Welcome to the Old School Renaissance General, the thread dedicated to the first decade of TSR-era D&D, derived systems, and compatible content.Broadly, OSR games encourage a tonal and mechanical fidelity to Dungeons & Dragons as played in the game's first decade—less emphasis on linear adventures and overarching meta-plots and a greater emphasis on player agency.If you are new to the OSR, welcome! Ask us whatever you're curious about: we'll be happy to help you get started.>Troves, Resources, Blogs, etc:http://pastebin.com/9fzM6128>Need a starter dungeon? Here's a curated collection:https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/86342023/#q86358321>Previous thread: >>93917345>Thread QuestionFavorite piece of /osrg/ [OC] from times past?
>Thread Question>Favorite piece of /osrg/ [OC] from times past?The archive is here:https://osrgcontent.blogspot.com/
Want to contribute to the thread but don't know where to start? Use this table.>1. Make a spell>2. Make a monster>3, Make a dungeon special>4 Make a wilderness location>5. Make an urban set piece>6. Make a magic item>7. Make a class, race, or race-as-class>8, Make a 4-10 room lair.>9. Make a trap>10. Roll 2D10 and combine.
Ill make a spell. >Abowd’s Miserable Simulacrum>R: 0 / D: 12 hours per level / AoE: Self / Save: None>Creates a copy of the caster who emerges naked and with no gear. Copy shares the same memories, HD and spell list but can only cast spells three times before forgetting how. >Upon summoning the simulacrum, d6 determines its temperament. Upon each subsequent casting, add +1 to the result, then +2, etc. >1: Copy is obedient yet very reckless>2: Copy is obedient but depressed and slow to act>3: Copy is obedient but will commit suicide when given the chance>4: Copy is neutral and ignores the caster. It may simply leave>5: Copy appears obedient but will attempt to harm the caster when an opportunity arises>6: Copy is in a permanent rage and immediately attacks the caster >7+: Copy is braindead and cannot act>Note: If a Copy somehow clones itself, that copy will be braindead and expire after d6 rounds
>>93962625Fucking brilliant. Source of inspiration?
>>93962650Joruus from the Zahn trilogy. I also worked with a guy whose last name was Abowd, and he was very annoying kek
>>93962364>TQPDF related, I think it's Flungungus. Whoever it was, he made a whole bunch of these, but this one is the best combination of premise and results IMO.>>93962625So... this spell only realistically works six times and is only useful *maybe* twice?
I made a podcast about how The Oddysey, Aneid, Epic of Gilgamesh, and similar make good Appendix N material. Linking late - sorry - kids got sick.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LokJH513Kb9rQjuhNgqQyOr on YouTube:https://youtu.be/RVfjvzl0gRI
>>93962828Yeah basically. Frankly it could be a 1st level spell due to how swingy it is. Though its most useful / dangerous at high levels its basically a joke spellAfter you’ve cast it six times it still has used albeit very fringe ones>fake your own death>free human meat for a sacrificial altar or bartering with a hungry monster>replace a missing limb with one stolen from your braindead clone??
>>93963012>replace a missing limb with one stolen from your braindead clone??>Duration: 12 hours/level
>>93962364>picThe pegasus up front is all "Bitch, we ain't afraid of your sparklers"
I have a question about non-BECMI, and I think I'm going to have some trouble conveying what I mean, (So please bare with me.) But, in B/X, AD&D, OSE, and generally in OSR compatible games. What is the strongest you can make a character without using BECMI's rules for higher levels and ascending to immortality or godhood?Let's say that I house-ruled that leveling would just continue as-is and you could level all the way up to 20, 40, 100 and beyond. Would the strongest your character could possibly be still be just a ruler of a kingdom? Once you hit domain level play, wouldn't the game just become about conquering other people's territories in order to make your own domain larger and larger? Your character would then have a limit on how powerful they themselves could become, so the game would become "How many dudes can you get to about level 14 to compete against other people's level 14s.
>>93964243Demi-humans are level and class restricted, humans are not.Power is then measured in domains.Did you ever even make it to level 2?
>>93964243AD&D goes up to 20, not 14, but like... you won't reach that level through domain play either (although it's still a cool and fun mode of play). By level 20 a PC will be able to 1v1 a balrog, uh, sorry, Type VI Demon, and a group of them will be able to cope a lesser archdevil, say Geryon, without too much hardship. Level 20 Wizards can cast multiple Time Stops and the only reason they can't cast multiple Wishes is that casting one fucks you up (but they can still easily make items such as Rings of Wishes in advance to circumvent this). Producing Potions of Longevity will be a trivial endeavor, and so on. In other words, the PCs will be planehopping post-mortals; a good comparison might be Pandelume in The Dying Earth. They will most likely no longer be meaningfully involved in mortal politics (unless they're Elminster-style annoyance faggots. For all the ridiculous powerwank about Elminster, he's surprisingly prosaic compared to what a PC would be who had really worked up to that level).
>>93964517Thank you, this is the explanation I was looking for. I'm planning something out and was just curious how it would go if it ever did manage to get that far.
>>93964704I'm glad it was useful to you, but:>I'm planning something out and was just curious how it would go if it ever did manage to get that far.It's fairly well known that planning high-level D&D without experience of playing high-level D&D is a fraught endeavor. I can't link the posts off the top of my head, but Prince of Nothing wrote a few posts about this in relation to playing through a Huso module and to running his high-level adventure writing contest. If you see any reastic chance of playing that far I recommend reading them.
>>93964836Again, thank you! I'll see if I can go find those immediately. Hopefully the damage I will do is minimal considering that it's for solo-play purposes. And I'm not planning quite that far ahead, but just kind of curious what I would be getting into at that level.
>>93965023Kek, it's not like you're going to do damage in any meaningful sense, those posts are just good reading for understanding high-level play if you don't have that background.
>>93964243>bare with meAs in "let's whip our cocks out together"? Not bear with me as in "carry this burden alongside me"?>What is the strongest you can make a characterWhis is WotC brain rot at play, but I'll answer nevertheless. AD&D has no upper level limit for most classes, so you can make a character as strong as you have to time to invest in it. The only limits are your IRL time and interest in keeping on playing that character in utter power play retardery, and the DM's and other players' willingness to watch you being a retard.>Once you hit domain level play, wouldn't the game just become about conquering other people's territoriesThere's no such thing as domain *level*, you can do that from level two already. At domain play, the game is not "just" about conquering other people's territories, you can do whatever the fuck you want, it's D&D.And yes, AD&D is supposed to progress to wargame play, with each player running several different PCs and adversarial play between players.
>>93964517>AD&D goes up to 20Bullshit, see picrel.Don't talk about things you don't know, fucking 2etard. Go back to your containment thread, your bullshit is not welcome here.
>>93964704>Thank you, this is the explanation I was looking for.Yeah except it's completely wrong because it's a 2efag talking out of his ass. And then you wonder why they are despised here.
>>93964243Check the Immortals manuals. Tehy are comically retarded and unplayable.
>>93964243>I have a question about non-BECMI>without using BECMI's rules for higher levels and ascending to immortality>>93965745>Check the Immortals manualsWhat the fuck is this, retard hour?
