Old School Essentials and playing games

 I keep saying I am going to stop getting games as I am not playing the ones I have. I've been pretty good about the board games at least. But in looking at a lot of the stuff I've bought the last few years, most of it is pretty much rules agnostic. And a lot is OSR but still mostly rules-free. Then I realized I had been confusing OSR and OSE at times. As a result, I have a fair number of OSE zines and things. No big deal: I just use the fluff mostly anyway.

It is like the GURPS line of Traveller supplements: while designed for GURPS, there is a lot of really good stuff in there that can be used for flavor and world building. Same for pretty much any gaming thing: the stats are really only important if you are battling things or have some sort of checks. And all that can be relative and mapped between different systems.

Regardless, because my Sunday group has not been meeting for a bit as the boys got, dare I say, bored with the game, I'm looking for a crunchier game they may enjoy. A good part of that is on me: the dad & I were having a great time and did not read the room for his sons. But another part of that, I think, is that the Fantasy Trip has no classes and bonuses based on that, or races or anything. And wanting to play a rogue character is certainly easy enough to do: just pick the skills that fit, try to tailor your stats to the type of rogue you want to be. But old school games, or pretty much games that carry classes, give certain benefits and abilities based on the class. And leveling up is a more defined, knowable progression. And having these benefits as a game mechanic may appeal to them more. 

While I personally prefer TFT and Traveller because they do lack classes and levels, I can see someone whose only experience is via what they have seen on TV (Stranger Things, Critical Role, etc) not getting the simplicity and ability to define your own character how you want. Ergo, I am backing the Old School Essentials Kickstarter so that we can get that crunch. Plus, I have a lot of dice and do want to give some sets away. Call it a bribe or call it an incentive. 

Why did I pick that game? First, it is pretty much compatible with a wide range of existing things. No, before that even: the basic rules are free, so that my Sunday group can get those and see if that is the sort of thing that they may want to play. Here's hoping. Though the father oddly is the only one in the house without a computer, and there is really only so much you can do on your phone. Hopefully he can set up an email and borrow one of his kids or his wife's computer. Though he really does not like computers much (he literally works with his hands, and in fact, made this ax for me for Christmas!)

And we'll be playing mostly in the same world anyway: my world building is pretty rules-agnostic as well. Though if I do play specific OSE adventures, I'll place them way off the map someplace else. Create an OSE side of the world, but share rumors about far-off lands and the huge, river spanning Edge City. I may start adding rumors of OSE-specific areas as well.

And speaking of Kickstarters, my current list has expanded. I keep getting these OSE/OSR mini regions such as the Toxic Wood as I've got all his other supplements. They are an enjoyable read so if nothing else, I at least get some enjoyment even if I never get to use them. 

And I really need to get back to my Traveller solo game. It has been months since my last excursion there. 

I am also very slowly working on an Apex game for the wild west of 1870s or so: dinosaurs and cowboys. I've invited the other players to create NPCs and/or locations as I've mentioned before. They'll get XP for this, so hoping to start all players at level 3 if I can gin up enough interest and feedback. I have created a fairly generic map and have the idea of the 1st adventure based on a Bonanza episode I watched while on the treadmill.  Sorry if I've posted the map before - I did not see it in a brief check of my posts.

I've also shared this directory, and the initial document in the directory, with one of the players to see if we can cooperatively work on the game this way. So far, a week or so later, I've not noticed any updates or additions. 

We'll see how well this sharing works out - I'm used to this sort of process as I work from home and I'm a software developer. We use source control, Teams, and all that for a lot of almost face to face working and sharing of things. Non-technical people have a harder time grasping how that works, and how frictionless it can actually be when it works well (and it does not always work well!). Heck - I'd prefer to use personal Teams for our group games as there are a lot of benefits over the current Skype we use. However, getting some of them to try a new platform is an uphill battle that is not worth it. Though Skype tends to fail for me at least a couple times per session.

Side Adventure Ideas

A low level adventure. Which honestly most of my games are. And it is more of a collection of thoughts than an actual adventure.

While staying at Windemere, the players are in need of healing potions and the like. While they can certainly purchase some at 15 gold each, one of the town's herbalists can create them using various herbs and such. Unfortunately, he is running low on what he needs. Lucky for both the friar and the adventurers, Sharn is in town and knows where to collect those herbs and plants. It is a full day's journey to the south into the mountains, so the trip should take 2 full days with an overnight stay in a spot Sharn has camped at before.

While they could rent horses from Lurbuk, that would cost a few gold and defeat the purpose of trying to get some free healing potions. If the characters have horses, simply make it a day journey for horses, so more like 25 miles or so versus 15. 

