Tap into the OSR with the Questing Beast newsletter: bit.ly/Glatisant Join the Questing Knights on Patreon: bit.ly/QBPatreon Download my RPGs and adventures: bit.ly/ItchStore My favorite OSR books: bit.ly/TopOSRBooks
The artist on on p22-23 of Classic Fantasy: Treasures (I believe this was the piece you were interested in) is Pauliina Hannuniemi: pauhami.bigcartel.com. She's doing a set of full-page illustrations for the upcoming Dolmenwood book. (Mish Scott is also involved in Dolmenwood.)
I recently found your channel and I have to say wow. These are the absolute best book reviews I have seen. Thank you. Also thank you for this review in particular. I recently decided to get back into roleplaying and DMing games again but did not want to do 5th edition. Long ago I had the Basic D&D stuff and I was longing for those simpler days. Like you I hope this is the OSR standard going forward and I can't wait for my copy to arrive and get playing again.
I will say that I TRULY wish 5th edition arranged spells by level. I get that there is a lot of overlap of spells across classes, but if they were sorted by level, than alphabetical instead of all of them alphabetical, it would be a LOT easier to use.
I think that spells should not be in the player's handbook at all because it encourages power gaming and, worse, it demystifies magic. I think it would be better if the players had to find or learn the spells that the DM makes available to them. Once the character learns the spell, the DM should hand the player a piece paper with two sections. The first part tells you the stuff the spells costs (material components) and role playing required (verbal and somatic components) to cast the spell, and the second part tells the rules of the spell -- how it works, dice to roll & effects. Players will not know what magic exists until they discover it, which creates a very different feeling in the players -- especially if it is hard to control. Plus, now you don't have to worry about spells "breaking the game" as so many videos about 5e mention. 5e has so many players options that most DMs can't keep up with it, and it is really a power gamer's wet dream. i prefer a darker, more mysterious and scarier game where the players wonder if their characters will survive and take thanks far more cautiously and smartly.
@Jim Johns I have no problem with people who play 5e as human beings, but I would rather not play D&D with many of them. It is a great way to cut your teeth in D&D because it is very forgiving -- PC death is unlikely unless the player makes extremely stupid moves and/or is very unlucky. I tried 5e for 2 1/2 years as both a player and DM and grew less satisfied with it the more I played it. That said, in my own home brew I steal a lot of concepts, rules and mechanics from it. I just prefer a more focused theme in the setting, less railroady sandboxes (i.e., no set of possible end points already defined in a campaign book), weaker PCs & more danger that forces teamwork and smart play, and most of all a sense of wonder, awe, and fear as the players experience the fantastical setting. I prefer playing with people who actually read fantasy literature (esp. "Appendix N" stuff) so that they don't need to have so many spoon-fed player's options in order to customize a character and role play the character in the story. There is no room for tactical errors in many OSR games, so they create more danger and the emotions that accompany it so that actual players at the table can feel them. I think OSR-style just makes the game more interesting, but a lot of the older D&D games are just not well streamlined. I am happy for the new OSR systems to make it more "game worthy" (kind of like "seaworthy" if it were a boat).
BTsMusicChannel I’m making that home brew. As all of my core books I have, are printed and in a binder, none of my players have read and memorized every spell and I have been looking for a more mystic type game. Less power gaming and more “survival” of each character, where being a level 5-6 magic user actually meant something.
Make your own book of spells. Photocopy the spell pages, cut the spells out, glue them on blank A4 sheets in desired order. Hole punch. Put them in a folder. Job done :D
Maybe they could have a chart with rows and columns, rows being the spells listed alphabetically and columns with checks for each class that uses a particular spell, then spell descriptions. In the descriptions, listed alphabetically, the classes that use a spell could be part of the information block.
Its great to see an OSR product in a good looking box set. Im a PDF guy as I like to run games with my laptop as the GM screen but I'd want to pick that box set up
Can't wait for the Dolmenwood supplement! I'm also hoping to see some cool new genre additions in the future. Gamma World, Realms of Crawling Chaos, etc. So stoked for OSE! Ahhhhh
First game of D&D was second edition, but had been familiar with the game since 1st edition. Would read the books for hours or just look at the pictures when I was a kid at the local bookstore. These little books are already bringing back many fond memories. Will try to grab these for sure especially for my middle daughter who has taken to a liking to DM'ing our games lately. I think she would very much enjoy these. :)
I've become obsessed with this game since getting it a few months ago. I never realized how much good editing and clean layout made such a difference, but the game feels so perfectly streamlined and clean that its become my new go-to system. I've also become a huge fan of Gavin Norman because of OSE and Hole in the Oak. I've been so impressed that I've ordered Winter's Daughter and some of the Wormskin books, and Dolmenwood has become my most anticipated game of 2020.
