Old-School Essentials - Classic Fantasy (OSE) - a review
Oct 25, 2020 17:23:17 GMT -6
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Post by kuburanar on Oct 25, 2020 17:23:17 GMT -6
Old-School Essentials (Classic Fantasy) is an absolutely killer clone of Moldvay/Cook/Marsh Basic/Expert, my "home" ruleset.
Pros:
+ Cleanest presentation of any D&D ruleset ever, even better than Moldvay.
+ Serial numbers are not filed off like every other OSR clone.
+ Use B/X rules without the clunky two book split.
+ Functional endpages.
+ Sound justifications given for minor rule changes/additions to B/X.
+ Super high quality hardcover print.
+ A lot of righteously old-school art (Matt Ray, Peter Mullen, Stefan Poag, et al).
Cons:
- A lot of unrighteously new-school art. When I think "Old-School", "Essential", and "Classic Fantasy" I think...
full color full/double page art, multiple times, in every section of the rules, not even old-school in style?
In a clone for a ruleset lauded for its economy and brevity? I wish Necrotic Gnome kept to line art in the interior,
and used larger pieces or single pages only where the layout allows it. Surely it would be a plus if the double-page
pieces were dropped, considering the smaller 6x9 format already pushes the page count way up over B/X. I know I'm
not alone when I say the art is a crucial (one might say essential) part of what defines old-school. It's like,
is this a Nintendo DS guidebook or an 80s TTRPG? (Get off my lawn, etc.)
- Font is roughly 0% old-school. I think the earlier iterations (B/X Essentials) used Souvenir or something close.
Makes sense to choose something neutral, but it would've been an easy way to score old-school points.
- Inclusion of ascending AC. Makes sense considering its popularity, but if you're not of a mind it just takes up space.
Target20 is the way (shout out to delta).
- Monster listings include save values rather than referencing class/level,
i.e. "SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1)" instead of high purple gygaxian "F1".
Overall, OSE is outstandingly great and a dream OSR ruleset.
But it's forced me to realize the importance of the art, the tone.
One can play War Pigs on a ukulele, except the part when the sound starts.
Maybe I'll just glue stick the double-page art together.
Anyone else check these rules out yet?
Pros:
+ Cleanest presentation of any D&D ruleset ever, even better than Moldvay.
+ Serial numbers are not filed off like every other OSR clone.
+ Use B/X rules without the clunky two book split.
+ Functional endpages.
+ Sound justifications given for minor rule changes/additions to B/X.
+ Super high quality hardcover print.
+ A lot of righteously old-school art (Matt Ray, Peter Mullen, Stefan Poag, et al).
Cons:
- A lot of unrighteously new-school art. When I think "Old-School", "Essential", and "Classic Fantasy" I think...
full color full/double page art, multiple times, in every section of the rules, not even old-school in style?
In a clone for a ruleset lauded for its economy and brevity? I wish Necrotic Gnome kept to line art in the interior,
and used larger pieces or single pages only where the layout allows it. Surely it would be a plus if the double-page
pieces were dropped, considering the smaller 6x9 format already pushes the page count way up over B/X. I know I'm
not alone when I say the art is a crucial (one might say essential) part of what defines old-school. It's like,
is this a Nintendo DS guidebook or an 80s TTRPG? (Get off my lawn, etc.)
- Font is roughly 0% old-school. I think the earlier iterations (B/X Essentials) used Souvenir or something close.
Makes sense to choose something neutral, but it would've been an easy way to score old-school points.
- Inclusion of ascending AC. Makes sense considering its popularity, but if you're not of a mind it just takes up space.
Target20 is the way (shout out to delta).
- Monster listings include save values rather than referencing class/level,
i.e. "SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1)" instead of high purple gygaxian "F1".
Overall, OSE is outstandingly great and a dream OSR ruleset.
But it's forced me to realize the importance of the art, the tone.
One can play War Pigs on a ukulele, except the part when the sound starts.
Maybe I'll just glue stick the double-page art together.
Anyone else check these rules out yet?