Of course, travel times are always interesting. Many game books have fully laden adventurers able to cover 25 miles a day, every day. While I am not a seasoned adventurer, back when I did do backpacking trips, 15 miles a day was pretty good. And some days it was only 10 miles depending on the terrain. I also used to run marathons, and so while I could run 26+ miles in a few hours, I was only carrying water bottles. And I am waiting on the Wondrous Expeditions book to see how those rules and ideas may play out. I do know they originally had some crazy distances people could travel in the review PDF. I think several people, including me, pointed out that it was entirely unreasonable that a group could go 30+ miles a day on foot for days on end. Carrying everything they need. Yes, we are playing fantasy games, but I like at least a nod at something being based on reality and reasonable rules. And we'll just ignore the entire Traveller magical heat sink for fusion plants. Because any sufficiently advanced technology is magic.

The trek south quickly changes from the scrublands bordering the desert to scattered clumps of trees and heavier brush. The path, with some ruts from the heavy salt-laden wagons that come down from the salt mines every few weeks, is an easy path to follow. But the travelers will go from flat to rapidly steep trails as they enter the mountains, the once open views now blocked by trees all around, and the mountains in front of them. While one day is only about 20 miles or so on this easy path, they group is well into the hills by mid-day and starting up the mountains proper towards the end of the day.

You may roll for a random encounter along the route. Though I would like to make them somewhat meaningful in some way. Link them to future adventures, something in the town? Perhaps they meet a goblin merchant who is wandering into town and has some rumors about the ancient castle in Tuvano or the woods beyond the mountains. The merchant may mention something about squirrels guarding ancient knowledge, or that he has seen something that looks like a Sasquatch up higher. These are all leads to various adventures and settings I have and want to play in! Another random encounter could be a small salt caravan heading down. If they stop and talk, they may mention that the mines have opened up something deeper and older than the mines. We could even do the interesting Little Red Riding Hood encounter from the special Oracle/Grinning Frog book (a girl and a wolf are fighting ferociously, both dealing and taking damage that seems high even for seasoned adventurers. Who do they help and why. It is an interesting twist on things that I like). This would also be the place to perhaps to put in an occasional archer bush (from the Old School Monsters book) along the path.

Once they get closer to the place where Sharn knows the plants are growing, the maps below can be used. The plants are growing near that felled tree, and there is enough to fill a few bags up and leave enough to let more grow. Sharn is very adamant about ecologically sound harvesting: her livelihood depends on knowing which plants are where and keeping them alive for future harvesting.

Crossing the creek above the deep pond there is always a chance of some interesting encounters there. Looking through Rackham Vale, there are several interesting ones. If there is a wizard in the group that looks like a wizard, the Frog Prince and his army of toads. He wants to be human again. Or there could be a variety of fae in the pond, ghorkerel trees (think bloodtrees or am bushes) near the water. While the Fantasy Trip book only has a few water creatures, I like the idea of a selkie or mermaid. One of my books, Cryptids, Creatures and Critters by Rachel Quinney, has the Rusalka from Eastern Europe. These can be the spirits of women who were murdered or committed suicide. They are vengeful towards men which is why they have never bothered Sharn. They would appear as beautiful women to lure the men in the water to drown them. Very similar to various forms of mermaids or sirens. According to some legends, expensive gifts can keep them away. Perhaps this would be a good way to get rid of the zombie ring my group is using: Crut, the rogue, is being drawn in and if he can't make a hard IQ roll, the Runt Gubbler may have to try something. Sharn may know that an expensive gift may work to appease the spirit. If we want to go a bit lighter, the water leaper or llamhigyn y dwr (from my Welsh Monster books) may sneak by at night to steal food from the camp above.

Gathering the herbs is not an issue. Looking through my poisonous plants PDF from Bloodstone Press (yeah, I have a lot of things, don't I?) it could be baneberry. Sharn will also be picking other plants as you go along, such as clochium for fevers, cunjevoi for boils and sores, daphne and other plants. Some may have more sinister usage: this would be a hard IQ roll unless the characters have the naturalist skill. If I ever play that type of a character, I'll have to read through that a bit more: it is based on actual real-world plants with magical extrapolations. 

That night, the characters may notice a glow a couple hundred yards away. A fairy circle is there and may be calling to the characters. A difficult IQ roll to resist. While the Fantasy Trip does not have specific rules about fairies, pixies and the like, the Goblin book I recently bought has some fun ideas about fae in general, and Goblins in specific. As does the Rackham Vale book, which I am thinking about getting the revised version that has color images. Then I can give away the current version to someone who would enjoy it as it is a really nice book. We could also introduce the Pixie Liberation Front - one of the Lazy Liche's books has a very funny (to me at least) world building: pixies are used for magic, or in the case of the salt mines, used as canaries or lights. This could lead to a larger quest of sorts. 

Going back down the mountain the next day they will at least know where some of the dangers are. Sharn and the characters will have bags full of the herbs and plants they need. More rumors if they meet anyone. Perhaps they notice a decrepit sign to the Green Wand. 

