One game that gets no love despite being awesome and free is Olde Swords Reign. It's OSR in feel, but built off the 5e SRD. IMO it fixes the bloat and 'Dungeons and Demigods" problem 5e has. The author also went the same way that Basic Fantasy RPG went; he made it available for free via PDF or at cost on Amazon, etc. What sucks is that nobody talks about it and it really is fantastically simple to run, has some of the best land exploration rules going, and it takes the good stuff 5e introduced, but gets rid of the whole superhero thing. Also, it's insanely easy to import monsters etc from other games, especially 5e and old school. I think you'd dig it!
Simon, it’s funny you mention that, because the other day I was trying to remember that game. I knew there was an OSR game with the initials, OSR, but could not remember the name. I am not a big fan of 5e, which is why I have not checked out Shadows of the Demon Lord yet either, but Olde Swords Reign seems like one I need to take a look at. It’s on the list… but I gotta say, the list is long. Too many good RPG’s to play and talk about! First world problems!
LOL. 😂. Umm.. sorry? Seriously though, if you are playing any form of BX, it is just far and away the most accessible at the table. I just love these folks. To be clear, they’ve never sent me anything or even reached out, I just really like their work. You won’t be disappointed buddy!
Nice overview of the 10 stand-out products that showcase aspects of the OSR, although an even dozen would make room for Basic Fantasy RPG and Castles & Crusades. Maybe you have your reasons not to include these two, but the $ value of BFRPG makes it an obvious choice imo and C&C could have started the entire movement when the Troll Lords teamed up with Gary Gygax early 2000s.
Fred! Welcome back sir! Funny story on C&C, I actually bought the first edition books back at my very first Gen Con, before the Keeper’s Guide was even released. I do like the C&C game, but I think that in a lot of ways there are just other options that, for me, make it not stand out from the pack. It really hasn’t innovated much since they first developed the Siege Engine. That said, it is solid, and has the distinction of being the home system for Gary’s last great works. BFRPG is left off for largely the same reasons for me. I love the idea behind the project, an accessible copy of the rules that is available to everyone, but after seeing more recent attempts to provide better layout, fidelity and innovation, I feel like the only thing going for BFRPG for me is the cost… and with Worlds Without Number also being free, BFRPG just doesn’t stand out for me. Going to take a look at Olde Swords Reign, on recommendation from another viewer, which is similar concept, except it strips down 5e to 4 classes and simple stat blocks (also free and at cost for print copies). Hope that seems fair, even if you may not have the same opinion, at least you can see how I got there.
As an 2nd edition Grognard. For Gold&Glory is great, but has a much lower number of spells Printed then the original 2nd PHB. If you want the full Wizard/Cleric spell lists - you have to use the OG PHB. Typically we print the spells the player knows with they keep in a binder for easy reference anyway.
I knew they had to cut any of the “named” wizard spells, I guess I didn’t realize they cut so much. Thanks for the input! I played a ton of 2nd edition. Started in Red Box using AD&D supplements, but once 2e dropped we all switched to that. Every time a new complete handbook came out it was a rush to see who could pick it up first. Have you given Hyperborea a look? It is pretty compatible with 2e but adds some classes, combat options and iconic weird monsters.
It's still a great purchase. Especially when it first came out, there weren't options to buy a Reprint version of the PHB. So they were priced as collectable's rather then regular books. I'm actually thinking about picking up Hyperborea you mentioned in the video. Especially where you said it's a natural evolution of the older rules. I got it on my list to check out for sure!@@booksbricksandboards783
So Jeff has been petty open about his process, basically taking his 30+ year AD&D campaign house rules and organizing them to make his game. He took some bits from BX (initiative I believe) and a lot of variations on things that all of us house ruled in the day (critical hits and fumbles), and then just cleaned up some of the combat steps and then reworked the classes to be more unique and interesting. I don’t know him, but have corresponded a couple of times on issues related to his game and he seems to me like one of the really genuinely great gamers that happened to also be a talented writer. He really seemed to take a lot of pride in his efforts to honor the game Gary and Dave built. Top notch game, top notch guy (and I have never gotten anything free from him, just really like his stuff).
