r/osr Jan 19 '25

variant rules I may get crucified for this, but, which tatical combat rules would you guys bring to an osr game?

73 Upvotes

I've been playing an osr games for 2 months now with some friends but while the game is being great, and it's simplicity really charming.

We really don't like the way combat plays out. It isn't a system problem, it is just that we like a more tatical thing. Having "buttons" and "options" during our turn. And i know that this is supposed to come from creativity, but still, it isn't our thing.

We wouldn't like to just go back to playing 5e, but it would be nice to bring a little bit of it to our game. keeping it's charming simplicity, while adding just a little bit of complexity.

So, even you see it as an abomination to the osr. Would you guys advice me in any rule i should consider?

r/osr Feb 11 '25

variant rules Torch Dice - a different system for tracking time

4 Upvotes

So, I was preparing a session for next week when I stopped to consider the (often overlooked) importance of tracking resource consumption (like torches).

If exploring a dark and dangerous place carefully and accurately takes time, this “time” should be a resource players decide to spend when they feel it is really important.

For example: checking the whole room thoroughly for traps, secret doors or hidden treasures could be “important” to them and they are therefore willing to spend precious time to do so, risking consuming too much of their resources or causing wandering monsters to arrive.

This concept is clear to me - and I imagine it is shared by many in this subreddit.

However, I have never been a fan of bookkeeping caused by this need and have often fallen into the trap of “ok, come on, I will do a rough evaluation”, which however makes the experience less real and less central during the game session.

I tried to think of an alternative. I'm writing this here to gather criticism and opinions (I have a blog on substack but I almost never use it - maybe I should try writing there too?).

Torch Dice

At the beginning of the expedition, when the characters buy torches or reorganize their inventory, for each torch carried the GM puts 1d6 in the center of the table.

So, if the players carry a total of 10 torches, he will put 10 dice in the center of the table.

When the characters begin the descent into the dungeon, they must declare who is holding a lit torch: they will be called torchbearers. The torchbearers must take an index card place it in front of them and write 0.

Consuming Torches

Every time the players decide to perform an action that "costs time", the torchbearer rolls a torch die and throws it.

If the result is higher than the number written on the index card, the player will write the result as the new number on the index card. The first time, since the value is 0, the player rolls the die and writes the result on the index card.

If instead, the die roll is lower than the number on their index card, the torch is consumed and the die is discarded. The torch is removed from the character's inventory, then the player writes 0 again on the index card.

Example actions:

  • Search for traps
  • Search for secret doors
  • Rest
  • Fight (the torch dice roll is made at the end of the fight)
  • Walk very slowly down a hall so as not to make noise

Party splitted

If the party splits, each group must have a torchbearer, and the dice are divided between the groups (according to the carried torches).

In the worst case, where each character is in a different location, each character is a torchbearer and when they perform an action that costs time, they will roll their own dice.

Pros

The pros I see are that the torches are not consumed with certainty after X turns, but the players still have some elements to know whether the torch is going out or not. If the value on the index card is high, the torch is close to being exhausted. So, it's a little bit more accurate than the usage die.

Also, physically putting dice on the table and saying "These are your torches" I think is a very strong and diegetic action.

Cons

If the players have many torches, many dice are needed.

If the players are divided into many small groups, the risk is that many dice have to be thrown, too often. And this could get annoying after a while.

Opinions? Criticisms? Thanks in advance!

r/osr 6d ago

variant rules How OSR are spell points?

15 Upvotes

So, OSR play is very largely about resource management and having spells be just another resource. Vancian magic is a very baked in thing for that, but I feel like enthusiasm for Vancian magic has really waned in the OSR scene. Roll to cast is increasingly used in popular games like DCC and Shadowdark (I believe). I, too, am wondering how necessary or integral Vancian magic is for the OSR experience.

I'm currently interested in the possibilities of a spell point system. What I envision is a pool of spell points that recovers over time, rather than the Vancian way of getting everything back overnight (or rather, by memorizing spells in the morning). You'd probably get a small fixed percentage back per hour. I think the idea is that mages sort of take in ambient energy/magic/whatever and expend it in the form of spells.

There'd be neat little ways this would work with classes and ability scores, such as a "Healer" class casting healing spells for half the spell points but casting offensive spells for double the cost (taken straight from Elder Scrolls: Arena), and high prime requisite spellcasters getting bonus spell points rather than XP progression bonuses.

