O.S.R.

Olde Swords Reign
The OGL fiasco has given rise to a number of promising projects and new life to several existing products. A recent discovery brought to my attention through a recent effort on the part of its designer, Damien Fegan, is Olde Swords Reign (OSR). Olde Swords Reign is a tabletop roleplaying game based on 5th Edition as it states in the first paragraph. As the name implies, O.S.R. has much of the feeling of playing the original edition games. It's a bit deadlier, a lot simpler and includes a number of clever fixes for the most annoying bits that I personally find in the 5th Edition upon which it is based.

Human, dwarf, elf and halfling, four classes, an incentive for rolling PC stats "down the line", and plenty of "optional" additions like "feats" and "hindrances" if you so desire, all make this an appealing alternative for those who like something more familiar, more simple, or just not published by a corporate giant. The tabletop role-playing hobby has a wealth of choices when it comes to rule systems and often what we play comes down to what we can find players for. Based on 5th Edition mechanics, O.S.R. should find a ready audience among those who have familiarity with the World's Most Popular Role-Playing Game and are displeased with the current state of affairs.

Third party content producers have written a lot of material for 5th Edition, some really good, some not so good. The player running an O.S.R. game can utilize anything written for 5th Edition with confidence. The two games are compatible, but each offers a different "flavor". It ultimately comes down to preference. 

Mr. Fagen is offering the digital version of his game as a free download. The printed book is readily available at the cost of print on demand. The Player's Guide pictured is aimed at providing players just what they need, while to Complete Rules includes additional material for the referee. Personally I prefer a little "mystery" in my game and having players discover certain things (such as monster vulnerabilities) during play seems preferable to them just reading all the details beforehand. "Mileage may vary", as the saying goes, and nothing prevents a player from reading the Complete Rules if that is their preferred way to play.