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<blockquote data-quote="Retreater" data-source="post: 7938604" data-attributes="member: 42040">I have played a few sessions of Labyrinth Lord. I rolled up a character who had completely average ability scores across the board. The only things that distinguished my character from any other fighter would be his equipment and my 30+ years of gaming experience, approaching each battle with caution and fear. I think I rolled 2 HP at first level, had 0 bonus to hit or to damage. That character was attacked in an ambush from a terrible wildman. There was no degree of skill or good playing I could have done to succeed in the adventure. I couldn't reason with him, I couldn't avoid the attack, and the only thing I could've done was to not go on the adventure. I don't know what luck could have made my character more survivable, but RAW, OSR games are so punishingly lethal that advancing a character is impossible. Give a character a reasonable chance to survive an initial attack, and we're on to something. Make a character better than your average kobold or goblin, and we're talking. I don't need 15+ HP to start with, but maybe 8? But when you're worse off than the average monster you're fighting at 1st level and you're often facing the same number (or more) of them, and that's just not fun. All this said, I came into the hobby at the start of AD&amp;D 2nd edition, so my base level was not established by 5e. Something in between 5e and OD&amp;D would be my ideal. I just haven't been able to find the system.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Retreater, post: 7938604, member: 42040"] I have played a few sessions of Labyrinth Lord. I rolled up a character who had completely average ability scores across the board. The only things that distinguished my character from any other fighter would be his equipment and my 30+ years of gaming experience, approaching each battle with caution and fear. I think I rolled 2 HP at first level, had 0 bonus to hit or to damage. That character was attacked in an ambush from a terrible wildman. There was no degree of skill or good playing I could have done to succeed in the adventure. I couldn't reason with him, I couldn't avoid the attack, and the only thing I could've done was to not go on the adventure. I don't know what luck could have made my character more survivable, but RAW, OSR games are so punishingly lethal that advancing a character is impossible. Give a character a reasonable chance to survive an initial attack, and we're on to something. Make a character better than your average kobold or goblin, and we're talking. I don't need 15+ HP to start with, but maybe 8? But when you're worse off than the average monster you're fighting at 1st level and you're often facing the same number (or more) of them, and that's just not fun. All this said, I came into the hobby at the start of AD&D 2nd edition, so my base level was not established by 5e. Something in between 5e and OD&D would be my ideal. I just haven't been able to find the system. [/QUOTE]

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