Core principles of the OSR

S'mon · October 20, 2020, 02:13:47 AM

Quote from: EOTB on October 19, 2020, 06:56:05 PM
BFRPG also might qualify, I think they're also not-for-profit on the rules, but they're not a clone per se.

AFAIK all BFRPG material is free download and print at cost, even adventures.

Kyle Aaron · October 20, 2020, 11:57:22 PM

Quote from: jan paparazzi on October 12, 2020, 02:04:27 PM
Rulings, not Rules
Player Skill, not Character Abilities
Heroic, not Superhero
Forget about 'Game Balance

And I would like to add:

Player Decision, not Scripted Story Plots

Cool, I'm going to put that in my new rpg. I'll credit Matt Finch, but since you're just a pseudonomynous schlub online, you get no credit, sorry.

RPGPundit · October 25, 2020, 01:15:06 AM

I'm not sure which essay you're referring to (it's probably on my blog). But here's the video I made about the OSR:

Torque2100 · October 25, 2020, 06:12:47 PM

To me, the central core principle of the OSR is a movement against the modern (possibly Forge Theory influenced) tendency to systematize everything. This is especially true of attempts to systematize things like "the social contract" in RPGs with systems like DM vs Player token economies. Instead the OSR attempts to refocus RPGs on modeling the actions and consequences of characters in a living world.

rytrasmi · October 26, 2020, 10:22:06 AM

Player skill, not character abilities is a good one.

I'm running a game that has no INT stat. The rules say character intelligence is not a number, instead it's whatever is demonstrated by the player at the table. I think this is better than the GM feeding info to the PC with the highest INT because he's the smart one. Or if I roll a low INT, I somehow gotta role play a dolt?

Don't even get me started about spot checks. GM: Roll a spot check! Players: Fail. Fail. Fail. GM: OK, I guess we all sit here awkwardly until I figure out a way to feed you the info that was denied by the roll. Maybe that's a bad example, but it's happened to me.

Forget about balance is also solid. Victory is not guaranteed. PCs should have to run away some times or *gasp* possibly even die.

Dimitrios · October 26, 2020, 11:05:35 AM

I don't know if this counts as a core principle, but the OSR seems to have inspired renewed appreciation for the benefits of modular systems. During the heyday of 3e, it was common to see people slamming the unsophisticated multi-subsystem nature of older games, since it was now obvious that integrated design was objectively superior.

Nowadays I think more people realize that it can actually be convenient to be able to modify or ignore a particular subsystem without worrying that it will break the game because a bunch of feats depend on interacting with it.

RPGPundit · November 08, 2020, 05:36:23 AM

Quote from: Torque2100 on October 25, 2020, 06:12:47 PM
To me, the central core principle of the OSR is a movement against the modern (possibly Forge Theory influenced) tendency to systematize everything. This is especially true of attempts to systematize things like "the social contract" in RPGs with systems like DM vs Player token economies. Instead the OSR attempts to refocus RPGs on modeling the actions and consequences of characters in a living world.

Well put.

RPGPundit · November 08, 2020, 05:37:25 AM

Quote from: Dimitrios on October 26, 2020, 11:05:35 AM
I don't know if this counts as a core principle, but the OSR seems to have inspired renewed appreciation for the benefits of modular systems. During the heyday of 3e, it was common to see people slamming the unsophisticated multi-subsystem nature of older games, since it was now obvious that integrated design was objectively superior.

Nowadays I think more people realize that it can actually be convenient to be able to modify or ignore a particular subsystem without worrying that it will break the game because a bunch of feats depend on interacting with it.

I think you're right, but actually a lot of the OSR (virtually all of the non-clone games) does something more clever: it takes some of the best ideas of standardization from the 3e+ era, while retaining the modularity of the earlier games.