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OSR/NSR Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Hey Gang, I'm seeing an uptick in downvoting to, I presume, express displeasure. Please don't. If a topic doesn't speak or appeal to you, move along, please don't downvote it. Please use the downvote button for content that doesn't belong here because it is inappropriate. Thank you and game on!
I thought it might be nice to set up a thread in which we can recommend game systems to one another. What do you like? Why? Give us a quick blurb about a game you like and why you think others might like it. Maybe call out if you think it would be good for absolute beginners or folks new to the OSR/NSR. Oh and the genre too. If this gains some steam, I’ll pin it to the sidebar for easy access.
If you create content for OSR or NSR tabletop roleplaying games, tell us a bit about what you do and drop some links!
playfulvoid.game.blog
> If your table loves unique worlds, is interested in a seafaring or mercantile campaign, or wanted to enjoy Ultraviolet Grasslands but it felt too picaresque or undirected, this is a book for you. What it will require from the referee, though, is a lot of prep work, both before session 1, and between sessions, and a decent level of confidence with improvisational play.
www.tumblr.com
smolderingdung.itch.io
Not even sure if I’m ready for playtesters yet or if I’ll even keep working on this, but I had fun making it so far. If you’ve got any thoughts on what would make this more or less playable, it’d probably help me if/when I do get back to working on this.
rowanrookanddecard.com
I really miss old roleplaying forums where instead of being more "gamelike" you would more write a story together and the rules were more of a self governing expectation that people wouldn't try to take over a story for themselves (which didn't always work as intended). I remember being on one's for everything from warriors to neopets. They were kind of like writing a collaborative fanfiction. I feel like it could be kinda cool to encourage people to create a story together like this in an online written format again. This game system has: * light enough and more story based rules that could probably be adapted to a forum format * the setting/type of story is HIGHLY flexible, so each subforum or thread could be wildly different types of stories Downsides: * the book costs money but also this is a small independent game maker and I'm not sure what the best way to encourage people to pay them would be in this context. * I don't know how to write bots but you'd probably want there to be some public/impartial dice roller (or in this specific case, a card-puller). Any other thoughts or other systems that could work well for this or that could provide some guidance for a completely new model?
glorbsladder.wordpress.com
> It was a bit stressful and confusing at times as new abilities were constantly being piled on, and maybe it was a mistake to choose a system like DCC. If I had it to do over again something simpler, with flatter curves and less wacky stuff injected might make for a smoother ride. But maybe the bumps along the way are what made the ride so memorable to begin with.
icastlight.blogspot.com
> My aim is for it to be a living document that evolves as I run games, scratch out well-used results, add new ones, and add/subtract whole tables. It is also not intended to be a new RPG ruleset or anything like that, but more my reflection of BX D&D. The way I butter my toast.
The Monsters & Mazes blog has suggested #Hexplore24 to replace #Dungeon23. The idea is to solo play through a newly generated hex each day for a year.
I'm creating a wagon inventory sheet for my players, who are using slot-based inventory tracking. They want to modify the wagon to have solid walls and a roof, like a vardo. How many slots should I reduce the carrying capacity by? I think the 3d6DTL crew did something similar in their Dolmenwood campaign. Any suggestions on the cost of the modification? We're using OSE Advanced Fantasy. Thanks!
Free as it was allways meant to be - no charge free distribution The Great Flanaess River Adventure https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rrola91bka8e3qy/AAALdfzA99LDdgZJfXKUTtwGa
After chipping his tooth on a rotten Cadbury Egg! Jack has decided the Easter Bunny needs to die. Bring Jack the head of the Easter Bunny and receive lifetime supply of Star Bats Crack-O'Chino Drink! What is your Halloween Costume? Superhero, Witch, Ghost, GI Joe, Pokebeast, Cowboy, Rock Star, Gladiator, or Serial Killer? Don't forget to fill your bag with loot and candy! Simple roll stats and then roll under mechanic
Hey y'all! Just wanted to drop a [free d6 of Troika backgrounds](https://wilderwhim.itch.io/active-time-battle) from a setting book I've been working on! Can you guess what character inspired what background? A certain time travelling adventure JRPG is the key. Enjoy!
