Remathilis
Legend
Everywhere you go, you hear talk about "Old School" Play. Old School This, Old School That. There are games part of the Old School Renaissance that pride themselves on how close to Gary's Vision they can be. But while everyone is rolling 3d6 in order and searching for that save-or-die poison trap that has to be around here somewhere, I have to ask "Old School in relation to what?"
So this thread is to discuss what it means to be "New School". When did it start, what does it entail and how can it be fostered and improved. This is a plus thread, so the point is to celebrate and nurture new school play. OS people, uh go hangout in Dragonsfoot or something...
What is New School Play (to me)
Cavaet: This is my view on NSP.
1.) Characters are special. New School play fosters a sense that the PCs are cut above the standard person. They have unique skills, a complicated backstory, a special origin, or some other thing that makes them just a little bit different. New School characters can be the scions of prominent figures, selected by the God's to be their chosen, have cursed lineages they must absolve or at least bare, or are prodigies in their chosen field. That is not to say all characters have 20-page backstories: sometimes the baker's daughter discovers she's a sorcerer and goes adventuring. The key is they aren't just random mercenaries, they have something special.
2.) Characters are defined by those around them: New School characters often have a variety of connections in their life: Friends, Family, Loves, Bosses, Rivals, Etc. The relationships help define the character. Does the PC adventure out of loyalty to his friends, quest for the love of a beautiful maiden, or seek to win the approval of a doubting father. They may have an enemy who shows up to ruin their day, a Moriarty to the PCs Holmes. This could be the campaign villain or a side character. Regardless, they are in it for more than just gold and glory.
3.) Campaigns have clearly defined Stories: NS play often has an endpoint; a place the story builds to. Villains scheme and plot, cataclysms threaten to destroy what the PCs love, the fate of kingdom/world/multiverse is in the PCs hands. This is commonly seen in adventure paths (see below): but its far older: most people would credit Dragonlance for this style of play but I think the Ur example is the GDQ: Against the Giants -> Queen of the Demonweb Pits where the PCs seek to explore disturbances with a local giant steading and get drawn into the machinations of the drow and their Goddess, Lolth. There are stakes, tension, and narrative flow. Events build on each other. Eventually, only the PCs can save everyone.
4.) Death is Not the Only Fail state (but it's the worst one): New School Play rarely treats player characters like tissue. Meatgrinder play is seen as anathema to NS play. Instead, PCs often suffer other setbacks other than death. After all, if all the PCs die, the game is over. That is not to say NS play is easy or a cakewalk, but it does mean that PCs have a little plot armor (even something as thin as negative hp/death saves) and often, failure results in the loss or treasure, plot complications, and other "fail forward" options.
5.) Play is narrative, but not necessarily linear: Adventures, and to larger degree, campaigns, have a greater emphasis on narrative play. The PCs find a hook and get involved in the action, often following the story beats to their conclusion. That is not to say NS play is a railroad (as some like to paint it); there can be multiple branching paths and a Good DM has to know how to get PCs who have wandered too far afield back to the focus, but adventures tend to have a strong story element, not just a dungeon to explore for gold.
6.) NS emulates Fiction: Most people who play RPGs do so because they saw some other form of media (movies, games, novels, etc) and said, "I want to make my own." NS play attempts to capture that spirit. It has players making characters like the ones they see in fiction and has DMs telling stories like the ones that inspired them. Large the life villains, grand stakes, bold heroes. They have come to tell a shared story like the ones that have inspired them.
That's my list of what NS means to me. Feel Free to add your own or comment on what is there. Let's build a community that prides itself on being New School.
So this thread is to discuss what it means to be "New School". When did it start, what does it entail and how can it be fostered and improved. This is a plus thread, so the point is to celebrate and nurture new school play. OS people, uh go hangout in Dragonsfoot or something...
What is New School Play (to me)
Cavaet: This is my view on NSP.
1.) Characters are special. New School play fosters a sense that the PCs are cut above the standard person. They have unique skills, a complicated backstory, a special origin, or some other thing that makes them just a little bit different. New School characters can be the scions of prominent figures, selected by the God's to be their chosen, have cursed lineages they must absolve or at least bare, or are prodigies in their chosen field. That is not to say all characters have 20-page backstories: sometimes the baker's daughter discovers she's a sorcerer and goes adventuring. The key is they aren't just random mercenaries, they have something special.
2.) Characters are defined by those around them: New School characters often have a variety of connections in their life: Friends, Family, Loves, Bosses, Rivals, Etc. The relationships help define the character. Does the PC adventure out of loyalty to his friends, quest for the love of a beautiful maiden, or seek to win the approval of a doubting father. They may have an enemy who shows up to ruin their day, a Moriarty to the PCs Holmes. This could be the campaign villain or a side character. Regardless, they are in it for more than just gold and glory.
3.) Campaigns have clearly defined Stories: NS play often has an endpoint; a place the story builds to. Villains scheme and plot, cataclysms threaten to destroy what the PCs love, the fate of kingdom/world/multiverse is in the PCs hands. This is commonly seen in adventure paths (see below): but its far older: most people would credit Dragonlance for this style of play but I think the Ur example is the GDQ: Against the Giants -> Queen of the Demonweb Pits where the PCs seek to explore disturbances with a local giant steading and get drawn into the machinations of the drow and their Goddess, Lolth. There are stakes, tension, and narrative flow. Events build on each other. Eventually, only the PCs can save everyone.
4.) Death is Not the Only Fail state (but it's the worst one): New School Play rarely treats player characters like tissue. Meatgrinder play is seen as anathema to NS play. Instead, PCs often suffer other setbacks other than death. After all, if all the PCs die, the game is over. That is not to say NS play is easy or a cakewalk, but it does mean that PCs have a little plot armor (even something as thin as negative hp/death saves) and often, failure results in the loss or treasure, plot complications, and other "fail forward" options.
5.) Play is narrative, but not necessarily linear: Adventures, and to larger degree, campaigns, have a greater emphasis on narrative play. The PCs find a hook and get involved in the action, often following the story beats to their conclusion. That is not to say NS play is a railroad (as some like to paint it); there can be multiple branching paths and a Good DM has to know how to get PCs who have wandered too far afield back to the focus, but adventures tend to have a strong story element, not just a dungeon to explore for gold.
6.) NS emulates Fiction: Most people who play RPGs do so because they saw some other form of media (movies, games, novels, etc) and said, "I want to make my own." NS play attempts to capture that spirit. It has players making characters like the ones they see in fiction and has DMs telling stories like the ones that inspired them. Large the life villains, grand stakes, bold heroes. They have come to tell a shared story like the ones that have inspired them.
That's my list of what NS means to me. Feel Free to add your own or comment on what is there. Let's build a community that prides itself on being New School.