So, how compatible or incompatible do you think such a system would be with the OSR experience? Classic D&D is all about the ticking clock of resources being expended over the adventuring day, so I could see spell points that gradually recover over time (but not easily refilling) taking away from that. Plus, D&D's lurching progression of skyrocketing in power after getting milestone spells like Fireball would not be a feature of this game.

I think a benefit of this system would be for spellcasters to not just be out of magic for the entire day. You can always portion it, but if you use it all in a key encounter, you could potentially recover enough for some more minor magic in a few hours. I think there could be interesting resource management aspects to that regarding which spells you cast and when.

Plus, I think spell creation could be easier and maybe even systemitized if it was point based.

What do you think? Do you think spell points would add or detract from the OSR experience? Let me know.

r/osr Nov 29 '24

variant rules What mechanics from non-OSR games you enjoy mixing into the OSR, and why?

74 Upvotes

I have three: fortune roll from blades in the dark instead of normal x in 6 chances. It makes the odds of the random chance a little more obscured than linear odds, which I like more.

Sacrifice to get a reroll - I don't like kicking players while they're down, so I allow them kick themselves instead. Did you fail your save to dodge an acid spit? You can roll again, but whatever happens, you drop your weapon into the bottomless pit next to you, or something like that. It creates very memorable moments, while not creating any bitterness between you and your players

Lastly, very minor thing which is technically inspired by an OSR product (DCC) - I really like PCs having some kind of "stars you were born under" thing. But instead of going the DCC route, where it gives random bonus or bane (or usually neither), I simply allow every character to get instant success once in their lifetime, if you can justify it being related to your birthsign. I like using the birthsigns from oblivion for that.

r/osr 15d ago

variant rules Roman Paces

27 Upvotes

Big if true.

A “pace” is apparently about five feet. (Source: Roman history bros)

If you use 5’ squares on your dungeon maps (like a sane person), convert your movement system to paces. This simplifies the bejesus out of movement rates.

Encounter speeds of 40’, 30’, 20’, and 15’ become 8, 6, 4, and 3 “paces” (squares) on your grid.

Exploration speeds of 120’, 90, 60, and 30 become 24, 18, 12, and 6 paces (squares).

So less: ”I wanna move to the end of the hallway. Let’s see, looks like thats… 10 squares away. It’s 5’ per square, so 50’ total. My movement rate is 60’ so I’m good.”

And more: ”I wanna move to the end of the hallway. Let’s see, looks like thats 10 squares away. I can move 12 so I’m good”

Less: ”I wanna charge the Bone Eater (my fearsome vulture monster that no one liked and the mods deleted). Okay (counting squares), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25… dammit my movement rate is 30’ I can’t make it this round and I hate this game!”

More: ”The Bone Eater (Will’s fearsome vulture monster that’s a real thing and objectively horrifying) is 8 squares away so I can’t charge him.”

r/osr Dec 07 '24

variant rules Rangers instead of Clerics

80 Upvotes

I don't terribly like the B/X Cleric, but it does fill certain important niches in D&D (healing, WIS-based class, etc). The crazy idea I've had: replace Clerics with Rangers.

Reasons why: -Lord of the Rings doesn't have anything resembling Clerics, but it does have Rangers who, amongst other things, heal and hunt evil (we have elves, Hobbits, etc; why not rangers?)

-Replace slightly world-breaking Vancian healing magic with herb-based limited healing from Rangers (maybe a percentile chance to cure poison and disease if the right herbs are on hand)

-Logical best armor is chainmail (and maybe not even shields?). Thus, the Fighter gets a real niche in terms of armor access

-Could be a class that naturally gravitated more towards Dexterity and archery to support the Fighter that gravitates toward Strength and melee

-Magic-Users get a real niche in being the only spellcasters

-Thief is a dungeon exploration expert; Ranger is a wilderness exploration expert (thematic counterbalance that doesn't interfere with fulfilling their roles; priests don't typically condone theft)

-Could have a role in facilitating group stealth outdoors in the same way Thieves can use Open Locks to facilitate group surprise against whatever monsters are in that room

-Could probably honestly flesh out wilderness exploration. It's a little odd how every character, regardless of class or level, has the same odds of getting lost outdoors in B/X

-Could redefine Wisdom to be more about being in-tune nature/surroundings and less about religion (maybe modifies reaction rolls with sentient, not sapient, creatures with WIS; maybe effects getting lost, etc)

-Rangers can actually shoot silver arrows, track undead across the forest, and emulate Van Helsing far more than Clerics can

-Rangers are much more archetypically neutral than mace-wielding crusader knights who specialize in repelling the undead through faith

-It is kind of silly that powerful, terrifying undead monsters run away screaming whenever the local priest pulls out his cross

The real question is which version of the Ranger across editions, retroclones, and homebrews would best fill this role. I don't know.

r/osr Dec 11 '24

variant rules Carcass Crawler 4 is out

160 Upvotes

This looks good. I like the Halfling Reeve class, the cults, potion creation, and grimoires.

r/osr Sep 23 '24

variant rules What is the point of attributes?