>>93965745>t. Did Not Read The Post But Replied Anyway
>>93965757>What the fuck is this, retard hour?It's 2 AM GMT, so yes, the Burger Hour is upon us.
>>939657803am CET here and I can still read, wanker.
Rolled 55 (1d64)>>93965757
>>93965757>>93966877豐:雖旬无咎,過旬災也Though they are both of the same character, there will be no error.
>>93966907The 雖旬无咎 in the fortune is auspicious. The 旬 could refer to either the "decade of D&D" 1974-1983 or the "decade of OSR" 2005-2015 during which time play was "without" 无 "blame" 咎.
>>93966877>>93966907Fēng: AbundanceThe JudgementAbundance has success.The king attains abundance.Be not sad.Be like the sun at midday.The ImageBoth thunder and lightning come:The image of Abundance.Thus the superior man decides lawsuitsAnd carries out punishments.Highly auspicious! Interpreted in OSR terms, it is obvious that the superior man refers to the ideal referee. We know from that other oracular work, the DMG, that lightning is indeed to be used to carry out punishments. In metaphor for Abundance, the referee (source of all PC wealth) is urged not to stint the treasure amounts in his dungeon. The referee should also present a positive, cheerful demeanor. This conduct is the path to successful gaming and contented players, which in turn leads to the contentment of the referee (the "king" who "attains abundance" of spiritual satisfaction from a game well played).Truly, the wisdom of the Ancients is incorruptible, and endures to our day, whether the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes, or the surprise range in the underworld of LBB OD&D.
>>93962625You forgot to write down the level of the spell.
>>93964517While other Anons are already ripping apart your flimsy FOE faggotry, I cannot help to pile on.>(but they can still easily make items such as Rings of Wishes in advance to circumvent this).Pic related. If your DM allows such bullshit, you should start on your novel.
>>93964517>Producing Potions of Longevity will be a trivial endeavor, and so on.
>>93964836" 'On High Level' January 29, 2023"?
>>93967610Why does Gate need a limit like this
>>93967987You know which one Gate is, right? The one that lets you open a doorway to any plane and call forth stuff like demon princes, angels, and gods? 7th level cleric, 9th level magic user spell. >The casting of a gate spell has two effects: first, >it causes an ultra-dimensional connection between the plane of existence>the cleric is on and that plane on which dwells a specific being of great>power, the result enabling the being to merely step through the gate, or>portal, from its plane to that of the cleric; second, the utterance of the spell>attracts the attention of the dweller on the other plane.It's the conjuration spell for when you're not fucking around anymore; it's practically a magical nuke depending on what you summon and why.
>>93962364>>93962364I've been running the Keep on the borderlands for my players and they've cleared out all of the kobolds except for eight females(½), the chieftain(2), and three guards(1+1). Do you guys have any advice for what the kobolds should/would do in the week beforethe players return? I'm considering having them hire mercenaries from another tribe of monsters and set up traps.
>>93968275Do you already have faction moves against the kobolds set up? That kind of weakening informs both the kobolds' behavior as well as those against them
>>93968281Assuming you mean another tribe invading or enslaving the kobolds, I hadn't considered that. Thanks for the idea. I haven't really set up the faction relations in depth yet. I am new to running 1e and am frequently retarded.
>>93968275Maybe roll a morale check for their chief to see if he wants to pack up and move elsewhere, along with any treasure they may be hiding.
>>93967178What the fuck is this, chow mein hour? I shit my pants vigorously as I wonder which translation of the I Ching you use.
>>93970069Richard Wilhelm IIRC.
>>93968033Oh, that makes sense. I was thinking of the spell that lets you travel to other planes.
>>93964243
>>93971300
>>93971300>>93971310What the fuck is this shit? /todd/ is leaking again
>>93971627Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition products with BATTLESYSTEM(tm) information.
>>93972054Yeah, The Throne of Bloodstone is a Faggotten Realms module from 1988. Not even remotely OSR.
>>93972222It's "Rotten Realms," anon. That's what Gygax used to call it.
>>93972222>>93972280Tournament play included scoring based on role-playing. Are Tomb of Horrors, G1, G2, G3, and The Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth OSR? Is Unearthed Arcana OSR? Are first three Bloodstone modules which are all about domain play and set in Greyhawk and not Faerun OSR? Are the Masters and Immortals sets OSR? Are the UK series which eschew dungeon exploration in favor of narratives OSR? Is Oriental Adventures OSR?Show your homework.
What is the reason behind specific level titles at each level? They seem more important to be kept at every clone though they serve bo purpose beyond calling swordsman to a fighter at level X whatever his weapon is
>>93973603If you look at early supplementary material (in this case especially play reports) it seems to have been to provide a diegetic name for each level so you didn't have to say "Jeff the level 3 Fighter". Character in the game could talk about Jeff the Swordsman and it would convey that information in an in-game way.
>>93972280I stand correkted.
>>93972775
>>93962364Im working on a hewcrawl, and hit a hiccup with lairs. Lets say the party presumes that there is a lair in their hex (there is), and they begin searching for it. Would the %inLair chance be a decent metric for how difficult the lair is to find?Example, Creature A has 10%inLair, Creature B has 75% in lair.1. Is creature B's lair much easier to find? 2. Would the %inLair chance itself be a good roll for a day's search? (ie, the lair of creature A has a 10% chance of being found per day)3. Should the difficulty of finding a lair simply be based on terrain/fiat?
>>93973662>>93973603Also, in encounter tables, it saves characters. (Sometimes)
>>93974240This seems unreasonably complex, not to mention there seems to be no sensible reason why a human village (15% in lair) would be harder to find than an orc village (50% in lair) which in turn is harder to find than a dragon's cave (60% in lair. (Percentages per OD&D)I get what you're going for and I sympathize with wanting to use existing scaffolding for it, but I would say an X-in-6 chance based on how concealed you figure it is is appropriate, and in many cases auto-success (a village should just be auto-found, for example, unless it's a hidden elf village in the treetops of a forest or what-have-you).
Any good Halloween/spooky modules for one-shots or long-shots? Wanna use the season to get my table to try anything but 5e.
>>93974339Do you know any other existing procedure for finding a hidden feature, that I might not be privy to?
>>93974240roll 1d12, subtract the difficulty of terrain (1 for plains, 3 for rough mountains), sum how easy it is to find in your opinion, if the result is >=8 they find it.
>>93974240I think you already have it down. Everyday that they search, roll and encounter check, and on a success roll %inLair. If that succeeds they have now begun a lair encounter as normal. >>93974240>1eAdnd>Unreasonably complexSkill issue
>>93974240>Would the %inLair chance be a decent metric for how difficult the lair is to find?Absolutely not.>Should the difficulty of finding a lair simply be based on terrain/fiat?Yes.
>>93974740>Do you know any other existing procedure for finding a hidden feature, that I might not be privy to?ACKS II does, see Picrel. When it says "Proficiency", either ignore it or better yet give characters of the appropriate races or classes a bonus that makes sense (Rangers everywhere, Druids in woods, Dwarves in mountains, and so on)
>>93974933>see PicrelFuck me.