Can't say enough good things about OSE...I initially picked up the Rules Tome, after my first read through, I immediately went and ordered the boxed set and another alternative cover of the Rules Tome. Can't wait to see the Dolmenwood setting released to go along with this.
Great review, thanks! I have zero interest in anything after 2e or anything after WotC bought TSR, so I'm glad to see a resurgence in the pure, true forms of the D&D game.🙏👍🐉
I really wish that Necrotic Gnome would get a U.S. distributor of some kind. I love their stuff, but the shipping puts most of it out of my price range.
If you can find it look at Empire Of The Petal Throne which was largely based on the early D&D ruleset but is a fully integrated world in the way Glorantha is.
I love what you said about the artwork, and I totally agree. In some games, you would criticize artwork for lacking unity, in a game like this, though, it really does reflect that there are different ways to imagine and portray the worlds we game in, and it actually adds to the effect, rather than just being jarring.
A bundle of PDFs for all the Old School Essentials and Dolmenwood books is up now on bundleofholding. For only around $25. It's a great deal, but I'm still having a hard time deciding if I should buy it because they're only PDFs and the layout of the physical book/books is kinda the whole appeal. But the physical edition isn't back in print yet (supposedly coming soon) and is so much more expensive. Decisions decisions
OSE is the best thing on earth at the moment. At least for those of us who love B/X. I am overjoyed that such time and energy was put into this product. It's a beautiful monument to the 1981 classic AND it's incredibly user-friendly. If you harbor negative thoughts about old D&D because you thought the rules were wonky then I think playing OSE would change or at least soften your stance. The clarity is delicious.
I got the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set for Christmas in 1981. I was riveted, though the first time i played it was AD&D about a month later. I have tried the 5e, but old school is just so much better -- except for one thing: the combat. THACO was not really a thing until the mid-80s when it was published in Dungeon magazine (and later in 2e) as a way to simplify that old combat, which involved looking at all these crazy tables. What a pain in the ass. No way will I ever use that old combat system again in any game that I DM. That said, I think WOTC ruins the feeling of wonder, awe and fear that old school games create.
That works! If you add the caveat of "a modified 20 or natural 20 before adding target AC always hits" (and vice versa for misses) it's even identical to the B/X attack matrix.
THAC0 - Target's AC is the number you have to roll to hit (i.e.: if THAC0 = 19 and AC = 3, you have to roll 16): THAC0 - AC = d20 roll + bonuses ==> THAC0 = d20 + bonuses + AC :)
This looks really cool. However, and I may be in the minority on this, but I'd rather soft cover versions of these books. But I'm definitely going to purchase in the near future.
Great content! Can you make a video recomending campaigns/books compatible with Old School Essentials? I really wanna get into OSR but i dont know where to start.
3 questions: 1: How penetrable does it make THAC0? 2: Which of the TSR modules does this run well if I wanted to run those for a group that's never played them, but, don't want to try and learn the 70's and 80's rules? 3: Is there a version of this for AD&D coming down the pipe?
1.) I think it makes THAC0 pretty simple (just take your character's THAC0 and subtract the enemy's AC from it. That's what you need to roll to hit.) But it also has the stats for ascending AC if you want to do it that way. 2.) It should be very compatible with old TSR modules. This is a precise re-creation of the 1981 Basic rules. 3.) Not that I know of, but Gavin also has supplements that take some AD&D concepts (like separate race and class) and makes them compatible with Old-School Essentials.
1. Old-School Essentials - The absolute best, no question. 2. Blueholme - is OSE didn't exist I'd be running this mainly. 3. Lamentations of the Flame Princess - some amazing changes to the base system, the best encumbrance system and item system I have ever seen, the way the inside covers are used, and of course... They have some fantastic adventures but it's content has gone down hill these days... More about releasing crazy shiz then usable adventures... Also Zak was banned so... Yea their best creator doesn't work for them anymore. 4. Labyrinth Lord - decent system but omg it's Mega dungeons are amazing 😍🤩.
Hey Ben or anyone else. I picked up OSE and am looking to run it BUT have a question around class. Why would anyone choose Magic User over Elf? What are the benefits aside form higher level progression I am missing?
