Delving Deeper

Delving Deeper transports players to the primordial roots of fantasy roleplaying—the unfiltered, dangerous world of the original 1974 Dungeons & Dragons. This is a realm where magic is unpredictable and perilous, where dragons are truly terrifying, and where elves, dwarfs, and men stand together against goblins, giants, and worse horrors lurking in the dark.

Theme and Setting

The game embraces a swords-and-sorcery aesthetic where survival is never guaranteed and clever play matters more than character builds. The default setting assumes a frontier wilderness dotted with dungeons—vast underground complexes filled with monsters, traps, and fabulous treasures.

How Play Feels

Players begin as inexperienced adventurers seeking fame and fortune, gradually building strongholds and carving out domains as they survive and prosper. The tone is gritty and dangerous, where even a lowly goblin can end a careless hero, and where the deepest dungeon levels hold challenges that only the most experienced adventurers can face.

What Makes It Distinct

Delving Deeper uses the original three-class system: Fighting Men excel at combat with the fastest hit dice progression and multiple attacks against normal foes; Magic-Users wield powerful but dangerous spells starting weak but becoming formidable; Clerics combine moderate combat ability with divine magic and turning undead. The game faithfully preserves the original d6-based mechanics for hit dice, damage, and monster attacks.

Where It May Not Fit

You want the system to stay almost invisible at the table You want a much breezier tone than this game is built to support.