OSR FAQ

>Just what the hell is 'OSR' anyway?
A: OSR stands for Old-School Renaissance (or Revival, depending on who you ask.) Over the last 40 years, the game we refer to as "Dungeons and Dragons" has changed so much that its initial inception is essentially an entirely different game from its current form. The OSR is for people who enjoy that early style of play.

>Why is "Old-School" D&D so much better?
A: It's not "better," it's just a very different game. If you ask 100 different OSR enthusiasts why they prefer OSR, you'll get 100 different answers. Common answers include an increased emphasis on player agency and sandbox environments, a more grounded power curve, an emphasis on player skill rather than rules mastery, simple rules, quick character generation, easier DM prep, and more challenging, lethal gameplay.

>I thought Old-School D&D was complicated, and only the groggiest of nards could understand its arcane rules?
A: AD&D 1st edition is famous for its crunchy and sometimes byzantine rules, but B/X, OD&D, and their derived systems couldn't be simpler. As the writer of this document I can tell you I've had people who have never played D&D before rolling dice and exploring dungeons alongside veteran players within 5 minutes, and that's not an exaggeration.

>So many editions! I wouldn't even know which one to start with...
A: At a certain point, it becomes a question of which shade of white paint is your favorite. The "OSR" places an emphasis on compatibility: we want to be able to run a module in our preferred ruleset, whichever that may be, so the difference between rulesets is fairly minimal. For a first-timer coming into the scene totally cold, the author of this document (TAOTD) would recommend "Old-School Essentials," by Necrotic Gnome. Its SRD is available online in wiki form totally free. It is essentially a re-printing of the 1980's "Basic/Expert" D&D (AKA "B/X D&D") which was itself a simplification of AD&D, a parallel product. B/X D&D is the foundation of most retroclones and hacks, and 99% of modules can be run using B/X with minimal to no conversion.

>I think I might like to play OSR, but I'd want to change some stuff about it first...
A: One of the best things about the OSR is its infinitely hackable rules. House rules were the expectation, acknowledged many times in the official rulebooks. However, TAOTD would recommend playing at least a few sessions as "by the book" as possible. Often rules that seem silly or incongruous will justify themselves in play.

>Alright, I've got my ruleset chosen. Now what modules do you recommend?
A: A helpful anon of the /osrg/ has compiled a .pdf of recommended introductory modules; ask after it in the /osrg/. As of May 2020, its latest version is 1.6. TAOTD recommends either B2 - Keep on the Borderlands or B4 - The Lost City.

>I want to play OSR, but my players want to stick with 5e/3.PF...
A: Ask them to run a module as a one-shot. They'll fall in love before they know what's happening :)