#old school essentials

[plethoraworldatlas]

In reading Marcia's review of her experience with Shadowdark, I contemplated on how I run my own OSE games. This is also fresh on my mind because I am running Miranda Elkins' fantastic Nightwick. Its all about distilling things down to the interesting choice and eliminating the non-interesting one.

Basic Equipment: I am thinking about charging my players a flat rate for all basic dungeoneering equipment that is rolled into weekly expenses-- so 7sp a week for expenses plus ~3-5sp for pick of equipment

Not interesting:  Cost of equipment, especially down to coppers

Interesting: Scarcity (what if there is no 50' rope this week?) and how many slots PC dedicates to basic equipment

Light: Due to torch cost and number per slot, it is easy to carry a lot of torches.

Not interesting: Carrying enough light to last 12-24 turns- easily done

Interesting: When torches extinguish-- like in the middle of a fight or when the goblins you are negotiating with get mad; how many hands in the party are occupied by torches

This is why I prefer to use the overloaded encounter die to simulate inopportune moments when a torch is snuffed out- gust of wind, dripping slime, bucket of sand thrown by a sneaky goblin. And with regards to hands, holding a torch potentially lowers AC, removes a weapon, or makes spell casting delayed (need both hands). One saving grace: torches are an improvised weapon that do 1d4 dmg and are on fire.

Stuck Doors: I now commonly interpret the 2-in-6 chance as a basic surprise roll. If they players fail it, they make a loud noise and alert anything on the other side of the door, but open it next round.

Not interesting: Rolling a d6 over and over again to see if PCs finally break down a door

Interesting: Seeing if PC get surprise on whatever is on the otherside; if additional equipment is brought to deal with doors

I usually like the idea that a crowbar allows and additional 1d6 rolled per individual with one.

Rations: This is similar to the situation with light, its easy to carry enough food/water for 2-4 hours which is more likely the time frame of a dungeon delve-- not a camping trip.

Not interesting: Tracking both food and water separately for nominal circumstances

Interesting: How many PCs carry rations; will rations be used for other things (like distracting monsters) or saved to avoid fatigue

For me the nature of rations are both food and water abstracted. So if a player want to use food as a distraction, mark off 1 rations. If a player wants to douse a small fire, use 2 rations as you frantically empty out a water skin and try to put out the fire consuming the spell book.

Secret Doors & Traps:  Two dungeon features that are opposite sides of the same coin. Really I think Chris McDowall has written some of the best bits on this that boil down to "traps are puzzles" and not really "gotcha".

Not interesting: Situations where the PCs have to pick the exact right spot and roll a 1-2 in 6

Interesting: Adding in environmental clues or other sources of information that allows discovery by players investigating the fictional environment

Now, I will keep both rolls as a back-up for either PCs not having a good idea and/or a back-up for perhaps me being unable to convey the fictional environment properly in the moment.

Weapons: I've yet to find a really good way to do weapons simply outside of 1d6 damage for all types. I don't mind BX's variable weapon damage. And I do like some old rulesets sorta "first strike" if your weapon is larger than an opponents other wise smaller, lighter weapons strike first in subsequent arounds.

So here is what I have got so far: Using a weapon two-handed is a +1 to damage, using an off-hand weapon is +1 to-hit, and a shield is of course +1 AC. I do like that fighters with bows can shoot twice if they did not move and the "cleave" ability.

Not interesting: Weapon factors that are so extensive they require a separate rules discussion, trigger player obsession, and/or orient the whole of gameplay to combat

Interesting: What PCs chose to do with their hands: more armor, more weapons, or more light

So that is it for now, if you'd like to see more of my house rules here is my post on the Serpent Song Hymnal. I hope to have a sorta player version created sometime soon but I'm still trying to dial-in what my go-to "french vanilla" D&D is like.

[ultimavela]

A little something I made for my game "No Peace for the Heathen", a procedure for manipualtion (as another of the modes of domination that islanders had to learn from Conquistadors to fight against them).