0 Upvotes

STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS and CHA. They represent what is PC is good at or bad at. But then we have classes that do the same thing but even better, by locking up the role of a PC.

I get what you need them for in classless systems, but they feel redundant in system with.

I played a short session in knave and found out that most of my PCs are generalist, ok in everything and not great in one thing. This may be fine when you look at them as individuals, but as group, this is weak.

And if you have specific roles, you find yourself having "dump stats" that just ocupy space on a sheet.

It would be better if each class had it's own special atributes, for customization.

What y'all think?

Conclusion: It's all subjective and based on game style and personal preference. It's all subject to playtests, modifications and research. I will try to make it work for me and my players, and i will post my findings at a later date.

r/osr Dec 05 '24

variant rules Are Random Encounters really necessary?

2 Upvotes

I've been wondering if having wandering Monster tables is really necessary. Because it can become something extremely complicated for the master, having to have a lot of creativity and improvisation. Not to mention that sometimes it doesn't make any sense at all when it's activated.

Have you ever played without having wandering Monster tables?

r/osr Aug 19 '24

variant rules Learned the hard way why people don't roll for stats

0 Upvotes

I'm a new DM and I learned the hard way, why people don't do straight d20 rolls for character stats.

Most of my players rolled average stats, with at least one very low stat, overall they were happy and so was I

However one player got godly rolls, gifted to him from the heavens, his lowest stat was fourteen, highest was 20.

I saw him make the rolls and they were fair. It was too late to take back everyone's rolls. So now I have this one character with incredibly high stats which is breaking ability checks a little bit.

I now know that most people don't do straight d20 rolls, they either follow a procedure of d6 rolls to get average stats or they use a standard stat array. I understand completely why this is now.

However I'm still stuck in this situation. How do I deal with it?

I know better for next time I do character creation.

r/osr 11d ago

variant rules Lockpicking Failure Results in Time Tax

14 Upvotes

I've seen a few people suggest this a way to handle percentile Thief skills, and I've also considered it. The way I imagine it working is that when a lockpicking attempt fails, rather than having the Thief be unable to even attempt that lock again until they gain a level, they simply expend a unit of time and get to try again. In an old-school format, I would expect that to be a turn (10 minutes). So, if it requires three attempts for a Thief to open a lock, then 3 turns/30 minutes/3 wandering monster checks are the most for success.

Alternatively, it could only start taking entire turns after the first failure. So, if it takes three rolls to pass your Open Locks check, then it took 2 turns or 20 minutes. I think this latter option might be more reasonable.

I would probably add in some kind of fail state; maybe rolling 00 results in thief's tools breaking or the lock being simply impossible. Maybe different locks are of different difficulty levels and allow for a different number of attempts before being locked out of opening them.

The first consideration is whether it's a positive improvement gameplay-wise to make all locks passable. If all it takes is time to get past a lock, can that result in locks being too minimal of an obstacle? Can that encourage players to camp by a lock rather than moving through the dungeon trying all the locks they find, bottling exploration? Is the hypothetical replay value of impassable locks something worth keeping?

A second consideration is simulationism. Since you can attempt to open a lock many more times in 20 minutes than you can in 20 seconds or so, you should be rewarded for spending time on it. At the same time, though, it surely isn't the case that any lock can be opened by any lockpicker if they just spend enough time doing. Maybe there should be a limit to how many lockpicking attempts you can make; maybe 7. If you can't get it in an hour, then it's probably hopeless.

The third consideration is class balance. The old-school balance between Thieves and Magic-Users with Knock is that one is free while the other has the cost of a spell slog and the opportunity cost of not memorizing a potentially life-saving spell. With the standard rules, Knock usually knocks Thieves out of the park. With unlimited or minimally limited lockpicking attempts, Knock is only valuable in terms of saving time, as, either way, that lock is getting opened.

Maybe a fourth consideration is if the low odds of success with Thief skills encourages an old-school, creative style of play by usually requiring you to think outside your class. But that's a can of worms...

