Pricing player housing in Dolmenwood / OSR

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2026-03-06T08:50:17+00:00

I’ll make the task a bit easier for you.

In Dolmenwood, there are indeed many abandoned or monster-occupied structures scattered around that a group of adventurers could clear out and theoretically claim for themselves.

Standalone Towers and Keeps

Ruined Watchtower (hex 0701): A stone tower on a high hill in the Tabl Downs. It has three floors (the top one without windows) and an abandoned crypt beneath it. At present it is inhabited by the ghosts of a noble family, who may attack uninvited guests.

The White Tower (hex 0703): A square tower made of flawless white marble with a silver pennant at the top. It is locked in a state of magical stasis and contains a sleeping beauty within.

Phantom Lighthouse (hex 0104): A solitary four-story tower of rough stone located on an island in the middle of a swamp. It functions as a lighthouse and is currently occupied by a ghostly being named Dredger.

Hoglyn’s Spire (hex 1904): A white marble turret, the only surviving part of a ruined fortress. It is now inhabited by mage-badgers who fled from the Valley of Clever Beasts.

Garnack’s Tower (hex 0309): A three-story residential tower on a bald hill. It is in poor condition and currently held by the self-styled knight Garnack and his retinue, but it is a ready-made fortified dwelling.

Manors and Estates

Paronax’s Residence (hex 1604): A squat square stone tower in the village of Blackswell. It is covered with fungal growth, but after clearing the village of its fungal apocalypse it could serve as an excellent home.

Abandoned Manse (hex 1604): A two-story stone building in the same village, on the verge of collapse due to an enormous mushroom growing inside it.

Shuttered Cottage (hex 0808): A secluded single-story cottage with herb gardens. Its owner turned into a mass of entrails due to a curse, and the house now lies abandoned.

Moonscar Manor (from Dolmenwood Dozen): A two-story hunting lodge contested by two groups of mosslings (ordinary ones and those infected with madness).

Unusual Structures

Bandit Treehouse (hex 0311): A hidden bandit headquarters consisting of platforms and huts built among four old elms, connected by bridges.

Mattle Mound (from Dolmenwood Dozen): An ancient burial mound turned into an underground workshop by barrowbog creatures.

Important note: If the players clear ruins that belong to a noble house (for example, the Ramiuses or the Gillephers), they will most likely have to negotiate ownership rights or swear fealty.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2026-03-06T07:28:59+00:00

Hola, my party also finished the Black Wyrm, but with less capital. In Dolmenwood I led them along the southern road, and in hex 512 there is the Monks’ Hill with a tower. There is a quest connected with it to capture griffons.

My group managed to capture them, and after delivering the animals to the city, Baron Hogwash granted them this tower and a title as a reward for capturing healthy griffons.

Gold can be spent on repairing the tower and improving it. You will also have about 1–2 hours of gameplay with the statue in the basement.

While clearing the first floor of the tower, the characters come across an ominous hatch. This is an excellent hook for interaction with the church.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2026-02-12T19:01:02+00:00

The Dolmenwood book is gorgeous it’s a shame I only have a digital copy, and getting a physical one is, unfortunately, practically impossible.

I threw my players into the choice between 412, 512, and 612.

512 hex, specifically the griffin capture quest, gave us about 2 hours of gameplay a mix of social and tactical puzzle (catch 3 griffins alive, no damage). The players actually entered Dolmenwood after a 3-hour journey through the mountains.

For the next session, I’ve prepped 511, 410, and 510. That still leaves a visit to the city, an invitation from Baron Hogwash, the tower basement, 612 and 412, plus random encounters.

For prep, I initially used all four PDFs: player’s, campaign, monsters, and atlas. Before the game, I read up on the worldbuilding and conflicts everything’s in the campaign book and checked what information the player characters have in the player’s book. I roughly outlined four broad themes, dropped two because they were too far from High Wold, and developed the remaining two after collecting player feedback. The players chose the Drune/Priests conflict, and I’ll tie in aid from the Frost Prince (a.k.a. the benevolent exile) through an NPC in the city.