Modes of manipulation

NARRATIVE MANIPULATION/IMPOSING

Uses the ability of players to argue, discuss, and role-play.

This is for those who want to fully role-play an interaction based on manipulation.

The outcome of the manipulations should emerge naturally from the role-playing of the PC and/or GM.

To use this mode of manipulation there must be a consensus between all the parties that will be part of the encounter.

TACTICAL MANIPULATION/IMPOSING

Manipulations that use a system between adversaries in an encounter.

Used when players want a system to determine the outcome of their manipulation.

Does not prevent role play, it only frames it in a system that ensures that all parties understand what the conditions for success and failure are.

YOU ONLY GAIN GRIEF (XP) IF YOU IMPOSE YOUR WILL AND MAKE OTHERS DO SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT: THIS IS THE “DO YOU WANT TO KILL?” MOMENT FROM THE MANIPULATIVE ENCOUNTER, IN THIS INSTANCE YOU ARE KILLING THEIR AUTONOMY.

Tactical manipulation

COMPOSURE AND SETTING UP A TACTICAL MANIPULATION

At the start of any tactical manipulation, you will have to take some tokens for each member on the encounter, and some to leave in the middle of the table. These tokens will represent Composure, the currency that will give pace to the encounter.

Composure is a currency that represent the grip on the manipulative encounter, whoever loses all their composure is on the open to get manipulated.

It is represented by any kind of tokens; coins, beans, dice, etc…

At the start of manipulation, set 2d10 tokens in the center of the table and give 5 + “their Imposing” + “their Resilient” tokens to each participant/party.

Whoever wins on a manipulative roll can take as many tokens as the difference between their roll and the roll of their adversary. The tokens can be taken from their adversary or the table, but not both.

The tokens on the table represent the space for dialogue and manipulations that allows for the encounter to go on. If there are no more tokens on the table, there is no more space to continue the encounter.

If anyone is out of composure but there is still free composure on the table, they can be softly manipulated, this means that their adversary can nudge them to do something, but they will not act against their will. They only do something that do not go totally against their desire and that do not suppress their free will.

If anyone is out of composure and there is no free composure on the table, they are open to being dominated. Whoever is playing that turn must decide whether to impose their will on them → “DO YOU WANT TO KILL THEIR WILL?”

IMPOSING YOUR WILL TO DOMINATE SOMEONE

When imposing your will over others and making them do something against their desires, you are doing something very uncommon for islanders.

When doing this, you win 1 Grief (XP).

You also have to roll Resilient DC 5 + your Grief (after winning the Grief).

If you succeed, you get the shame (-1)condition.

If you fail, you get the manipulative compulsion.

TACTICAL MANIPULATION LOOP

If someone desires to manipulate someone, then a manipulation encounter starts.

Players always have the first turn. They decide who goes first.

You can manipulate until:

You fail on your manipulation roll.

Or you get hurt (by losing Composure or by getting a condition).

Or until you say or act without manipulative intent.

If a player gets hurt in their turn, then the adversary that was targeted by the manipulation gets a “comeback” (a narrative response to the intent of manipulation to signal that it was a failure) and then any adversary can act.→ Note that only if you fail on your manipulation, then an adversary gets to act. You can always decide to do something that does have a manipulative intent (after any number of successful manipulations rolls or as your first and only action), ending your turn without triggering a comeback from an adversary. This ensures that the next turn goes to the next PC.

Then the next player takes their turn (who just played decides who goes next).

A very simple diagram of the manipulation loop, here “Kill them” refers to their will.

ROLLING MANIPULATION

When manipulating, you can roll with Strong, Imposing, Sneaky, or Observant.

You must declare the intent of the manipulative roll: You can role-play this interaction or just give a few words of what is the intend.

Then you and your adversary roll1d20 + their chosen tactic.

Whoever wins the roll can take out of the game as many composure tokens as the difference between the rolls:

Composure tokens to take out= Winning Roll – Losing Roll

The winner decides whether to draw these tokens from the free tokens on the table or from the opponent's reserve.

