Sword & Wizardry
An ENNIE award-winning retroclone of Original D&D (1974-1978) that delivers AD&D-level content in a streamlined 144-page package. Features ascending AC, unified saving throws, and all core classes from the early supplements. Compatible with five decades of fantasy RPG material.
Fantasy • Needs GM • 3/5 complexity • Low prep
Sword & Wizardry is the ENNIE award-winning retroclone of Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1978), commonly called OD&D or 0e. Created by Matt Finch and published by Mythmere Games, it consolidates the original box set plus the Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Eldritch Wizardry supplements into a single, coherent 144-page rulebook.
Theme and Setting
The result plays like a simplified AD&D (1979) with modern usability enhancements. Sword & Wizardry embraces classic fantasy roleplaying without prescribing a specific campaign setting.
How Play Feels
The implied world draws from early Dungeons & Dragons: treasure-seeking adventurers explore dangerous dungeons, face high lethality, and rely on player skill over character abilities. The game supports any traditional fantasy setting and maintains compatibility with material published for D&D and AD&D prior to 3rd edition.
What Makes It Distinct
The three-fold alignment system (Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic) reinforces the moral ambiguity of sword and sorcery literature. The game uses d20-based mechanics with optional ascending or descending Armor Class.
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.
What this game is about
A strong fit for groups that want fantasy adventure with a clear play identity, with class-based helping define the experience.
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