I’m happy to announce that the first Microlite75 game, Microlite75 Basic, is now available for download as a “pay what you want” game on DrivethruRPG/RPGNow. As usual, free ($0) is a perfectly acceptable price, although I hope you will consider tossing in a buck or two to support the medical bills.

Microlite75 games are a sort of “new edition” of Microlite74. Like Microlite78 and Microlite81 games, Microlite75 games use an experience and advancement system much closer to the original “0e” system than the Microlite20-based system used in Microlite74 games. They also all include some of most popular “house rules” based system that first appeared in Microlite74 Extended (e.g. body points and backgrounds). They include rules for creating strongholds, magical research, and more detailed rules for dungeon, wilderness and sea adventuring. Finally, they include a complete treasure section so the game is more complete than their Microlite74 counterparts.

The Microlite75 Basic rules are based on three little booklets found in the boxed set of the 1974 original edition (0e) of the world’s most popular tabletop fantasy roleplaying game. The rules are not intended to be a clone of the 0e rules, but rather a conversion of them to a rules-lite D20-based system that encourages old-school play without strictly old-school rules.

Although the Microlite75 Basic rules are complete, they are fairly basic. There are only three classes (Fighters, Magic-Users, and Clerics) — however, backgrounds allow a great deal of easy character customization. Spells are limited and character levels top out at 12 to 14. Microlite75 Standard and Microlite75 Extended provide more classes and other options.

Microlite75 Basic includes:

• Simple Character Creation Rules: Roll 4 attributes and select a race, class, background, and (optionally) alignment.
• Limited Classes as in original 0e boxed set: Fighter, Magic-User, and Cleric.
• Backgrounds provide a simple and fast way to factor in a character’s culture and non-class-related abilities.
• Simple and fast-playing combat system that tracks physical damage (aka body points) separately from luck/skill/fatigue (aka hit point) damage.
• Hit points recover with a night’s rest. Spells cost hit points to cast. Actual wounds recover more slowly.
• Rules for hirelings; monster reactions (not every monster wants to fight); morale (not every monster fights to the death); strongholds; magical research; dungeon, wilderness and ocean exploration; and more.
• A complete list of spells, monsters, and treasure.
• Compatible with most other 0e based games and adventures.

Microlite75 games are trimmed-down miniature versions of the Primary Fantasy SRD rules designed to be quick and easy to play, especially when compared to modern incarnations of the game. The goal of Microlite75 games is to recreate the style and feel of that very first (“0e”) fantasy roleplaying game published back in 1974 without giving up all of the clearer mechanics of modern D20-based versions.

Visit the Microlite75 Basic page on RPGNow to Download Now.

These two games are free and is still available in all the usual places, they are now also available on DrivethruRPG/RPGNow as “Pay What You Want” games.