>>93974749>plainsIf you're using 6 mile hexes, and players are standing in the middle of a flat region without hills and such, they can literally just look around and see everything that's not hidden. At sea level, the horizon extends to about 3.5 miles, so minus any obstructions, you can just look over there and see it. (Rolling to see the thing in front of you is new-school perception-check nonsense IMO.)This doesn't invalidate spending time and maybe rolling to search a hex for things that are hidden by terrain or by intentional concealment, though
>>93971300Lol what is this from
>>93975037c >>93972222
>>93974855Can you elaborate on what you use for determining finding a lair, specifically?
>>93974624https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/2021/10/halloween-2021.html
What's a good method for organizing DM notes in an OSR game. I'm looking for "Spreads" or layouts for a composition notebook, but most of the layouts that I've seen people do are for modern narrativist games.I'm looking for a physical example of an OSR game judge's notebook to emulate, but I can only find either videos of people talking about how they would write things in a specific order, or just a jumble of disorganized notes.I'm at that portion of my campaign where we're about 10 sessions in and it's getting harder to keep track of all the NPCs, places, and things that the players have interacted with without having to bring a giant binder full of loose-leaf paper scraps.
>>93962364NEWFAG HERE! BIG NEWFAG! I AM A COLOSSAL NEWFAG!!!Now that I've got that out of the way- I'm not new to RPG's, but my 'old school' experience is limited to... playing a little 2e when I was a kid, if that even counts. What's a good place to start? I'm open to suggestions.
>>93972280Source? And no a Hadith doesn't count.
>>93976401This kind of stuff always comes from the Gygax QA thread on Dragonsfoot: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3236&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
>>93976375Here, have an intro pdf. Faggots complain about it but none have stepped up to make one they like better.
>>93970069>the Iching Not finger zoz enough.
>>93976348I do 2 different notebooks. Notebook one is the prepared notes, dungeon maps, encounter tables, etc. either organized by hex with a key (1 page per hex for most, 2 pages for more complex things, not usually filled in but leaving room for notes over time) or organized by region if its not hex crawl oriented. Regularly referenced tables and such are written at the back so they're easy to find. Adding a page or 2 for an NPC index seems like an interesting idea but would require a notebook with page numbers, not the worst idea really. Sections of that notebook are organized on a table of contents with filled in markings for each section on each page of that section so the exposed edge of the notebook has a distinctive grouping. No idea what its called, learned it from a librarytech friend. If I were using a 3 ring I'd add colour coded divider and move shit around. Notebook two is the at the table during gameplay notes. It gets the irl date and the in game date at the beginning of each session, rough notes, tally marks, shorthand and boxed off sections for different things like new NPCs, combats, things to add for later. There's some cross over between notes taken during the game and notes in the hex key but I'm trying to keep em separated.
>>93976532>Faggots complain about it but none have stepped up to make one they like betterThey don't need to make one, they already have this
So... which is better, AD&D or B/X and why?
>>93978010That's like asking if someone prefers ASL or ASL-SK1.
>>93978078>ASL-SK1American Sign Language got an expansion?
>>93976463kek that's funny
>>93978010AD&D is better because elves are broken in BX. Also ad&d has better spells and misc magic items
>>93978078I, for one, prefer ASL-SK1, but I've never played ASL to be honest.
>>93978129>because elves are broken in BXGet a grip, poindexter
>>93978658What would you recommend for individuals with even higher levels of reading comprehension?
>>93978669Amalgamation is the true path to enlightenment.
>>93976375
>>93978817FOE spotted
>>93976375see also
>Say you are using OD&D with Chainmail combat rules.A Fighter of level X is fighting another Fighter of level Y (using the MTM rules) or a Giant (using the Fantasy Combat rules). He rolls 2d6, looks up the relevant table, and finds out he's scored a hit. Cool, but what happens next? What's the effect of hitting? By the Chainmail rules, it would appear that it's a matter of scoring enough "simultaneous kills" (for heroes) or "cumulative hits" (for Giants) and then, and only then, is the opponent is killed.Is that it? Are hit points ignored?Does this effectively mean that a Hero vs Hero MTM fight will always end in a draw because neither Hero can score more than one "simultaneous kills" in one round?>inb4 Bandit's KeepDon't point me to Bandit's Keep, that's his own shitbrew, not OD&D + Chainmail, and it's very poorly written.
>>93978817>>93978826
>>93978842And for you next trick you're going to say B/X is a children's game and AD&D an adult's?
>>93978669AD&D by the book, but with the most retarded shit like weapon speed/vs. armor omitted.Also easy recs: >simplify surprise, 2 pages for a single d6 roll is dumb, don't waste your time>allow new-ish players who started as demi-humans to pick up classes they think fit their playstyle better after character creation, but only when they are still low level>loosen "character with 2 classes" (human only, btw) requirements for experienced players, 17 in one prime requisite, 15 in the other, exact order matters not>stick to the declare actions, then roll (group) initiative principle>allow players and NPCs/monsters to stand still instead of executing their declared action, don't be a retard and require them to charge into a newly conjured lava pit in front of them>remember that there is no moving and attacking in the same round unless charging (or fly-by attacking) or being within 1 inch of eachother>if you are not sure about NPC behaviour, do not be shy to use reaction rolls>use the morale rolls, especially for hirelings and merenaries (less for dedicated loyal henchmen), the "fail by this much leads to X" is more important than the exact morale modifiers, remember that you are also running a combat on the side in 90% of cases where morale/loyalty is relevant>populate your city/home base, the city encounter tables generate high level NPCs but those can be simply authority figures>the rogue's gallery PDF has ready-use city guards and wilderness patrollers, use them until you feel comfortable generating your own
>>93978826the abstract combat fu section is just DM fiat and mother-may-I drivel.
How do you guys sort hex maps IRL? Is there a specific way to do it?I've seen some 'hex' prints and stuff online but they're cut off at the borders.
>>93978914Retard
>>93978827Self-replying. Found this. Well done, it's clearing up several doubts for me.
>>93976348>What's a good method for organizing DM notes in an OSR game.This:>>93976633is an excellent reply, but you said:>I'm looking for a physical example of an OSR game judge's notebook to emulateSo I'm dropping some video resources you might find useful.The first one is the classic GFC's DND channel, it's never recommended enough:https://www.youtube.com/@gfcsdnd205/videosit's only got eight videos, but they are very much worth watching them all, and he explains how he organises his information in several of them.Then there's this playlist from Joy of Wargaming:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_z29m150g5r5TvlCLzlaBTcK7YZiTWPfin which he self-teaches AD&D by playing solo. Leaving aside the quality of the series in itself, you can see how he organises his information in his ring binder, and I think it's pretty reasonable. The fact that it's solo doesn't change MUCH, he's still taking the notes he'd have to take anyway.
>>93979490>>93978826Naw this is straight up Ben Milt*n freeform nonsense. >just do what's fun : ) : )
>>93979734I hope he gets bone cancer.
>>93978826lol Why's he make the players sound frustrated and annoyed with the DM in the old style examples?