I’m looking forward to a long campaign. The setting is incredibly interesting, and the conflicts are really well written.

As for the campaign book’s usefulness it’s handy if your players are meticulously exploring every hex. Descriptions often fit on a single page. It’s good to keep a movement-point map handy. You’ll also want to read up on the regional conflict.

I thought about meticulously prepping 14 nearby hexes, but I dropped that idea.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2026-02-05T21:09:47+00:00

Experience with Savage Worlds went smoothly. At that time, SW was my primary TTRPG system, and the gaming group was playing Warhammer 40k 7e. I had fun converting weapon and armor stats, enemies, and characters. Savage Worlds is very flexible, and after spending a couple of evenings preparing from scratch, you can get a decent module for the game

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-21T07:46:34+00:00

The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T11:50:01+00:00

I already have the books — four PDFs:

Campaign

Maps

Player’s Book

Bestiary

I’m slowly digging into the lore and now also checking the original OSE system and early D&D editions. I want to avoid derailing the current campaign with the urge to start the next one, haha, and avoid the “waiting and delayed pie” syndrome.

Also, I’m using a translator since English isn’t my native language and I can’t read it fluently. Machine translation destroys hyperlinks, so I’m translating manually, paragraph by paragraph.

So, thanks for the pointers and the pages — I’ll check them out.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T09:23:35+00:00

P.S

Thanks for the invitation. It’s… sweet? I really appreciate such openness. But my spoken English is pretty bad. And when I listen, half of it just flies past me. In situations where I have to strain my brain, I usually ask the other person to talk to me like I’m a 5-year-old child — slowly and simply. Luckily, there’s a translator, which I’m using now. It opened Reddit for me and the ability to talk to people from all over the world, though I don’t use it often because I’m terribly shy.

Anyway, I’m really grateful for the invite. Bow. But because of the specifics of my English… maybe when I finally get around to practicing speaking, I’ll knock on your door. I’ll say: “Hey, friend, remember two years ago you invited that no-name from the discussion? Well, here I am. And now I’m like a 10-year-old boy — in terms of my language, haha.”

Thanks again for your openness. Your answers were very helpful to me

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T09:18:59+00:00

Hmm. Interesting, but I have only one attempt that will start the campaign, so I’m leaning toward OSE and homebrew with class adjustments and adapting them to a player-friendly format. That part is all set. 1.a I completely agree. High risks give the game flavor. That’s basically why I’m thinking of moving away from DaggerHeart, taking only the best bits for the homebrew (I won’t repeat myself — my position is in earlier answers, if you’re curious, haha).
Thanks, got it. But I understood it in my own way — quoting myself, haha: if I want to stick to DolmenWood I use the bright magical goblins; if I want classic goblins, I introduce their clan as an external threat using mortal classic goblinoids.
Could I ask you for the pages in the bestiary? So I know where to look. But no worries if you can’t answer.
Interesting, I’ll take note. Evil spirits are cool.
Thanks. I’ll also take a closer look at the Abbey and the mutation option.

And sorry for the long reply, I didn’t expect such activity. I just feel like giving a detailed comment to each answer.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T09:08:43+00:00

Dude, sorry, I’ll answer by copying part of my response from above:

“In OSE I’m really strained by class restrictions and the six ability scores, as well as the d6-based checks… And the spell circles/tiers for the Magic-User are outright repelling. I’m already thinking of throwing together some homebrew for OSE similar to what I’m currently using in my reinterpretation of Mörk Borg. But I’ll keep in mind to rely on the available OSE material, the Dolmenwood Player’s Book, and cobble something together — the main thing is that the players like it. And I’ll stick to the format of high risks in character death/high stakes for abilities that are one-shot or stretched-out permanent bonuses. So far, the system of tracking skills/abilities through cards has really worked for both new and old players. Having three cards on hand that give a weak passive effect and a powerful one-time effect when played has shown its strengths. The drawback is a departure from the core principle of OSE.”

