OSR - Sword & Planet Edition

I finally got a proper set of dice for playing DCC. No more dice roller app.

My campaign setting has multiple planets and moons, some of which have life capable of producing either magic, technology, or magitech capable to space travel.

Lurking at the edges of the system, biding their time, is the Mind Flayers and their last starship.

No one has as yet traveled to other planets, but they've met NPCs from one of the moons.

What plans do you have for the Mind Flayers?

Does anyone have the new LotFP playtest? I wonder how the new weapon properties work

The world is a collection of moons orbiting a gas giant, populated by several disfavoured alien humanoids, cast out by the ancient ones. Then a colony ship of humans crashed and scattered lifepods into severa, the cataclysm sending everyone back to the stone age.

Insane ship AIs and alien prophets of the prison moons war for supremacy by posing as gods, influencing the savages/players.

>Basically, the only problem I see is the conversion of HD to Traveller system.

Have you seen a monster or human enemy's stat block in Traveller?

Here's a statblock for a D&D Wolf:

AC: 6 Move: 18'' Hit Dice: 2+2 % in lair: 10% Treasure Type: Nil No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 2-5 Special Attacks: Nil

Here's a dog-sized desert predator in CT:
Type: Killer Weight: 25kg Hits: 6/8 Armor: Cloth Wounds & Weapons: teeth+1 A0 F8 S1

Human enemies in D&D are similar to monsters, but here's what you get for a human statblock in CT:

Pirate 7B2886 Age: 22 1 term Cr1,000
Brawling-2, Forgery-1, Blade-Cbt-1, Engineering-1
blade, low psg

Converting between these things is NOT trivial. These two systems are wildly dissimilar, and you need to know them both really well in order to translate things without it all going pear-shaped at the table.

If you wanted to run, say, Keep on the Borderlands in any random OSR system, you'd probably have to flip AC for ascending and maybe convert the saving throws according to your system's recommendations, and Bob's your uncle.
In Classic Traveller, you have no way to handle all those saving throws that will come up, (because Traveller's play style doesn't go in for that sort of thing) and you'd basically have to throw out all the enemy's stats and rebuild them, almost from scratch.
Much as I love CT, it's just not a compatible system with the OSR. (It is lower-case no-R old school, though, and I'm totally down to talk about it.)

(No, captcha, bagels are not cookies, not even if you cover them in sugary crap)

okay so besides LOTFP, what are some other good OSR resources for Firearms, in need of them for a potential future campaign I'm likely to run using Microlite74, cause while one of it's supplements includes a couple gun stats, they're so barebones and obviously an afterthought that they're kinda useless for what I need, setting is overall historically similar to the 18th century(say around the 30 years war) in many regards including average tech level, but due to certain cultures and races being very skilled at designing and making weapons, examples of weapons of more modern tech levels(up to say early WW1) do exist in setting(however few of these are mass producible so while it's possible for a player to buy a small gatling cannon in the right locations, it'd be really expensive, would take weeks or even months to have made, similar amounts of time if it needs repairs, and see Heavy's line about how much it costs to fire his mini-gun for an idea regarding how much firing it for more than a couple seconds would cost)

I can go a little more into the setting if anyone is interested

Look at the Primitive Firearms section in Mutant Future (in the Trove).

patyrsun.tripod.com/races/races-gamma-world-new.html
Another dralasite aficionado!
I've actually put one as a boss type in my mutant future campaign. It was fun.

The other day someone linked a site/blog whatever that has some GREAT post-apoc resources, like a map generator etc. Help?

wizardawn.and-mag.com/tool_acity.php

Ive finally read some of gygax work - keep on the borderlands - he invests a lot of his attention into the war gammy aspects of this module, especially the castle.

This gives me a weird understanding of dnd

Ive finally read some of gygax work - keep on the borderlands - he invests a lot of his attention into the war gammy aspects of this module, especially the castle.

This gives me a weird understanding of dnd

any tips on running this adventure?

Is this game fun? The funnel system seemed way stellar to me

>Pirate 7B2886

While I agree that Traveler isn't remotely OSR compatible, anymore than, say, Vampire the Masquerade or FATE or anything is, I think that you are probably being unnecessarily obtuse by presenting the stats that way.

But yeah.

Read these:
dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=48680
knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13480

I don't like mixing science fiction and fantasy personally, it's a bit of my pet peeve. But right now my science fiction setting is supposed to basically be something like 'chose a picture of an alien, that's your race.'

The central idea of the setting is a group called the CoS (council of sentients) protects all underdeveolped worlds and also hires neutral peace keepers. The peace keepers are not known as being very nice or moral and are called Enforcers- these are the player characters.

Well that's the standard Traveller notation, and a direct copy/paste from a mook in Citizens of the Imperium, an official supplement. But spelled out, that's Strength 7, Dexterity 11, Endurance 2, Intelligence 8, Education 8, Social Standing 6.

>Well that's the standard Traveller notation

Yes I'm aware but at least I'm not likely going to talk about my character's stats casually like that.

>not trading index cards with your UPP and relevant info

Step it up, user!

Has any OSR-system included a bard class? Does it work well? Or are bards incompatible with OSR?

>What kind of weird alien technology and space travelling races have you got running around your fantasy setting? Have your PCs ever travelled to other planets?

Let's see. There are:
>Giant space moths with solar sail wings
>A group of human vivimancers that use the moths as transportation and have biological space suits
>Ships with solar sails made from the moth wings
>The floating orbital remains of ancient alien gods turned to stone
>A termite-mound space elevator inhabited by giant hagfish-man sorcerers with lightning muskets
>Golem power armour space suits
>Amphibianish evil overlords that fly around in stargateish black ziggurat spaceships
>Determinist cult mummies in clockwork vessels

There's probably more I've forgotten.

>AC: 6 Move: 18'' Hit Dice: 2+2 % in lair: 10% Treasure Type: Nil No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 2-5 Special Attacks: Nil
Are you sure you don't mean
>AC:6, MV:18", HD:2+2, TT:Nil, #A:1, D:2-5

or whatever that shorthand notation was that they liked to use in old modules.

Of course, a BD&D wolf (rather than an AD&D one) would also lack a liar% and get a morale value. And you should probably have a Number Appearing and alignment somewhere in there as well.
Also psionic ability for AD&D monsters, I suppose.

Still, for all those differences and such they're still pretty much intercompatible while the Traveller wolf is, in fact, a completely different beast.

OD&D, AD&D, and 2E all have a Bard class - although they all also take different approaches to it.

>Valerian et Laureline

Certainly one of my favorite comic series, I've taken a lot of game content from it.

>Are you sure you don't mean

I was copying from the Monster Manual. I did omit some of the unneeded fields to reduce clutter. Yeah, I should have used Basic, but MM was the first relevant book I could lay my hands on.

Swords & Wizardry Complete: Player's Companion has a Bard class and it works fine.

gumroad.com/l/hack01pdf?price_range=#

Check this out. Guns from early arquebuses all the way to near-future shit, and bits to adjust them from common affairs to rare artifacts. I like the suggestions for an invasion scenario.

Super badass. Thx.

Yeah, there's also the 1e Bard, the OD&D bard, Labyrinth Lord has a bard, ACKS has one, and Beyond the Wall has the Local Performer. I bet there's more that I'm forgetting.

Can anybody help me out? I'm

I would guess it's down to the differences between them.
LL has -3/+3 while S&W has -1/+1 for ability scores iirc.
LL has default morale rules, reaction rules and the like.
LL has a few more fleshed out rules overall while S&W leaves a lot in the hands of the referee.

Personally I run S&W Complete, mainly for the modern layout and readable font, and just steal all the rules I like from LL and other sources.

Realmspace is a Dyson Sphere too. The shell around the whole solar system is rock, the entirety of which is encrusted with gigantic runes that comprise every single known spell from TSR repeated ad nauseum. Across this Dyson Sphere, a never-ending chain of grey weirdo-beings march mindlessly.

Also the "stars" are just portals to the Plane of Radiance.

The 2E bard is the main big one you're forgetting, I think. It's distinct from the 1E bard by being a regular class rather than the 1E multiclass prestige class.