CRIT (d20=20): When someone gets a 20 in their d20 they can force a condition, that make sense within the conflict, upon their adversary.

TIES (Your Roll = Opposed Roll): Whoever is doing the manipulation can take out as many tokens as their dice roll without subtracting the dice from the defender.

DOMINANCE

Measure of the strategic, psychological, and violent dominance that a character has in the encounter.

It is represented by a number that is added to all manipulative rolls.

It has a maximum value, Max-Dom, beyond that value characters can’t add to their dominance. Max-Dom value improves when reaching Grief milestones.

It always starts at zero, and it is reset to zero at the end of an encounter.

This modifier can be changed, increased, or decreased by PCs and NPCs.

To change the value of dominance an PC/NPC has to declare how they want to change the narrative, and then roll, against a DC set by the GM, to see if they are able to change it. This change is represented by a change of dominance in them or other PC/NPC, by a value equal to the dominance rate +D of the PC/NPC that changed the narrative.

CHANGING NARRATIVE WHEN MANIPULATING AND THE 3 TRIGGERS OF A NPC/PC

To change the narrative when manipulating the PC/NPC has to declare how they pretend to do it.

If the way in which they intend to change the narrative DO NOT touches on any trigger of they adversary, then they have to roll on the a DC 15 to see if they gain dominance.→ For PC their compulsions are their triggers.

If how they intend to change the narrative touches on any trigger of their adversary, then:

If it touches the +/- trigger → they succeed/fail automatically on changing narrative without need of a roll.

If it touches the “Desires” → then the adversary offers a new path out of the manipulation; they offer a bargain. If the adversary accepts, then everyone discards their composure, and only the composure that remains free on the table stays.

→ For players, if they hear an argument that touches on something they think their PC will be open to using as a bargain, then they can offer a bargain.

NOTE: Although triggers, compulsions, and desires, are here to give a mechanical weight to the particularities of the characters that are involved in the manipulation, these can be avoided. If you want to use them, when starting a manipulation, you can give to the NPC three triggers, these are things that the NPC is afraid, ashamed, scared, or any kind of thing that may make them more vulnerable. The desire is, as the its name says, something they desire. They can have more than one desire, but at least they have one. For PCs compulsions are one word concepts that when acting against/following them they act with disadvantage/advantage.

BARGAIN

When a bargain is offered, the number of tokens that there is on the table represents how beneficial the bargain is:

The price is always something that will benefit the NPC/PC.

If the price is easy to pay, it means that it is something the PC already has at hand or something that they may offer without going against their beliefs.

If the price is hard to pay, it is something they do not have at hand, and/or something that they may offer but that is against their beliefs.

WITHDRAW

Whenever a party still has composure tokens they can decide to withdraw. This can mean they simple walk away, or they start a combat, or they changed the situation by another means; as setting up an alarm or revealing something that changes the kind of interactions the parties are having.

WHEN DOES ENDS A TACTICAL MANIPULATION?

Whenever a party decides to withdraw.

Or there are no more free tokens on the table.

Or a bargain is reached.

LONG EXAMPLE:

Two PCs are trying to free some slaves from a conquistador caravan; the only way they see as possible for them to do it is by manipulating someone. The PC decides to manipulate one of the conquistadors.

Both PC approach the conquistador when he is alone.

The PC declares they want to convince the conquistador that more islanders are approaching the place, and that if he helps them, by freeing the slaves, he will be granted one hour head start to run and survive.

This is a manipulation, so this is the start of the manipulation roll.

The GM rolls 2d10 to determine how many free composure tokens are in the table. The result is 8, so they put 8 coins in the center of the table.

Additionally each party, in this case the PCs and the conquistador, grab as many composure tokens as 5+Imposing+Resilient.

In this case, for one PC (PC1), these are 10 tokens, for the other (PC2) these are 8 tokens, and for the conquistador, as they have only one tactic, these are 9 (NPC use all the tactics they have, typically two or one).

