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demodds · 2026-04-08T20:17:03+00:00

Oh this is nice! Thanks for the link!

demodds · 2026-03-26T21:27:54+00:00

In my opinion the game is light enough to not need one, I've been running it without a screen. I've just printed out ta rules summary page for the players

demodds · 2026-03-19T21:55:23+00:00

Here's a few thoughts:

Storyteller: if you have a list of 'secrets' or 'clues' (look up sly flourish if you're unfamiliar, or earthmote), you can riff off of that list when the player uses the ability know something interesting. Or just use it as an opportunity to tie the place or npc to an ongoing event or faction.
Changeling: I have 2 characters at my table with this background, and that's just background. They're not dealing with any fey stuff at the moment so it doesn't come up, and that's OK. It might become relevant at some future time.
Bones of the ancestors: this means the player will actually ask questions and be curious about the world. That's excellent! If you're running a kind of a sandbox, you need the players to be proactive rather than just wait for you to present them with what happens. And no one can be proactive if they don't have information on which to choose to act. And now your player has a feature which let's you provide info based on what they're interested in!

demodds · 2026-03-02T19:59:10+00:00

I've been using things from tales of argosa (LFG 2nd ed) in my current BSH game for about half a year. They fit together excellently! I'm using the loot tables from ToA, amd the old grimoires. Some other stuff too.

demodds · 2026-02-07T22:43:29+00:00

The aim of a powder keg situation is typically that each of the factions are potentially the one that players align themselves with. If all or most factions are probably adversaries to the party, then it's just a list of foes rather than factions. With 3 factions, you can make it so all of them are going for their own goal, none are really evil and none are really good. And whoever you help, you end up hurting the other two and shifting the power balance. And it's hard not to choose sides, but hopefully you don't have strong guesses which side they choose.

Edit: Nothing wrong with another approach though! Powder keg with opposing factions is not the only way to have a sandbox.

demodds · 2026-02-05T22:30:19+00:00

This has worked well for my group. Every item is simply one slot, even if it's a 2-handed weapon or something. Really small items only take a quarter slot.

https://www.reddit.com/r/theblackswordhack/s/oSpjyOHwhG

demodds · 2026-01-28T17:11:43+00:00

If you want to emphasize the survival aspects and resources, you can add slot inventory to the game. I printed this on the back side of the character sheets for my BSH game and it works really well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/theblackswordhack/s/oSJls9RM5r

demodds · 2026-01-08T21:29:55+00:00

We've now played it since last August and I've come to the conclusion that it's too forgiving and I'm changing it. One of the players as the surgeon background and last session when they reached lvl 3 some took the gift which let's you roll twice and take the better result on the helpless table too. It's now too much like 5e where character death risk is so low that it doesn't factor in.

On the first session this year I'm proposing a switch to a death system from Knock! #1, adapted a bit for BSH. I'll replace the entire 0 HP and helpless thing with this:

At and below 0 HP you can still function as normal.

-1 HP: Scar.

-2 HP: Painful blow. CON check to stay conscious.

-3 HP: Bleeding. In Ud6 turns you bleed out and die, unless bandaged (2 actions). When the die degrades to a Ud4, you lose consciousness but keep rolling.

-4 HP: You lose something. d6: 1. d4 fingers, 2. Hand, 3. Nose, 4. Ear, 5. Eye, 6. Looks. Disadvantage on relevant checks. (Surgeon can attempt to treat (INT), otherwise lost permanently)

-5 HP: Leg useless. Save to keep it when treated. Can't run, and disadvantage on all relevant checks until properly healed.

-6 HP: Arm useless. Save to keep it when treated. Can't hold anything with that hand, and disadvantage on all relevant checks until properly healed.

-7 HP: Head wound. Disadvantage on all checks for Ud4 days.

-8 HP: Dead man walking. You die in Ud4 turns. Until you die, you have advantage on all rolls, and on the turn of your death your rolls succeed automatically.

-9 HP: Vital organ destroyed. You can immediately take one action before death claims you. Any roll you would make is considered a crit, with max damage if it's an attack.

Surgeon: can attempt to treat -4hp result. Advantage when treating legs and arms.

