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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 8297434" data-attributes="member: 7026594">I think you've got some legit criticism of weaknesses with the OS approach when the DM isn't good, but the section above seems really off-base.  Is it a logical consequence of following a document which advises that "PCs should seek treasure and avoid unnecessary fights" to only award xp for combat?Rulings Not Rules was not being followed to the letter. Ignoring rules which serve a purpose is not something Finch advocated.  A DM following Rulings Not Rules as Finch lays it out would rule that monsters do sometimes run away; certainly intelligent or animalistic ones.Player Skill Not Character Abilities was being specifically contradicted, most obviously by disallowing any engagement with traps outside Thieves' percentile skills.Heroic Not Superhero certainly doesn't imply "randomly killed by a bear with no choices involved".  Come on, man.  A hero would at least have a chance to see it coming and mitigate the danger, even if he was wounded and unable to knock it out with a swift punch to the jaw like a superhero.Forget Game Balance doesn't say or imply anything about ignoring what the designer considers fun, either.  :/I think you're absolutely correct that OSR play relies on a GM who can make organic rulings which feel both fair and fun to the players.  And that the greater degree of reliance on GM judgement in pre-WotC editions does make them more vulnerable to a bad GM creating a bad play experience.  The Old School Primer is a bit dated and I can see flaws in it, but it really doesn't say what you wrote above.[URL unfurl="true"]https://friendorfoe.com/d/Old%20School%20Primer.pdf[/URL]</blockquote>

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