>LL has -3/+3 while S&W has -1/+1 for ability scores iirc.
I prefer -1/+1, honestly.
>LL has default morale rules, reaction rules and the like.
I can just use the ones from ACKS or LL.
>LL has a few more fleshed out rules overall while S&W leaves a lot in the hands of the referee.
Eh. I think I'll stick with S&W Complete.

Thank you!

So Cursed Chateau and England Upturn'd just went on sale at LOTFP. Anyone getting them? Apparently Cursed Chateau is a revision but I've never seen a pdf of the older version floating around.

Definitely wondering about those cleric sub classes & alternate alignment in England Upturn'd. Any idea what that entails?

No idea. First I've heard about it was from an interview with the creator that Raggi linked to, but apparently it's kind of a famous setting and a lot of people are hyped for it.

So, is it a setting or an adventure. Kinda confused, although 128 pages seems a lot of pages for 1 adventure.

It's probably a setting book like Carcosa or Red & Pleasant Land. I'm imagining a lot of setting and house rules with a small adventure/dungeon included.

Probably a long game antagonist with world ending potential. I might set in motion a plot for the Mind Flayers to grow a new elder brain and start a colony on an existing moon or planet. The PCs could then become involved.

I'd recommend reading LL all the same.
LL has more structure to the rules, i.e. it actually explains some things that S&W does not, so it's good for stealing ideas all the same.
>tfw I just switched the S&W Complete ability scores with the LL ones because I think the player's i'm introducing the game to would prefer the more obvious use of them

So I bit the bullet and order both of the new LotFP books. I haven't read through them yet but I can give you an idea of what they are like.

Cursed Chateau is basically a haunted house. I think it's written by Grognardia guy? It has great art by Jez Gordon (as usual) and cute things like a random event table. Seems very gameable right from the start.

England Upturn'd seems like a pretty long adventure that takes place in England. At first glance I find the art in it to be pretty poor, it's very basic and doesn't really have that LotFP style to it. The layout also isn't as tight as many other LotFP releases. I've heard some good things about this module though so I'll look into it more.

...

Brief sample pack of a Post-Apocalyptic LotFP/OSR homebrew I'm working on. Looking for ides, suggestions etc.

POST MOARRRRR

now in all seriousness, it's looking good, simple and to the point. I like it!

Can somebody tell me your most recent OSR adventure? Even in greentext format. I'm feeling sick to my stomach, lonely, depressed, etc., and could use a good story or something.

I haven't played in ages or I would. Sorry, man.

Tower of the Stargazer wrap-up:

Players properly set up the telescope and crystal. Fail to read the book describing the futility of travel via Star Crystal. Elf looks through and is beamed to a distant planet as elf-mush to be eaten my mossy aliens. Cleric pops-open a previously found blood vial, for some dumb reason I forget, only to be immediately attacked and choked by it (after already having seen the Specialist damn near die from opening one.) Specialist tosses acid from the fish pond (via glass vial) at it to kill it, but in doing so hits the Cleric as well rendering him unconscious and near death.

Remaining players decide to bargain with Calcidius as they are out of healing abilities. They threaten to burn down the tower unless the Wizard cures their fallen friend (they shoulda just dragged their asses back to town). Foolishly, they believe his promise and set Calcidius free who gnarls his aged hands, takes his first steps in a century and mutters a Death spell. Magic-User manages to avoid it, but the down-for-the-count Cleric and his dogs have their insides melt from within. He violently blasts a magic missile through the chest of the Magic-User. Specialist, torches ready upstairs, burns the library in a rage and repels down the elevator shaft only to stumble into the treasure vault. Manages to swiftly break the machinery, disabling all the force-fields and scoops up the 3 treasures and a backpack full of silver before trying to run through the storage room they hastily set ablaze much earlier. Almost dies from smoke inhalation, but manages to escape with 1hp and about 2550sp in treasure. Calcidius screams at him from the doorway "I NEVER FORGET A FACE."

One survivor. 3 sad, dead PCs

That's a hell of a story though.

