Who Inherits Old School? A Look at D&D’s Generational Divide

 

Buckle up...this one could get bumpy.

On the way to work the other day, I found myself thinking about succession—not in the Game of Thrones sense, but in the natural evolution of Dungeons & Dragons. Specifically, who are the heirs to the older editions of the game? Where does the torch pass, and when does that lineage end?

The Dungeon Master himself!

To even begin to answer that, you have to look at the early generations of players—those who played Basic or 1st Edition AD&D when those were the current versions. These were the gamers of the late ’70s and early ’80s, many now in their 50s and 60s (and now even older). A number of the original creators: Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, are no longer with us. And with each passing year, the pool of gamers who experienced that era firsthand grows smaller. 

OD&D (as its called retroactively) got the ball rolling with the first iterations of the game and Chainmail that proceeded it. Those guys were the start of RPGs as we know them now.

Even 2nd Edition AD&D, the version many of us later adopters came up with, is now over two decades old. A whole new generation has emerged since then, shaped by modern design philosophies, digital interfaces, and the ever-growing influence of video games.

It’s easy to forget that there was a time when RPGs had no expectations or templates. Some of the earliest players were literally inventing the hobby as they went. Many of them were gaming when computers like the Altair were considered cutting edge( see below). Compare that to now; when the average new player likely encountered role playing first through a Twitch stream or a sleek, modern rule set like 5e.

Never had one, I had an Atari 800 XL!

As someone who was born in the early ’70s and got the Moldvay Basic Set for Christmas in 1981, I straddle a particular generational line. I’m certainly not one of the original "old-schoolers", but I’m also not part of the modern wave. I sit squarely in the middle: a "hybrid player" as I call them who grew up with Basic, 1st Edition, and eventually 2nd Edition, sometimes all at once.

And I think that "middle-ground generation", players like me—might be the last true link to the wild, formative years of tabletop role playing. This is for no other reason of timing of our age.

We were there for the late bloom of 1st Edition, with all its quirks and contradictions. We embraced Unearthed Arcana, the Wilderness Survival Guide (somewhat) and all the other modules and side books that added flavor to our sessions despite their flaws. We transitioned into 2nd Edition when it launched in 1989 and treated it not as a hard reboot, but a continuation. We didn’t draw stark lines between editions; we mixed and matched freely, long before the idea of edition purity became a talking point.

Sure, purists might argue that only the earliest wave of solely 1st Edition players are the real inheritors of “old school.” But I disagree. That later wave, those who played Basic and 1st and 2nd concurrently, were the last ones who treated those versions as living systems, not museum pieces. We were the ones who grew up with the original rules. We may not have written them, but we lived them.

And then came 2000...and everything changed.

That year marked the release of 3rd Edition, and with it, the true dividing line between old-school and new-school D&D. It wasn’t the 1989 launch of 2nd Edition that splintered the player base. It was the OGL, the d20 boom, and the re-imagining of the game as a more balanced, codified system. It introduced a new design era, one heavily influenced by the structure and sensibilities of video games, MMOs and tactical skirmish rules.

From that point forward, the DNA of D&D started to shift. Not for the worse—but certainly away from its roots.

So who, then, are the true heirs to “old school?"

This awesome art made a huge impression on an 8-yer old gamer...

In my view, it’s the "hybrid generation": the kids who played Moldvay and Mentzer versions of Basic, who experimented with 1st and 2nd, who witnessed the transition but were shaped by the era before it. We’re the ones who were some of the last who grew up on when D&D was scribbled maps, inconsistent rules, and house-ruling everything from initiative to encumbrance. We’re the ones who saw the pulp inspirations firsthand, (but not necessarily the pulps themselves). Those who read The Sword of Shannara and The Hobbit before we even heard of Vance, Lieber, or Moorcock. Our aesthetic and influences were already a generation removed, but the game wasn't per se.

We were the last generation raised solely on print modules, on Dragon Magazine articles, on clashing art styles from Elmore to Otus. We didn’t just play D&D, we absorbed it in all its chaos, contradictions, and creativity. When we eventually aged out, the game moved on without us. But the memory of what it was that remains with us and all at a time before the rise of the internet.

So yes, the OSR (Old School Renaissance) has taken up part of the mantle. But it’s not the same as having been there. You can emulate the rules. You can recreate the vibe. But you can’t replicate the culture of discovery and experimentation that surrounded the game in its early years. Fans who superscribe to OSR have their own place in all this in my pinion it simply differs on the the lineage.

Eventually, even we hybrid players will be gone. And when that happens, the link to the original age of RPGs, warts and all, will be gone too. What’s left will be interpretations, homages, and inspired re-imaginings.