Dean, that was why I prefaced with the part about not being a top ten, because it is like selecting a favorite child! Lol. Seriously though, Knave would be in a top 10 list, but my thoughts with this list is that most folks looking to start in the OSR are likely doing so because they are nostalgic for a game from their youth, and as such I focused on the games that were largely more emulating those games. The exception on the list was Mork Borg, and it primarily made the cut because it is more widely recognized and would likely be known to one of the non-nostalgia OSR-curious types. Knave, while amazing, is a little less familiar than most of the other titles, but it is every bit as deserving!
It's a bit late to update my Christmas list; perhaps a new year goal to get all items. Have a few of these books but also some cool sounding ones I've never heard of. Thanks for the video
what a great video!! I may be biased cause I own every game you showcased either in physical or pdf form!!! great list!!! the only one i'd change would be replacing Mork Borg with Castles and Crusades 0 an excellent game with 3 high quality core books by Troll Lord games !!!- I hope you do other videos looking at other OSR games and who you think they are for!!! ----- great video!!
Ajax, thanks for the response! I actually do enjoy C&C and even had a first edition copy from my first trip to Gen Con. I do enjoy the game, but boy it is hard to narrow down to “only” 10 lol 😀. My current schedule is to cover a specific game or product every other week, and something more informational like this (rpg 101) on the opposite week. If something particularly important and timely comes up, then I will fit that in the mix. Thanks again!
It really is a one of a kind game. Jeff is a talented writer. Like the Survive This! guys, it started as his house ruled version of the game he’d been playing for years.
@@booksbricksandboards783 I am a recent viewer of your channel, so forgive me if you have already covered this but for me, old school rpgs really peaked with thedragon warriors books.
No apologies ever necessary with the community here on this channel Jay. I’m familiar with the old Dragon Warrior CRPG but didn’t know a TTRPG version was out there. Tell me more!
@@booksbricksandboards783 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Warriors Dont think it was ever a crpg. Came out in the mid 80s, one of the first games i ever played. Might be viewing it thru rose tinted glasses, but have very fond memories of it.
I really want to back the Evolved KS but wanted a physical copy of it since it is so big but I outside the US so its not an option and printing off 700 olus pages at home is insane and getting a company to do it third party is even worse at least where I live. But anyway I would also add Sacrifice an Incense and Iron RPG by Blackoath Entertainment. It is brilliant a simple but well done game can be played solo, with a small party ir 1on1 with a GM. Its a smaller game but filled with content, its alot like Berserk or you could play as a party of commoners. They put out now 3 other small supplements for it all great. Its on Drivethrurpg well worth a look intresting idea behind it.
@@booksbricksandboards783 no worries it is also very affordable and a hell of alot of fun plus you can easily add stuff from other games if you wish. Blackoath has a great collection of games something got everyone in terms of taste. Their games are pretty dark though I love that. Also love Mork Borg and DCC myself 🤟 need to check out some of the stuff you showed as well. To much greatness ha
That is really the funny part about the recent conversation of “the end of the Golden Age of RPG’s”. There is so much great stuff out already I could NEVER play it all. Lol
@@booksbricksandboards783 Lol yeah I saw that as well and I laughed my ass off tbh. Sounds like the guy who thinks DnD is the only thing out there, It got so big because of things like Stranger Things and critical roll but honestly I think it got watered down but that is just me as well. But it has always had waves of being really popular then going down alot and going back. TTRPG as a while is only growing.
Agree 100%. The “death” of D&D brought about Vampire. Then the “death” of D&D brought Pathfinder. Now the “death” of D&D is bringing us an explosion of new and innovative games to play. Can’t wait for D&D to die again to see what we get!
Worlds Without Number is a must check out for the GM resources but also for the most interesting while streamlined skill and foci (feats) system. The magic system is very very cool as well! OSE is wonderful although the Dolmenwood is kind of making it sadly nearly obsolete. Dolmenwood being the perfection of B/X based games. Hyperborea has a lot going for it though the seasons ecology is a bit too hard to suspend disbelief in. Also some of the colonial era takes on ethnicity are a bit hard to swallow. The strength of course is the setting tone and i especially love the creatures and deities.
