An Open Letter to the "OSR Blogosphere"

[JohnRTroy]

n before the lock...I mean what bugs me about this is that I know there is a "OSR" controversy going on right now (I mean, beyond the standard), and believe I shouldn't care, yet I still wonder what exactly it is.

It has to do with the person who has a blog called "D&D with pornstars". Apparently some of the OSR dislike the attention it is getting and the potential bad attention it can get, with what I believe is some legitimate criticism. (For instance, I think the mainstreaming of porn is a bad thing for society, and I know others agree with me).

As far as DD cross-posting, well, that's par for the course if you don't have your own blog and want to get your message out. So I see no problem with it. How else would you get your message out so it can be read?

 

[Desdichado]

Once more with feeling:

Old School is not about what you play but how you play it.

Old school and The OSR are not equivalent, though.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I had a great time at GaryCon II in Lake Geneva just last weekend. Basically nonstop gaming, (O)D&D, Basic D&D, Chainmail (1973 rules), Kingmaker (AH 1974), Medieval Fantasy Combat Miniatures Game (my own rules), Puerto Rico boardgame, Wooden Ships & Iron Men (boardgame, Trafalgar plus the full American Revolution campaign [to a draw]), and more. So, to JimSkach, diaglo, Francisca, Jarren, Tav_Behemoth, Sleepy Voiced Carl, Joseph Goodman, Doug, grodog, The Friends of and Family Gygax, all of the game facilitators and players came together to game their asses off, and indeed we did. It's what we do and we could do nothing less. Can't wait until next year. Here's some pictures -

Picasa Web Albums - CreativeMountain - GaryCon II

(me, standing, with (L to R) Francisca, diaglo, and JamesLSkach)

When I read the OP and the quoted posts, yes, that's the direction I prefer. The fun story, the camaderie, the experience.

Too much else is theorycraft. I have no interest in reading or playing OD&D on my own. But most EN Worlders or CMers, I'd gladly play in such a game, because I believe they "know" the magic behind these games, they can bring the fun, and they seem like nice and cool people, so the experience can only be positive.

 

[Mark]

This is brilliant! *yoink*

Does it still manifest if you're invisible or hiding?

Lan-"and how does this interact with Mirror Image?"-efan

Interesting questions to be adjudicated. I suppose you'd have to be perceivable to be perceived and that no matter how many perceived that each would cause the final effect, so no (IMO) on the invisible or hiding but still only and always fourteen despite the Mirror Image. Just my own take and could go another direction depending on the referee/DM/GM.

 

[darkseraphim]

This thread seems at odds with itself. It’s talking about indulging in gaming over factionalism (I think?), but it’s indirectly promoting factionalism over gaming.