Still, it’s a fascinating position to hold: one foot in the origins, the other foot in the modern age. Not the pioneers, but the last of their direct descendants. It also mirrors a lot of Gen Xs experience in life so probably not too surprising.

And maybe that’s not such a bad place to be.

The Dogs of War Nippon Army Style

Years ago I created a Nippon army list, its fairly crude and I have updated it a few times, but never really play tested it.

Somewhat because of this I starting to formulate a strategy for my own Dogs of War force, but one based on Nippon.

I've been a big fan of the Nippon forces since back in the 3rd Edition Warhammer days and always liked the look of them. Plus I've never really seen a good assembled force or really many at all. It's always been a shame that Games Workshop never released an actual army for them. But no matter, between the old range being available (somewhat) on eBay and these guys from Curteys Miniatures I think I'm going to be OK for the kind of force I want to assemble.

While the GW range was/is nice for 5th/6th edition Dogs of War its never really held my interest. Plus add to the fact that in order to get them now its either crazy prices off of the GW UK website or crazy prices off of eBay. Not willing to do either really. As I mentioned that's where these Mounted Samurai from Curteys come into play: 12 metal minis for $47? Yes please, GW should take note.

One of the coolest artillery sets in Warhammer

 

So with all that as I noted above I'm formulating a plan as most of my Warhammer stuff is packed up in anticipation for a move to a new house. So what I'm doing is seeking out all of the parts that I'm looking for before I start my force. This will be a novel idea for me as I usually acquire minis as I'm painting. Starting off I'm going with the Nippon Rocket Crew from Games Workshop back in the 3rd edition days. and thanks to a few chaps over on Chaos Dwarfs Online I think I'm set with that part. I will be getting the Rocket Launcher and 3 out of the 4 crewmen which is fine with me. Fine because when I run these guys as Dogs of War I plan on using it as a "Count As" Halfling Hot Pot, when used as a "Count As" Empire force I'll use it as a undersized Hellstrom Rocket Battery.

My buddy Baggronor over at Chaos Dwarfs Online (now Chaos Dwarfs Online) also has informed me that he has some 3rd Edition Games Workshop Ninjas as well. After all, even a renegade warband of Nippon mercenaries is going to have some ninjas squirreled away inside of it!

Other ideas include: a mounted Geisha for a wizard along the lines of the PC game Shogun: Total War; a band of mercenary dwarfs, a converted unit or from (Curteys line) of crossbowmen from Cathay. I don't see the Nipponese Samurai or their retainers using crossbows but a mercenary force? Sure in the right hands. This opens up possibilities of a renamed Marksmen or Miragliano renamed as well. Other ideas are a giant, but not as a Eastern giant per se, rather painted up like normal. The reason for this is I want to tie into the Old World as well. This as yet unnamed force has been fighting all over the continent and is made up of various parts. At its core is the Nippon forces yes, but other elements as well. It will be weird painting the giant in such a manner will make him appear unusual because his supporting troops will look so different.

That's it for now. Drop me a line ion the 3rd edition Citadel Oriental line of miniatures or the army in general.

Word of Hashut #11 Released – Update and Future Plans

Well, it was another overly long production cycle on the ezine, but Issue #11 of the Word of Hashut is finally out.

As I note in my editorial inside the issue, the Word of Hashut will be undergoing a "diet" in the future in order to manage to get it out on time. In short it’s about time or more precisely the lack thereof.

I will point out however that issue #12 is slated for release in late March, but with going on vacation I don’t think that is going to be likely. So it’s probably up to the Summer issue in June to get back on track but with moving (hopefully) you know the drill...

(EDIT - 7/7/26- Issue #11 was the last issue I created for the ezine. The crew at Chaos Dwarfs Online at the time soldiered on with Issue #12 which ended up being the last.

Edition Wars Redux: D&D vs. Pathfinder and the Cycle of Schism

VS.

Taking a short break from Warhammer, I wanted to share some thoughts on the current rift brewing between modern Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Not as a partisan—but as an outsider. I say “outsider” because I’m not really on either side. No one in this fight is on my side, and frankly, I don’t have much skin in the game.

I don’t play either version

Not my cup of tea either...

Pathfinder is, for all intents and purposes, the natural continuation of D&D 3.0/3.5 after Wizards of the Coastpivoted sharply into 4th Edition territory. Paizo wisely stepped in and offered a home for those cast adrift by 4e’s direction. Thanks to the OGL, they could legally build on the previous edition’s bones—a twist of fate that’s nothing short of poetic. And from all accounts, Pathfinder has done very well for itself.

But for many long-time gamers like me, D&D stopped being “our game” long before Pathfinder ever hit the scene. Some folks fell off with the release of 2nd Edition. For me, it was 3rd. I bought the core books, gave them a go, and found them… meh. Then 3.5 dropped not long after. It felt like a video game on paper. Over time, it began to resemble World of Warcraft more than Dungeons & Dragons.

