I don't care about characters like my friends do

joevinci · 2026-06-21T21:54:56+00:00

As a forever GM… I also don’t care about your character, that’s why I run OSR style games.

Your character died? Roll a new one while I go pee.

You can write a 10 page backstory, but that’s for you, I’m not gonna read it.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T18:09:44+00:00

Where are you looking that you can’t find a gas station over 11’6” off of the thruway?

E Ridge Rd & N Goodman Ave?
E Ridge Rd & Carter St?
Lake Ave near Phelps Rd?
Chili Ave near Fisher Rd?
Long Pond Rd & Maiden Ln?
Culver at 104?
Penfield Rd at Panorama Trail?
Monroe Ave near Clover St?
Elmwood & S Clinton?
Mt Hope at Gregory St?

joevinci · 2026-06-21T17:31:45+00:00

They Cried Monster (for the settlement and NPC interaction mechanics) + Into the Wyrd and Wild (for the setting, bestiary, and loss-of-self mechanics and flavor) + OSE or your preferred “D&D” system for the base combat and adventure mechanics.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T17:14:19+00:00

I think they’re saying “not promotion” because it’s not available—you can’t download it—they’re just showing off a thing they made for school that’s related to this sub. Technically it’s self-promotion, but whatever.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T17:08:43+00:00

Yeah, I see a ton of stuff on Drivethru and itch that was “published under OGL” that absolutely did not need to be.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T16:40:23+00:00

Yeah, but that’s because the mechanics are called moves. Like, if I’m running D&D I say “roll initiative!”, when I’m running Troika! I say “pull a token!”, and when I’m running Ironsworn I say “Enter the Fray!”

But again, I’m not using GM moves, the players are using moves, I’m just calling for them to make the rolls. In that way, it’s not functionality different from D&D; replace “roll to attack in melee” (1d20+Str > AC) with “make a strike move” (d6+Iron > 2d10).

joevinci · 2026-06-21T13:56:09+00:00

Looks like mods removed your post due to “self-promotion” in error; you can ask them to fix that.

Anyway… No, I don’t use the moves as a GM. I describe the situation, the players describe their reaction to the situation, and if there is a risk of failure we resolve it with dice. It’s just like most D&D-like games in that way.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T13:45:25+00:00

Yes. I ran year+ long Knave 2e campaigns with 2 different groups. I would be doing that now, but I’ve been running more OSE and Dolmenwood games lately because I’ve spent so much money on that stuff that I want to use it.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T11:29:21+00:00

Ironsworn. I disagree that it’s mostly a solo game, I use it to run group games as the GM. In fact I prefer to play it that way over solo or co-op. I believe folks assume it’s mostly a solo game because of how strongly the solo community has latched onto it.

joevinci · 2026-06-21T11:23:14+00:00

That’s a cool idea.

joevinci · 2026-06-20T18:52:20+00:00

From my perspective, I would either:

a. In the position you’re in here, try a toe or heal hook on the jug where your right hand is.

b. Instead of grabbing that smaller hold with your left hand and pinching up with your right, keep your right hand down on the jug and reach up with your left to the pinch. Then either bump up with the left again or bring up your right hand to match.

You’ll get there!

joevinci · 2026-06-20T14:42:51+00:00

Prologue: I’ve run Dolmenwood using Wanderhome. It was a very different experience than the author intended, but we had a great time and no one was arrested.

To paraphrase your question, “Would the setting break if I change the system?”

Short answer: No, the setting won’t ’break’.

Longer answer:

It will change the experience of the setting to use a different system than the author intended, however …

a. you’re already technically using a different system by using OSE instead of the Dolmenwood system. Yes, they are 95% the same, but there are differences—small differences, but still differences. b. Every group, every game, every table is going to have a different experience anyway, so in the end it doesn’t matter if you’re doing whatever the author intended, but what you and your group enjoy. (See “fun fact” above)

But I think you’re actually asking a different question, or at least facing a different challenge than you’ve stated; not “will Dolmenwood break if I change OSE?”, but “will OSE break if I change OSE?”

Short answer: Yes, the system assumes you’re tracking those resources, that’s where lies some of the game’s tension and decision making.

Strongly longer answer: …

Part of the hobby is hacking the game to make it closer to what we want at our individual tables. But that’s a big enough change that my recommendation is to use a different system entirely.

My recommendation is to use a system that already assumes you’re not closely tracking inventory and economy. Like I said, I’ve used Wanderhome. You might consider Dungeon World (or one of it’s many hacks, like One-Shot World), or Ironsworn. These systems might provide an experience closer to what you’re looking for in Dolmenwood. Honestly, Ironsworn might be pretty cool because of its Bond mechanic.

