Apocalypse World and Powered by the Apocalypse games
- Principia Apocrypha (it’s not a game per se, but..)
- Five Torches Deep
And some games that do not have an official release yet as of writing, but whose design process has still had an influence on the design:
- Jonas Mustonen’s Vankityrmiä & Louhikäärmeitä
- Ville Takanen’s Al Presa
- James Malloy’s Minimal Viable Dungeon