The mountain path: full color and printer friendly. 

Two Minute Tavern: The Green Wand

Another fun Kickstarter, the Two Minute Tavern is a nice way to create a tavern on the fly. And then I can use the Remarkable Inns and Taverns if I want to expand it, but the 2-minute thing is a "roll on these tables" and takes, as it says on the tin, 2 minutes. It showed up in my in-box this morning, so I thought I'd try a quick run-through,

My first run through the tables and we have the Green Wand tavern. Surrounded by trees, it is hard to find and usually found by accident. A big tavern that is rundown, visitors can feel a suspiciousness in the air. There is a major insect problem which helps explains why it is rundown: termites have been busy eating holes in the walls and floors. Its signature drink is the Bouncing Breath: with a creamy taste, this murky-looking drink has an exotic aroma that wafts throughout the tavern. Best served with the Salted Pig Tart, their specialty. Frank Crawing rules the tavern from behind the bar, ordering everyone around. His blood-shot nose is the most noticeable thing about him. Off in a corner, staring resolutely straight ahead is Stiff Beatrice, the tavern's regular. With the large floor space available, there is a local drama group that puts on plays and historical reenactments. Outside, between the trees, the lawn clubs grid has been cut into the ground, a set of the clubs leaning up against the outside wall.

The tables let you generate the name and some of the attributes. A signature drink and food are nice to have as it makes each tavern a more unique place (and I always have a hard time coming up with this on the fly. Why I have a few printed out pages of random foods and things when I run games). A proprietor and regular are quickly generated with some interesting quirks or physical oddities, along with what is entertaining and games that may be played.

Poking around for taverns in woods (and there are some nice real-life taverns in woods apparently), found something that evokes where I think this quick tavern came from.

Not sure this belongs in my growing Windemere collection, but now I have a handy little tavern I can stick someplace as needed. And the game of lawn clubs: what could go wrong there?

I do like the regular: Stiff Beatrice. Why is she called that? I of course stuck her in a corner and riffing off the stiff part, have her staring straight ahead as she drinks her Bouncing Breath, slowly eating the Salted Pig Tart. Has she lost someone special? Is she a social recluse who comes out despite not wanting to be around people? Does she have any quests for the players: perhaps she has heard things at her house, and needs the shed checked out as she is afraid to go in herself. Does she live nearby - as a regular I would assume so. How is she dressed - fancy, plain? Old or young? The whole age question brings out different responses in players quite often. Some possible versions of Beatrice here, each which could evoke an entirely different feel for the NPC. I may add the Green Wand as a nearby location for Windemere (along with the salt mines & its adjacent village) and have some ideas for Beatrice and our Frank Crawing. Perhaps one or the other is a jilted lover? Or perhaps siblings? Or complete strangers other than Beatrice showing up regularly. And that drama group could be fun to do as well. I need to drop in some easter eggs for various things, and a troupe of actors could be a good way of doing that (and here is the story of Tuvano, city of the liche king!) I really need to get better at using rumors and things to help the players have choices and make it feel like a living world, where things are going on even without them.

Windemere: The Caravans

Not only do I need (okay, want) to get most of a small town in place using various rules I've picked up over the years, but to be actually useful, there needs to be adventure hooks.

I've been reading the Oracle Special Edition I picked up last year. These are beautiful books and PDFs with a good amount of useful info. I have a couple others but as I've not really started using them, I sort of fell behind. This issue deals with a salt mine and the characters that live in the nearby village. While the nearby village is not Windemere, it can be a small village a day or two to the south in the mountains. I need to think about the placement a bit as I do want some cross-over in the towns as there are some interesting characters and world building there.

So first, location, location, location! As you may recall, Windemere is on the Ocean Trade route. There are caravans several times a week going from the ocean to the interior plains to the west. There are caravans from the plains to the west to the ocean trade routes in the east. And there is the ill-named Trail of Lost Hopes that leads north through the Kalor Desert, past Ceawla (here, here and here) and on to the fabled city of The Elemental City of Athukthad (which we just passed on through but may be worth expanding a bit more at some point). Nestled between the Kalor Desert and the southern mountains, the old road to the dead city of Tuvano winds through the mountains. There are some small mountain villages along the way, including the one near the salt mines.

As a result of this location along the trade route, we have caravans. This location is a nexus of caravans, mountain adventures and the edge of the desert. We can play with some random tables for caravans to start. One thing to keep in mind is the economics of the caravans and Windemere: the growing town needs the caravans as they bring in good gold along. Some things may be overlooked, or maybe not. As with just about everything in life, follow the money.