I've haven't been playing D&D for 20 years. I'm 50 now. But old buddies of mine want to relive them good old times again. We left off on 3.5 edition. Anyway, I was a fan of the basic D&D rules cyclopedia. I wanted to run some basic D&D games but the rest wanted the advanced rules. Hmm I guess I was just ahead of the times. Anyway first what's really different here if you already have the rules cyclopedia that captures all the sets into one big book? I thought it was well laid out so the argument presented in this vid doesn't really sell me. Are there new ideas here? Also remember the optional rules that were in the cyclopedia. The one I really wanted to try out was the damage reduction method that armor used instead of AC to hit. Never tried it but was always wondering what issues it may have introduced that makes it something that isn't even brought up as optional rules in say 3.0 and 3.5.
hey man love your content, I just started learning about OSR and seems awesome. Do you know any channel that does live OSR sessions? It would be great to get more of a feel of how to DM/play in this style
This is an exact recreation of B/X D&D. Sorry if you don't like that. I would look into OSRIC, which is a recreation of AD&D. It has seperate race and class. If you want something a little more simplified, look up Basic Fantasy. It's a more modern RPG that is designed to play like B/X D&D, but it has things like seperate race and class and ascending AC.
I like magic and swords and scary movies. Not a fan of too many guns and missiles. Definitely like modular systems. I am making a Modular Map system and thinking about a D&D play-board for traveling DMs. Everyone who finds their favorite game system will want more people to join in. We need to Unite the tribes so to speak. Definitely going through the entire Official D&D process is something we all have in common and should be grateful for it as they kept making their books more elaborate and interesting, However I am not a PS5 or math wiz. Gameplay can be planned to be so amazing and elegant by designers, But think of it like a sheet of music or a song. I believe A Dungeon Master's Convention would be amazing one day!
From what I've seen, obviously the layout and the presentation and, most importantly, the class design in the Advanced Fantasy Rules and the AAC optional rules.
This is exactly the same as the original B/X rules, while LL made a few changes (levels go to 20 instead of 14, clerics get spells at first level, some XP totals are slightly different).
So I love your videos and I think this looks great, but I'd challenge you on calling it "original" D&D, as you do several times. B/X is probably the 4th version of D&D (after OD&D starting in 1974, then Holmes Basic and AD&D which both came out around 1978), with Moldvay Basic (the B part of B/X) only coming along in 1981. Old School Essentials is certainly Old School D&D, but not 'original'. This is not a criticism by the way. As much as I love OD&D and Holmes (and as much as I stand in awe of the Byzantine edifice of AD&D), I probably think that B/X and BECMI are the best versions of D&D for my tastes.
AD&D isn't original D&D. It's the, "Screw Arneson" Gygax revision which branches off in a new and different direction. B/X is still a kind of a fourth (really third) edition of Original D&D, though. The 1974 box, a revision of that box (perhaps not able to be fully counted as an edition), Holmes' Basic, and then Moldvay/Marsh/Cook B/X.
I keep coming back to every of your videos about OSR even though I never played older editions of D&D (started with 3rd). Most books you present are gorgeous and I love their aesthetic. However, I just don't know where to start. For example, this product you are presenting cost 60 euros, which is a pretty steep investment for just starting. There's quite a few OSR products, I'm unsure on where to start. Any tips or videos for that?
You might consider getting digital pdfs instead of the physical books--that's often significantly cheaper. You can check out an art-free pdf of the basic rules for this product, Old School Essentials, here: www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/272802
Lamentations of the flame princess is a very cheap book to buy and is 99% similar to the rest of the OSR stuff. I personally like buying the OSR adventure books, dosent matter which system they all generally work with each other or serve as great inspiration for my own adventures.
Retroclones for B/X are, Lamentation of the Flame Princess, Labyrinth Lord, OSE. That's a good place to start. If you want scifi go for Stars Without Number.
@@deepqantas and most character sheets have a section where you can actually fill in a chart that shows all the numbers you need to hit each AC, but yes, I never found THAC0 to be that hard. Ascending AC is more intuitive though,,,
So essentially this is just the dnd I played as a kid circa 1984? That’s all b/x is? Cause I still own all my stuff. I was always confused as to exactly what this is.
