/tg/ — Open OSR

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The OSR movement owes a lot to this man. Say something nice about him and ACKS

>>98184200
ACKS is far from perfect, I think it needs streamlining and a better presentation, something like the OSE one, but it's the first step forward in D&D since 1981.

>>98184183 (OP)
>>What you are currently working on, running or playing in. Tell us about it.
I'm running an ACKS II campaign, but with the Arbrethil mods to lair density, and my own race-classes that hew closer to the AD&D ones.

>>98184200
That last time he published anything close to decent was when he was running The Escapist a decade ago lol

>>98184216
It doesn't need streamlining. The system is already modular and you can chop out anything you don't need. It should be designed like an encyclopedia you can pick and choose from .

>it's the first step forward in D&D since 1981.
Hear hear. Strongly agree

>>98184183 (OP)
>For the purpose of this thread OSR is defined as an emulation of pre-3e D&D
Odd thing to say. If it's pre-3e D&D you want to talk about, why not just say TSR? That's the proper definition, not OSR.

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So you answer my own question. I am currently involved in 5 games, only one of which is OSR. So this is a future game I am working on. I really want to do something S&S like using swords and Wizardry Revised. I may tinker with the rules but that is for another time.

What I am currently working on is the world of Zardra. I have been using the Tomb of world building by Mythmere games to randomly roll the land. Mostly because this tooke back to my early days of gaming.

What I ended up with is a forested and hilly 60x 60 hex map using hexgrapher. It so reminds me of those Mystara maps of my youth lol.

So I have currently 1800 x 1800 mile sandbox to fill with locations and nations for the players to explore. There are currently 8 cultural basins to fill.

On the right we have the fallen empire, it was a Demon lead human empire, it's death 500+ years ago left a lot of dead and cursed lands, the majority of which are off this map. I figured this is a great area for demon touched or some other classes not hum blooded sorcerers.

I am currently working on the ancient gods of the fallen Khullas empire. But this is getting long.

>>98184232
>It doesn't need streamlining.
That's going to be inherently subjective, though. My honest opinion is that there are some points where one could reduce the complexity by 30% while keeping 90% of the depth. It might not be a good trade-off for you, but it is for me.

Anyway, again, I admire Macris.

>>98184243
>I am currently involved in 5 games, only one of which is OSR
Odd way to write that none of them are OSR.

>>98184223
Tinkering with classes and rules is a RPG tradition lol. You limiting the classes to ad&d ones well?

>>98184232
>The system is already modular
>>98184244
To clarify. The changes I have in mind keep all of the modules, they just simplify some of them a bit. So modularity is an orthogonal consideration to what I was talking about.

>>98184225
Go away, troll.

>>98184244
>there are some points where one could reduce the complexity by 30% while keeping 90% of the depth
When I was in an ACKS campaign awhile back (admittedly, it was the first edition, not sure how much 2e changed), this was an issue I kept running into. After getting down to brass tacks, it didn't really play significantly different from any other dungeon crawler, but added what felt like a bunch of busywork on top of it. Some automation tools would help a lot, but I'm fundamentally not interested in simulating trade and tax policy, it detracts from the part of this subgenre I find interesting. It's why I stick to AD&D 2e and S&WC these days, depending on the level of complexity my group and I are in the mood for.

You autistic retards already have a thread up stop bumping this one
>>98136689

>>98184254
I mean, ACKS II has rules for custom classes, so rather than a tradition it's a core mechanic in our case.

But yeah, e.g. Dwarves can be Fighters, Thieves, and Fighter-Thieves, each of those being a custom class. And Dwarf Clerics are NPC only. So I'm really "AD&D-ifying" ACKS II, using the ACKS II toolbox provided.

I fucking love ACKS II.

part 2. For the fallen Khullas empire. I only have a few gods so far. They will be great for temples and ruins I think

--Raunonn (Ray- Non)
Portfolio: Rulership ,Bureaucracy,tyrants, earth
Gained: Given the mantel of leadership by the elder demon Buaibuilu
Appearance A pillar of stone with dozens of tentacled arms and countless eyes orbiting it:
Symbol: A circle of eyes

The Harsh and Inhuman overlord of the Pantheon. He is the keeper of law,the master of Bureaucracy and fathers of tyrants. He rules by virtue of a series of contracts,binding laws and pure weight of might as all tyrants should.

--Daguban (Dag-one)
Portfolio:Chaos , Night, Hunt, Dishonor
Appearance: A many limbed, ever shifting shadow with one sinister eye
Symbol: A vertical eye with a 8 point star pupil

Daguban is one of two lords of chaos. He is lord of the night, king of the hunt and master of dishonor. He both hates Raunonn and is bound to him by ghostly chains, forced to obey.