I had damn fun running it.

So, a successful run?

What book has the best art and why is it DCC?

On a related issue hook a brother up with the biggest and fattest pile of old school art, just dump it on me like a slovenly trull or perhaps a troublesome strumpet.

>prestige class
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE get the fuck out false edition traitor

What are some good reads or guides or tutorials for teaching me how to build a dungeon

Well, what the fuck else should I call it? It's a useful term for covering shit like the BECMI Paladin/Avenger/Knight/Druid or the AD&D Bard/Thief-Acrobat.

There's probably some 2E stuff that fits the bill as well since 2E is what it is, but hell if I know of any.

Ain't nothing wrong with repurposing verbiage from other editions.

Did you get the pdfs? Share them would you please?

Its also not only prestige classy, but nakedly more prestige classy than the other things that are prestige classy.

Also what is particularly erotic about the 1e bard is that half elfs appear to be able to do it too, opening up something to do about their shitty level limits.

>I'll trade you an Oldilocks, Scout Retiree for my Not Anakin, Psionic Prodigy

I was considering slapping Star Control alien races in my upcoming Into the Odd campaign.

What is the reasoning for having turn undead be a spell you have to remember in LotFP? Doesn't that just make the cleric even more boring to play as?

Just from a mechanical perspective, they already start with a 1st level spell on level 1, thus basically saying: we don't force your first holy spell to be turn undead.

But turn undead is generally a power the cleric should be able to use at all times, right? At higher levels this makes the cleric kind of worse then, unless the spells per level are more forgiving in LotFP.

Normally Clerics don't get a spell at level one, but can use Turn Undead, which is basically the same as a spell except they don't get to pick a spell; that's just what they get. In LotFP, they make it EXPLICITLY a spell and improve the spell progression to make up for the fact that you have to use spell slots for it.

Oops. This is meant for .

Also, I'm pretty sure turn undead was always a "certain number of times per day" ability.

Basically if you don't want your cleric to turn undead ever, you can just learn other spells. It makes your cleric a bit more customizable.

They improved the spell progression to make up for you having to waste spell slots on it, but I think the main idea behind making it a choice, instead of an in-built ability was to make it more consistent.
You can see in older modules that a lot of undead creatures just got random immunities against turning. Because it was too strong.
By turning it down, the idea is for it to always be effective, as long as you prepare it properly.

Alright, thanks for the help. I'm still a bit new to Basic D&D rules so I wasn't sure what the reasoning was.

Here's a couple of links that might help with design:

thealexandrian.net/wordpress/13085/roleplaying-games/jaquaying-the-dungeon

darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/dungeonmaps.html

How important staple monsters are to you?

How would you feel, if you have to face Copper Wombats and Electric Potatoes instead of Goblins and Orcs?

I'd be cool with it, but a lot of folks like the comfort of a shared mindspace.

Semi-important. They need to be present, but you can do something different with them. Or just run them straight-up old school.

Personally I run my OD&D goblins as beings that multiply from having their bits hacked off. They don't attack each other though, as a survival mechanism. Instead they seek out other things to engage in fights and get fucked up. They literally get off on fighting, because it is literally sexual reproduction for them.

Orcs on the other-hand are idiot pig-men who live in gloomy swamps.

It depends on the setting and the tone of the campaign.

I tried to simplify my OSR-ish hack, so as to make it easier for new players (and finish everything in a foreseeable future)...

I ended up with the only PC race being mutant goblins (21 kinds) and a weird-ass forest filled with non-standard monsters as a beginner's adventure.

I guess, I'll just carry on and try to finish things.

>I tried to simplify my OSR-ish hack (...) I ended up with the only PC race being mutant goblins (21 kinds) and a weird-ass forest filled with non-standard monsters as a beginner's adventure.
This is the greatest thing that I have ever read, and I have been a DM for years.

>I guess, I'll just carry on and try to finish things.
Do it. Think about the tone of the campaign though.

What system are you playing?

>I ended up with the only PC race being mutant goblins (21 kinds) and a weird-ass forest filled with non-standard monsters as a beginner's adventure.

