Rarder Brete, my level 5 fighter in an ongoing OSE game by Idle Doodler, just survived a situation. You see, we were delving (as we ought to!) into some ruin that ratfolk (the most trustworthy folk) told us has a statues with rubies.
Given our level (Rarder 5th, Alfredward 4th, and Koko 4th) and numbers (almost ten of us in total) we were mostly steamrolling through the dungeon... Until we entered a chamber with a large cyclopean statue.
As we edged closer and closer we suddenly heard sounds of leathery flapping, followed by the most sweet melody ever heard by man. Three damn harpies charmed everyone but the chaotic cleric Koko and Rarder's wardog Attila II.
Koko forced harpies to retreat, and then devised a plan to eliminate them. He convinced some local cretins, a horse-girl, and Attila II, to assist him in the rescue operation. All while our charmed characters stood at the edge of the chasm and heavily sighed for their lost loves.
His bold undertaking was a smashing success, and we were back to dungeon plundering, ehm, delving. It turned out that Ioun stone adorned the cyclopean statue! Our first one!
Rarder Brete, a hardened warrior of unpleasant face. He left service in favour of adventuring long ago.
Long deep brown hair and beard only accentuate his stern frown. Despite his age and average physique, he is still more than capable of delivering deadly blows and outmanoeuvring diabolical creatures.
He is currently dressed in Orilandian ornate plate mail covered with a Robe of Protection. Nightswing, his trusted ebony hand-axe, and Dragon's Filter, a magical shield stopping explosions and breath attacks, are his weapons of choice.
Alfredward and Hats are his only friends. Turns out dwarves are better companions in the long run. Hardy. Rarder isn't too happy about his recent debt to a chaotic cleric whom saved his life...
Hmmm... Well, in my take on Wilderlands' Antil, the barbarian capital of Altanis, I've made it so that the true show of power and might is walking through the city unarmed. In a place where even the street urchins carry daggers and similar it sends quite a message. Or an invitation, if you turn out to be a deluded weakling.
Live sessions are 180 minutes, which is usually enough for one expedition. Optional play-by-post is running 24/7.
Since I'm running an online game via Discord and Owlbear Rodeo, I set up play-by-post channel on the former. That's where we resolve in-game downtime days, shopping, urban adventuring, rumour and intelligence gathering, and so on.
Some players use it more frequently than others, but so far it hasn't broken anything. In fact, I think it added layers of richness and aliveness to our game world.
I'm mostly playing TSR D&D in its B/X iteration. I do borrow from other TSR editions at will, and do like reading various retroclones. But why did it stay with me?
Probably because I feel like there's just enough rules and procedures to have great fun in fantastical worlds without becoming too much... And there are seven decades of material written for it... And a great deal of people have played and are playing it, which makes it easy to find solutions to whatever problem I might encounter... Ultimately, it is staying with me because I'm having fun.
Since Wilderlands has nothing to do with Earth, the answer is—neither! It is a world of sword & sorcery where gods walk among the mortals; a world full of sentient races vying for supremacy in a hostile land where nature is the only true ruler; a world where adventurers come and go in scores, with some of them becoming Immortals themselves...
The one I made from all the rules I enjoy. The challenge is in when to stop? For example, my current game of choice is slightly house-ruled D&D B/X. But when I run a session I have a Judge binder with the following:
Historical Names make for Better Games (Dragon Magazine #49)
Different Totes for Different Folks (Dragon Magazine #191)
Select Arduin tables (criticals and fumbles, morale check for hirelings, magikal equipment saving throw matrix, random chance chart for magik weapon, most malignant and malefic miseries known, random fog and mist generation for dungeon rooms, physical character appearance, special ability charts)
There are a lot of procedures that I have at a tip of my fingertips. And most of them are quite situational. Heck, some are about the same thing, but with a different resolution mechanic or results.
Would I want them all in my perfect game? Probably not in the core rulebook. But in a thick supplemental book? Why not!
Four friends to tag... Since I don't have any social medial accounts, I guess I'll resort to sharing four new RPGs to try right here, in this post.
In no special order:
Adventurer Conqueror King System. Built on a D&D B/X chassis with a great number of improvements. Great economy system, game mastering advice, mass combat systems, and class building guidance. The core book is available as SRD.
Arduin. A bonkers system from the late 70's everyone should try at least once. Deadly, fun, and insane. Started as a set of house rules for OD&D and AD&D.
Palladium Fantasy RPG. Another RPG that begun its life as a set of house rules for OD&D and AD&D. Very crunchy, but full of interesting ideas (alignment system for example).
Index Card RPG. Enjoyable and simple game with good advice for players and game masters alike. Very good fit for role-playing with children.