-Cenollaun (sin- o-u-won)
Portfolio: Chaos , Illusion , Lies, Drugs and Hallucinogens
Appearance: A figure in a grey robe, ten tentacles sprout from each sleeve, 5 glowing tear drop eyes can be seen in the darkness of the hood and mist covers the ground.
Symbol: A downward triangle with a dagger like point

The second god of Chaos, Cenollaun is an illusion given form, the mother of lies,goddess of Hallucinogens and spiritual awakening.

-- Widuig (wig- we-ga)
Portfolio: Trade, slavery,contracts and oaths
Appearance: Widuig is a tall demon with red skin, yellow eyes and rams horns, in rich robes.His hands are covered in gold rings and he has long, black nails
Symbol: A scroll tied with chains

Widuig is the Lord of slavery, keeper of contracts and binder of oaths. He oversees trade and trade agreements as well as being chief administrator of the divine Bureaucracy.

>>98184249
You are the first person I have ever seen claim Old School Essentials was not OSR.

>>98184266
>It's why I stick to AD&D 2e
Eugh. Gross. Why are you doing that to yourself? You should love and respect yourself more.

>>98184278
Very classic class line up there.

ACKs is not for me and I feel like ACKs II is over done. But glad you found a system you like.

>>98184279
Hi ChatGPT

>>98184266
It's why I stick to AD&D 2e and S&WC these days, depending on the level of complexity my group and I are in the mood for.

2e is a great system, I ran a 2e game a few years back.it was fun to dig back into it. I also recently got into S&WR and I am really digging it as a ruleset.

>>98184284
>Why are you doing that to yourself?
It's what my group and I grew up playing, and I know the game and its splats well enough that I can shift it to fit pretty much any style of campaign I want.

>>98184295
>glad you found a system you like
Stop buttering me up, only my wife gets to lick my anus.

>>98184298
What in gods name makes you think that's chargbt? Gods you trolls think everyone band everything is fake

>>98184305
>2e is a great system
lol
lmao, even

>>98184313
Lol good for you.

>>98184309
>It's what my group and I grew up playing
No shit, that goes without saying. Apart from nostalgia there's literally zero reasons to play 2e since 3e came out, since 3e does everything 2e does but better. 2e is literally a Millennials-only edition, and most Millennials have moved on anyway.

>>98184243
What region are you expecting to focus on for your first campaign here? 1800x1800 is a bit much too chew on for level 1's.

>>98184333
Speaking as someone that jumped on the 3e train at launch expecting it would be like that and played 3e for years, they play incredibly differently. If I wanted to run some fantasy pseudo-simulationism like my early 3e games, I'd run a GURPS game. If I wanted to run a tactics and character-building focused miniatures skirmish game like my 3e games inevitably turned into, I'd try 4e for longer than 5 sessions

I don't want to deal with a bunch of charop bullshit, I want to make and run some dungeons. Hence why I don't use kits or NWP's in my campaign.

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>>98184338
I was just map making. And I kept map making. Then noticed the size, opps. I am thinking I'll work on the fallen empire section. I may make a rough overview of all the culture basins first and then see which one I am drawn to.

Out of the fallen empire sections,I am thinking this area here. Two cultures/kingdoms, divided by a river , surrounded by forested hills and with the cursed lands at its edge

>>98184235
>>For the purpose of this thread OSR is defined as an emulation of pre-3e D&D
No, OSR started in around 2003 or 2004 and the first published example was C&C which was a pared down version of d20 system/3e so using TSR wouldn't work, has to be OSR. Even if you are one of those elegan/tg/entlemen who says Hackmaster was really the first OSR game, which is very plausible, then TSR still doesn't work and it still needs to be OSR.

Based on what you quoted I would have to say that op got the definition wrong, but, you actually cut down the op quote, you left out
>>either with mechanics, style or even vibe.
That changes the meaning quite a lot. You still can't really say TSR when you mean pre-3e. Books like Wizard's Spell Compendium II to IV or III & IV were published after WOTC bought TSR, same for Priest's Spell Compendium. Books like the last Planescape MC or Ravenloft Domains of Dread contained new material, the last being a revised campaign setting book. They're all pre-3e publications, all based on pre-3e settings, and are all fully compliant with pre-3e rules but are in a grey area as they were published by WOTC just with a TSR logo on them.

>>98184429
Disregarding yet another argument on when the OSR did and didn't start, I do want to point out that a lot of the best dungeons for 2e were put out after TSR was bought by WotC.

>>98184429
You can just say TSR, retroclones, and adjacent games, and it would be perfectly clear and correct.

2e is not OSR, so saying that OSR is pre-3e D&D doesn't work, because it includes 2e in OSR.

>>98184461
>a lot of the best dungeons for 2e
That's a hilariously low bar

>>98184382
What are you thinking of doing for the two kingdoms? Any dungeons or aboveground locations you have in mind?

