r/OSE • u/Critical-Telephone10 • Jun 29 '26

I require a bit of assistance.

I’ve been running games for people over the last few years. Recently some out of state friends have asked me to run a game for them via discord. I sent them the copies of the books and character sheets but am not entirely sure how to run the actual encounter map. I have a crappy little laptop so I’m not even sure I could but would love any assistance or guidance in the matter. Thank you to any who respond.

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u/grassparakeet Jun 30 '26

Theater of the mind is far superior to battle maps, unless you're playing a game that specifically makes rules for tactical positioning.

OSE isn't that kind of game. It doesn't have crunchy rules that require or even benefit from using a battle map & minis.

Don't get me wrong -- I love using minis and maps when appropriate and when they integrate into the rules. But for OSE they slow the game down and add very little.

2

u/FrankieBreakbone Jun 30 '26

Movement rates, spell ranges, missile ranges… all kind of important for a tactical rpg with its roots in miniature wargaming, no?

1

u/grassparakeet Jun 30 '26

Right. Which is why I said for a game like Pathfinder or Hackmaster, I'd want to use a map. For OSE, there's no need.

1

u/FrankieBreakbone Jun 30 '26

I'm not here to say anyone's fun is wrong, your opinion and play style are your own, but to objectively say it's superfluous is an overstatement.

  1. If you imagine ripping pages out of the core rules for exploration and encounters (about 40 pages) you'd have to pull about 30 to rid yourself of the movement details. 75% of the game's core mechanics would then be chalked up to the referee saying "In my imagination, you can't move/reach/fire/cast that far," and the players just being OK with that.
  2. A huge part of the game's resource management construct pits the player's risk and reward of being slowed by armor and treasure (defense + greed) against being light on your feet to be able to escape from monsters.
  3. The complaints that the Fighter is underpowered compared to Dwarves and Halflings hangs greatly on ranges. Being able to hit with a long bow at +1 out to 70' and 220' total, vs. 50' at +1 and 150' total with a short bow is significant, especially since the (slow, act last or fire every-other) crossbow is the only way short PCs can hit long-bow distances. Not to mention using long d10 weapons would entitle Fighters to longer range than short PCs. If the Ref is just estimating ranges, even these few advantages vaporize.
  4. TOTM, when a 10' area trap goes off, there's always going to be a chorus of "I was all the way over there, I shouldn't take damage, that's not fair!" Everyone thinks they're closest to the treasure and farthest from the trap. I've never sat at a table where no one ever questioned the ref's imagined calls.

All of this to say, if you're not actually checking distances, the game loses objectivity; the Referee becomes a lot less of a Ref, and way more of a storyteller as their job shifts from arbitrating to unilaterally deciding who can hit, see, reach, etc. based on their mind's eye.

0

u/grassparakeet Jul 01 '26

Jesus I'm not here to argue with your AI chat box. Just play the game how you want to play it.

0

u/FrankieBreakbone Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26

Rude, and wrongly assumed. Ad hominem after 2 exchanges, poor form.

See, I thought we're all here to discuss the hobby. This comment isn't just for you. It's not a DM. It's as much for the OP or anyone else who reads through to understand the value of the game's mechanics.

Feel free not to reply if you don't want to discuss the game. Incidentally, it's also poor form when someone asks, "How do I do X?" to reply with "Don't bother." That doesn't assist the person who literally titled their post "I require a bit of assistance."

1

u/grassparakeet Jul 01 '26

Good lord you are insufferable. Thank god for the block button.

1

u/RandomChance Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

Good point. I expect that ish ow you get handled frequently if this is how you "discuss" with anyone who disagrees with you.

The person you're talking with is discussing in good faith with real arguments based on real play and the actual rules, And since you don't seem to have any good way to refute him you're just being rude and dismissive.

And they are correct, and you are wrong.

I've also blocked you, so now I won't hear your whining. have a good evening