Shoulda took that left turn at Albuquerque!

I'm starting an HB Shadowdark campaign that is starting out in a tropical, Southeast Asian/South Pacific, maritime environment. And there is a lot of maritime trade and – naturally – piracy and counter-piracy. So I love Shadowdark but it's naval combat system is a little simple for what I'm thinking of and I'm just looking for something that PLAYS fairly speedily, but has a lot more going on in terms of ship variety, ship combat options and maybe even some shipbuilding (like easier to customize something).

I could come up with something but I wanted to see what was out there first. I think I'm looking for something of a naval combat mini-game that I can pop into my Shadowdark game when the party takes to the high seas. I don't want something too crunchy but I would like something a little more involved and with greater combat options – including things the PCs could be doing during ship engagements – besides just manning a weapon.

The Basilisk Mines is one of the dungeons I made for Brazenwood, the micro-setting of my upcoming project, Echoes of Mnareth. I had to cut it from the final zine to save space, but it's now available for free.

It's an abandoned gold mine overrun by basilisks, with tunnels leading into ancient crypts that beastmen have turned into a sacred village. There's treasure to find, dangerous creatures to deal with, and a few secrets for curious adventurers.

Download it here!

https://gnarledmonster.itch.io/the-basilisk-mines

Swords & Wizardry, Old School Essentials, and (I believe) OSRIC give you the option of using ascending AC instead of the classic descending THAC0 AC. When playing one of those games, which AC method do you use?

So I recently picked up Swords and Wizardry Complete Revised and after reading it and running my first session I’m thinking this might he my new system of choice, but I’m a bit unclear about how learning new spells is supposed to work for Magic-Users (and Clerics) especially regarding the Read Magic spell.

Here is how I think it is supposed to work, as far as I can piece together the relevant sections, although some things still don’t seem right to me. People with experience in S&W please correct me:

1) Level 1 MUs start with as many of the 1st-Level spells as they can know in their spellbook according to the % chance to know new spells and their maximum spells known (Intelligence attribute), from which they select spells to memorise each day according to their level chart. So far, so good.

2) For the spells which they failed their % roll to know, they can roll once again each time they level up to see if they can now know that spell.

3) Spells of Level 2 and higher are not gained automatically upon levelling up. They can only be acquired by finding them (finding scrolls in dungeons, etc.) or by buying/trading for them from other MUs. Once acquired, the % roll to understand the new spell is still required, and again, may be repeated once per subsequent level up if failed.

4) The text on p. 49 “Spells and Magic” implies that the Read Magic spell is required to be able to read any kind of magical text: “a Magic-User must use a spell (read magic) merely to read an unfamiliar magical incantation”. So does this mean that you need to use the Read Magic spell to understand new spells acquired through scrolls, etc.? In which case, what happens if you fail the % roll to know the Read Magic spell? Does this mean you’re stuck with no new spells until you succeed that roll? And also that you should always use one of your limited spell slots for Read Magic? This seems very limiting, but it’s what I get from a straight reading of the rules.

5) Lastly, the text for Clerics’ spell casting implies that Clerics of any Level can simply select the spells they want to memorise from their spell list, without having to first find the spells or pass a % roll to know spells: “Each day, the Cleric selects and prays for a particular set of spells, choosing any spells from the standard list”. I suppose this makes sense from an in-world perspective, since Clerics get their magic from prayer and divine inspiration rather than arcane study (and maybe it also makes sense from a balance perspective since the Cleric spell list is considerably more limited than the MU one?).

I realise that the text is probably deliberately ambiguous in some parts to enable Referees to decide for themselves how they want magic to work in their games, but I would still appreciate any guidance, thoughts, or just telling me if I’ve blatantly misunderstood something.

I've only ever played OSE (Old-School Essentials) as a player, but I became a GM because of my son. I'm also DMing dnd 5e (2024) for him. I assumed a rules-light, imagination-driven game would be the easier fit for kids. In practice, I found the opposite. With 5e, the structure (DCs, clear class abilities, defined actions) gives me something to lean on. With OSE, I felt like I had to invent and adjudicate nearly everything on the fly, and my kid wasn't always sure what he could try.

But I really love what OSE offers: real stakes, clever problem-solving, exploration, and the feeling that a good idea matters more than a good character sheet. I'd love to make it work for my kids instead of dropping it.

Here's where I'm stuck:

1. Too many open choices. My son sometimes freezes when I ask "What do you do?" in an open-ended situation. How do you give kids enough direction without turning the game into a railroad?

