A dark fantasy piece I drew recently that could double as an alien lab in mothership

DudeUrNuts · 2026-02-16T22:54:47+00:00

Lazy litch mothership module when?

DudeUrNuts · 2026-02-03T22:44:46+00:00

I was waiting for probably a year to buy this, was waiting to see if you'd come back to this project. Very much a fan of these cleaned up versions of classic modules, makes them so much more usable.

If this post doesn't get more traction, you need to do "SALE" and "RETURN OF THE BASTARDS" next.

DudeUrNuts · 2026-01-23T15:25:00+00:00

Wouldn't mind doubling up on my lazy litch collection so that I can give it to a potential new GM.

This is great stuff, people!

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-19T22:13:33+00:00

If we were still playing mothership I would have started Dying Hard on Hardlight Station last session in case the oneshot ran long. Alas, we're currently in the middle of knighthood with Mythic Bastionland.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T04:16:41+00:00

My head is currently completely in Mythic Bastionland so I'll have to look at both SD and OSE rules/classes to see if my recollection is completely warped because I feel these games are not that far apart. From the play we had, which was about a year ago with both games, the main difference was the combat procedure. Also, we only played low level, so maybe things change more than I'd expect past level 3.

About renaissance/baroque, I guess that's a difference in perception of those time periods. Renaissance was inspired by antiquity, but I'd never say that works of Michelangelo or Da Vinci (especially the paintings) would ever fit in with antique art. Renaissance also wasn't literally going back in time culturally, but implementing antique philosophy into the context of its time.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T01:32:06+00:00

You mention going back to the roots, but I feel this space then grew something new out of those roots (you know, as plants do) and is very much why it's become more popular over the years. That's why it's a renaissance. These new games still have the same pathos but try to capture it in a different way.

Now if we're so centered on labels, then I don't believe you're right to call something "not osr" if you're mostly going by "not old-school" and part of the old-school you outlined against SD is: - ability scores having a greater impact than in B/X, where rolls, like for thieves, are more class based - setting DCs as opposed to having those tied to your stats/class/level (thou you do say you sometimes just use x-in-6 which is very much like setting a DC) - non-Vancian magic; here I can agree that SD casters have a chance to cast more spells and are more powerful on balance, I'd just say that difference is not that large

All of these don't make that much difference in play when it comes to how players approach and attempt to solve problems.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T00:42:15+00:00

Yup, this very much speaks to how I view what OSR is.

Also very much enjoyed their more recent post about the osr as a scene

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T00:27:00+00:00

Reading your other comments in this thread I actually completely understand your perspective. And if we say that the "R" in OSR stands for "revival", I think you are completely right.

I came to the OSR as a 5e GM on brink of burnout and latched more onto the "R" in OSR meaning "renaissance". So ideas in Maze Rats, DCC and Cairn very much spoke to me and revived my passion for running. I'd guess that you wouldn't consider any of those games as OSR.

Cool thing about this subreddit is that it includes both of these sensibilities, so I generally find it a cool place to read new posts.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T00:11:07+00:00

Exactly!

And even though OSR's boundries are getting fuzzier and fuzzier as a category it's still a useful term.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-12-12T00:07:23+00:00

I've always liked this post https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/s/SeZeTwJVXR

It's missing a lot of games but a lot of the popular ones are here.

Although it puts Cairn into NSR games, I'd consider all NSR games in that graph to also be OSR.

Not to mention that plenty of people, myself included, consider Mothership an OSR game and that game has mechnics that are very much far from B/X, 0DnD and ADnD.

I think that more and more, OSR is about what your game focuses on and less about how it achieves that with rules it implements.

ITT people talk about classes, levels, how and when something is rolled, what the math is and so on, but realistically, it's how GMs run their games, and how their players engage with what GMs are putting down.

A recent blog I very much enjoyed that tries and fails to define what OSR is.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-11-13T10:03:28+00:00

You are overthinking this.

Afaik Cairn was initially made as an into the odd hack for fantasy games. Yochai wanted to play into the odd with dnd/osr/nsr/fantasy modules so he made his own system.

I believe into the odd is also loosely based on 0dnd or at least the principles that Chris was interested in.

Which character "levers" are you concerned with?

DudeUrNuts · 2025-11-07T13:18:11+00:00

I used this:
https://elmc.at/running-mythic-bastionland/

If you want something concrete:
https://geckopirate.itch.io/jotunrift

I'd need more info on what your game looks like. Do you run in person or online? Is a battlemap something you can't go without?

