All Old-School Games Belong Together

I love all the old-school games, and OSE sits beside my copy of Shadowdark. There is a mess of fighting in a few circles about these games, which is best ignored.

I would rather spend my time playing and having fun.

To some, everything has to be a fight, and all I do is unsubscribe from their YouTube channels. I don't care if I agree with one side or the other if they call each other idiots and bad actors; sorry, you get an unsub today. Some of them hurt losing because I liked them, and they provided great old-school content, but I'm sorry, I don't support feeding into this anger, and I don't even watch the rants. I don't reply to Twitter threads, I don't share them, and I let it go.

Again, I suspect this is less about anyone having a problem with these games and more about people coming in from outside the community to cause drama and fights. People smell a fight, and they jump in to stir the pot. Most of them probably never touched any of the games they complain about.

As a result, I am storing a few creators' games. If they feed into this circular firing squad, I am out. Some of them I really liked, but now they leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I will replace them with companies that take a "no drama" stance, like Shadowdark and C&C. I am now rethinking Castles & Crusades and may include coverage here (it is fantastic, but it is just not that gonzo-style). I like companies that "keep the drama out" and focus on the game and players.

All old-school games belong together.

Shadowdarkification

My take?

Shadowdark isn't "destroying" the OSR. By the numbers, Shadowdark has likely taken 1,000 times more 5E players than OSR players. If anything, the Shadowdarkification applies more to the 5E player base than any OSR game, as people walk away and see what a bloated pay-to-play mess D&D is these days.

People want to create a wedge for two reasons:

• Grognards don't want "normies in the hobby."
  
• 5E players are running a stop-loss campaign to "save" 2024.

The whole idea of a wedge existing here at all is dumb. There isn't. Someone invented it to get attention.

Shadowdarkification is an excellent description of what is happening to 5E, not the OSR. The "pressure" being applied here is on the market leader, not the indies. Wizards of the Coast has yet to develop a strategy for younger or casual gamers. They expect everyone to use the website and VTT software and pour through thousands of pages of rules, costing about $200 for the entire game, in an online reader.

Nine-year-old kids are running Shadowdark for their families. Show me how D&D does that. I know some OSR games that can be run like that, too, OSE being one of them. Many other games just fail this test.

Once people have tried Shadowdark, they will be drawn to explore similar experiences here. OSE, DCC, and many other great games offer unique experiences and are part of a vibrant community that can expand your gaming horizons and bring a fresh perspective to your RPG journey.

I have seen many OSE players saying they love Shadowdark, too, but still see OSE as the game they would play for greater depth and long-lasting campaigns. OSE is the spiritual successor for B/X and BECMI, and in a way, OSE was the "Shadowdark" to the entire OSR back when Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, and many other retro-clones were out there preaching the gospel.

OSE is the more "in-depth" game. It does not have some of Shadowdark's "board game" aspects. It is better suited for classic campaigning, wilderness exploration, and long-term campaigns and delivers the classic game feeling. OSE has far more options than Shadowdark regarding classes, races, spells, magic items, monsters, and play options with hirelings, ships, land travel, expeditions, and even realm construction.

You can't claim a hex, attract followers, and settle the land in Shadowdark with realm play. That is "built into" OSE at the high level for every class. The two games don't compete, and it is a dumb idea to suggest it. They are very different games with different focuses.

Shadowdark can teach 5E players how to play games like OSE and DCC very well.

DCC is a totally different beast. There aren't many light and encumbrance rules or even a codified gear list in the game. It is more of a "gonzo experience party game" where crazy things happen constantly in an Appendix N stream of consciousness.

OSE came in with a highly organized, easy-to-use, simplified, clean, and fun "common version" of the game that played very old-school. OSE was the Shadowdark of the OSR, and products like this that "change the narrative" become de-facto leaders. I loved Labyrinth Lord, but OSE was a cleaner, easier-to-use, and more presentable product to a larger audience than LL. Shadowdark is that, but compared to 5E, it is the same experience but better.

Where Shadowdark shines is in "dungeon play" at a table, with a ticking clock and limited resources. It is like the classic HeroQuest board game mixed with D&D; it is the best version of that experience. D&D wants to be an "identity game," so that is where their focus is, and it is not on classic dungeon crawling.

OSE and Shadowdark sit side-by-side on my gaming shelf.

Right next to my DCC dice sets I use to play them all.

Shadowdark is Easy to Explain

I was chatting with a few folks familiar with 5E but only a little else. They're not hardcore gamers, just casual players who enjoy a good game of D&D now and then.

When I introduce Shadowdark to them, they quickly grasp its concept and mechanics, demonstrating the game's simplicity and ease of understanding. Knowing it's simple enough this should make you feel at ease and comfortable with the game.

• It has a torch timer!
• No ancestry can see in the dark!
• The darkness is very dangerous! Disadvantage! Double encounter chances!
• You take zero-level characters through a gauntlet!
• You get random rewards as you level!
• It is a one-book game!
• Stitch bound, heavy paper, and a bookmark!
• High-quality book! Easy to read and understand!
• It uses 5E rules!

