"You see this."

  • Consider this: 3d6 in order

    Not. One. Edition. Prescribes. An. Order. This is not an opinion. This is not an interpretation. No order prescription appears in the ink of Holmes, BX, BECMI, or the 1991 or 1994 Basic Box instructions, or Old School Essentials (citations below). The closest you get is Method III in AD&D, which is one of several…

  • Role play / Roll play

    I believe the OSR community misapplies these terms to disparage the difference between modern and classic play styles. Here’s why we have it backwards. THE SOURCE OF JOY Classic editions of Dungeons & Dragons have their roots in miniature wargaming—a niche hobby that hinges on player mastery. Like chess or backgammon, the joy of playing…

  • Just hold it

    In BX and OSE, there are no hard written rules for changing from one weapon to another. The closest thing we have to a source of truth is the notably messy Example of Combat on B26, which exemplifies more rulings than rules; the cleric “readies her mace and braces her shield” for a whole wasted…

  • Consider this: D10 and Slow weapons

    The question of whether the human Fighter class is under-privileged comes up a lot in the OSE and BX forums. But if you’re dismissing the Slow Weapon rules and Pole Arm restrictions, then it’s no wonder; you’ve closed the gap on two of the Fighter’s advantages over Dwarves and Halflings. TL;DR:1. Allowing short PCs to…