>>93978827I have been using the M2M rules for armed/armored opponents, the ACS for fantasy opponents and animals, and for each "kill", inflicting 1d6 damage. I had been using Mass Combat for animals/fantasy, but it doesn't map 1:1 to the monster lists provided in TSR publications. Personally, I also have been allowing multiple attacks proportional to fighting capability - e.g. a 4th level fighter (Hero) makes 4 attacks in a round. In M2M, it necessarily takes longer because of sequential rolling - but it isn't as bad as you think it might be.
>>93978827>Is that it? Are hit points ignored?No, it's made clear in the LBBs that any hit of Kill or Drive back scored in Chainmail combat simply does one die of damage in OD&D.Also, in Chainmail proper, Heroes are not subject to the cumulative-hits rule, as they are not Normal-types. It's not clear from Chainmail how the Fantasy Supplement interacts with MTM combat – heroes are supposed to fight one another in Fantasy Combat and MTM is a substitute for Normal Combat – but it if you choose to employ the MTM tables for handling their fights (reasonable!), each hit scored should certainly be treated as a Drive Back or Kill as in Fantasy Combat.
Anyone have that chart showing the evolution of D&D editions and its influences on other related/derived games? There were multiple versions of it and it was in some ways similar to this one here attached.>inb4 screeching and OSR pilpulYes, I know that pic related and/or the image I'm looking for may not be accurate by whatever standard you want to apply, I won't deny that and I'm not here to argue about it.
>Stone statue depicting a beautiful woman with an exposed brain. Her arms are spread wide. >If hugged, the statue will hug back. Lawful characters are healed 2d6>Neutral characters are healed 1d6. >Both must pass an Int check or lose 1 Int permanently. >If the character is Chaotic, the statue instead attempts to crush them. A successful Str check escapes the statue’s embrace, otherwise take 1d6 damage at the end of each round. The statue releases its target after three rounds or once dead. >Only one hug per person
>>93980362>D&D editions and its influences on other related/derived gamesIt's not possible to do anything like that, D&D influenced literallly every RPG in existence.>inb4 screechingNot much to screech about, I don't hate that picture. Just two minor problems as far as I can see:1. Chainmail isn't an influence on OD&D, it's part of the ruleset. But I understand it's also an influence, so okay.2. I really don't understand the Mentzer-like red box at the far right. Did they really make something that looked like the Mentzer red box for 4e??
>>93980313As far as I know, heroes fight heroes on Fantasy, but take four concurrent hits on the battlefield to take down in a turn - M2M is straightforward (got to get a bunch of folks to gang up on him) - but the question becomes what to do with a hero at scale? Does he fight as four *figures*, where figures are 20 men? A friend of mine justified this as assuming the hero has an elite bodyguard around him - but some folks I knew online would have heroes absolutely wreck shop in mass battle.
>>93980766>As far as I know, heroes fight heroes on Fantasy, but take four concurrent hits on the battlefield to take down in a turnNo, that's... absolutely not how that works. Those concurrent/cumulative hits are *only* for Normal Combat, any hit (in Chainmail proper) scored in Fantasy Combat kills the opponent, unless you roll the exact target number, which merely drives the opponent back by one move.In any case, The LBBs make clear that all this stuff about simultaneous/cumulative hits and instakills is superseded by OD&D damage mechanics and that each hit scores 1d6 hit points of damage. What about this is hard to understand?
>>93980855>In any case, The LBBs make clear that all this stuff about simultaneous/cumulative hits and instakills is superseded by OD&D damage mechanics and that each hit scores 1d6 hit points of damage.NTA. Do they? Can I get a book / page number, specifically for 1d6 the damage part?
>>93981341Of course. For the damage inflicted by a hit specifically, the basic citation is I:19 (bottom of the page):>All attacks which score hits do 1-6 points of damage unless otherwise noted.That this does not only apply to the Alternative Combat System is further made clear by the Combat section of the D&D FAQ in The Strategic Review #2 (page 3).For the procedures of Chainmail combat generally, III:25 is the relevant citation:>LAND COMBAT:>The basic system is that from CHAINMAIL, with one figure representing one man or creature. Melee can be conducted with the combat table given in Volume I or by the CHAINMAIL system, with scores equalling a drive back or kill equal only to a hit.That Hero-types do not have recourse to the simultaneous hit requirement as a defense is also evident from I:18 "Dice for Accumulative Hits (Hit Dice)" and again, the FAQ in TSR issue 2.
>>93981482>That this does not only apply to the Alternative Combat System is further made clear by the Combat section of the D&D FAQ in The Strategic Review #2 (page 3).Ah, that helps, thanks.One more question, kind Anon. What do you make of the "1-" entry in the Balrog vs Roc Fantasy Combat Table?
>>93981820Probably supposed to be an 11, I'm guessing the logic is that it's hard for the balrog to hit a flyer judging by his other to-hit numbers
>>93981881Makes sense.
>>93981820Huh, my reply seems to have been devoured. Well, it wasn't long, I'll just retype it:>What do you make of the "1-" entry in the Balrog vs Roc Fantasy Combat Table?I don't remember off the top of my head what the explanation for this is, but I vaguely recall reading one at some point. I'll have a look and see if I can refind it. Offhand I don't think this >>93981881 is the explanation, because if you look at the Roc's attacking line on the table it's at 12 to attack a Balrog, i.e. it can't actually kill one, only drive it back.The I went off and started looking, but so far I've only been able to find this:>https://odd74.proboards.com/post/97341/threadwhere it's suggested to be a typo for 10.
>>93980362Whatever is up with classic d&d and d&d adventure game anyways?Just repackaged rules?
>>93982169Okay, the consensus among Those Who Know is that it is indeed a typo for 10 caused by the - being next to the 0 on a keyboard. Not the sort of thing I thought I remembered, but it does make sense, because the Balrog is overall slightly weaker than a Dragon (albeit stronger against hero-types and some other humanoids).
>>93982365That last D&D Adventure Game I don't know anything about, and suspect it may be a 3e/pre-3e product, but the black box and brown box are the same rules with different extras in the box. They're 5-level basic sets made as introductions for/to be used in conjunction with the Rules Cyclopedia. Basically the concept of the RC was to move away from the BECMI model of selling full box sets in precipitously diminishing numbers for the whole level span of Basic, and just sell the actually profitable box (Basic) with one complete rulebook to expand it. Personally I still think this is the best physical format of D&D of all time, especially the "Classic D&D Game" box from '94.
>>93979734>>93979490might as well just do freeform if you're going to defend this crap
>More Chainmail questionsSo a Hero fights as "four figures". What does this mean?>Mass Combat:Is it a SINGLE HERO that has the fighting capability of four whole figures (=80 men-at-arms), or is it a unit of twenty heroes that is equivalent to 80 men-at-arms?>Man-to-Man Combat:When meleed by regular troops (men-at-arms, goblins, gnolls, and so on), four simultaneous hits to kill or no effect. Does the single hero also get four attacks in MTM combat vs regulars?>I imagine the answers might be different depending on pure Chainmail vs. Chainmail+OD&D.