That's it; five or six points out of the above sell them the game. Especially the one-book game part is a relief for many who are tired of spending a fortune on D&D books. With Shadowdark, you get a high-quality game with a single-book buy-in, making you feel financially secure and smart for choosing this cost-effective option.

I can't describe Old School Essentials or Dungeon Crawl Classics similarly. Shadowdark is a straightforward sell to 5E players, and you have to step outside your "gamer shoes" and look at this from a mass-market perspective. Shadowdark is as easy to sell to people as Monopoly.

• Easy to play.
• Compelling bullet-point rules.
• Single book buy-in.
• High-quality product.
• Familiar system.

DCC: I can explain it, but it is not as easy since I am trying to convey "Appendix N" concepts. It is easier to explain DCC in terms of Shadowdark, like an "Advanced Shadowdark," if that makes sense. DCC is also a harder sell since it uses dice people don't typically have, and those are a bit pricy, too. DCC is the "old school style on crack." Selling DCC is like trying to sell a feeling, idea, way of life, or lost ancient art. When people "get it," things are amazing.

But DCC is too big for most people and has far too many charts for everything. I could not "sell" people on this; it's not as easy to communicate the "why" as Shadowdark.

I still love my DCC books, though. The DCC adventures have replaced all my classic TSR modules as my "new classics." These inspire me. DCC and Shadowdark are more fun to read than D&D books, which is another plus for both of them.

OSE is "like the old ways of playing," but again, you need a frame of reference to the old game to understand it. If you ask most people, "What was it like to play in the old days?" You will get blank stares or a million random answers.

If people played 5E, they would know all the basic rules of Shadowdark. They have the dice. They have a frame of reference. They also know what a challenging game is like, like Dark Souls or Elden Ring. They are likely hardcore players tired of the weight of 5E or new players who bounced off the complexity and buy-in. Also, character creation is fast, without flipping through books or using a premium website.

When I said, "uses a simple version of the 5E rules," they were sold.

The game is also comfortable and familiar. Where D&D needs to overdo it on the art and ship a thousand pages with far too many rules and options, Shadowdark can get the same thing done in a single book, and the player-facing parts of the game are mostly what is on the character sheets. Most of Shadowdark are tables with which to create adventures and GM-focused material. Even then, there is little to running Shadowdark that a player couldn't pick up in one session. I saw one YouTube video where a family's nine-year-old was refereeing the game quite successfully.

Shadowdark succeeds because explaining the game to people who played 5E once or twice is effortless. One or two of those bullet points, and they are like, "I am interested in this." Also, the awards it won make it even more compelling since people in the mainstream tend to avoid uncertain and unrecognized things. When I said, "Won awards at Gen Con," suddenly, it wasn't just my word that they were taking. They knew Gen Con. They could go verify the awards and see the excitement.

Awards matter.

In other games, I have more difficulty explaining "what this is." When you have to "sell" a game to get someone interested, Shadowdark has many features that make it easy.

Back in Stock: Shadowdark RPG (Physical Book)

https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/products/shadowdark-rpg

The print versions of Shadowdark are back in stock. After all of the awards, these will probably be selling fast, so grab a physical book if you have always wanted one!

Old School Essentials is Amazing

Old School Essentials is still the gold standard of B/X and classic gaming. In the past, I dismissed this for not having enough "flash" in the characters, or some games implemented a little more to the fighter class than this—but coming back, this game does more than enough. The fighter is comparable compared to other character classes; the fighter holds their own and is a valuable class to have in a party.

A fallacy of game design is always thinking you need to give "toys" to players to keep them interested. Fighters in OSE can be very overpowered, not only in being the best at fighting and advancing quickly, but they can establish a stronghold at any level and put an army together. Most classes must wait until the 8th or 9th level to do this. If you score a big haul of gold in OSE at the 4th level and claim land, build that castle and roll around with your knights and archers, and the sky is the limit if you have the gold. Your posse can start brutally punishing random encounters in hexes, and you will wonder why you spent so much time with inwardly focused "5-me."

OSE revels in the joy of retainers, hirelings, and small armies. This is a joy only a few players know or appreciate. This is an "epic story-level play" more than the solo superheroes of modern games, where you are playing a Game of Thrones-style experience with apprentices, hirelings, small units of loyal men, and specialists tagging along. 5E actively discourages you from hiring help because the game will break if you get 20 archers together and kill dragons in one turn.

Barbarians get even more insane, and you start wondering if you are playing a tabletop wargame at the 8th level and above the 10th, you are building longboats and sacking kingdoms.

Even bards get their college, troupe, manor, or band at the 11th level. What game gives you a free rock band?

If they vow to cleanse the lands of evil, paladins can get help from their holy order and possibly get their stronghold and followers for free. The rules say "permission," but they don't mention cost. Since paladins must tithe, their order may chip in and help (or pay for it entirely if they have been very generous over their career). Also, note clerics get half-price strongholds. That is an outstanding deal.

Even DCC doesn't do this gonzo, clash of armies, end-game that well. Refrain from letting the low power level fool you at the start. OSE can be a powerhouse end-game where you are laying claim to hexes and changing the map. You are not getting laser-pistol cantrips on your fingers like 5E, but you get so much more in the endgame that it does not compare.

