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OSR ... Feel the Love! Why People Like The Old School
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<blockquote data-quote="DammitVictor" data-source="post: 7639114" data-attributes="member: 6750908"><p>You know, these threads always make me feel like something of an outsider in the OSR community, like I don't know what the OSR is or maybe I'm just really bad at it, because I'm not interested in Fantasy ****ing Vietnam and my "old school" is 2e AD&D after TSR's wheels fell off. I love the OSR, but it seems like everything the OSR <em>community</em> loves about the OSR are the things I think modern D&D actually did better.</p><p></p><p>Using the standard terminology, my preferred playstyle is <em>Galactic Dragons & Godwars</em> with a focus on high magic, high level, high energy play.</p><p></p><p>In a lot of ways, it feels like that's what Modern D&D is trying to do... but it's <em>really bad at it</em>. TSR D&D did it better... but much of the OSR community dimisses this playstyle-- which was prevalent in the early 80s-- with references to short attention spans, misplaced senses of entitlement, and "kids these days" playing too many video games.</p><p></p><p>I like the fact that the OSR (mostly) embraces the idea that character restrictions are as important as character abilities in differentiating between characters-- whether it's racial class restrictions or outright racial <em>classes</em>, TSR D&D and many OSR games have firmly established that the various PC races are <em>different sorts of beings</em> rather than funny-shaped humans. One OSR game even gave each nonhuman race its own short class list, an example I'm trying to follow in my 2e house rules.</p><p></p><p>A lot of the little things I like about the OSR aren't even conscious, deliberate choices... but simply rules that <em>worked</em> to serve their intended purpose before Wizards of the Coast <em>broke them</em> for no good reason. Combat movement, saving throws, spellcasting in melee.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>See... I'm not a real big fan of the charop minigame, but I <em>love</em> the fact that Modern D&D keeps giving you choices every time you level up. This is great, and I don't understand why so many people are so <em>hostile</em> to it.</p><p></p><p>The "character build" mentality doesn't come from having <em>options</em>. It comes from that mutant multiclassing system and especially <em>Prestige Classes</em> that force players to earn their options by planning their whole character in advance. This is also why iconic class features are delayed beyond 1st level.</p><p></p><p></p><p>See this? Perfect example. Starting with my <em>second</em> character, ever, every single character I have played in D&D has been multiclassed-- even when it wasn't legal, and in some cases when multiclassing itself wasn't part of the rules.</p><p></p><p>Another thing I love about the OSR? Kits allowed you to modify your class archetype, and multiclassing allowed you to blend your archetypes, without turning classes into fungible building blocks or allowing characters to "dip" into classes that were not, in any way, a part of your character's identity.</p><p></p><p>I'm not trying to pick on you here-- it's just strange to me how much of the stuff OSR fans hate about Modern D&D... is the exact stuff I love about the OSR.</p><p></p><p>Of course... there are a number of items people have raised in this thread that I'd argue were the best things about Modern D&D, and I wish OSR games incorporated. From your own list... ASIs and at-will magics. Another big one for me is "unusual" non-Tolkien races. Frequent acquisition of new class features.</p><p></p><p>I just want them in a ruleset that lets you put together a character in the time between failing your last saving throw and getting hired again back in town, where you can wrap up a boss fight in a single session with time left over to divvy the loot, BMX Bandit is actually as useful as Angel Summoner, and your party wizard hasn't been "the only dwarven wizard ever" for four wizards in a row.</p><p></p><p>Bonus points if it doesn't take levels in three separate classes and five feats to qualify for the Peasant Conscript PrC whose 10th level capstone ability lets them march and complain at the same time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="DammitVictor, post: 7639114, member: 6750908"] You know, these threads always make me feel like something of an outsider in the OSR community, like I don't know what the OSR is or maybe I'm just really bad at it, because I'm not interested in Fantasy ****ing Vietnam and my "old school" is 2e AD&D after TSR's wheels fell off. I love the OSR, but it seems like everything the OSR [i]community[/i] loves about the OSR are the things I think modern D&D actually did better. Using the standard terminology, my preferred playstyle is [i]Galactic Dragons & Godwars[/i] with a focus on high magic, high level, high energy play. In a lot of ways, it feels like that's what Modern D&D is trying to do... but it's [i]really bad at it[/i]. TSR D&D did it better... but much of the OSR community dimisses this playstyle-- which was prevalent in the early 80s-- with references to short attention spans, misplaced senses of entitlement, and "kids these days" playing too many video games. I like the fact that the OSR (mostly) embraces the idea that character restrictions are as important as character abilities in differentiating between characters-- whether it's racial class restrictions or outright racial [i]classes[/i], TSR D&D and many OSR games have firmly established that the various PC races are [i]different sorts of beings[/i] rather than funny-shaped humans. One OSR game even gave each nonhuman race its own short class list, an example I'm trying to follow in my 2e house rules. A lot of the little things I like about the OSR aren't even conscious, deliberate choices... but simply rules that [i]worked[/i] to serve their intended purpose before Wizards of the Coast [i]broke them[/i] for no good reason. Combat movement, saving throws, spellcasting in melee. See... I'm not a real big fan of the charop minigame, but I [i]love[/i] the fact that Modern D&D keeps giving you choices every time you level up. This is great, and I don't understand why so many people are so [i]hostile[/i] to it. The "character build" mentality doesn't come from having [i]options[/i]. It comes from that mutant multiclassing system and especially [i]Prestige Classes[/i] that force players to earn their options by planning their whole character in advance. This is also why iconic class features are delayed beyond 1st level. See this? Perfect example. Starting with my [i]second[/i] character, ever, every single character I have played in D&D has been multiclassed-- even when it wasn't legal, and in some cases when multiclassing itself wasn't part of the rules. Another thing I love about the OSR? Kits allowed you to modify your class archetype, and multiclassing allowed you to blend your archetypes, without turning classes into fungible building blocks or allowing characters to "dip" into classes that were not, in any way, a part of your character's identity. I'm not trying to pick on you here-- it's just strange to me how much of the stuff OSR fans hate about Modern D&D... is the exact stuff I love about the OSR. Of course... there are a number of items people have raised in this thread that I'd argue were the best things about Modern D&D, and I wish OSR games incorporated. From your own list... ASIs and at-will magics. Another big one for me is "unusual" non-Tolkien races. Frequent acquisition of new class features. I just want them in a ruleset that lets you put together a character in the time between failing your last saving throw and getting hired again back in town, where you can wrap up a boss fight in a single session with time left over to divvy the loot, BMX Bandit is actually as useful as Angel Summoner, and your party wizard hasn't been "the only dwarven wizard ever" for four wizards in a row. Bonus points if it doesn't take levels in three separate classes and five feats to qualify for the Peasant Conscript PrC whose 10th level capstone ability lets them march and complain at the same time. [/QUOTE]
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