Adventure hooks for caravans are many:

• there are an excessive number of guards - what are they guarding?
• strange passengers in the caravan
• the caravan needs more guards as some were killed in a previous leg of the journey
• passage is available if the characters want to go with a larger group to the next destination
• the caravan is encamped outside the city walls, and strange sounds come from it at all hours of the night
• there may be items for sale in Windemere, strange and wondrous or merely mundane
• Zesp's standard order of cigars is missing!
• One of Keze's errand Goblins is accused of stealing from the caravan
• brawls are a lot more common when a caravan comes into town - players could be hired as extra guards for Windemere or one of the inns
• strangers in town present ample opportunity for some nimble-fingered re-apportioning of gold
• caravan guards (or master) get rough with the locals. The characters can hear cries for help in an alley
• mysterious guards carry message to various town denizens from faraway places.
• the guards talk about strange structures they saw off in the distance that were not there on previous trips

I'll try and come up with more as I expand on the PDF (most of this will go in that perpetually updated document). I may either make another table, or simply a long list. I am not sure which is more useful. And of course, I need to read some of the various books I've bought to see what else I can throw in there.

Each day, roll 2d6 twice, once for incoming caravans and once for outgoing caravans.

2	across southern mountains
3	East to West
4	West to East
5	West to East
6	No caravans
7	No caravans
8	No caravans
9	East to West
10	From the North
11	To the North
12	Roll twice

 The we need the size of the caravan. Going from movies and books, a caravan will have a single caravan master who may just be the paid guide, or the owner of the actual caravan and goods. It will also have animals, camels, horses, griffins, to carry the goods or pull the wagons. There will be guards, and there may be passengers. There could be slaves, either as the servants or as the actual cargo. I'm not including that in the tables but feel free if your world has that (it is a common fantasy theme, but I usually keep it out of my fantasy worlds. Indentured servants though are a good possibility).  I've not actually played with these tables yet - going with this is an initial draft. And of course, what kind of goods do our caravans carry? That should be a d66 chart and the number of goods depends on the caravan size. The goods row indicates how many times to roll on the table. And it really should be different for the direction they are headed to, but we'll just ignore that.

In looking into the sizes of "real" caravans, upwards of 500 camels to even 12,000 camels were possible. Seeing as I like the small ship Traveller universe, I am also going with the small caravan universe in my fantasy world. There very well could be 1000+ camels or horses in the caravan but that would swamp my little trade town. I want player character sized caravans.

Small Caravans
Animals	1d6
Wagons	1d6-2 (may have none)
Guards	1d6-2
Passengers	1d6-3
Goods	1d6-4 (min 1)

 

Medium Caravans
Animals	3d6
Wagons	3d6-2
Guards	3d6-2
Passengers	3d6-3
Goods	3d6-4 (min 1)

 

Large Caravans
Animals	5d6
Wagons	5d6-2
Guards	5d6-2
Passengers	5d6-5
Goods	5d6-4 (min 1)

Trade Goods. Why yes, that table should look familiar! A lot will also depend on the type of world: high fantasy may have an abundance of magical items, low fantasy they may be a lot rarer and all the more precious. For those goods deemed high value, I'd probably at least double the guards.

1	1	Silks
1	2	Rugs
1	3	Liquors (Dwarven ale, wines, spirits, etc)
1	4	Woods
1	5	Crystals
1	6	Magic Crystals
2	1	Electrum
2	2	Copper
2	3	Armor plating
2	4	Copper
2	5	Silver
2	6	Gold (nuggets, coins, bars?)
3	1	Oils (heating, lamp, magical?)
3	2	Herbs (medicinal, magical, smoking, etc)
3	3	Cured meats, fish
3	4	Salts
3	5	Dried fruits, seeds for fruit trees
3	6	Potions (healing, magical)
4	1	Gems (mundane, magical, rough cut, finely crafted)
4	2	Mundane weapons (swords, axes, pole arms, etc)
4	3	Gunpowder (dragon dung for the Fantasy Trip)
4	4	Blades (enchanted, finely made, silver DM choice)
4	5	Smithing equipment (anvils, hammers, etc)
4	6	Mundane armor
5	1	Books (mundane, magic tomes, etc)
5	2	Scrolls (historical, magic scrolls, etc)
5	3	Magic trinkets
5	4	Riding beasts (horse, camels, hippogryph, dinosaur…)
5	5	Riding beast armor
5	6	Spices (mundane, magical, etc)
6	1	Magical contraptions
6	2	Mechanical wonders (geared golems, mining birds, etc)
6	3	Elven Weapons
6	4	Gnome Inventions
6	5	Dwarven Tools
6	6	Magic Armor

When the caravans come in to Windemere, we of course fill up the various inns. Obviously there need to be more inns than I've created yet. Part of that is the Spectacular Settlements book I rolled up on for this size of a town gave me only so many inns. However: there may well be camping spots outside of town for those without the coin for an inn. There is also at least one bathhouse, and one pleasure house, so my guess is they will also be busy. I need to do a bit of write up on those as well.