>>93982457Despicable retard
>>93984218>So a Hero fights as "four figures". What does this mean?Four figures of the appropriate class, e.g. a Hero wearing plate and carrying a halberd counts as four Armored Foot, while an unarmored hero on horseback with a lance is four Light Horse.>Is it a SINGLE HERO that has the fighting capability of four whole figures (=80 men-at-arms)In regular Chainmail yes, correct. In D&D combat all figures are 1:1 scale as per relevant quote here >>93981482 and thus the Hero fights as precisely four ordinary men, but that is explicitly a *change* for OD&D use.This might seem like a gross nerf but basically the Chainmail Fantasy Supplement plays very fast and loose with the figure scale in the first place, you clearly aren't meant to assume blocs of dragons and so on either. Also, in practice four attacks per round is not a nerf.>When meleed by regular troops (men-at-arms, goblins, gnolls, and so on), four simultaneous hits to kill or no effect. Does the single hero also get four attacks in MTM combat vs regulars?Yes. But again as noted above, the simultanous hits to kill do not apply in OD&D, as the Hero has hit points instead which increase survivability (in Chainmail, a kill is a kill, so there must be a mitigating factor to make it harder for such figures to be slain by a mook).Man-to-Man Combat is basically a substitute for Normal Combat (often called Mass Combat to contrast it with MTM), intended for use in 1:1 scale siege scenarios. Thus, Normal Combat concepts generally apply, except when that gets very weird (cases which should be obvious). Note that MTM does not play very nice with the Fantasy Supplement; no monster has specifications for its MTM attacks (which would in theory be simple, either the Warlock route of adding Claw, Bite and so on to the list of weapons or the simpler, Normal Combat-analogous route of specifying what weapon the monster attacks as). Evidently, TSR didn't see that type of fantasy siege scenario as likely to come up.
>>93986021>Note that MTM does not play very nice with the Fantasy SupplementYeah, there's some things I think I might really like about using Chainmail and others that I find not very satisfying. The whole list of a dozen subcases for MTM combat based on relative weapon lengths, for example, is a bit awkward. Certainly it's not explained very well, and there are some obscure points.For example: (A) On the first round, 2H Sword vs Dagger, who attacks first?(B) First round, pike vs. dagger, pike goes first, then what?> Can the dagger attack three times after the pike if he does not parry?> Can the dagger parry at all? If he can and does, how many attacks does he get on a counter?
>>93986021Thanks again for all the explanations btw.
>>93986530Yeah, these rules are straight up just indefensible and I'm not going to try. They're not only incoherent and overcomplicated, but also totally unrealistic – the weapon reach/initiative rules are maybe, *maybe* salvageable in Chainmail itself where the first blow is quite likely to kill outright, but in D&D it's even worse and cannot be justified. The initiative rules should just say that the 2 classes longer weapon always has the initiative and the opponent cannot strike back unless the longer weapon misses.The parry rules are hopeless.Basically, I think what's going on here is that the MTM rules were written for one specific scenario and weren't really playtested beyond that, just thrown in the book. I do really like the weapons vs. armor table that's the core of the system though.
>>93986539Hey, no problem. I'm one of probably like half a dozen dorks on the entire planet who's ever run a D&D game with these rules, if my knowledge of them can be useful to anybody that's just cool.
>>93986591Listen pal, I'm going to give it to you straight and right between the eyes. A coup de grace, a knockout if you will, right? In my opinion, you might be one of the most gracious, perspicacious, and philanthropic anonymous I've seen posting in a long time, right? You like those words, right? I am wishing for you and hoping, God willing, that you are sealed and inscribed by hashem for 180 years of prosperity and fulfillment. RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT
>>93979612GFCs is peak content.Joy of wargaming is also excellent content. He becomes very relevant once you've read Tony Bath.>>93987261Imagine caring about twitter
I see we're having a moment.Can I get some hexcrawl content generators once it blows over? Shit like towers/swords stuck in stones/family of enraged grape farmers and the like.
>>93989877>I see we're having a moment.todd/lers having a meltdown >hexcrawl content Start with a 6 row table, once it's full, add more rows to take it up a die size or two (d8/d10). Repeat up to to d30. That's usually enough
Anyone have any experience with OD&D retroclones (assuming these are on-topic as "derived systems")? I'm struggling to find any meaningful comparisons between Delving Deeper (my current pick) and the less "official" ones like Greyharp, the Big Brown Book, etc.I'm completely uninterested in Fantastic Medieval Campaigns because of the bullshit rhetoric and White Box FMAG because of single thief score, single saving throw, and its other boneheaded simplifications.Thanks guys.
>>93990974If you want to play OD&D, I would recommend playing OD&D instead of an OD&D-inspired shitbrew.The only OD&D-derived shitbrew that I would consider playing is Original Edition Delta, because (1) it's a shitbrew that painstakingly explains every single point of departure and the reasoning behind it, and (2) most of the ideas in it are very well playtested, thought out, and mature.(1/2)
>>93990974>>93991269(2/2)However, if you want to use the Chainmail combat system with OD&D, you will certainly find Compleat Chainmail useful:>>93979584
>>93989877Filling in the blanks
>>93991269>>93991283I have read OD&D and determined that its failure to clarify certain rules tidbits becomes exhausting, thus my desire for something more "complete." So far I've found that Delving Deeper maintains """enough""" of a resemblance to the original, >The only OD&D-derived shitbrew that I would consider playing is Original Edition DeltaI would argue that OED is so far removed from OD&D as to be referred to as an entirely different game. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but the major departures include "Target 20," the removal of Clerics, real-time game mechanics, and survival-oriented mechanics such as increased HP, ability scores, and saving throws vs. death during combat. "Target 20" admittedly does have some historical basis, but it piles on to the statistical changes to dungeon stocking, trap likelihood, yadda yadda yadda. If I wanted something with as much complexity as OED tacks on, I would just play Advanced.Rant aside, thanks for your reply. I probably should have specified I'm looking for something pre-Greyhawk, as I appreciate the simplicity of 6-sided hit and damage dice and could take or leave thieves.
>>93987732Kekkk, I'm glad you got some use out of the conversation. Hope you enjoy your game, Anon!>>93989877Do you have the first Wilderlands set with the random tables already? Or the later Wilderlands sets with the plethora of handwritten entries that you can just steal?>>93990974Greyharp isn't even really a retroclone, it's literally just the text of OD&D reorganized to make more sense (or, at any rate, to look more like later editions of D&D). It's also missing a bunch of the encounter tables and some copies lack the Cleric saving throws, IIRC.Anyway, the truth is I really wouldn't recommend running OD&D if the gaps in it don't fire you up to make it your own thing. Some of OD&D's rules are better than the rules of any later edition, but they're not necessarily worth it on their own.
>>93991545Your assessment of OED is not unfair, but it does have a Cleric class, it's in the Appendix of the document I attached.Its main selling point for me is stuff like Book of War and the traps digest.
