Voros
Doomed Investigator
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2017
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Zak has posted a ‘questionaire’ about the OSR that refreshingly has revived some of the old blog back-and-forth we use to see more of just as G+ rides into the sunset.
First, I appreciate the Maimonides call-out in the title and it reminds me that I’d still like to see a fantasy RPG drawing on Jewish sources for the flavour, magic and setting.
But anyways, to keep on topic here is my response. Post yours as well.
OSR Guide For The Perplexed Questionnaire
1. One article or blog entry that exemplifies the best of the Old School Renaissance for me:
I could probably fill this whole list with posts from the Last Gasp Grimoire blog but I’ll try to keep it spread out.
One that is sticking with my is this recent post from Last Gasp Grimoire: https://www.lastgaspgrimoire.com/death-dismemberment/
Less because of the proposed rules and criticals tables, although those are interesting and funny but more the intro and end text where I feel he challenges some OSR and LotFP-play orthodoxy and identifies clear goals in play: SPEED and FUN.
2. My favorite piece of OSR wisdom/advice/snark:
This List of 20 Questions from Necropraxis: http://www.necropraxis.com/2012/02/24/20-quick-questions-rules/
3. Best OSR module/supplement:
Despite the flawed layout I have to go with the controversial but tremendously imaginative and strange Deep Carbon Observatory: https://www.rpgnow.com/m/product/131801
I will then cheat and list as my favourite supplement as distinct from module as Hydra Cooperatives’ Fever-Dreaming Marlinko, it combines my love of city supplements and the truly strange: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/151165
4. My favorite house rule (by someone else):
House rules are my least favourite part of the OSR, most often I find them fiddly and unneeded. And often they are addressing age-old ‘problems’ with D&D that RQ, Pendragon and TT addressed decades ago.
BUT I absolutely love Gavin Norman’s B/X Rogue which does fix the heavily flawed skill system for the class in Classic D&D http://www.rpgnow.com/m/product/166517
5. How I found out about the OSR:
I think I first came across Grognardia, was intrigued at first but then his OSR chauvinism and rabid acolytes in the comments and forums eventually turned me off.
But then I found other more open-minded and creative blogs like LastGasp, Save vs. TPK, Dungeon of Signs and the releases from LotFP, Hydra Cooperative, Necrotic Gnome, Red Box Vancouver, Michael Prescott and
Patrick Stuart’s work that really hooked me in. Less grognard bitterness and ‘commentary,’ more imagination and gameable content, that is where the ‘real’ OSR is happening.
6. My favorite OSR online resource/toy:
Michael Prescott’s amazing series of one to two page adventure locations/maps:
http://blog.trilemma.com/search/label/adventure?m=1
7. Best place to talk to other OSR gamers:
RPG Pub of course. Way less snobbish BS and groupthink, more good humour.
8. Other places I might be found hanging out talking games:
Use to be G+ not sure I plan on moving anywhere else. I follow designers on Twitter but don’t really ‘talk games’ there.
9. My awesome, pithy OSR take nobody appreciates enough:
My comparison of the OSR to punk rock. It is an attempt to go back to the ‘source’ of a form that had become too complex for its own good, figure out what was best about it back then and bring those virtues into the present.
It was soon (perhaps always) afflicted by purism, orthodoxy and chauvinism. It started to become more about tribal identity instead of music/gaming. A huge gap opened up between the ‘fans’ and the musicians/designers who usually had little interest in the defintions and tribalism of their audience.
As identified by John Savage in his great history of British punk rock England’s Dreaming, two camps developed, one vital but anti-intellectual, orthodox and eventually stuck in nostalgic sterility, the other overtly arty, intellectual and transgressive but also possibly pretentious and sometimes lacking in that all-essential vitality. Like Savage I ultimately have to side with the arty types as history imo has proven that whatever their shortcomings they are the ones who actually produce and keep the form alive.
Okay not too pithy. But the ‘OSR is like punk rock’ doesn’t quite cover it for me.
10. My favorite non-OSR RPG:
CoC
11. Why I like OSR stuff:
I like D&D, OSR at its best is a faster, simpler form of D&D.
12. Two other cool OSR things you should know about that I haven’t named yet:
Wormskin by Necrotic Gnome
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/231189/Everything-Dolmenwood-PDF-BUNDLE
Hot Springs Island by Jacob Hurst: http://shop.swordfishislands.com/
13. If I could read but one other RPG blog but my own it would be:
https://www.lastgaspgrimoire.com/
All Killer. No Filler.
14. A game thing I made that I like quite a lot is:
Derp. I don’t share my stuff online. May one day.
15. I'm currently running/playing:
A Traveller PbP game with Dumarest GMing
A B/X D&D game with Stan DMing
A game of Dead Friend with my wife
16. I don't care whether you use ascending or descending AC because:
It is easy to convert. Prefer AAC though, sorry kids.
