Tunnels and Trolls: 5/5.5 vs. 7/7.5 vs. 8.0 Deluxe

Five versions of Tunnels and Trolls game and how do you make sense of them all? All of these were created by the same core creative team, with the only difference being publisher for the 7.5 version.

5 and 5.5 - The Classics (Flying Buffalo 1979 and 2005)

Probably the best known versions of the game, the 5th edition was printed in 1979 and the 5.5 edition in 2005 with extra material added (but still mechanically the same in terms of design and balance). Most all the solo adventures printed in the last thirty or so years were written for this version of the game, which for many players is a huge deal. Through D&D glasses, this is the original, old-school, red-box version of the game before AD&D came out. This version is also about the easiest for new players to understand. A PDF is not currently available for this version (at this time), but you can probably pick up a used copy of the rules somewhere since this version has been around a long time.

2020 UPDATE: A PDF of the 5th Edition is now available. There is no current PDF for the 5.5 edition.

7 and 7.5 - 30th Anniversary (Fiery Dragon Games 2005)

2005 is also where more big changes happened, and the game got mechanically tighter. To me, this version feels like it wants to reduce the big numbers of dice being thrown and add lots of individual weapon statistics and modifications to combat, so this feels very crunchy and numerically interlocked and tight in terms of character optimization and creation. 7.5 was a cleaned up version of 7.0, with faster advancement and a couple fixes. The options for character builds are also very broad here, with more than just the basic three character types being viable.

This version feels to me less compatible with the solo adventures than other versions since the math feels like it has changed considerably, but is still very compelling due to a tighter dice range (warriors add their level to personal adds for attacks), crunchiness, and build options. Through D&D glasses, this is more like a Pathfinder where everything changes and becomes crunchy and character-optimized. A lot of simplification went into this version and many of the rules have been streamlined (but are not some of the best presented in terms of editing and presentation). 

2020 UPDATE: A PDF of this version is available, and likely your best option since the boxed copies are now collector's items. This version seems to have not stood the test of time here in 2020, and I do not hear much about it these days. The market seems divided between classic 5th Edition and the newer 8th edition, and many have forgotten about this one.

8.0 Deluxe - Kickstarter (Flying Buffalo 2015)

The latest and greatest with the mechanical improvements of 7/7.5 rolled in with a more classic 5.5 style feeling. The numbers of dice being thrown in this version are higher, especially warriors, and we focus back on the classic three classes for character creation. This one feels more like a streamlined revision of the game, focusing on a higher power level with more super-heroic characters. A PDF version is available, and both hard and soft-cover versions of the book are currently in print. Through D&D glasses, this feels like D&D 5th Edition, a reboot that focuses back on the original source material, but streamlined in terms of play and greater in terms of power level (warriors add +1d6 per level to their personal adds for attacks).

Key mechanical changes from 7.5 were kept and rolled forward, and some of the rulsey-crunchy options were dropped or streamlined. Compatibility with the solo adventures feels like it should be more in line with version 5/5.5, but to me this version feels the most dice-heavy and higher-powered than the other versions of the game.

2020 UPDATE: The hard and soft cover books for this edition are reportedly hard to come by and out of print. The PDF versions are probably your best bet for playing.

What Version Should I Play?

If you are a "latest and greatest" type, play 8.0/Deluxe if you do not mind the high power level and larger number of dice being thrown (especially for warriors). There are still many people impressed enough with the 7.5 revamp that this version remains a popular alternative; and if you like crunch, tighter builds, and a wealth of  options this is a good version to check out. The 7.5 version is closest mechanically with 8.0/Deluxe, so house-rules and material written for 7.5 can be used as options for 8.0/Deluxe easily.

If you are old-school and don't mind the lack of a PDF, play 5/5.5, especially if you are into the solo adventures. A lot of people still play 5/5.5 just out of nostalgia, so there is a huge community of players there.

Me? Torn between the crunchy and content-rich 7.5 and the newer 8.0/Deluxe version. I will probably work up a house-ruled version of 8.0 with house-rules pulled from 7.5 and try the balance of 8.0, but something about the tighter dice range in 7.5 calls to my gamist side. Version 7.5 made some great additions and improvements, and 8.0 seems to refine those and balance those for a higher-level of play. There is a reason why they make you throw a lot more dice in 8.0/Deluxe, and I suspect it has something to do with speeding up combat at high levels, increasing spite damage, and making the 7.5 style game work smoothly when you run into the occasional stalemate.

All of them are worth checking out and great parts of gaming history, so you really can't go wrong with any choice you make.