That can work, though 21 different kinds of the same race will probably get pic related from your players.

Something to keep in mind when designing PC classes/races/other options is that the human brain can typically only evaluate and choose between 5 things (in some peoples' minds, 7 or 3). This means that beyond 5, peoples' brains tend to freeze up due to the sheer amount of choices.

You can see this for yourself with the base game:
Class? Easy, only three choices: I want to be a Fighter.
Race? Easy, only four choices: I want to be a Dwarf.
Weapon? Uhhhhh... let me look over this list for a minute..

Magic User Player:
Spells? Uhhh... Oh, I only can choose from the 1st Level ones? There are only seven of those.. let's see, I'll take Sleep, and Magic Missle.

Keep it simple, user.

Yeah. 5-7 options is good to avoid option paralysis.

Those are random, however. You roll and get something like "Woolly Goblin (+1 Armor, cold resistance, chance to catch on fire)" or "Cyclops Goblin (penalty to ranged attacks, resistance to magic, detect magic 3/day)".

> What system are you playing?
Modified LotFP.

Same! We have so much in common!

>Modified LotFP.
And I still have not DM:ed a game of that particular system. This settles it though, LoFP is the next game that I will DM. Thank you.

>Also, I'm pretty sure turn undead was always a "certain number of times per day" ability.
Nah, that's a... 3E thing, I think? Although it's possible 2E also had it be that way.

OD&D is silent on it, but AD&D and BD&D both have it be that a Cleric can Turn Undead any number of times per day but only once per undead. (Ever, sometimes, although I think some have it be a day-long immunity?)

I cannot read the whole of Scarlet Heroes, but can anyone summarize which elements make it more suitable for adventuring solo?
How does it handle save-or-die effects?

What's the most useful stuff you guys have at hand while DMing?
I'm thinking specific rules (reaction table, morale rolls), random tables, maps, shorthand setting info, NPC info and the like.

I use a bluetooth headset over which my wife can send me insane ideas and table results while I have my handsfree on the table and look really impressive.
Someone wants to argue about rules? Joke's on you, kid, I have them all in my head.

Swords & Wizardry, Swords & Wizardry Core, Swords & Wizardry Complete, Swords & Wizardry White Bow....

Halp. I wanna but the book but don't know which version to get.

Check out the Black Streams: Solo Heroes booklet for a shorter version of the whole thing.

The answer for your question, though, is that you can Defy Death whenever you want to "avoid the consequences of a failed save or otherwise certain catastrophe". Also, if you're a Fighter and run into a problem that only a Magic-User can solve. Stuff like that.

You take 1d4/level damage, using the modified Scarlet Heroes dice thingy - 1 is no damage, 2-4 is one damage. That stuff. If it would kill you, it instead just leaves you at one hit point and the attempt to Defy Death fails.

Every time you Defy Death, the damage die increases: d6, d8, d10, d12.
For the more general question of what it does to make adventuring solo possible, though, that's basically just because it reduces monster HP to 1HP/HD, adjusts damage rolls so that 1=0, 2-5=1, 6-9=2, 10+=4, lets overkill damage carry over into other enemies within reach, gives you a free weak-ish attack against a foe in reach once per turn, gives you averaged hit points, makes you always win initiative, and generally makes the lone character more versatile through a generous skill system.

You also get some sped-up healing, for obvious reasons.

Oh yeah, and there's a suggestion that heroes generally aren't killed but are rather knocked unconscious and tossed in the dungeon/chained up before the evil overlord/suspended over a shark tank. You don't die, but whatever you were out questing for is now lost and forever beyond your reach.

Generally it just tries to make the single character roughly as competent as a party of fourish. This does mean that it's meant for SOLO heroes and breaks down a bit if you threeish, though.

If you have to ask then I recommend Complete.

Whitebox: Very simple but requires more rulings from the DM on ideas. A favorite of many.
Core Rules: Same game but more stuff is filled out for you, a couple more classes from the get-go and spells spelled out.
Compete: Same game but much more spelled out for you with many more classes and spells.

neat thanks

Does anybody here even care about into the Odd or is it to niche even for OSR?