It came to my attention that this amazing fellow, watabou, has produced a tool to randomly generate small dungeons with a bit of flavour text, ideal for one-shot sessions or brief underground expeditions for my lowly group. These are perfectly suited for old-school dungeon crawling, and the generator is aptly named One Page Dungeon.
I knew watabou for his excellent Medieval Fantasy City Generator, by visiting his website however, I found that he's the host of all sorts of generators and games, based on procedural generation.
Make sure to visit his humble website and check out all goodies he has to offer (as well as his Patreon site). A remark, though, his work is best viewed (or played) on Google Chrome. For some reason, Mozilla's Firefox (my default browser) refuses to cooperate with his creations.
OSR Zontoxira's blog of thoughts on old-school gaming mixed with modern notions.
Saturday 26 October 2019
Saturday 19 October 2019
My B/X House Rules
When I eventually decided to cut my teeth on B/X, I wanted to do some good research on rules, mechanics, and the general feel of the game system. There would be odd choices in our game (like race-as-class, limited armoury, general lack of ability checks) so I wanted to better acquaint myself with the system as it was used back then, and better grasp the game design of late '70s and early '80s. So I did what would anyone naturally do, started reading the books and any blogs that discussed them. To my dismay, I realised that all editions of D&D Basic (Holmes, B/X, BECMI, RC) had significant differences, enough to spark mini wars between Basic gamers. My main thought was that most of the differences were of an aesthetic nature, maybe a few extra rules here and there, so when I picked the 1994 Classic D&D edition (as it was the first available at that time), I initially assumed that it was a "cleaned up" version of B/X. How erroneous of me.
Not that if I chose to stick with this edition, my B/X games would be unplayable, but there were things that changed over the years. Giving out my printed B/X rulebooks to my players while basing my campaign on a latter edition would only make things more confusing (at some point, I will discuss those tiny details that make B/X different from BECMI and RC, but I need time to sit down and note them all). Still, that never stopped me from not going all-out RAW; rather, I found myself writing down a few house rules for things that either I couldn't find any references in the books or I didn't quite agree with how they were implemented.
Two-weapon fighting. For this one, I borrowed Blackrazor's proposed rule for handling weapons in both your hands. Basically, it goes like this:
1. You need at least a Dexterity score of 13 to effectively use two weapons in combat. You can carry a weapon in both hands, but you don't gain any benefits if you have less than 13 in your Dexterity score.
2. If you have a Strength score of 13 or higher, you can wield a Medium weapon in both hands; otherwise, your off-hand weapon must be Small.
3. Fighting with two weapons is treated as a single attack; you don't need to roll separately for each weapon. Abstract as the combat may be, it is assumed that on your turn, you try to maximise your efforts in scoring a hit by using two weapons instead of one. While you lose the benefit of using a shield, and thus improving your AC, you gain the benefit of scoring on average a higher amount of damage.
4. Whenever you successfully attack with two weapons, roll both weapon damage dice and pick the highest roll. Add any Strength modifier to that damage.
Hit Points. I believe this entry needs a post on its own, but I'll try and be brief here. I consider hit points to be an abstract mechanic, less like one's physical stamina and more like difficulty to be hit (and bite the dust). To me (and I would assume in Arneson's mind too) hit points represent some sort of damage reduction against any harm. A swinging axe, a magic missile, a pit full of spikes, you name it. Your puny 1st level thief might not be able to defend themselves against a hobgoblin's attack, but a fighter knows how to turn that killing blow into a glancing one. Sure, Constitution bonuses add to your hit point total; you gritting your teeth and trying to ignore that painful stab you just received shows your increased resistance to damage. But so does your experience level, reflecting all the accumulated knowledge from adventuring and braving all those dangers. Resting therefore gives you not only the benefit of healing naturally but also to evaluate your experiences. For each hit point being healed naturally, a character gains 10 XP.