One comment: > Professor DM just casually creating a masterclass in how to run a megadungeon, giving an entertaining as all hell recount of a campaign, showing a whole mess of incredible miniatures AND bringing a supergroup of creators to present it all, absolutely 10/10 content!
mythlands-erce.blogspot.com
> I've seen people go with the approach that says that you can stunt (ie. achieve an effect different than damage) by simply forfeiting your damage roll if you hit. It's simple and nice, but I think doesn't really add to the game what stunting should - Something out of the box, raising the stakes to gain an advantage somehow, at added peril to yourself. So here is how I would do ii.
sachagoat.blot.im
> This past year, my home-group have ventured across the much-anticipated Dolmenwood setting. In hexcrawling through this mystical land, I anticipated the classic dungeon-game sandbox experience… you know, hexes and such. Yet, in play we engaged most with Dolmenwood’s mesmerizing pathcrawl, where trails, rivers, and fairy roads intertwined with the classic hexmap terrain.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/298057/A-Rasp-of-Sand This reminds me very much of Emily Allens Adventures or Mr. Reed's Ten Down. It has a very OSR vibe to it. Could be very useful in your toolbox to have generational map for the characters. A good why do we delve is always useful. I used the KELP Forrest a few times now as well as the The TWILIGHT location and encounters tables.
forums.hexed.press
Anybody else giving *Swordtember* a try this year? I am giving it ago, despite failing miserably at it last year. One wrinkle for me: I'm not limiting myself to swords. I hereby dub it, *Weaptember!* As it is also #WIPWednesday, here's the write-up on my [first weapon](https://www.patreon.com/posts/wipwednesday-1-88866219?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link): # Gorger, the Club of Blebazabu *Chaotic great club +2 / +4 vs Law, INT 9 EGO 8, COM empathy, POW illusion generation / detect law* This was the war club of the demon, Blebazabu, lost somewhere on the prime material plane. Legend places it at the bottom of a steep crater hidden under a sea of ice. Though the great demon cannot leave his abyssal abode, it is said his servants are ever seeking for the club. Woe betide the world should they find it!
I'm currently running an OSE Advanced campaign with some friends. Any suggestions on activities in the village that the party has established as a home base for a fall festival? I'm thinking of a log rolling (dex), ale drinking (con), etc., but I would love some creative things to add to the mix and make it more fun. Zany is always welcome with this group of players!
During my marathon pointcrawl across the country, I had a Gamemastering epiphany: everything should have a cost!
m.youtube.com
One of the best let's play examples of old school play!
deorum.vercel.app
A new generator by Azgaar! > Embark on an epic journey with Deorum – your source for unique fantasy characters for D&D and worldbuilding projects > > Discover over 1600 customizable characters, each featuring a stunning portrait and a detailed biography. Our images are rooted in a set of 120 beautifully hand-drawn portraits, multiplied to over 10000 variations through AI generation, and expertly curated for the highest quality. > > Personalize your chosen character to your heart's desire and bring your stories to life. And the best part? All characters are free for non-commercial use, with a cheap commercial license available. Join the community and start your next adventure today!
Most of these are great 1st Level Starters From this Reddit Post https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/comments/zlzrzf/big_big_list_of_osr_dolmenwood_fairy_tale/ -Most of these are for 1st Lvl D&Dish Characters Forest of Doom - Dragon Magazine #73 The Lost Cache of Father Thomas - Footprints #5 Gone Fishing - Beer & Barbarians Winter's Daughter by Gavin Norman Wet Grandpa - Evey Lockhart Chagmat - Dragon Magazine #63 -admitally it needs some work Quest for Midas Orb - Dragon Magazine #61 DF27 Red Tam's Bones - Dragonsfoot Wandering Trees - Dragon Magazine #57 - The Witch of Windcrag - Dungeon Mag #51 Garden of the Hag Queen - Dragonsfoot The Fell Pass - Dragon magazine #32 The Shadowed Keep by Kramer The Gnomes of Levnec Lamentations of the Gingerbread Princess The Red Demon in The Vile Fens by Gus L Pollute the Elfen Memory Water by Michael Raston Yrchyn the Tyrant by Kramer The Inn of Lost Heroes by Spahn The Purple Worm Graveyard by Bryce Lynch The Pale Lady The Forest of Doom Dragon Magazine # 73 The Gypsy Train Dragon Magazine #93 N2 The Forest Oracle by Carl Smith Imagine Magazine #17 Tir Nan Og The Fungus Forest by Nash Press A Thousand Dead Babies Scourge of the Tikbalang (fairy horror comes to Dolmenwood) Slaves to Fate - Earl of Fife Games Garden of Ynn Midderzine #2 Port Mulhollow The Willowmere Vagabonds by Aaron Fairbrook Barrow Keep - Den of Spies Elder Oak by Thomas Tangled by Josh Domanski Tannic by Amanda P - will require some work to convert to OSE Realm of Leaves from True Mask Games The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford by Chance Dudinack Spears of the Northmen https://thiefofwhispers.wordpress.com/2022/08/26/spears-of-the-northmen-an-adventure-for-worlds-without-number/ Land of Milk & Honey by Zzarchov Kowolski Blood in the Chocolate by Kiel Chenier A Baker's Denizen by Goblin Stomper Games The Rot Beneath Winterbrook Pool of the Standing Stones Mushroom Hunt (A perfect Dolmenwood Starter) https://www.reddit.com/r/onePageDungeon/comments/r4fyob/i_made_a_lil_hex_adventure_based_on_some_stories/ Patryk Ofat's "Great Faerie Revolution" Nate Treme's "Bad Frog Bargain" Peril in Olden Wood Dovedale from Dungeon Magazine 46 can be modded for it. Tales of Enchantment from AD&D 2e EX1 Dungeonland The Forest of Gornate_ from EMDT/Gabor Lux Secrets of the Wyrwoode by Luigi Castellani Beyond the Wall and Barrow Keep - Den of Spies I have done Barrow Keep - Den of Spies, Dolmenwood, Keep on the Borderlands combo with a certain family of conquerors having special Charm Dragon Psionics :) > Lamentations of the Gingerbread Princess
I guess it is not widely known anymore that these two setting are compatible and work well together to create a huge setting. https://speakwithdeadtrees.blogspot.com/2020/01/dolmenwood-in-emeraude.html
I don’t see many Sci-Fi battlemaps being posted so I thought I would help out a little bit. I have been running 2 sci-fi rpgs concurrently for 3 years and have amassed quite a few decent maps that I have made in DungeonDraft. They are nothing special, but considering how rare sci-fi maps can be, I hope someone finds them helpful. These were all made for 40k or SWN but feel free to use them wherever. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ewe4a3qi083phftrz4f0r/h?rlkey=76c1aogifucbbds47u8fms7eh&dl=0
thealexandrian.net
A good article on restocking https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/48593/roleplaying-games/campaign-status-module-restocking-checklists DM Angelo's easy method was to have multiple versions of the same adventure. So If we left and came back. Then he just ran one of those other versions. My method is to have new gang bosses and a few new or renovated rooms. The players old map will mostly match up. Once to just have fun with them. I had the main entrance sealed in while they were away. Some Holy Knights came by and decided to seal up the main entrance real good. The players remembered hearing about other entrances from captives while down there the last time. So this forced wilderness exploration to find new entrances.
I've been playing around with Thálassa, the Cairn-based RPG about adventures in the mythic ancient Mediterranean. I decided to make my own custom character sheet. It's fillable, and available in US Letter and A4 sizes. You can download it here: [https://polyhedralnonsense.com/2023/08/08/thalassa-character-sheets-for-a-mythic-age-rpg/](https://polyhedralnonsense.com/2023/08/08/thalassa-character-sheets-for-a-mythic-age-rpg/)
Hey all, I’ve always enjoyed TTRPGs, but never could find the right fit for my and my friend group. After trying out a bunch of different systems, one day I took the plunge on MORK BORG and have loved it since. My group and I love the over-the-top grimdark and find it more funny than anything else, and keeping it light on the rules lets us just enjoy the story unfolding instead of having to fiddle with arcane rules and lists of items. And then the cherry on top are the excellent tables that make rolling up further adventures super easy. However, so far, I’ve only really been running one shots. It’s super easy for characters to die, which can make running a campaign hard, but I LOVE the idea of the Calendar of Nechrubel—a probabilistic time limit that puts proverbial Sword of Damocles on the world. Despite how cool it seems, though, I’ve never really run a full campaign before. Anyone who has played this game or one like it, what advice could you give? What is your thought process like as you’re planning out a longer story in which the characters are more or less likely to survive?
> If something makes me want to write a hack of Cairn inspired by it, it has to be doing something right.