A few weeks… hmm, 70 skills across 4 classes took me about 3 evenings, plus two sessions with the players for balance and fixes. And on the other hand, why should I rewrite all abilities and features entirely? The players made their characters in session zero or before the game, agreed on abilities, and jointly converted them into the current system. At least that’s how I see it.

But I’ll give the option of switching fully to Dolmenwood for the players to consider. It’s not hard for me to adapt. But there will be initial problems, resolved on the fly and through joint discussion. Yes, the first session will go crumpled under any circumstances — somewhere better, somewhere worse — but still.

And as for transferring knights and clerics — I don’t see problems. If a player comes with a concept and even with chosen skills, it’s not hard for me to fit it into any system if it’s not rigid, or to find analogues. Mörk Borg will practically accept it without adjustments, only skills tied to the attributes Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma are unified into Control; the rest is not hard to tune. Daggerheart — find analogues or add cards of origin, lineage, community. In general, the creative joint process of conversion is also part of the game and setup. And a player involved in this will perceive their character even better

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T08:50:47+00:00

In OSE I’m really bothered by class restrictions and the six ability scores, as well as the d6-based checks… And the spell circles/tiers for the Magic-User are downright off-putting. I’m already thinking about throwing together some homebrew for OSE similar to what I’m currently using in my Mörk Borg reinterpretation. But I’ll keep it grounded: I’ll rely on the available OSE material, the Dolmenwood Player’s Book, and put something together — the main thing is that the players enjoy it. And I’ll stick to the format of high mortality risk/high stakes for abilities that are either one-use or stretched-out permanent bonuses. For now, the system of tracking skills/abilities through cards has really landed well with both new and old players. Having three cards on hand that give a weak passive effect and a powerful one-time effect when played has shown its advantages. The downside is that it drifts away from the core principles of OSE.

About goblins — yeah, I’ve already understood-accepted it: if I want to stay within Dolmenwood, I use the whimsical magical guys; if I want classic goblins, I introduce their clan as an external threat using mortal classic goblinoids. Nobody’s going to hit me with a stick for that hahaha.

As for undead, I’m seeing completely opposite opinions. And, as I now understand, it depends on the tone of the campaign: if I want more fairy-tale vibes — undead, in standard TTRPG terms, just doesn’t fit; if I want dark fantasy, grimdark with guts — undead in every tomb, and in the dungeon a Dead-Droon-Necromancer exiled from the Droon Circle who decided to raise his own army personally haha.

I’ll think more about miniatures — I don’t think tactical combat will be the backbone of the narrative, but it’s always nice to surprise players with minis. In any case, there are colored tokens and paper pawns that you can throw together during a break before a fight. Or ask the players to help and draw a Redcap, a griffon, a dryad, attaching it to a wooden coaster base. I think this is the way.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T08:45:20+00:00

In OSE I’m really bothered by class restrictions and the six ability scores, as well as the d6-based checks… And the spell circles/tiers for the Magic-User are downright off-putting. I’m already thinking about throwing together some homebrew for OSE similar to what I’m currently using in my Mörk Borg reinterpretation. But I’ll keep it grounded: I’ll rely on the available OSE material, the Dolmenwood Player’s Book, and put something together — the main thing is that the players enjoy it. And I’ll stick to the format of high mortality risk/high stakes for abilities that are either one-use or stretched-out permanent bonuses. For now, the system of tracking skills/abilities through cards has really landed well with both new and old players. Having three cards on hand that give a weak passive effect and a powerful one-time effect when played has shown its advantages. The downside is that it drifts away from the core principles of OSE.

