In the late 70's and early 80's roleplaying games became a popular pastime. Since then many new games and new editions of old favorites have been released. But unlike that old Apple 2 or Commodore 64, games don't wear out or become obsolete. They are still as much fun to play today as they were back in the day.

In 2000,Wizards of the Coast released the 3rd Edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game. In addition they released much of this edition under the Open Game License so that third party publishers could release products. This document had 90% of what is needed to play prior editions.

In 2006, the OSRIC team released the first retro-clone of an older edition. Now six years later every older edition has a retro-clone including many other roleplaying games that are variations. Taking the older editions in different directions that the original authors didn't have the time or interest for.

The games listed in this primer are only a handful of the many that are available. For a person new to this it can all be confusing. The games selected in this primer are in the author's judgment are representative of the OSR. After examining and playing these games you will find there is a incredible variety of other games, supplements, settings and adventures to choose from.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you find the same amount of enjoyment in these games as I did. Whether you are an older player returning, a parent looking to do something with their kid, or someone

wanting to see what it was all about.

In the words that closed the first ever roleplaying game.

Fight On!

The Primer

Download the Swords and Wizardry quick Start
http://www.black-blade-publishing.com/Store/tabid/65/pid/24/Swords-Wrizardry-Quick-Start-pdf-.aspx

If you both like it then try either

Swords and Wizardry Core or Labyrinth Lord

http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=18
http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

If you have some trouble with rules light nature of the game then try reading the Old School Primer http://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-finch/quick-primer-for-old-school-gaming/ebook/product-3159558.html

And when you want more options go with one of the following

Swords and Wizardry, Complete
http://www.talesofthefroggod.com/sword-wizardry.html

Advanced Edition Companion for LL
http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

OSRIC
http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/

Adventurer Conqueror King
http://www.autarch.co/

Look on Dragonsfoot.org and RPGNow for free or inexpensive adventures to use.

For example my Blackmarsh setting.  (free to download)
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/89944/Blackmarsh

I designed a one page fold up pamphlet that you can download from.
http://www.batintheattic.com/downloads/OSR_Primer.pdf

I am releasing this and the art to the public domain for everybody to copy and use. It includes a nifty cover along with a blank fourth pages that folks can customize to advertise their product or point out materials that I didn't.  I feel this pamphlet will get a novice up to speed quickly, explain why things are the way they are and a straightforward method of sampling the diverse material. I apologize if I didn't put your product on the list. Of my own material I only mentioned Blackmarsh because it is free to download.

Hope you find this useful.

I thought this was going to be about Matt Finch's Primer.

Good post, though, maybe even worth stickying.

I recommend http://www.basicfantasy.org/main.html. A perfect mix of B/X and 3e.

Great post, estar!  thank you.  Please keep adding to it as you think of more information to pass on to us.

Quote from: danbuter;546991I recommend http://www.basicfantasy.org/main.html. A perfect mix of B/X and 3e.

Seconded!

Dark Dungeons is old school without some of the weirdness (it has ascending AC and saved, if I recall correctly).

This is an update of a similar post I wrote some time ago, over at theRPGhaven:

The Butcher's Taxonomy of OSR Games

Actual retro-clones

Games which intend to reproduce a TSR-era D&D ruleset. Originally conceived as a means to publish material for use with these old games, while sidestepping legal issues with WotC, some of these inject differing amounts of modifications into the core engine (e.g. S&W offers options such as ascending AC and a single saving throw number for each class), some of these have gone on to sell a decent number of copies, and introduce latter-day gamers (like me) to these classic games.

OSRIC. The one that started it all. A fairly faithful AD&D 1e, AFAIK identical to the original except for layout and lack of Gygaxian prose. No variants as these guys are pretty fucking hardcore about their choice of system, and their system of choice.

Labyrinth Lord. B/X D&D.

• Labyrinth Lord Original Edition Characters. Dials down some elements, bringing it closer to OD&D.
  
• Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Characters. Adds elements from AD&D 1e, resulting in a B/X-AD&D 1e hybrid that's simpler than straight AD&D 1e and was apparently a common way to play D&D back in the day.
  

Swords & Wizardry. OD&D. While it does clarify and streamline some things, like OD&D S&W still leaves a lot up to the DM and players. This also means that it's a great "chassis" for you to tack on new subsystems and other elements according to your campaign's needs.

• Swords & Wizardry White Box. "Core" OD&D, a.k.a. "white box" or "little brown books", sans supplements.
  
• Swords & Wizardry Core. OD&D plus some supplemental material (mostly from Supplement I: Greyhawk), mainly the Thief class, and variable weapon damage.
  
• Swords & Wizardry Complete. Yet more supplemental material, including classes such as Ranger, Paladin, Assassin and Druid; very much "proto-AD&D" in feel.
  

Dark Dungeons. D&D RC

Myth & Magic. AD&D 2e

Pathfinder. D&D 3.5e (hurr durr)

Derivative games

Games which retain meaningful design elements from TSR-era D&D while recognizably modifying the original D&D engine enough that it's clearly distinguishable from any one published version of D&D, i.e. not a "clone" in the strictest sense but a deliberate and recognizable variant. The line can get fuzzy at times (it's more of a spectrum, really), but this is the best definition I could think of.