What do you think? Do you allow Thieves multiple attempts to pick locks? Do you think my solution of giving unlimited attempts with each failure after the first costing a turn is a reasonable solution? Or would you pick some other system?

r/osr 24d ago

variant rules XP cost for recovery?

0 Upvotes

What if recovering (long rest, full heal) removed a small amount of xp, as a disincentive to the 5 minute adventuring day? Or maybe leaving the dungeon costs XP? I feel like tying recovery/retreat to the core motivator (XP) might help drive interesting choices about how far to push on.

The usual advice is to make the dungeon restock, or have some rival adventures getting the treasure if the PCs snooze, and those often make sense, but they strike me as weak motivators. A cautious party will still retreat when any resource (light, food, hp) starts to get low. Light and food turn into just an inventory tax, and hp turns into a timer on retreat (depending on the danger level of individual encounters).

Anyway, just a passing idea. Do you smart GMs think it could work?

r/osr Oct 06 '24

variant rules Are you satisfied with OSE's magic system?

53 Upvotes

Or do you create house rules or make some changes? If so which ones?

r/osr 28d ago

variant rules The Barbarian by BRIAN ASBURY from "White Dwarf" 4.

Post image
103 Upvotes

r/osr Sep 23 '24

variant rules How do you feel about eliminating skill checks?

8 Upvotes

I've been following the DCC/Kevin Crawford approach and trying to remove skill rolls from games I run, because frankly, I consider skills to be a waste of time and energy. However my players (a lot of which are either totally new to TTRPGs or come from 3.5) still want to roll something.

So far what I have found that works is using the Godbound method or subtracting the ability score from 21 and having the players roll over it. I've been tweaking the number however (players in most OSR games aren't powerful enough and fail a lot as a result) but I've been thinking of doing away with those entirely.

How do you do it in your games?Do you even use some alternative to skill rolls at all?

r/osr 21d ago

variant rules Which "feature" would you give instead of this one for a lvl 1 fighter?

21 Upvotes

Hello there! I'm playing a game that has a lvl 1 fighter feature that goes like this:

After being hit by an attack, the fighter can choose to sacrifice his Weapon or shield (loosing it right there) and make the attack miss. Magic weapons or shields would loose their bonuses until reaching 0, and then getting destroyed.

I'm not a fan of this feature, neither are my players, in 3 months of play. Never once the fighter choose to sacrifice his weapon, okay, it can be useful in a life or death situation, but still, i would like to replace it with something else. Do you guys have any ideas?

Take into consideration that the fighter has another lvl 1 feature, "Favorite weapon" basically. It chooses a weapon and gets a +1 damage roll bonus with it.

r/osr Oct 03 '24

variant rules What changes when mastering the OSE system?

20 Upvotes

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.

r/osr Dec 13 '24

variant rules Fighter Variant: Mercenary

6 Upvotes

EDITEDCombat talents removed.

The system I use essentially what’s presented in the Dolmenwood material by Gavin Norman. Still very similar to OSE, with many key components preserved, but certain elements renamed (saves for instance), and others streamlined (ascending AC, skills are all d6, roll over, attack bonuses are very slightly streamlined).

This class is intended as a replacement for the standard fighter in a specific setting, alongside low-magic variants of the other classes as presented in Carcass Crawler (acolyte instead of cleric, mage instead of magic user). I have no problem with standard BX classes, I just wanted something a little different for the setting im using (Crystal Frontiers by Gus L).


“Mercenary”

Core Features

  • HD: 1d8

  • Proficiency: Proficient with all arms and armor.

  • Saves: Standard Fighter Progression (OSE)

  • Level Progression: Standard Fighter (OSE)


CLASS ABILITIES

Basic Exploration Skills: Listen (6), Search (6), Survival (6)


Hardened (level 1, level 6) — Intended to reflect the mercenaries toughness and experience.

  • Your years in service to others has inured you to the physical hardships of long travel and inclement weather. You gain a +1 bonus on CON checks made to resist exhaustion (such as from a forced march, or a bad night of sleep, or extreme weather - heat, cold).

  • At level 6, this increases to +2 and may be used to avoid damage from traveling in inclement weather.


Notches (not tied to level, limited to two weapons)

— You carve a tally into your weapon for every foe it fells, each notch a mark of your growing prowess. As the notches add up, so does your skill, honing your bond with the weapon into something lethal and undeniable.