Ability Checks. I plan on using ability checks sparingly. Earlier versions of D&D (including B/X) didn't have such notions of skills checks and thus I want my players to think first then roll, if at all (luckily, they're old school gamers, so they are used to this type of play). In the few cases that I allow an ability check, I have two methods; the first one is taken from DungeonWorld and reserved for tests that may add complications to the result. An example: a magic-user visited the local library and asked to do some research on ancient deities. I called for an Intelligence check and she got a result of 8. That's a success with a complication, so I decided that she gleaned a little information, but the managing librarian would help her get access to more, as long as she brought an artefact from the nearby swamp.
The second one was taken from Jeff's alternate stat checks; in actuality, using the retainer morale column from Charisma. I use this method when I strive for binary results, success or failure. An example: that same magic-user was investigating a crime scene for clues. I called for another Intelligence check and this time she rolled a 10 (her Intelligence score of 16 allowed her to succeed on a 9 or lower), thus missing that dropped ring near the trapdoor.
Armour Cost. I've found that chain and plate armour are significantly cheap, compared to leather. So I ruled out that chain armour costs 80gp and plate 320gp. That way, I ensure that no warrior class starts at 1st level with AC 3 or lower (even though a fighter with chain armour, a shield and a good Dexterity can go below that number). It won't take long for them, however, to get their hands on treasure big enough to afford a couple of those suits.
Magic-user Spells and Research. B/X has magic-users and elves begin adventuring with a single spell and they can't copy spells from other spell books or magic scrolls. I find that quite limiting, so I proposed a few rules:
1. A magic-user or elf begins adventuring with an amount of spells equal to their Intelligence modifier plus one. An elf, for instance, with an Intelligence score of 15 starts with two spells. From these starting spells, one is recommended to be read magic, while the rest are chosen randomly.
2. Spells can be copied from magic scrolls, after they have been identified with a read magic spell, but they are destroyed after such use.
3. Crafting a magic scroll requires 100gp and one week per spell level. A magic-user or elf can only craft magic scrolls with spells they already know and must have access to a relevant workshop.
Weapon Groups. Some weapons just make no sense; the battle axe, for instance, costs 7gp, is considered a two-handed weapon and deals 1d8 damage. By contrast, the normal sword costs 10gp, can be wielded with one hand and deals the same amount of damage. In a game where there is an abundance of gold, why would anyone bother with a battle axe? I've got this inspiration froma blog I can't recall at the moment Delta's blog, that placed some weapons under certain groups with specific abilities. Hence, my take:
Daggers and swords (dagger, short sword, sword) are light and compact weapons. They're easily worn on scabbards and can be used in tight spaces to thrust at an opponent.
Spears (spear, staff, polearm) provide reach. For the first round of combat and only, wielders of such weapons receive an extra attack against their opponents, if they approach them for melee with a shorter weapon.
Axes (battle axe, hand axe) can sometimes penetrate heavy armour. Axe wielders gain a +1 bonus to attack opponents with AC 5 or lower.
Blunts (club, mace, war hammer) can deliver heavy blows by hitting harder. Users of blunt weapons gain a +2 bonus to damage if they score an attack that exceeds an opponent's AC by 5. Dwarfs, elves, and halflings need exceed by 4, whereas fighters need only 3.
That's enough, for now. As I delve deeper into B/X, I might come up with more house rules, but this will be another post for another time.
/pic762089.jpg) |
| This was my first foray into D&D. It was quickly replaced by the AD&D introductory boxed set. |
Two-weapon fighting. For this one, I borrowed Blackrazor's proposed rule for handling weapons in both your hands. Basically, it goes like this:
1. You need at least a Dexterity score of 13 to effectively use two weapons in combat. You can carry a weapon in both hands, but you don't gain any benefits if you have less than 13 in your Dexterity score.
2. If you have a Strength score of 13 or higher, you can wield a Medium weapon in both hands; otherwise, your off-hand weapon must be Small.
