"What OSR product have you enjoyed most? Explain how."
You know I had to Google OSR for this question? I really hope it means Old School Renaissance, because I have no experience with Old School Roleplaying. I have barely any experience with Old School Renaissance because, well, I guess I tend to play mainstreamish stuff.
The only thing that really comes close is Dungeon World, which I've played once, and the memories are a little hazy. I remember having fun, and rolling dice, and meeting a new player to our group. He took the bard character: I no longer remember what I played. It's like that.
From what I do remember, most of it was the response my GM, David Larkins of The RPG Corner fame (you can find the link to his blog on the right) had to say about it, which was that the system was easy to convert with a setting he'd already either semi-created or semi-stolen to use in another game. That kind of open-endedness is fully deserving of a more intensive look.
But who am I kidding, folks? This month I've pledged myself to:
-Create a BESM setting for Valkyria Chronicles
-Start running Magic World, creating a world setting for that
-Convert AD&D Dark Sun to BRP
-Alter Pendragon to fit the Dark Tower
-Run Shadowrun 5.0 this calendar year
-Invent a new Boardgame system to bridge the gap between Tabletop RPGs and Board games (a la HeroQuest)
-Run Lady Blackbird
-Find a way to run Redwall
-And possibly jump back into a few sessions of D&D 4e so I can revisit my earlier thoughts on the system.
-Start running Magic World, creating a world setting for that
-Convert AD&D Dark Sun to BRP
-Alter Pendragon to fit the Dark Tower
-Run Shadowrun 5.0 this calendar year
-Invent a new Boardgame system to bridge the gap between Tabletop RPGs and Board games (a la HeroQuest)
-Run Lady Blackbird
-Find a way to run Redwall
-And possibly jump back into a few sessions of D&D 4e so I can revisit my earlier thoughts on the system.
All this, with a full-time job and a serious videogame addiction (Goddamnit Diablo III). You can see where I'm finally starting to realize exactly what I've put on my plate for the forthcoming calendar year. I'm also likely going to receive, thanks to Kickstarter, Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition, Horror on the Orient Express, Ryuutama, Punktown, and Cathulhu this year. Possible something else. And expand wargaming in Santa Fe.
Jesus christ have I gone INSANE?
"Jesus christ have I gone INSANE?"
ReplyDeleteThat'll be for the courts to decide.
Really quick history of the OSR: 3e comes out, is universally welcomed by people tired of playing what was viewed as a creaky and antiquated system. Flash forward a few years, a large number of folks find themselves yearning for the simpler mechanics and "rulings not rules" approach of pre-3e gaming. (File under "be careful what you ask for.") Some attempts made to return to earlier times, but nothing really catches fire til 4e comes out and turns of A LOT of long-time D&D players. The "OSR" starts on the blogosphere as people began writing about old school D&D and excitedly sharing ideas. Gradually morphs into a Movement, and produces its own products. Lots of bickering and debate over what exactly constitutes "old school" and the movement almost exclusively focuses on D&D, and a particular *iteration* of D&D game play, no less. Nevertheless, it's a big win against WizBro, who eventually are forced to listen to the groundswell of opinion; D&D Next was spawned partly as a reaction to Pathfinder, partly as a reaction to the OSR.
(And BTW, you're not alone in not knowing what the "R" stands for. It could be Renaissance, Role Playing, Rules...any number of things.)
The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is not really a board game as such although it plays much more like one than title suggests. It's also got enough wiggle room in it that I could see it being used as the basis of a role-playing game; I would not be surprised if Paizo release a book detailing how it use it as an rpg. All of which is my long-winded way of saying it may be worth a look if you're interested in bridging the gap between rpgs and board games.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of the Adventure Card Game's existence before, I may have to check it out to see how it communicates some of the rudimentary mechanics of the full game.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice!