Rolling Dice with the OSR
The OSR - whether read as Old School Revival or Old School Renaissance is a movement within the Table Top Gaming - community that has sustained interest in wargaming and roleplaying. Table Top Gaming includes Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer, and thousands of variations of wargames and roleplaying games. Broadly the OSR attempts to preserve and perpetuate the experience of classical roleplay and wargaming from the 1970s and early 1980s. Much of the content, gameplay, and discussion revolve around (but are not limited to) Dungeons and Dragons as created and popularized by Gary Gygax and David Arneson, and published by TSR.
There is still substantial debate about what is or isn't OSR - but we can observe the personalities and factions that either claim the banner of OSR or who advocate for closely associated topics. In this article I'll primarily be drawing from examples of the OSR community on Twitter.
The major facets of the OSR appears to be:
- Playing the original versions of Dungeons and Dragons published by TSR.
- Creating and playing retro clones or roleplaying games that seek to capture the spirt of the original games.
- Preserving the history of Dungeons and Dragon and roleplaying from the 70s and 80s.
- YouTube and social media commentators and writers advancing OSR and criticism of the injection of modern political sentiments into gaming.
Gnarly Dice Wizards
Roleplaying games have their own slang and unique terminology - "grognard" for instance- not every member of the OSR community is a grognard - but likely every grognard feels at least some solidarity with the OSR. Grognards are veteran role-players and wargamers, often with shelves and shelves groaning under the weight of hundreds of rule books and supplements. Grognards buy their dice by the pound, and can recite initiative rules from at least 4 different variations of D&D. Grognards have a tendency to be cantankerous, obstinate, and wonderfully curmudgeonly as they come into their full powers. These gnarly dice wizards are often a unique sort of time capsule of gaming knowledge and culture.
Original Grognard
With grognard at least humorously defined we can better appreciate this post by the Original Grognard.
Here OG is showing off a copy of the Red Box set of Dungeons and Dragons - published by TSR in the early 1980s. It was easy to pick up and make a character and was my first encounter with D&D. Roll some dice to determine your character's stats (strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma) pick a class (fighter, magic-user, elf, hobbit - etc.) and head into your nearest dungeon to separate the lurking monsters from their treasures - or die trying. OG shows on the classic D&D modules (pre-written adventure scenarios) Keep on the Borderlands.
Judging from the creased and tattered cover's of these TSR adventure modules shown in this post - these booklets are likely almost 40-years old and have been used in dozens if not hundreds of game sessions.
**Adventurers, Conquerors, and Kings **
Alexander Macris is the proprietor of Autarch - and publisher of the Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS). ACKS is a modern synthesis of classic Dungeons and Dragons mechanics, with extensive options for becoming a ruler of a domain. ACKS has been wildly popular in the OSR community. Macris recently launched a Kickstarter Campaign - to publish an updated version, and raised over $250,000 in just a few days. Macris is one of many authors - who help create new content and supplements for old school gamers - who are dissatisfied with the direction Wizards of the Coast has taken gaming after purchasing the rights to Dungeons and Dragons from TSR in 1997.
The Deep Lore of Dungeons and Dragons - Secrets of Blackmoor
When fans of Dungeons and Dragons think about the history of Dungeons and Dragons - the name that most likely springs to mind is Gary Gygax. But Griffith Mon Morgan III - Secrets of Blackmoor on Twitter - makes a strong case for the canonization of Dave Arneson as a patron saint of roleplaying games. Griffith with his business partner Chris Graves created the film the Secrets of Blackmoor to chronicle Arneson's contributions to the Birth of Dungeons and Dragons. The team behind the film even organized the first annual Arnecon this year, a gaming convention to celebrate Dave Arneson and his players, "The Blackmoor Bunch."
Image source Secrets of Blackmoor Site.
Griffith himself is a long time player, Dungeon Master, and author of roleplaying supplements. This year Griffith published the "The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg" both an adventure module and a reflection on traditional Dungeon Master techniques - dungeon masters are a combination of narrator and rules masters for D&D games.
Diversity and Dragons - One YouTuber's War on Progressive Politics in Gaming
Diversity and Dragons is a YouTube Channel (perhaps inspired by Comic Books and Diversity) who examines and performatively ridicules the injection of modern, often left of center, cultural or political agendas into roleplaying games.
From a sampling of the channel's videos it's performative over the top criticism, familiar to consumers of culture war content. The combative style of commentary is a proven mechanism to generate engagement and conservation. Diversity and Dragons also maintains a Twitter presence here - mixing his contentious wit with promoting OSR Gaming.
Dividing up the Loot
For the sake of brevity - I'll truncate this entry here - this barely even scratches some of the more interesting people in the OSR. It is fascinating that gaming enthusiasts have kept their vision of the hobby alive for decades - along with creating new material that reflects the spirit of the early years of the hobby. Their are groups that have have game campaigns that have been continuously played for 5 years, 10 years, and even longer. Role-players and war gamers have an almost unmatched passion for their hobbies. The allure of that is understandable - combining an active exercise of the imagination and our desires to be something heroic, or fantastically villainous, and to walk in worlds where magic is real.
I should also mention that Hive has a community dedicated to Tabletop Games and Roleplaying - check it out here!
Keep your eyes out for Part II and as always thanks for reading!