OP 13 July, 2024 - 12:11 AM
I’ve found out what the principles of an OSR system are, and, as a tired 5e and Pathfinder DM, I want in. However, I noticed that one of the common themes is that things are supposed to be hard, and the players aren’t expected to succeed all the time. I like the idea that not every challenge can be won, and I’m so sick of the hyper-optimized characters and general feeling of immortality of 5e and Pathfinder. I expect the players in OSR games are smart enough to realize when something is too hard, but the discussion around these RPGs and their difficulty seems to emphasize that backstory and driven character growth doesn’t matter, as your character will probably die anyway, no matter how careful you are. I’m really not a fan of this, as one of the biggest draws of a RPG, for me as a player, is building characterization through my actions in game. If I can just lose my character at any time because I forgot to check for a trap or whatnot, why would I play? Besides this, the other concepts of OSR games appeal to me. De-emphasizing stats, rolls, and having a more grounded set of abilities sounds greatly refreshing to run, but I’m hesitant to dip my toes into the OSR world because of the perceived deadliness.