Tenkar's Tavern: Are There Any OSR Quickstarts Besides the Two Swords & Wizardry Ones?

Friday, June 21, 2013

Are There Any OSR Quickstarts Besides the Two Swords & Wizardry Ones?

I can only think of two OSR Quickstarts: Frog God's Hall of Bones for this years Free RPG Day and the classic Swords & Wizardry Quickstart.

Am I missing any?

How would you put together an OSR Quickstart (system is fairly irrelevant to this question)?

4 comments:

The Grey ElfJune 21, 2013 at 9:08 AM
The Spellcraft & Swordplay Basic Rules (available at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow) are free and complete for levels 1-3.
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burnedfxJune 21, 2013 at 12:13 PM
The Tomb of Sigyfel for Labyrinth Lord.

Sue used this when she first tried her hand at running a game. I was amazed how she took such a simple "quick start" module and made it into one of my favorite gaming memories today.
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SethJune 21, 2013 at 5:22 PM
Depending on your definition, Castles & Crusades quick start rules are available here: http://www.trolllord.com/cnc/ccqs.html
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Igor Vinicius SartoratoJune 22, 2013 at 9:04 PM
The brazilian OSR game, Old Dragon, have a free "Fast Play" version, with rules up to level 5.

http://olddragon.redboxeditora.com.br/fast_play/

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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Are There Any OSR Quickstarts Besides the Two Swords & Wizardry Ones?

4 comments:

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