Nice site!

The best feature of the retro RPG community is that many retro games (particularly retroclones) are available under an open licence. Microlite74 and Microlite75, for example, are under the Open Game License.

I run the Year of Living Free, which is a project that focuses on sharing and promoting open games. We have a blog and wiki, including links to Microlites74 and 75 on our Microlite20 page and a whole category devoted to retroclones.

Please check out the wiki, and feel free to use it for your creations.

Could we manage this once a week?  (Err... Would my wife put up with it if we could?)  LOL. Sorry I can't be more help.

   That might be a bit of a road trip but I'm willing to give it a shot.   We could meet about the middle of Arkansas and take it from there. 

Good luck! I'm in Central Texas or I might be willing.

GM found

Thanks for your time
Jester

All of these are good games. I'm particularly impressed by Dark Dungeons as I really liked the BECMI/RC version of D&D.

I started out with the Holmes boxed set around 1980, and after introducing my neighborhood buddies to the game, we moved on to AD&D. But a few of us also purchased the various boxed sets (i.e. Basic, Expert, etc.). Years later, I picked up Swords & Wizardry. Its rules light nature is a refreshing departure from much later editions of D&D, and overall, I like it. Nonetheless, I'm also considering getting Labyrinth Lord, Dark Dungeons, OSRIC and now, Microlite 75.

I have to choose BECMI/RC because I learned to play with the Red Box back in '88.  At the time I had no idea what RPGs were or how they were played, but I had been reading some TSR fantasy novels and decided to pick up the game and see what it was all about.  Well, that was all she wrote, because 22 years later I'm still gaming. 

The real magic of the BECMI/RC system lies in the simple-yet-complete nature of it.  Especially with the RC, you don't need too much else to run a campaign start-to-finish. Granted, some of the rules are a bit archaic compared to modern systems.  And I have to be honest, "to hit" charts and saving throw charts just don't do it for me these days.  But, the core of what made BECMI great can still be used today with some simple modifications.  My ideal for D&D is a mix of what Randall has done with M75 and BECMI.   

I'm inclined to agree on both accounts. 

Regarding class-specific hit dice, it would seem that lowering a magic-user's HD to d4 would severely impact their ability to cast spells in the long run.  Conversely, upping the fighting types to d8 or d10s might make them much more powerful thanks to added endurance, especially when using the advanced combat maneuvers. 

I think my only reason for wanting class-specific hit dice in the first place is tradition.  Fighting types are tougher than magic-users, etc.