OSR/NSR Tabletop Roleplaying Games

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Whither Reddit? In the meantime, here’s a place to chat up old school revival (OSR) and new school revolution (NSR) style TTRPGs.

My name is Todd aka Hexed Press and I am the current caretaker (have I always been the caretaker?). Here are some other places to find me, if you are so inclined:

founded 1 year ago
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Hey Gang,

I'm seeing an uptick in downvoting to, I presume, express displeasure. Please don't. If a topic doesn't speak or appeal to you, move along, please don't downvote it. Please use the downvote button for content that doesn't belong here because it is inappropriate.

Thank you and game on!

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I thought it might be nice to set up a thread in which we can recommend game systems to one another. What do you like? Why? Give us a quick blurb about a game you like and why you think others might like it. Maybe call out if you think it would be good for absolute beginners or folks new to the OSR/NSR. Oh and the genre too. If this gains some steam, I’ll pin it to the sidebar for easy access.

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If your table loves unique worlds, is interested in a seafaring or mercantile campaign, or wanted to enjoy Ultraviolet Grasslands but it felt too picaresque or undirected, this is a book for you. What it will require from the referee, though, is a lot of prep work, both before session 1, and between sessions, and a decent level of confidence with improvisational play.

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Bill Hoyt - My Old Campaign (smolderingdung.itch.io)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Not even sure if I’m ready for playtesters yet or if I’ll even keep working on this, but I had fun making it so far. If you’ve got any thoughts on what would make this more or less playable, it’d probably help me if/when I do get back to working on this.

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I really miss old roleplaying forums where instead of being more "gamelike" you would more write a story together and the rules were more of a self governing expectation that people wouldn't try to take over a story for themselves (which didn't always work as intended). I remember being on one's for everything from warriors to neopets. They were kind of like writing a collaborative fanfiction.

I feel like it could be kinda cool to encourage people to create a story together like this in an online written format again. This game system has:

  • light enough and more story based rules that could probably be adapted to a forum format

  • the setting/type of story is HIGHLY flexible, so each subforum or thread could be wildly different types of stories

Downsides:

  • the book costs money but also this is a small independent game maker and I'm not sure what the best way to encourage people to pay them would be in this context.

  • I don't know how to write bots but you'd probably want there to be some public/impartial dice roller (or in this specific case, a card-puller).

Any other thoughts or other systems that could work well for this or that could provide some guidance for a completely new model?

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It was a bit stressful and confusing at times as new abilities were constantly being piled on, and maybe it was a mistake to choose a system like DCC. If I had it to do over again something simpler, with flatter curves and less wacky stuff injected might make for a smoother ride. But maybe the bumps along the way are what made the ride so memorable to begin with.

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My aim is for it to be a living document that evolves as I run games, scratch out well-used results, add new ones, and add/subtract whole tables. It is also not intended to be a new RPG ruleset or anything like that, but more my reflection of BX D&D. The way I butter my toast.

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The Monsters & Mazes blog has suggested #Hexplore24 to replace #Dungeon23. The idea is to solo play through a newly generated hex each day for a year.

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I'm creating a wagon inventory sheet for my players, who are using slot-based inventory tracking. They want to modify the wagon to have solid walls and a roof, like a vardo. How many slots should I reduce the carrying capacity by? I think the 3d6DTL crew did something similar in their Dolmenwood campaign. Any suggestions on the cost of the modification? We're using OSE Advanced Fantasy. Thanks!

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So you want to take a party from Level 1 to 10+ Ehh? (ucf80c1e23d17f96fcaea8b969b0.previews.dropboxusercontent.com)
submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

Free as it was allways meant to be - no charge free distribution

The Great Flanaess River Adventure

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rrola91bka8e3qy/AAALdfzA99LDdgZJfXKUTtwGa

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After chipping his tooth on a rotten Cadbury Egg! Jack has decided the Easter Bunny needs to die.

Bring Jack the head of the Easter Bunny and receive lifetime supply of Star Bats Crack-O'Chino Drink!

What is your Halloween Costume? Superhero, Witch, Ghost, GI Joe, Pokebeast, Cowboy, Rock Star, Gladiator, or Serial Killer?

Don't forget to fill your bag with loot and candy!

Simple roll stats and then roll under mechanic

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Hey y'all! Just wanted to drop a free d6 of Troika backgrounds from a setting book I've been working on! Can you guess what character inspired what background? A certain time travelling adventure JRPG is the key. Enjoy!

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One comment:

Professor DM just casually creating a masterclass in how to run a megadungeon, giving an entertaining as all hell recount of a campaign, showing a whole mess of incredible miniatures AND bringing a supergroup of creators to present it all, absolutely 10/10 content!

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I've seen people go with the approach that says that you can stunt (ie. achieve an effect different than damage) by simply forfeiting your damage roll if you hit. It's simple and nice, but I think doesn't really add to the game what stunting should - Something out of the box, raising the stakes to gain an advantage somehow, at added peril to yourself. So here is how I would do ii.

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submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

This past year, my home-group have ventured across the much-anticipated Dolmenwood setting. In hexcrawling through this mystical land, I anticipated the classic dungeon-game sandbox experience… you know, hexes and such. Yet, in play we engaged most with Dolmenwood’s mesmerizing pathcrawl, where trails, rivers, and fairy roads intertwined with the classic hexmap terrain.

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https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/298057/A-Rasp-of-Sand

This reminds me very much of Emily Allens Adventures or Mr. Reed's Ten Down.

It has a very OSR vibe to it. Could be very useful in your toolbox to have generational map for the characters. A good why do we delve is always useful.

I used the KELP Forrest a few times now as well as the The TWILIGHT location and encounters tables.

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Swordtember 2023 (forums.hexed.press)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

Anybody else giving Swordtember a try this year? I am giving it ago, despite failing miserably at it last year. One wrinkle for me: I'm not limiting myself to swords. I hereby dub it, Weaptember!

As it is also #WIPWednesday, here's the write-up on my first weapon:

Gorger, the Club of Blebazabu

Chaotic great club +2 / +4 vs Law, INT 9 EGO 8, COM empathy, POW illusion generation / detect law

This was the war club of the demon, Blebazabu, lost somewhere on the prime material plane. Legend places it at the bottom of a steep crater hidden under a sea of ice.

Though the great demon cannot leave his abyssal abode, it is said his servants are ever seeking for the club. Woe betide the world should they find it!

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I'm currently running an OSE Advanced campaign with some friends. Any suggestions on activities in the village that the party has established as a home base for a fall festival? I'm thinking of a log rolling (dex), ale drinking (con), etc., but I would love some creative things to add to the mix and make it more fun. Zany is always welcome with this group of players!

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During my marathon pointcrawl across the country, I had a Gamemastering epiphany: everything should have a cost!

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One of the best let's play examples of old school play!

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