A referee can award XP and treasure at an accelerated rate (OSE Referee's Tome, page 5), so if a group wants, the endgame can come quickly. You could milestone XP and advance a level a session (OSE Player's Tome, page 88) by just house ruling this advancement rate (OSE Player's Tome, page 8).

Old School Essentials is a game that thrives on versatility. Whether you're a Classic or Advanced style fan, this game has many options to keep you engaged. Despite having less content than Advanced, the Classic book is a treasure trove of fun that I hold dear. This versatility ensures the game can adapt to different play styles, making it a top choice for gamers.

Advanced takes the game in a new direction, with classes and races that were not in the original game but feel right at home alongside the others. This is more of the familiar B/X and AD&D mix of how we played. It is very similar to Labyrinth Lord but also different in allowing for many more races and classes.

Unlike Shadowdark and Dungeon Crawl Classics, OSE does not have the "roll to cast" plus corruption systems in using magic, nor does it have the rolling to cast in divine magic where a cleric's god can be angered (though a referee could rule this). Shadowdark leans closer to classic board-game dungeon-crawlers such as Dungeon! or Hero Quest in some ways and also 'board games' in some parts of the experience. This is an excellent thing since 'games were meant to be played together,' and enhancing the small-group experience is why Shadowdark is as popular as it is - it understands its audience and the settings the game is played in.

I love Shadowdark. This is a transformative game in the 5E space, reminding people why they play with others. D&D has pushed identity too hard and forgotten about group dynamics and play. Wizards adopted the Critical Role "play acting" style and leaned far too hard into that space. Shadowdark is unafraid to jettison power gaming, identity builds, blaster videogame cantrips, play-acting, cartoony ancestries, and things that distract from the core experience.

When all distractions are removed from the game, the group dynamics remain. When a ticking clock element, like the torches, is introduced, that group dynamic is stressed, and people are forced to work together. The fewer distractions, the better the game gets. Spells, player actions, movement, combat, ability checks, and everything in the game are designed to be distraction-free with clear choices. What you say your character does, where they look in a room, and what they poke with the 10-foot pole is essential. You can't "passive your way through" a dungeon with a radar build.

Shadowdark one-shot-killed the 30-minute player turn like a backstab rolling a natural 20, and D&D is sitting there wondering what happened.

OSE is more traditional and, compared to Shadowdark, can be a higher-powered game. When you play Shadowdark, you are being trained to play OSE correctly. The mindset is there. After you experience Shadowdark, you understand where OSE is coming from. A player who has only experienced 5E will pick up OSE and wonder what the big deal is? Where are the high-powered feats? Why can't I blast my way through a dungeon with cantrips? People say 5E is "fixed 4E," but a lot of 4E is still in this game, especially the MMO mentality.

I have seen 5E players experience Shadowdark, and then they clicked and understood OSE completely. Whereas Shadowdark offers a narrow and focused experience, OSE traditionally offers the entire old-school experience without the group timer and other dynamic gameplay elements. I love the group dynamics, discovery through play, and focused rules of Shadowdark, but OSE also runs a lean and classic campaign experience. Shadowdark tends to be more survival and character-focused, whereas OSE does the grand campaign with strongholds and followers quite well.

Both games are very complimentary to each other, and the cross-over between them is very easy.

YouTube: I'M SWITCHING to ShadowDark RPG - Here's Why (2024)

Today's video on why a creator is switching to Shadowdark is excellent. All the points are great, and I feel exactly how they do. There is one misconception about resting near the end (pointed out in the comments), so note that - "taking a rest" is not easy in this game, takes a lot of resources, and is not guaranteed. It is an easy mistake to make, coming from 5E, where "resting" is an entitlement, and you can do it in a closet of an evil cult's temple while they and Cthulhu are walking around outside.

Like and subscribe to the creator! He also covers OSE on his channel, and a few OSE fans are in the comments. Both are great games, which is why we cover them here. Like some in the comments, I can see why some like OSE better, and excellent points are also made there.

But they do belong together. Fans of one can be fans of the other quickly, and the OSE and Shadowdark communities are more family to each other than at odds over tiny differences.

Shadowdark Captured the Younger Players

Shadowdark has become a popular choice for families with young kids, as it offers a unique gaming experience that is particularly appealing to the younger generation. Despite its darker theme, families often interpret the game as more of a 'ghost story' or 'spooky Halloween' adventure rather than a morbid or violent one.

Where do I get my data? I see people on YouTube, current and former 5E players, switching their families over and sharing the hobby with the younger generation. I keep coming across these videos by a bunch of different creators.

Shadowdark is the better game for very young players.

Death is still in these games, but the families' presentation is more like, "The monsters got you!" This is a far cry from D&D, where it is nearly impossible to die, and players end up bored and invincible at high levels. Shadowdark teaches good exploration, conflict resolution, resource management, and problem-solving behaviors. D&D teaches that "more power equals victory."

Shadowdark's design better fits a real-world teaching model and healthy mental development. You can't have it all, but being smart and creative means far better odds. Death is death, like a game over in a video game. Modern D&D puts an unhealthy emphasis on "you are your character" with all this identity marketing, and it damages mental health. Don't take my word for it; TSR, back in the 80s and 90s, told us not to put ourselves in the game.