>>93991946I am no exception to the desire of all Referees to eventually run their own perfect shitbrew, and OD&D's language does inspire me to make it my own. I'm mainly looking for something to fill the gap as I currently don't have the time to spend on developing a system based on OD&D - which I am sure to do, eventually - whilst running the game... most of my time is devoted to preparing the setting and dungeons.I think that you certainly have a point regarding OD&D, but what would you suggest in its stead? One of the main selling points to Delving Deeper to me was its language and presentation, which give me much the same feeling as the LBBs do. I've tried Moldvay/Cook but, at risk of contradicting myself, find it to be a bit too simplistic for myself and my players to fully enjoy.>>93991951>Book of War and the traps digestI haven't had the chance to go through these, but I will. Thanks
>>93992169Hey, if Delving Deeper works for you, use it. I'm not the OD&D Taliban here. I could probably have been a lot clearer about it, but what I meant was that it might not be worth your time to go on a quest for OD&D retroclones if you weren't happy with any of the ones you'd seen. If you're content with Delving Deeper, that puts a whole other face on it.And the fact is I would probably have recommended Moldvay Basic as the more cohesive alternative. I mean, realistically, what other suggestion is there besides that and AD&D? Almost all clones are just one of those two with house rules, after all.
>>93980553>Both must pass an Int check or lose 1 Int permanentlyAbsurd.
>>93992277>freakshit player racesSuch as? What, a Half-Orc? It basically says that they're grotesque abominations.
>>93992357Don't reply to bait, fool. Report and ignore.
>>93992252Fair point, it pretty much is all OD&D or B/X. Thanks for your responses, and I'd be interested to know more from others who have tried playing the clones of 0e.>>93992277Nice bait, refer to the attached image and kindly contract bone cancer.
>>93978658B/X is at least easy to homebrew and intuitively grasp. I could just play actually good systems instead of AD&D garbage instead of trying to win street cred with you losers.
>>93980362
>>93992829>Braunstein is a direct mechanical influence on ChainmailHow the fuck do you blow it at the first terms of the chart?
>>93992843>>93992829Not to mention that Conan and Vance were impactful on the Chainmail fantasy supplement.He also skipped Blackmoor and castle & crusades society.
>>93992910I don't know how impactful Vance really was on Chainmail, not a lot of deodands and dirdir in there, but Elric does get mentioned explicitly so Moorcock unquestionably was.But yeah, I agree that Braunstein should be mapped as an inspirational influence on Blackmoor which in turn is a mechanical precursor of OD&D.
>>93978658>play AD&D if ur a grown-upSo shit like this is more mature? I'll stick to my childish whimsy of controlling my character fully, thanks.
>>93993096'fraid Unearthed Arcana is 1985 and thus neither AD&D nor OSR. Also you're trusting an alleged humor artist to convey accurate information.
>>93993304erm, actually, UA is just recycled Dragon Magazine articles that were being printed before 85 bubby
>>93993357Careful, you’re contradicting the /osrg/ headcanon. Sperging imminent.
>>93993516Off you trot >>93925445
>>93993516A good chuckle, pal. Surely no one in this thread earnestly wastes their time with pointless in-fighting a 'no true scotsman' falla-->>93993615<.<
>>93976348Basically the GFC video. One point of departure is I realized I prefer separate notebooks instead of a ring binder because I was flipping pages constantly then losing where I was, I guess organization can be made better with some separators but the constant flipping whenever I need to reference something is annoying. I now have a calendar for which I use a random monthly planner I bought, ideally you want a page or two at most per month. Then I have a campaign notebook where I keep notes on places, PCs, NPCs, NPC activities, plans and motivations, any quests or relationships the PCs create, basically anything that's important long term. And last I have a notepad with tearable pages and a dot grid I use for any and all immediate notes during session, dungeon turns, enemy hp, treasure, npc stats, drawings, impromptu handouts, ad-hoc character sheets etc. Anything that's important beyond the scope of the single adventure gets copied from here to the campaign book or calendar after each session, for example a magic item was found but not identified, I make a note of it and its abilities next to the character that keeps it for later reference. I also date every expedition with in-world date in the notepad and note it in calendar just in case I need to reference something again and didn't think to log it elsewhere but this also helps remind me to restock dungeons.My calendar also has slightly more space than necessary so I use the extra space to write a summary of each months adventures, not really necessary but it's lovely to be able to come back to it years later and read. You can also use it as a base for a new campaign where the old heroes have already passed into legend.
>>93992829Not exactly the crazy wall I'm looking for but close, thanks!The one I saw and am looking for included various nuSR/artpunk/QSR games along the way, I think it included 5 Torches Deep and maybe Troika! (horrible terrible game, do not recommend) and others.
>>93993702
>>93993946>DCC, Shartdookie, and MORT BORT in the OSR areaDevilish
>>93993946The OSR decade was the years 2005 to 2015, a halcyon time period during which play was remarkably free from error. Everything that came out after 2015 should be labeled as "post-OSR" to alert the reader to its probable degraded and degenerate nature.
>>93994613>you wouldn't like itI'm convinced of that just from looking at its philosophy of 'rules over rulings' and the goofy ahh approach it seems to have taken when throwing the kitchen sink at the wall to salvage their drowning product.
>>93990974DD is probably your best option if you want to play the LBBs without actually decyphering and filling in all the blanks necessary to play with the LBBs. That's kind of the point of it, the author filled in the blanks and resolved ambiguities with a mix of chainmail, strategic review articles and just talking to people who played OD&D back in the day with Gary. The organization of the text is great, and I really like that he kept the "tone" of the text close to the original for the vibes. It's very nice. Greyharp is also good, it's just a reorganization of the text more or less, easier to use than the originals but if ease of use is the name of the game then DD wins. The originals are just very ambiguous and written like a stream of consciousness so it's hard to even keep straight what was written in them and what was simply an assumption I made when reading them... And looking up anything in those booklets is a pain unless you have it committed to memory entirely. DD is solid.
>>93995267>The OSR decade was the years 2005 to 2015Decades aren't 11 years long.
>>93993946Hey cool I was wondering if shadowdark passed the OSR muster !
So, philosophical question, which of the following would you consider to be loot for XP gain purposes:>PoWs>Slaves (Sold on open market)>Slaves (Used by players/given as tribute to allies)>Noble hostages ransomed off to their families>Spoils of war (Gold and wenches alike - taken by a barbarian if that makes a difference)
>>93995824Treasure like object not used, sold as soon as possible.If you want a milieu where slave trading and ransoming nobles is a part of the play sessions you have that reward XP.
>>93995909I don't know, I've never understood it
>>93995909Isn't it weird how you're meta-vagueposting instead of talking about games? Do you prefer to complain instead of dwelling on the fact you have no friends and no gaming group?
There’s seething on both sides. Don’t front.
>>93993665Binder is great but needing to take out the calendar to note is a first world problem.>>93995909Why call attention to it? Just be friendly, helpful and knowledgeable if you can.Just don't read the madposts.
>>93995909It's because osr isn't as well defined as a single edition like 4e or 5e and specifically some people have some very different (and sometimes outright wrong) definitions of what it is.
>>93996393>Not really?Don’t bullshit me, man. I’ve been here long enough to know what this general was like and what it is like now. You can’t blame it all on the 2efag bogeyman. There are plenty of posters in this general that are incapable of being polite or helpful and just shit on anything that doesn’t fit into their view of what is acceptable discussion. Anonymity is the armor of the asshole and plenty of posters here wear it.
>Anonymity is the armor of the asshole and plenty of posters here wear it.Incredibly based
Say didn't there used to be an official /osrg/ discord?Is that or anything akin to it still around today?
