Skip to main content

OSR is Overhyped

Everywhere I turn these days there is another article or conversation about OSR -- the Old School Revival.  OSR is about making and resurrecting old games, usually those that resemble pre-3.0 D&D.  I'm not a big fan.  When I speak of playing AD&D, its like when an old grandfather tells his grandchildren about walking uphill both ways to school in 6 feet of snow with no shoes on.  It was character-building at the time, but there is no reason I would want to go back to that.  There were a lot of reasons that old school gaming was replaced:


  • Old school games limited choice.  Want to play a character you really like and can get in to?  Too bad -- you rolled a set of stats that won't work for the character you want to build.  Here, play this lame character you don't like instead.  Don't worry though, he'll probably be dead soon anyway...
  • Old school games were really lethal.  Don't get too attached to your character, because you'll probably be dead soon.  First level characters don't even need a name.
  • Strategy often wasn't really useful.  Yeah, and about that dying thing.  Don't think you can figure your way out of dying.  Sometimes you're going to die for no good reason.  Life is a b**ch, so why shouldn't your fantasy game to escape it be one too.
  • GM is god.  The whole GM god complex was a cornerstone of old-school gaming.  After all, when the players can't even keep characters alive for that long, isn't the story really just about everything else?  And that is everything the GM controls.  Old school gaming is much more about the GM.
All of these reasons are why new school gaming was invented.  Give the players the choice to play new characters, have epic and interesting adventures,  and build stories.  If you watch the current trends in RPGs, the real move is to reduce GM power and, if possible, eliminate her completely.

Now that being said, yeah I have a copy of Dungeon Crawl Classics and the D&D reprints.  I also run the Tomb of Horrors on special occasions.  I also have a lot of AD&D era source books.  The books are a good read and I admire the elegance of Gary Gygax's original D&D publications, but when it comes time for a long-term gaming group, I put away the old school and focus on game rulesets that I know will really be fun for everyone.
Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 18, 2013 at 4:00 PM

    As GM power-mongering goes, I prefer to run somewhere in the middle. I view it as a collaborative game between the GM and the players.

    When it comes to the OSR, I love the art style, I love the sense of danger and adventure that comes along with OSR games and I really like the sheer brutality of OSR monsters. That being said, I like the player options, deeper role play opportunities and core mechanics of newer RPGS. I just mix the two and have had a pretty good experience. I use modern rule sets with an OSR mindset.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5E Starting Gold and Equipment for Higher Levels

The DMG has a rough recommendation for starting gold and equipment for higher levels, but with my groups running one-shots, we wanted to nail it down to level by level. Here's my DMG-inspired table. Generally I allow equipment to be traded in during character creation for half book value, where applicable. I also, as a GM, offer to make custom magic items for players who can't choose. A list of magical items by rarity can be found here  with stats available in the DMG. I also generally allow players to buy healing potions (2d4+2) for 50gp and greater healing potions for 250gp (4d4+4). PHB items are available at book cost at creation. I do not allow other equipment to be purchased except in game. This is generally based off the "high magic" campaign. Level Starting Gold Starting Equipment / Magic Items 1 - 160gp  OR Standard starting equipment 2 210gp Standard starting equipment 3 285gp Standard starting equipment 4 365gp Standard sta
2 comments
Read more

Rules for Flying Creatures in 5E

I'm not one for just throwing my players willy-nilly into something new without an idea of how it would work.  Flying races are on the horizon for one of my games, so here are my clarifications for flying creatures: A flying creatures requires a minimum space of at least 3 times their height in all directions in order to flight. For example, a 6 ft tall flying creature requires a room to be at least 18 ft in all dimensions before they can fly in it. A flying creature can attempt to grapple a creature.  If the the target or grappler are flying, grapple attempts are at disadvantage. If neither are flying, grapples are per RAW.  The state of flying or walking is determined by the last square you have moved.  To change between walking and/or flying, you must use at least 1 space of movement.  Movement rules per RAW apply (PHB pg 190 "Using Different Speeds") A successful grapple check by a flying creature can allow the flying creature to potentially carry the creature
Post a Comment
Read more

Exploiting Weakness in D&D 5e: A Guide for the Evil Plotting GM

I wrote a similar article to this on Pathfinder, and though this is a pretty evil topic, it has been of use to a lot of folks out there.  So, now, I think, is the time to start a similar article for D&D 5e.  This will be a living document to be updated with suggestions and more information as I find better methods. In general, 5e is a lot more challenging for a GM, because the classes are reasonably balanced and because the game mechanics don't have a lot of scale over the 20 levels. Here's a general list of things to increase the difficulty for the party: Increase the number of foes and the CR (ignore the book CR system if it isn't offering a challenge) Spells against the PCs low saves.  A high level sleep spell, for example, could take out a party with no elves. Drag out the opportunity for the long rest.  After 2 short rests, the 3rd battle of the day is tough. Hit the most vulnerable PC first. It almost always forces another teammate to take an action to a
1 comment
Read more