PC1 starts with the intent of deception and now has to roll 1d20 + one tactic. They decide to use sneaky, as they think that this makes sense for deceiving. Then PC1 says:

-I want to tell him that he will die painfully if he doesn't do as we want. And that there are as many as us close to their camp.

In their roll they get 12(d20) + 3(Sneaky) = 15. The GM rolls for the conquistador, and gets 10(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 13.

The conquistador loses, and now the PC1 can take out of the game as many tokens as the difference between the rolls 15-13=2.

PC1 decide to take out form the game two tokens from the reserve of the conquistador, so the conquistador now has 8-2=6 tokens of composure.

-The conquistador tries to put on a brave face, and he says that you will be joining the slaves, but then he looks to your partner, and then beyond, toward darkness, an you see fear in his eyes.

As PC1 hasn't been hurt (by getting a condition or losing composure) they can continue manipulating the conquistador.

-You have seen them, ¿no? Or maybe feel them, our brave warriors beyond the light of your camp.

(Now PC1 decides to role-play instead of just telegraphing what they intended).

Then PC1 makes a new roll, now they think that Strong make sense, as they want to use the promise of violence as a threat.

They get in their roll 7(d20) + 2 (Strong) = 9.

The conquistador gets 9(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 12.

So PC1 loses the roll, ending their turn.

The conquistador can now take out of the game as many composure tokens as the difference between the rolls; 12-9=3. The conquistador decides to take out 3 tokens from the table, now there are 8-3=5 tokens on the table.

-He puts a brave face and with a malicious grin, he says; I would love to see you trying your best at killing me.

As is the turn of the conquistador, the GM continues with a comeback (he could run away or call others to alarm them of the presence of islanders, this will end the manipulation, but he decides not to).

-Tell them to come, more slaves, I have heard that you, islanders, are not able to count and do not know about large numbers. This the conquistador says to insult you and make you feel inferior.

The GM rolls for the conquistador and gets 8(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 11.

He decided that his target is the same PC1.

Then the PC1 rolls, they decide to use Imposing, and they get 19(d20) + 4(Imposing) = 23, and with this good roll, the player decides to narrate;

-I step closer, putting my face very close to his face, and I look around, and then I say: if you have a good ear, you will hear the drums, we only play them when we are hungry for the blood of conquistadors.

The GM says to PC1 that this is a comeback, and that will be their turn as the conquistador lose the oppose roll, and that this can be used as the roll that they already did or roll again, but that first they have to decide from were they will take out the tokens.

The difference between the rolls was 23-11=12. The player decides to take out the tokens from the table.

The GM warns them that this will make any kind of bargain more difficult, as this will empty the table of tokens. The player says that this is what they want, as they want to try to impose their will on the conquistador. The players look at the other player to see if this is ok, and he says

-Yes, let’s do it like that.

The table is now free of tokens, and PC1 rolls again for their comeback; they get 17(d20) + 4(Imposing) = 21.

The conquistador gets 17(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 20.

PC1 wins and now has to take out one token from the game, as there are no more tokens on the table the tokens have to be taken from the pool of the conquistador, now they have 6-1=5 tokens of composure.

The GM narrates

-You see fear in his face, and he takes a step back.

As PC1 won the roll, they could continue, but they decide to give space for PC2 to act.

PC2 narrates.

-I want to put myself behind the conquistador, and talk to his ear, saying something like, I can hear them, don't you?, or maybe doing the sound of drums with my mouth.

The GM says to them that this makes sense and that this could be a Strong or Imposing roll. PC2 chooses Imposing and he rolls getting 20(d20) + 5(Imposing) = 25

The conquistador gets 18(d20) + 3(Brutality) = 21

The GM says that first, as PC2 got a NAT20, they can put a condition on the conquistador. PC2 decides to put the condition afraid (-1), which make sense with the interaction.

Then the GM continues:

-He is super scare, he begging to tremble, and you see the opportunity to make them do as you want, he will go out of composure tokens, so you can impose you will on them. Do you want to kill their will?

The PC2 doubts and decides not to, but tries to find space for a bargain.

The GM says to them that if a bargain is set will be on bad conditions as there are no tokens on the table.