Rut Ger yes exactly. It’s the game you grew up with as a kid, reorganized for ease of use and ease of learning. Gone are the days of spells, monsters and class features being spread awkwardly between books. Now all monsters are in one book. All classes in another. All treasures are found in one small tome etc. The advanced fantasy books do, however, take the AD&D classes and B/X-ify then, removing the crunch and making them more compatible to the B/X system, while also adding in new race-as-class options such as the drow (fighter/cleric), the gnome (plays like a halfling with illusionist spells), the Half-orc (fighter/thief), the half-elf (a less intimidating elf) and many others.
Probably. B/X refers to the version of basic d&d edited by Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook which was released in 1981. In 1983 the basic d&d set was revised and re-released, this time edited by Frank Mentzer. So circa 1984 you likely had either the Moldvay B/X version or the Mentzer basic version.
Rule ambiguities have been cleared up and made consistent as well. this isn't merely reprinting of the rules, this is a reorganization, a clarification, and an attempt to be consistent.
I was hoping this video would be a quick breakdown and review of the system, I'm a little disappointed that you've focused so heavily on the quality of the book. I'm not familiar with old school D&D and I was hoping to get an idea of how the system ran.
It's definatley a good product and beautifully presented, but I think LotFP is a better game. It's controversal nowadays, but the system is still fantastic, simple, and with very simple changes (particularly for magic and skills), that make the game better. But Yeah OSE is still great.
I could be sold so long as race/class level limits aren't a thing, and races aren't classes. I think those are two of the worst aspects of old school D&D.
It has basic and expert rules so it does cover more then lamentations. It truly is amazing and in my opinion just better with more clearer rules, better layout, great art, and a lot of monsters with bullet points in them for tactics and brief examples of how they usually go in the game.
@@lordchaz2k That's not really accurate, LotFP has the equivalent of basic and expert (aka B and X aka B/X) as well. I slightly prefer OSE, but LotFP covers basically the same stuff - and has a bunch of modifications to the system that some might prefer.
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The artist you are looking for (that drew Winter's Daughter as well) is called Mish Scott. You can find their stuff in mishscott.co.uk
@@OverBlackSands Thanks!
The artist on on p22-23 of Classic Fantasy: Treasures (I believe this was the piece you were interested in) is Pauliina Hannuniemi: pauhami.bigcartel.com. She's doing a set of full-page illustrations for the upcoming Dolmenwood book. (Mish Scott is also involved in Dolmenwood.)
Review the Arcanum 30th Anniversary Edition
@@QuestingBeast their name was in the bottom right corner of the picture 🤣
This aged very well and is even more timely during the 1st Qtr of 2023
The illustrator you mentioned @ the 7:05 mark is Mish Scott who also illustrated the Dolmenwood adventure 'Winter's Daughter'.
I recently found your channel and I have to say wow. These are the absolute best book reviews I have seen. Thank you. Also thank you for this review in particular. I recently decided to get back into roleplaying and DMing games again but did not want to do 5th edition. Long ago I had the Basic D&D stuff and I was longing for those simpler days. Like you I hope this is the OSR standard going forward and I can't wait for my copy to arrive and get playing again.
I will say that I TRULY wish 5th edition arranged spells by level. I get that there is a lot of overlap of spells across classes, but if they were sorted by level, than alphabetical instead of all of them alphabetical, it would be a LOT easier to use.
I think that spells should not be in the player's handbook at all because it encourages power gaming and, worse, it demystifies magic. I think it would be better if the players had to find or learn the spells that the DM makes available to them. Once the character learns the spell, the DM should hand the player a piece paper with two sections. The first part tells you the stuff the spells costs (material components) and role playing required (verbal and somatic components) to cast the spell, and the second part tells the rules of the spell -- how it works, dice to roll & effects. Players will not know what magic exists until they discover it, which creates a very different feeling in the players -- especially if it is hard to control. Plus, now you don't have to worry about spells "breaking the game" as so many videos about 5e mention. 5e has so many players options that most DMs can't keep up with it, and it is really a power gamer's wet dream. i prefer a darker, more mysterious and scarier game where the players wonder if their characters will survive and take thanks far more cautiously and smartly.
@Jim Johns I have no problem with people who play 5e as human beings, but I would rather not play D&D with many of them. It is a great way to cut your teeth in D&D because it is very forgiving -- PC death is unlikely unless the player makes extremely stupid moves and/or is very unlucky. I tried 5e for 2 1/2 years as both a player and DM and grew less satisfied with it the more I played it. That said, in my own home brew I steal a lot of concepts, rules and mechanics from it. I just prefer a more focused theme in the setting, less railroady sandboxes (i.e., no set of possible end points already defined in a campaign book), weaker PCs & more danger that forces teamwork and smart play, and most of all a sense of wonder, awe, and fear as the players experience the fantastical setting. I prefer playing with people who actually read fantasy literature (esp. "Appendix N" stuff) so that they don't need to have so many spoon-fed player's options in order to customize a character and role play the character in the story. There is no room for tactical errors in many OSR games, so they create more danger and the emotions that accompany it so that actual players at the table can feel them. I think OSR-style just makes the game more interesting, but a lot of the older D&D games are just not well streamlined. I am happy for the new OSR systems to make it more "game worthy" (kind of like "seaworthy" if it were a boat).