Or maybe you want to hit the planet with a comet? Fireball is not enough and everybody has it. You need this book https://mrlizard.com/reviews-and-walkthroughs/necromican-level-10-and-up/
so the other day we had our sesh and someone brought assorted cheeses as a snack, and puns ensued. I (the dm) jokingly said that for every new cheese pun the whole party heals 1 hp cuz I'm fun like that. Mind you this is a 5e game so a single hp isn't much but its still incentivizing when most of the party is at half health. My players really liked it. I really liked how it brought out that OSR feeling of "the players are clever so their characters benefit mechanically" which I don't get as much as I want because it's 5e and I haven't twisted their arms into the OSR yet. so I'm constantly fantasizing about running an osr style game and always in the process of frankensteining my perfect rules set that combines everything I like from a million osr systems... and I had the thought of replacing the resource cost of spells in a system like an into the odd hack or knave hack with creativity. so like if you would normally recover 1 fatigue per night (i know thats not how ITO or knave do) a character with a certain spell or feature could compose a haiku to heal two instead, or maybe a pun made at an enemies expense could deal 2 hp damage with the limitation that it can't damage str (be lethal) or in a world where magic comes from being crazy or sad (like adventure time) roleplaying being crazy or sad could recover a fatigue for a wizard type character. sorry for the stream of consciousness typing basically instead of paying with a spell slot or hp or fatigue for an in game magic effect the player has to do some clever wordplay relevant to the situation. the mechanical benefit would be solid but minimal since id want to make it an effect that is only limited in it's usefulness by a player's creativity. so my question is: did someone already do this better? is there a wordplay/creative thing a player could do that would thematically fit giving a martial/combat mechanical benefit? how should I balance it? How can i use it in hacking a system like knave, synthetic dream machine, or cairn? also general thoughts and ideas appreciated
Option 1 This is tough to beat price for a Whole Gaming System - The Drive Thru Vaults & Vows Bundle https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/440205/Vaults--Vows--Bonus-Printed--Digital-BUNDLE with little work you can run Dungeon World Modules to this as well as Iron Sworn. Can always just run Valuts & Vows https://www.reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/comments/15hi4z6/i_smashed_ironsworn_and_dungeon_world_togetherits/ get https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/360541/Quest-Fronts--Issue-1?src=hottest_filtered Option 2 - *just a disclaimer - people seem to have a hard time understanding the magic system. I think it is simple and fun to use. Black Sword Hack Ultimate Chaos Edition - yes the book has to come from Europe and will take it's sweet time getting to a US address. Everything is basicaly in this one book. https://www.themerrymushmen.com/product/black-sword-hack-ultimate-chaos-edition/ Option #3 *players may be relunctant to play due to notorious rep of creator. This is one of the best playing OSR Games out there. Remove Venger and this would be Number 1 OSR Game. Did I mention it is FREE https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/303380/Crimson-Dragon-Slayer-D20-Revised honorable mentions OSE, Cairn 2e, Weird North, Electric Bastionland, Mausritter, and Ruby
Started running a Mystara Campaign again and Vanya has come up. I dread her as a force to ruin campaigns. Because Nobody Expects the Heldannic Inquisition! One of the players is whishing to go to Vanya's Rest He has been promised to be Knighted if he brings the party there to be converted. That includes being given a castle and 100's of troops. https://mystara.thorfmaps.com/thibault-vanyas-rest-region-8/ Brief snippet on Heldannic Kngihts https://d-d-3-0-tales-from-mystara.obsidianportal.com/wikis/heldannic-knights The Free Heldannic Gaz http://pandius.com/The_Heldannic_Knights.pdf Warbirds and Paladins in Space So I'm going to offer it to the party to revolt against this other PC and run off to Vestland. Where they will get involved in the Search for the Sorona Crown of Vestland. - module Crown of Ancient Glory but I will change out the Ethengar for the Heldannic Knights. The Heldann Freeholds https://youtu.be/rRNcbImYRUg
alldeadgenerations.blogspot.com
>These days it feels like the Post OSR spends a lot of time reinventing things that people wrote on blogs in 2010, or stumbling into the same well known solutions and declaring they have "fixed" the play style. Gus L. shares his thoughts around "7 Maxims of the OSR": >There's little help for this, and as much as introductions to OSR theory like Philotomy’s Musings, Matt Finch’s Quick Primer for Old School Gaming, or Milton, Lumpkin and Perry’s Principia Apocrypha are useful documents and helpful introductions, the majority of OSR wisdom exists as scattered blog posts and in the minds of people who have engaged with the play style over the past 20 or so years. People don't read blogs anymore, but even if they did ... these bloggers, designers, referees, and players have a tendency to fall back on maxims when asked to explain elements of the play style, and it’s not the most efficient way of communicating craft and knowledge.
www.buzzsprout.com
The "Between Two Cairns" podcast by Yochai Gal & Brad Kerr celebrates its one-year-anniversary. I've personally binged all of the episodes recently This week they review "Kavlov's Sanctuary" by Jean Luc Lariviere-Lacombe, which might be interesting for @HexedPress@lemm.ee, who is working on an OSE conversion (more infos under https://hexed.press/posts/kavlovs-sanctuary-ose-kickstarter-announcement).
