Ben makes a good case for calling the style of play we enjoy “adventure game” instead of “old school renaissance” (OSR) or “do it yourself” (DIY) in Adventure Game vs OSR. Should I switch? I think I need more time to think about this.
I’ve tried to articulate something like this before, trying to think of what the OSR means, to me: “I like to think that starting with 6 abilities to define a character, saving throws to avoid mishaps, hit points, to-hit rolls using a d20, damage rolls using smaller dice, xp for gold and levels is 100% OSR.” And yes, this goes in a very different direction, with a focus on the rules and not on the play style. I went on to say that there are things “close in execution, or close in spirit, or just define themselves to be close.” So I guess I knew it wasn’t a good enough definition. And perhaps definitions are overrated, in any case.
I guess in terms of telling prospective players about my game, using the *badges* makes more sense? A shorthand to describe the kind of game happening at my table.
My GM Badges:
+--------+--------------------------------+ | Badges | Explanation | +--------+--------------------------------+ | | I play *By-The-Book* and | | | “rule-zero” is not being used | | | to alter existing rules | | | Players characters *Death* is | | | a likely event in my games | | | I roll *Dice* in the open and | | | don’t fudge the results in my | | | games | | | My games are *Gonzo* and can | | | include a lot of strangeness | | | My games rely on a lot of | | | *Improvisation* rather than | | | pre-scripted content | | | My games focuses on | | | *Exploration & Mystery* | | | My games use a pre-made *Map* | | | and pre scripted content | | | Players in my game should be | | | prepared to *Run* when the | | | odds are against them | | | I will *Mirror* back player | | | ideas I think are interesting | | | in the game | | | My game focuses on *Player | | | Skill* rather than character | | | abilities | +--------+--------------------------------+
/pics/gm_badges/characterdeath.png
/pics/gm_badges/player-skill.png
#RPG #Old School
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What schools I tag my posts on social media, though? #osr is so easy to type. #ag? #adventuregame? Or just #rpg and no qualifier?
– Alex Schroeder 2019-02-08 09:15 UTC
