BrOSR

[Dire Bare]

I have it, have read it, and can confirm. The criticisms are to my view largely baseless or at least misguided. And oft made in bad faith, like Jeffro's.

Bebergal gave a good interview on Wandering DMs (no doubt among other places) explaining his editorial selections. In short, from what I can recall, he made his selections primarily from two suggested reading lists- the original Appendix N from the 1979 AD&D DMG, and the list in 1981's Moldvay Basic. He also admits in his own comments IN the book that his own taste and influences played some role.

The original Appendix N is MOSTLY comprised of full length novels. A lot of it wouldn't fit or make sense to put in a compilation of short stories. I think he did excerpt ONE longer novel in the collection, but he wanted to avoid excerpts of longer works in general. Some authors/estates were just too expensive or uncooperative for him to get the stories he wanted, even though he wanted to and tried.

The authors & stories he chose, if I recall correctly, DO all pre-date D&D*. While Gary not mentioning a given story or author in the official original Appendix N may mean that to some folks, it doesn't really count, Gary himself expanded on the list and recommended other stuff he would have, in retrospect, included. Both in his 2000s-era Q&A threads online, and in at least one of his editorials in Dragon, as I recall.

There are also other stories in general which IMO and other analysis has indicated are certainly or very likely influences on D&D, which are not specifically mentioned in Appendix N. In particular some by authors who ARE mentioned in the original appendix N, which definitely look like uncredited influences on D&D. For two examples off the top of my head, I think of what appear to me to be fairly clear antecedents of the D&D Bard- Poul Anderson's Cappen Varra (first appearance, The Valour of Cappen Varra, 1957) and Manley Wade Wellman's Silver John the Balladeer (first appearance 1963). Both authors are referenced in Appendix N but these stories aren't. The original Appendix N definitely isn't an exhaustive list of inspirational fiction, and Gary said so himself.

I have at least a LITTLE sympathy for folks who feel like "Appendix N" is a misnomer when the collection draws both from authors in the actual Appendix N and the list in Moldvay Basic, but given the role Moldvay Basic serves in the history and evolution of D&D, cleaning up and fixing oversights from the original game, with Moldvay's remarkably competent and skilled editorial hand (which Gary and Mike Carr must have and should have envied, considering their own sketchy efforts) filling in gaps and missing pieces, I don't think touching on his supplementary/expanded reading list is at all inappropriate.

(*Now that I'm looking, I am reminded that Bebergal's book includes Straggler from Atlantis, another Manley Wade Wellman story of another Bard, but I think only dating back to 1975. This doesn't predate OD&D, though it certainly predates AD&D and IIRC Gary specifically includes the short story collection it was from in Appendix N, though he doesn't name that specific story).

I had passed on Bebergal's compilation because I was confusing it with Johnson's book. Now that you guys made me realize they are two different books, I've put Bebergal's on my wishllist. Thanks!

 

[Dire Bare]

Here's a breakdown of that atrocious comic, so that you don't have to read it.

Title: The title of this comic can be roughly translated as "Things I'm Mad About: D&D Edition."

Panel 1: This is the way you should be playing D&D: just you and your old friends, making sure that nothing changes.

Panel 2: It's okay to invite a guest every now and then, but only for demonstration purposes. Remember that they are there to learn how you like to play D&D, and then fall into line. You don't want any new ideas from outsiders, because those are always bad.

Panel 3: It is important that new players never outnumber you and your old friends, because they will promptly outvote you. This is a serious problem in D&D: you need to be able to shout down all opposition, and being outnumbered makes this very hard on your vocal cords.

Panel 4: Women instantly ruin the hobby. They are only there for the attention, obviously, and so they are too busy flirting with the new players to play the game properly. Also they're uncontrollable, and it's important that you be able to control them. This is all bigoted garbage and everyone knows it, but you mustn't let that stop you. Your gaming preferences are too important for women to be treated fairly.

Panel 5: This is just a continuation of Panel 4's rant about women in the hobby. You see, women will attract other men, and you will lose control of the group. This only ever happens when women are allowed to play: men are never attracted to other men, for example. And besides: a woman at the table will make everyone call you a "nerd," and that has never happened before. This will undermine your authority at the table, which is totally a real thing that only you and your old friends deserve to have.