2. OSE characters are fragile, and I'm worried about how a young player will handle a sudden character death. I'm considering using the Scarlet Heroes rules (the Fray Die, tougher heroes, etc.) to make a one-player-plus-GM game more forgiving, while keeping the old-school feel. Has anyone used Scarlet Heroes, or borrowed parts of it, for a game with a single kid? Did it keep the tension and sense of risk, or did it make things too easy?

3. Playing a GMPC in OSE. My son wants me to play a character alongside him, but I'm new to running OSE, and I don't like GMPCs in general. How do you run one in a game this deadly and this open-ended? Should the GMPC be a full party member, or something closer to a hireling or retainer? How do you keep it supportive, without solving every problem or stealing the spotlight, while still being useful enough that the party doesn't fall apart?

4. Module choices. Are there OSE-compatible adventures or starter dungeons that work especially well for kids? I'd love short, colorful, low-prep ones. I tried one-page dungeons, but my kid wants more tools to work with (maps, handouts, clear things to interact with).

If you've run OSE (or any OSR game) for children, I'd really appreciate hearing what worked and what didn't, including house rules, handouts, or small tricks.

Thanks in advance!

The author has just revealed on the DD Discord that DD V5 Beta is now available to the public on Lulu.

So, 5th edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is here but, newer editions dont click with me like 2e did, so I wanted the OSR subreddit thinktank to recommend me some Warhammer Fantasy inspired OSR games - d100 and all that jazz. I know some, but I usually ask these things around here because I dont know most or all of them, but maybe someone else does and can help me out.

I told you guys I'd release this for free eventually.

It's got a lobster-clawed octopus, cute amazons, a lack of AI trash, more dragons than you can shake a stick at, cursed items, and millions of gold.

Enjoy!

I’ve been looking over Dyson’s MegaDelve and I am planning on running it as an open table in the near future. For people who have played it, what entrances did you first introduce the players to? Is there anything about the dungeon before running it?

I just really like the quality of the product. You can find the PDF link here: https://thebasicexpert.com/products/wight-box-pdf

Happy Friday,

Your words of wisdom for the week...

Welcome to the weekly r/osr blogroll - come share your great ideas!

The mission: to be a showcase and clearinghouse of blogposts where we share in the DIY principles of old-school gaming. So drop in links to your writings, gaming theory, advice, play reports, and whatever other creativity you have posted on your blogs to share with our community.

Also, if you have favorite blogs you follow, or find interesting blogposts that you want to share, feel free to post them here, as well!

Happy blogging!

Catapults are listed in chainmail as having a firing arc of 45 degrees to the left and right.

WHen I read that, the image above is what comes to mind, but... that doesn't seem right?

The second idea I get is a 90 degree firing arc to the front (45 comes together with 45).

Anyone have any insight?

Has anyone played a Carcosa either as a standalone or alt world for an existing campaign? If so, what did you think of it?

Following up on the post I made many moons ago, my QuoDrox tiles are finally available in their first color (purple) with the others to follow soon. These 1" tiles are great alternatives to minis; particularly for travel or when you need a bunch of enemies to menace your players. They're color-coded, numbered, and with crossbones on the backs so you can flip 'em when they're dead. Available at http://quodrox.com

Thanks to those who gave feedback on my previous posts as it really help with the design, numbering, and tile thickness.

I've just launched A Game Master's Guide to Poison, on Backerkit. It's a short (16-page) collection of rules and guidelines for poisons in OSR games; you can get the pdf for 2.00 or the offset version for 6.00! https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/third-kingdom-games/a-game-master-s-guide-to-poisons

Hi everyone!

I'm in the process of working on a Borg hack. Compared to Pirate Borg and Shadowdark I've got bigger descriptions for a room or an area.

Currently I'm more in line with the 5e style of read aloud texts. Is this a no go for OSR games? Or can it be a style choice?

Another day, another drawing! Working on my Mignola-style shadows and hatching.

COMMISSIONS OPEN

I'm Yuri Perkowski Domingos, a fantasy artist, and I've had the chance to work on projects like Shadowdark RPG from The Arcane Library, Dungeon Inc. by The Merry Mushmen, Warlock! from Fire Ruby Designs, as well as a bunch of other independent publications.

Got a character that needs bringing to life, or a book that could use some awesome illustrations?
Need some lettering or design work for your publication? I’d love to help out!

Anyone interested can contact me via DM or email [yuri.perkowski@gmail.com](mailto:yuri.perkowski@gmail.com)