Modern D&D is like the end of any Marvel movie; it is a giant, flashy CGI battle that means nothing, and victory is assured.

One key reason younger players prefer Shadowdark over D&D is its accessibility. The rules are straightforward, the book is well-organized, and even referees as young as nine can confidently run the game. This inclusivity makes Shadowdark a hit among players of all ages, including those over 60, breaking the age barrier.

The primal "fear of the dark" drives the action here, which is a classic, almost Halloween-style motivation and theme. This goes back to us as kids, when the nighttime was something we were afraid of, and we never knew what was lurking out in the woods at night.

If I were Wizards of the Coast (or their investors), I would be in an outright panic. This is the next generation of gamers, and it is not "set in stone" that they will "graduate to D&D 2024" in a few years. Many will start with Shadowdark and see D&D as that "other version with too many rules that old people play." They will stay with Shadowdark and other games, giving them a similar "afraid of the dark" experience. They will see every character having a dark vision as dumb and a relic of a bygone age when people were lazy and had to make imperfect VTTs work for everyone.

Also, D&D 2024 is being marketed to the wrong demographic. AAA gamers with tiered levels of support? Huge books with walls of text describing rules? VTTs with subscription fees? These books are being marketed towards current players, video gamers, and mobile game whales rather than the next generation of players.

And D&D 2024 has no entry offering because the game is more complicated, so it can't support one. This is not a "beginner's box" thing; D&D does not have a complete and supported line or a version of the game designed for younger players. This is precisely like the D&D and AD&D split back in the day; D&D was the better game that stood the test of time.

This is a massive problem for D&D, not today, but five to ten years from now?

They will realize the kids were all playing something else back then.

Castles & Crusades

Castles & Crusades is a game of such high quality that it stands out even among its peers. I am confident in recommending it as a replacement for D&D 3.0, 3.5, and Pathfinder 1e. While it does evoke a sense of nostalgia, it can perfectly replicate the feeling of an AD&D-style experience and is 100% compatible with old-school modules. It manages to feel both modern and old-school at the same time, providing a comfortable transition for players.

One of the key aspects that sets Castles & Crusades apart is its modern mechanics. Unlike traditional games, ability scores drive all skill rolls, ability checks, saving throws, and other die rolls in the game, with the exception of AC and combat. These modern, clean, and streamlined mechanics not only make for a unique gameplay experience, but also an engaging one that will keep you coming back for more.

I have this game stored since it tends to kill every other game it competes with, especially 5E and Pathfinder 1e. I also like to keep old-school games (DCC, OSE, Shadowdark, and the Without Number) apart from it since it will take attention from those, too, if you put them in the same genre. GURPS is so different it doesn't compete with anything.

So, I like to put this in the "modern dungeon" genre and see it as a 5E and Pathfinder (1e and 2E) replacement rather than an old-school game. Yes, this plays like an old-school game. Still, the characters feel more pulp and heroic than old-school characters due to the universal resolution mechanics (and how to level gets tied into them, making higher-level characters vastly more heroic).

If you want to replace your "modern dungeon" game, C&C has my highest recommendation. Old-school games like this blog covers tend to enjoy their "Appendix N quirkiness" and celebrate the genre's strange, mysterious, infinite, and spooky parts.

Shadowdark is like a horror game, where all the monsters can see in the dark, and the darkness itself is like this evil force that needs to be driven back from civilization.

DCC celebrates the "strange and weird tales" part of the genre with overly epic heroes, dangerous magic, and random instant death.

OSE is a tribute to the original game, perfectly emulating the experience of scrounging the last copper piece in your parent's basement in 1980.

The Without Number games are the best sandbox games ever created, kings of the Hex Crawl.

One thing "old school gonzo games" have in common is fetishizing and celebrating a narrow part of the hobby and experience, which all these games do. If you are a fan of magic corrupting the caster, then DCC will be your thing, and you will have the best experience there. If you love the hex crawl, the Without Number games should be your home. If the race against time and battle against the darkness thrills you, Shadowdark will be where you will have the most fun. If the classic survival style of play and race-as-class game fills you with nostalgia, OSE is your thing.

Castles & Crusades offers the best "game as novel" experience. The pulp elements mixed with the classic rules give it the feel of the old Forgotten Realms novels and make me feel that AD&D 2e and D&D 3.5 period perfectly. However, unlike the games on this blog, it doesn't drill down on the strange, horror, nostalgia, or exploration parts.

So, C&C does not belong here, but it is still one of the best games ever.

((UPDATE: Yes it does. I changed my mind. All old-school games stand together. We are adding this to the blog. Why? We need to stand together against greed, negativity, hate, and division.

Being Positive

If Shadowdark wins, then my OSR game loses!

I get this vibe on many YouTube comments on this game's coverage, and it feels silly. Me? I love the game. This is my "5E replacement" in a B/X style of game. I have Level Up A5E as my full-rules 5E game (and there is always ToV, which is getting better by the day).

I refuse to play Wizards games. I don't support their business practices.

Shadowdark is more than just another game in the market. It's a revolution, much like the original iPhone. It doesn't have to 'compete' with OSE, Swords & Wizardry, DCC, Hyperborea, WWN, or any other old-school game. It doesn't have to 'prove it does something new.' The original iPhone did 'nothing new' either, but it revolutionized how we use phones. Similarly, Shadowdark is a game-changer in the gaming community.