Panel 6: Enough people in the room will cause them to start drinking and smoking apparently. It will also cause you and your small group of old friends to start calling yourselves "the founding and core audience." And worst of all, you will have no choice but to make your game easier to understand. It will no longer be just you and your old friends, sitting alone at the same table, playing the same game, in the same manner, with rules that only you understand. And remember, this is bad. Very very bad.

Panel 7: Eventually you and your old friends will have to leave the group. Sure, you could have done this way back in Panel 2, or at any point really, but if you wait long enough you can be extra-sanctimonious and dramatic about your departure. On your way out the door, you should take a moment to point at everyone else at the table and mock them for having fun without you. Maybe they'll notice.

Yep, the comic really is this bad. It was written by a real person who really espouses these points of view. Worse still, these views and opinions are not uncommon in our hobby--if you play D&D long enough, you'll meet such a person (you might have even been such a person.) I wish I were exaggerating in my breakdown, but I'm not. This is the kind of elitism and hatred that we have to deal with in our hobby.

What I find amusing about the comic is that, the girls, dudebros, and OG gamers who stayed in the group look like they are having fun. It's just the two OG gamers who seem angry and bitter about things. Which mirrors experiences I've had in life . . . your gaming group grows, and some of the older, cranky, toxic members decide to leave, improving the experience for everyone!

 

[Bill Zebub]

What I find amusing about the comic is that, the girls, dudebros, and OG gamers who stayed in the group look like they are having fun. It's just the two OG gamers who seem angry and bitter about things. Which mirrors experiences I've had in life . . . your gaming group grows, and some of the older, cranky, toxic members decide to leave, improving the experience for everyone!

But what's really pissing them off is the dearth of chainmail bikinis.

 

[Moonmover]

Two years, and no one has answered the original question...

Putting aside the politics for a moment, what distinguishes the BrOSR's campaigns seems to be:
•They are all played over the Internet, and they each include a large number of players (I'm not sure how many, but seemingly more than the usual four-to-six.)
•The campaigns are taking place in something like real-time. Even if a session isn't happening, players can be talking with the GM about what their characters are up to in downtime.
•At least some PC's are not mere adventurers, but leaders of NPC or monster factions who can do things like move troops around and hire adventuring PC's for quests.
•In all other respects, they are using 1st Edition AD&D rules completely rules-as-written. Even the parts that are stupid, confusing, or tedious. They take great pride in this.

That's my understanding based on reading Jeffeo Johnson's blog and watching this YouTube playlist. But, it's also an outsider's perspective because they seem to organize it all on Twitter and I refuse to spend more than thirty seconds there.

The "BR" is both a pun (bro....) and a reference to Braunstein.

 

[Bill Zebub]

The "BR" is both a pun (bro....) and a reference to Braunstein.

If true, that's an interesting little tidbit.

 

[Mannahnin]

Two years, and no one has answered the original question...

Point of order- the question was what the "BrOSR" is, not what their playstyle is.

But thank you for the info on their playstyle!

 

[Mannahnin]

I had passed on Bebergal's compilation because I was confusing it with Johnson's book. Now that you guys made me realize they are two different books, I've put Bebergal's on my wishllist. Thanks!

It's quite good. I'm also glad he was fortunate enough to track down the rights to Tower of Darkness by David Madison (the story behind that was kind of touching, as well), which was featured in Swords Against Darkness III and I don't think has ever previously been reprinted.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Point of order- the question was what the "BrOSR" is, not what their playstyle is.

If we're going to start using Roberts Rules of Order, things are going to change around here pretty dramatically.

And I am here for it!

 

[Mannahnin]

If we're going to start using Roberts Rules of Order, things are going to change around here pretty dramatically.

And I am here for it!

I first learned the phrase when playing Mao as a kid. But it's still occasionally germane!

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

If we're going to start using Roberts Rules of Order, things are going to change around here pretty dramatically.

And I am here for it!

Oh man, have you seen RRoO in action? Imagine a bunch of Mensa members playing Nomic and the loser has to buy the next round of drinks. That's how bad it is.