Being in the Main the Mouth of Olde House Rules

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

The OSR's Goldilocks Zone...

Before getting on with this week's offering, Robyn and I are please to announce the release of Chronicles I: Roman Silver, Saxon Greed, a starting adventure module for Barons of Braunstein set in Saxon England of the 8-9th century.  If this sounds like your thing, you can pick it up for just $1.49 from Drive-Thru RPG.  And now, on with the show...

So weeks ago on Facebook (or somewhere; I remember the issue more than the forum), someone suggested that the OSR seems to want the old days while co-opting the newer stuff it often decries.  It wasn't an adversarial encounter, since he liked this best-of-both worlds approach as much as he disliked the gatekeeper mentality of some.  We ended up agreeing; but the exchange got me thinking about how thin the so-called veil between old and new really is, especially since neither side has a monopoly on inefficiency.

Old-school D&D (but not necessarily the OSR) was remarkably clunky in its particulars despite its reputation for simplicity.  Separate mechanics for combat?  Stealth?  Turning the undead - not to mention saving throws?  The dungeon master was looking up a dizzying array of charts, making a DM's screen a necessary investment.  I can't imagine anyone using AD&D's grappling rules.  Seriously.  I didn't even bother.  Fiddly subsystems (to quote one friend's characterization) ruled this universe - and it wasn't always a stable reign.

But early D&D was delightfully open ended, with lots of gray area for the players - and their referee - to fill in with an alchemy of rulings and strategy.  It was the social contract on steroids, with just enough rules to keep it all from devolving into anarchy.  This is sometimes mistaken for simplicity; but it's not.  Awkward - and scattered - as they often were, these systems were confined to the most critical of functions, with everything else being optional guidance at best.  Its clunkiness was at least redeemed by this fact...

So maybe OD&D squandered its open-endedness by failing to employ a simple core mechanic (not at all out of reach, by the way).  Which is to say that early D&D succeeded despite its clunky mechanics, but clearly missed an opportunity to achieve its goals.

Enter modern D&D.  Here you get a simpler, more streamlined mechanic, which is frankly impressive, but also not the sole property of the younglings.  OD&D's combat resolution (roll d20 against a target number) was always there.  But applying it to everything else was a stroke of brilliance undermined by a tendency to mechanize everything until your character can't fart or scratch their ass without invoking some rule, however streamlined, robbing player agency in the name of simulation.  Bad?  No.  A missed opportunity?  Sure. 

Now enter the OSR.  This gets derided by a certain faction of reverse-gatekeepers as a contingent of dinosaurs shaking their fists; but it's remarkably progressive in at least some of its accomplishments.  By combining OD&D's rulings-not-rules approach with the modern hobby's thoughtful streamlining, you get gaming's Goldilocks Zone (but the baby bear's was just right).  The inverse would be untenable; a clunky, overwrought system appropriating every conceivable choice.  I'd say the OSR (like the baby bear's porridge) is just right...

14 comments:

  1. Good to hear your voice here on the blog (as always!). Also, I just downloaded the adventure - a thousand thank yous!

    Re: Single mechanics and missed opportunities, I'm of a mind to appreciate those little mini-games. For example the thief's percentile roll. I like that little tonal shift in the mechanic. Like, here you are about to do something different, maybe even a little special. The percentiles immediately remind everyone at the table how likely the thief is going to blow it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't thought of it that way! You've got a point. Also, we're glad you like the module and hope you're doing well amidst the craziness of the world...

      Delete
    2. Hey there! It's all good here. We're actually moving in a few weeks. I took an ER job in Vermont.

      We gotta get the kids to the forest. Small town. Seasons. Year round outdoors.

      Delete
    3. Awesome! It's gorgeous there. Hope you have a safe move and find happiness wherever you happen to plant yourselves...

      Delete
  2. Perfect timing for the Braunstein release! Just a day ago I convinced some friends to give this a try and I was wondering which adventure I'd use. I'll use this one!
    I've already skimmed it and here's some feedback:
    1.) The map on page 2 could really need a better quality. Town names are not readable. Maybe add a high quality version as a handout to the module?
    2.) I'd prefer the NPC stats indented so it's easier to identify the next NPC in the list.
    3.) A nice bonus would be a list of names for spontaneous use, you know, when the PCs actually decide to be best friends with that NPC you just came up with... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, once again I agree with your post.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the kind words! We'll take that on board...

      Delete
    3. This is the best upload of that map I could find:
      https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Map_of_England_Showing_the_Anglo-Saxon_Kingdoms_and_Danish_Districts.jpg

      I just want to add that James knows a guy who does maps and all he would have to do is ask and the guy would help him with his projects. If time permitted, for free. ;)

      Delete
    4. This one appears a little larger, but not much more clear. Oddly it seems this map was scanned into the web at some point with low resolution and no one has ever gone back and rescanned it....

      https://www.gutenberg.org/files/48451/48451-h/images/i_037big.jpg

      Delete
    5. I do indeed; and he makes GREAT maps...

      Delete
    6. Oops, I may have started on something.

      http://www.msjx.org/2021/06/been-bit.html

      Delete
  3. I intended to put you one very small word to help give thanks as
    before with the extraordinary thoughts you have shared in this case. 안마

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have been suffering from (HERPES) disease for the last four years and had constant pain, especially in my knees. During the first year, I had faith in God that I would be healed someday. This disease started to circulate all over my body and I have been taking treatment from my doctor, a few weeks ago I came on search on the internet if I could get any information concerning the prevention of this disease, on my search I saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from (Hepatitis B and Cancer) by this Man DR OTONOKPO and she also gave the email address of this man and advise we should contact him for any sickness that he would be of help, so I wrote to DR OTONOKPO telling him about my (HERPES Virus) he told me not to worry that I was going to be cured!! hmm i never believed it,, well after all the procedures and remedy given to me by this man few weeks later I started experiencing changes all over me as the DR assured me that I have cured, after some time i went to my doctor to confirmed if I have been finally healed behold it was TRUE, So friends my advice is if you have such sickness or any other at all you can email DR OTONOKPO on otonokpotemple@gmail.com sir I am indeed grateful for the help I will forever recommend you to my friends!!! with your lovely Email Address otonokpotemple@gmail.com or you can also WhatsApp him on this number +2348114129781

    ReplyDelete
  5. can't't believe that this man is so real, how can I thank you enough, I can't fail to testify about the good things you have been doing for me and now you still went ahead and do same for my friend, please everyone if you have anything disturbing you please your solution is hear with Dr.osupalagba the great spiritualist who can solve any problem in a twinkle of an eye. No matter the problems, whether spiritual problem, you want to get your ex back, promotion in your workplace, spiritual cleansing, fruit of the womb, mental illnesses, protection for gun, protection for cutlass, protection for bottle, protection for snake and scorpion bites and cure. Are you a victim of any of the above listed setbacks, you can contact Dr.osupalagbavia Email: osupalagba.temple@gmail.com


    Call/WhatsApp +2347051667586

    ReplyDelete