17. The OSRest picture I could post on short notice:
First, I appreciate the Maimonides call-out in the title and it reminds me that I’d still like to see a fantasy RPG drawing on Jewish sources for the flavour, magic and setting.
But anyways, to keep on topic here is my response. Post yours as well.
OSR Guide For The Perplexed Questionnaire
1. One article or blog entry that exemplifies the best of the Old School Renaissance for me:
I could probably fill this whole list with posts from the Last Gasp Grimoire blog but I’ll try to keep it spread out.
One that is sticking with my is this recent post from Last Gasp Grimoire: https://www.lastgaspgrimoire.com/death-dismemberment/
Less because of the proposed rules and criticals tables, although those are interesting and funny but more the intro and end text where I feel he challenges some OSR and LotFP-play orthodoxy and identifies clear goals in play: SPEED and FUN.
2. My favorite piece of OSR wisdom/advice/snark:
This List of 20 Questions from Necropraxis: http://www.necropraxis.com/2012/02/24/20-quick-questions-rules/
3. Best OSR module/supplement:
Despite the flawed layout I have to go with the controversial but tremendously imaginative and strange Deep Carbon Observatory: https://www.rpgnow.com/m/product/131801
I will then cheat and list as my favourite supplement as distinct from module as Hydra Cooperatives’ Fever-Dreaming Marlinko, it combines my love of city supplements and the truly strange: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/151165
4. My favorite house rule (by someone else):
House rules are my least favourite part of the OSR, most often I find them fiddly and unneeded. And often they are addressing age-old ‘problems’ with D&D that RQ, Pendragon and TT addressed decades ago.
BUT I absolutely love Gavin Norman’s B/X Rogue which does fix the heavily flawed skill system for the class in Classic D&D http://www.rpgnow.com/m/product/166517
5. How I found out about the OSR:
I think I first came across Grognardia, was intrigued at first but then his OSR chauvinism and rabid acolytes in the comments and forums eventually turned me off.
But then I found other more open-minded and creative blogs like LastGasp, Save vs. TPK, Dungeon of Signs and the releases from LotFP, Hydra Cooperative, Necrotic Gnome, Red Box Vancouver, Michael Prescott and
Patrick Stuart’s work that really hooked me in. Less grognard bitterness and ‘commentary,’ more imagination and gameable content, that is where the ‘real’ OSR is happening.
6. My favorite OSR online resource/toy:
Michael Prescott’s amazing series of one to two page adventure locations/maps:
http://blog.trilemma.com/search/label/adventure?m=1
7. Best place to talk to other OSR gamers:
RPG Pub of course. Way less snobbish BS and groupthink, more good humour.
8. Other places I might be found hanging out talking games:
Use to be G+ not sure I plan on moving anywhere else. I follow designers on Twitter but don’t really ‘talk games’ there.
9. My awesome, pithy OSR take nobody appreciates enough:
My comparison of the OSR to punk rock. It is an attempt to go back to the ‘source’ of a form that had become too complex for its own good, figure out what was best about it back then and bring those virtues into the present.
It was soon (perhaps always) afflicted by purism, orthodoxy and chauvinism. It started to become more about tribal identity instead of music/gaming. A huge gap opened up between the ‘fans’ and the musicians/designers who usually had little interest in the defintions and tribalism of their audience.
As identified by John Savage in his great history of British punk rock England’s Dreaming, two camps developed, one vital but anti-intellectual, orthodox and eventually stuck in nostalgic sterility, the other overtly arty, intellectual and transgressive but also possibly pretentious and sometimes lacking in that all-essential vitality. Like Savage I ultimately have to side with the arty types as history imo has proven that whatever their shortcomings they are the ones who actually produce and keep the form alive.
Okay not too pithy. But the ‘OSR is like punk rock’ doesn’t quite cover it for me.
10. My favorite non-OSR RPG:
CoC
11. Why I like OSR stuff:
I like D&D, OSR at its best is a faster, simpler form of D&D.
12. Two other cool OSR things you should know about that I haven’t named yet:
Wormskin by Necrotic Gnome
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/231189/Everything-Dolmenwood-PDF-BUNDLE
Hot Springs Island by Jacob Hurst: http://shop.swordfishislands.com/
13. If I could read but one other RPG blog but my own it would be:
https://www.lastgaspgrimoire.com/
All Killer. No Filler.
14. A game thing I made that I like quite a lot is:
Derp. I don’t share my stuff online. May one day.
15. I'm currently running/playing:
A Traveller PbP game with Dumarest GMing
A B/X D&D game with Stan DMing
A game of Dead Friend with my wife
16. I don't care whether you use ascending or descending AC because:
It is easy to convert. Prefer AAC though, sorry kids.
17. The OSRest picture I could post on short notice:
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