D&D is the Blackberry phone with the keyboard.

Shadowdark is the iPhone.

Someone could come out with a "high magic" mod for Shadowdark and compete with the main D&D game, and I bet to do a better job and be more successful in making the game easy to play while capturing what makes "high magic superheroes" fun and appealing. D&D is the "high magic superheroes game" by accident; they are not designing the game to drill in on the fun parts of this experience. It stumbles into the genre and says it owns it.

A focused "Shadowdark Fantasy Heroes" game focused on "what makes the genre fun" would be a backstab the industry needs. You can't "mistake your way" into a market and expect to be the market leader forever; people will focus on what the customers want and out-design you. MCDM RPG is a prime example, and from what I see, they are taking D&D's un-fun weaknesses and attacking the leader there.

Shadowdark already won the "old-school 5E" crowd over.

Nimble 5E and MCDM are coming.

That high-magic replacement game is coming, and D&D will seem like another fallen monopoly that could never be defeated. The high costs of their VTT mean they need to make a lot of money fast, or they will fail just as fast. It is a big gamble, and competing games only need to take a tiny slice of the market away for them to fail or a few slices together.

Many 5E players would not touch an OSR game, but they will consider Shadowdark. If anything, this is a failure of the OSR to innovate and to sit too comfortably on imitating the past, flaws and all. Many OSR creators fail to ignore the 5E market and adopt a "better than thou" attitude toward newer gamers and their fans. Many 5E players have the same attitude. Elitism is a turn-off for many, and both sides are guilty.

Shadowdark bridges the gap.

It allows the massive crowd of 5E players to experience the old-school style. It also offers older players a chance to see a streamlined, focused, modern set of rules driving the gameplay style we are used to.

5E players who take the first step into Shadowdark will discover a wonderful world of other old-school games waiting for them. And the players of old-school games should welcome everyone into our communities with open arms. Nobody should "diss a game and its players."

Everyone gets to play.

Everyone has a favorite game.

But being positive is the key to happier gaming. Nobody has to "lose" here. With every player who tries a new game, and gets out of the D&D mind monopoly, we all win.

Shadowdark: The Sand Hourglass

https://www.amazon.com/Hourglass-Minute-Decorative-Wooden-Sandglass/dp/B08X2117WF

When playing Shadowdark in person, especially with a group, this classic 60-minute hourglass with natural sand is a game-changer. The timing variance of +/- 10% adds tension, reflecting the uncertainty of real torches. This 'ticking clock' accessory is a visual reminder of the game's time constraints.

Picture this: a game of Shadowdark where digital devices are banned, and you must rely on your visual estimation of time based on the hourglass. This unique reliance on a real-world prop hones your visual skills, adding a new dimension to your gaming experience.

Look at the above picture. How much time has passed? How much do you have left? 25% gone, 40-45 minutes left? It could be 35 if it runs fast or on the low end. Or longer if we are lucky.

It all depends on how the sand falls. And watching time run out simulates the fading flickers of the light.

If a torch goes out and you start a new one, this prop may be less useful since there is no quick way to "reset" the clock (without having a second hourglass ready to go and then letting this one reset on its own). An alternate rule would be to say a dropped torch could be re-lit, so you would just put the hourglass on its side to simulate the torch lying there and then return it upright when it is lit again.

You could tie relighting a torch to a DEX check. Pass, and you get the longer side of the hourglass, which is what is left of the torch. Fail, and you get the lesser side. Further re-lights or almost-dead torches are always at a disadvantage (or always use the short side).

Are you playing in a con or game shop? Have two hourglasses ready. Are you a pro referee who charges? Have three. At home? Use one and the relight rule. Or just have one and use a flipped-over cellphone with a timer as a quick substitute until the real one is ready.

Stars, Cities, Worlds ...Without Number

Among the plethora of 3d6 down-the-line old-school games, three are versatile powerhouses: the Stars Without Number, Worlds Without Number, and Cities Without Number systems—all masterpieces crafted by Kevin Crawford. These games, akin to 'rules-light' versions of a B/X-style game, serve as expansive toolkits for creating diverse worlds, missions, factions, and adventures, sparking endless possibilities for your gaming experience.

Are these "gonzo crawl" style games?

More yes than no.

Yes, you can "crawl" through the worlds, universes, and cities the generators in these games create. Gonzo is a mindset where things are more fantastical and less concerned with realistic simulation. If a character trains a pterodactyl as a mount, that happens in Gonzo games. This sort of fantastical world is exemplified by Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC lacks world generation since it embraces the "module style" of play, some of which have world generation systems. There is no one way to play DCC, and the randomness applies more to characters and magic than it does to worlds. Though it can, it is either using another system, a module, or making your own generators.

Of all the games here, Old School Essentials is likely the least gonzo when played strictly as a rules simulator of old-school gaming. However, the power is in your hands. The more fantastical you make this game, and the more random tables you use, the more you shape it into a gonzo play style. The cover art and much of the interior art also reflect the gonzo style, inviting you to unleash your creativity and make the game your own.