3. Fighting with two weapons is treated as a single attack; you don't need to roll separately for each weapon. Abstract as the combat may be, it is assumed that on your turn, you try to maximise your efforts in scoring a hit by using two weapons instead of one. While you lose the benefit of using a shield, and thus improving your AC, you gain the benefit of scoring on average a higher amount of damage.
4. Whenever you successfully attack with two weapons, roll both weapon damage dice and pick the highest roll. Add any Strength modifier to that damage.
Hit Points. I believe this entry needs a post on its own, but I'll try and be brief here. I consider hit points to be an abstract mechanic, less like one's physical stamina and more like difficulty to be hit (and bite the dust). To me (and I would assume in Arneson's mind too) hit points represent some sort of damage reduction against any harm. A swinging axe, a magic missile, a pit full of spikes, you name it. Your puny 1st level thief might not be able to defend themselves against a hobgoblin's attack, but a fighter knows how to turn that killing blow into a glancing one. Sure, Constitution bonuses add to your hit point total; you gritting your teeth and trying to ignore that painful stab you just received shows your increased resistance to damage. But so does your experience level, reflecting all the accumulated knowledge from adventuring and braving all those dangers. Resting therefore gives you not only the benefit of healing naturally but also to evaluate your experiences. For each hit point being healed naturally, a character gains 10 XP.
Ability Checks. I plan on using ability checks sparingly. Earlier versions of D&D (including B/X) didn't have such notions of skills checks and thus I want my players to think first then roll, if at all (luckily, they're old school gamers, so they are used to this type of play). In the few cases that I allow an ability check, I have two methods; the first one is taken from DungeonWorld and reserved for tests that may add complications to the result. An example: a magic-user visited the local library and asked to do some research on ancient deities. I called for an Intelligence check and she got a result of 8. That's a success with a complication, so I decided that she gleaned a little information, but the managing librarian would help her get access to more, as long as she brought an artefact from the nearby swamp.
The second one was taken from Jeff's alternate stat checks; in actuality, using the retainer morale column from Charisma. I use this method when I strive for binary results, success or failure. An example: that same magic-user was investigating a crime scene for clues. I called for another Intelligence check and this time she rolled a 10 (her Intelligence score of 16 allowed her to succeed on a 9 or lower), thus missing that dropped ring near the trapdoor.
Armour Cost. I've found that chain and plate armour are significantly cheap, compared to leather. So I ruled out that chain armour costs 80gp and plate 320gp. That way, I ensure that no warrior class starts at 1st level with AC 3 or lower (even though a fighter with chain armour, a shield and a good Dexterity can go below that number). It won't take long for them, however, to get their hands on treasure big enough to afford a couple of those suits.
Magic-user Spells and Research. B/X has magic-users and elves begin adventuring with a single spell and they can't copy spells from other spell books or magic scrolls. I find that quite limiting, so I proposed a few rules:
1. A magic-user or elf begins adventuring with an amount of spells equal to their Intelligence modifier plus one. An elf, for instance, with an Intelligence score of 15 starts with two spells. From these starting spells, one is recommended to be read magic, while the rest are chosen randomly.
2. Spells can be copied from magic scrolls, after they have been identified with a read magic spell, but they are destroyed after such use.
3. Crafting a magic scroll requires 100gp and one week per spell level. A magic-user or elf can only craft magic scrolls with spells they already know and must have access to a relevant workshop.
Weapon Groups. Some weapons just make no sense; the battle axe, for instance, costs 7gp, is considered a two-handed weapon and deals 1d8 damage. By contrast, the normal sword costs 10gp, can be wielded with one hand and deals the same amount of damage. In a game where there is an abundance of gold, why would anyone bother with a battle axe? I've got this inspiration from
Daggers and swords (dagger, short sword, sword) are light and compact weapons. They're easily worn on scabbards and can be used in tight spaces to thrust at an opponent.
Spears (spear, staff, polearm) provide reach. For the first round of combat and only, wielders of such weapons receive an extra attack against their opponents, if they approach them for melee with a shorter weapon.
