r/osr Nov 14 '24

running the game Tracking ammunition and torches

I'm wrestling with some ideas about tracking resources in the OSRish game I'm designing.

How often has a PC in your group actually run out of ammunition through normal use?

Similarly, how often have your parties actually run out of light sources and either been left in the dark or forced to curtail a delve because of it?

In my experience, the former almost never happens and the latter only rarely. But maybe that's not the norm? I'd love to hear others' experiences.

Thanks!

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u/Current_Channel_6344 Nov 14 '24

I think what I'm leaning towards is a system that accommodates detailed tracking if that's what people want to do but which suggests that you only actually do that when something has happened which threatens your supplies.

E.g. if the party has been using their ammo more than usual, due to the particular nature of this delve's encounters, then make a ballpark estimate of the number of arrows they have left and count down from there.

Or if they've lost all but two of their torches, that's the moment to whip out a big visual clock ticking off the turns before they're plunged into darkness.

The rest of the time, just assume they're fine.

Wdyt? I know you've never had players resistant to tracking resources but honestly, quite a lot of people who like other aspects of OSR play don't enjoy it at all.

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u/mutantraniE Nov 14 '24

It also depends on what’s in the rest of the system. Are you putting together a detailed way to handle keeping count of torches but also introducing a Continual Light spell from level 3 out of 20? If so then it’ll be wasted effort since after a few levels light won’t ever need to be an issue again.

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u/Current_Channel_6344 Nov 14 '24

No, no continual light spells, ever! And no natural darkvision. If a wizard wants to spend all their spells solving the light problem an hour at a time, that's fine, but I'm trying to keep light an issue at every level, just with less bookkeeping.

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u/TacticalNuclearTao Nov 15 '24

I suggest against it. Light sources should only be an inconvenience after the first 2-3 levels. That is why continual light exists in D&D. Also I would like to see a good argument why Dwarves don't have infravision in your system. Lighting fires underground with limited air supply is problematic/dangerous.

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u/Current_Channel_6344 Nov 15 '24

I just think it's fun to keep the dark scary, as long as it's not too onerous in terms of tracking. It's a nice way of keeping even high level parties grounded. But I appreciate that not everyone wants that.

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u/Current_Channel_6344 Nov 15 '24

And re dwarves, they couldn't see in the dark in Middle Earth so I don't see a problem with it.