PC2 decides to do it in this way, as they don't want to get one more Grief.

PC1 says to their partner that they don‘t care about getting the Grief, so PC2 gives the turn to PC1.

-What do you do?

Ask the GM to PC1.

They say that they want to cut the skin of the conquistador, and take out a little of the blood with their fingers and lick it, and smile.

-I want him to be scared and to use the things they believe about islanders against him. I want him to beg for his life.

PC1 is playing an “orphan of the sea” and one of their compulsion is dominance, so as they act in concordance with their compulsion, they roll with advantage.

They use Imposing and they get; 19(d20,with advantage) + 4(Imposing) = 24.

The conquistador gets 19(d20) + 3(Brutality) – 1 (afraid) = 20

The conquistador loses, and he doesn't have more tokens, so the GM looks at the player of PC1 and says.

-Do you want to kill their will?

PC1 says, yes, and then they get 1 Grief, and they have to roll resilient, they fail their roll, and they get a new compulsion, manipulative.

Now the conquistador does as PC1 says.

-Free those slaves, and take the weapons from those conquistadors who are sleeping.

CONVERSION FOR OTHER OSR GAMES

This procedure make references to something call “Grief” and sometimes to another tactic/attribute/stat of the PCs, so if you want to use them in your OSR game…

…for something like OSE you can use this:

Grief → XP or Treassure carried by PCs or sum of both (divided by 1000).

Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)

Strong → STR

Agile → DEX

Imposing → CHA

Resilient → CON

Sneaky → DEX

Observant → WIS

…for something like MÖRK BORG you can use this:

Grief → Omens, or Silver dived by 100, or the sum of both.

Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)

Strong → Strenght

Agile → Agility

Imposing → Presence

Resilient → Toughness

Sneaky → Agility

Observant → Presence

…In the case of Conquistadors (for Mork Borg and OSE)

Violence → When doing something physical.

Pride → When doing something social.

…In the case of Inquisitors (for Mork Borg and OSE)

Torture → When doing something physical.

Intimidation → When doing something social.

…for both you could also add this:

Let the PCs spend “X” HP to increase their roll by “X”.

Allows PCs to gain Dominance (added to all combat and manipulation rolls, represented by any kind of token) by doing something that gives them an advantage (better combat stance, stunt, intimidation, making the terrain change, etc…) → They need to roll to acquire it, it is cumulative and on a failed roll they lose it all.

Conditions modify the rolls of anything that make sense as their modifier says (spring ankle will hinder jumping, confused will hinder perceptions, anger will hinder interactions, etc…). Conditions stack.

If anything has just one stat, it can use it for everything.

If there is reference to advantage/disadvantage roll twice and use best/worst result.

[thydungeongal]

First day of Adventuring

Our intrepid heroes, Jimothy, Montgormery, Theophany, Chuckles, Theodore, and Stevelyn (introduced in a previous post) arrive in the village of Balaz's Wish in the Empire of Irazor.

Irazor is ruled by necromancer Lucien of Irazor, a level 12 Magic-user. He has well-brushed brown hair, glowing black eyes and a nose ring (Uncomfortable). In the pocket: a dirty handkerchief, 3 sp and 2 gp.

The village of Balaz's Wish is a simple village nestled between two mountains. As the party arrive, they immediately head to the local drinking hole, "The Lost Torch Tavern," to check the local bulletin board for leads.

Help requested! A heirloom of sentimental value was stolen from me. I will reward anyone who is kind enough to get it back. Yours, Kyranthia of Akaana Heading to Hammering? Payment guaranteed to a trusty courier. Ask for Berwin Lacy

Montgormery, who has named himself party leader, decides that a simple delivery quest is unbecoming of a man of his noble stature and his retinue, so he leads the party on a visit to this Kyranthia of Akaana!

Kyranthia of Akaana. She has bulging red eyes, delicate features and gap teeth (Exhausted). In the pocket: a quill and 3 sp. Her Decorated Sword is lost (or so claimed). Finder's rewards is 230 gp.