Derived from AD&D 1e (sort of)

• Castles & Crusades. Uses d20 roll-high attribute checks for unified resolution (similar to 3e), including a "Prime Attribute" system that allows for limited character customization; otherwise emulates AD&D 1e (classes, races, monsters etc.)
  

Derived from B/X or BECMI or LL

• Basic Fantasy RPG. Think B/X or BECMI, minus class-as-race. Four classes (fighter, cleric, magic-user, thief) and four races (human, dwarf, elf, halfling). The rest is pretty much standard B/X or BECMI.
  
• Spellcraft & Swordplay. Uses a 2d6 roll-high unified resolution mechanic derived from Chainmail (the miniatures wargame which OD&D referenced as a possible combat system), otherwise emulates B/X and BECMI.
  
• Mutant Future. From the LL guys, builds on LL to emulate gonzo post-apocalyptic SF in the vein of Gamma World.
  
• Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Aims for a more horrific, "weird tale" experience, up to and including high lethality (e.g. only Fighters see an increase in Attack Bonus), unique monsters (no bestiary included, only guidelines for monster creation) and assorted nastiness. Also lurid, gory and risqué art with tits and blood and grime and stuff.
  
• Adventurer Conqueror King. My current favorite, builds on LL-B/X and BECMI (specifically BEC) to deliver a fine-tuned endgame, including rules for stronghold building, domain management, mercantile ventures, high-end ritual magic and assorted goodness. Also has new classes (two different classes each for Dwarves and Elves, feat-like Proficiencies, etc.). Of all OSR games, it's one of the less orthodox, more willing to implement modern design sensibilities. I tend to think of it as a spiritual successor to the D&D RC.
  

Derived from OD&D or S&W

• Stars Without Number. Adapts S&W into a surprisingly resilient, Travelleresque SF engine (the skill system is pretty much Traveller, with "skill packages" in lieu of randomly-rolled careers). Has a setting of its own included, but feels easy to adapt for a setting of your own (Pseudo's used it for Warhammer 40,000, IIRC). Since psionics are handled a lot like D&D magic, I'd love to see it used for a Star Wars game. Also gets plenty of PDF support, including some awesome free downloads, from its creator, the gifted Mr. Kevin Crawford. Solid gold.
  
• Crypts & Things. Takes Swords & Wizardry and does away with dragons, elves and other archetypal fantasy cruft, substituting them for all-human PCs, customized Barbarian and Thief classes, a "dying world" setting and a less diluted S&S feel reminiscent of Jack Vance and Clark Ashton Smith. Never read but it looks good.
  
• Flying Swordsmen. Wuxia by way of old school D&D. Uses a martial art stunt system derived from Chris Pramas' brilliant, underrated, late, post-TSR AD&D 2e Dragon Fist wuxia hack. The rest seems built on Swords & Wizardry, with genre-appropriate weapons, monsters, spells and treasure thrown in for good measure.
  
• Backswords & Bucklers. Reworks that OD&D/S&W chassis into an Elizabethan fantasy RPG. Very subdued, almost vestigial magic system; no fireballs or flying carpets here. Great "tavern trawling" procedure that should be inspirational even to more conventional D&D games. Also, IIRC, there's a fencing/dueling system in there somewhere. A very effective demonstration of just how sturdy and flexible the TSR-era D&D engine can be.
  
• Weird Adventures. Uses S&W as the basis for a pulp game. Intriguing, and it's got a couple of people over at theRPGsite swearing by it, but again, I haven't read.
  

That's all the OSR games I know. Hope that helps.

"Play AD&D."

Quote from: thedungeondelver;547002"Play AD&D."

You spelled B/X wrong, dude.

Myth & Magic is derived from 2e (although many of the variances keep the same math, just calculated differently), For Gold & Glory would be the 2e retroclone.

Cheers

Quote from: Aos;547018You spelled B/X wrong, dude.

I'm killing you right now - with my brain.

*sigh* 'kay? Lo! Pedia.

It's bad enough introducing 3.x elements (*coughcough*ascendingac*coughcough*) into retro-clones, but the worst part is when they all throw the spell list into one unsorted alphabetized pile.  Now, I have to look up what 4th level spell I want to take on the list, flip to the spell description and see if that is really worth it, flip back to the listing and check out the next one...  That is why they were sorted by level before, folks, because that is how we used the book!  I get a 4th level spell, I flip to the 4th level spell descriptions and BLAMMO!  All the information I need is right there.  How often does one come across a spell name with no further contextual information?  It doesn't happen.  "...once per day, the wand can place a fire trap, as the 4th level Magic-User spell...".

Fuck it, I am going to use 1st edition AD&D as a template and write an actual retro-clone that doesn't pull in elements from newer games at all.  Fuck unified systems, fuck ascending AC, and fuck alphabetical spell listings.  Chaos RPG, assholes, and you better be ready because I am going to put sub-systems in the sub-systems, AC will be based on imaginary prime numbers, and anything that goes in a list will be completely randomized.

So if that's a problem, why not just play AD&D? Or OSRIC?

I don't have the quote handy, but the thinking behind organizing OSRIC spells alphabetically was and is that its not conceived to replace, but supplement AD&D's use at the game table, so you can have both available to you as you play.

Quote from: Melan;547069So if that's a problem, why not just play AD&D? Or OSRIC?

It's more fun to be crabby and make a fuss.