>>93996813It got co-opted by the RainbOSR as I understand. I was never a habitue there so I can't coonfirm but it has a poor reputation.
>>93995824>PoWsOnly if there was some actual benefit or gain from holding them. War prisoners are generally a pain in the ass, you have to keep them guarded and contained, some sort of food and otherwise waste time and resources on them. Unless they're specifically valuable they're a loss not a gain. >slaves There you go. Sold or gifted doesn't seem to matter imo, although there would have to be a demand for slaves at all for it to matter. Doesn't seem like a consistent or strong source of GP thus not XP if the treasure isn't valuable. Specific slaves, sure, but en mass less so. >ransom Much better. Engages with the local faction and domain play too. >Spoils of warI'd just lump that under however you're distributing XP for mass battles and not worry about fiddling with it too much. Wait how does things like Battle System do XP to player characters for things like mass battles?
>>93997568Rats. I got some cool ideas from there a several years ago I was hoping it was still kicking
>>93962364>less emphasis on linear adventures and overarching meta-plots and a greater emphasis on player agency.What the fuck does this mean?
>>93997864It means it's not 5e
>>93976532What does that mean about keeping strict time records? I don't understand what he's talking about
>>93997650Check this out. It some of the compiled works of this general. It's not all gold but there's some neat stuff.https://osrgcontent.blogspot.com/2020/05/
>>93995824>peopleXP as if they were defeated in combat, which they were in 90% of cases. Any monetary gains from slavery/ransom should be penalized as per the DMG depending on the relative "difficulty".>enslaved a defenseless villageQuarter XP from non-loot>cut through a nobleman's mid-level fighter stagecoach guards and ransom himFull XP for the ransom money
>>93997557Is it D&D before 2nd edition?If not, then it isn't.
Did one of you guys make this? It looks like something I would write but I can't remember if I did or not. I drink.
>>93998586Was Lamentations of the Flame Princess made before 2nd edition?
>>93998586Don't be obtuse Anon>>93998604You have a created date for that file?>I drinkI couldn't tell
>>93998625No it wasn't. Your point being?>>93998629I was just stating facts.
>>93998629Posted to the blog Aug29, 2021 so it would have been posted to the thread earlier that week.It absolutely looks like something I would write. Even the dumb name is right in my wheelhouse.
>>93997922Or 2e for that matter.
>>93997945>strict time recordsOf what happens during downtime when there are multiple PC parties active during the same game time. So downtime activities (magical research, training, recruiting hirelings and henchmen, spying, assassination, building construction, illness, sages, domain play, ...) together time credit, time debit, time jail, no-go zones to prevent time paradoxes.
>>93998726>>93997945>strict time recordsAnd the (in)famous 1:1 time, which is "best".
>>93998683Sounds like you wrote it then.>>93998635OSR includes (faithful) retroclones like the above mentioned Lamentations. >>93997557Off memory white hack isn't particularly close to any of the first decade games but I haven't read it so I can't confirm or argue why that is or isn't true.
>>93997864Are you illiterate?
>>93997945>>93998726>>93998744I highly recommend doing it even if you have one pc party or your players have several parties like in my game currently. I have given players monster factions to run in my megadungeon. I ask them weekly what they want these parties doing and then resolve their actions. Takes at most like 20 min once a week to check.
>>93995824Agree with this. >>93998355 Broadly if the captive is obtained in peril and sold (i.e. exchanged for treasure, so ransom counts) the sum will render XP prorated to the level of danger, analogously to magic items.
>>93998629>>93998683https://desuarchive.org/tg/thread/81034150/#81042931
>>93997557>The Strong class can on a "memorable kill" steal one of the keywords from an enemy for his own useIf that shit sounds like D&D to you, you're retarded
>>93998876There's some pretty funny stuff on that blog. I don't think the anon that maintains it is around anymore. Too bad, the steady flow of OC was the peak of this general.
>>93995824Indirectly, just as with gems, and only if they get rewards for bringing slaves/wenches/ransomed nobles. Gold-for-xp is something tied to law vs. chaos in which parties usually play neutral, sometimes play towards law, but an altogether tendency towards chaos is unfitting. A chaotic campaign would thus change under what circumstances treasure must be gained to be xp.
>>93998933Fucking lel.
>>93992829Why is '94 edition of Basic neglected. It's literally the same game, with better info for newbies?>>93998586For instance '94 basic.It's made AFTER 2e but it's actually the same game as basic.https://archive.org/details/tsr01106classicddgame
>>93981820>>93981881>>93982169Look at your keyboard, that 1- is fat fingering 10.
>>93999435>Look at your keyboard
>>93999462Look at a North American keyboard Retard-Kun.
Do you allow nudist NPCs in your game?
>>93999692It's not old school if you don't.
>>93999462I wasn't talking to you, foreigner.
>>93983515If there's no place for rulings, the players may as well play Nethack. Idiotic.
>>93999692>AC 13>AB +5>MV 40'Not with that FOEblock. Why don't you use your fourty feet movement speed and fuck right off.
>>93999692Where's that from? It looks weird.>>94000234>Thinks ascending vs descending mattersHave you considered pulling your head out of your arse?
>>93999435Already pointed out >>93982374
>>94000256Basic Fantasy RPGCharacter art wavers between decently retro and hideous deviantart anime with a grey filter slapped on top
>>94000234>FOEblockwhat's that
Well I decided to get some normals together and run them through tomb of the serpent kings. We are in the fifth week of poking the dungeon. They’ve cleared the false tomb, got to the atrium found the secret passage to the basilisk, avoided near petrification escaped and went back a week later to find the basilisk had fed and was revitalized. They bailed, and finished clearing the atrium. Almost died to the black pudding because the fighter insisted on fighting when they could have trapped it back in its tomb. Lead it to the hammer trap upstairsThief found out last week about the tripped stairs ramp to the cobra guardian so they regrouped in town and rested a week developing other leads. Finally going into week 5 they are about to meet the statue boss. If they manage to not get wiped I’ll be impressed. I’ve been telegraphing so hard I feel like I’m telling them what to do sometimes and they still do their own thing most times. We’ve lost three characters so far. Seems like everyone is having fun, I am for sure. I just wish they would .. be better ? I got one guy who gets it but he is usually drowned out or doesn’t speak up as much as the others
>>94001403NOT TO MENTION—They think this is like the end of the dungeon and there’ll be a big Zelda style treasure chest waiting for them lmao
>>93996813It's still around and doing fine.
>>94001558Link pls
>>94000940Lurk moar
>>94000940It's the reason you posted that image in the first place. Please go away from here
>Shield: 20 gp, 1 slot. +1 AC on plate, +2 on chainmail, and +3 on leather or no armor.from my current ruleset. It might sound stupid or broken, but the fact that no fighter will wear anything else than plate makes this ruling probably autoobsolete. This is for normal, viking sized shields. Small shields such as bucklers or proper to hobbits still work as normal
Whats with all the babbling schizos?If pretty women freak you out thats fine, I wont tell anyone you take it in the ass.
>>94000256>Thinks ascending vs descending doesn't matterDescending AC keeps 3eaboos like you out ergo it is based and redpilled
>>94003162I like it because negative AC is fucking metal.