Axes (battle axe, hand axe) can sometimes penetrate heavy armour. Axe wielders gain a +1 bonus to attack opponents with AC 5 or lower.
Blunts (club, mace, war hammer) can deliver heavy blows by hitting harder. Users of blunt weapons gain a +2 bonus to damage if they score an attack that exceeds an opponent's AC by 5. Dwarfs, elves, and halflings need exceed by 4, whereas fighters need only 3.
That's enough, for now. As I delve deeper into B/X, I might come up with more house rules, but this will be another post for another time.
Sunday 13 October 2019
Cosmology of Law and Chaos in The Dungeon
That statement holds somewhat true in B/X. As Moldvay notes in Basic Rules (B11):Always the forces of Chaos press upon [the Realm of mankind's] borders, seeking to enslave its populace, rape its riches, and steal its treasures. If it were not for a stout few, many in the Realm would indeed fall prey to the evil which surrounds them.
Lawful behavior is usually the same as behavior that could be called "good" [...] Chaotic behavior is usually the same as behavior that could be called "evil"Perhaps this Law/Good and Chaos/Evil axis stemmed from Gygax's vision of clash between civilisation, which inherently registers as good, and wilderness, or rather the evil, destructive part of it. Anderson may have had a role in this, as Chaos according to him would be represented by the natural forces. Moorcock, for certain though, wasn't referring to Law and Chaos as such, but extended this battle on a cosmic scale. Whatever the case, I argue that Law doesn't necessarily imply Good (tyrants have a lot to say), and Chaos can be beneficial to the world (Robin Hood's acts against the oppressive Sheriff of Nottingham). Furthermore, what I find restrictive is the consensus that alignment sets a character's ethical behaviour, a sort of personality traits that correspond to each alignment choice.
As the Great Khan expertly notes in his post from 2012, law and chaos don't have to be about considerate lawful citizens or rebellious chaotic individuals:
[...] Law and Chaos aren't really moral/ethical/behavioral outlooks on life, but rather an allegiance to the concept of being pro or anti civilization [...]In other words, alignment has nothing to do with your character's morals and ethics; rather, it serves as a reminder of which side you choose to fight for. This gives limitless possibilities to one, considering the abstract notions of Law and Chaos. I find single-axis alignment much more fascinating and engaging, since you don't deal with perceptions of good and evil, rather what constitutes Law (civilisation, order, technology, light etc.) and Chaos (wilderness, individuality, nature, darkness etc.).
In order to separate the alignment-personality relationship, as well as dismiss the dichotomy of Law/good and Chaos/evil, and further integrate alignment into the world, I've come up with an idea for the cosmology of The Dungeon, mainly inspired by the works of Moorcock, Warhammer Fantasy, and the Thief series, with extensive research in OSR blogs. Moorcock provided the cosmic struggle between Law and Chaos; Warhammer laid the groundwork for visualising Law as the Civilisation (Empire) of Man facing the destructive forces of Chaos, without either being shown as good or evil; and the three Thief games showed us the conflict of Law (Hammerites) and Chaos (Pagans) through various levels, all staged in a mostly neutral ground (the City). A couple of notes, too: we're talking about a human-centric world with a sword & sorcery theme (as it was befitting of D&D settings of that era); history is only known through, often biased, tradition, gods are mysterious and terrifying entities, and world perspective is narrowed down to usually what humans perceive.
Law and Chaos consist of two opposing cosmic forces, and the world of mortals is their battlefield. Each force bears its own aspects, which manifest as mysterious entities that mortals call gods. In the eternal battle between Law and Chaos, everybody takes a side, even though the notions of both forces have changed depending on which culture prevails. Picking alignment therefore is equivalent to the character choosing their allegiance to one of the two cosmic forces (or the lack of, see Neutrality).
