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State of the Art in OSR Rules Design

Abstract

The state of the art in OSR rules design refers to a collection of evolutionary improvements that address common game design problems in traditional fantasy roleplaying games. These innovations are presented as superior approaches that have become standard in modern OSR and DIY D&D, though they often have older roots.

Design Goals and Solutions

Fast and Easy Character Generation

  • Random starting gear: Replace shopping with random, evocative gear packages that are always playable. Examples include silver-thread butterfly nets for catching fairies.
  • Full random character generation: Support both player choice and random generation for quick replacement characters. Tools like online character generators make this practical.

Minimize Bookkeeping

  • Approximate encumbrance: Use simple systems like one significant item per Strength point or flat limits, avoiding detailed weight calculations.
  • Event engines: Overload encounter dice or use hazard systems for timekeeping, weather, and random events, making the world feel alive without complex tracking.
  • Abstract consumables: Randomize exhaustion of arrows, torches, and similar consumables using usage dice, event outcomes, or overloaded action rolls.

Maintain Tension at Desired Difficulty

  • Death and dismemberment tables: Allow zero hit points to have consequences without instant death, increasing character resilience while maintaining risk. Various implementations exist from different games and blogs.

Develop Content That Will See Play

  • Spells without levels: Remove level gates on spells, allowing access from level 1 with appropriate in-fiction requirements like ingredients or teachers.
  • Early magic item creation: Enable magic item crafting from level 1, such as Holmes-style scroll creation.

Minimize Numerical Inflation

  • Advantage/Disadvantage: Replace numerical bonuses with 5E-style advantage or disadvantage to flatten power curves.

Keep Content Fresh

  • Descriptive presentation: Show rather than tell; deploy monsters without naming them to avoid familiarity.
  • Random quirks: Add random tables of special abilities, details, or cosmetic features to make familiar elements unique.
  • Re-skinning: Adapt existing monsters to new forms while preserving core concepts.

Historical Context

Many of these ideas have older origins but gained popularity in OSR circles through blogs, games like Lamentations of the Flame Princess, and online discussions. The post emphasizes that these are relative improvements, not absolute requirements, but should be considered carefully when designing or hacking rules.

See Also