BTsMusicChannel I’m making that home brew. As all of my core books I have, are printed and in a binder, none of my players have read and memorized every spell and I have been looking for a more mystic type game. Less power gaming and more “survival” of each character, where being a level 5-6 magic user actually meant something.
Make your own book of spells. Photocopy the spell pages, cut the spells out, glue them on blank A4 sheets in desired order. Hole punch. Put them in a folder. Job done :D
Maybe they could have a chart with rows and columns, rows being the spells listed alphabetically and columns with checks for each class that uses a particular spell, then spell descriptions. In the descriptions, listed alphabetically, the classes that use a spell could be part of the information block.
This is a perfect replacement for the Rules Cyclopedia.
Its great to see an OSR product in a good looking box set. Im a PDF guy as I like to run games with my laptop as the GM screen but I'd want to pick that box set up
I absolutely love my Rules Tome. Planning to buy the Advanced Fantasy books soon. OSE will definitely become the new bx industry standard for the OSR.
Can't wait for the Dolmenwood supplement! I'm also hoping to see some cool new genre additions in the future. Gamma World, Realms of Crawling Chaos, etc. So stoked for OSE! Ahhhhh
First game of D&D was second edition, but had been familiar with the game since 1st edition. Would read the books for hours or just look at the pictures when I was a kid at the local bookstore. These little books are already bringing back many fond memories. Will try to grab these for sure especially for my middle daughter who has taken to a liking to DM'ing our games lately. I think she would very much enjoy these. :)
The box cover had me giggling like a loon. That illustration is cool and hilarious in the right way.
I've become obsessed with this game since getting it a few months ago. I never realized how much good editing and clean layout made such a difference, but the game feels so perfectly streamlined and clean that its become my new go-to system. I've also become a huge fan of Gavin Norman because of OSE and Hole in the Oak. I've been so impressed that I've ordered Winter's Daughter and some of the Wormskin books, and Dolmenwood has become my most anticipated game of 2020.
I'm with you on clean layout. I'm sick to death of crappy made books with layouts that look like they were made on the fly with zero editing.
Can't say enough good things about OSE...I initially picked up the Rules Tome, after my first read through, I immediately went and ordered the boxed set and another alternative cover of the Rules Tome. Can't wait to see the Dolmenwood setting released to go along with this.
I was sitting there thinking to myself "DID YOU MENTION YOU CAN HOLD THE BOOKS IN ONE HAND YET!!!!" and then you said it.
IMO this is the best version of D&D on the market. :)
Totally agree!
Which edition? Lol
@@benpearson49 IMO = In My Opinion
@@benpearson49 I Molest Onions
Great review, thanks! I have zero interest in anything after 2e or anything after WotC bought TSR, so I'm glad to see a resurgence in the pure, true forms of the D&D game.🙏👍🐉
I’ve been waiting for this! Looks like a great product, one that might even set a “standard” system in the OSR...
Like others, been waiting for this to get a review. Thanks!
Finally! Been waiting for this one! Now I am hoping to see what you think of Into the Unknown!
That looks really nice. Now to see what shipping is to Canada.
Huzzah, a must have. Now our group needs to purchase these.
Great presentation sir. Fascinating product.
I backed this Kickstarter. It is a great set !!
IIRC THAC0 originated in AD&D 2e
I love mine, so glad I backed it :)
I really wish that Necrotic Gnome would get a U.S. distributor of some kind. I love their stuff, but the shipping puts most of it out of my price range.
@@nickj2561 My mistake. I thought it was 14 pounds, not 14 euros. That is a lot better.
Exalted Funeral carries all of it and should be keeping them in stock.
If you can find it look at Empire Of The Petal Throne which was largely based on the early D&D ruleset but is a fully integrated world in the way Glorantha is.
I am so mad I didn’t buy this set before it sold out, I really hope it goes back into print.
