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Author Topic: Essential OSR DM material.  (Read 5053 times)

Arkansan

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Essential OSR DM material.
« on: April 23, 2021, 04:44:22 PM »
What would you consider the essential DM material to come out of the OSR and why?

Also anyone know where the hell to get a copy of Broodmother Skyfortress in print?

S'mon

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2021, 05:45:48 PM »
What would you consider the essential DM material to come out of the OSR and why?

The OSR changed the way I look at RPG gaming, but I can't point to a single product. The real genius was/is hidden & scattered across the blogs.

Most useful would probably be Ben Robbins' West Marches campaign blogs http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/tag/westmarches/

Jam The MF

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2021, 05:56:31 PM »
1E AD&D DMG
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S'mon

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2021, 06:38:04 PM »
1E AD&D DMG

Did not come out of the OSR - though I guess the WOTC reprint arguably was a result of the OSR.

jeff37923

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2021, 06:46:50 PM »
The books Creature Compendium and Petty Gods, mainly because they both show what is possible with a DIY approach to the game and no cannon restrictions with the setting.
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Jam The MF

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2021, 08:06:31 PM »
1E AD&D DMG

Did not come out of the OSR - though I guess the WOTC reprint arguably was a result of the OSR.


Had a tremendous influence upon the OSR, though.
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Palleon

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2021, 09:20:50 AM »
Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design.  The volume is full of random tables to inspire creativity when designing your adventures.  It's not a table supplement though.

Eric Diaz

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2021, 10:18:34 AM »
I agree with AD&D 1e DMG. I have been writing a few bits about it.

https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2021/04/shoulders-of-giants-50-years-of-rpgs.html

I'm not the greatest fan of playing Chainmail, OD&D or even AD&D, to be honest. My favorite version of old-school D&D is Moldvay's Basic, because I think that the books that came before that were hard to understand and full of inconsistencies (AD&D had complicated rules that not even Gygax used).

My "take to a desert island" D&D book is probably the rules cyclopedia. BUT the AD&D 1e DMG would probably be my second option if I couldn't take the RC. I don't even play AD&D but I have my Moldvay-like rules memorized at this point, so the DMG would be more useful. Still, RC takes first place for containing do much.

Anyway:

It is amazing to see how little later editions have improved (when they did, which is seldom). Everything is there already; the classic magic items, NPC creation, AWESOME dungeon dressing, GREAT campaign advice (mixed with some odd stuff, surely). It talks about bell curves, something the 5e DMG apparently found unimportant (preferring to add "automatic success" rules that barely take probabilities into consideration).

Even the Appendixes generated entire books about them.

The Appendix N is the most famous one - it inspired DCC, one of my favorite RPGs, and at least one literary analysis book and one anthology. with "appendix N" in the name!

The Appendix D (random generation of creatures from the lower planes) planted the seed for the Teratogenicon and other books of the sort. One single paragraph ("STRICT TIME LIMITS") is the source of endless debate.

The original DMG is one of those books that leave you in awe. It makes you wonder if there is anything left of value to add to that. There is treasure to be found in every section.

BTW, I have my own series (called "Dark Fantasy") of DM-oriented booklets, containing both advice and random tables. I plan to turn into a full OSR DMG some day... but it is a daunting task.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/306824/Dark-Fantasy-EVERYTHING-BUNDLE
« Last Edit: April 24, 2021, 10:20:57 AM by Eric Diaz »
Chaos Factory Books  - Dark fantasy RPGs and more!

Methods & Madness - my  D&D 5e / Old School / Game design blog.

Arkansan

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2021, 10:00:54 PM »
I do need to pick up a copy of the 1st edition DMG.

EOTB

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2021, 03:56:33 AM »
I think the larger point of the OSR is there is no “essential material; no top tens, nor bullet lists, nor cliff notes that someone can skim/speed-read their way through to a journeyman understanding of the game.

The vibrancy faded as soon as it passed from confirming assertions made in the original works through play (as opposed to the read/speak/read cycle), and discussing what play confirmed, to producing commentary that is to playing D&D what Cosmo articles are to sex: ten things I think this year’s crop of college freshmen should think, written by college sophomores, and surrounded by 271 pages of advertising
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Reckall

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2021, 06:22:26 AM »
I would pick up the Gazetteer line. Tons of ideas for adventuring and even a bit additional crunch. But I have a thing for fluff.

GAZ 3 Glantri marked the first time I genuflected and expressed my awe for a supplement.
For every idiot who denounces Ayn Rand as "intellectualism" there is an excellent DM who creates a "Bioshock" adventure.

robh

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2021, 06:24:47 AM »
Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design.  The volume is full of random tables to inspire creativity when designing your adventures.  It's not a table supplement though.

A wonderful resource.

I would suggest another of Matt's books though:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-finch/shop/matthew-finch/quick-primer-for-old-school-gaming/ebook/product-1qm8y7m.html?page=1&pageSize=4

The old school primer, invaluable for the GM to give out to all 'new to OSR' players.

dkabq

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2021, 08:26:51 AM »
The Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook.   ;D

Thor's Nads

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #13 on: April 25, 2021, 08:51:15 AM »
The books Creature Compendium and Petty Gods, mainly because they both show what is possible with a DIY approach to the game and no cannon restrictions with the setting.

Apparently Petty Gods has a great cover.
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Thor's Nads

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Re: Essential OSR DM material.
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2021, 08:53:10 AM »
1E AD&D DMG

Indeed, it is.

It was the first D&D book I ever saw, a kid in math class had it and let me look at it during class. It blew my mind then. Continues to blow my mind now every time I crack it open.
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