Why I Walked Away From An OSR Game Offer

Last week, I got offered a spot in an OSR game an old friend was running for his nephews & nieces.

When I stated my preference of 3D6 down the line, I was laughed at and told to roll 4D6, drop the lowest, and arrange to my liking.

I walked away.

What even is the point of playing a broadly competent but unremarkable character?

Why don't you just play 4E, grab your 18, 18, 17, 17, 16, 16 array, and pretend to roleplay when you're just doing an analog simulation of a CRPG?

Am I out to lunch?

Here, let's compare two characters to see which is more compelling to play.

4D6 Drop Lowest

2, 3, 3, 2 = 8

2, 2, 4, 6 = 12

2, 6, 2, 2 = 10

6, 2, 6, 5 = 17

3, 5, 6, 5 = 16

2, 5, 6, 1 = 13

So, you'll either put the 17 in STR for a Fighter or INT for a Mage, 16 in CON for HP or DEX for an AR boost, dump 8 in CHA and call it a day. Other stats go wherever. Ho hum, another Murderhobo. And everyone else in the party will have the same cookie cutter stats, unless they got super unlucky and become the object of derision / scorn, or so high they are envied and reviled. Because we don't play for the individual in OSR / NSR, we play AS A PARTY.

3D6 Down The Line

STR 3, 6, 4 = 13

CON 5, 6, 1 = 12

DEX 4, 3, 5 = 12

INT 6, 5, 1 = 12

WIS 5, 2, 6 = 13

CHA 6, 3, 5 = 14

Wow, got super lucky! No really 'hopeless' stats (a moniker I hate, as I just consider a low stat a roleplaying hook), but that 14 CHA tips me towards taking a Bard, which I LOVE doing in older editions. This gets my juices flowing to see how this character will interact with others with similarly evocative stats.

And that is why I said no thanks.