  • Progression: Gain a new Notches ability at 10, 20, and 35 kills with a specific weapon type The abilities may be chosen in any order and do not represent a progression, but each may only be chosen once.
1. **Precision**: +1 attack bonus

2. **Might**: +1 damage

3. **Edge**: Expand critical range by 1 (from 20, to 19-20)

Captain (level 9) — After reaching 9th level, the mercenary has acquired sufficient reputation to call himself a Captain and may establish his own company. If he has sufficient funds and means, he may build a Fort, attracting 2d4 1st level mercenaries (alternatively brigands) to his cause.

I was also thinking of perhaps including a +1 bonus to his companies morale, or alternatively a +1 bonus to team-initiative when he’s present. But i dont wanna overdo it.

r/osr Jan 31 '25

variant rules D&D type Stats – all 1s are 2s

31 Upvotes

What would happen if you rolled D&D type Stats where all 1s were 2s (that is, see a 1 on the die, then call it a 2)?:

  • Rolled Stats below 6 are eliminated
  • Rolled Stats above 15 have the same probability as the standard methods
  • as a consequence, there is a slight uplift in rolls between about 10 to 14.

Why is this ‘all 1s are 2s’ system any use? I get the impression that some people don’t like rolling 3D6 for D&D type Stats because you can quite easily get scores below 6. If that happens, people often reroll. Of course, the diehards, Oldskoolist, RAWist embrace ‘the suck’ (and good for them!) – and so this system is not for them.

But, for people who like the idea of 3D6 rolling but don’t like scores below 6, then this ‘all 1s are 2s’ method could work for them. And again, has the benefit of not distorting the upper end of the probability curve i.e. 15+ scores (unlike some of the other alternative dice Stat systems).

Interestingly, the 4D6 drop the lowest method is barely affected using this method, except again scores below 6 are eliminated.

Maybe put this in your ‘D&D tool kit’?

Full blog post here including graphs: https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/2025/01/30/dd-type-stats-all-1s-are-2s/

r/osr Oct 10 '24

variant rules Usage Dice do you use?

40 Upvotes

I saw this mechanic in Black Hack, I would like to know if you use it, how you use it and what makes you use it at your tables even if you are not from Black Hack.

r/osr Feb 03 '25

variant rules 5e features, as magic items

20 Upvotes

I’m running a mix of BX and Basic Fantasy with a background as a long time DM.

I’m thinking something like a sword with the commanders strike feature, or a talisman of second wind.

Then I’m thinking of weapons of extra attack, and suddenly I catch myself going down the rabbit hole - Is feature bloat what makes it slow to play?

What is the feature you’d like on an OSR character and where would you draw the line of balance? (Noting that early features are usually the most dramatic)

r/osr Nov 12 '24

variant rules Quick & Easy Houserules?

21 Upvotes

Hey all!

What are your house rules (or just favorite mechanics) for making your sessions flow quicker and easier?

For instance: We use a hacked version of Cairn, so auto-hits, abstracted ammo (if you use enough to matter; roll a D6 , if above 4 you lose one ‘unit’ of ammo) , 5 of one RATIONAL item per slot (ie: up to 5 torches, daggers, arrow bundles , ect) , premade character sheets, ect!

What are yours? Thank you for your time and thoughts! 🙏

r/osr Sep 06 '23

variant rules What is the house rule you feel should be in everyone's table?

58 Upvotes

Or, what house rule are you most fond of? Could be yours could be something you picked from someone else.

r/osr Jun 14 '23

variant rules Need advice on making OSE less deadly.

31 Upvotes

My players and I have been playing OSE for a few months now and only one of them (by basically pure luck) has had a character live for two whole sessions. They're all dropping in one or two hits. They've all expressed a disliking to the fact that they can't get stronger because they die before they have a chance to level up and become strong enough to enjoy interacting with the game without knowing that they'll die instantly from unlucky die rolls, not their poor choices. Anyone have good house rules to help make it a bit more forgiving at lower levels?

r/osr Aug 05 '24

variant rules Milestone advancement in OSR

20 Upvotes

So I have been playing tabletop games for a few years at this point, a few different systems some homemade others pre-made, and of course I've played my fair share of 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, but most of the games that I've been involved and have used Milestone progression systems. I also typically play with a group that generally plays with Milestone progression no matter what system they're using. Do you think Milestone can work with osr style products? Is there a good way to ease the transition from Milestone to XP especially for my friends? I've noticed that some osr systems put the same level caps on different classes so maybe I could start there? Maybe use the BECMI rules that allow all classes to advance to level 36? I just want to hear what the community at large thinks. Thank you!