Basic Trollology Theory

What is it about Tunnels & Trolls? Well, here are a few important points*:

• Stat Rolls: While D&D was strangling itself in rules trying to come up something to cover each and every situation that a player could get into, T&T simply said "Why bother? There is no way everything can be covered..." and came up with the Stat Roll (which they called the Saving Roll). When a situation came up not covered in the rules, roll on a Stat to determine if the character's abilities were up to it. D&D and most other later game systems even to this day use a variation of the Stat Roll, but T&T was the first.
• Armor: D&D Armor Class makes you harder to hit. T&T armor protects the character from damage after they are hit. 'Nuf said. Again, another factor in many modern RPGs that T&T originated.
• Strength/Dexterity Minimums for Weapons/Armor: Again, a T&T first.
• Spell Points: T&T used the first Spell Point system, while D&D used a rather bizzare "load and fire" spell system. Once more, a first I believe.
• Simplicity and Playability: T&T is so simple, it can be learned on-the-fly while playing. I've explained the rules, created a character and got a person who had never played an RPG playing within 15 minutes. D&D on the other hand...
• Light-Hearted Style: T&T can be silly. Let's face it. A game with a spell called Take-That-You-Fiend can't be taken entirely seriously. On the other hand, while locked in combat with a gang of slavering trolls, there is little to laugh at. It also depends on your playing style, but T&T tends to be more relaxed, less stressful (therefore more fun) than games that take themselves too seriously.
• Solo Play: T&T created the solo adventure. "Steve McAllister, a friend of mine, came up with the idea of solitaire dungeons in 1975 and Rick Loomis created the first one ever--Buffalo Castle--in that same year. (I did the second one--the Deathtrap Equalizer later the same month.) That was the very beginning of the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' craze where R. L. Stine got his start." (from Ken St. Andre's The Origins of Tunnels & Trolls.)

Tunnels & Trolls is not perfect. There are a few weak points in the rules that break down, especially when characters reach high levels. These are really minor points, however, and do not create problems for a creative GM. To quote the T&T rule book, "...If you find something you would like to change to make it more to your liking, then go ahead and change it. There are no 'right' or 'wrong' ways to play, only suggestions..."

Something else about T&T that puts it above the rest is the author, Ken St. Andre. His writing style is not only entertaining and contributes the light-hearted mood of the game, but also has a way of putting the reader at ease -- between the lines it kind of says, "This is a game. It is ment to be fun. Take it too seriously and you're only going to give yourself a headache." Even if the identical game had been written by someone else, it just would not have that trademark T&T charm that Ken has given it. (Thanks to Jack Spenser JR for making me realise what every T&T player already knows, aware of it or not.)

If it seems that I am down on D&D, I'm not. I'm simply using it as an example because it is considered THE Fantasy Role-Playing Game. So much so that to a lot of people, D&D is a generic term for RPGs. It had a lot of good ideas, but not many of them endure in modern gaming today outside of the D&D rules. T&T on the other hand (the second RPG ever written), while never quite becoming the gaming icon that D&D was, established the ground-rules for some of the best games today. We do however owe D&D an awful lot, if for nothing else, for giving us the initial concept and a jumping off point for Ken St. Andre.