What is the best OSR system for RPG novices?

One forum I frequent is the RPGPub. Recently a question was asked,

What is the best OSR system for RPG novices?

I gave some system recommendations and then I realize I been looking at the answer to this question wrong.

Given that nearly all of the various editions of  classic DnD and OSR retro clones are of comparable complexity. Especially in what you have to do get a campaign going. The answer is all of them and none of them.

Why?

Because system doesn't matter, it all depends on the referee being a good teacher and a good coach. So use whatever system that works with the way you think and operate and focus on learning to teach and coach.

I throw in coaching because in sports the athlete is expected to execute strategies and procedures that are mostly in real time. A good coach not only explains those strategies and procedures i.e. teach, but guide the athlete through them the first few time until the athlete is able to do them. Afterward the coach will help the athlete practice to improve their skills in regards to whose strategies and procedures. Much of this occurring in real time with the athlete doing whatever their particular sport requires them to do.

While not as physical, the interplay of the players describing what their characters and the referee making a ruling often by using a printed system of rules means there some overlap what you do to teach a beginning athlete and a novice to RPGs.

So hence, focus on being a good teacher and coach. As for the rules use whatever works for you as a teacher and coach.

The OSR logo is by Dyson Logos

Keeping track of the OSR and Old School Gaming

The popularity of Google+ for the OSR meant that blogs took a back seat for many. Now that Google+ is ending, blogs are making a come back. One things that developed for blogs in the last couple of years is a type of software called a Planet. Planet software aggregates the feeds of the member blogs to allow people to track many related blogs at once.

Alex Schroeder has an interesting website that been around a long time and combines elements of a blog and a wiki. Recently he setup a planet called Old School RPG Planet that now has several dozen OSR and Old School related blogs feeding into it.

The site has links to explain how to add your blogs to the feed and the purpose of the site.

One of the nice things about the OSR and the current state of independent publisher that the Do it Yourself attitude often lead somebody somewhere to come up with a decent solution to a problem that the community faces. So kudos to Alex for taking the initiative on this and hope that it continues to be a useful tool keeping the connections within the OSR and Old School gaming in general alive.

Those pesky D&D Saving Throws

Take a look at this chart

This chart continued in one form or another up into the release of DnD 3rd edition when it was replaced with Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.

I apologize for not rememberin= where I first read this, but it was pointed out that if you look at the original saving throw chart a pattern emerges.

You will see see that for all classes save versus death ray/poison are clearly better than save versus staves/spells. It not unreasonable to suggest that given the severity of save or die that Gygax opted to give his player a significant (10% to 20%) break at lower levels.

It appears that Flesh to Stone occupied a middle ground between the two. An effect that takes a character out of play but there is a way to restore them to full functionality (Stone to Flesh).

That wands were considered an advantage compared to memorized spells and thus easier to save against  And finally that a dragon's breath was more easily resisted by a fighter than a magic-user/cleric.

Looking at the original saving throws categories this way lead to a straightforward procedure on determining what category to use.

1. Use Staves/Spells
2. Unless it is something more easily resisted by a fighter than a cleric or magic user then use Dragon Breath. 
3. Unless it is a Save or Die effect or something similar then use Desth Ray/Poison. 
4. If it is a incapacitating effect that is reversible then use Stone.
5. If it anything but a Save or Die effect and it comes from a wand use the All Wands save.

I still prefer Swords and Wizardry single save with specific bonuses but I appreciate the original saving throw system better now that I took another look.

Let's talk maps!

The Baseline
How much time and money are you willing to devote to this?

Cartography isn't just about finding the right software but also about obtaining the right equipment. For example for myself I use CorelDRAW ($500), a Canon scanner ($70), and a Wacom Bamboo ($60) tablet. 

To do what myself and others do with cartography you need the scanner and tablet especially if you plan to integrate hand drawn artistry. 

Going free and using alternatives will mean that you will have to compromise in some manner in your capacity to produce maps.

The Adobe in the room.
Adobe Creative Suite is a $56.17 a month subscription and give access to all of the Adobe software. Back in the day I felt software subscription was for the birds. And still do when it comes to some applications like CorelDRAW (which I buy the upgrades for rather than subscribe) or Microsoft Office (which I only upgrade every other version). 

