Mini-Dungeon #1 - An Exercise in Gridmapper

This is a mini-dungeon that I used in my AS&SH campaign (you can check the play report here). It was accessible through a trapdoor in a storage room in a Dagonite village. I redid the map in Gridmapper (my very first attempt using it) and typed the key verbatim from my notes. Where not noted, assume doors can be opened without much hassle.

Dungeon Key:

1. half-empty barrels of sour wine
2. rats, guano
   rusty equipment, decayed barrels
3. locked
   carvings of fishy motifs
   copper candelabras, no candles
   tunnels to the underground temple
4. broken mirror, blood, meat
   silver chandelier (600gp)
5. ajar
   2 guards sleeping (HD 1+1; AC 7; 1d6; ML 7)
6. locked
   rebellious villager (prisoner)
7. 2 guards sleeping (HD 1+1; AC 7; 1d6; ML 7)
   oubliette → chains, manacles, a young girl (werewolf)
   (HD 4; AC 5; 1d4/1d4/2d4; ML 8)
8. locked
   old rug, chairs and benches knocked over
   old clock → inside a topaz (500gp)
9. ajar
   coffins → 4 ghouls (HD 2; AC 6; 1d3/1d3/1d6 + paralysis; ML 10)

Upcoming OSR Games

It has been quite some time since I made a list of upcoming OSR releases. Here are a bunch of games I am looking forward to reading.

Avatars & Annihilation
I have talked about Van Noa's game in my first "upcoming OSR stuff" post already. Since then, refinement of rules and editing has taken place, as well as some playtesting over Google+. There is no release date set, though.

Beyond Dread Portals
A game/setting to be published by D101 Games, sort of reminiscent of Planescape. There's a baroque, corrupt city with gateways to many other worlds. Intrigue and dimension-hopping adventures are to be expected.

Break!! RPG
A recognisably OSR game influenced mostly by JRPG and anime tropes. D&D-esque in mechanics, although not a proper clone. You may want to check the dev blog and the game's website for further information (and I suggest you do).

Chanbara
A Japanese-inspired OSR game, built off the Swords & Wizardry chassis, from the author of the Flying Swordsmen RPG. Check out his blog for further information.

Eldritch Tales
An investigative occult game by Raven God Games, similar to Silent Legions and Black Books. Uses the S&W:WB chassis.

Faerie Tales &  Folklore
A game set on a historic but mythological Earth. It is mostly notable for being Chainmail/OD&D-based, and for its design goal of borrowing directly from mythology, rather than through secondary sources. The author has made a couple previews available on Google+.

HMS Apollyon
I don't think there is anyone in the OSR who is unaware of Gus's HMS Apollyon setting: it's an imaginative horror megadungeon environment in the bowels of a gigantic ship full of weird shit. Not long ago a Player's Guide was published - and now we have this.

Lost Songs of the Nibelungs
A gritty Dark Age game not long after the fall of Rome inspired by Germanic legends and mythology. The author has been posting a lot about his design process that you might find interesting.

Monster Dungeon Quest
A game that truly wants to capture the adventurous and gonzo spirit of old-school games. Uses a descriptors (things are Powerful, Useful, or Cheap; pick two) and stunts (like Wushu) for resolution. Check the website for further information.

Wulfwald RPG
A continuation of Raedwald, Wulfwald is an Anglo-Saxon game about a bunch of outlaws doing missions for a Thegn in exchange for his protection. Basically, black ops in a fantasy world reminiscent of the early middle ages. There is a Google+ community dedicated to the game.

Grim Tales Combat Redux

I have been slowly working on Grim Tales (a dark fairy D&D-esque game with an implied setting; sort of my contribution to the thematic games list) behind the scenes, but it was actually Brendan's latest post that inspired me to finally work out my Reactions.

Characters are basically either proactive on their turn or reactive in others' turn, but being reactive is just that: you forgo being proactive. I still need to work out the numbers, though, but playtesting will surely help with that.

Snippets from Grim Tales Combat Rules

In dramatic situations, such as combat, the sequence of events becomes increasingly important, so determining who may act after whom is necessary. Participants (PCs and NPCs alike) roll 1d20 + Wits (+other bonuses if any) to determine their initiative score, based upon which they are placed in the Combat Queue in decreasing order. Equal scores favour PCs, and further ties are broken by negotiation between the players.

The first character in the Queue takes two actions (either two Minor actions, or a combination of a Major and a Minor action), then they are placed to the bottom of the Queue, and the next person takes their turn, and so forth. Characters may have a Reaction even when it is not their turn to act. That, however, puts them on the defensive, and they are placed right below the participant whose action they attempt to counter, thus delaying their own turn.

Major actions include melee and ranged attacks, charges, and most actions aimed at significantly altering the opponent's state. Minor actions include readying a weapon, reloading a crossbow, or traversing the battlefield (distances are handled in abstract Zones). Reactions are the likes of parrying an attack, rolling behind cover, etc.