Paavo, welcome back my friend! Isn’t Dolmenwood just a setting built for OSE? I may have misunderstood your take there. Hyperborea stays pretty close to the works of Smith, Howard and Burroughs, so the sensibilities are a little different than today, but largely I think he leaves it up to the reader as to how they interpret the cultures in his world. I saw a discussion on Ixians for example, which are largely believed to be his take on Stygians from Conan. Jeff’s answer when asked some direct questions was basically, “I have given my official takes on that in the books, anything else is open for you to figure out for your table.” Basically, he wants to leave all of these things open enough that you can play them as best works in your game. I love some sword and sorcery fiction, so I really enjoy the homages that he places in his world.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Thank you! From the OGL scandal Gavin went to work on his own B/X based system free from the near total faithfulness of OSE. The Kickstarter for Dolmenwood ended up including this new system that's very familar but takes some very important liberties. I've been playing rather heavily modded OSE but with the Dolmenwood system I feel less need for house ruling and there's a lot of added richness in the presentation with the survival rules, herbs, shrooms etc. Luckily it's highly compatible with OSE! I'm quite fond of the pulp sword and sorcery plus Lovecraftian elements so I really dig how Hyperborea creates a cohesive setting and system from them. One of the issues is that it ends up further emphasizing some of the outdated tropes because they're canonized into the setting lore even more explicitly than the classic stories did. It's kind of too bad as it makes it hard to use the otherwise brilliant setting materials, beautiful maps and adventures. It's not an insurmountable problem but an unnecessary one in my opinion and a bit lazy in the midst of brilliance.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Sure 😁 It's too bad really, that the system has kind of snuck under the radar. I hope Necrotic Gnome will publish the system on its own in the future. There will be an SRD though. Btw, a cool dice tower you have there!
One game that gets no love despite being awesome and free is Olde Swords Reign. It's OSR in feel, but built off the 5e SRD. IMO it fixes the bloat and 'Dungeons and Demigods" problem 5e has. The author also went the same way that Basic Fantasy RPG went; he made it available for free via PDF or at cost on Amazon, etc.
What sucks is that nobody talks about it and it really is fantastically simple to run, has some of the best land exploration rules going, and it takes the good stuff 5e introduced, but gets rid of the whole superhero thing. Also, it's insanely easy to import monsters etc from other games, especially 5e and old school. I think you'd dig it!
Simon, it’s funny you mention that, because the other day I was trying to remember that game. I knew there was an OSR game with the initials, OSR, but could not remember the name. I am not a big fan of 5e, which is why I have not checked out Shadows of the Demon Lord yet either, but Olde Swords Reign seems like one I need to take a look at. It’s on the list… but I gotta say, the list is long. Too many good RPG’s to play and talk about! First world problems!
Slight update… you convinced me to pick it up… at $7 on Amazon, can’t go wrong!
This was the final straw for me. I finally had to break down and buy Old School Essentials. 😂
LOL. 😂. Umm.. sorry? Seriously though, if you are playing any form of BX, it is just far and away the most accessible at the table. I just love these folks. To be clear, they’ve never sent me anything or even reached out, I just really like their work.
You won’t be disappointed buddy!
@@booksbricksandboards783 I've been eyeballing it for months. I just needed a good push to finally buy it. I'm excited to get it. :)
Which version did you end up going with? Tome or Boxed Set, and Advanced or Classic? No wrong answer here, just curious.
@booksbricksandboards783 Classic Tome. I'm a simple guy. Give me one book of straightforward rules and I'm happy as a hog in a mudpit.
Good choice! Best bang for the buck too!
Nice overview of the 10 stand-out products that showcase aspects of the OSR, although an even dozen would make room for Basic Fantasy RPG and Castles & Crusades.
Maybe you have your reasons not to include these two, but the $ value of BFRPG makes it an obvious choice imo and C&C could have started the entire movement when the Troll Lords teamed up with Gary Gygax early 2000s.
Fred! Welcome back sir! Funny story on C&C, I actually bought the first edition books back at my very first Gen Con, before the Keeper’s Guide was even released. I do like the C&C game, but I think that in a lot of ways there are just other options that, for me, make it not stand out from the pack. It really hasn’t innovated much since they first developed the Siege Engine. That said, it is solid, and has the distinction of being the home system for Gary’s last great works.
BFRPG is left off for largely the same reasons for me. I love the idea behind the project, an accessible copy of the rules that is available to everyone, but after seeing more recent attempts to provide better layout, fidelity and innovation, I feel like the only thing going for BFRPG for me is the cost… and with Worlds Without Number also being free, BFRPG just doesn’t stand out for me. Going to take a look at Olde Swords Reign, on recommendation from another viewer, which is similar concept, except it strips down 5e to 4 classes and simple stat blocks (also free and at cost for print copies). Hope that seems fair, even if you may not have the same opinion, at least you can see how I got there.