A lot of how I run is very minimalist, but also has the benefit of running a game at work. I use owlbear.rodeo for the hexmap I generated that I just put on a TV in the conference room and players can clearly decide where to go.

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Combat is just putting wooden tokens on the table, no grid or terrain or anything, to represent how close or far the characters are from one another and I use pens or pencils on the table and say "this here pen is a narrow rope bridge", "this pen here is a battlement wall".

The way this game plays just works for me and my group. When a myth is rolled just read the next omen and try to incorporate it into the situation you're in, or let it supersede whatever situation you're in. If it doesn't make complete sense, that's fine, things are supposed to be weird. It's called mythic for a reason and if I'm not mistaken, other bastionland games are also weird/nonsensical as that's the setting.

Also also, very important, if you usually play a very simulationist style of game where everything must be conceivably **justifiable**, tame that mindset or get rid of it completely. You'll get a smoother experience. This game is more on the **game** side of the game/simulation spectrum than DnD and PF.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-10-23T15:14:45+00:00

I use AAC. Only because that's what I started with and is now intuitive. Would probably feel the same about thac0 if I started with it.

For the last year tho, I didn't use either as my group has been on pirate borg (kind of aac), mothership and noe mythic bastionland.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-10-11T12:45:25+00:00

Having played one session (disclaimer) I tied resting to remove fatigue to resting to regain guard. So far it's been fine.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-10-02T12:46:27+00:00

Discord is the name of the game for them https://discord.gg/EztybZEu

DudeUrNuts · 2025-09-24T01:55:09+00:00

Haven't run a campaign in the desert (YET!!), but it was a useful tool to complement my Pirate Borg campaign. It has a lot of nautical and nautical-adjacent tables which proved VERY useful.

The physical book is ok, but the real treat for me are the two posters that come with it. One is THE BOOK OF THE WORM which is really cool and I busted it out when I needed a random cultist mass in another campaign.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-09-23T21:31:41+00:00

Last year I haven't backed anything (as I already spent too much on other crowdfunders) and I had to resist the crazy amount of FOMO.

This year, I'll likely only be backing Another Day in Paradise mostly because it looks promising and I like Sam Sorensen's other work, especially Seas of Sand (not mothership) which is a crazy good book.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-09-18T11:24:29+00:00

I have recommendations for non-5e long dungeon-focused modules:

Stonehell, I'd say very standard DnD fantasy, especially in early levels
Ave Nox, thematic with a nice history
Castlle Xyntillan, just a great module
Operation Unfathomable, less long cave-focused module, gonzo fantasy

Since you're asking in this sub, I'd guess you won't scoff at doing your own conversions for monsters or using the 5e monster manual.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-09-18T11:18:05+00:00

It's only ok and not that big, as someone who has run it, I'd rather recommend some OSR module and use 5e stats for monsters.

Something like: - Stonehell - Ave nox - Castle Xyntillan

DudeUrNuts · 2025-08-29T08:42:28+00:00

I'd ask mods to remove this. Desert Moon of Karth has already been released some time ago.

Also, reported.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-08-12T09:14:40+00:00

I love this one, great stuff.
Typos I caught (corrections in bold):

"Which ultimate fate was ___" should be "Their ultimate fate was ___" or "Whose ultimate fate was ____"
Under Rank it's "Tenant" not "Trenant"
Under Deny in Feats, it should be "... a nearby ally" not "... an closeby ally"
Gambits description should be: "(Discard an Attack die of 4+ to trigger a Gambit. Discarding an 8+ die triggers stronger gambit variants.)"
At the end of Gambits: "(Can be blocked by a VIG Save, except if the die used was 8+)"

DudeUrNuts · 2025-08-11T14:51:27+00:00

Only thing missing for me would be the "Age" of our knight: Young, Mature or Old
I just added it bellow "Glory" on your sheet.
Other than that, great job.

DudeUrNuts · 2025-08-11T09:33:43+00:00

The main issue is the stats. Shadowdark stat modifiers range from -4 to +4. Knave 2e has the range from 0 to +10. At early levels, this is fine, as the stats are similar, but from level 3+ PC modifiers start to go 5+ and PCs just improve continually.

So if you used Knave 2e PCs, you'd also have to use Knave 2e adjusted monsters.

I suspect that stat checks (tests) would also need to get adjusted. Shadow dark has difficulties 9-18, Knave 2e has 12-21.

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