There Can Be Only One: Best Old School Inspired Fantasy TTRPG

Aldarc

Legend

• Thursday at 9:05 PM

• #11

Black Hack and Dragonbane for the ease and simplicity when I want beer and pretzel games.

Worlds Without Number when I want crunchier "Faux-SR."

And like @schneeland, I wanna do a shout-out for the Odd-Like games: Into the Odd, Cairn, Runecairn, and Mausritter.

 

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Reynard

Legend

Supporter

• Thursday at 9:09 PM

• #12

Aldarc said:

And like @schneeland, I wanna do a shout-out for the Odd-Like games: Into the Odd, Cairn, Runecairn, and Mausritter.

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Added since multiple folks mentioned them.

 

Elodan

Adventurer

• Thursday at 9:14 PM

• #13

Surprised Swords & Wizardry didn't make the list.

For me, it's advanced OSE, S&W, and then DCC. Not a fan of race (species) as class.

 

Reynard

Legend

Supporter

• Thursday at 9:15 PM

• #14

Elodan said:

Surprised Swords & Wizardry didn't make the list.

For me, it's advanced OSE, S&W, and then DCC. Not a fan of race (species) as class.

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I did not include S&W because I was trying to avoid bloating the list with straight up retro-clones. OSE only got a pass because it gets major points for both presentation and its adventures.

 

jdrakeh

Front Range Warlock

• Thursday at 9:18 PM

• #15

Hyperborea gets my vote. None of the other options have really excited me like Hyperborea does.

 

Reynard

Legend

Supporter

• Thursday at 9:43 PM

• #16

I actually wish WWN came in a book closer to Dragonbane's size.

 

J

John Dallman

Hero

• Thursday at 10:42 PM

• #17

Something I've never really understood: what's the motive for playing new games inspired by the style of the old ones? Why not just play the old ones?

 

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

• Thursday at 10:45 PM

• #18

John Dallman said:

Something I've never really understood: what's the motive for playing new games inspired by the style of the old ones? Why not just play the old ones?

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I play DCC more for the adventures than the system, if im honest. Having a community around a game is a great motivator.

 

Gus L

Explorer

• Thursday at 10:48 PM

• #19

Whizbang Dustyboots said:

Do people run traditional old school fantasy adventures in Mork Borg? It's a hot rod of a system, but I'm not sure if it actually supports a traditional fantasy campaign the way the others do.

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I think J Mal of Grognardia was doing so for a while? There's some post son it over there.

Personally I'm indeifferent to Mork Borg. Pros: Grear aesthetic, strong supportive community, for getting started creating things with an OSR style system. Cons: No real exploration mechanics, assumptions of one shots, grimdark. Not that I have any issue with any of those, but they don't scratch my gaming itch.

Also to the general call of the thread. None of the Above. I just use OD&D's LBBs with some house rules.

 

schneeland

Hero

• Thursday at 10:57 PM

• #20

John Dallman said:

Something I've never really understood: what's the motive for playing new games inspired by the style of the old ones? Why not just play the old ones?

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I see multiple reasons why people might choose to:

• Cleaner presentation / more appealing layout
• Streamlined or tweaked design
• More active community / easier to find players

But of course, if you have a group and enjoy playing one of the original games/game versions, that's perfectly fine, too.