Castles & Crusades vs OSRIC
Compare Castles & Crusades and OSRIC side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Castles & Crusades | OSRIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy | Fantasy |
| Tags | Heroic, Dungeon Crawl, Character Building, High-Fantasy, Theater of the Mind, Vancian Casting | Dungeon Crawl, Tactical, High-Fantasy, Character Building, Theater of the Mind, Heroic, Descending AC, Vancian Casting |
| Core Mechanic | SIEGE Engine: roll d20 + modifier + level vs. Challenge Class (12 for primary attributes, 18 for secondary). Primary/secondary attribute distinction replaces complex skill lists with a single unified check system. | Roll d20 + modifiers vs. target numbers (THAC0/AC for combat, saving throws for hazards). Ability scores rolled on 3d6, class and level determine hit dice, spells, and abilities. GM acts as referee for rulings. |
| Dice | d20 | d20 |
| Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Availability | Free core rules | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 4 of 5 book tools | 2 of 5 book tools |
| License | OGL 1.0a | AELF + CC BY 4.0 (SRD 5.1) |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Troll Lord Games | Mythmere Games |
| Year | 2004 | 2025 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups wanting the classic AD&D feel with streamlined, unified mechanics: old-school spirit with modern ease of play. | Players who want the classic AD&D 1e experience with cleaner organization, well-defined rules for combat and spells, and a huge library of compatible OSR content. |
| Highlights | SIEGE Engine unifies all attribute checks, easy to convert AD&D/d20 content, 13 classes with classic archetypes, fast character creation, large back-catalog of adventures | Faithful AD&D 1e rules reorganized for clarity, large back-catalog of compatible adventures, middle-ground complexity between B/X and modern D&D, free PDF available |
| Considerations | Primary/secondary attribute split can feel arbitrary, limited non-fantasy support | Deliberately old-school: THAC0 and descending AC may confuse modern players, less balanced than modern systems, relies heavily on GM rulings, limited character customization compared to newer games |