In the current historical period, where humans dominate the known world, Law reflects (human) civilisation, order, the light against darkness and wilderness that wishes to devour and annihilate mankind. Humans, and proponents of Law, are in a constant struggle with the elements of nature. Lawful characters view stability as an important part of civilisation, fight to preserve status quo, and seldom stray from the sure and safe path.
On the contrary, Chaos denotes wild nature that clashes with civilisation in infinite ways (instead of the one true mean, which is the natural way of life for the Lawful). Proponents of Chaos point the oppressive and monotonous side of civilisation against free and wild life, and technology that destroys natural beauty. Chaotic characters seek to bring the old ways back, revere the Old Cthonic Gods, and are attracted by the unknown, however risky it may be.
Between those two battling factions stands whoever wishes to remain neutral, passive in the cosmic battle, or to just care for themselves. This collection of people corresponds to Neutrality, the abstinence of siding with a cosmic force rather than a side in itself. These people make up a part of human civilisation, who adhere to all social contracts but may express their tendency towards one or the other side. Ironically, the majority of humans belong to this Neutral faction, even though they know that either in this mortal world or the world of the dead, they have to choose which cosmic force they shall fight for.
And this sums up my take on alignments and the cosmology of The Dungeon. That way, I feel that I don't compromise player agency, concerning personality and behaviour. The players are free to choose to fight for mankind (whatever that may imply) or against it and their methods of obtaining their goals is theirs to pursue; for the cosmic forces of Law and Chaos, it's less your ethics and more the end that justifies the means. I should also mention Ander's excellent post about clerics and their religion, a set of ideas that helped me form my take on the cleric in The Dungeon.
Wednesday 9 October 2019
Welcome to The Dungeon
After four sessions, one TPK and two deaths, and before we run our fifth one next week, I think it's high time I talked about our most recent D&D campaign (and the reason I started this blog). In my previous post, I rambled on why I chose B/X as my preferred edition. While I was drawn to Classic D&D's minimal design, I also wanted to experiment with the notions of old school gaming. Nostalgia can bring euphoric sensations to our minds, but it usually serves as a reminder of our past selves; it's still a thing of the past, and looking back at those moments with our modern perceptions, they can feel kinda odd and out of place. When I first started rolling dice for characters and monsters, me and my buddy were being immersed in the era of early modern gaming - that of strong narratives, heroic play, and complex character building. AD&D2e offered a multitude of splatbooks, like the various Complete [Class or Race] Handbook, and supplements, such as the notorious Player's Option rulebooks. Despite its "modernisms", gaming in 2e was firmly rooted in the old ways and we, then young, innocent and oblivious, were driven in this mix of old and new. I tend to call this era of early modern gaming the Middle Ages of D&D, the Intermediate Years or the Transitional Era, which encompasses the first years of 3e, but this is a topic for another post.
Back to our B/X campaign, I call it The Dungeon, not just due to lack of a better name, but also because the world feels like the all-too-familiar underground locale, with limitless paths (corridors) leading to places of interest (rooms), either friendly (towns) or hostile (monsters). In sense, this is reminiscent of wilderness adventures of the old days, also known as point of light settings, a term 4e exemplified with Nentir Vale. The characters traversing this forgotten land, dotted with crumbling cities and frontier towns, face all sorts of dangers, be they monstrous denizens of the area, bandits living off hapless travellers, sinister politics stabbing at both sides, or ancient ruins filled with deadly traps. The world isn't exactly home-brewed; a few months ago I picked up Dyson's magnificent hexcrawl adventure, and took a fancy to run it ever since. In my preparation for the mini, experimental, campaign, I did a lot of researching on how to bring the setting to my liking, and to justify every bit of mechanics in B/X, like the existence of race-as-class, how magic functions, thief abilities, and an alignment system that aligns (duh) with the cosmology. My research notes were fragmentary and intentionally kept to a minimum - I left gaps for my group to fill in, either through exploring or by coming up with ideas. Of course, there is a basic premise of the setting, upon which I strive to build, depending on the players' desires, in a typical sandbox style.
