OSRIC

OSRIC, short for Old School Reference and Index Compilation, describes itself as "a compilation of rules for old school-style fantasy gaming...intended to reproduce underlying rules used in the late 1970s to early 1980s".[1] It is a role-playing game. Although OSRIC never refers to this directly for legal reasons, it is intended to reproduce the rules of the first edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, much like other Dungeons & Dragons simulacrums.

The legal basis of the project is that rules may not be copyrighted, only the "artistic presentation" of those rules.[2] OSRIC uses the Open Gaming License and the System Reference Document to create a new artistic presentation of the underlying rules set.

The purpose of OSRIC is to provide publishers with a tool to legally produce gaming materials compatible with the non-copyrightable aspects of the underlying rules set. Gaming materials described as OSRIC-compatible alert potential users those materials may be compatible with the fantasy rules sets of the late 1970s and early 1980s (i.e. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons).[3]

The initial version of OSRIC was released in 2006. The latest version, OSRIC v. 2.2, was released in 2011. The OSRIC rules are free to download from the game's site in PDF form.[4] In June 2009, hard copy versions of the rules became available from the Lulu Print-On-Demand service in 4 versions: hard bound in black and white, hard bound in color, paperback and paperback economy.

Contents

OSRIC-Compatible Resources

As of year end 2009, more than seventy-five products describe themselves as OSRIC-compatible.[5]

Adventure Modules

Several publishers, including ENnie award-winners Expeditious Retreat Press (XRP) and 0One games, have used OSRIC to produce dozens of adventure modules.[6][7] The modules listed here are all expressly branded OSRIC-compatible.

Supplements

More than a dozen distinct publishers have produced OSRIC-compatible supplements.

OSRIC-Compatible Periodicals

The following periodicals include OSRIC-Compatible content:

"Classic Fantasy Review" by Goblinoid Games
"Knockspell Magazine" by Swords & Wizardry
"Old-School Gazette" by XRP
"Scribe of Orcus" by Goblinoid Games
"Zor Draxtau" by Usherwood Adventures

References

  1. ^ "About OSRIC". http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/a1.html. Retrieved 2007-06-02. 
  2. ^ "US Copyright Office". http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl108.html. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  3. ^ Yourgamesnow.com, retrieved 14 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Download OSRIC". http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/download.html. Retrieved 2008-12-30. 
  5. ^ "OSRIC-Compatible Products". http://www.rpgnow.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=osric&quicksearch=1&search_filter=&filters=&search_free=&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1. Retrieved 2008-12-31. 
  6. ^ "OSRIC-Compatible Products". http://www.rpgnow.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=osric&quicksearch=1&search_filter=&filters=&search_free=&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1. Retrieved 2008-12-31. 
  7. ^ "ENnie 2006 Awards". http://www.ennie-awards.com/history/2006.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  8. ^ "0One Games OSRIC Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=61&filters=0_0_0_10094. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  9. ^ "Brave Halfling OSRIC Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?filters=0_0_0_10094&sort=xa&manufacturers_id=2505. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  10. ^ "Center Stage/Pacesetter Module". http://www.centerstageminis.com/saltmire.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-03. 
  11. ^ "XRP OSRIC Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?filters=0_0_0_10094&sort=xa&manufacturers_id=69. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  12. ^ "Goblinoid Games Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?filters=0_0_0_10094&sort=xa&manufacturers_id=760. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  13. ^ http://www.johnnyrookgames.com
  14. ^ "Magique Productions Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?filters=0_0_0_10094&sort=xa&manufacturers_id=773. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  15. ^ "Ronin Arts Adventures". http://www.yourgamesnow.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_19_23&sort=20a&filter_id=4&alpha_filter_id=0. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  16. ^ "Sacrossnat Games Adventures". http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?filters=0_0_2100_0&manufacturers_id=549. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
  17. ^ "Usherwood Publishing Adventures". http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?filters=0_0_0_1300&manufacturers_id=2411. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 

External links