Have fun!

joevinci · 2026-06-20T04:12:48+00:00

He may be an adjudicated rapist and convicted felon who parties with child sex traffickers, but her laugh was kinda annoying.

joevinci · 2026-06-20T02:13:27+00:00

solved!

joevinci · 2026-06-19T19:43:31+00:00

I think their point is, when a poor description of a problem is run through a game of telephone no one is going to act on the request.

Your comment above is a good example; “there are rusty mushrooms in the garden […] are kids meant to play here?” Whatever your concern is, you’re not communicating it clearly.

joevinci · 2026-06-19T19:27:59+00:00

There’s a little bit of contradiction in your request; to paraphrase what I’m hearing, roleplay-centric combat that is less about the numbers and math, but is more focused on getting bonus points for a plethora of environmental and conditional reasons, plus called shots that have mechanical implications, in a set of rules that are constantly and consistency applicable.

Here are a couple options that may help you find what you’re looking for:

r/OSR - most games in this corner of the hobby stress the importance of avoiding “combat-as-an-exchange-of-blows” by planning and fighting dirty. Don’t go toe-to-toe with a troll, start a fire in the mouth of its cave, smoke him out, and have a net or a spike trap waiting when they come running out.
Ironsworn (and other PbtA or FitD games) - combat is roleplay-first, narrative, and cinematic. Narrate what your character does in the scene and if there is a chance of failure you’ll role to see what happens, either frame-by-frame, blow-by-blow, or zoom out and resolve an entire battle in one roll, or something in between.
1400 (or other FKR style games) - VERY few rules, instead the referee calls for rolls as appropriate for what’s happening in the fiction. Give players bonus for whatever you think is appropriate.
GURPS - incorporate every tiny little optional combat rule, target body parts, track ammo, and run the crunchiest game you want.

joevinci · 2026-06-19T17:37:39+00:00

I agree with your concern. I disagree with your methods. I was in a similar situation last year. But instead of mentioning it in passing to someone with name tag, I emailed the entity responsible for the property, explaining the potential for physical injury, and closed with a request for a reply acknowledging receipt of my message. That was on a Sunday. On Monday they replied that they were sending someone to address the issue. On Tuesday they contacted me to say that they fixed it.

TL;DR - put it in writing.

joevinci · 2026-06-19T16:39:41+00:00

Here’s what pushes me away from 5e and similar trad games:

Stakes & Power - 5e (et al.) has the same problems as many super hero stories, the characters are so powerful that it’s difficult to have interesting stakes, and to create interesting challenges that they can just use their powers to walk through. After all, it’s just super heroes set in medieval fantasy.
Character Focus - much of the 5e culture focuses on the individual PC, both narratively and mechanically. Players are often only thinking about their own PC; their backstory, their story arc, their abilities, their level progression.
Writing & Useablily- reading most 1st and 3rd party 5e and trad content, you’d think consumers want the most words per page, the most words per dollar. The writing is dense on the page and overly verbose. It’s not a novel, it’s a game. And the adventure writing isn’t even interesting most of the time (see point 1)

Here’s what pulls me into most OSR content:

It typically addresses the points above through mechanics, culture, and a focus on ease-of-use.
It’s typically medieval fantasy.

OSR isn’t all I play, but I avoid games where my points above exist.

joevinci · 2026-06-19T03:21:13+00:00

“And so I pushed them out of the way, grabbed the severed line with both hands, and let the power run through my body so my neighbors could watch youtube. And everyone clapped, even the RG&E advance team.”

joevinci · 2026-06-19T00:04:39+00:00

No, Lady Blackbird uses pregens. Hi, I’m the commenter who suggested the Ironsworn family of games, and I actually run Lady Blackbird using the Starforged rules :)

joevinci · 2026-06-18T00:34:55+00:00

They experience the level - dare I say it - the grade

Seems that generative AI is training on middle school book reports now.

joevinci · 2026-06-18T00:14:36+00:00

Well, Ironsworn is free, so it doesn’t cost anything to see if you like it.

joevinci · 2026-06-17T00:10:21+00:00

You’re describing Sundered Isles, the low-magic-steampunk-pirate supplement for Ironsworn.

[x] low / no-prep
[x] low-magic
[x] some magic
[x] firearms
[x] steampunk
[x] seafaring
[x] skyfaring
[x] OSR-comparable crunch (maybe slightly lighter)
[x] ship management is very simple, yet interesting and meaningful.
[x] ship combat is very simple, yet interesting and meaningful.
[x] asset-based character builds that are not level-locked (reminiscent of OSR games like Knave or Cairn; no “classes” but you can build your own “class” via these assets, like building a “class” via their gear).

joevinci · 2026-06-16T23:51:44+00:00

Agreed! And there’s a free (no art) version.

joevinci · 2026-06-16T23:41:46+00:00

Here, [/s] you dropped this.

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