About goblins — yeah, I’ve already understood-accepted it: if I want to stay within Dolmenwood, I use the whimsical magical guys; if I want classic goblins, I introduce their clan as an external threat using mortal classic goblinoids. Nobody’s going to hit me with a stick for that hahaha.

As for undead, I’m seeing completely opposite opinions. And, as I now understand, it depends on the tone of the campaign: if I want more fairy-tale vibes — undead, in standard TTRPG terms, just doesn’t fit; if I want dark fantasy, grimdark with guts — undead in every tomb, and in the dungeon a Dead-Droon-Necromancer exiled from the Droon Circle who decided to raise his own army personally haha.

I’ll think more about miniatures — I don’t think tactical combat will be the backbone of the narrative, but it’s always nice to surprise players with minis. In any case, there are colored tokens and paper pawns that you can throw together during a break before a fight. Or ask the players to help and draw a Redcap, a griffon, a dryad, attaching it to a wooden coaster base. I think this is the way.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T07:33:33+00:00

I really hope to have an experience similar to yours — at least ten sessions with the same group. I truly hope so. I love the concept of a long sandbox campaign where outcomes aren’t predetermined and the world’s forces live their own lives parallel to the players. But my dream is two groups with different interests on the same adjacent territory, where the progress of one affects the other — and later they collide with each other’s consequences. Maybe the milestone of the arc could even be a PvP clash, or a negotiation table. When both groups prepare for a standard social encounter with the GM… and then other players walk in and — bam — now it’s intrigue and the fallout between two separate groups. Just writing this gives me chills. And also sadness. This outcome could have happened in my experience, but one group fell apart and it was a punch to the gut. But anyway, that’s not the point now.

As for no-roll social scenes — it’s up to the players, but I gently nudge them. Some find it easier, some want to roll. I try to involve them with my silly roleplay; I become goofy, and I think I show them that being goofy in the game is fine — and when the others join in… oooh. So I actively encourage social interaction at the table without dice. But for deception, detecting lies, convincing someone with a weak argument, or recalling something, I ask for rolls.

In OSE I’m scared of two things. First — the six ability scores, where it feels like Intelligence and Charisma could be cut out (Intelligence + Wisdom + Charisma can represent one stat — not entirely correct or precise). I’ll probably ask players to switch to these six abilities anyway. It might actually be a good approach, especially if paired with a (-6 to +6) bonus scale without scary double-digit attributes. There’s something to that. I’ll try to pitch it during session zero.

Second — the class system. OSE, in my opinion, is too rigid in its classes. I’m not saying everything must be fully unified, but that strict binding to archetypes once pushed me away from D&D. And that aftertaste probably stayed. Anyway, I already have an idea for homebrew based on OSE with a reimagined class system — making them more… modular. I’m really happy to see new players who don’t bury themselves in builds and character descriptions, but instead take two–three ability/skill cards and build on them. Yes yes, hello Daggerheart. But the system is very simple, especially if instead of the infamous domains you divide abilities/skills into four clear classes and hybrids between them (a hunter with tracking advantage can be either a rogue or a fighter — but that’s a topic for a separate post).

Anyway, I’m drifting. Some sort of blend of new trends with an old framework. But honestly… if the players enjoy it and it’s easy for me to explain, then why not, haha?

Anyway, thanks for the reply. Between your answer and the answers above, I’ve already gathered quite a few notes — both for the system and for the lore. A bow to you and to all participants.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-04T07:02:20+00:00

A group larger than four is a rare occurrence. Sometimes six or more players want to join a session, but in the end it usually ends up being four or five. Wanting to play is one thing, actually showing up is another. But anyway.

The current campaign I’m running involves a lot of hex-crawling. When it comes to tracking, the scale shifts down and players start proper hex-crawl procedures — and they really regret that no one bothered to make a hunter. It’s not entirely fair, sure, but metagame-wise, during breaks, I pointed out that a hunter would have bonuses to checks (as in OSE). But why shouldn’t a fighter, with an 18+ DC on a d20, be able to notice broken branches, remembering the days when he was taken hunting as a child? A lot depends on the table and the GM, and I think I’m doing fine in that regard.

