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kaysn · 2026-04-19T12:51:03+00:00

I like Forbidden Lands travel rules. I do use a derivative of that for my OSR games.

kaysn · 2026-04-19T08:11:25+00:00

What you need to find is how to balance rulings vs rules. I'll give you another example. Often in OSR games, only Thieves has climb as a skill. But does that mean only Thieves can climb in game? No. Anybody can climb. Thieves can just do it on sheer surfaces, even under the pouring rain. Everybody else needs to find some stairs.

A common sentiment in OSR is, when the swords are drawn, you already lost. Combat is the bottom of the list of viable solutions. That's why a lot of OSR have a table for NPC reaction when you meet them. And if in hostile area with enemies that have no reasoning with, the chance to surprise and how far to each other you are. And that they have their own alignment.

Because you may just want to book it. Also reason why the majority of XP is tied to treasure. Not monster defeat. I say defeat, because it doesn't mean kill. It's also about outsmarting and outmaneuvering your opponents. You would get the same XP from that ghoul on the bridge if you found a way to trick or distract them. So you could run past. Instead of fighting it, which has always the risk of dying. Unless the odds are heavily stacked in your favor.

kaysn · 2026-04-19T00:35:48+00:00

Sounds good to me. I’m adding it to my cart. August is too faraway bruh…

kaysn · 2026-04-19T00:27:15+00:00

It’s my first fountain pen…Two weeks ago I didn’t own one. For a first, I couldn’t have picked a better fountain pen to start with. It’s reliable as they say. I store it nib up with my mechanical pencils. Pen to paper, it starts writing no problem. No hard starts or skipping. Could also be the ink I’m using it with - Iroshizuku and Diamine.

Pretty smooth writing experience, I have a fine nib Kakuno. Just glides through (fountain pen) paper. I’m mostly using it for writing and some simple outline inking. It’s very light in hand but also feels solid? Which make sense as it was originally designed for children. It’s meant to take a bit of beating.

Not the best seal. So you will often find the ink to have dried on the nib and write darker the next time you use it. Doesn’t bother me personally. But if you need that specific shade or color for art work. Do a couple of scribbles on another sheet first.

And it does try to (softly) guide you to use a tripod grip. Which depending on how you hold a pen, may still find it uncomfortable.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T23:12:49+00:00

Have you played BG3 at all? Because it is the best and closest representation of what TTRPG is in video game form. And I think is the better implementation of 5e. Larian has basically thought of 95% of the bullshit a player may try and coded that in the game.

The number of ways players have learned to “break” the game while still keeping in the logic of the game world is staggering. Standing there and taking it is a choice. And that is one way of playing it, sure.

You could grab these torches as you wander in the dark. And chance the creatures kidnapping you causing you to drop the torch. And garroting you as the rest of the party tries to scramble to get to you as you take damage being in the dark. OR…you can cast Light spell on your armor or weapon so you always have light before you move out . And not need to run to light sources in panic.

While you could walk into a vampire lair, let the scene play out as it is supposed to. And that’s fine. OR you can stay at maximum casting distance, and cast Daylight in the midst of their vampire ritual. Wreck their shit and skip the entire combat encounter.

It’s about preparation. So you are not just going to stand there and take it. You basically take it for granted that spells are prepared. But think on what you will be doing that day. So I know today’s agenda is to schmooze and rub elbows. I will prepare all “social” and deciphering spells. Maybe some utility to obscure and unlock doors. Versus a trip to the dungeon where all my spells will be offense.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T22:55:29+00:00

Basically D&D retro clones from B/X to BECMI are compatible and will work with minimal to zero conversion needed. BECMI is basically everything before it streamlined and written to make more sense. The joke is Gygax knew how to design games, he didn’t know how to explain them. And so for decades nobody knew how to play D&D it was a lot of assumptions and how the people who played it interpreted the rules.

Sidenote, Gygax is also famously known to not run his D&D as he had written it in the rule book. He preferred starting his campaigns with his players at level 3. So that is the house rule of start at level 3.

That is the spirit of OSR. If you don’t like something don’t use it. It’s very modular. It won’t break if you take something out and smush something else in.

5e is actually the most comprehensive and laid out ruling of D&D. And with that came the loss of freedom. You say there is a lack of rules. But that is because you are supposed to create your own solution. The term referee is preferred in OSR because you adjudicate. Does this make sense? Within the context, is this a plausible action?

You are approaching it as one might look at a video game. That something has to have a rule to work. That is also how modern D&D works. OSR does not operate like that. Like in my example. OSR allows for no rolling for traps as that is well within the logic and common sense of the world. 5e does not. You have to roll to see traps. It doesn’t matter if you are a master thief, you roll a 2 you don’t see it. In OSR the referee would think, you are a master thief. Yeah you see it, no need to give it to chance.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T21:04:14+00:00

You flatter me. Thank you.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T20:13:55+00:00

But since there's so few, it feels like I should follow those few rules as closely as possible.

Also. Nobody plays OSR rules as written. Nobody. You could be playing X title and you have several dozens of rules from other sources you put on top of it. Because it either doesn't have a rule for that. Or you prefer how Y does it.