The party then goes to gather some rumors at the tavern while having some drinks, overhearing the following:

Kyranthia of Akaana’s decorated sword (actually Sword +1, Locate Objects) is somewhere in the Hideout of the Feared Hopes Avoid going to Nightmare Wetlands. There’s a Giant Leech there. Safia of Atali is very secretive recently.

A quirk of Hexroll is that once I reveal the first rumor it also revealed the secret about Kyranthia's sword. Well, regardless, the party now has an approximate direction to which to head: while the exact location of the dungeon is still a mystery, they know it is due East-Northeast.

Deciding that they are much better off heading North via the road instead of trying to cut straight Northeast through the mountains, they follow the road and chance upon a peculiar sight in the woods.

There's a stream of clear water here, flowing gently between the woods, over the smooth rock ground. When exploring this area, a giant triangular artifact made of polished iron, with large pointy spears attached, can be found wedged near a water stream. There's a 1-in-6 chance to find a secret door leading inside the artifact and a successful INT check will allow using a contraption inside it. If used, the object will magically levitate and will travel 1d6 hexes in a matter of minutes before crashing into the ground again, dealing 1d6 damage to anyone inside.

No one in the party (even Montgormery) is stupid enough to try and mess with a UFO. Regaining their bearings, they decide to head Northeast, into the woods.

And find a tavern at the bend of a river.

"The Baker's Torch Tavern" is welcoming travellers and adventurers near a water stream.

The party decides to call it a night at this point. They dine on some local delicacies and have some ale, and then go to bed. (At this point the generator kind of fucked up imo: the tavern only has two rooms available. Instead I had everyone pay the prize of the roof and bench.)

Here's a quick look at the menu:

Stewed slices of chicken, glazed with garlic and wine and served with baked potatoes for 2 sp⬝ Stewed fillet of fish, glazed with red wine and served with steamed vegetables for 2 sp⬝ Stewed fillet of chicken, marinated in honey and herbs and served with steamed vegetables for 2 sp

And here's a look at the map (I have accidentally been pressing here and there and everywhere, so it's actually showing much more than it should):

What I have omitted from the above description: checks for random encounters (since they didn't yield anything interesting) and the roll for getting lost (the party didn't get lost so they have their bearings for now).

[thelenroman]

I’ve illustrated a whole tabletop adventure Zine and launched it on Kickstarter! If you like Cryptids and High Strangeness and retro inspired art, consider supporting it! It’s 5E and Old School Essentials compatible 👽🔦

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mdntwvlf/the-village-of-bray?ref=1rzo3q

[rpgcovers]

Old-School Essentials: Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules ~ Necrotic Gnome (2019)

Yet another homage to Dave Trampier’s iconic Demon Idol cover to the 1st edition AD&D Players Handbook.

[kaybeangel]

It's me. I am grognard GM.

[datafogao]

Sketch of the night

Old school essentials Deedlit and Marcille :)

[shining-skull]

OSR CLASS: THE ROBOT

A few years back my son and I created this OSE Robot Class together when he was 5 years old. His second character ever was a robot named GI-2 in a sci-fi campaign we played. I touched it up a bit since then and am reposting it here for anyone looking for a simple robot class. Feedback welcome!

[beardedruckus]

Charm Monster, 4th level Magic-User spell.

This is a piece from 2018 that I still like a lot. I illustrated this for Old School Essentials back when it was called B/X essentials. I newish to digital and definitely overworked the marks haha, but I'm still happy with how it turned out overall.

The illustration accompanied the entry for the Charm Monster spell. Gavin later cropped it to just b the dragon head in the main OSE books. I liked the whole piece! But I was happy to be included haha.

[tkilian]

Some old work for Gavin Norman's Old School Essentials (produced back when it was still called "BX Essentials").

