New Horizons on an old and stitched together horse... (Inactive)

Game Master Helaman

I'm back. My bought of sickness was self inflicted if you catch my meaning. I don't do it often... but do it properly when I do :).

I think, given we have the holiday season upon us, that we can all agree to "best effort"... ie, 'If I can post I'll try otherwise please understand'.

And let me now shuffle things along.

Okay... your thoughts on Initiative systems you like/use?

Maybe just your dexterity score as initiative like Call of Cthulhu? If I want variation I can add a d6 to that but faster people are gonna be faster MOST of the time.

For the ultra calculator types who want to tweak Weapon speed, spell casting etc? then is just a minus against that score (if other tables like that stuff. It IS worthy to note that there was a sort of weapon speed mechanic in BECMI and I believe in OSR... some weapons just go last in the round.

Critical hits... again, not affecting the game as is, I'm thinking just maximum damage rather than roll again, just speeds things up, and as one blogger put it? DMs will crit more (on average) simply because of the amount of monsters etc.

Armored will just force the damage roll is all... but with the benefit of armour penetration.

Saving throws? Maybe just one generic saving throw, with it improving as you level but allowing your stat to benefit the roll? I forget the name of the OSR system that just uses a generic single save number. We can build perks to save based on class like fighters get +2 vs X, Clerics +2 vs Y etc?

Just spitballing as usual. Anyways, interested in your experiences with games that you enjoyed that had a particular mechanic.

I am MOSTLY working over the holidays so I won't have the time to mess with the edits etc I was hoping but the money will be good, and should be able to post in game.

Just checked out Swords and Wizardry for Terion’s possible game - it seems to have one Saving Throw for all. I’m not sure I like it, but haven’t played with it so cannot say with any degree of experience.

To be honest I like things to be simple to not have to remember too much. I feel like too much tinkering will result in me not knowing the rules and floundering. Then again, I don’t even know how to roll initiative the way things are!

Not sure I like it either, still mulling it over. I would like to have some sort of Save ability modifier, depending on what you are saving against (and I think there is an optional rule in S&W for it?), but don't want to overcomplicate things if not necessary.

I’ve played S&W before and the 1 saving throw works fine since none of the saves are tied to a stat. Nevertheless, it is my least favorite way of doing saves but is very simple to play but it may be to simple.

As for critical hits, I like the max damage idea.

Initiative, this is where a lot of games bog down, I’ll give a longer response later.

Anyone helping our Cleric BS his way with the dwarves?

I’m staying in the tent with my mouth shut.

I’m hoping Eddrikk can make up for Sarn’s lack of brains.

I just got about 18 hours of sleep. There is no way to express how important that was to me today... shift work with 2am starts has been trashing me.

And with that out on the table? On with the show,

Things may slow down a bit over the next week or so. If so, 'tis the Season.

Still here, just up a tree super sneaky...for no reason. ;D

Merry Christmas everyone!!

And yep, noted... I'll bump the flow on tomorrow.

Still here, just up a tree super sneaky...for no reason. ;D

A thief has every reason to be up a tree. Even in a dungeon.

Back tomorrow... Christmas and all that.

Merry Christmas!!

And we are back story wise.

Posting may be delayed the next 3 days...

No worries. Have a Happy New Year all. Stay safe.

Happy new year

Happy New Year!

I will resume play tomorrow, either to bump it along a bit or to continue the interrogation

Want me to shake things up a bit and move things along with something dramatic? Otherwise let me know what the next course of action is.

Terion is suggesting a plan :)

@Helaman - you should PM GM Jello of the OSR game you just missed the Recruitment for - they were going to take 9 but are now down to seven and only two have posted in the discussion…if you tell them your love for OSR they’ll probably

Roger roger

Gimme a bit... multiple issues today.

Take your time Helaman.

No hurries Helaman.

Post up and thanks.

The US Wednesday might have some issues with a delay as well... need to travel to visit a mate in a country hospital.

Hope it is nothing too serious...

It ain't good. Blood clot in the brain. His wife noticed he was loopy and got him to the hospital pretty quick but brain injury is never good.

