Into the Odd
Into the Odd is a game system by Chris McDowall first released in 2014[1]. It is known for its rules-light take on classic D&D and victorian setting, taking as much inspiration from classic fantasy as from contemporary horror. The game has given birth to many hacks such as Cairn or Liminal Horror and eventually received a sequel in 2020 named Electric Bastionland as well as fantasy prequel Mythic Bastionland in 2024.
History[edit | edit source]
Initial release (2015)[edit | edit source]
The game was initially released in 2015 has a 49 page long book edited by The Lost Pages containing the system's rules, examples of play, a brief description of the world and a sample dungeon named The Iron Coral along with The Fallen Marsh sample sandbox to contextualize it. The booklet ends with a few pages of "Oddpendium" featuring a few random tables to help the referee make up content on the fly.
Remastered (2023)[edit | edit source]
Rereleased in 2023 following a successful kickstarter[2] and this time published by Free League Publishing with art and layout by Johan Nohr (who also worked on MÖRK BORG), this version featured an expanded starting sandbox, dungeon and "Oddpendium".
Mechanics[edit | edit source]
The rules are notoriously simple, seeking to capture the spirit of dungeon crawling through simple procedures, letting the referee expand on them should they need to. The game emphasizes speed[3], with very quick combat resolution and character creation. It has no rules for magic, instead featuring objects of power called Arcana.
Into the Odd features instances of the following patterns :
- Classless : Characters differ only in their attributes and starting packages.
- Slot-based encumbrance : Characters may carry no more than 3 Bulky items.
- Milestone-based progression : Advancements are attained by meeting certain requirements, such as surviving a certain amount of expeditions or having their apprentice reach a certain level.
- No roll-to-hit : Players directly roll for damage.
- Hexcrawl : The game features light rules for hexcrawling and introduces a small sandbox called The Fallen Marsh