OSR Is there room in modern gaming for the OSR to bring in new gamers?

[Necrozius]

The games back then felt heroic, awesome, exciting. OSR doesn't capture that to me. I love the idea of it, but it's just not there.

Agreed. I only like OSR game systems if “hacked” a bit. Small things like maximizing HP per level or applying ideas like “Fail Forward”, Fate points or 5e’s advantage/disadvantage. Or making zero HP “unconscious” rather than dead.

You know, rules that typically offend the OSR crowd in general. Oh well.

 

[Necrozius]

Ignore the rules if they don't serve the game as we actually play it. It doesn't matter what happens as long as everyone has fun and what you do makes sense.

I actually do this in any game system, honestly. 5e included.

I’m running a 1e WEG Star Wars d6 campaign and frequently handwave or make rulings. However, it IS easier to do so in this rules-light iteration of the game.

 

[transmission89]

To me PF1 initially seemed a streamlined version of 3.5, which was why I bought in. For my group, it completely replaced 3.5. We never looked back.
There's been some wanting to go back to B/X recently in that group, until the OSE campaign fell apart. I don't think the nostalgia will be able to bring them back for a second attempt.
This is why I've been saying I'd love to see a streamlined, nostalgia-inspired ruleset that doesn't have the low power levels of OSR. Because when we were gaming back in the olden days, it never felt that deadly. Maybe it was a different mindset, maybe we used house rules, maybe we weren't playing it "right" - but it didn't feel like tripping over your own feet would kill you; it didn't feel like a single kobold with a sling would kill you.
The games back then felt heroic, awesome, exciting. OSR doesn't capture that to me. I love the idea of it, but it's just not there.

Have you given DCC a try? You have the level 0 funnel as a meat grinder (meant to be more more hilarious and tongue in cheek) but then after that you have some more of the power and adventure (with lots of craziness going on) with a stripped down 3.x inspired ruleset

 

[Retreater]

Have you given DCC a try? You have the level 0 funnel as a meat grinder (meant to be more more hilarious and tongue in cheek) but then after that you have some more of the power and adventure (with lots of craziness going on) with a stripped down 3.x inspired ruleset

Honestly no. I got a pretty big PDF library of that system on a Humble Bundle, but haven't delved too deeply. For me, the character funnel and specialty dice were initial turnoffs. I could ignore the funnel, but the special dice I'm not sure how to get around, considering we're exclusively on a VTT.

 

[transmission89]

Honestly no. I got a pretty big PDF library of that system on a Humble Bundle, but haven't delved too deeply. For me, the character funnel and specialty dice were initial turnoffs. I could ignore the funnel, but the special dice I'm not sure how to get around, considering we're exclusively on a VTT.

I would say give it a go. On reading, a lot of people dislike the idea of the funnel, but in practice, end up enjoying it. You still might not, but I’d honestly try it with a one shot. Most vtts should allow you to roll those funk dice .

 

[Malmuria]

Agreed. I only like OSR game systems if “hacked” a bit. Small things like maximizing HP per level or applying ideas like “Fail Forward”, Fate points or 5e’s advantage/disadvantage. Or making zero HP “unconscious” rather than dead.

You know, rules that typically offend the OSR crowd in general. Oh well.

I've never played a game using the Into the Odd/Electric Bastionland rules, but they seem feasible for this purpose? Basically, from my reading, hp is more about how much energy your character has and is not real harm. It is replenished after basically a short rest. After you run out of hp, damage is subtracted from your strength score and that represents actual wounds. There are no attack roles, and armor just provides damage reduction.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

Interestingly, I'm not doing OSR systems at all, I'm doing Pathfinder 2e, but what I'm really interested in is what I can learn from this style of game in order to combine it with the things we like about the 'modern' systems. So I'm very into the OSR ideas about sandboxes, dungeon delves, and exploration, while attempting to retain heavy player empowerment elements in the form of high character customization/optimization/combat-as-sport-tactical-considerations.

I think that Pathfinder 2e's exploration and downtime procedures, in tandem with its much more 'real' encounter difficulty creates an environment where I should be able to take a lot of OSR elements in the structure of my game and make it all work. I even think I can utilize the 'durability' of the characters in player empowered games to include elements of neo-trad in that structure, albeit while being judicious.

Still, lately OSR threads and game design have lately been my favorite posts, and I've gotten a lot out of them. My big experiment in mixing these elements together properly won't be for a while yet, since the player currently running a campaign as a 'break' seems to be having some problems pacing this so it ends in the 6-8 month window we initially discussed, so while I'd like to begin in my hex crawling west marches in the autumn... we'll see.

 

[Retreater]

My big experiment in mixing these elements together properly won't be for a while yet, since the player currently running a campaign as a 'break' seems to be having some problems pacing this so it ends in the 6-8 month window we initially discussed, so while I'd like to begin in my hex crawling west marches in the autumn... we'll see.

Take back the reigns, by force if you must. Haha

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

Take back the reigns, by force if you must. Haha

We'll see, I might basically say I'm gonna start it shortly after Guns and Gears comes out and then just kinda hold to that and see what happens, I've got our extended playgroup regularly asking when its gonna happen since they're not gaming much right now.

 

[kenada]

This is why I've been saying I'd love to see a streamlined, nostalgia-inspired ruleset that doesn't have the low power levels of OSR. Because when we were gaming back in the olden days, it never felt that deadly. Maybe it was a different mindset, maybe we used house rules, maybe we weren't playing it "right" - but it didn't feel like tripping over your own feet would kill you; it didn't feel like a single kobold with a sling would kill you.

Makes more Worlds Without Number noises.

Yes, I know. The book is overly verbose. I think it reads fine, but it obscures the rules (especially compared to Old-School Essentials). However, if you want a system where characters start out pretty awesome, and have a chance of surviving being Morally Wounded, WWN does that.