What finally sealed it for me was the creeping prevalence of phrases like “character build” and “optimized path”. If your tabletop RPG revolves around those concepts, you’re either going to attract MMORPG players—or you’re already emulating that structure, consciously or not. That isn’t inherently bad—but it is a far cry from the games many of us grew up with.

Now, this isn’t to say older editions didn’t have powerful characters or min-maxing, but that wasn’t the point. Today, characters are often designed with end-game blueprints in mind. There’s a roadmap to becoming a specific “build.” What you play matters less than what you build. And for me, that’s a shame. Don’t get me started on equipment overload.

Now before anyone places me as an old-school purist; hold up. I’ve played 3.0, 3.5, and enjoyed d20 Star Wars quite a bit (honestly, more than the West End d6 version). I don’t hang out on the Knights & Knaves Alehouse, and I’ve disagreed with my fair share of Dragonsfoot arguments. I’m not anti-WoW or anti-modern gaming. If I had more free time, I’d probably play the hell out of it. I truly believe people should play what they love.

But not everyone feels that way. And that’s where this schism starts to resemble something eerily familiar.

We've Been Here Before...Twice

his whole D&D vs. Pathfinder showdown? It’s basically the 1989 edition rift all over again—but magnified.

Back then, Gary Gygax was forced out of TSR after Lorraine Williams took the reins. When 2nd Edition dropped, it came with the baggage of her reputation. A lot of players rejected it not because of radical rules changes, but because of who was behind it. And to be fair, mechanically, 1st and 2nd Edition aren’t all that different. It was more about the drama behind the scenes than the game it

Sound familiar?

Back then, the fan-base fractured into edition loyalists. Now, we’re seeing a repeat—but this time, it’s companies going head-to-head. Wizards of the Coast vs. Paizo. D&D vs. Pathfinder. And just like last time, lines are being drawn, and sides are being taken.

Except now the stakes are higher. The editions are more divergent. The business models more aggressive. And the player base more fragmented than ever.

Wizards of the Coast pulling a bait and switch?

 

The Market Is Shrinking—and Splintering

Some in the Old School Renaissance like to believe that retro clones and classic games are on the rise. And sure, in a niche sense, they are. But let’s not kid ourselves: the market for any tabletop RPG is smaller than it was in its 1980s heyday. And within that smaller market, we’re seeing further division. Instead of unity, we get micro-communities and echo chambers.

The irony is that D&D, once the 800-pound gorilla of the hobby, now feels more like QuarkXPress circa 2002—slow to adapt, vulnerable to competitors. Could Pathfinder be the InDesign of our hobby, quietly taking over while the original giant stumbles?

It’s possible. Pathfinder is gaining steam. Paizo has momentum. Wizards has the name, but that’s starting to feel like an anchor more than an asset. Worse, Wizards' strategy around “Essentials” and rumored plans for a new edition feel like confusion, not clarity.

If 5th Edition ends up being yet another hard turn from what came before, they risk alienating what's left of their already fractured fan base. And if the goal is just to get people to re-buy books again and again, well… eventually, players notice. 

Same Circus, Different Clowns

At the end of the day, we’ve seen this before. The fan base fractures. The “wars” get fought online. And somewhere in the background, players just want to roll dice and tell stories.

So maybe it’s not a Kid Rock song—but it does feel like déjà vu. Once again, we’re at one of those once-in-a-generation turning points for the hobby. Last time, the split was ideological. This time, it’s corporate. And as usual, the players are caught in the middle. 

As a (mostly) disinterested observer, I’ll keep watching. Neither company is making what I want—but maybe that’s okay. Maybe that’s the lesson here: the industry doesn’t need to serve me anymore. But it does need to decide what kind of game it wants to be—and who it wants to keep around.

Because if things keep splintering like this, there might not be many left.

Nasty Skulkers Minis – Thoughts for Chaos Dwarf Players

Pretty cool name and nice new minis for the Orc and Goblin range, right? Well, yes and no. Yes to the cool new mini part, no to this being good for Chaos Dwarf players. Orc and goblin players should be embarrassed as they now have even more choices for their hordes. Us Dawi Zharr are still on the outside looking in. Normally the closest thing we have to an army book is the Orc and Goblin one because we have a number of units in there that we are able to use. So it is natural for us Chaos Dwarf players to take a peek and see what we can use. Enter the Nasty Skulkers. Goblins who attack the flanks, backstab and retreat, sound like a certain Dawi Zharr unit by any chance?

