Is "Old School" Overrated?

[jgbrowning]

Any chance we will see some more classical adventures from XRP, for 4e? (When I say classical, I mean not like Land of Darkness series)

I'm sorry to say that we probably won't be producing any classical-style 4e adventures.

joe b.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Old School: It's not what you play, it's how you play it.

 

[Ariosto]

Old School: It's not what you play, it's how you play it.

Please instruct me how to make Original D&D games "New School".

 

[jdrakeh]

Please instruct me how to make Original D&D games "New School".

Add Supplements I and II.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Please instruct me how to make Original D&D games "New School".

1. No roleplaying. Just fights.
2. Refer to Fighting Men as tanks.

 

[eyebeams]

The "Old School" as defined by adherents is really only a couple of years old (the style isn't, but the pretense that this is how everybody played D&D in the old days is). In the actual dawning days of gaming, people played in a whole bunch of different ways. It isn't really a more authentic way of playing OD&D. Skip Williams is an example of a guy who played back in the old days according to a philosophy that the self-described "Old School" pretty much despises.

Personally, I'd prefer it if the play style was divorced from the idea that it's linked to a particular edition of D&D. I plan on running Pathfinder with traits that are called "Old School."

 

[eyebeams]

Please instruct me how to make Original D&D games "New School".

Super-easy. Tell your players you'll let them:

1) Spend a number of points equal to their levels on bonuses to attack and damage rolls or effective spell level on a cast spell. This pool of points regenerates at the start of each new combat.

2) Record a number equal to character HP, and let characters recover as many HP in any turn they do not otherwise act equal to their Con + Level, spent from that equal to HP pool. This pool recovers once per day.

3) Once per day per 4 levels, either act with double bonuses, damage or effective level (for spells or special abilities), or automatically succeed with half normal effect (damage, duration, etc.).

Now you have OD&D4e.

 

[diaglo]

Add Supplements I and II.

qfmft

OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

 

[FireLance]

Oh, and one more: first poster to use the T-model argument gets a javelin through the left eyeball.

That's okay; I play 4e and apparently it only does 2 points of damage.

 

[billd91]

Skip Williams is an example of a guy who played back in the old days according to a philosophy that the self-described "Old School" pretty much despises.

And what philosophy is that?