Starting "Old SChool" gaming

[HandofMystra]

I recently read A quick Primer for Old School Gaming and got interested (I really started playing D&D in 3.5 ed).

My son also plays D&D. My wife has said that she cannot figure out why D&D would be appealing. But she recently saw someone playing an AD&D game with some kids and though it looked interesting. From talking to her, the appeal was more of what was talked about in the Primer above. So I was thinking of getting some "Old School" experience before trying to run a game for them (and some others that I recruit). I was thinking of getting in an PbP game.
I was wondering a) where to look for some of these styles games and b) what should I learn: AD&D, OSRIC, Tunnels and Trolls, Swords and Wizardry. There seem to be a lot of choices. I am looking for something that others play so that I can find an online games and inhale some of this style.
thanks,

 

[Crothian]

There are some places on the web that I'nm sure people are running these tpye of games. I don't play PbP so I'm not sure were.

As to what game you should learn, it really depends to what you have access to and personal preference. I like mixing OSRIC and 1e as they go together well and one smooths over the other. Plus I like the feel of having the old books infront of me and for the players to see. I really think it adds to the experience.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Good luck on your first step into a wider world!

I would recommend Basic Fantasy or Labyrinth Lord as a starting point; both are available as free downloads, allow for easy adventure and character design, and are very easy to learn/play.


RC


P.S.: RCFG is unfinished, but you could move a campaign from almost any OS system into RCFG if you examined that system and found it to your liking. Better, because OS games tend to be modular, you can steal any RCFG materials for other games (such as OSRIC, Basic Fantasy, and Labyrinth Lord) if there are only bits you like.

P.P.S.: I had to include the above postscript because I am recommending someone else's game over my own! Best of luck!


RC

 

[rogueattorney]

If you don't want to scour ebay to get the originals, there are some great options out there.

If you don't know what you want, looking into the free resources isn't a bad idea...

Here are some of my favorites:

OSRIC
Swords & Wizardry (core)
Swords & Wizardry (white box)
Labyrinth Lord
Mutant Future
Encounter Critical

If you're a hard copy lovin' person you can get hard copies of most of the above at the same links. A few of my other favorite in print, hard copy old school items:

Tunnels & Trolls 5.5
Empire of the Petal Throne
The Arduin Grimoire trilogy

 

[Mythmere1]

Glad you enjoyed the Primer!

Feel free to swing over to the Swords & Wizardry website (see sig, I think) if you want to ask about S&W or Original D&D. EDIT - It's not in my sig - the address is www.swordsandwizardry.com (and then hit the button for the forums).

The answer to your question is either really simple (play any one of them - it doesn't matter) or pretty complicated (long, scholarly dissertations on minute differences and how they can affect play).

OSRIC is easier to learn than AD&D because it's better organized. On the other hand, the writing is less magical than Gygax's inimitable prose. The OSRIC pdf is free, and the book is cheaper than most online prices for the originals. If you're even slightly patient, though, you can pick up the original books very cheaply.

Swords & Wizardry likewise - easier to learn, less awesome in the presentation. Free pdf, printed book is WAAAY less than paying $200+ for the originals.

If you want to play one of the Basic D&D editions, the originals are about as easy to learn as the retro-clones, but they aren't available in free pdf.

 

[Korgoth]

Welcome to Old School gaming. Swords and Wizardry and Labyrinth Lord are both excellent choices; my tastes run to the former (especially the White Box version).

I myself have yet to try T&T but it looks like its own brand of fun, as well.

 

[Bullgrit]

Be forwarned that "old school" means different things to different people.

Take aspect X.

Some love "old school" because it had aspect X.
Some hate "old school" because it had aspect X.
Some love "old school" because it didn't have aspect X.
Some hate "old school" because it didn't have aspect X.

And depending on which book, combined with knowledge of some other book, combined with real world knowledge or imagination, all four people above could be absolutely right.

When something or someone tells you about "old school," know that someone else will tell you something completely opposite. And they both can be honest and correct from their own experiences.

Bullgrit

 

[aboyd]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but there is one or two things about old school that I didn't like, and I believe I found a system that caters to my tastes. Specifically, I *really* enjoyed the 3rd edition (and now 4th edition) "unified d20 mechanic." That is, bigger numbers are always better, and AC goes up (instead of into the negatives). That sooooo simplified things for me. Even my son when he was 5 could understand it.

Also, for most old school clones that adhere to the originals accurately, "elf" is a class. I didn't like the idea of races being classes.

So having said all of that, I believe that BFRPG (Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game) has both the "bigger is better" d20 mechanic, as well as keeping races & classes separate. However, other than those 2 changes, I understand that it's mostly a clone of 1st edition. Thus, most old modules would be compatible.

Of course, I should note that while my experience & love for 3.5 edition is hands-on and practical, my love for BFRPG is all book-learning and theoretical. I haven't played it, haven't even read most of it recently. So I may have details wrong.

Note that even though the site features a photo of the printed books, it is available on the site legally for free as a PDF download.

 

[Ariosto]

I see 4 active games, and a new one starting, at Original D&D Discussion - Home

Those are not necessarily all using the original "little brown books" (LBB) of D&D, and in any case one of the free "retro clones" and clarification on "house rules" should do for a player. In practice, differences among campaigns stand out more than differences among editions. You've got familiar character types (fighter, cleric, mage, elf, etc.) with levels, hit dice, saving throws, armor class and experience points. Rules are really the DM's bailiwick, especially in play by post. Empire of the Petal Throne is inactive, but there's a Carcosa game.

There are a couple of T&T games at Vin's T&T TrollBridge - Home
Burke's Wild Lands game is basically 1st edition, with a complete player's handbook available from his site.

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

I play in some of the PbP games at the OD&D board linked above, and while they're great I don't know if I'd get an 'aha!' moment from them as easily as with face to face play. Where do you live? Are there local conventions or gamedays where you could find a game for hands-on experience? You might also post a note at a local gamestore - some old-schoolers might be best reached the old-fashioned way.

As for learning rules, my advice is don't. Kids make great old-school players because they reach for imagination first and don't assume they need mechanical support to do stuff. As a player, do whatever you can think of and see how the DM handles it.

When you DM, you'll need to know some rules and you'll get some authority from having a rule book in front of you, but you never want to look stuff up if it can be avoided. Most of what I do as an OD&D DM is unlearn assumptions I bring to the game.

The minimum you'll need is:
- a combat framework. Best if it can be expressed in a single sentence, like "Roll a d6 to see which side goes first, roll a d20 vs. AC to see if you deal damage."
- a way to tell if PCs succeed at life-or-death tasks. I talk to my players to agree on odds on a d6, but you could use an ability check etc. Again, simple = good.
- a framework for using dice to tell the story. How often do you roll for wandering monsters, how likely are they, what table do you use to see what shows up and what their reaction to the PCs are? In contrast to rules, IMO you can never have too many random tables (although a few you know how & when to use are much better than a lot you forget to look at). Kellri's Old-School Encounters Reference is a great resource here, as is the AD&D DMG.