# OSR tags: #game/rpg/osr **OSR RPG: A Sarcastic Ode to Antiquated Masochism** Ah, the Old School Renaissance (OSR), the gaming equivalent of insisting that music peaked with vinyl records and that "they don't make 'em like they used to." This movement, shrouded in the mystique of nostalgia, clings to the early days of **[[Dungeons and Dragons|Dungeons & Dragons]]** like a level 1 thief to a newly discovered bag of holding. For those who find modern RPGs too coddling, the OSR offers the brutal, unforgiving love of a dungeon master who might as well be wearing a "T.P.K. (Total Party Kill) Happens" t-shirt. **Core Die Resolution Mechanics:** If you've ever thought that RPGs these days are too focused on, you know, ensuring players have fun rather than simulating a medieval meat grinder, then OSR games are for you. The core mechanics seem to be based on the principle that character death is not only inevitable but also a key part of the fun. Forget about balanced combat or any notion that you, the player, should survive long enough to develop a backstory. Here, you roll dice in the desperate hope that your character might live to see another session, navigating through rules that are as forgiving as a mimic disguised as a treasure chest. **Evolution Across Editions:** The OSR doesn't just resurrect the draconian rule sets of yore; it zombifies them, slapping on a fresh coat of paint while the rotten core remains unchanged. From the "retro-clones" like **OSRIC** and **Labyrinth Lord**, which are about as original as a goblin's dungeon layout, to the "innovative" takes like **The Black Hack** and **Dungeon Crawl Classics**, which dare to ask, "What if we made old-school D&D, but slightly different?" The movement has evolved from a simple longing for the past to a complex ecosystem of games that are to classic D&D what modern hipsters are to 70s fashion: a quirky, sometimes confusing homage. In the end, the OSR stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of getting together with friends to explore deadly dungeons, where the real treasure is the memories you make while watching your meticulously crafted characters fall into pit traps and get incinerated by dragon fire. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer yearning for the unforgiving dungeons of your youth or a newcomer curious about gaming's equivalent of hard mode, the OSR has something to bitterly complain about when the DM decides your fate with a roll of the dice. ## References - Enjoy a deep dive into the pit of despair with OSR's roots on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_School_Renaissance). So, gather your dice, prepare your will, and step into the OSR's loving embrace, where every session promises the thrill of narrow escapes and the inevitability of doom. Happy gaming, you brave, foolish souls. > [!quote] Neurothrope-00 ![[Neurothrope Avatar.png|100]] > [!note] Editor's Note > > If anything, this is much, much too kind to the underlying idea, which is really built on the core concept: "what if we sucked all the fun out of games, came up with One True Way™ to play, bitch about anybody who wanted to do anything different, and couldn't even settle on what the fuck we're talking about?" > > The OSR is a bunch of cats that hate each other in the same bag, constantly sharding off tiny factions who fight with one another as loudly and publicly as possible – and the one thing they share in common is pointing at everyone else and saying "you're doing it wrong." > > If the entirety of the OSR movement were to die and burn in Hell, I would consider it "a good start." Right next to lawyers. > > (That's not to say that there aren't some good games that have come out of the movement – but the ones who created them generally aren't making a big deal of being considered part of it. Doing something interesting enough to be successful seems to be grounds for rejection.)