OSR 1E vs OSRIC

[lumin]

Player's Handbook, page 28, second table.

Player's Handbook, page 25, first column, last paragraph.

Holy Smokes! I must have looked at those pages 50 times and never saw those sections. Now that's proof positive that OSRIC has organized it better. Thanks for pointing that out for me.

I feel like I have pretty good reading comprehension, so if even I missed that, a new player at my table would probably miss all kinds of stuff.

Now I can rest easy knowing OSRIC will fit snugly with 1e.

Absolutely! Anyone interested should check out the free .pdf and decide if OSRIC's what they want before spending any money. There are plenty of people who play only using the free .pdf.

If you're in the market for a hardback, Lulu always have it via print on demand for the cost price, which is $26.

This price point dictated that Black Blade's hardback would also have to cost $26, but Black Blade's came from an offset printer.

Black Blade's version is a little different from Lulu's. The text is almost the same throughout--Black Blade's includes fixes for a couple of typos that I sent them at the last minute, but you'd have to be a serious enthusiast to notice the difference--and both are 400 pages.

However, Black Blade's printing is on better quality (thicker, heavier-grade) paper. It includes extra artwork replacing the blank chapter end pages in vanilla OSRIC. And finally, the Black Blade version has red endpapers at front and back just inside the covers.

BBP printed 300 copies originally, and I'm not sure how many are left. I suspect GenCon in August will make a serious dent in their supply.

If you don't want to pay $26--and I realise there are people who can't afford $26, or who may be buying for family members or for a whole gaming group at a time--then there's a softcover. It's only available from Lulu and it costs $15.70.

British people should seriously consider either buying from Lulu or else, if buying Black Blade's print, getting together in a group to make a multi-copy order. Black Blade's version costs serious money in shipping to the UK.

I'm pleased to say that with the current exchange rates, Brits can get Lulu's softcover for £9.80, and you only have to pay shipping from Milton Keynes. Wait til they're having one of their 20% off sales to save even more money.

I was going to buy from lulu, but it sounds like Black Blade's print is a little better for the same price. I just bought 1E off ebay a short time ago, so I promised myself I'd hold off till later this year to buy OSRIC with MoM. Oh, and I'll definitely keep my eyes open if there's a sale!

You guys are awesome, thanks for your help!

 

[lumin]

For example, maybe I'm just missing some of these rules in my PHB/DMG, but I don't remember seeing any racial adjustments for thief skills (pg 369) in 1E.

Player's Handbook, page 28, second table.

Oh, I just noticed something. OSRIC adds Human race modifiers to thief skills. Is that listed somewhere outside of the table on pg 28 in 1E, or is this something OSRIC added?

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Oh, I just noticed something. OSRIC adds Human race modifiers to thief skills. Is that listed somewhere outside of the table on pg 28 in 1E, or is this something OSRIC added?

For complicated legal reasons one of the things I do in OSRIC, from time to time, is explain the same thing but using different language. So in 1e, humans have no modifier and the basic chance to climb walls for a first level thief is 85%. In OSRIC humans have +5% to climb walls but the basic chance for a first level thief is 80%.

That isn't to say that all the percentages work out the same; they don't. OSRIC thieves are somewhat more effective at lower levels than pure 1e ones.

 

[grodog]

Now I can rest easy knowing OSRIC will fit snugly with 1e.

You're in good hands with OSRIC, in any form that you use it.

I was going to buy from lulu, but it sounds like Black Blade's print is a little better for the same price. I just bought 1E off ebay a short time ago, so I promised myself I'd hold off till later this year to buy OSRIC with MoM. Oh, and I'll definitely keep my eyes open if there's a sale!

You guys are awesome, thanks for your help!

De nada. If you want to see some quick pictorial comparisons of the Lulu version of OSRIC vs. the Black Blade version of OSRIC, see KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE • View topic - OSRIC in print (starting about a quarter of the way down the page), and at http://underdarkgazette.blogspot.com/2011/06/unpacking-ceremony-osric-black.html and http://www.djeryv.com/nav.php?info=117.

Some general feedback on the Black Blade OSRIC printing appears in the same thread as linked above, but starting on page 7 or so: KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE • View topic - OSRIC in print and http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2011/06/mail-call.html (and elsewhere across the OSR blogosphere).

 

[Croesus]

There are a couple of monsters and a couple of magic items that are in OSRIC but not in 1e. I'll award experience to anyone who can name one.

This is trickier than it seems, as you renamed a number of items. But I don't remember anything resembling Druid's Vestment from 1E.

 

[lumin]

You're in good hands with OSRIC, in any form that you use it.



