"OSR really isn’t my usual stomping ground, but FTD caught my interest with the 5e link and kept it by sticking to its guns. It offers deadly combat, magic that is dangerous but awe-inspiring, adventuring where every hour of torchlight counts . . . without being needlessly brutal about it, with strong principles and a real sense of grabbing the best of its various source materials."

Read the full CHG review here: https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2019/12/14/the-independents-five-torches-deep/

If you are looking for great simple rules that alow you to play a faster more story focused game 5TD is the total package. For a new group looking to get started in the TTRPG arena this book and some dice are all you need for a complete and entertaining gaming experience. This book complements the faster paced, hombrew rules presented on the Dungeon Craft Youtube channel.

A fantastic book. The game sets out to make a simplified, more dangerous, and more risky version of 5e. The artwork is some of the best I've seen in an RPG book, the price is very fair for what you get.

Part of what I enjoy about this book is what it doesn't have: listed magic item rules, a needless "What is Roleplaying" chapter to pad out the front of the book, and dozens of monster statblocks (There is, instead, a set of simple rules on making your own monsters). Because it doesn't have them, it requires the GM to come up with their own magic items, teach the players what roleplaying is, and come up with their own monsters. On that last subject, having played and run games for a while, monsters tend to lose their luster when they are always the same. As a player, these days I'm not scared or mystified when I run into a troll. I know how trolls work and now my next goal is figuring out how I can justify my character knowing those same things.

If, however, I know that I'm playing in John's FTD game, there's no telling what kind of creatures could lurk in the tunnels below the earth, since John has to make them. Even if he calls them "Trolls," they could have any strengths and weaknesses John chooses. This makes me feel engaged with the game since, like my character, I don't know what to expect in the caverns below.

Anyway yeah, great game, super pleased with the product, will review the physical copy when it arrives.

I love this game. It is really a great game, 48 pages. 4 classes Mage, Warrior, Thief, zealot- but each has 3 Archetypes you can choose at 3rd level. Barbarian, Fghter, Ranger, Assassin , Bard, Rogue, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard. 4 races- Human, Halfling, Dwarf, Elf. No race abilities, but race does affect your stats(Str, Dex, etc) Some differences in rules such as Mages & thieves can use a shield. Only 5 spells per level. Miscast table is small and the same for Divine & Arcane magic. No sample character. Only a few sample monsters. Still a fantastic book and 5 stars from me. Id love to see a deluxe version- a bit longer. 5 torches is only 48 pages, B/X Moldvay is only 64 pages. The lay out of the book is a dream! Everything you need on one page- you can just flip to that page or print it out to give to aplayer and you are done! Id love to see a Deluxe version of 5 Torches with some added things.

• a few more races ( Constructs, Dragonborn, Half-Orcs, Beastkin, Treekin, Half- Celestial/Infernal)
• more Archetypes (Archer or Dex based Fighter, Warrior-Mage)
• Different Miscast tables for Divine & Arcane magic
• More spells
• More monsters
• sample character & creation That could easily fill another 15-20 pages. This is still a great game as it is now and I highly recommend it.

I love this game. It's still recognisably 5E in its mechanics but it's been vastly streamlined; you can make up a character in minutes and get playing with a ruleset that's very simple (and will be very reocgnisable to a lot of people).

It's also very similar in tone to an OSR retroclone. It's balanced halfway between the two, and you can easily adapt either 5E or OSR material (and it has advice on doing both).

It's probably my new go-to for one-shots, planned or unplanned.

I love this. My new preferred OSR. Here's what I love about it:

1. It takes the best of 5E (such as mechanics like ADV) and incorporates them with the best of OSR
2. Lots of imaginative features... it's worth the price of admission just for the Rubik's Cube dungeon map generator hack!
3. The class system, while basic, is surprisingly great. I love the "subclass" system.
4. Doesn't waste time overly explaining things. It just lets you interpret some stuff. For example, the class features are all just a few words. "Leave no trail" under the Ranger subclass for fighter means whatever you and the DM think it means. I love that philosophy. Trust your customers to figure things out.
5. The Connections Table on p. 44 is brilliant.
6. The Supply system is pretty great and robust.
7. Great art
8. Simple but excellent formatting

Here's what I hope it gets in the future: More character options (races especially... I get the OSR thing, for sure, but damn, at least an orc or half-orc would be nice... bonus points if it's a retro pig-faced orc) More cool ideas like the Connections Table and the Puzzle Cube Dungeon Generator Support for a few more levels... 15 feels about right. 20 seems excessive.

A note: This game is not in any way going to work as your first RPG. The book is sparse in details and trusts the reader already possesses strong RPG skills, knowledge, and instincts, and can fill in the blanks on their own (and there are a LOT of blanks). For example, it mentions attuning to Magic Items, but doesn't give an example of a single magic item. It mentions many mechanics or features, such as saves, but barely or doesn't explain them at all. It also isn't very clear about how many spells you can cast in a day; it just tells you how many spells you know at any given level. It's up to you to interpret that how you will, and those with OSR or OD&D experience will have an advantage there, but those without will likely be lost.

Anyway, this is a fantastic OSR, and I love it for all the reasons mention, and for even the sparseness that might otherwise be seen as a weakness. It's an OSR written for OSR nerds who want to mix in the best parts of 5E: namely "Advantage" and "3rd Level Subclasses", as well as other bits here and there.

Buy it, for sure. Support this dev and this product so we can get more content in the near future!

It's light, fast, and smooth.

Great way to get OSR heads to 5e, or get 5e heads to give the OSR a chance!

Have run it with 8 different groups, with players aged from 8 to 71, and all of them loved it.

Have only used it for one-shots so far, but we are going to try it with campaign play soon, and I'll report back on how that goes :)

A great way to bring old-school play back to groups used to playing 5e. So many great streamlining decisions that makes play so much easier and faster, without modifications to the 5e system that will confuse new players.

Even if you don't use the system as written, it has so much gameable material from which more standard 5e games can benefit. Supply, the simplification of weapons and armor, travel rules, easy encumbrance, easy spellcasting - the list goes on.

I cannot stress enough what a worthwhile purchase this was. I highly recommend it to any fan of old-school D&D or 5e.

I am one of the Kickstarter Backers for Five Torches Deep, and I have to say I really love the simple design, the mixture of OSR and 5e mechanics to make a game that can be great for anyone that wants to delve deeply and have a real sense of adventure and peril!