I love what you said about the artwork, and I totally agree. In some games, you would criticize artwork for lacking unity, in a game like this, though, it really does reflect that there are different ways to imagine and portray the worlds we game in, and it actually adds to the effect, rather than just being jarring.
You should do a review of Scarlet Heroes, I have seen much on it here on UA-cam.
A bundle of PDFs for all the Old School Essentials and Dolmenwood books is up now on bundleofholding. For only around $25. It's a great deal, but I'm still having a hard time deciding if I should buy it because they're only PDFs and the layout of the physical book/books is kinda the whole appeal. But the physical edition isn't back in print yet (supposedly coming soon) and is so much more expensive. Decisions decisions
The artist you were not sure about, the one who also did Winter's Daughter's cover is Mish Scott. mishscott.co.uk/
OSE is the best thing on earth at the moment. At least for those of us who love B/X. I am overjoyed that such time and energy was put into this product. It's a beautiful monument to the 1981 classic AND it's incredibly user-friendly. If you harbor negative thoughts about old D&D because you thought the rules were wonky then I think playing OSE would change or at least soften your stance. The clarity is delicious.
That's very helpful thank you!
I totally agree
I got the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set for Christmas in 1981. I was riveted, though the first time i played it was AD&D about a month later. I have tried the 5e, but old school is just so much better -- except for one thing: the combat. THACO was not really a thing until the mid-80s when it was published in Dungeon magazine (and later in 2e) as a way to simplify that old combat, which involved looking at all these crazy tables. What a pain in the ass. No way will I ever use that old combat system again in any game that I DM. That said, I think WOTC ruins the feeling of wonder, awe and fear that old school games create.
I want to check out old schools essential box set. Used it could not find it.
THAC0 for me is: Your d20 attack roll + your bonuses + Target's AC must meet or exceed your THAC0 number to succeed. Don't ask why.
That works! If you add the caveat of "a modified 20 or natural 20 before adding target AC always hits" (and vice versa for misses) it's even identical to the B/X attack matrix.
THAC0 - Target's AC is the number you have to roll to hit (i.e.: if THAC0 = 19 and AC = 3, you have to roll 16): THAC0 - AC = d20 roll + bonuses ==> THAC0 = d20 + bonuses + AC :)
I wonder if this will ever be reprinted. Looks like it would have been nice to own.
I cannot wrap my head around how many books, versions and editions there are.
Are they going to make a sci-fi genre book of this design for Old-School Essentials?
kinda wish they did some non-hardback versions, much easier to flip through
This looks really cool.
However, and I may be in the minority on this, but I'd rather soft cover versions of these books.
But I'm definitely going to purchase in the near future.
Great content!
Can you make a video recomending campaigns/books compatible with Old School Essentials? I really wanna get into OSR but i dont know where to start.
How does this compare to Swords and Wizardry? I love Swords and Wizardry but it is so bare bones I often find myself wanting more of everything.
3 questions:
1: How penetrable does it make THAC0?
2: Which of the TSR modules does this run well if I wanted to run those for a group that's never played them, but, don't want to try and learn the 70's and 80's rules?
3: Is there a version of this for AD&D coming down the pipe?
1.) I think it makes THAC0 pretty simple (just take your character's THAC0 and subtract the enemy's AC from it. That's what you need to roll to hit.) But it also has the stats for ascending AC if you want to do it that way.
2.) It should be very compatible with old TSR modules. This is a precise re-creation of the 1981 Basic rules.
3.) Not that I know of, but Gavin also has supplements that take some AD&D concepts (like separate race and class) and makes them compatible with Old-School Essentials.
#2: It should run anything from that era, no problem.
Regarding #3: plenty to read here necrotic-gnome-productions.blogspot.com/search/label/ad%26d
1. Old-School Essentials - The absolute best, no question.
2. Blueholme - is OSE didn't exist I'd be running this mainly.
3. Lamentations of the Flame Princess - some amazing changes to the base system, the best encumbrance system and item system I have ever seen, the way the inside covers are used, and of course... They have some fantastic adventures but it's content has gone down hill these days... More about releasing crazy shiz then usable adventures... Also Zak was banned so... Yea their best creator doesn't work for them anymore.
4. Labyrinth Lord - decent system but omg it's Mega dungeons are amazing 😍🤩.
Hey Ben or anyone else. I picked up OSE and am looking to run it BUT have a question around class. Why would anyone choose Magic User over Elf? What are the benefits aside form higher level progression I am missing?