If an attack hits, roll two six-siders called Red and Black. Damage depends on the weapon wielded (light weapons deal the lowest of them, heavy the highest, and medium equal to Red). If Black is a 6, it also triggers the weapon’s special effect.

Damage is deducted from the target's hit points. When someone loses all of their hit points, they become Incapacitated. When an Incapacitated character takes Damage, they receive an Injury, that applies one of the following three conditions to the character: (1) scarred, (2) maimed, or (3) dead. Each can only be opted for only once.

Grim Tales Hexcrawling

This post sums up the streamlined hexcrawling procedures I developed for Grim Tales. This lacks the tables referenced in the rules (except for the master level "Event Table"). I'd like to thank Gavin Norman, whose recent blog posts really inspired me.

Zweihänder Rules Summary

Originally made for my players, here is a rules summary of Zweihänder, a grim and perilous fantasy role-playing game.

Zweihänder - Session #0

Dramatis Personae

• Ozir the Stump
  Elderly, Corpulent Ogre Hedgewise
  Scholastic Lowborn
  Ferocity/Hatred
  Drawback: Veteran's Foot
• Ray "Walking Stick" Reddington
  Elderly, Slender Human Pugilist
  Reverent Lowborn
  Adaptation/Mayhem
  Drawback: Cursed
• Sir Fergus Witherwaddle
  Middle-Aged, Frail Human Slayer
  Villainous Aristocrat
  Humility/Incompetence
  Drawback: Black Cataract

Events, Thoughts, Etc.

• Character creation was pretty smooth. Everyone rolled twice for Racial Trait and Profession. Otherwise, everything (except the choice of Human/Demihuman, Archetype, sex, and starting weapon) was determined randomly.
• Everyone opted for a Drawback to gain a second Fate Point. Ultimately, we ended up with a crew of elder adventurer wannabes. Cue in Silver Horde jokes by the dozen.
• Didn't prepare much in terms of setting and plot, so it was mostly about making sure the players were familiar with the system (a Skill Test or two, a straightforward combat, stopping some Bleeding, that sort of stuff).
• Party encountered a pair of wolves attacking a trio of small children. Put down the wolves. Took children to the village (one of them was severely injured). Went to look for their father, the lumberjack.
• Another player will probably join, too. I expect an other handicapped elder, so... more Silver Horde jokes. Maybe Expendables, too. Won't lie, I'll enjoy hurting them. Unfortunately, so will they.

Comprehensive List of OSR Games

I present to you a comprehensive list of OSR/D&D-esque games. Only those games qualified that are either (1) retroclones (presenting an older system with or without modification; e.g. Kazamaták és Kompániák and AS&SH), (2) belong to the OSR by consensus (games building off of D&D's mechanics in innovative ways; e.g. Mazes & Minotaurs and Ghastly Affair), or (3) old-school in gameplay (having the same or very, very similar gameplay to D&D but with a different system; e.g. Torchbearer and Dragon Age).

Mind you the list includes games that had to do with 3E and 4E as well, so it is not strictly pre-3E D&D, and even some edge cases are on the list, such as Zweihänder and OpenQuest, which are clones of WFRP and Runequest, respectively (but the gameplay patterns are notably still D&D-esque, and they fit the spirit of the DIY OSR community). I fancy the term broad OSR (because some people would argue Wayfarers or Radiance disqualifies), but that might as well be as inaccurate as narrow D&D-esque (but then where's Infernum and Warcraft d20, one might ask).

Thematic OSR Games

This is a taxonomic post; its goal is to establish a term referring to a subset of OSR products. Using the Pundit's terminology, these are a subset of third-wave OSR products, while in Dan Proctor's terms they fit the broader category of neo-retro games. Alternatively, you may just want to read further to find some cool games.

The OSR has many wonderful things to offer from straight-up clones (e.g. OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord) to neo-clones with refined mechanics (e.g. ACKS and AS&SH), from fantastic adventures (e.g. Slumbering Ursine Dunes and Deep Carbon Observatory) to innovative supplements (e.g. Red Tide and Vornheim). But one of the many kinds of products - one that I might enjoy the most - seems to attract less appreciation: thematic games.

Grim Tales, Playtest 1

We had our first playtest of Grim Tales (well, more like a proof of concept session), this dark fantasy thing I have been thinking about lately. It has been on my mind for quite some time, but reading Blood & Bronze (a fantastic sword & sorcery game) was the catalyst I needed to start fleshing out my ideas.

The basic concept behind Grim Tales was to give players certain unique tools, abilities that don't just enhance something they can already do but provide them opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have (possibly mitigating risks in some endeavours, thus rewarding pro-activity). This was done by introducing a list of unique backgrounds (a sampling of which can be found here).

