What is the DnD Old School Renaissance? (OSR)

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[marcelagae]

The lethality of early d&d really added to the dramatic tension one experienced when playing. Foolish play was severely punished. This fostered creative and thoughtful role-play to avoid combat when possible, and encouraged sound tactical thinking when forced into combat. Old school Dungeons and Dragons was a thinking man's game.

[gengar]

Ben you are a credit to the hobby, your presentation style and even, soothing voice are pitch-perfect. This video is great!

[dane]

2e has the challenge and feel of the implied setting I want, 3.5 has the options I want and 5e has the core mechanics I want ( except the 3 death saving throws ). Will someone just make my perfect game already! In the meantime, I'll play them all + GURPS.

[JohnBrowningsGhost]

I prefer 2e and treat it as Old School dnd.

There are a ton of optional rules that really help with character uniqueness but your chances of death are the same as 1e, you start as a regular person, not as a superhero at level 1 like 5e.

[TheEldarGuy]

Mr Gygax was once asked if a 1st Level party should encounter a Vampire. His response was "Encounter one? Absolutely. Defeat one? Almost never."
The world's a dangerous place, that's why the PCs have to band together in the first instance. Mutual survival.
5th ed is great to get the players in, it doesn't take long for the interested players to find a version that suits them.
I always use the term 'like minded players ' when I talk about any RPG, but D&D, AD&D, OD&D, whateverD&D this is particularly true.
Sometimes a wine becomes better with age and sometimes it's vinegar.

[f.a.santiago]

Dude!! YOU MADE KNAVE???

I LOVE THAT THING!!! It's definitely one of my FAVORITE systems. I did some minor alterations to character creation and I'm having a blast!!!

Good job with the video too!!

[BudsRPGreview]

Spot on. OSR is relatively new to my world, but the quality of the products continues to surprise me.

[DrPluton]

I started in 1989 (I was 5), and my uncle (the DM) still played 1st edition AD&D. My first character was a cleric, and I had a blast protecting and healing my party while cracking skulls with my mace. Spell slots were scarce, so playing intelligently was something I learned early on. I preferred 2nd edition when we had a chance to try that because it cleaned up much of the table wargaming stuff that made no sense to me (spell segments and weapon damage variables). I've been thinking about finding time to play that again. I love 5th edition, but it feels like less of a challenge.

[georgee]

Great video. Another essential trait of the OSR spirit is a ruleset that allows the story to keep moving forward, no matter what. You keep advancing the story, keep having the players making decisions and talking in character, you keep telling them what happens next. No endless rolls and tables, no slow, arduous games. You maintain the flow, maintain the theater of the session. You can't do that if the GM keeps checking tables or if the players need an accountant to explain to them what their character is doing. For that to happen you need simple, elegant rules.

[ollywright]

I'm one of those 'played since AD&D 1st edition' people. I agree with your analysis, modern D&D is usually played very differently from how we used to play it. Which was, in a word, more 'hardcore'. However I do think you can play with an old school feel using new rules fairly easily. The specific rules are less important than one might think. For example, The Slumbering Tsar saga manages to create a very Old Skool feel using Pathfinder 1st edition rules. Or just break out Tomb of Horrors, which has been converted to all the systems iirc. It's not the same as playing with original rules, but you can get reasonably close imho. Although 5e is very light, so that is probably more challenging than other systems to play that way. But it can be done with a few houserules imho.

You can even mix it up and mix the modern NPC-role play heavy style (aka 'critical role') with the old school hardcore 'verisimilitude' style of exploration and combat. Currently i'm trying to fuse a narrative-rpg-inspired style (eg FATE) of NPC and role play gaming, with Pathfinder-rules for combat and exploration, as one way of making the combination work. You don't have to be all one or the other, is the point i'm trying to make :)

[DanielMendoza-qxrl]

As an RPG enthusiast and seeing another part of the hobby the OSR. I see it as a new way to experience different ideas and an intresting way of playing the Old-School way. At first I was excited by D&D 5e to play something away from video games, but It started to feel like a video game. Its not to say I hate the game but we have our own preferences. I like dungeon crawls and it intrest me to see that drawing maps while exploring and getting treasure. It made me approach the OSR and look for a system that will suit my taste.

[reluctantartsy]

“Player led” so essential. I’m really glad I was pointed in your direction.

[joecoo]

OSR is full of independents this inspires me
far more than supporting corporations .
The coolest thing ever to come out from W.o.t.C is the O.G.L

[PartialDemon]

5E player: "Are we ready to tell an amazing story?"
AD&D Player: "Nope we are ready to loot a crypt and build a fortress."

[iantaran]

I really enjoy OSR, I see all the abilities and character builds in other systems like 5e/Pathfinder as restrictions at this point not choices.

[brunneng]

I recently got into Dungeon Crawl Classics. Wondered what the hell “osr” was in recommended YouTube videos. Thanks!

[lostonwallace]

I still play 1st and 2nd edition AD&D. Still running games, and have been since the mid 1980s. I can't remember ever having trouble learning old school AD&D. It was all pretty straight forward if you read the books. Things were a little scattered and unorganized in the 1st edition DMG for sure, but it wasn't rocket science, folks. OSR stuff sounds like fun, and if it helps people to learn to have fun gaming, I'm all for that.

[vinimagus]

Great video as usual, Ben. Thank you.

Out of the points you made, what is really frustrating to me in 5e is what you mentioned regarding immersion: of you played Rules Cyclopedia and 2e, it's unbelievable that nowadays - instead of the player having to do the thinking - is the PC who "Does the thinking."

I mean, "Give me a perception roll" is an absurd!

Back in the day (1992), my DM TPK'ed us because we did not explicitly say "We look up right after we open the door." The BBEG, a Wizard, was levitating, we did not see him, he casted Sleep, we all failed, and he slit it our throats.

If it was today, one of us (5 PCs) would very likely have succeeded at the perception roll and thus we would have survived - with NO merit!

[nsrjwud]

Thank you for your review and recommendations :)
I'm new to TTRPG world, so your description about playing intelligently, diplomacy importance and high risk of death if battling thoughtless, - these points, I think, describe the style of role playing games I would really prefer.

I also started exploring your Knave 1 & 2 rules (learned about it from MausRitter), - it might be very helpful for new DMs out there.

Really like your channel :)

[davidschmelz]

Mork Borg was also a blast, and met the criteria for OSR very well....a post apocalyptic adventure with a horror feel. Really like this channel!