Shadowdark edges into the "random" with level rewards and tables, making it more gonzo. The "Without Number" games are less gonzo in design but far more gonzo when you begin using the tables and interpreting the results. Shadowdark does a good job balancing realism with gonzo play, and it is a game that "is what you make of it."

Worlds Without Number is the fantasy game in the series, and how "gonzo" this gets depends on how you see the world and use the charts. You could play this 100% seriously and dramatically, turning this into a hardcore survival and exploration game. You can adopt a more fantastical mindset and mix science-fantasy into the world with unique sites of ancient magics and technology. Like OSE, how gonzo this game gets depends on your outlook and refereeing.

Combine Worlds Without Number with the Stars game, and you have a fantastic Numenera or Gamma World setting.

I have seen people own OSE, play this "by the book" like a 5E, and say the game is nothing special. You need to read up on old-school gaming to "get" this game; as it is, the system is more a reference work than a game that trains you to play. It is a fantastic reference work, and once you combine it with the training books mentioned in the game (sidebar links), it becomes an old-school powerhouse.

Cities Without Number is the same; it can be played like a hard-science Cyberpunk or a gonzo "hackers and magic" Shadowrun (combined with the Worlds game). The Shadowrun universe was always more gonzo than Cyberpunk. This book does a "better Shadowrun than Shadowrun" in a simple, B/X-style framework, with all your favorite monsters and spells appearing.

The Without Number games belong here. While there isn't as much "character randomness" as in DCC or Shadowdark, the rules are a simple B/X-style d20 combat system paired with a 2d6 skill system and plenty of character options to choose from as you level up. Like OSE, this rules framework embraces old-school play, either gonzo or more based on realism.

These generators are where they are "gonzo"; in each game, you can hex-crawl through a random universe, and that genre and style of play are 100% gonzo and fantastical.

5E: The Math is Out of Control

Why should I even care if the 2024 version of D&D is backward compatible with 10 years of power-gaming content? The math is still broken, the numbers are still too high, the hit points and stats are out of control, and I see people walking away from all of 5E just because the numbers are too silly and the balance is broken, especially at high levels.

The only other 5E clone that took rebalancing seriously was Level Up Advanced 5E, and I still like this version of the game. The math is tight and not way out of control, offering a glimmer of hope for those dissatisfied with the current state of D&D.

The only game on this blog where the math could be considered wild is Dungeon Crawl Classics. Then again, it is wild by player choice, with things like spell-burn and mighty deeds. There are apparent costs for pushing a roll, burning luck, blowing stat points on spell-burn, and other mechanics that can make the game "slippery." Otherwise, the math in DCC is still tight and under control.

D&D, as it stands, has math that is out of control by entitlement. The game's stats must be lowered, inspiration is handed out too quickly, and advantage is too easy to obtain. DCC, Shadowdark, and OSE all have "3d6 down the line" stats, and that is a refreshing change in today's "guaranteed 18" ability score generation methods. Entitlement and "too much power" force players out of the game.

Games like Dark Souls are popular. Players love a challenge, and winning against all odds is a thrilling, white-knuckle ride. In GURPS terms, high and low stats are your character's "advantages and disadvantages"; they define a character's strengths and weaknesses. A character with only strengths is boring, which is where all D&D 4, 5, and 5.5E characters start.

We have left the "good design" realm and entered entitlement, which started back in AD&D with the '4d6 and drop the lowest die' method. Yes, this has been around forever, but it has been broken for a long time. This was one of the biggest mistakes of AD&D, and the original B/X rules had it right.

3d6 down the line.

These are your "advantages and disadvantages."

I swear, when D&D 6 comes out, the standard stat block will be 18, 18, 16, 16, 16, 14. Starting hit points will be doubled, and you will get three feats at the first level. It is funny; whenever I hear people try Shadowdark, they all enjoy the lower power level, and no one complains that there is "not enough character power."

Every Wizards version of D&D has turned the power creep and player entitlement to 11. The hit points and damage scaling are way out of control. The differences between a d4 and a d6 mean nothing when your character does 25-50 points of damage per turn. It is hard to call anything past 3rd Edition D&D.

Seriously, a four-hit-point goblin in B/X versus a d4 dagger is felled on only one result of that die (25%). With a d6, that is three out of six results (50%). Today? They have seven hit points. Sure, everyone adds a stat bonus to a roll in 5E, but the original B/X system is much more elegant and gamified. A stat bonus to damage in B/X means a heck of a lot more than 5E.

Any old-school game worth its salt is watching damage modifiers and keeping those in check. Hit point bloat and inflation destroy a game and shoot the math into the hundreds (5E) or thousands (4E) of hit points. That is terrible game design and destroys the meaning of needing to use unique polyhedral dice.

The average of a d4 is 2.5, a d6 is 3.5, and a d8 is 4.5. That is a 2-point spread.

When my character does 50 points of damage per turn, why are we using d4s and d8s? That 2-point difference, even multiplied some, means nothing. At that point, simplify the game and use d6s like white box games.

5E's doubled hit-point scale sucks.

4E's tripled scale destroyed the game.

B/X and BECMI still have it right.