[hifi-walkman]

Gonna start a challenge I made up, where I design a mini RPG based of random pages from RPG books I own.... Let's start with OSE, and a D100: I got page 57, which is Mercenaries! the rules for hiring, their types, and morale specifically. I'll reblog this post later today with the finished mini-RPG as a PDF. and feel free to reblog with any RPGs you think are cool and fit the concept/vibe of "mercenaries"

[oldfatwarlock]

Just thinking about Dungeons & Dragons:

OD&D

Basic (Holmes)

A more different basic (B/X)

Another more different Basic (BECMI)

AD&D 1

AD&D 2

A more different AD&D 2 (the revised version nobody remembers)

3rd

A more different Third (3.5)

4e

A more different 4e (Essentials)

5th Edition

A more different 5th Edition (2024)

1,000,001 clones/remakes/reimaginings of OD&D | B/X (and occasionally AD&D)

Probably some edition I missed. 😄

Anyway there’s A LOT of ways to play Dungeons & Dragons and I think that’s pretty rad.

[ultimavela]

Conquistadors, Inquisitors, and Settelers from the north

They all look thirsty, they all are violent, they all desire gold, and they all create their own myths about your home, Isla Grande.

Roll d6-d6 for each column in the next table to create a Conquistador

-> If you need a paraphernalia, you can get one HERE

Inquisitors belong to one of seven orders: Lunate, Hamate, Triquetrum, Pisiforme, Capitatum, Carpalia, and Phalanx. Being Phalanx the order that oversees all the others.

In each order, there are six specialities that can be fulfilled by its members, being Oculus the one that oversees the order within itself:

Spina: Entry rank multi-functional inquisitor.

Valde: Posted to manage a village and its affairs.

Vulnus: Specialises in warfare and military missions.

Penetravit: Infiltration and secret missions.

Combustia: Commandant of large operations and specializes in witchcraft, its uses, and restrictions. They can become Combustia-adeptus; those that have learned the use of witchcraft in service of their god. A combustia-adeptus commonly will learn the secrets of the anima vincula, the magic of will subjugation.

Oculus: Oversees the order.

Above all the orders is the Phalanx Dei, who is thought to be the direct finger of the god-man-king on earth, and to whom all inquisitors answer.

Roll 1d20 for each column in the next table to create an Inquisitor:

Settlers from the north

Settlers do everything without any modifier and all of them have 10 blood (HP), all red.

CONVERSION FOR OTHER OSR GAMES

This NPCs make references to something call “Grief” and sometimes to another tactic/attribute/stat of the PCs, so if you want to use them in your OSR game…

…for something like OSE you can use this:

Grief → XP or Treassure carried by PCs or sum of both (divided by 1000).

Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)

Strong → STR

Agile → DEX

Imposing → CHA

Resilient → CON

Sneaky → DEX

Observant → WIS

Shields dies d4/d6/d8/d10 → AC +1/+1/+2/+2

…for something like MÖRK BORG you can use this:

Grief → Omens, or Silver dived by 100, or the sum of both.

Blood → HP (this is for mortal creatures)

Strong → Strenght

Agile → Agility

Imposing → Presence

Resilient → Toughness

Sneaky → Agility

Observant → Presence

Shields dies d4/d6/d8/d10 → Damage reduction -1/-1/-2/-2

…In the case of Conquistadors (for Mork Borg and OSE)

Violence → When doing something physical.

Pride → When doing something social.

…In the case of Inquisitors (for Mork Borg and OSE)

Torture → When doing something physical.

Intimidation → When doing something social.

…for both you could also add this:

Let the PCs spend “X” HP to increase their roll by “X”.

Let PC to sacrifice a weapon/shield to prevent damage.

Allows PCs to gain Dominance (added to all combat rolls, represented by any kind of token) by doing something that gives them an advantage (better combat stance, stunt, intimidation, making the terrain change, etc…) → They need to roll to acquire it, it is cumulative and on a failed roll they lose it all.

Conditions modify the rolls of anything that make sense (spring ankle will hinder jumping, confused will hinder perceptions, anger will hinder interactions, etc…). Conditions stack.

If you dont want to use Conditions, then make them do as much d4 damage as their mnodifiers (ex: Sorrow -2 → 2d4 damage).

