Whatever the opposite of a railroaded adventure is, this open-world campaign is that. The rules are simple. The world is complicated. What happens to it is up to the players.
You will hear rumors, discover locations, meet competing factions, and encounter problems, but the game will not tell you which direction you must take.
Some things the players have chosen to do so far:
Join the local mercenaries to learn the ways of the sword as a mage
- Retrieve an old lady's purse
- Become war chieftain of an orc village
- Decapitate a wight with a cursed sword
Also some new races that are crafted to play and feel very different:
- Pixie - fly, perfect hiding, cast phantasmal forces at will, insults cause physical damage to you
- Orc - infra-vision, can recruit monsters more easily
Races and classes are kind of blended together. Multiple characters are encouraged. Each choice allows you to do something that appears to let you break the game, while saddling you with something else that seems debilitating. This is by design, and players have come up with a few ways of getting around and abusing these things to the betterment of the story and lore.
- Fighting-Man - Doesn't have to actually be a guy, but is a human. Can use all weapons and armor.
- Magic-User - Has one spell, one "shot". Can meet with magic learned peers to exchange knowledge. The most notorious spell in the game right now is Charm Person because it doesn't wear off like in later editions.
- Cleric - The best of the two above, but must be Good, and by the Law.
- Elf - Essentially a Magic-Use/Fighting-Man with extra perks and ties with elves and the ability to sense magic, enhanced senses, etc. but capped at a certain point
- Hobbit - Capped early, but can hide flawlessly in urban areas and snipe REAL good with slings. No magic.
- Dwarf - Capped early, but high resistance, good with all axes and hammers, can sense what stone touches and its shape, and ties with and extensive knowledge of dwarven culture and holds.
There are major events going on in the background but instead of shoving players in the middle of them, I showcase the developments of those events that come about, for good or ill. The players decide what to investigate, whom to trust, which dangers are worth confronting, and what their characters want to accomplish. How many hirelings do you need to bring with you? How much can you do successfully alone to maximize profit?
Play alone, 1-on-1 with DM and player, or up to 10 others at once. The world continues to develop around the party. Factions pursue their own plans, NPCs remember your actions, enemies adapt, settlements can change, and neglected situations may grow better or worse. Player choices can permanently reshape the campaign world.
Let me know if you are interested!