Free Adventure - The Strange Curious Disappearance of Oberleutnant Schmitz Suggested System Lamentation of the Flame Princess Suggested Character Level 1-5 for up to 7 players Further suggested at least one player play an Elf of at least Level 3 with surgically altered ears and connections to either Miskatonic University, Madame Blavatsky, or Henry Steel Olcott's Theosophical Society. Time - This adventure takes place 2 years after the end of WWI in the Late Spring or Early June of 1920. Starting Location The Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club in a very private and most austere drawing room. There are two gentlemen from Lloyds and a German from Mercedes-Benz here along with a deaf butler. Let up to 2 players speak sign language if they insist. - The Deaf Butler Halberth is an older servant and works for Mr. Smythe – age 77 *** Mr Smythe speaks sign language fluently and Mr. Trimble is very much a beginner - From Lloyd’s Mr Smythe (the boss of the two and the butler Halberth) -age 52 - From Lloyd’s Mr Trimble (Mr. Smythe’s underling) age 31 - From Mercedes The Famous Engineer Mr. Jonas Dieter Schmitz age 64 The players will be instructed they know and have worked for Mr. Trimble in the past and only know Mr Smythe by reputation. That reputation is that not a stone is overturned or an egg cracked in all of His Majesty’s England without Mr Smythe’s knowledge. **Your option if the PC’s know each other or have worked together. However none of them should know the Elf. On a roll of 1-3d6 a player may be on friendly enough terms with Mr. Trimble to have a beer after hours with him. Then if that roll is made have player roll d6 again 1-2 they know Mr. Trimble as Agent 001 of His Majesty’s Secret Service (try not to let the other player’s know). I suggest going to Old Maps Online and getting a few Isle of Wight maps from the 20’s & 30’s. The Duver St Helen’s for the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club may be welcomed at the table. Due to the timeline Switchblade knives, revolvers, automatic pistols, and crude sub machine guns will have to be allowed. Grenades and dynamite as well. Have players roll d20 the highest roll gets a scroll of turn undead as if cast by Level 5 Cleric. Have players that didn’t get the item roll d20’s and the highest gets a ring of Protection from Evil 10’ with 2 charges. That is all the goodies for now. Opening Phase A The players have been summoned by Mr. Trimble under premise – Great Adventure & Profit. Lloyd’s has need of your talents & service yet again. As they enter the room they are greeted by Mr. Trimble who takes the lead. He introduces everyone to Mr. Smythe and the esteemed German Engineer from Mercedes Mr. Schmitz. Then Mr. Trimble informs the party that the Golf Club Staff will not be available. We have the services of Mr. Smythe’s Private Butler Mr. Halberth for today’s luncheon meeting. Do be kind as Mr. Halberth is deaf. Mr. Smythe or myself can communicate with him. Then Mr. Smythe draws forth from under his coat a Luger Carbine and attaches the stock. “Last Chance my dear agents of Lloyd’s to leave this business. For I’m going to close and lock the doors now. What we are about to discuss is never to be spoken outside of this room.” As he is locking the doors the German speaks, “ Now Mr. Smythe! Are such dramatics necessary? I know you have lost a whole team already working on my lost son’s disappearance! I don’t want or need the guilt of more widows & orphans in the world.” "Your source of information is not so faultless Mr. Schmitz. We have only misplaced one agent. That it was a double 00 was most misfortunate”, said Mr. Smythe. Then Mr. Trimble says while looking each PC in the eye - “Perhaps a little demonstration of the uniqueness of this team I have assembled. *resting his eyes on the Elf* Please cast us a spell to alleviate my friend’s concerns.” Then spoken in Elvish “Something Flash to astonish him.” ***Free form it with the players up until a point where Mr. Smythe should finish detailing out the mission. The Mission: During WWI Mr. Schmitz’s son the Oberleutnant Schmitz flew his WWI Gotha Bomber over the Island of Wight. In the fog his bomber had gone off course and he mistook a church for a military target. Bombing the church. Sometime after the war he had learned of his mistake and that several innocent lives had died from the bombing. The church was damaged so severally that it had to be demolished. Unable to live with the guilt our Oberleutnant decided to use his connections to Mercedes-Benz and other wealthy companies to raise money to rebuild the church. He flew into the island to be at a ground breaking ceremony. The Oberleutnant checked into a hotel and went to the construction site that night unable to wait for the ceremony in the morning. He has not been seen since leaving the hotel now five months ago. A few weeks ago 005 was sent to investigate. Last seen by a cabby using a phone booth on the island. Now Mr. Trimble has ID’s, Cover Stories, and the lot for you. You are all to be Insurance Agents, Underwriters, Building Inspectors, and Journalist. We will have you stay at the same hotel as Agent 005 and the Oberleutnant. ***Let them have some choice as to their cover story, alias names, and other spy stuff. Inform them that Q will meet them at the hotel with his usual assortment of toys. This Ends Phase A. I will post links for Phase B and C later. Stay Tuned for More.