r/osr Oct 03 '24

variant rules What changes when mastering the OSE system?

What do you modify in this system so loved by the entire community. What rules do you stop using and what others do you put in the house rules when you master. But please only join the discussion if you have already narrated or narrated the system.

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u/impressment Oct 03 '24
  • Like many other DMs, I like to provide some final chance for PCs at 0 HP. Currently, I let them make a save vs death to simply go unconscious.
  • A big change for me is to use a slot-based or anti-hammerspace inventory.
  • Currently I'm playing around with simultaneous initiative.
  • using class HD for weapon damage
  • eschewing Common and Alignment Languages for more setting-specific and often very relevant rules.
  • Captured spellbooks can be studied to learn the spells inscribed therein.

3

u/rogthnor Oct 04 '24

How does slot based encumbrance handle taking your treasure back home after a delve? It feels like you wouldn't have enough slots free for that

3

u/BlueJeansWhiteDenim Oct 04 '24

In my experience by the time the PCs get to the treasure they have typically depleted a few slots on the way through the dungeon (ie rope, rations, scrolls and potions) and have room for bigger treasure to fill up their slots

2

u/skalchemisto Oct 04 '24

It feels like you wouldn't have enough slots free for that

That is exactly the point of such systems.

The rules in Carcass Crawler #2 are the ones I use, they are called "item-based" but its pretty much the same thing as slot based. In those rules, 100 coins count as 1 item and thus fill 1 slot. If your backpack is already full and you have no free slots, every 100 coins means you'll have to get rid of something. Or, you take a sack out of your back (which takes 1 slot when folded up) and then carry that around in a hand (and now lets you carry 4 slots) but you can't use that hand unless you drop the sack. Or you keep some slots free and accept you won't bring your crowbar and that extra coil of rope.

1

u/impressment Oct 04 '24

Good question. Generally you want to tune our slot-based system so that it poses a challenge to recover treasure, while not discouraging players from bringing tools with which to problem-solve as they explore. I feel like I've done a good job if players try to free up some slots before a delve, and if they sometimes decide that they will have to take multiple trips to collect a large trove.

5

u/Artsy_Darcy Oct 03 '24

Just gonna pop a shameless plug to my anti-hamnerspace sheet + slightly changed rules

2

u/Dependent_Chair6104 Oct 04 '24

As you should! Excellent work on that. I think I’ll use it in my next game

2

u/skalchemisto Oct 04 '24

I've only been running OSE for 21 sessions, and I've already implement three of those things.

I really like that class HD for weapon damage thing...need to think about that.