Of interest to me is this comment.
That's something that we're working on right now. But some of the answers are obvious. Six ability scores ranging from 3 to 18. Fighters, clerics, wizards, and rogues. (Or, if you prefer, fighting-men, clerics, magic-users, and thieves.) Character levels. Experience points. Rolling a d20 to attack. Magic missiles. Fireballs. Hold person. And so on.Of course this not exactly new news as the authors of the various retro-clones like OSRIC, Swords & Wizardry, or Labyrinth Lord can tell you. But it heartening to see that the core version of D&D Next may wind up something that looks like one of the OSR retro-clones. That would mean an expanded audience for everybody in the OSR as it would be way easier to leap into playing a older edition from those rules than it would be if all you experienced was D&D 4th edition.
In effect, what you end up with is a fully playable game with its own style. Think of it this way: It would be wrong to say that there is no inherent D&D style that carries across the nearly forty-year lifespan of the game. What you really end up with, in this approach, is a game that ends up looking—not coincidentally—like original D&D. Not entirely, of course, and not precisely, but close. It's a game that captures the feel of OD&D.
And even if D&D Next didn't wind up looking like a OSR retro clone, the attention to old style D&D gaming will prove beneficial to the OSR in the long run.
I will report any details as soon as it is allowed.
The glimmer of hope just shone a bit brighter.
ReplyDeleteIt all definitely sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt will be terrible.
ReplyDeleteIt will never work.
Greyhawk will never be the new default setting.
There. I am always wrong, so this should help.
Woo-hoo! Um, I mean grumble grumble grumble...
"That would mean an expanded audience for everybody in the OSR as it would be way easier to leap into playing a older edition from those rules than it would be if all you experienced was D&D 4th edition."
ReplyDeleteLast time I checked the OSR was about a *way* of playing role-playing games, the way it was in the olden days and perhaps taking it in some direction other then the one that led to the status quo.
Why does D&DN have to be a gateway to older editions if it has the spirit of those same rule-sets? It looks to me from that statement like it's some taboo to play a game that's currently in print and that would be... I wouldn't agree with that.
As Dim said, it will be a two way gateway. Many who play retro clones might pass through the gateway to D&D Next.
ReplyDelete@Dim, I agree that there nothing taboo about playing the latest RPGs.
ReplyDeleteBut the reality is that the point of some OSR communities is to play a particular older edition not something "like" it. D&D Next is looking to be a good thing for these groups for the reason given in my post.
I have a friend that once commented to me that the Rolling Stones had become a Rolling Stones cover band. I see this move in a similar light. It just seems like a pale, sad reflection of something that was once great. I hope that the players of the next edition of D&D are happy.
ReplyDeleteI have Pathfinder.