D&D-ish systems that combine old school with modern rules

[billd91]

What is a "modern" rule?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Old school is more of a game style -- I think you can achieve your intent with any modern rules system. Pick up a classic adventure for the flavor and run it using something you are familiar with.

That's probably true. I could do it with 3e, but I think I'd have to houserule it by stripping out feats and skill points. Death would probably be at zero hit points, and stats rolled on 3d6 in order. The latter are easy houserules, but by choosing 3e, I set up certain expectations with the players, and I'd then have to overturn those expectations.

The 3e rules also have the wrong flavour. There's too much player choice, they're too fun. I don't want fun. The 1e rules actually have the perfect tone. They are dark, gothic and oppressive.

The problem with 1e, for me though, is the actual rules. They're too slow and complex. I don't understand how initiative and surprise work in 1e. I don't want to look up attack and saving throw matrices. Or any matrices. I don't want weapon speed factors, or different damage versus S-M and L, or weapon versus AC.

What's your definition of "old school"?

For this game, my take on old school will be high lethality, quick PC generation, no builds, sandbox play, very gamist, very challenging, very tough. The world is weird, magical, and deadly. It treats the PCs like rubes at a 1920s carny.

 

[Doug McCrae]

What is a "modern" rule?

Unified mechanics, no matrices, no 'weirdness' (like descending AC). Quick, simple, clean rules. Y'know, modern. Like RuneQuest in 1978. Also, by use of the word I wanted to leave the door open to any other innovations I'm not aware of.

On the plus side, old school mechanics do add a baroque, quirky flavour, which for me is desirable, but I think that can be supplied by making the world itself strange and unknowable.

 

[Yora]

6. The Myth & Magic Player's and DM's Starter Guides are available for free PDF download here:

Myth & Magic Kickstarter Updates

Kind of a 2e & 3e mashup, I think. Or a 2e, with some d20 mechanics. Or, something. Haven't done more than glance at this one.

I really like Myth and Magic from what I've seen so far and I can't wait for the final release. Could be the game I've been searching for all those years.

The only downside is that the preview version probably uses the most terrible version of Initiative there is. Which is very easy to change, but I hope they at least present other options in the final release as well.

 

[Wightbred]

Have a look at Dungeon World at Dungeon World :: Home

It started as a hack of Apocalypse World but has since been published in its own right, and pretty much exactly fits your criteria - very modern rules being used to emulate an 'old school' feel.

Dungeon World definitely scratches the old school feel / modern rules for me. Check this post by stras about a fight with a dragon and see if it is the awesomeness you are looking for.

 

[nedjer]

Most of the lists don't seem to get updated, as fairly recent added content titles like Adventurer Conqueror King, Crypts and Things and Corruption/ Renegade aren't included.

The first is 2e-sh territory with lots of domain management extra content, while the other two are takes on Swords and Wizardry with various extras.

 

[Filcher]

Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG

Dungeon Crawl Classics

 

[Sir Robilar]

I have to recommend Adventurer Conqueror King. It has a very classic but clean feel at low levels. Not too much rules (feels a little like AD&D1) and a great Proficiency system that lets players choose from dozens of feat-like abilities, with lots of non-combat proficiencies. At the high levels it becomes a game of domain management as thieves form thieves guilds, clerics build temples and mages carve out their own dungeons so they can harvest monster parts in order to use them as spell ingredients.

 

[TanisFrey]

Another option is Hackmaster 5th edition. It is a serious game with an old school feel and modern game mechanics. You can find it at Kenzer & Company

They have quick start rules and the HackMaster Basic rules has all the information you need for 1st to 5th level of play.

It is built off of 1st & 2ed edition AD&D game and runemaster for its feel.

 

[Mr. Greengoat]

I am kinda of the opinion that Old School style play requires a rules and mechanics lite method of playing at the table. A system that involves mediation between the DM and the players that is not always set in the rules.

I think the Old School primer by Matt Finch does a good job of explaining some of the essential attitudes about playing in a more open and sandboxy manner:
Quick Primer for Old School Gaming

I am curious about what "modern" elements you wish the system to have? I think the intense codification of 3E related games kinda miss out on the main positive qualities of the OSR-type design. Simple, easy to remember rules, little math, and consultation of the text for fluff, and not so much for rules. (Spells & Monsters mostly)

My personal preference is for Adventurer Conquered King (ACKS) but I am not a neutral voice because I did a little work on the book.

I would recommend the old red Basic D&D book, Swords & Wizardry, or Basic Fantasy for pure and simple fun. They are all relatively free of some of the baroque oddity of 1st and 2nd edition AD&D. (Not that I don't find psionics and spell casting segments charming sometimes.) Go ahead and download the free versions and take a look. The basic books only cost about fifteen bucks off of lulu. So for the same price as one player's handbook in a more modern system, you can have a set of hardcopy rules for yourself and another player.

The only problem that I have seen crop up is when newer players start to freak out about the lack of hard-coded options written down. The trick is just to reassure them that they can be and do whatever they want. They just have to work it out with the DM about what it means in play and then the DM will give some slight modifiers and abilities under certain conditions. It's more of a talkie style of play than a look-up and roll style.