What use for OSRIC?

[dcas]

OSRIC could well wind up being a commercial failure. But so what? It's not my problem . . . and in the meantime I'll certainly take a good long look at OSRIC-compatible stuff being offered for sale.

 

[sjmiller]

OSRIC will allow someone like myself, who is involved in the editing business, to branch out into the writing side. I could not write material for D&D 3.5, simply because I do not own the 3.5 material. Well, that coupled with the fact I really don't want to write anything for 3.5. OSRIC inspired me like nothing else has recently.

I am actually writing something for OSRIC, and hope to have it ready for sale soon. No other game system that has come out lately, other than GURPS 4th Edition, has made me this enthusiastic about writing.

Fans of D&D 3.5 will most likely not be fans of OSRIC. That's okay, there should be room enough for everyone to play the game system they like.

 

[Henry]

There are also legal questions surrounding it, and many publishers are blacklisting those involved due to the unsavory character of some of the developers.

You know, the word "alleged" goes a long way to keep people out of trouble. Let's not go down this road of potential defamation.

There are any number of ways to accomplish creating AD&D compatible adventures, so I'm opening this discussion to determine whether there is any merit to OSRIC or whether it serves any actual purpose.

For me, it boils down to, "because choice is good."

As for OSRIC's legality, it boils down to what so many legal issues do -- you won't know, until it's challenged in court. It's up to each publisher, and their lawyer, to determine if OSRIC's license is "tight" enough to withstand legal challenges. Joe Browning has undertaken the task (in spectacular fashion according to some old-schoolers ) and hopefully others will follow suit.

If nothing else, this document is now an available copy of the rules (or as close to them as possible) that can be distributed, to new players as well as old; it is also an electronic accessory to help prepare for "old school" games that wasn't available before. If this expands the market of players of these games even a little bit, I'd say it's worth it.

 

[Henry]

OSRIC inspired me like nothing else has recently.

I am actually writing something for OSRIC, and hope to have it ready for sale soon.

...and if it gets my man Steve back in the game, it's already been worth it.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

Okay, so where can I find it to have a look at it?

And while we're on the topic, are there any tools to help convert OD&D / AD&D adventures to 3.x?

 

[grodog]

many publishers are blacklisting those involved due to the unsavory character of some of the developers.

Hal, I wasn't aware of any blacklisting going on, or, for that matter, very much industry awareness of OSRIC at the publisher level (other than Expeditious Retreat Press, of course).

edit - OSRIC is available at http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/

 

[Geron Raveneye]

http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/

 

[sjmiller]

Okay, so where can I find it to have a look at it?

And while we're on the topic, are there any tools to help convert OD&D / AD&D adventures to 3.x?

You can find it here. One important thing to take into account is that the table of contents and the index are one page off. If you add one to the numbers in each of them you will find the right page. This is being corrected in the next edition.

As for the conversion tools, I have no idea. Sorry.

 

[dcas]

And while we're on the topic, are there any tools to help convert OD&D / AD&D adventures to 3.x?

Can be difficult because O(A)D&D doesn't have skills and feats and whatnot. Hit points (at least for characters of < 10th level) should be the same, subtract AC from 20, and then add feats and skills as you see fit.

I think this very site has a number of conversions of older D&D modules to 3.x. Someone more familiar with it would have to give a link, though.

 

[grodog]

You can find it here. One important thing to take into account is that the table of contents and the index are one page off. If you add one to the numbers in each of them you will find the right page. This is being corrected in the next edition.

Which should be available soon-ish: there are two editors still wrangling through the document