Sorry to hear that Helaman.

@Helaman - I’d prefer to, where possible, roll my own skill rolls moving forward. There is a lot less dice-roll agency in OSR, so the few chances I get I’d like to make!

Thinking about it further, I can see that the roll is kinda “character vs. environment” and thus makes sense for you to roll, and all in the one post made it all move forward much quicker. I guess it depends on how you like to run it, so I’ll just say I’d like to roll them, but it isn’t a big deal if you roll them where it makes sense/speeds things up.

Also, both Terion and Sarn were foraging/hunting, so I was hoping each character would get a chance. Because it was, um… like…totally not my idea in the first place. It was Terion’s. ;)

Happy for you to make your own rolls moving forward, and yeah it was as you said it was to just bump things forwards.

I went with just a single roll, sort of like a aid another approach on the most skilled, with the +1 being a bonus IF the other person has skilled (ie more than 1 in 6) in the skill as you were working as a pair. If you had both split off from each other I'd have done seperate rolls with seperate random/wandering encounter rolls.

One is a supply tent... but thin on supplies. Some canvas bags of hard tack, a small portable stone mill, some half filled bags of grain and a nearly empty barrel of meat jerky... probably horse jerky.

Stone mill.

This is what I had in mind... but even sitting at the same table? Sometimes interpretation is not the same. It's a game of imagination after all!

So, sure, let's go with what I think/believe you have in mind is the US Midwest corn/grain grinder thing. I'm genuinely curious about your end game with that and want to see what you come up with.

Ahh, ok. Yeah I was thinking something more like all metal with bearings, turn-crank, and maybe even a gear ratio to increase torque.

Thanks I was just trying to think up some ways to use Tinker.

Let's run with it! I want to see what happens.

Happy for you to make your own rolls moving forward, and yeah it was as you said it was to just bump things forwards.

I went with just a single roll, sort of like a aid another approach on the most skilled, with the +1 being a bonus IF the other person has skilled (ie more than 1 in 6) in the skill as you were working as a pair. If you had both split off from each other I'd have done seperate rolls with seperate random/wandering encounter rolls.

Yep, all good. And I didn’t consider we might split the split party!

Heard back from our dwarf... he's got a bit on his plate atm so We'll use him as needed but otherwise he'll follow along for a bit.

It ain't good. Blood clot in the brain. His wife noticed he was loopy and got him to the hospital pretty quick but brain injury is never good.

And another round of surgeries.

Apparently even though it was caught "in time" it still did damage that seems to require a perm. Shunt for his spinal and brain fluid.

Talked with him yesterday and I'll be honest, it made me a bit sad because I could see that it's not looking good cognitively. Incidentally he was in his final semester before becoming a lawyer... something that may now be years off... if it happens at all.

I am really sorry to hear this Helaman. Blod clot in the brain is very serious. I wish your friend the best possible recovery, and that he manages to lead a life with quality moving forward.

That sounds pretty crap Helaman. Brain…stuff…is hard on everyone involved. I hope he hets all the help he needs.

Thanks to all of you.

Moradin is all I could think of... it's not forgotten realms.

Also I've a funeral tomorrow (a friends Mum, not the guy in hospitals one thank goodness. I visited him yday and there is a big improvement after a 2nd surgery) so I'm likely offline until the day after.

I’d be happy to expand the deities in Sarn’s pantheon if you like…or really anyone could post their deity of they have one for their character. Funny, the atheist playing the cleric offering to create the pantheon…

Why not? Hasn't stopped anyone else making up gods :)

That said just manifest your own pantheon by RP. I won't say no.

I used the pantheon from Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels (the Endless) for an old homebrew setting. Pretty interesting with their rich history and interactions. Dream, Despair, Destruction, Desire, Delirium (formerly Delight), Death, Destiny.

Sounds okay.

Run with it.

Not for me, she will comfortably stay atheist. :) Just saying, its a great little system of gods imo if you've read the graphic novels and intuit the lore.

Anything more my friends? Letting them go back inside?