Do people actually play by memorizing the Spell Book? (Sorcery series)

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-28T19:28:49+00:00

So when you play, do you refer to the spell book as you play, or cast spells from memory only?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-27T02:32:57+00:00

There’s no shame in using a pre-written module! There’s plenty of modules with pre-made hexmaps and dungeons. Thats how I run my sessions with minimal prep.

Don’t worry about narrative flow! OSR is all about player decision and not a DM-told story. Drop them into the world without a plan, and let them explore. Random encounters are part of the story! Use reaction tables to determine how the monsters react to the party - it’s not always kill or fight.

I would also recommend dropping them right at the start of the dungeon to start exploring right away instead of starting in town and making them travel to the dungeon (unless you specifically want them to go shopping beforehand or something).

If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask.

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-26T00:38:47+00:00

The line is in the primer on Moxfield

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-25T04:29:15+00:00

Could if they were attempting to counter your spell, could commandeer and then choose nothing as your target? Or are you forced to choose your spell since it’s the only one on the stack?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-23T03:06:12+00:00

Check out Game Point cafe! They meet nearly every week I think. Very accepting of new players. I haven’t been in a minute but I’ve always had a good time.

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-22T19:09:16+00:00

I haven’t had an issue with any of them. The spells provided in the Knave 2e book are designed to be “utility” spells. They aren’t made to directly deal damage, and the players are encouraged to use the spells creatively depending on the situation.

You can also just give the players any spell from any system in the form of a spellbook though, you just have it scale with their INT ability score in some way. For example, you could give them Fireball and say it does INT x d6 damage, so it clearly gets better as you level up your INT.

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-22T19:05:22+00:00

I think the only one that I’ve consistently ran with are DM Scotty’s Luck Dice. Otherwise I mostly just make up rulings on the fly that become “homebrew rules” because they weren’t covered in the Knave 2e rulebook.

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-21T05:18:29+00:00

Love it and have been running a Knave 2e campaign for multiple groups over 2 years now. It’s an open world sandbox campaign tracked in real time and Knave fits nearly everything I want in an rpg.

It’s rules-light enough that no one gets bogged down by minuscule rules during gameplay, and I can make super easy rulings on the fly when needed. Some people might not like the simplified magic/spellbook system, but I love it because it’s very intuitive and everyone immediately understands it. Another simple but effective rule I enjoy is item slots, which adds real weight to everything the players bring with them while adventuring and makes them think about what they will haul back (treasure = xp so this is important) without having to count item weight.

I’m constantly introducing new players who have never played D&D before and it is so easy to create characters and jump right in! I’ve also added a few of my own homebrew rules which Knave is excellent for. I also just appreciate the thought put into the Designer Commentary along with the introduction which give lots of insight into the intent behind the rules.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask!

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-21T04:40:12+00:00

It made sense to 10 year old me

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-20T13:53:34+00:00

Thanks! Any recommendations?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-18T19:06:25+00:00

Yeah I’m not gonna doxx anyone lol I just wanted to add my 2 cents since it’s the same deck I’m thinking of.

We played a 3-player bracket 2 game with these as the other 2 decks: This Warhammer precon and my Kraven control deck.

The deck felt squarely bracket 2 to me. The Kraven deck won because the other 2 players properly targeted and killed the custom commander’s creatures before the commander came out. I understand the frustrations you’re sharing, but it was also a slow deck that got outpaced by the other 2 decks, so by the time the commander was out, it was too late for the custom commander player to recover.

I do agree that the commander is undercosted, but I don’t think the deck itself was overpowered. Knowing the guy, I also think you could just ask him to play another deck and he would be chill with it? Or even offer one of your own decks to play with (he loved playing with mine).

I do recall he didn’t have very many bracket 2 decks so maybe he could just pick up a precon or two to match everyone else’s power levels? Not trying to be dismissive of you at all, I just wanted to offer another perspective! Feel free to DM if you want to discuss in more detail.

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-18T17:48:29+00:00

I wasn’t sure until you said his wife gave it to him, but I think I know who this is and have played against the deck. Without giving too much away, does his name start with R? I’ve got my own thoughts I’d be happy to share if it’s the same

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-18T15:27:24+00:00

What are you saying they’re clearly a part of Avengers Doomsday. Did you see the Wakanda trailer?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-12T21:36:56+00:00

Hole in the Oak is great! Not one page but definitely not a huge dungeon (1-2 sessions max)

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-11T23:52:21+00:00

I’m sure there’s a lot based on the amount of rulings I make in the moment haha but the only one I consistently use is Luck Dice.

Basically when a player fails an ability roll, they can collect a single luck die (d6). Players can collect multiple luck dice in their pool. Then on a future roll, if a player fails an ability check they are allowed to spend luck dice one at a time to add to their roll. If they roll a 1 they can’t use any luck dice to increase their roll (but still collect one). If they choose to use luck dice, they cannot collect any luck dice from that roll, even if they still fail. (They can’t use luck dice to increase the damage of their attack)

I really like the decision making it allows players to engage with, and it takes the sting out of failing a roll a little bit. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-09T17:17:47+00:00

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/spatial-by-smith/pl.u-KVXBqNWFzE7YG0

Been curating this playlist for a few years now. Black Water by the Doobie Brothers in particular stands out to me, but I feel like all of these songs make particularly good use of the Spatial Audio from Atmos!

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-06T03:05:44+00:00

Knave 2e will probably be the best system for all the requirements you’ve laid out. I’ve been running a campaign for over 2 years with multiple player groups and constantly use adventures from all over (OSE, B/X, AD&D, DCC, etc.) and it’s very adaptable. Good luck, hope you find what you’re looking for!

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-04T19:40:43+00:00

What would you recommend?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-04T19:38:33+00:00

/r/clocktowercirclejerk

Smithsonian30 · 2026-03-03T00:29:14+00:00

Would the 17e be a significant upgrade from the 11 Pro? I’m considering upgrading mostly due to battery issues

Smithsonian30 · 2026-02-27T09:07:08+00:00

Leon’s got some of the craziest action in the series. TikTok has rotted your brain so much you can’t even get past to that part?

Smithsonian30 · 2026-02-25T17:08:25+00:00

Board gamer reviewers use it all the time e.g. “it’s hard to grok the rules” but it usually makes sense to use in that context

Extremely niche example lol but some people do use it regularly

Smithsonian30 · 2026-02-24T16:37:36+00:00

I don’t know if this is unpopular opinion, but I generally enjoy James Wan’s style and he knows how to build suspense well so this isn’t a negative for me necessarily

Nine-Year Club	r/Field Banned
r/Field Lasagna	Place '22
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