Look at Nasty Skulkers and it’s obvious for us that Sneaky Gits come to mind and therein lies the problem. The reason why this is an issue is the fact that the two are so closely aligned in look and feel, that I wonder if it is a legitimate question that they did the Orcs and Goblins get one of our cooler units? It’s legitimate to ask as we haven’t had a list in years so why wouldn’t Games Workshop pillage their own works for “new” ideas? The answer is there is nothing to stop them from doing so.

Now from the financial side, no matter how cool the minis are there is no way you are going to assemble a Sneaky Git unit from these guys; it’s just not going to happen from the cost perspective. For a unit of Sneaky Gits you’d need 20 minimum and that means buying at least 7 packs of these guys at $15 for 3: $105 for a unit, not very cost effective no matter the look of the minis; I like the look of them, but not that much.

In any event it’s another nice option for us Chaos Dwarf players and perhaps those that are not confident in their converting/green stuff skills. If the Chaos Dwarfs do get remade I wonder on the cross-over potential otherwise. I’d say low due to the fact that GW has been keeping armies as separate entities since 6th edition and I don’t see this changing.

Games Day 2011 Chicago – Thoughts and a Rant

 

(Sorry this one is a bit of a rant...)

So Games Day 2011 is in Chicago this year and so far I am undecided as to whether or not I will be going. Last year at Baltimore was, to be blunt: disappointing to say the least when clearly GW was holding back. What do I mean by this? To put it bluntly they held back EVERYTHING on the Warhammer side of the house and (apparently?) instructed no one to talk about the upcoming information for Warhammer Forge. There were plenty of rumors going around the net and clearly the Games Workshop staffers who were in the know were clearly choosing their words very carefully. Sorry guys, Games Workshop is not Apple, the secrecy game works for them, you guys? Not so much. It was nice to spend time with my friends and the like and it was cool to get some games of Warhammer in (which is an all too infrequent thing these days for me), but if this was their attempt, I’d almost rather they didn’t, at all. That may sound harsh but I like the new game, its refreshing, its weeded out a lot of the math-hammer, “you missed that charge by 1/16 of an inch” whiney a-holes. All that said, Games Day needs to be better.

Sorry, but another halfhearted attempt again doesn’t make me feel better considering time and distance to travel. Traveling to Chicago is not that much further for me as I can cut through lower Ontario Canada to shave off some considerable time and distance; so its probably a 9 hour drive as opposed to 7 to Baltimore from where I live in Hilton NY. So it’s not the distance that concerns me, but rather it’s the effort. I ask you Games Workshop why should I expend this time and effort for what has become a lack-luster event in general? I like the fact that it’s later this year (July 30th).

I also look forward to see some of my friends in the Mid-West, but it’s largely a wasted effort on the Warhammer side of the house if GW does it half-assed again. GW should note for me its not the money either, its rather the time and effort.

So as I stand here in late January/early February it’s an unsettled and uncertain thing: I want to go, I want Games Workshop to show me something there that will make it worth my time and effort, but sadly I have this sneaking feeling that if there are any big announcements, they will save it for Games Day UK in the Fall and leave Games Day US as a halfhearted attempt again. Note: that’s not that I know of any because usually when I post these things my inbox gets flooded...

As to how this could be better (as I a firm believer rather than complaining offer up constructive criticism) is this: Rather than instructing everyone to talk about nothing or with half speak, how about some open dialogue. I fail to see what Games Workshop gains by being so closed. I’m sorry the consumer is getting smarter and from where I live not everyone is jumping on the latest army anymore; people aren't that free with their money anymore, even the “kids”. So if the fear is that “If we tell you, you’ll just wait until that army comes out…” Guess what Games Workshop? I’ve been doing that for years, I have money I will give you for the product that I want. 

Apparently you don’t want that money, so here I wait.

How about you? What are your thoughts regarding attendance at the closest Games Day to you this year?

Warhammer Forge Releases a STEAM POWERED Chaos Dwarf War Engine???

STEAM POWER for Chaos Dwarfs????

OK you guys on the other side of the pond...what in the name of Hashut is going on over there??? Last Games Day of the year, the one in the UK and the fickle chaos gods finally answered every loyal Dawi Zharr player out there! You know the ones that have been dreaming of Chaos Dwarfs since 4th-5th edition. Well, for those that missed it the world of Chaos Dwarfs was rocked by this: Loki's GamesDay Pics

C'mon Chaps. At this rate my youngest child will have gone through three different editions of the game before they get something Chaos Dwarf related out the door.

Oh and one more thing: STEAM Power for daemonic engines??? STEAM POWER??? This looks cool, it is a great model, running on STEAM POWER???  Not so much.

I don't know about you fellow Dawi Zharr, but as soon as I get my grubby mitts on this bad boy I'm making it daemonic powered like the Hell Cannon.

In the meantime a quick update on Word of Hashut #11: This issue is taking me far longer then I would like, but I am slowly making progress. I can't promise a time but I am getting there.