Make it
OLD SCHOOL
with OSRIC

As a 40-year veteran of tabletop RPGs, few things bring me more joy than cracking open a classic module and guiding my players on an old-school adventure using OSRIC. For the uninitiated, OSRIC (short for Old School Reference and Index Compilation) is a retro-clone of the first 1981 edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. OSRIC emulates the original AD&D rules, with the serial numbers filed off for legal reasons. This allows publishers to create and release adventures and supplements that are compatible with vintage D&D modules from the 70s and 80s.

For me and many other grizzled gamers, OSRIC is a portal back to our youth when we gathered around the table wide-eyed and explored dangerous dungeons for the first time. The core OSRIC rules are streamlined and straightforward, capturing the DIY spirit and simplicity of early D&D. There are no convoluted subsystems or reams of character options. With just the three core rulebooks, you have everything you need to embark on thrilling adventures in a forgotten age.

Unlike modern iterations of D&D, OSRIC emphasizes rulings over rules. There are few hard-coded mechanics for social interactions or exploration; instead the DM is encouraged to improvise and make common sense decisions. This gives an OSRIC game a freewheeling, anything-can-happen feel reminiscent of those basement sessions in the 80s. As the DM I get to flex my creative muscles on the fly when the players veer off the expected path.

OSRIC also captures the lethality, danger, and rewards of early D&D. Low-level characters are fragile and death can come swiftly if they are not cautious. Magic items are rare and wondrous discoveries, not a dime a dozen. Monsters follow their own ecologies rather than being calibrated to “challenge ratings” and encounters. Treasure ratios hearken back to a time when even a few hundred gold pieces felt like a fortune. As both a player and DM, I cherish these elements that make every decision feel weighty and every payoff earned.

Beyond just nostalgia, OSRIC grants easy access to the gigantic back catalog of classic D&D adventures that I know and love. Publishers like Goodman Games and Frog God Games have released fresh collections of adventures that hearken back to Gygax and Arneson’s original dungeon crawls. I can run my group through The Caverns of Thracia or Dark Tower without having to convert stats or mechanics. The old-school modules work seamlessly with OSRIC just as intended decades ago.

For instance, recently I took my players through The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, a mega-dungeon originally published in 1980 for AD&D. Using the OSRIC rules, I could run the module verbatim without any conversion needed. We dodged traps like the collapsing ceiling trap that Require a save versus wands or suffer 2-8 damage. My thief Cannock disarmed the poison needle trap using his Open Locks percentage skill. And we were confounded by obscure puzzles like the glowing gemstone keys whose order and colors opened sealed doors. OSRIC provided the backbone for an incredibly authentic old-school experience.

Beyond modules, entire campaign settings of AD&D have been adapted to work seamlessly with OSRIC. My current campaign is set in Lankhmar, the legendary city at the edge of Nehwon created by fantasy author Fritz Leiber. OSRIC has Lankhmar supplements that allow me to guide my players through the fog-shrouded alleys and rooftops of this richly detailed setting. We’ve had brushes with the Thieves Guild, rubbed elbows with nobles at social functions, and even snuck into the palace itself thanks to OSRIC keeping the original Lankhmar setting alive.

For those looking to recapture the warm fog of nostalgia, OSRIC handles creating characters just as you remember. My fighter began with a puny 1d8 hit points but through bravery (or luck) is now up to 35 hp at 6th level. My magic-user still has just one spell at 1st level but remains the MVP with his powerful Sleep incantation. We have a party that now ranges from levels 3 to 6, perfectly in line with the asymmetrical advancement of old-school D&D. There are no carefully balanced classes – mages are weak at low levels and mighty at high, while fighters are the exact opposite. It’s all there just as I remember.

Compared to modern “battlemap” D&D combat with miniatures and grid squares, OSRIC also preserves the free-flowing nature of early D&D combat. We don’t fuss over counting movement squares or attack ranges. Combat plays out more like oral storytelling, with broad descriptions and actions. As the DM I can focus on keeping things moving cinematically rather than like a tactical board game. No grid is needed when the thief leaps over the pit trap to backstab the orc, then quickly hides in the shadows.

While OSRIC provides an extremely faithful retro experience, there are some modern touches that improve on vintage D&D without sacrificing simplicity. For example, OSRIC consolidates certain races like elves and dwarves into single classes instead of splitting them up like AD&D. The economics systems have also been streamlined to make things simpler for players and DMs. Helpful guidelines for wilderness exploration and stronghold construction are now included in the core rules. These smart tweaks enhance early D&D’s skeleton without grafting on unnecessary complexity.

With its laser focus on old-school gameplay, OSRIC may not be for everyone. Those seeking numerous mechanical options or deep character builds may be better served by D&D Fifth Edition or Pathfinder. But for me and other gamers who came of age in the late 70s and early 80s, OSRIC delivers an experience we remember fondly. It scratches that nostalgic itch while also providing building blocks to keep expanding adventures in the boundless realms of classic fantasy.

After some four decades at the table, it takes something special to get this jaded gamer excited to gather the players and roll some dice. OSRIC has turned back the clock and recaptured the DIY enthusiasm, seat-of-your-pants rulings, clever problem-solving, and of course lethal danger that defined fantasy roleplaying. My dungeon delving days are far from over – in fact, the grimiest, deadliest, and most trap-laden adventures may still be ahead thanks to OSRIC’s old-school renaissance!