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Can I get an update on the more recent crop of OSR rulesets?

Started by The Butcher, August 07, 2016, 08:56:50 PM

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The Butcher

Just idle curiosity, as I'm not buying right now, but I've been out of the loop on those for some time and (to my surprise) a fair number of rulesets continue to come out.

Beyond the Wall, Blood & Treasure, Into the Odd, Hero's Journey, The Black Hack...

I'm pretty sure there are more out there. If you have a favorite, pimp away :)

Teodrik

Blood&Treasure is the one I find most usefull for my needs right now. Very versatile for running old TSR settings with more streamlined rules. Very compatible for using with material for other OSR systems like Swords&Wizardry, Lamentations of the Flame Princess etc.  I got 1ed B&T Complete which I am using right now for a Planescape game since it it is by far the most complete OSR system I've seen. But needs some houseruling to work for me. A 2ed just came out in pdf, and the creator sadly took down 1ed from lulu.com . But 2ed print option will come soon, but I think I'll stick with my 1ed copy.

JeremyR

Blood & Treasure just had a 2nd edition. I liked the first, but the classes were all over the place in terms of power and the saves sucked (not good enough) and a host of other problems that crop up when you actually play it (which I guess the author didn't). I believe the 2nd fixes these problems (I don't have it since I fixed all the problems I perceived while running it).  Basically it's akin to what 3rd edition of D&D would be like if it were more OSR.

Hero's Journey was PWYW when I got it. Might still be, so won't cost you anything to check out. It's basically OD&D (S&W's interpretation of OD&D with the crappy single save) with some house rules, like armor being damage reduction (which was actually an option rule in B/X D&D in the boxed set for Alphatia and that other country whose name I can't remember). Basically it's an example of trying to be more old school than thou, IMHO.

Beyond the Wall is really good, if simple. It's meant to replicate young adult style fantasy. It uses a life path style generation, though basically you still have 3 classes - fighter, thief, and magic-user and some multi-class combinations of those.

Warriors of the Red Planet is an OSR game set on Barsoom, basically.  While similar to OD&D in terms of classes, it does pretty much all the things I like (such as not having a single saving throw, characters actually improving at combat as they level, ascending AC). It reskins the magic user as a scientist, instead of spells, it uses inventions (that work just like spells). Though there is an optional actual magic-using class. There's also a pretty nice bestiary and rules for aerial combat between ships. It's easily the best OSR game in the last couple years, IMHO.

Simon W

The BoL Hack is a mash up of Barbarians of Lemuria with OD&D/S&W. Black Books: Tomes of the Outer Dark is OSR Cthulhu. There are several "hacks" of The Black Hack - like Cthulhu Hack, Space Hack, Cyber Hack, Pulp Hack etc.  Mazes & Perils has a new (non-free) edition "Mazes & Perils Deluxe". I noticed one called Sabres & Sorcery the other day, based on my own Sabres & Witchery.

Psikerlord

Low Fantasy Gaming has just released - free PDF in my sig below.

Basically it's an OSR/modern mechanics mix, rules lite, low/dangerous magic, martial exploits, gritty with injuries/setbacks, roll equal or under attribute, skills = reroll pool, emphasis on episodic/sanbox play and GM rulings.
Low Fantasy Gaming - free PDF at the link: https://lowfantasygaming.com/
$1 Adventure Frameworks - RPG Mini Adventures https://www.patreon.com/user?u=645444
Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting PDF via DTRPG http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/225936/Midlands-Low-Magic-Sandbox-Setting
GM Toolkits - Traps, Hirelings, Blackpowder, Mass Battle, 5e Hardmode, Olde World Loot http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10564/Low-Fantasy-Gaming

Spinachcat

I consistently hear good things about Beyond the Wall.

DavetheLost

Beyond the Wall has become my go to version of D&D. It does exactly what it sets out to do, and does it well. And the rules are light enough to give me a lot of creative freedom.

ZWEIHÄNDER

No thanks.

zx81

Quote from: Simon W;911925The BoL Hack is a mash up of Barbarians of Lemuria with OD&D/S&W. Black Books: Tomes of the Outer Dark is OSR Cthulhu. There are several "hacks" of The Black Hack - like Cthulhu Hack, Space Hack, Cyber Hack, Pulp Hack etc.  Mazes & Perils has a new (non-free) edition "Mazes & Perils Deluxe". I noticed one called Sabres & Sorcery the other day, based on my own Sabres & Witchery.

I remember "Black books", and I´d buy a game about that.
Not sure that i´d play it, but I bet you could get the license real cheap by now, Simon!

EDIT: This seemed very funny after a few beers. Now with the hangover, not so much.

Just Another Snake Cult

Quote from: JeremyR;911918Warriors of the Red Planet.. It's easily the best OSR game in the last couple years, IMHO.

Ditto. WotRP is fucking great and deserves a lot more love.
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RPGPundit

Dark Albion is a setting book, not a rule book, but in the back it has the "Appendix P" rule-set, which are my own D&D houserules/hack.  They're made for gritty, game-of-thrones style play.
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