 Tunnels & Trolls heading to Kickstarter next month.){kind=link}
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of the oldest tabletop role playing games of all time is heading back into the spotlight. The Tunnels & Trolls RPG – which has often been derided as a D&D knockoff, despite its significant innovations and contribution to the hobby – is getting a modern update with Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age, a Kickstarter campaign slated for launch on March 17th.
The new version of the game (which is technically it’s 10th edition) also has a new publisher in the form of Rebellion Unplugged – the TTRPG branch of UK-based video game developer Rebellion. It also offers a number of new mechanics will also paying homage to the original, with sample Beta quickstart rules available now on DriveThruRPG. Below, we take a closer look at what to expect from the triumphant return of T&T.
What is the original Tunnels & Trolls RPG?
First released back in 1975, Tunnels & Trolls is widely regarded as the second TTRPGG ever published, following the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. Created by Ken St. Andre, a librarian living in Phoenix, Arizona, the game was initially a self-published homebrew system billed as a less crunchy and faster paced version of D&D. Eventually, however, it was picked up by publisher Flying Buffalo, who at the time was best known for releasing a series of play-by-mail strategy games.
Mechanically, Tunnels & Trolls uses a streamlined, d6-only system, which was designed to be much faster to run than original D&D. Characters are defined by core attributes like Strength, Intelligence, Luck and Dexterity, with familiar archetypes such as Warriors and Wizards. The game differentiates itself from D&D, however, in that magic is powered by expendable points rather than spell slots and during combat both sides roll at the same time, with armor absorbing damage. Notably, The game was also the first TTRPG to feature solo play, a mechanic that has since inspired numerous other systems.
Over the decades, Tunnels & Trolls has evolved through multiple editions, including a popular Fifth Edition, which came out in 1979 and actually managed to achieve a large international following, appearing in a number of European and Asian countries before D&D arrived on shelves. In 2005, Flying Buffalo released a 30th anniversary edition (known as the 7th edition by fans), which consisted of a number of major rules updates and changed the base setting to creator Ken St. Andre’s Trollworld (which he describes a “The Lord of The Rings as it would have been done by Marvel Comics in 1974 with Conan, Elric, the Gray Mouser and a host of badguys thrown in.”) This was following by a French translation in 2012 (which is regarded as the 8th edition) and a Deluxe Edition (which is regarded as the 9th edition) in 2015.
The rights to Tunnels & Trolls, however, changed hands in 2021 when Flying Buffalo was acquired by Webbed Sphere, who later sold the T&T intellectual property to Rebellion Unplugged. As such, it’s really been over a decade since the game has had a new edition.
What is Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age?
Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age is being overseen by lead designers Scott Malthouse (founder of the appropriately named Trollish Delver Games) and Chris Bissette (who has produced a number of well-received indie TTRPGs).
In terms of lore, in a recent press release, Rebellion Unplugged writes: Centuries ago, the skies turned black and the trolls awoke. The stone behemoths ravaged the land, empires fell, and their technology and magic was lost…
But one day the sun rose again. The trolls turned to stone once more and their great bodies reforged the continents. The survivors rebuilt from the ashes. But below the surface, the riches of the past remained buried. Welcome to the Trollmark!
Like previous editions, the game is meant to be fast and rules light and is described as “blending the spirit of the original with the best of modern tabletop design.” The 41-page Quickstart Rules (which are still in Beta) notes that the system is also designed to keep the story moving, encouraging players to find creative solutions rather than getting bogged down in mechanics. Combat and challenges are meant to be decisive and dangerous, heroes are expected to take risks and the overall tone favors GM rulings over rules.
Mechanically, there are six character attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wits, Intelligence and Charisma) along with three additional stats, Luck (used to activate talents and re-roll dice), Stamina (your physical health pool) and Mana (your magical energy for casting spells). The game only uses D6s and most challenges are resolved with either a Standard Roll (against a target number set by the GM) or an Opposed Roll (against an enemy or another character’s roll). To make a roll, you gather a number of six-sided dice equal to the relevant attribute, with 4–6 counting as hits (modified if the roll is blessed or cursed). Matching dice also “explode,” generating bonus dice that can chain into further explosions, and rolling three 1s causes a dramatic setback (although this can be overcome with Luck points).
Who is publishing the new Tunnels & Trolls RPG?
The new edition of T&T is being developed and published by Rebellion Unplugged, which is the TTRPG and board game division of Rebellion, the UK-based video game developer best known for the Sniper Elite series, which has also recently expanded into other mediums, including games, books, comics, TV and film.
Notably, Rebellion Unplugged has a solid track record, having launched a number of successful Kickstarters for board games and also recently published a well-reviewed Judge Dredd TTRPG.
What are the backer options for Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age?
As of this writing, the complete Kickstarter backer options have not yet been revealed (although the campaign was already been granted a “Project We Love” status by Kickstarter).
In press materials sent to us by Rebellion Unplugged, however, they did list a number of associated books, including a new Core Rulebook, a campaign guide called Caverns of the Petrified Throne, a solo adventure called The Wailing City and an urban setting guide called Hazar: City of a Thousands Guilds.
Why we’re excited about Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age?
While there’s no shortage of fantasy TTRPGs on the market, there a few reasons why this new edition of T&T is on our radar.
- A true old-school revival: Few RPGs can claim a lineage stretching back to the early 1970s. Seeing Tunnels & Trolls return with modern production values is genuinely intriguing.
- A unique RPG setting: From the initial materials we’ve seen the, the world of Trollmark legitimately sounds very cool, and the game also has a ton of existing lore to draw on.
- Solid production value: With Rebellion Unplugged behind it, this isn’t a small indie reboot and has some real publishing muscle behind it. What we’ve seen so far in terms of art and design has some serious potential.
- An OSR adjacent return: With the Old School Renaissance more popular than ever, it’ll be interesting to see just where this game will fit and how it will be viewed by the OSR community.
Final thoughts
While Tunnels & Trolls has often earned an reputation as a cheap D&D knockoff, the truth is the game has existed for more than 50 years and has introduced some genuinely innovative concepts to the TTRPG space. With this new edition onow on the horizon, it remains to be see if it can capture an even wider audience and perhaps finally gain the respect it deserves.
The Kickstarter for Tunnels & Trolls: A New Age will officially launch on March 17th, but you can sign up now for details and download the Beta quickstart rules on DriveThruRPG.