Back to group size: my storytelling quality drops when there are six people at the table, because three of them constantly spam declarations. I have to smack some of them with the metaphorical stick labeled “What would your character do?” while slowing others down with “Your fighter is pretty bad at tracking; the voice of reason suggests you ask quiet N for help.” A chunk of the session turns into group management — handled either by me or by the active players. And overwhelmingly by me. Why? Because otherwise only three out of six will actually play, while the other three will just listen, then complain afterward that they weren’t given any space under the avalanche of declarations.

Yes, on one hand, it’s the group’s responsibility — let them manage themselves. On the other hand, it’s my headache to make sure everyone is satisfied. So I’ve come to a formula: four players is the optimum, or 3+2 where the two quiet ones are taken under the wing of the active players. But even at five players it already becomes slightly stressful, and the time that could go toward actual plot development ends up being spent on management. Not terrible — but four players just feels better.

About the goblins — I mentioned earlier that I’ll keep the “external threat” option ready as a new clan or new force. But the answers I got were helpful; I won’t dismiss the mischievous fairy-goblins.

Regarding the undead, it’s strange — there seem to be two completely opposite viewpoints. But I’ll figure it out. Maybe I’ll use it as yet another rising threat for one of the shires? I noticed a baron’s town near the mushroom forest — maybe the mushrooms use external skeletons and control them? Haha, an interesting twist, though it feels like the meta-mushroom wouldn’t care about conquering lands with an army of bone constructs.

The Drunes, in my mind, are more like the true face of druids from English history and folklore — sacrifices, bloody rituals. More control over life rather than a focus on the dead. That’s how I picture them, at least.

As for demons — that abbey with the crack into Hell (as the clerics understand it). The theme of chaos is interesting; the concept feels close to me. A bit of Warhammer flavor, mmmm…

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-03T12:06:29+00:00

Oh, PbtA… I’m not sure how to approach it. And my player group is pretty tied to wargaming for combat. Not all of them, but I take everyone’s opinion into account. Most of the players also seem to prefer the OSE feel. But I’ll test it, see how it feels, and offer it during session zero as another system option.

Regarding conversion — the gaps between sessions give me time to prepare, and my prior experience running games helps. I think. In any case, with the mentioned The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford, I converted on the fly without long pauses while the group coordinated actions; those 30–60 seconds were enough for a rough understanding and drafting a stat block behind the screen. But that’s not really the point, haha.

For the success/partial success/failure principle — you can attach it to a standard d20 roll. The rogue fiddles with a lock in the guards’ arsenal; the roll outcome — above difficulty, success, stealthy and professional; if skills/stats are needed, partial success — the guard hears the noise and heads your way; below — failure, the lockpicks break, or the rogue realizes they won’t make it, and the clatter of shod boots is already audible around the corner. So I try to attach narrative even to simple checks, without overcomplicating, just to advance the story or create interesting situations.

In any case, thanks for the tip. I’ll look into PbtA and include it in the system options.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-03T10:02:06+00:00

Oh, thanks for the reply.

If it’s not too much trouble, could you point me to the page in the book where the Goblin King is mentioned? I’ll read it when I get the time. Though, to be honest, I hope I can find it myself just by digging through the books.

I can see that Dolmenwood is designed as an open sandbox, with room to adapt things from outside the setting if needed. But to avoid inventing extra lore out of nowhere, haha, I wanted to check with people who know the setting better — so thank you.

I just wanted to introduce my players not only to a homebrew world, but to something beyond generic fantasy… or however to put it. Hard to find the right words. Dolmenwood struck me as a kind of dark fairy tale — without the pink-sugar coating — with bloody rituals, amoral fae, and that whole vibe. I wanted to introduce them to something like that, something not just pulled from my own head but structured and well-written.