Which do you prefer, the box sets or the tomes? I'm torn :(
I've haven't been playing D&D for 20 years. I'm 50 now. But old buddies of mine want to relive them good old times again. We left off on 3.5 edition. Anyway, I was a fan of the basic D&D rules cyclopedia. I wanted to run some basic D&D games but the rest wanted the advanced rules. Hmm I guess I was just ahead of the times. Anyway first what's really different here if you already have the rules cyclopedia that captures all the sets into one big book? I thought it was well laid out so the argument presented in this vid doesn't really sell me. Are there new ideas here? Also remember the optional rules that were in the cyclopedia. The one I really wanted to try out was the damage reduction method that armor used instead of AC to hit. Never tried it but was always wondering what issues it may have introduced that makes it something that isn't even brought up as optional rules in say 3.0 and 3.5.
Question, is there a good AD&D 1st or 2nd edition clone like Old School Essentials out there? That is my preferred edition.
hey man love your content, I just started learning about OSR and seems awesome. Do you know any channel that does live OSR sessions? It would be great to get more of a feel of how to DM/play in this style
oops, just saw that you have the sunday dungeoncrawl series, I will watch those hehe
Finally something to replace Rules Cyclopedia
Friends " wanna play 5e with us ?"
Me *laughs and throws OSE at their head*
What size are those books? Looks very convenient and easy to use.
It doesn’t separate race and class.
uh, yeah, that’s basic dnd for ya there kiddo.
E R L That’s the worst thing about basic
This is an exact recreation of B/X D&D. Sorry if you don't like that. I would look into OSRIC, which is a recreation of AD&D. It has seperate race and class. If you want something a little more simplified, look up Basic Fantasy. It's a more modern RPG that is designed to play like B/X D&D, but it has things like seperate race and class and ascending AC.
@@pappabear4977 you sound close minded.
thx134 Oh really. Why?
I like magic and swords and scary movies. Not a fan of too many guns and missiles. Definitely like modular systems. I am making a Modular Map system and thinking about a D&D play-board for traveling DMs. Everyone who finds their favorite game system will want more people to join in. We need to Unite the tribes so to speak. Definitely going through the entire Official D&D process is something we all have in common and should be grateful for it as they kept making their books more elaborate and interesting, However I am not a PS5 or math wiz. Gameplay can be planned to be so amazing and elegant by designers, But think of it like a sheet of music or a song. I believe A Dungeon Master's Convention would be amazing one day!
Can anyone speak to the difference between this and Labyrinth Lord ( goblinoid games )
From what I've seen, obviously the layout and the presentation and, most importantly, the class design in the Advanced Fantasy Rules and the AAC optional rules.
Additionally Labyrinth Lord clerics get spells at 1st level, while classic B/X clerics do not.
This is exactly the same as the original B/X rules, while LL made a few changes (levels go to 20 instead of 14, clerics get spells at first level, some XP totals are slightly different).
So I love your videos and I think this looks great, but I'd challenge you on calling it "original" D&D, as you do several times. B/X is probably the 4th version of D&D (after OD&D starting in 1974, then Holmes Basic and AD&D which both came out around 1978), with Moldvay Basic (the B part of B/X) only coming along in 1981. Old School Essentials is certainly Old School D&D, but not 'original'. This is not a criticism by the way. As much as I love OD&D and Holmes (and as much as I stand in awe of the Byzantine edifice of AD&D), I probably think that B/X and BECMI are the best versions of D&D for my tastes.
AD&D isn't original D&D. It's the, "Screw Arneson" Gygax revision which branches off in a new and different direction.
B/X is still a kind of a fourth (really third) edition of Original D&D, though. The 1974 box, a revision of that box (perhaps not able to be fully counted as an edition), Holmes' Basic, and then Moldvay/Marsh/Cook B/X.
@@Tabletop_Epics Absolutely agree!
So is this what Pathfinder and 13th Age is to 3rd and 4th edition but for older dnd?
No, this is an extremely faithful re-presentation of the 1981 Moldvay/Cook rules, just much better organized.
I would buy this but Idk how it works with USD since I don't have euros
Your credit card takes care of the currency exchange, you don't have to handle it.
@@n4tune8 thank you
I keep coming back to every of your videos about OSR even though I never played older editions of D&D (started with 3rd). Most books you present are gorgeous and I love their aesthetic. However, I just don't know where to start. For example, this product you are presenting cost 60 euros, which is a pretty steep investment for just starting. There's quite a few OSR products, I'm unsure on where to start. Any tips or videos for that?
