Old School Revival

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Old School Revival - Classic Rules Table Top Role-playing and the OSR Hobby

Rules- The community is to tiny, we can be really rules light at this point.

Don't be a jerk.
Everyone is welcome.
Try to stay kind of on topic.

New to OSR?

Here are three widely tested systems which offer free PDF rulebooks.

Basic Fantasy Created to be compatible with 3/3.5e, this is fully fleshed out OSE goodness written to be more approachable. Uses ascending armor class. Print options are sold at near cost and are very very inexpensive.

Old School Essentials Basic OSE is the most popular reproduction of the original B/X set. Uses descending armor class. With several different iterations at several different prices, this PDF is free and covers the basics. Enough to get a game going.

White Box : Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game A spiritual successor to Swords & Sorcery White Box. This is the complete OSR experience. Uses descending armor class, but contains alternate status for ascending. Like Basic Fantasy, the print version is under five bucks on amazon.

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TigerClawTV

Does the world need another OSR/NSR system? (self.osr)

submitted 1 year ago by sambeastie to c/osr

7 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I posted that I've been working on my own system (as probably a lot of OSR fans have), but this post isn't really about that so much. As I've been working, there's a nagging voice in my head that keeps asking "does the world really need another system?"

And that got me thinking, with the massive breadth of options from hardcore retroclones to modernized reinterpretations, does the world need another system? Is there a more useful or needed thing I could be spending my writing time on?

So I guess my question to the group is whether you're tired of seeing new systems. If you are, what would you rather see? Dungeon anthologies? Old school modules? Micro-settings? Something else?

Personally, I like new systems that either add something fresh, or just rearrange a bunch of existing systems into something that takes aspects of all of them (more what mine is), but I could also do to see more collections of small hexcrawls, zines full of one-page dungeons to drop into a game, or even things like Vermis I, just fun lore books or micro fictions that I can draw inspiration from.

So how about you?

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[–] macropter 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm at the point where I'm not looking for much in the way of new systems, but regardless I always take a look! In particular I'm fond of skipping right to the classes, or maybe the sections on encumbrance, and looking for little rules to steal for my own game.

After all, when I do move away from Advanced OSE I'll probably be putting together my own thing anyway.

That being said, I did get started with OSR games by playing smaller indie stuff, not just B/X and OD&D. So I'll always have a soft spot for SS&SS and the GLOG and Whitehack.

[–] TigerClawTV 2 points 1 year ago

We don't NEED another system per se, but I'm always interested to see what people come up with.

As long as people keep making systems, we'll see some innovation over time.

For the most part these days I'm more interested in modules to read people's adventures and stuff. Also OSR systems with different settings like Space or the old west are still awesome.

[–] sambeastie 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I’m fond of skipping right to the classes, or maybe the sections on encumbrance, and looking for little rules to steal for my own game.

Okay, so with that outlook, it does seem that there may yet be value in putting new systems out there even if they're never run in their entirety. Interesting!

Based on that response, I'd also recommend checking out Errant. The first time I saw it, i thought "I'll never actually play this, but I will steal these mechanics and use them somewhere else," so I think I can completely see where you're coming from!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not looking for new systems to play, but I still like to mine rulebooks for ideas. Most useful to me as someone who has been playing RPGs since the 80s and fiddling with retro-clones since 2009 or so will be system-neutral (or close to it) zines, settings and adventures.

[–] TigerClawTV 1 points 1 year ago

Got any favorites among the clones?

[–] mekkagodzilla 2 points 1 year ago

I believe we already have a lot of decent system ranging different crunch levels, and designer time is better spent on modules, zines, settings, and maybe some GM tools (map generation tools, fun encounters, good NPCs, location generators with some conflict and adventure hooks…)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Not really. That said I’ve got my own system too. So. Do you!

A good dungeon or setting probably has more appeal to more people at this point? Then again, people never stop making new board games or card games…maybe it’s the same with RPGs.