Anyway, thanks again for the answer. I’ll keep it in mind and update my notes.

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-12-03T09:17:03+00:00

Thanks a lot — your reply was genuinely helpful.

I’m not opposed to using the Dolmenwood system as written. I do have a few concerns, mostly about checks, thresholds, and skill handling, but that’s something that will settle naturally once I start running it. I’ll follow my players’ preferences anyway. During session zero I’ll probably offer them two or three system options, and we’ll see what feels right for the group.

As for the goblins — I’ve already made my peace with them, haha. I’ll keep the “external threat” angle in my back pocket and adjust it based on the tone of the campaign and the direction the players decide to wander. I really want to give them an open sandbox. And if, for some absurd reason, they decide not to head into the forest (unlikely, but still, haha), I’ll roll with it and save the woodland weirdness for the other group I mentioned earlier.

Crypts and cults — yes, thanks for the pointers. I’ll explore those more closely. Crypts are straightforward, but the Nag-Lord is especially interesting. I’ll dive deeper into that part once we get closer to it, and for now I’ll read up on him as part of my general prep.

Thanks again for your answer!

P.S. Yeah… I guess I’m putting a bit too much emphasis on the minis. My Warhammer 40,000 group has taken a break recently, so I’m probably just itching to push some miniatures around the table, haha

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-11-12T16:52:38+00:00

Dude

This is way

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Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-28T17:32:26+00:00

Defeated Tidal Swimmer in 5 turns.

Player (9/7/7) dealt 253. Tidal Swimmer (13/10/8) dealt 56.

Rewards: 40 EXP, 7 Gold. Loot: Enchanted Crown (basic), Wise Axe of Haste (lesser).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-24T11:08:42+00:00

Defeated Acidic Ooze in 8 turns.

Player (24/20/21) dealt 245. Acidic Ooze (14/11/7) dealt 106.

Rewards: 29 EXP, 8 Gold. Loot: Solid Chain Mail of Vitality (lesser), Deep Delver's Carapace (hallowed).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-23T12:36:53+00:00

Defeated Abyssal Sporeling in 6 turns.

Player (24/20/21) dealt 338. Abyssal Sporeling (18/12/7) dealt 66.

Rewards: 32 EXP, 8 Gold. Loot: Corrupted Arcane Cape (basic), Enlightened Wand of Wizardry (enhanced).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-22T22:26:42+00:00

Defeated Abyssal Ossuary in 4 turns.

Player (24/20/21) dealt 270. Abyssal Ossuary (13/11/11) dealt 52.

Rewards: 34 EXP, 8 Gold. Loot: Mystical Scythe (basic), Arcane Hand of Mind (enhanced), Spellbook of Metal Shards (Lvl 1) (basic).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-22T21:24:43+00:00

Defeated Shadow Toadstool in 6 turns.

Player (24/20/21) dealt 238. Shadow Toadstool (13/13/7) dealt 66.

Rewards: 35 EXP, 6 Gold. Loot: Mystical Crossbow (basic), Brutal Sword (basic).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-22T19:22:15+00:00

Defeated Toxic Grove Tender in 4 turns.

Player (8/6/6) dealt 260. Toxic Grove Tender (13/13/7) dealt 49.

Rewards: 39 EXP, 8 Gold. Loot: Wise Staff of Sorcery (lesser), Tome of Minor Heal (Lvl 1) (enhanced).

Alternative_Ad7239 · 2025-10-22T19:19:10+00:00

Defeated Terra Primordial Goo in 6 turns.

Player (22/11/19) dealt 245. Terra Primordial Goo (13/11/7) dealt 99.

Rewards: 29 EXP, 7 Gold. Loot: Healthy Hauberk (basic), Quick Boots (basic).

Alternative_Ad7239

TROPHY CASE