Tenkar's Tavern: Free RPG Day Pick #9 - Quick Primer of Old School Gaming

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Free RPG Day Pick #9 - Quick Primer of Old School Gaming

Want to know what the OSR is about?

How about why the term "OSR Taliban" has no relevance? (actually, that is NOT in the Quick Primer of Old School Gaming, but I'll give you the answer anyway - the first to use the term "OSR Taliban" and the latest to throw it around like it's a 5e rally flag are irrelevant to "old school gaming" anyway - drama is the only god the term "OSR Taliban" serves - but I digress).

Anyhow, I present to you the free Quick Primer of Old School Gaming by +Matt Finch

"You are the rulebook. There is no other rulebook.

Make it fast, make it colorful, and make it full of decisions for the players."

4 comments:

Teh Bagder (Jay)June 22, 2014 at 1:16 PM
Damn straight, Skippy.
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AkivaJune 22, 2014 at 1:47 PM
I *hate* that pamphlet. It takes one style of play that, even in the old days, was not the only way that people played, and says "This is old school. Nothing else is." And that's simply inaccurate and insulting to those of us who have been gaming differently since 1979.
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mattJune 22, 2014 at 1:58 PM
Hey lookee there, there even is a review from moi on the Lulu page. ;-)
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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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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Free RPG Day Pick #9 - Quick Primer of Old School Gaming

4 comments:

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