OSE Game prep, part 1

We've had a partial session 0 as the current game's GM just needed a small respite as he is running or playing in at least 3 games a week. Of course, he is also retired so does have a bit more time!

I presented my OSE bibliography for races and classes, though I did say up-front that many probably would not be allowed. And we're also leaning towards real old-school: races ARE classes. We've been rolling using Owlbear.rodeo as we like to see our rolls. I really miss doing this at a table as the fling of the dice and the anticipation of the results is part of the enjoyment I get out of playing games. Interestingly, one of the players picked a Mycelian, a mushroom person. The other so far is a human Druid, and in the next few days we'll have session 0.1 for the last player. 

I'll be starting them getting to Windemere Crossing, coming off a caravan passing through. As well as starting at level 2 so that they won't die if they get ht by an errant breeze blowing the wrong way!  

My preference for rolling up characters is straight rolls: you get what you get. I do soften that by allowing an extra roll (and they may make more than one until they get one higher than the lowest attribute) to use where they want. Part of that is my background with Traveller: CT was completely random, and you got what you got. And as I've said way too many times in this blog, this makes you play a character that may be different than you envisioned. Some people of course hate this and want to design every aspect of their character. Which is fine, just not my cup of tea. I like trying to figure out a character as it gets generated. I may have some ideas of what I want, but then the dice make the character their own. There is a story in those rolls!

Anyway, I may create additional character sheets for all those NPCs I created for Windemere Crossing. They are all so far set up for TFT, so while I'll still roll the dice, I may adjust a bit to match the stats that have values. Fortunately TFT is essentially a 3d6 game, so strength, dexterity & intelligence will be the same and I'll roll for the others. And assign classes and levels.

Let's take a look at the Sherrif of Windemere Crossing, Ira Sprigbasher from last year's character challenge.

He is basically a bad ass for TFT: he can really fight in hand-to-hand and can take a punch. I'll adjust his constitution so that he would get 2 extra HP per level to reflect that toughness-2 skill. Charisma and wisdom I'll roll as-is, getting 11 for Wisdom and 9 for Charisma. For a class, fighter, and as he is the sheriff, lawful is a good fit (though there is that backstory I've yet to figure out as to why he gets drunk every so often).  Being a veteran in TFT meant I should have boosted his STR to 14 (now that I am re-reading that post. And no one called me out on it!). I'll make him (rolls 2d6) a level 7 fighter. Rolling 7d8 I actually rolled well - 32HP, + the +2/level gives him 40 HP. Which is close to the max he could have.

A basic character sheet for Ira:

The characteristics are the same regardless of the system. From that post, and now I know why he gets drunk as well:

A veteran of a series of battles for the Kingdom of Ismelkonia, Ira took a working retirement as the sheriff of Windemere. Technically far outside the borders of the kingdom, he keeps in contact with the Prince via carefully worded messages passed on via the caravans heading west from Windemere. The Prince has a shrewd mind and wants to know what is going on outside his borders as well as inside.

Five years ago, when the half-Elf pirates showed up, it was made pointedly clear via a saber at his throat that Captain Nomehi Wiridae is the one really in charge of the town. Crossing her would be a death sentence. Despite that, she has made little change to the way the town is actually run but does take a small percentage of any trading that takes place in town. She also has Ira direct people to the Silver Pirate and has him look the other way for their more illicit activities.

Though this has been communicated to the Prince of the Kingdom of Ismelkonia, being outside the actual territory means there is little he can expect for aid. Only his deputy is really aware of this state of affairs. The pirates' touch on the town so far has been light as Nomehi stews a great deal from her curse and being stranded at the edge of the Kalor Desert.

When patrolling, Ira wears his army leathers and is a foreboding figure with a stern face. Yet he smiles at Rennor and she has helped him quell a few bar fights just by being there (as few people want to upset her father nor Rennor herself). A quiet speaking man, a raised eyebrow often is enough to stop a conversation from taking a turn to the worse. Every few weeks however, he gets drunk at the Nimble Priest Inn and stays there versus his rooms above the sheriffs' station near the north of town. The acolytes pray over him, knowing something is off but not sure what it is. Though the pirate Elves do seem to be overly curious when he does stay at the Nimble Priest Inn.

The weapons expertise I covered by giving him a +2 sword: any sword he uses will be at +2 pretty much. The unarmed combat, well, I'll have to read the rules on unarmed combat in both systems to see how that would work. I've always sucked at combats in RPGs, which is why I really like TFT as its combat is the Melee game, so well-grounded as an actual game. Shield expertise I'd rule similar to the sword: he can do shield bashes and things like that. Finally, literacy is automatic in OSE at his intelligence level.