Imagination and clever tactics will always be more powerful than any "automatic fantasy superpower" a game designer can write in a book. Shadowdark is so difficult players come out better skilled to play 5E, and they quickly find the game boring because it is too easy. I even find it hard to return after playing games on this blog.

Shadowdark's "hard-line" approach to ability score generation is refreshing. OSE and DCC also do straight 3d6. Thank you! Never change. Ability score "stat-inflation" began in AD&D with the "4d6 and drop the lowest" method, it sucked then, and it sucked since. There is a massive difference between a 10-average starting score and a 12. When 4E came out, the starting scores bottomed out at 10, and they never forced you to have negative modifiers.

If there is one thing in common about the games on this blog, it is that they are all straight 3d6 games.

Common Threads

One of the common themes for games on this blog is that they have an old-school feel but don't "emulate too hard." Some OSR games I picked up have been near Xerox copies of a particular version, and while you can play them old school, what new thing do they bring to the table?

I love games like Old School Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, and Swords & Wizardry. They are excellent recreations of a version played at a particular time. Old School Essentials Advanced goes beyond that and expands the game to include new races and classes. It is a game in the spirit of this blog, old school in design, but it brings a lot of new things to the table. It does hold onto a lot of the old ways, and I find both Shadowdark and Dungeon Crawl Classics to go farther in terms of "gameplay design" and more substantial in a "theory of play" than OSE's "emulation plus."

OSE would fit well here with that "emulation plus" design. Where DCC and Shadowdark differ is that "fun" is an active consideration in the game, and they are not afraid to jettison a few unfun parts to enhance the experience. Both games add tables to reinforce the concept, and DCC goes the farthest in embracing randomness. Shadowdark has random-level award advancement. DCC has fixed advancement, but many aspects of gaining magic and casting are entirely randomized with some player control.

OSE is more on the Labrinth Lord and Swords & Wizardry side of randomness, which is less crucial than emulating the classic experience. OSE also doesn't jettison as many rules as DCC or Shadowdark in favor of fun and "feeling emulation." DCC and Shadowdark will abandon rules, rewrite the concepts of magic and light, and rebuild the unfun areas of the game to better embrace the old-school culture and playstyle than the emulation games.

I love my emulation games, Labyrinth Lord, OSE, and Swords & Wizardry, which are all permanently on my most-played shelves. This blog focuses more on the games that take the old-school concept further. The designs are built with classical mechanics but have a stronger sense of design than just emulation. They are built for fun, unafraid to eliminate the tedious parts, and will rewrite entire systems to enforce the theme. If a game rebuilds a whole pillar of the game to enhance feeling and gameplay over tradition, that is a crucial concept for being "like" the other games we cover here.

Darkness in Shadowdark covers everything from ancestries and in-game torch mechanics to time-tracking during live play. The game also rewrites the advancement game and randomizes level awards (which a few other OSR games have done before, and even the original Gamma World). So much of 5E has been rewritten, and every rebuilt part focuses on fun and the old-school feeling.

Shadowdark is more classic D&D than modern 5E ever will be. This is why 5E players are flocking to the game. This is the modern "D&D Basic" that Wizards refuses to ship or create.

DCC rewrites the entire magic system, which is a huge task. It abandons the "gear game" and does not come with exhaustive equipment or magic item lists. It reimagines the concepts of monsters, making each one unique. Every class is rewritten to embrace fun and Appendix N inspirations, even over old-school emulation. The game goes back to "negative 1" - the original inspirations of D&D - and rebuilds the base game along those inspirations. DCC also worships at the altar of the crazy dice, bringing in so many new shapes to jar you out of your standard polyhedral mindset.

OSE adds new races, and it rebuilds the encumbrance system. The organization is fantastic. The classes feel more traditional than either of these games, which holds it back some. The game was conceptualized as more of an old-school reference work, source code for building old-school games, which is incredible. The entire game is a "complete rewrite and clarification" of the original games.

In a way, OSE is a fantastic rebuild of the original game. In others, it feels more beholden to emulation of original systems than it does like the games I focus on here. If a set of game rules rebuilds the classic elements of fantasy gaming to enhance a particular style of play or fun, that is a "gonzo crawl" style game to me. Emulation gets you in the door. Rebuilding the game for fun and a style of play cements the game in the gonzo genre.

Making the Most of the OSE Advanced Fighter

One of the reasons I felt so cool about OSE was the fighter, a class that does not really have much "to" it compared to other OSR games. On the surface, the class is just a d8 hit die, all weapons and armor, and the best to hit table.

Despite its simplicity, you can push the class to high performance within the rules and with a few optional rules.

First, use the optional weapon proficiency rule (p23) and specialize in a single weapon for +1 to hit and damage. If your STR is high, this will stack significantly and make a huge difference.

The second thing you can do is use the character races with the modifiers, giving your fighter some extra abilities. Humans will get these, too, if you lift the race class and level restrictions (p78), and these abilities are beneficial for fighters. Even other races' abilities are helpful for fighters, with some having AC bonuses and making excellent defensive warriors.

You will also advance faster than many other classes, so save that money, use hirelings, and establish that domain early. You can do this at any level. Even a small wooden building is a domain structure and can be built in three days and 1,500gp. This can attract a small camp of settlers and followers; through story events, these could be loyal warrior retainers.