Excellent video and channel!
Thanks Cimmerian!
As an 2nd edition Grognard. For Gold&Glory is great, but has a much lower number of spells Printed then the original 2nd PHB. If you want the full Wizard/Cleric spell lists - you have to use the OG PHB. Typically we print the spells the player knows with they keep in a binder for easy reference anyway.
I knew they had to cut any of the “named” wizard spells, I guess I didn’t realize they cut so much. Thanks for the input! I played a ton of 2nd edition. Started in Red Box using AD&D supplements, but once 2e dropped we all switched to that. Every time a new complete handbook came out it was a rush to see who could pick it up first. Have you given Hyperborea a look? It is pretty compatible with 2e but adds some classes, combat options and iconic weird monsters.
It's still a great purchase. Especially when it first came out, there weren't options to buy a Reprint version of the PHB. So they were priced as collectable's rather then regular books.
I'm actually thinking about picking up Hyperborea you mentioned in the video. Especially where you said it's a natural evolution of the older rules. I got it on my list to check out for sure!@@booksbricksandboards783
So Jeff has been petty open about his process, basically taking his 30+ year AD&D campaign house rules and organizing them to make his game. He took some bits from BX (initiative I believe) and a lot of variations on things that all of us house ruled in the day (critical hits and fumbles), and then just cleaned up some of the combat steps and then reworked the classes to be more unique and interesting. I don’t know him, but have corresponded a couple of times on issues related to his game and he seems to me like one of the really genuinely great gamers that happened to also be a talented writer. He really seemed to take a lot of pride in his efforts to honor the game Gary and Dave built. Top notch game, top notch guy (and I have never gotten anything free from him, just really like his stuff).
I want Worlds Without Numbers sooo much!
Free PDF on drivethru rpg. Deluxe pdf is $19. I have the official print, but end up using the one I put in the binder out of convenience.
Gotta love that shirt, Bro! Cool 😎 ☝️
Hey thanks brother! I appreciate that. Also, your profile pic was that of my most well used player’s handbook edition, so high marks there as well!
No love for Knave, Cairn, or WhiteBox FMAG? Daaaang.
Haha anyway, still a very interesting video.
Dean, that was why I prefaced with the part about not being a top ten, because it is like selecting a favorite child! Lol. Seriously though, Knave would be in a top 10 list, but my thoughts with this list is that most folks looking to start in the OSR are likely doing so because they are nostalgic for a game from their youth, and as such I focused on the games that were largely more emulating those games. The exception on the list was Mork Borg, and it primarily made the cut because it is more widely recognized and would likely be known to one of the non-nostalgia OSR-curious types. Knave, while amazing, is a little less familiar than most of the other titles, but it is every bit as deserving!
It's a bit late to update my Christmas list; perhaps a new year goal to get all items. Have a few of these books but also some cool sounding ones I've never heard of.
Thanks for the video
Very welcome Panther. We are not at a lack for great RPG options, glad I was able to introduce you to a few!
what a great video!! I may be biased cause I own every game you showcased either in physical or pdf form!!!
great list!!! the only one i'd change would be replacing Mork Borg with Castles and Crusades 0 an excellent game with 3 high quality core books by Troll Lord games !!!- I hope you do other videos looking at other OSR games and who you think they are for!!! ----- great video!!
Ajax, thanks for the response! I actually do enjoy C&C and even had a first edition copy from my first trip to Gen Con. I do enjoy the game, but boy it is hard to narrow down to “only” 10 lol 😀. My current schedule is to cover a specific game or product every other week, and something more informational like this (rpg 101) on the opposite week. If something particularly important and timely comes up, then I will fit that in the mix. Thanks again!
Hyperborea looks really good.
It really is a one of a kind game. Jeff is a talented writer. Like the Survive This! guys, it started as his house ruled version of the game he’d been playing for years.
It's fantastic.
@@booksbricksandboards783 I am a recent viewer of your channel, so forgive me if you have already covered this but for me, old school rpgs really peaked with thedragon warriors books.
No apologies ever necessary with the community here on this channel Jay. I’m familiar with the old Dragon Warrior CRPG but didn’t know a TTRPG version was out there. Tell me more!
@@booksbricksandboards783 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Warriors Dont think it was ever a crpg. Came out in the mid 80s, one of the first games i ever played. Might be viewing it thru rose tinted glasses, but have very fond memories of it.