De nada. If you want to see some quick pictorial comparisons of the Lulu version of OSRIC vs. the Black Blade version of OSRIC, see KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE • View topic - OSRIC in print (starting about a quarter of the way down the page), and at The Underdark Gazette: Unpacking Ceremony - OSRIC - Black Blade/Usherwood Pub. HC Imprint and http://www.djeryv.com/nav.php?info=117.

Some general feedback on the Black Blade OSRIC printing appears in the same thread as linked above, but starting on page 7 or so: KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE • View topic - OSRIC in print and GROGNARDIA: Mail Call (and elsewhere across the OSR blogosphere).

Sorry to necro this thread, but as I stated above, I promised to purchase OSRIC and MoM from Black Blade earlier this year.

I was just about to purchase when I noticed my shipping total. $38 for two books?! $19 shipping EACH? Seriously?!!! Are my books being shipped from the moon?

I really want the BB edition of OSRIC, but for that kind of shipping cost, I could buy a third book from Lulu for that cost and have money to spare (They're also doing free shipping for the holidays).

I'm sorry, I was willing to pay somewhere in the range of $60 to $70 total, but $93 is way out of my budget for two indy game books.

 

[GreyLord]

Sorry to necro this thread, but as I stated above, I promised to purchase OSRIC and MoM from Black Blade earlier this year.

I was just about to purchase when I noticed my shipping total. $38 for two books?! $19 shipping EACH? Seriously?!!! Are my books being shipped from the moon?

I really want the BB edition of OSRIC, but for that kind of shipping cost, I could buy a third book from Lulu for that cost and have money to spare (They're also doing free shipping for the holidays).

I'm sorry, I was willing to pay somewhere in the range of $60 to $70 total, but $93 is way out of my budget for two indy game books.

Call me an old hardcore grognard...but OSRIC is not 1e. It's closer to AD&D than many other systems out there, even some that claim to be D&D, but it's still not AD&D.

For that money you could probably buy a couple more AD&D PHB's. If you don't mind integrating 2e core into 1e AD&D, I think a box set calls First Quest kind of introduces players to the entire RPG AD&D character process...been a while since I looked at it though.

OSRIC is compatible with AD&D and AD&D style modules (which I think was it's original purpose), and AD&D is compatible with OSRIC modules, but in my opinion they are still different, if compatible, games systems.

Count yourself lucky and just get AD&D stuff for cheaper! I can find First Quest stuff on the internet for around $5 too from a quick look around if you want to try that route.

 

[grodog]

[MENTION=4348]GreyLord[/MENTION], I agree that you can buy AD&D hardcovers pretty cheaply, often for $10-20 a book up on Amazon or eBay (sometimes cheaper in lots). I also agree that OSRIC isn't quite AD&D---it's very close, but it differs on some key fronts:

• some stats, monsters, and systems rules were changed or excluded based on legal requirements
• the prose is not written using Gary Gygax's wonderful words, though the intent of the rules and prose is the same as AD&D
• the illustrations and trade dress are of course different too

We use AD&D books as our primary guide at the table when we play in our 1e campaigns, although we also use OSRIC, too.

Anyway, I hope that helps?

 

[grodog]

Sorry to necro this thread, but as I stated above, I promised to purchase OSRIC and MoM from Black Blade earlier this year.

I was just about to purchase when I noticed my shipping total. $38 for two books?! $19 shipping EACH? Seriously?!!! Are my books being shipped from the moon?

Jon (president of Black Blade) replied to lumin by email, but I thought folks might be interested in the details:

Hi there 'ilumino' --

We have indeed been having problems with our online store, for some time now in fact, including calculating the correct shipping on every order and processing PayPal payments. (My Real Life day job has been exceptionally demanding this year, keeping me chained to the office for 60-70 hours a week all year long). But we are accepting orders and sorting through the details via email.

We can ship you a copy of the OSRIC hardback and a copy of the Monsters of Myth hardback for a total of $66 US ($26 for the OSRIC hardback + $29 for MoM + $11 for shippig/handling) for shipping to domestic addresses. That's with us shipping by USPS Priority Mail, our preferred method of shipping. The USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes allow for quite a lot of packing material, and I pack them well so that the books arrive in great condition.
All that we need to complete your order is a valid shipping address and either a PayPal payment made directly to us at this email address (ie, tacojohndm@yahoo.com) or a personal check or money order sent to us at Black Blade Publishing, C/o Jon Hershberger, 4547 Westlake Ct, Wichita, KS 67220. Generally your order will ship within 24 hours of when your payment is received, excepting for US postal holidays.

Thanks again for your interest, and I look forward to filling your order.

Regards,

Jon Hershberger
President, Black Blade Publishing

So, the shipping is definitely not $19 per book!