D&D General 5e D&D to OSR pipeline or circle?

[zakael19]

I got His Majesty the Worm for Christmas. Page 15 and already excited

It feels so very millennial in tone & inspirations, like 100% a guy on my wavelength (which makes sense, I think we're the same age). Each sidebar is a delight (and man, having "this should be delightful" as your core priority of play is great). I don't think I've been this excited reading a game design since starting to really get PBTA play.

Regarding adventures: I wonder why people aren’t making 5e adventures in the style of OSR adventures. Or are they and I am just unaware of them?

As Arilyn said, there's some OSR stuff ported over. The problem is that much of the play style encouraged by it is defeated by 5e's system structure and the expectations and play culture it creates. I ran Winter's Daughter for a 5e group, tweaked a little to fit into an ongoing campaign, and it was pretty cool - but they didn't really engage with it from a deliberate puzzle perspective. None of us had the training or reliance on methodical questions -> answers -> test hypothesis play loop.

Plus generally devolving to combat in 5e is fine, really, unless you've done some significant work on the home rule side.

 

[Zardnaar]

I run both. OSR stops me burning out on 5E only and it's easier to run.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

I ditched 5e a long time ago, and use Savage Worlds as my system for current playstyle campaigns: character- and rp-focused sandboxes with lots of conspiracies, politics and intrigue.

I only started to explore OSR this year, and it's a wonderful swamp to drown in. DCC is my game of choice, but I'm slowly gearing up for a 1e:ish system mega dungeon run, purely for nostalgia and a trip back to the early 80ies and my teen years.

Edit: As to why OSR:

• Lower powerlevel
• More randomness (That's why I love Savage Worlds too, with wild dies etc).
• Player skill, as opposed to just playing of the character sheet. As a perma-GM that do sandboxes and lot of on the spot improv, it is much more fulfilling to tap into the players actual creativity than have them do yet another skill roll from the sheet.

 

[Guest 7037866]

Hey folks for those of you who migrated from 5e to more OSR style games, what prompted you to take the step?

While I haven't moved to OSR style games (I haven't found any that appeal to me for various reasons...), I find them appealing as a return to a grittier, simpler game.

What I dislike the most about 5E are the plethora of features for PCs. It's crazy, keeping track of it all. D&D used to be much simpler--where your imagination about your character drove them more than the features on their character sheet.

Perhaps it is just nostaliga for the "good-ol'-days"? But when I look at B/X or even AD&D, the sections on characters are much smaller and easier to go over.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

It feels so very millennial in tone & inspirations, like 100% a guy on my wavelength (which makes sense, I think we're the same age). Each sidebar is a delight (and man, having "this should be delightful" as your core priority of play is great). I don't think I've been this excited reading a game design since starting to really get PBTA play.



As Arilyn said, there's some OSR stuff ported over. The problem is that much of the play style encouraged by it is defeated by 5e's system structure and the expectations and play culture it creates. I ran Winter's Daughter for a 5e group, tweaked a little to fit into an ongoing campaign, and it was pretty cool - but they didn't really engage with it from a deliberate puzzle perspective. None of us had the training or reliance on methodical questions -> answers -> test hypothesis play loop.

Plus generally devolving to combat in 5e is fine, really, unless you've done some significant work on the home rule side.

I disagree about 5e defeating an OSR playstyle or that it generally devolves to combat. Heck, there are even official 5e adventures that can be completely resolved without combat. Also, my group plays 5e like we played 1e. It is not that the game can’t be played that way, I think the issue is, as you pointed, people new to the game don’t know that playstyle.

However, i feel there may be a market for people familiar with that adventure style who also play 5e. Maybe I am wrong though

 

[Retreater]

Over the holidays, I've been giving it consideration of taking my group back to 5e, or switching to a new 5e variant (2024, ToV, or Level Up), or else going to OSR. I can't decide at all what my interest is.

I don't want it MORE complex than 5e 2014 (which probably takes out 2024, ToV, and LevelUp). I don't like the lower-power feel of most OSR systems or the diverse resolution mechanics (roll d6 for thief skills, roll high on a d20 to hit, roll low on a d20 to make a saving throw, have non-standardized ability score bonuses, etc.)

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Over the holidays, I've been giving it consideration of taking my group back to 5e, or switching to a new 5e variant (2024, ToV, or Level Up), or else going to OSR. I can't decide at all what my interest is.

I don't want it MORE complex than 5e 2014 (which probably takes out 2024, ToV, and LevelUp). I don't like the lower-power feel of most OSR systems or the diverse resolution mechanics (roll d6 for thief skills, roll high on a d20 to hit, roll low on a d20 to make a saving throw, have non-standardized ability score bonuses, etc.)

Have you looked at shadowdark? Not sure about the “power level” but it seems to hit most of your points

 

[Retreater]

Have you looked at shadowdark? Not sure about the “power level” but it seems to hit most of your points

I haven't looked at it too much. The "1 hp" wizard kinda scared me off.

 

[zakael19]

I disagree about 5e defeating an OSR playstyle or that it generally devolves to combat. Heck, there are even official 5e adventures that can be completely resolved without combat. Also, my group plays 5e like we played 1e. It is not that the game can’t be played that way, I think the issue is, as you pointed, people new to the game don’t know that playstyle.

However, i feel there may be a market for people familiar with that adventure style who also play 5e. Maybe I am wrong though

I think you’ve missed my point a little. 5e is designed to engage significantly in tactical heroic combat as a core problem solving activity - thus it’s designed to give characters a lot of options and staying power. Most OSR games make combat a last-resort due to danger / relative lack of “cool buttons.” You can ignore that (the same way you can ignore the existence of concrete skills with resolution mechanics in favor of poking at things with questions), but my experience was that the 5e version of the modules simply didn’t have the same sort of play as you see people report with the OSR one.

 

[mamba]

I don't want it MORE complex than 5e 2014 (which probably takes out 2024, ToV, and LevelUp). I don't like the lower-power feel of most OSR systems or the diverse resolution mechanics

I am in the same boat, not sure ToV is more complex, you could also take a look at Shadow of the Weird Wizard. I am looking for something about 3/4 from Shadowdark to 2014 5e (and 2024 moved in the wrong direction for that…)

I am curious what Goodman Games and Mike Mearls do in their 5e variants, they might become the closest to that, but those are still some time off