Cold-open prep
A keyed area, a reaction table reminder, and two factions—enough for one night underground or on the road.
Old-school procedures
Reaction rolls, attrition, and sandboxes—written as habits, not nostalgia cosplay
OSR Crate is for referees and players who want procedures: how to stock a hex, when to roll reaction, how light and rations shape choices. Orientation and reading lists—not a crate shop.
Start with Getting Started, skim the Guides hub, or browse Resources when you need outbound references like Old School Revival on Wikipedia.
What this desk is for
Old-school nights run on shared language: morale, reaction, exploration turns. We write for the middle ground between lore deep-dives and edition warfare.
Date your logs and NPC ties. Guest referees should inherit a map, not a mystery novel. For history, Old School Revival on Wikipedia and Dungeons & Dragons history are decent public starts.
Name spoiler windows and critique manners up front. Crunch talk and fiction talk both belong.
Guides, Glossary, and Resources go deeper. Sibling desks cover specific editions when you need a different dialect with the same exploration heart.
How we write
Keep a one-page house-ruling sheet. If a call comes up twice, write it down so the table trusts the process.
Borrow clue webs or faction maps from other traditions; leave trademarks alone. Catalog blogs like DriveThruRPG blog show trends—they are not table law. Email [email protected]; see Contact and About.
Related desks in this neighborhood
Edition-flavored crate desks for OD&D, AD&D, and fifth-edition neighbors sit close by when you want a different rules dialect with the same exploration heart.