So our characters arrive to Coruvon, the Swamp Arena, either following a caravan trail from the mountains of the North Reaches or by sailing Ironflow River upwards from the southern lands. The Black Mire is a vastly unexplored area, filled to the brim with ancient ruins of an elven empire, secluded lizard communities, and shrines of forgotten gods, and criss-crossed by magical causeways. The only human town in the region is actually a military base, catering to mercenaries, guards, and adventurers, originally placed to thwart any invasions of giants towards the South. As the only point of light and civilisation in the overwhelming wilderness, Coruvon is a rather decadent city, as various factions strive to gain a foothold. The characters have the option to explore the swamp and its elven mysteries or the mountain ranges and their dwarven stronghold ruins, take part in the city's power struggles, investigate the slave business of the Iron Overlord, interact with long-forgotten cosmic entities etc.
Each class has received a few modifications, with the demi-human (or non-human, as I usually name) races feeling more alien, quite separate from their fantasy archetypes, to better accommodate the sword-and-sorcery theme I'm looking for. Clerics are rare mystical champions of the two opposing cosmic forces (Law and Chaos); magic-users have gained access to the arcane (and chaotic) arts through various methods; fighters are multi-purposed armsmen, having mastered the art of war and battle; thieves claim to be explorers, scoundrels, investigators, scouts, and other humble (or illicit) professions; elves are fickle immortals, likened to undead and with a passionate fascination towards magic; dwarfs are rock elementals obssessed with crafting their descendants; and halflings are creatures born from the shadows of humans. The world our characters play in is the battleground for the cosmic forces of Law and Chaos, where everybody eventually picks a side, and the gods represent various aspects, trying to forge champions and warriors to use them against each other.
That's the short story of The Dungeon. In later posts, I shall expand on classes, cosmology, mechanics, design choices and their inspirations. I will also record a summary of our sessions, as the characters venture into paths both dangerous and rewarding, carving their own legend (or meeting horrible fates).
Back to our B/X campaign, I call it The Dungeon, not just due to lack of a better name, but also because the world feels like the all-too-familiar underground locale, with limitless paths (corridors) leading to places of interest (rooms), either friendly (towns) or hostile (monsters). In sense, this is reminiscent of wilderness adventures of the old days, also known as point of light settings, a term 4e exemplified with Nentir Vale. The characters traversing this forgotten land, dotted with crumbling cities and frontier towns, face all sorts of dangers, be they monstrous denizens of the area, bandits living off hapless travellers, sinister politics stabbing at both sides, or ancient ruins filled with deadly traps. The world isn't exactly home-brewed; a few months ago I picked up Dyson's magnificent hexcrawl adventure, and took a fancy to run it ever since. In my preparation for the mini, experimental, campaign, I did a lot of researching on how to bring the setting to my liking, and to justify every bit of mechanics in B/X, like the existence of race-as-class, how magic functions, thief abilities, and an alignment system that aligns (duh) with the cosmology. My research notes were fragmentary and intentionally kept to a minimum - I left gaps for my group to fill in, either through exploring or by coming up with ideas. Of course, there is a basic premise of the setting, upon which I strive to build, depending on the players' desires, in a typical sandbox style.
So our characters arrive to Coruvon, the Swamp Arena, either following a caravan trail from the mountains of the North Reaches or by sailing Ironflow River upwards from the southern lands. The Black Mire is a vastly unexplored area, filled to the brim with ancient ruins of an elven empire, secluded lizard communities, and shrines of forgotten gods, and criss-crossed by magical causeways. The only human town in the region is actually a military base, catering to mercenaries, guards, and adventurers, originally placed to thwart any invasions of giants towards the South. As the only point of light and civilisation in the overwhelming wilderness, Coruvon is a rather decadent city, as various factions strive to gain a foothold. The characters have the option to explore the swamp and its elven mysteries or the mountain ranges and their dwarven stronghold ruins, take part in the city's power struggles, investigate the slave business of the Iron Overlord, interact with long-forgotten cosmic entities etc.