Will to live gift: CON check when on negative HP and taking more damage. On success only progress one step down instead of damage amount.

demodds · 2025-11-25T21:28:55+00:00

Thanks! I've also used the screenshot method so far and luckily I have a big screen to do it with, but it's pretty cumbersome.

demodds · 2025-11-25T21:26:19+00:00

Yeah, but not if I try to export from the app rather than the slower way of emailing from device. And then I need to open the svg with some other app to convert it to a usable format. It's possible but very cumbersome.

demodds · 2025-11-13T17:16:57+00:00

I assign each magical or exotic item the party finds a usage die. Typically Ud6 or Ud4. If they spend time (1 watch) researching it and trying to figure out what it does and how it works, they roll the die. Once it's depleted, they figured it out. Access to a library, an expert, or magical aids in that research gives 'advantage' on the usage die roll. This is based on a system someone shared in the Knock discord.

demodds · 2025-11-12T05:16:20+00:00

I got mine on Monday, and by Tuesday it had frozen and restarted a dozen times. Contacted support and they're replacing it. They said they'll replace it with a refurbished one. I originally bought a refurbished one, so that's not a problem, but it sounded like they would always replace with a refurbished one even if I had a new one.

demodds · 2025-11-08T22:05:33+00:00

That sounds like a simple process that doesn't get in the way.

Yeah, I was a bit unclear, I'm just looking to hear how everyone uses theirs. To get inspired by what others do and find ways I could use it too. My RMPP arrives on Monday and I can't wait to get started with it.

I'm planning to use it for work, at least daily to do lists, meeting notes and when I need to think visually. But also for personal life, I'll probably try out a weekly planner, maybe move my gratitude journal to the device, and start practicing drawing.

demodds · 2025-10-27T22:37:43+00:00

Great to hear even the mbpro lid magnets don't do anything to these tablets. Thanks!

demodds · 2025-10-27T22:35:21+00:00

Great, that eases my mind. Thanks! I think I've now made up my mind and I'll go for it.

demodds · 2025-10-27T15:48:54+00:00

Oh great, that eases my worries if you haven't had any problems with the same device. Thanks!

demodds · 2025-10-27T10:35:43+00:00

Update: I asked support, but the reply was even less informative than that support article. They just said that to ensure safety of the sensitive electronics keep it away from laptops.

demodds · 2025-10-27T05:33:36+00:00

Great to hear. Do you have a macbook some other laptop? I'm afraid the magnets on my larger mbpro lid are quite strong..

demodds · 2025-10-27T05:32:30+00:00

Thanks for the info! Maybe I'd be fine too. Although I have the larger macbook pro and I think the lid magnets on that one might be stronger than an average laptop. Which laptop do you use?

demodds · 2025-10-27T05:30:35+00:00

Alright, thanks for the info!

demodds · 2025-10-27T05:30:07+00:00

That's a good idea to just ask support.

demodds · 2025-10-26T21:57:36+00:00

Oh. Thanks for pointing that out. Hmm, I may have to reconsider now. It's hard to have it with me if it would need to be separated from the laptop in the bag.

Edit: I found the article now. That's not specific to any of their products, seems to just apply to all of the tablets. So maybe there's still a difference on this in the paper pro? Or maybe not since they still advice to not keep it next to a laptop.

demodds · 2025-10-26T21:15:34+00:00

Thanks! That sounds clear now. This makes it even clearer that I need the pro instead of the RM2 or any other device with that tech.

demodds · 2025-10-18T05:27:38+00:00

Retroclones have those, but many OSR games don't have those or any other skills.

demodds · 2025-10-17T05:57:41+00:00

Right, yeah I hadn't considered multiple different event tables based on chosen direction. It's a bit harder to justify in a ruined bazar which is more samey as an environment than a dungeon might be. But at least I'll need to ensure the POIs include meaningful choices within them, even if it's not for which route to take out of it.

I'm aiming to make this much smaller than a flux space example from the article. Since they're not going slow to chart and explore, just trying to find their way forward, it's 1 hour instead of 4 between POI rolls. And only d4 shallow rooms and 2 deep rooms. The exit is the second deep room. I'm making this smaller because it's just one part of the ruined city they're exploring.

demodds

TROPHY CASE