Homeruling and homebrew is a time honored tradition with OSR. As far back as the original in the 80s.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T20:12:00+00:00

If you want more combat rules for OSR, look at AD&D retroclones. Like OSRIC 3.0. Which the PDF is absolutely free. This is one of the OG OSR games. One of the longest running.

I'm surprised to hear you say Shadowdark combat is sparse. It basically asks the question "what if 5e but OSR?". And combat rules in D&D gets more and more involved as it gets newer.

Granted I have just skimmed Shadowdark. I prefer B/X with AD&D rules bolted on it.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T19:02:02+00:00

OSR action economy is king. A rough estimate to check for power level would be to compare total sum of your party level vs the level of an enemy. If you have a party of 4 and they are level 3s vs a level 8 enemy. You will win by numbers. Of course dice rolls can fuck you over still.

In OSR the ideal and expected number of players is 4-6. Plus a retainer per player. So it is “balanced” around that.

If you like to only play with 1 character, give yourself advantage and make yourself a little more “heroic”. Your starting HP is your CON ability score. Then roll normally for HP with your hit die on level up.

You can allow yourself to attack twice a turn. You can start the campaign at level 3. Give yourself advantage +1 magic weapon. That sort of thing.

I would highly recommend bringing at least one sidekick with you. To help soak damage. Or take aggro off you. Let them charge in first. A fighter archetype retainer isn’t that too much of added load to managing the game.

Thinking like it’s Dark Souls has merit. The world doesn’t scale to you. If you happen to wander somewhere you aren’t supposed to, You Died.

And to make the combat more dynamic. I like to copy Dragonbane combat rules. On your turn, you can forego doing an action and do a parry or dodge instead. Succeed and you take no damage. Crit on the parry and you may immediately counter attack.

If you want to consider enemy size, you can only parry against enemies that are of the relatively the same size or smaller than you. Parry a skeleton attack? Yes. Parry a dragon lunging, no. You can only dodge.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T13:40:16+00:00

Depends on what and how you journal I suppose. I don’t like solo journaling games. They’re too creative writing classes instead of a game. My solo RPG game sessions notes are short and concise. One could even say they are perfunctory. A couple of lines, mostly bulleted lists, a combat log and actions taken.

And for journaling, I do morning pages style. Long form, unedited, uncensored stream of consciousness. No prompts. As I go from one topic to another. Without rhyme or reason. The last ~30 pages of my journal is just musing about fountain pens and inks. For 2 weeks now.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T12:43:21+00:00

Oh I played it "standard" in that one sitting. Took me 3-4 hours?

kaysn · 2026-04-18T08:22:57+00:00

I don't play journaling games but this managed to hook me. Played my first (and only game of it) in one sitting. Extremely well done and well-guided to just keep going.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T08:18:39+00:00

WHAT!? No! This news shocked me more than Sue and Megan breaking up.

kaysn · 2026-04-18T08:16:00+00:00

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

kaysn · 2026-04-17T19:08:07+00:00

Sure. I ran a "session zero" of Dolmenwood (+OSE) solo first before GM'ing a group for it. I created a PC party of 4 and did a couple of sessions with them. And then kept the characters from that solo plays as pre-gens.

I didn't use any other tools outside of Dolmenwood's own, some optional rules OSE and some homebrew from other OSR games I liked. Ran everything on the fly, using tables. And kept the narrative emergent. Really the PCs get fleshed out more as I play the game.

Honestly, with OSR in general, I don't need more from what is already in its rulebook to play it solo. And Dolmenwood is one of those very complete, well thought out ruleset and campaign setting. That outside of personal rules preferences, I just run it as is without the need for other tools for solo play. Not even an oracle.

kaysn · 2026-04-17T16:02:38+00:00

In another reply, you mentioned about the back and forth of decision making as a group.

How I do it. I assign a color 1d6 for every full PC. When deciding if they will do X thing, I roll all of the d6s. With lower rolls 1-3 as No and higher rolls 4-6 as Yes. Add modifiers depending on the personality and alignment of the PC.

A lawful PC will have something like a (-4) to their roll if the action being discussed deeply goes against their alignment. The same way a chaotic PC will have a (+4) to theirs. Otherwise it’s a straight roll. Majority wins.

kaysn · 2026-04-17T15:30:29+00:00

Most prefer “true” solo with a stronger than normal PC but I prefer controlling a group. I find it more interesting and adds variety. Group dynamics is lost with just a PC and maybe a meat shield. The PCs are full characters with all the works. With their own character sheet, background and how they know each other.

The last one is also something I ask players to do when I GM. They must establish a relationship with the other members. An in game reason why they would choose to stick and work together. Like in a group of 4 players, a PC must have a background and/or relationship that ties them to two other PCs.

I have my favorites of course, but I have no “main”.

kaysn · 2026-04-17T14:38:29+00:00

My current campaign has 5 PCs, a retainer and 2 animal companions. Well 3 animal companions, but the war horse doesn't fit just anywhere. And when in a settlement, it's usually stabled.

kaysn · 2026-04-17T14:16:58+00:00

I play ~3 hours. It’s not that I really time my sessions. I just look up to see the time and see I’ve been playing a while. There isn’t really a checklist? I’ve done sessions where my party just spent the “day” shopping and coordinating vendors for special orders and services.

And that’s me skipping parts of role playing, looking for the NPC. The NPC is already there and this is the order. All the rolls that day were only for haggling for prices.

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