Each class has received a few modifications, with the demi-human (or non-human, as I usually name) races feeling more alien, quite separate from their fantasy archetypes, to better accommodate the sword-and-sorcery theme I'm looking for. Clerics are rare mystical champions of the two opposing cosmic forces (Law and Chaos); magic-users have gained access to the arcane (and chaotic) arts through various methods; fighters are multi-purposed armsmen, having mastered the art of war and battle; thieves claim to be explorers, scoundrels, investigators, scouts, and other humble (or illicit) professions; elves are fickle immortals, likened to undead and with a passionate fascination towards magic; dwarfs are rock elementals obssessed with crafting their descendants; and halflings are creatures born from the shadows of humans. The world our characters play in is the battleground for the cosmic forces of Law and Chaos, where everybody eventually picks a side, and the gods represent various aspects, trying to forge champions and warriors to use them against each other.
That's the short story of The Dungeon. In later posts, I shall expand on classes, cosmology, mechanics, design choices and their inspirations. I will also record a summary of our sessions, as the characters venture into paths both dangerous and rewarding, carving their own legend (or meeting horrible fates).
Saturday 5 October 2019
My story (so far)
Before I lunge deep into my ramblings on D&D, worldbuilding, and gaming in general, I find it fitting to introduce my gamer self, only for the folks reading my stuff to better assess my gaming habits and thoughts.
I grew up in the early and mid '90s playing all sorts of fantasy and sci-fi board games (HeroQuest and Space Crusade, oh my), as well as gamebooks like the influential Lone Wolf series. At some point, I was introduced to classic D&D but quickly jumped to AD&D 2e, where I spent more than a decade running epic (and some not epic) campaigns in the worlds of Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Planescape, and Mystara, as well as a ton of home-brewed ones. My group gave a shot at 3e, altough we unanimously decided we abhorred that edition, and stuck to 2e. When 4e came around, I was on a D&D hiatus (being away from my base, studying and working) and passed on it (not that I would give it a stab, it felt so gamey and grindy), but also missed on the OSR movement. It wasn't until 5e, then D&DNext, was announced that I found myself willing to cut my teeth once again on D&D, intermixed with lots of board game sessions. This new edition offered me the ways of old school in a simple, streamlined set of rules, the likes of 3.x and 4e had put me off. Even 2e now looked awkward and bulky to my aging brain. So, picking up a bunch of friends, both old and new, I ran several successful (and some not so) 5e sessions. However, as the years went by, I realised that 5e was actually straying from what I at first envisioned as "classic D&D modernised"; some of its mechanics drove me nuts, and its emphasis on heroic play brought the power-gaming aspects of older editions that I so despised.
By that time the old grognard in me was looking back to my early days of gaming - board games and classic D&D; there was a certain charm with these simple times (not excluding the rose-tinted glasses), so I began digging for OSR games and fell in love with B/X. Simple ideas, books lean on rules, race-as-class mechanics, sword-and-sorcery themes, and a whole setting teeming with dark and sinister places, a world vast, mysterious and unexplored.
Why this blog, you may ask. I don't know, to be honest; Probably because I finally decided to collect my gaming and worldbuilding thoughts into a platform, so I could share with everybody, and also receive any feedback. And me being a social being, I like to discuss stuff concerning my beloved hobbies.
By that time the old grognard in me was looking back to my early days of gaming - board games and classic D&D; there was a certain charm with these simple times (not excluding the rose-tinted glasses), so I began digging for OSR games and fell in love with B/X. Simple ideas, books lean on rules, race-as-class mechanics, sword-and-sorcery themes, and a whole setting teeming with dark and sinister places, a world vast, mysterious and unexplored.
Why this blog, you may ask. I don't know, to be honest; Probably because I finally decided to collect my gaming and worldbuilding thoughts into a platform, so I could share with everybody, and also receive any feedback. And me being a social being, I like to discuss stuff concerning my beloved hobbies.
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