I can hear the audible groans already but I think the title is true;
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| Fighting Dragons in a Dungeon |
Basic & Expert [b/x] D&D is the OSR's Rosetta Stone. I just had this thought after watching some of Questing Beast's reviews and had to jot it down real quick.
After reading tons of OSR systems you begin to see the foundations for what it is, b/x. Even OSR "system neutral" adventures assume b/x styled rules since they use the terms. Phrases like armor as chain or leather, Hit Dice, Random Encounters, etc. All b/x mechanics. Even the most popular core systems in the OSR Spheres tend to use b/x as starting point before either filing it down or putting on a fresh coat of paint. Do you need to know b/x to play OSR games? Absolutely not, play whatever looks cool to you. But I do think playing it gives a greater, appreciation? To the scene.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Sidenote: Think my next post will be about the fractured OSR scene or "spheres" and how to contact them.
After reading tons of OSR systems you begin to see the foundations for what it is, b/x. Even OSR "system neutral" adventures assume b/x styled rules since they use the terms. Phrases like armor as chain or leather, Hit Dice, Random Encounters, etc. All b/x mechanics. Even the most popular core systems in the OSR Spheres tend to use b/x as starting point before either filing it down or putting on a fresh coat of paint. Do you need to know b/x to play OSR games? Absolutely not, play whatever looks cool to you. But I do think playing it gives a greater, appreciation? To the scene.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Sidenote: Think my next post will be about the fractured OSR scene or "spheres" and how to contact them.
Yeah, I tend to agree. While there are definitely some folks who enjoy the more esoteric feel of OD&D or the complexity of AD&D, B/X seems to hit the sweet spot for most.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I'm not super sure about is how to talk about/classify the ultralight rules systems - Into the Odd, Knave, Black Hack, etc. Most of those are semi-compatible with B/X, and I enjoy them all... but I don't want to run a campaign in any of them. I'm curious how many people do, or if the ultralight systems are more used for one-shots.
Hey! I was just reading your blog too, the one you posted in the OSR discord lol. Added you to my blogroll.
DeleteI'm pretty ambivalent on the Rules-lite systems, need a little more crunch for my games. Considering how hard it is to get a non-5e game going I don't think the rules-lite systems get played much at all. If anything I see more material for GLOG than the others.
Despite the critical acclaim regarding Ito and TBH, the GLOG is definitely the most beloved of the lighter side of old-school-leaning games. However, most material produced for these games seem to be classes/backgrounds, magic systems, or entire overhauls, rather than mini-settings and adventures (like for S&W or LL when they were the top dogs) - which makes them not too interesting for folks who've already found their system, whereas settings and modules for the traditional retro-clones are virtually interchangeable.
DeleteEhh, I'm rambling - my point is that I agree, B/X is definitely the Common Tongue of the OSR.
I like your analysis and agree with you that b/x, at least in flavor, is core to most OSR rules systems. I'm looking forward to your next post, it sounds very interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! That post is taking a little longer to write than I thought it would. Its coming though!
DeleteI think you're right on the nose with this - you can see the B/X in other (older) systems - RQ, CoC, Dragonwarriors, even Tunnels & Trolls (some of the MR dice & adds match up quite close to HD), which has been of practical use for conversion.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I've been reading a ton of OSR-esque systems this year and there are vestigial b/x mechanics everywhere lol.
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