However Adobe Creative suite is so extensive compared to the price it is too good of a deal to pass up given the fact that Adobe software is THE standard. That most of the pro tips and aides are written for adobe in mind. I use it mainly for Indesign and Acrobat. Which is vital for me to publish with print on demand because it far easier to get the files into the correct format required by the printer.

But... but.. it is subscription, you will get shut out of your own files. Yeah but like most things reality is more complex when it comes to media rich documents like maps, layouts, etc. It doesn't matter if the software is free, licensed, or subscribed because whatever software you choose the final document will be locked into its format. A format that all but impossible to transfer to another comparable software.

What more important in this situation is to build of a library of graphic elementrs, fonts, clip art, symbols, fills, and keep those in easily transferable formats like text, svg, jpg, pngs, or tiff.  This way it doesn't matter what software you are using, you "library" comes along for the ride.

Drawn using CorelDRAW

Profantasy
By far the best dedicated RPG mapping software is Profantasy. It not free and rather pricey if you get the full suite. But it is capable and packed to the gill with numerous features does not only help you make RPG maps but RPG maps in different many styles, including handdrawn. Including styles that allow you to replicate the style of popular cartographers like Mark Schley.

The major downside of Profantasy is the fact it is built on top of CAD sofware which give a higher learning curve than equivalent mapping programs or graphics programs. Fundamentally CAD software operates on the idea is that you give a command and then select the objects that the command will work on. While Adobe, Inkscape, and most of the other operate on the idea that you select the object first and then pick the command. 

Both methods are equally capable but going the CAD route means there is a learning curve because of that difference along. 

Drawn using Profantasy

Paid versus free​
The major things I know of that impact cartography are

Most art or symbol purchases come with the common sense provision you can't the sell the art yourself as part of a package. I.e. competing directly with the source where you bought the art in the first place. 

Software like Microsoft Office often come with a student/home edition that restrict commercial use that is cheaper. The only solution is to use something else and compromise or pay for the commercial unrestricted version. 

Stock art library, like Adobe, have specific license that one needs to read. The good news those stock art libraries are not that critical for RPG cartography or publications. 

What what is good and free
If you not going to go with Adobe or a mainstream package then what the next best alternative? There is Inkscape and GIMP.

Inkscape is a vector drawing program that duplicate much of what Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW does. It is more than capable of drawing the kind of maps I draw and with work can draw maps in other styles as well.

GIMP is a bitmap drawing program that duplicate much of what Adobe Photoshop does. It interface is known to be quirky but it is backed by add-ons and utilities written by thousands of users over decades.

The above two in combination with a scanner and a tablet are able to do 80% to 90% of what Adobe, Corel, and other paid software can do.

And the rest
Most of the other mapping software out there are useful but tend to focus on a particular styles. There is a wealth of options if all one needs is to make something for their hobby. But for those who want to take the next step they are all compromised one way or another.

Doing by hand
Keep in mind many cartographers draw by hand, scan in the image, and then maybe do a few steps on the computer like placing a key or border. It can be quite effect like the work done by my friend Tim Shorts over on Gothridge Manor.

Graphic Library, Graphic Library, Graphic Library
The key to making cartography fun and not a chore is building up a decent graphic library. A collection of graphic elements,  one can use for fills, borders, text, symbols, etc. For example the Vintyri Project has many free to use (in both sense of the world) graphic elements.

The Cartographer's Guild
The Cartographer's Guild is the by far the best resource to learn about mapping using software on the internet. By people who use a variety of software and styles. 

Wrapping it up
There is no right answer to work best for one's situation. However thru hard won experience, I concluded that to do professional work you need professional tools. You may get away with using less capable tools if you have a particularly style and focus for your cartography. But if you want o be able to any type of map then there is no real substitute for program like CorelDRAW or Adobe Creative Suite,

However for the hobbyist who is really into maps, then Inkscape, GIMP, a scanner, and a tablet along with browsing through the Cartographer's Guild  will be more than enough without taking a huge chunk out of your wallet.

Drawn in Inkscape

Link to all my mapping posts.(including some inkscape tips)

The Future that was promised

Look like we are going to get part of the future that science fiction said we would get. It not a rendering but an actual test article that will do VTOL tests in SpaceX's Texas launch facility.