Other D&D Variant Best OSR(ish) System?

[Retreater]

I have a megadungeon that was written for publication for 3.5 edition back around 2005, nearly completed. The company went out of business, 3.5 ended, and for various reasons, I scrapped the project.
I'd like to clean it up and put it out there, just so people can use it and I can get closure on the project.

What system do I use? Here are some considerations...

1) The system needs to be open to allow publication.
2) Needs to be in the tradition of D&D to allow conversion.
3) I'd like something popular so it could be used by the largest audience.
4) A "rules-light" system or OSR would be ideal to minimize the work ahead of me.
5) Just personally speaking, I don't like Shadowdark.
6) I'm concerned that OSE is basically done until the new edition is released.
7) Does anyone even play Swords & Wizardry anymore? Labyrinth Lord?

 

[TwoSix]

For publishing, B/X or OSE (basically equivalent) make the most sense. Pretty much all OSR games tout their ability to be interoperable with BD&D dungeons and modules.

 

[Tigris]

Do you have the stats for 3.5 monsters? Because now with DnD 5.5 monster math is a lot more consistent so it would be easier to convert 3.5 to 5.5 than it was with 5e. (And I heard DCs are also simpler)


And in terms of popularity 5.5 is just way more popular than OSR.


But yeah doing the "normal" OSR release as TwoSix suggested might be easier. Especially since balance etc. Are less of a concern in OSR.


Did you create your original 3.5 dungeon eith OSR style play in mind? Because that would also make a difference in how hard it is to convert.



Then if you want a popular game which is similar to OSR in playstyle how about Dragonbane? It has a license and is popular and its quite rules light: Open Game Licenses - Free League Publishing


Yeah its officially not based on D&D but mechanically its definitly close and monsters are not that complex.

 

[Mannahnin]

The biggest OSR systems seem to still be OSE and Shadowdark. In what sense do you think OSE is "done"? Like you think people will stop buying for it until the new version hits?

AD&D 1E has been seeing something of a resurgence, and the recent release of OSRIC 3E may bolster that, but it's a more complex rules system and I feel like the fanbase will expect the design of a product published for it to actually utilize its subsystems and additional content. So it'd be more work for you.

Labyrinth Lord fell off long ago. Swords & Wizardry has fans, but both are lower-profile than and highly compatible with OSE aka B/X, so for marketing purposes OSE seems like the no-brainer choice. Especially since you don't like or "grok" Shadowdark.

That's all assuming you actually want to go OSR. I think Tigris has a solid point that 5.5 has the biggest available market, and if you originally designed it for 3.5, more of the same design assumptions would seem to hold - for example that the primary xp source is defeating monsters, rather than treasure.

 

[Retreater]

Did you create your original 3.5 dungeon eith OSR style play in mind? Because that would also make a difference in how hard it is to convert.

It was originally 3.5, so not really OSR. I've done some translating over the years into Swords and Wizardry, but it's a mix of 3.5, 5e, and S&W. Just want to get it all organized into something useful.

 

[TwoSix]

It was originally 3.5, so not really OSR. I've done some translating over the years into Swords and Wizardry, but it's a mix of 3.5, 5e, and S&W. Just want to get it all organized into something useful.

I would probably base it on how much of the traps and encounters are dependent on specific implementations of mechanics. If the dungeon is heavy on narration and descriptive elements, I'd lean towards B/X. If a lot of the dungeon challenge is based on specificed encounter mechanics that have correlation with existing 5e mechanics already, I would lean towards 5e.

 

[Tigris]

It was originally 3.5, so not really OSR. I've done some translating over the years into Swords and Wizardry, but it's a mix of 3.5, 5e, and S&W. Just want to get it all organized into something useful.

But if the mix has 5e in it anyway then 5.5 might really be the best choice.

Do some math to get a 3.5 to 5.5 conversion correct and then that part is also not that much work.


For which levels is the mega dungeon? Because 5.5 and 3.5 have a relative similar power level on level 1. And I think until level 3 the power progression is also quite similar. To level 5 its slightly different but not that much.

 

[conankeep]

OSE and Shadowdark are by far the most popular "brands" in OSR-sphere at the moment. If you have no personal preference apart from not liking SD, branding the adventure as "for OSE" will allow you to reach the widest audience without going for 5e.

Another thing to note is that there are not enough meaningful differences between different B/X retroclones that would make an adventure exclusive to one retroclone. You convert it for OSE Basic Fantasy and any Labyrinth Lord table, or B/X table, or BFRPG table, or even AD&D-based table will be able to pick it up and start playing pretty much as is.
In my experience only converting the other way around, AD&D stuff to B/X systems, takes actual effort.

* Some late thoughts edit:
My final advise is to convert it to 5e instead of OSR.

 

[darjr]

Go with OSE.

 

[Scribe]

What system do I use? Here are some considerations...

1) The system needs to be open to allow publication.
2) Needs to be in the tradition of D&D to allow conversion.
3) I'd like something popular so it could be used by the largest audience.
4) A "rules-light" system or OSR would be ideal to minimize the work ahead of me.
5) Just personally speaking, I don't like Shadowdark.
6) I'm concerned that OSE is basically done until the new edition is released.
7) Does anyone even play Swords & Wizardry anymore? Labyrinth Lord?

1. So SD, or OSE.
2. So SD, or OSE.
3. So SD, or OSE.
4. SD.
5. So, you are a blasphemer.
6. Not sure what this means, I would see it as a strength as the system will be updated and 'complete'.
7. Less than SD or OSE, in my estimation.

Since you still cleave to the D&D traditions pretty heavily, I think you would go for OSE, but since its on the same bedrock (BX) as Shadowdark, its kind of splitting hairs.