I really want to back the Evolved KS but wanted a physical copy of it since it is so big but I outside the US so its not an option and printing off 700 olus pages at home is insane and getting a company to do it third party is even worse at least where I live. But anyway I would also add Sacrifice an Incense and Iron RPG by Blackoath Entertainment. It is brilliant a simple but well done game can be played solo, with a small party ir 1on1 with a GM. Its a smaller game but filled with content, its alot like Berserk or you could play as a party of commoners. They put out now 3 other small supplements for it all great. Its on Drivethrurpg well worth a look intresting idea behind it.
I do like my Solo/Co Op RPG’s. Going to give Incense and Iron RPG a look once I have some time and cash. Thanks for the tip!
@@booksbricksandboards783 no worries it is also very affordable and a hell of alot of fun plus you can easily add stuff from other games if you wish. Blackoath has a great collection of games something got everyone in terms of taste. Their games are pretty dark though I love that. Also love Mork Borg and DCC myself 🤟 need to check out some of the stuff you showed as well. To much greatness ha
That is really the funny part about the recent conversation of “the end of the Golden Age of RPG’s”. There is so much great stuff out already I could NEVER play it all. Lol
@@booksbricksandboards783 Lol yeah I saw that as well and I laughed my ass off tbh. Sounds like the guy who thinks DnD is the only thing out there, It got so big because of things like Stranger Things and critical roll but honestly I think it got watered down but that is just me as well. But it has always had waves of being really popular then going down alot and going back. TTRPG as a while is only growing.
Agree 100%. The “death” of D&D brought about Vampire. Then the “death” of D&D brought Pathfinder. Now the “death” of D&D is bringing us an explosion of new and innovative games to play. Can’t wait for D&D to die again to see what we get!
Worlds Without Number is a must check out for the GM resources but also for the most interesting while streamlined skill and foci (feats) system. The magic system is very very cool as well!
OSE is wonderful although the Dolmenwood is kind of making it sadly nearly obsolete. Dolmenwood being the perfection of B/X based games.
Hyperborea has a lot going for it though the seasons ecology is a bit too hard to suspend disbelief in. Also some of the colonial era takes on ethnicity are a bit hard to swallow. The strength of course is the setting tone and i especially love the creatures and deities.
Paavo, welcome back my friend! Isn’t Dolmenwood just a setting built for OSE? I may have misunderstood your take there.
Hyperborea stays pretty close to the works of Smith, Howard and Burroughs, so the sensibilities are a little different than today, but largely I think he leaves it up to the reader as to how they interpret the cultures in his world. I saw a discussion on Ixians for example, which are largely believed to be his take on Stygians from Conan. Jeff’s answer when asked some direct questions was basically, “I have given my official takes on that in the books, anything else is open for you to figure out for your table.” Basically, he wants to leave all of these things open enough that you can play them as best works in your game. I love some sword and sorcery fiction, so I really enjoy the homages that he places in his world.
@@booksbricksandboards783
Thank you!
From the OGL scandal Gavin went to work on his own B/X based system free from the near total faithfulness of OSE. The Kickstarter for Dolmenwood ended up including this new system that's very familar but takes some very important liberties. I've been playing rather heavily modded OSE but with the Dolmenwood system I feel less need for house ruling and there's a lot of added richness in the presentation with the survival rules, herbs, shrooms etc. Luckily it's highly compatible with OSE!
I'm quite fond of the pulp sword and sorcery plus Lovecraftian elements so I really dig how Hyperborea creates a cohesive setting and system from them. One of the issues is that it ends up further emphasizing some of the outdated tropes because they're canonized into the setting lore even more explicitly than the classic stories did. It's kind of too bad as it makes it hard to use the otherwise brilliant setting materials, beautiful maps and adventures. It's not an insurmountable problem but an unnecessary one in my opinion and a bit lazy in the midst of brilliance.
Paavo, thanks for the explanation on Dolmenwood, totally missed that one apparently! 😂
@@booksbricksandboards783 Sure 😁 It's too bad really, that the system has kind of snuck under the radar. I hope Necrotic Gnome will publish the system on its own in the future. There will be an SRD though. Btw, a cool dice tower you have there!
Nice eye Paavo, that is an homage to the “Bricks” of Books, BRICKS, and Boards.