Characters present:

• Melvina Shabriri, a Cambion Witch
• Wolfgang Tranquility, a Shadowtorn Warrior
• N/A, a Nameless Scoundrel
• Balthasar Corvus, a Skinthief Scoundrel

Highlights and stuff I've taken away from this session:

• I didn't prep a proper adventure, just a bunch of loosely connected personalities, their goals, and the general environment, much like with my previous Vikings & Valkyries campaign. We started the session with a bogus mission of sorts (find the lost brother of some mayor), but ultimately the players found enough toys to play with instead of completing the quest.
• The resolution system works fine (roll [Attribute] six-siders; count 5s and 6s; the more the better), although I'm not sure if it adds to the game (I might end up playtesting certain things used as an overlay onto B/X).
• The players really liked their special abilities, although now I think the Backgrounds might be too exciting compared to the Classes. I think I want to keep the mostly mundane aspect of Classes, though, so I might just add more varied and flavourful items to their equipment lists.
• The players got themselves involved in a religious conflict going on in the shadows. The village's priest had an artefact (a grail that grants sacrifical wine ale special properties) that he had hidden, and apparently some people (the priest's right hand man included) were conspiring to acquire it.
• There was another artefact in the village: a small scythe's blade that when attached to the sacred (and, as it turns out, purely ornamental) scythe's handle, became a magical object (its capabilities yet unknown to the players).
• The players, as they were trying to figure out who is against whom, switched sides a couple of times, basically ending up with most major participants dead. Except they know the priest tried to contact allies in the nearby town.
• They went deep in the forest and witnessed a horrific ritual that bore demons into the world. Despite the session's generally jovial nature (and that's a huge understatement), this scene managed to invoke feelings of uneasiness, so not all was lost.
• As it stands now, the Skinthief poses as the former under-priest. They claimed the forest people killed the priest, so they basically run the village now (although some elders might not like what they are doing).
• The Nameless, although really flavourful as a concept, probably shouldn't work in a party if we take the ability to its logical conclusions. I think I can sacrifice immersion for the party's sake for now.
• The Skinthief is really fun to watch in the hands of a creative and proactive player. Need to turn up the ability's cast time, though. Regardless, his ability alone can make so many shenanigans possible, it definitely stays.
• The Shadowtorn is pretty sweet as is, but I'll keep a close eye on him to make sure its restrictions are clear but not overly limiting.
• The Cambion mostly shined in providing moral dilemmas for the player (whether they should give in their darker self; it helped that as a witch she had opportunities to gain power in exchange for terrible things). It is certainly something the player was happy to play with, and had she chosen otherwise, the Background wouldn't have provided much in terms of gameplay, so I might need to rectify that.

Review: Perdition

Disclaimer: I was an editor of the product, so I'll try to keep it brief.

Perdition is a game whose release I have been waiting for quite some time. It is an OSR game with a very specific setting in mind. The player characters are built of roughly the same mechanical widgets as in other D&D-esque games (attributes, skills, classes, levels, hit points, and armour class), and they will do very similar things (exploring wildernesses, looting dungeons, etc.). The setting is a sort of post-apocalyptic fantasy in a sense: the devils have conquered the material plane and become its rulers. Instead of barons and kings, it's now devil lords people owe fealty to.

What really sets Perdition apart from other D&D-esque games is its idea of introducing the setting through mechanics alone. Even though it is not entirely a new concept (cf. Bliss Stage, Rookvale, or Ghost Lines), it is certainly something no published OSR rules set has attempted (I mean, there is literally no setting description in Perdition; most thematic OSR games do include at least a page or two devoted to describing the setting).

Mechanically speaking, there are a couple of new things introduced, such as the following:

• Hit points are split into physical and mental pools with matching armour classes. Thus, aside from charging and standard melee/missile attacks, taunting and intimidating an enemy are pre-defined actions.
• Social situations are handled with a system similar to but much more simple than what On the Non-player Character has introduced (although it is trivial to use with Perdition).
• Skills are handled with The Middle Road system.
• There are detailed rules for summoning hellish entities and signing contracts with devils.
• Magic uses an elegant dice pool mechanic instead of simple fire-and-forget.
• Characters gain special abilities as they level up; they can be chosen from class-specific lists.
• Characters also gain character points that can be spent to improve numerical stats (such as attack bonuses, hit points, skills, etc.).
• Despite all the different mechanical bits, creating a character is very straightforward (the number of choices made at this stage is intentionally kept low).
• Stats for unique creatures sorcerers can summon.
• Devil patrons warlocks (or other foolish characters) can make a pact with.
• Critical hit tables.
• A variation of Brendan's overloaded encounter die.

It would be a fool's errand to go further into the mechanical bits and pieces Perdition offers, especially since devil's in the details (my bad). Suffice to say, if this has got your attention, you might want to check it out to see for yourself.

Links:

• PDF at RPGNow (aff) and DriveThruRPG (aff)
• print copy at Lulu (softcover, casewrap hardcover, or dust-jacket hardcover)
• dedicated Google+ community

Backgrounds (Early Design)

Instead of race, characters have backgrounds that provide unique abilities and drawbacks, as well as provide possible hooks and connections in order to make them part of the setting. Here is six of the possible backgrounds that I have considered. They are not final by any means (even these may lack either flavour text or mechanical widgets), but they showcase the general atmosphere of what I'm going for with this game.