Use these rules. If the hex you start in is your claim, which is unsettled and unclaimed land, build that stronghold and get those followers early. You may find that the fighter and his loyal band of warriors can even outshine the mage and other classes quickly.

Magic items are upgrades! There are many more than the usual "magic weapons and armor" here, and many items are must-haves for an epic hero. If you can find a particular pair of gauntlets, or a girdle of giant strength (far better in OSE than it is in 5E by miles), prepare to amaze even 5E players with how epic and cool your character becomes. Magic items are more critical for OSE character upgrades than in 5E.

This is what I love about the old-school games; the rules may not give you a lot of '5E freebie powers,' but you can more than makeup for that with smart play, roleplaying, and steering your character's story right. This level of engagement is what makes these games so rewarding.

YouTube: 10 Shadowdark rules you probably missed

Wow, I did not know some of these and had assumed the CON hit point modifier was applied at every level and STR modified damage. I was wrong! This is a great video-short, useful, and straight to the point. There are the answers to those questions, plus a few more surprises, in the video. Highly recommended!

The video's creator's BackerKit is still taking late pledges, and Unnatural Selection is a great add-on to the game.

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/dungeon-damsel-creations/unnatural-selection-a-shadowdark-supplement

Watch the video, like & subscribe to the creator, and support their book!

These are the Games I Like

Shadowdark is a game about fun and enjoyment. It's the BECMI or B/X of 5E, the 'basic set' that strips everything down to the core mechanics and rebuilds the 'old school' style of play. It's a minimalist, almost rules-light 5E game that leaves much room for expansion and promises endless hours of fun. Tens of thousands of players enjoy this game, which opens the door to 5E players wanting to experience it "how it used to be played."

It almost reminds me of the fantastic Index Card RPG, which has a chance of being added to this blog since it is also a tremendous old-school-inspired but new-school "experienced-focused" game. ICRPG works with any game as a plug-in, so it technically "is" a part of how I play and think about old-school gaming. Like Shadowdark, this is a minimalist, throwback, stripped-down, engineered for fun, and focused on the play experience.

Where Shadowdark is more traditionalist, ICRPG is more experiential, generic, and adaptive to any setting. Both have that "built to play a certain way" and "small book game" thing in common. The only thing ICRPG does not have in common is embracing "3d6 down the line" classic character generation, and it uses a unique action-based dice system for resolution.

Dungeon Crawl Classics is my other go-to for old-school and B/X gaming. This is a chart-heavy game, so the charts do the heavy lifting and create the "anything goes" old-school experience. The game is just fun, random, gonzo, silly, and crazy; anything goes and is built for amazing things to happen (positive or negative). This is another game that embraces the 3d6-down-the-line generation, and you take what you get, good or bad, and embrace the three dice.

That is one thing missing from many of today's games. People want perfect stats and characters. Many players are anxious when their ability score is less than 10, and any flaw or drawback in a character causes them undue stress. If I was a referee and had players with so-called "terrible" characters?

This opens the door!

Rewarding players for role-playing flaws and giving them extra XP? Done! Awarding ability score points for "amazing  feats against all odds?" Done! Even changing the narrative due to a flaw and turning a negative thing into a positive? Done! Realizing that terrible luck may also turn into good luck if you are clever enough? Done! Changing a negative attribute or disadvantage into a positive due to the result of a quest or something that happens on an adventure? Done!

It works in the reverse, so those "Perfect Pete" and "Flawless Francine" characters can get flaws during their adventures if they are not careful or the dice come up wrong. Back when we played Tunnels and Trolls, ability scores were so fluid that, based on what happened, you could have three of four permanent positive or negative ability score changes per adventure.

There is no rule in Dungeon Crawl Classics that says ability scores, flaws, or anything else on a character sheet have to stay the same during or after an adventure. If a homely PER 4 Mutant Crawl Classics character wanders into the one-use "beautifier machine" and gets a PER of 16, so be it! They walk out like a Farah Fawcett or Rock Hudson mutant, stunning examples of beauty and charm. If a robot is firing a "weakness ray" that removes 2 points of STR, that is what happens. If a character finds an eat-once "power bar" that gives 3 points of STR later, who gets to eat it? The character who lost STR or the mutant fly PC, who would get a STR of 21?

Hard choices are fun. And be "fast and loose" with ability scores in 5E? Are you crazy? Do you want to destroy your game or lose your friends forever? The game is designed to carefully parse out ability score points, lest the entire system will crash. Taking things away from 5E players is not recommended at all; the system is about power, and it gives you a feeling you are entitled to everything in the book (unless you like fights and hurt feelings). Not all groups are like this, but you would be surprised by some of the groups I have played with.

3d6-down-the-line is terrific fun once you discard your preconceived notions and embrace the randomness and all the fantastic possibilities this system opens up.

YouTube: Gen Con Booth Preview 2024 (Goodman Games)

The Gen Con booth preview for Goodman Games just dropped, and the best piece of info in here is that there are doing a second printing of Dark Tower will be in stock in about 2 months, so the end of September or October. This is one of the out-of-stock items I am tracking for DCC, and I kick myself for not jumping in on this one. That said, more are coming!