“Tags” are word that accompany a weapon/shield. In a NAT 20, you can give that word as a condition to your adversary, or apply any special rules pecified by the tag.

If anything has just one stat, it can use it for everything.

If anything make reference to number of Compulsions, you can remplace it with number of weapons or valuable belongings

If there is reference to advantage/disadvantage roll twice and use best/worst result.

[thydungeongal]

Introducing the party

So, to pass the time I'm going to be playing some Old-School Essentials solo with the help of Hexroll.

I have done it a couple of times and am already aware of some of the workings of Hexroll, but I eventually realized that since 1st-level characters are so squishy true solo play is very swingy in Old-School Essentials. So I outsourced some dice rolls from the community and got a huge number of characters. For now I've made six. And here they are!

Jimothy @public-trans-it Str 13 Int 11, Wis 10, Dex 10, Con 9, Cha 11 Fighter 1 8 hp Neutral Leather, war hammer, hand axe, rope (50'), grappling hook, crowbar, backpack, tinder box, 1 torch, waterskin, 5 rations, 8 gp

Montgormery @treasonagainstatyrantking Str 9 Int 9 Wis 7 Dex 4 Con 10 Cha 16 Fighter 1 2 hp Neutral Plate mail and shield, war hammer, silver dagger, rope (50'), sack (small), backpack, tinder box, 5 torches, waterskin, 6 rations, 11 gp

Theophany @theresalwayspeng-blog Str 4 Int 9 Wis 17 Dex 10 Con 11 Cha 13 Cleric 1 5 hp Lawful Leather, staff, mace, wolfsbane (1 bunch), holy water, holy symbol, backpack, tinder box, 1 torch, waterskin, 5 rations, 9 gp

Chuckles @arcanehobo Str 8 Int 7 Wis 12 Dex 13 Con 15 Cha 12 Thief 1 3 hp Neutral Leather, sling + 20 stones, war hammer, lantern + 3 flasks of oil, sack (small), thieves' tools, backpack, tinder box, 4 torches, waterskin, 3 rations, 9 gp

Theodore @casualeviliris Str 9 Int 9 Wis 18 Dex 9 Con 7 Cha 15 Cleric 1 4 hp Chaotic Plate mail, mace, sling + 20 stones, stakes (3) + mallet, lantern + 3 flasks of oil, backpack, tinder box, 6 torches, waterskin, 2 rations, 8 gp

Stevelyn @professorscrublord Str 13 Int 9 Wis 7 Dex 10 Con 7 Cha 12 Fighter 1 1 hp Lawful Chainmail, pole arm, silver dagger, hammer (small) + 12 iron spikes, stakes (3) + mallet, backpack, tinder box, 2 torches, waterskin, 5 rations, 8 gp

I modified some stats according to the rules of OSE (a character's prime requisites may be increased by taking away points from other stats at a rate of 2 to 1, but the only stats that can be lowered are Str Int Wis and they can never be taken below 9) and for the equipment I used the quick equipment method from one of the Carcass Crawler zines. I then switched around some equipment between the characters to make it more thematically appropriate (Montgormery feels by his stats to be a nobleman's failson gone adventuring, so it made sense to give him the plate and shield and silver dagger I'd originally rolled for Jimothy, so I switched their weapons and armor rolls around.)

I also rolled alignment randomly by rolling a d6: 1-2 Lawful, 3-5 Neutral, 6 Chaotic

As these idiots meet their untimely deaths I will be replacing them with more characters rolled in that thread. But for now, let's see what happens!

Also, if everyone has a good idea for a tag I could use for this, let me know. EDIT: Have decided to go for "thysologirl"

[exchlomation]

My most recent DND (old school essentials) character, Cricket 🦗🏹 first time my gay ass has played a rogue

Adventurer journal doodles under the cut:

[renawriter]

My woodgrue (bat goblin thing) bard for an upcoming Dolmenwood campaign! His name is Kaprett "Kappy" Moonmoon. It took me too long to finish this due to the tendonitis but I'm happy with my little bat boy!