D&D General Why is "OSR style" D&D Fun For You?

[haakon1]

Sounds good; but in 3.xe to get the "feel" I'm after, where levelling up is an occasional side effect of play, you'd have to dramatically slow down the level-advance rate.

I do this by slow play. My family campaign plays 3-5 a year.

My other campaign is continuous on email. The latest fight took about 2 weeks for 2 rounds - of 12 PC’s and NPC’s versus 2 dragons, in the TOEE Nodes. This campaign has been going since 1998, across AD&D 1e, 3e, and 3.5e, and the highest level character is 10th. They also do a lot of non-combat stuff. Two characters married NPC’s. One saved and repopulated a village by moving refugees there. Etc.

And, having seen this tried in 3e, I've also seen that doing so has some knock-on effects that can make life miserable for the DM. The main one is that the wealth-by-level guidelines go right out the window.

That’s a table I have no interest in.

 

[Lanefan]

I do this by slow play. My family campaign plays 3-5 a year.

That's one way, for sure.

My other campaign is continuous on email. The latest fight took about 2 weeks for 2 rounds - of 12 PC’s and NPC’s versus 2 dragons, in the TOEE Nodes. This campaign has been going since 1998, across AD&D 1e, 3e, and 3.5e, and the highest level character is 10th. They also do a lot of non-combat stuff. Two characters married NPC’s. One saved and repopulated a village by moving refugees there. Etc.

Nice. How do you handle combat over email?

That’s a table I have no interest in.

Because wealth-by-level guidelines became meaningless? Or...?

 

[Mannahnin]

Wondering why there isn't a huge OSR book of random battlefield assets, like barrles, explosives, hazards, etc. Don't even need real mechanics for these, since its OSR, just ideas categorized properly to let one quickly construct a random encounter.

Dungeon builders almost do this, but usually are pretty uninspired with the stuff they put in rooms that aren't traps. If you're going to make a game that's based on improved use of assets, give me more tools to generate assets.

Tricks and "specials" are famously one of the biggest demands for creativity in dungeon design.

Have you seen Courtney Campbell's Tricks, Empty Rooms, & Basic Trap Design guidebook?

Now, I am a little curious how you think a book of battlefield assets without any mechanics would work. Isn't that just a just of things which could be in a room? Presumably some suggestions for how they could be used mechanically/tactically would be needed. Are you thinking something like....

Mannahnin's Theoretical Book of Battlefield Assets:

"Table: This can be flipped on its side to provide cover, shoved against a foe to pin them against a wall, knock them over or simply do bludgeoning damage, stood on top of to reach a flying enemy or to get a high ground benefit, or potentially lit on fire if flaming oil is used. Complications could include the table breaking under the character standing on it, or the enemy shoving it back or ducking under it if they are stronger or want cover themselves."

Barrel: These can be stood on top of, or rolled toward an enemy (especially from a height such as down a set of stairs) to knock them prone or back or simply delay them. Complications: The barrel could break, potentially sticking the character's foot in it, or contain hazardous or messy materials which create difficult terrain, a tripping or fire hazard, etc."

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I was watching Mike Shea's video on Shadowdark, and it got me wondering why people seem to like "OSR style" play, whether it uses old rules like OSE or new rules like Shadowdark.

So, if you like that sort of old school sensibility in play, whether with the old rules or new rules, articulate what about it is fun for you.

Note: It would be great if we could avoid any edition warring or badwrongfunning in this thread. I am honestly curious what folks find fun about OSR style -- and even how they define it.

Details that might also be interesting to know is your history with D&D and whether you played Old School when they were new, as well as what games you started with at whatever age in whatever era. I know we skew a little older here (I am a GenX Metzner Boxed said kid myself) but it isn't universally true with forum users I don't think.

Thanks.

What do you consider “OSR style” play? I’m not sure what you mean by that. I’ve never played an OSR game, but I’ve got a hunch we might play 5e in that style.

 

[Reynard]

What do you consider “OSR style” play? I’m not sure what you mean by that. I’ve never played an OSR game, but I’ve got a hunch we might play 5e in that style.

Principia Apocrypha: A New Expression of Old School RPG Playstyle Principles

Principia Apocrypha is a new, free Primer for OSR and other Old School Style RPG Gaming in the form of a collection of Apocalypse World-s...

lithyscaphe.blogspot.com

 

[Shardstone]

Tricks and "specials" are famously one of the biggest demands for creativity in dungeon design.

Have you seen Courtney Campbell's Tricks, Empty Rooms, & Basic Trap Design guidebook?

Now, I am a little curious how you think a book of battlefield assets without any mechanics would work. Isn't that just a just of things which could be in a room? Presumably some suggestions for how they could be used mechanically/tactically would be needed. Are you thinking something like....

Yep, might be better as a themed deck of playing cards tho

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Principia Apocrypha: A New Expression of Old School RPG Playstyle Principles

Principia Apocrypha is a new, free Primer for OSR and other Old School Style RPG Gaming in the form of a collection of Apocalypse World-s...

lithyscaphe.blogspot.com

Ok, that has a lot of information, but I don’t really see the answer I was looking for. What do “you” consider OSR style?

Some background: I started with BECMI and 1e AD&D. We play 5e much the same way we played back in the day. However, we played different than some of the discussion I’ve seen here about OSR.

For example, we’ve always hand waved resource management (food, equipment, spell components, etc.) in BECMI up through 5e. So to me, that is not important for OSR style, but to some here it is.

Conversely, we have a much more deadly game than standard 5e. Which leads to the strategic play I associate with my BECMI days and that I enjoy.

We also take a narrative / descriptive approach to our play as some here have described as being a benefit of OSR, but we are playing 5e. I don’t think of that as an OSR thing, but a D&D thing.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Sounds good; but in 3.xe to get the "feel" I'm after, where levelling up is an occasional side effect of play, you'd have to dramatically slow down the level-advance rate.

And, having seen this tried in 3e, I've also seen that doing so has some knock-on effects that can make life miserable for the DM. The main one is that the wealth-by-level guidelines go right out the window.

I can’t speak for 3e, but my 5e character is level 15 now and I started playing with it in the beginning of 2015.

 

[Reynard]

Ok, that has a lot of information, but I don’t really see the answer I was looking for. What do “you” consider OSR style?

I'm not sure what I would personally define as "OSR" play specifically matter for what you enjoy about it. I linked the Principia to you so you could see what OSR is to "most" people, which should allow you to answer the question in the thread title - even if that is "I don't." Which is doesn't sound like you do from the rest of your response (which, to be clear, is totally cool).

Just to play fair, though, I consider "OSR style play" to be broadly defined as "playing by rules and procedures in order to emulate the intent behind the rules of the Old School era." That's not perfect, of course. You are still playing in the "OSR style" if you use a different set of procedures or include mechanics like gear dice or use ascending AC etc... But broadly speaking, the goal is to lean into the play style that the rules from that era tried to enforce, including "player skill" and "resource management" and "dungeons, mostly."

 

[Jack Daniel]

Here's my answer to what OSR gaming is, from a few-months-old Reddit thread on the topic.