OSRIC talk

[PapersAndPaychecks]

OSRIC-related announcements:

1. Monsters of Myth, a book of new monsters expected to run to 128 pages, print only (no pdf release at this stage), announced but not produced yet, should be out by Christmas barring unforeseen things.

MoM consists entirely of new monsters. There aren't OSRIC conversions of orcs and goblins and things (see below); MoM contains only original creations.

No pre-orders yet but prices released: Perfect bound softcover, $14.99; Hardback, $27.50. Watch for announcements about collectors' editions too.

2. Collaborators wanted to work on the OSRIC Companion. This will be an addition to the OSRIC core rules set -- which means it will be distributed as a free .pdf, which in turn means, I can't pay you anything.

The OC will contain the vanilla monsters (orcs, goblins, dragons, etc.) and vanilla magic items from 1e. It will mean that OSRIC can be used as a complete and playable system in its own right if you want -- although OSRIC remains fundamentally a resource for publishers.

 

[Mythmere1]

I'll just add a couple of clarifying remarks:

1) the list P&P put in above, which is from a Knights&Knaves thread I'm doing, actually doesn't contain predorders for works that aren't finished (there's only one module I know if in that category) and it doesn't contain the 1e products that aren't using the OSRIC identifier. As far as I know, that category includes only Kenzer and Rob Kuntz. Links to Rob's modules are in the body of the thread but not in P&P's post, which is the top page where I try to keep the list current by updating it.

2) As P&P said, there is a book of new monsters, Monsters of Myth, coming out that will be usable by all 1e gamers. It is OSRIC-based for the 1e rules. Expected before Christmas.

3) In addition to Monsters of Myth, which is of general interest, there's the Compendium (in the works). The Compendium has a two-fold purpose, and unlike Monsters of Myth it will be useless to those who already play 1e and aren't interested in publishing. Lots of publishers have asked for monster and treasure write-ups to give them the same legal peace of mind as the core OSRIC document does. So we're creating that in the Compendium. Also, there are many gamers interested in playing 1e (mainly "again," but my daughter also mentioned this in connection with her high school) who can't wrap their heads back around the presentation of 1e rules in the old rulebooks. After you get used to d20, the old books are unbelievably hard to navigate. So, in addition to being a publisher resource, OSRIC will hopefully also serve as a sort of analogue to the Holmes Edition basic set, providing players who want to do a one-shot or try-out game with a quick and more familiar presentation of the 1e rules, for free. This objective is secondary to the goal of building a library of new 1e resources, but it seems that the organization of the real books is a serious bar to people's sampling (or re-sampling) the 1e rules. OSRIC will hopefully allow for an easier re-introduction to those rules. When I started playing 1e again after years of d20 it was shockingly difficult to use the original books. I guess in middle school I was smarter than I am now...

 

[Geoffrey]

Lots of publishers have asked for monster and treasure write-ups to give them the same legal peace of mind as the core OSRIC document does. So we're creating that in the Compendium.

Hooray! The more comfortable people feel about publishing under OSRIC, the more OSRIC products there will be. The more OSRIC products there are, the more OSRIC products I will buy. The more OSRIC products I buy, the better my campaign will be.

 

[RFisher]

Also, there are many gamers interested in playing 1e (mainly "again," but my daughter also mentioned this in connection with her high school) who can't wrap their heads back around the presentation of 1e rules in the old rulebooks. After you get used to d20, the old books are unbelievably hard to navigate. So, in addition to being a publisher resource, OSRIC will hopefully also serve as a sort of analogue to the Holmes Edition basic set, providing players who want to do a one-shot or try-out game with a quick and more familiar presentation of the 1e rules, for free. This objective is secondary to the goal of building a library of new 1e resources, but it seems that the organization of the real books is a serious bar to people's sampling (or re-sampling) the 1e rules. OSRIC will hopefully allow for an easier re-introduction to those rules. When I started playing 1e again after years of d20 it was shockingly difficult to use the original books. I guess in middle school I was smarter than I am now...

Spoiled whipersnappers! In my day we had to slog through Gygaxian prose uphill both ways. And we liked it that way! (^_^)

Seriously, though, I'm impressed with OSRIC's success so far. Congratulations, guys! The Compendium sounds like a great addition...although I wonder if its two purpose wouldn't be better served by separate works.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Seriously, though, I'm impressed with OSRIC's success so far. Congratulations, guys! The Compendium sounds like a great addition...although I wonder if its two purpose wouldn't be better served by separate works.

Well, we want the core system to be free and easy to acquire on .pdf ... but we also want it to be cheap and easy to acquire in print. So the final version of OSRIC will be available as a .pdf or a print-on-demand from Lulu, priced at cost (i.e. just under $7.50 for the softback), and I want the OSRIC Companion to provide similar value for money. That means it has to be a 128-page work as well.

Basically, I'm trying to combine the core material into as few books as possible to save money for the users. I've got vague plans to create an optional single combined volume comprising OSRIC and the OSRIC Companion... that way the core books could be available for under $10 in print.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Personally, I'd love to see an OSRIC hardback book.

 

[ghul]

Personally, I'd love to see an OSRIC hardback book.

Same here.

--Ghul.

PS: and put a bard prestige class in the appendix.

 

[philreed]

Personally, I'd love to see an OSRIC hardback book.

I don't see why they can't offer both soft and hardcover through Lulu.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Personally, I'd love to see an OSRIC hardback book.

I'm sorry, Frukathka, I wasn't clear. I mentioned the OSRIC softcover because I was talking about the more cost-conscious buyers; OSRIC will also cater to the hardback market and there will be something for collectors as well.

Here are my plans for OSRIC ISBN numbers under the print label I share with Matt Finch for the period between now and summer 2007.

1. OSRIC softcover, US English edition.
2. OSRIC hardcover, US English edition.
3. OSRIC softcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
4. OSRIC hardcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
5. OSRIC Companion softcover, US English edition.
6. OSRIC Companion hardcover, US English edition.
7. OSRIC Companion softcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
8. OSRIC Companion hardcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
(9.-12. Reserved for a ~256-page issue combining OSRIC and the OSRIC Companion. May not be issued until later half of 2007.)
(13-16. Reserved for OSRIC collectors' editions. May not be issued until later half of 2007.)
(17-20. Reserved for OSRIC Companion collectors' editions. May not be issued until later half of 2007.)
21. Monsters of Myth softcover, US English edition.
22. Monsters of Myth hardcover, US English edition.
23. Monsters of Myth softcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
24. Monsters of Myth hardcover, UK/Commonwealth English edition.
(25.-28. Reserved for Monsters of Myth collectors' editions. May not be issued until later half of 2007.)

Over and above this, a 64-page compendium of adventures is largely written and I may have sufficient resources to release that in the first half of 2007 too. No promises.

Aside from my own label there are now 4 independent publishers who have actually released products supporting OSRIC and several others who I believe are actively working on OSRIC material. I'm aware of a total of over a dozen other OSRIC products in production.

 

[philreed]

Aside from my own label there are now 4 independent publishers who have actually released products supporting OSRIC and several others who I believe are actively working on OSRIC material. I'm aware of a total of over a dozen other OSRIC products in production.

I've been working on First Edition Fantasy: d100 Treasures as I have time. That should see release in November. Those that have used my 101 Mundane Treasures will likely find this new PDF/POD useful.