>>94001403>players don't learn osr play from shitty intro dungeon Weird.
>>94003874
>>94003874Dat negative AC tho.
>>94004018Is there anything that would make them learn to play well? This dungeon was as brain dead as I could find, would just making something up be any better?
>>94004709>as brain dead as I could find This is the problem. You, and skerp, assume the players are helpless idiots who need to be led through the garden by hand. They will never learn anything that way. There's a bunch of good intro modules in the intro module pdf found in the op. The good players section of the ad&d phb is a sort read and they should all read it. You as the dm can explain concepts and examples as they happen in play. You will have to repeat yourself, thas just all dealing with humans in groups. Tomb Robbers on the Crystal Frontier and Through Ultan's Door are both much better intro module that give players meaningful choices with a gradual oncrwase in difficulty without railroading them. Tomb of the Dragon's Heart is good too.
>>94004773fair points and solid advice, thanks anon.looking into the mentioned modules now.
>>94003162Please actually play games, this kind of faggotry you are spouting is the result of Gleemax charop tier nogamery.
>>94005053NTA; Pic related is not the game we play around here, faggot
>>93993946Kek it may have been that, but without the over 9000 hours in MS Paint scribblings.
>>94001403>tomb of the serpent kings.This thing needs to stop being recommended, it's dogs water.
Do any of these OSR/retroclone systems handle firearms well? Anything particularly suited to the fantasy of wearing heavy armor, carrying a big belt-fed machine gun, and crawling around dark concrete tunnels full of things that go bump in the night?
>>94005399LotFP has decent flintlock era rules, but modern firearms really don't mesh with the abstractions of D&D combat. I would just use a different system.
>>93993946>>94005241It was this one actually. Thanks nonetheless.
>>94005440Wow, that's somehow even gayer and stupider and more wrong than the one the other guy posted. I'm impressed.
>>94005399Acks Domains at War has a Pike & Shot supplement.
>>94005440>putting traveller in there because they couldn't cope about fags without number Imagine putting in artshit morkborg and not acks. Ask how I know fag hands made that image.
>>94005473>>94005558The eastern thinkers say that after each cycle of reality ends, the universe is reset and everything gets another chance at being better and more true. I have faith that in just a few osrillion cycles we will finally get a more correct universal definition of OSR everyone can agree on.In the meantime, I'll just not bother too much and keep playing my weekly shitbrew game with my friends, and so should you.
>>94005377Everyone spazzes about that module but I've run it three times and never had anyone tell me it was anything but a great time. First time mappers too. These days I prefer to make my own dungeons, but still, it's not a terrible choice.
>>93999692Everyone in my games is assumed to be butt naked Barsoom style unless explicitly and specifically described otherwise (but I never bring it up unless it's wretched prisoners or pictish barbarians).One of my player scribbled his character as a conanesque barbarian and the hireling as a toppless wild woman all on his own and I am very happy about that.>>94001403>>94001422Fellow OSR enthusiast, glad you gamin'! Unironically.How many players and characters, what level are they, and what rules are you using? Any rulings and shitbreweries already?In the OP you can find some more decent starter modules, but the best is to make your own dungeons. Also you should probably start working on a small hex map of maybe 20-40 hexes where to put more dungeons and cool locations for your players to crawl into and die miserably.
>>94005431I was under the impression there were scifi systems considered "OSR"
>>94005845Sci-fi games / systems for OSR are as frequent as Albinos.Star adventurer by Pundit should be alright, I don't play sci-fi.
>>94005845There's a few OSR sci-fi systems, and their gun combat sucks ass compared to Traveller. OSR combat is just not built for it.>inb4 "but what if we removed all that and"By the time you got it to work, there wouldn't be any point to pretending it was an OSR game anymore, it'd be another bespoke NuSR system that's not compatible with anything else.>>94005591We have our definition, it's in the OP, get with the program, buddhistnon
>>94005788OSEUsing ascending AC (ew!) and a called shot rule for fighters, describe your attack/action, roll attack with disadvantage and if it hits you get some sort of boon (knocks enemy prone, stuns them, drop the item, whatever contextually makes sense). If they miss their called shot they miss embarrassingly and cannot call another shot until a full days rest is had. Working on a hex map now to futz around with and solo on, I hope my party engages the wilderness but so far I have my doubts
>>94005776>I've run it three timesThat's the sad part really. There's a lot of more interesting introduction modules, no reason for you to run the same thing over and over. There's not nearly as much uncertainty in Tomb of the Skerpking so you're not even getting much different gameplay.
>>94006395Two of the times I just threw it in the local area as one of the smaller dungeons when the party wants to explore a bit more of the area beyond the tentpole dungeon. I don't even disagree with you either btw, I just think the module gets a little too much hate. Granted there are so many free ones out there nowadays it's not hard to probably find better ones. I honestly wish more modules took the B1 DIY approach, it's a nice middle ground.
>>940057884 players, 6 charactersWizard and FighterTwo different players on thievesAnd a Fighter with a hireling he’s hoping to train and level I made everybody run level 0 in hopes of getting some extra teaching time in so they’re learning a bit. They died several times at 0
>>94001403>I’m telling them what to do sometimes and they still do their own thing most times.As in "You should probably bring more than one torch" or "You should probably not tie your legs together and try to convince the snake men that you are a snake"? Because the first one is people learning a system (slowly) while the second one is just lolrandumb nonsense. Sometimes, players want an RPG that requires no brain use. They want to turn up and tune out. OSR games require brain use. You can lead a player to knowledge but you can't make them think. >>94001422Might want to put at least some sort of treasure there then, to keep them interested.
>>94005440>Mothership>Never?Kek
>>94006493Its a meh dungeon that got pushed to the right crowd by a jackass. Happens, but its too bad. >Two of the times I just threw it in the local area as one of the smaller dungeons when the party wants to explore a bit more of the area beyond the tentpole dungeon.Wait you used a dungeon that claims to be for new players and new DMs, as a lair outside the main dungeon? Or am I missing something?
>>94004879You should run 'Monolith from Beyond Time and Space' for them. Quintessential osr
>>94006839ntaI've actually gone back and read that one semi recently and it might not be as dogshit as it appeared. Not even a littlebit a good intro adventure, no lotfp is really, but I think there's workable stuff in it. Not enough to buy it, but enough to print it out and fuck it up a bit with a pen.
>>94005788What system are you even using for Barsoom-level nakedness? Doesn't seem viable in most OSRs.
Out of the box, as they are — you running OSE or ACKS ?
>>94007178I'd like to run ACKSII RAW when my books show up but I think the bulk of the good stuff will be lost on my players. There's a lot of detail to drill down on and that needs player buy-in.
Does any convention do competition modules? Like, multiple groups going at the same time to see who wins.In my mind it seems like a really fun experience, but I imagine it'd be very easy to fuck up and it's not really a fair competition
>>93993946Thank you for drawing arrows from "Basic Fantasy RPG" to "BFRPG 2nd Edition", "BFRPG 3rd Edition", and finally "BFRG 4th Edition", showing how these games form an evolutionary sequence. This is fascinating stuff and no doubt backed up by solid research. I can't thank you enough.
