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.