>>98184484
2e is OSR, get over it.

>>98184359
That between 2e and 3e looks like a big difference to you because you don't understand Gygaxian D&D.

From the vantage point of knowing what real D&D is like, the differences between 2e and 3e are tiny. All the core bullshit of Hickmanfagging, storyshitting, railroading, character arcs, and metaplots are firmly in place.

>>98184515
Wrong. Not only is it not OSR, it is ANTI-OSR. As in, it was the edition made to delete and mock everything that made Gygaxian = OSR D&D great.

You only say that because you don't understand real D&D.

>>98184492
Give Return to the Tomb of Horrors, The Lost Shrine of Bundushatur, and The Shattered Circle a look anon.

>>98184502
Not sure yet, I just finished the man Sunday. I am thinking maybe a theocratic kingdom in the south with a league of city states in the north.

For ruins and dungeons, I want to put a dead city in the cursed area. I like the idea of old ruins and complexes buried. A couple of "grand tomb" complexes with demons and undead.

Not sure what else right now. I haven't even nailed down races yet. I know I want some kind of demon touched blood line, that is very classic S&S.

Take the what is OSR argument to the osrg or elsewhere. It's off topic here, the OP is clear on what counts as OSR here.

>>98184542
I have. All 2e modules are absolute nonsensical crap.

>>98184542
You can't reason with someone on a holy crusade man. Just ignore them

>>98184519
>That between 2e and 3e looks like a big difference to you because you don't understand Gygaxian D&D.
What does this even mean? If you're trying to argue that 2e and 3e are similar games, you're fucking retarded. I don't really give a shit if a game is "Gygaxian", I care if I can use it to run a good campaign with interesting dungeons for my friends.

>All the core bullshit of Hickmanfagging, storyshitting, railroading, character arcs, and metaplots
I have no idea what Hickmanfagging and storyshitting are. I definitely don't use metaplots, since I use a custom world. Try making arguments instead of spouting buzzwords at me, I don't really care if my campaign fits some arbitrary criteria you've come up with.

>>98184200
What's your favourite part of it?

>>98184557
If you make a thread declaring apples to be oranges you can't expect Anons not to comment on that idea. If you don't want that to be discussed, just don't say it. If you say it, Anons will discuss it.

>>98184232
Leaving aside streamlining the rules, you don't think ACKS II could benefit from less verbose explanations and bullet points??

How many different editions of D&D have you drawn material from for use in a single session?

>>98184584
The trolls will troll anyhow, once more your argument is incorrect and flawed. They did this same shit on every single thread. Don't act like me making what is OSR in this thread clear was a catalyst for it

>>98184183 (OP)
>What you are currently working on, running or playing in.
Working on a setting, mostly the history. Rather than create it and work backwards for lore like I see some people do, I am going back about 2000 years and starting from the first settlements (dwarves) and then going from there.

>>98184592
Just ACKS and OD&D

>>98184579
Well, you just admitted that you don't understand the difference between Gygaxian and Hickmanian D&D, which confirms my claim on why you are under the mistaken impression that there are profound differences between the core structures of 2e and 3e. You're like a fish who doesn't understand what water is, because you've always been immersed in it and you don't notice it.

Which also explains why you keep making claims that 2e is OSR: you don't actually understand what Gygaxian D&D is about.

>>98184592
Me personally, two or three. I often used to use BX stuff with 2e and of course setting are edition agnostic. So I used my 2e FR books across a number of editions. Often mixing and matching edition as rules don't matter with lore. Hell the 3e FRCS is just magnificent

>>98184595
>Don't act like me making what is OSR in this thread clear
You did exactly the opposite.

>>98184567
Alright, thanks anon. Early D&D discussion on here is fucking weird lol, lots of guys who seem more interested in game design holy wars than actually running a game that's fun

>>98184609
That's why I just play ACKS and ignore these threads

>>98184602
Based

>>98184600
That is a fun project. It's the kinda thing my brain would spend far, far too much time on lol.

What races you using?

>>98184606
>I often used to use BX stuff with 2e
Why ruin a perfectly good plate by mixing it with dog shit.

>>98184608
No, I made it clear. Trolls are gonna troll. They had the same arguments before hand. They don't want anything but their ultra restrictive revisionist "definition"

>>98184605
What the fuck is "Hickmanian D&D"? Like the Dragonlance and Ravenloft guy?

>you are under the mistaken impression that there are profound differences between the core structures of 2e and 3e
Of course they're structured totally differently. Combat in 3e takes 4 hours and works way differently than 2e. The classes are very different too. How are 2e and 3e at all similar?

>>98184609
It's one of the last bastions they have for that ideology. They try to troll just ignore em.

What are you currently working on or running?