You might consider getting digital pdfs instead of the physical books--that's often significantly cheaper. You can check out an art-free pdf of the basic rules for this product, Old School Essentials, here: www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/272802
Lamentations of the flame princess is a very cheap book to buy and is 99% similar to the rest of the OSR stuff.
I personally like buying the OSR adventure books, dosent matter which system they all generally work with each other or serve as great inspiration for my own adventures.
Retroclones for B/X are, Lamentation of the Flame Princess, Labyrinth Lord, OSE. That's a good place to start. If you want scifi go for Stars Without Number.
How much ?
So Clerics get their first spells at 2nd level in this one?
Yes.
Is this easier for new GMs to learn?
Easier than reading B/X? Yes.
Imagine how much cheaper and cost effective it would be to have made the books softcover.
But if they were softcover, they wouldn't be exclusive and collectible and plebs could buy it and play it.
I hope i like this, because i accidentally bought an adventure for the system
You're on a Magic card.
"Although it's not terribly complicated." -Questing Beast on THAC0
Uh oh, we all know what that means... 😏😏😏😏😏
@@sunsin1592 Nope Sunsin, it's just a meme about an unintuitive mechanic. 😉
@@deepqantas and most character sheets have a section where you can actually fill in a chart that shows all the numbers you need to hit each AC, but yes, I never found THAC0 to be that hard. Ascending AC is more intuitive though,,,
DeepQantas Actually, in B/X it would be 19 minus the AC.
So essentially this is just the dnd I played as a kid circa 1984? That’s all b/x is? Cause I still own all my stuff. I was always confused as to exactly what this is.
Rut Ger yes exactly. It’s the game you grew up with as a kid, reorganized for ease of use and ease of learning. Gone are the days of spells, monsters and class features being spread awkwardly between books. Now all monsters are in one book. All classes in another. All treasures are found in one small tome etc.
The advanced fantasy books do, however, take the AD&D classes and B/X-ify then, removing the crunch and making them more compatible to the B/X system, while also adding in new race-as-class options such as the drow (fighter/cleric), the gnome (plays like a halfling with illusionist spells), the Half-orc (fighter/thief), the half-elf (a less intimidating elf) and many others.
Probably. B/X refers to the version of basic d&d edited by Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook which was released in 1981. In 1983 the basic d&d set was revised and re-released, this time edited by Frank Mentzer. So circa 1984 you likely had either the Moldvay B/X version or the Mentzer basic version.
Rule ambiguities have been cleared up and made consistent as well. this isn't merely reprinting of the rules, this is a reorganization, a clarification, and an attempt to be consistent.
✍️
Dang. Classes are still races. That's one of the things I was hoping they changed.
I was hoping this video would be a quick breakdown and review of the system, I'm a little disappointed that you've focused so heavily on the quality of the book. I'm not familiar with old school D&D and I was hoping to get an idea of how the system ran.
This one's sold out right now.
I like it that it is NOT sewage (so-called 4th) edition and not garbage (so-called 5th) edition
It's definatley a good product and beautifully presented, but I think LotFP is a better game.
It's controversal nowadays, but the system is still fantastic, simple, and with very simple changes (particularly for magic and skills), that make the game better.
But Yeah OSE is still great.
Shut up and take my money...
I could be sold so long as race/class level limits aren't a thing, and races aren't classes. I think those are two of the worst aspects of old school D&D.
THACO?? Old school?? My old red and blue books don't say anything about THACO. Maybe I've got a different definition of "old school"...
It's Dungeons & Dragons, not Do not Disturb. Stop feeding into laziness. D&D.
Lol do you want some sugar for your high horse?
It's gonna have to be amazing to get me to switch from LotFP.
EDIT: $AU100+P&P? Nope. Absolutely not.
It has basic and expert rules so it does cover more then lamentations. It truly is amazing and in my opinion just better with more clearer rules, better layout, great art, and a lot of monsters with bullet points in them for tactics and brief examples of how they usually go in the game.
It probably isn't different enough to lotfp really. But I do enjoy owning the lovely little books.
The rules are available for free on the Necrotic Gnome website in the OSE SRD.
@@lordchaz2k That's not really accurate, LotFP has the equivalent of basic and expert (aka B and X aka B/X) as well. I slightly prefer OSE, but LotFP covers basically the same stuff - and has a bunch of modifications to the system that some might prefer.
@@mattprice516 but no monsters
Bro, just play 3.5 or what have you, you dont need this
Why?
To much talking, more stuff.