Mindjammer Press labels its new Monsters & Magic RPG with the description, “Old school fantasy, new school play.” Not only is the game meant to mimic the atmosphere of old editions Dungeons & Dragons, it’s also supposed to be fully compatible. The book claims that old adventure modules can be used with little or no conversion.
But Monsters & Magic isn’t simply another retro-clone. The game incorporates many innovations from more recent RPGs. In addition to a race, class, and six standard attributes, characters have mental hit points and traits (words or phrases that describe special talents, motivations, etc.). Players are granted hero points with which to “intervene in the flow of the game.” And the game’s rules provide a method for spending points from dice rolls on effects and consequences.