How to Get Started with Old-School D&D

[Links and information to support Austin, TX Birth of D&D Celebration.]

Updated OSR Resource Page

Email me, [email protected] if you are looking to get into a local game. Or, if you want to run a game and are looking for players. There is a relatively large community of players in central Texas.

How to get started playing old-school for free has already detailed this better than I can. I will reiterate two links that attempt to explain what old-school style of play means.

A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming by Matt Finch - The first of the popular guides to old-school D&D, by someone who has been instrumental in the popularization of the hobby in recent years.

The Principia Apocrypha by Ben Milton, Steven Lumpkin, and David Perry (with Evlyn Moreau) - The most recent guide to the principles of old-school gaming, lovingly illustrated and filled with elements of wisdom collected in the years since Matt Finch wrote his.

Rules

Old School Essentials Basic Rules Free PDF. I recommend these for people who do not know where to start. They are reformatted B/X.

Original Rules PDF I do not recommend for typical play. Only for historical interest or for those wishing to recreate the first ever D&D experience.

Blogs

Look to the right -> "Explore!" lists most recent post from scores of blogs I've Favorited. Most are OSR related.

This blog's OSR labeled Posts.

Youtubes

Questing Beast - Reviews of new products, learn about all the great things you didn't know exist.

Bud's RPG Reviews - Reviews of (mostly) original out-of-print games and products.

and so many more.

Celebrate the Birth of D&D, January 26th

Celebrate the Birth of D&D

Austin, TX D&D micro-convention

January 26th, 2020, noon to 5pm

Emerald Tavern

On January 26th 1974 (or thereabouts) the first rule books for D&D were published for sale. Come celebrate and rediscover the original edition of the game with experienced referees from the local area.

Several referees will be available to run games, using the original rules, house ruled or not, OD&D, AD&D, B/X, BECMI, or their retro equivalent.

No materials are needed. Pencils, paper and dice are optional. Characters will be rolled at the table or provided.

Currently scheduled referees:

• Steven Clark (and the event organizer)
• Jimm Johnson
• Tres Churchill
• Lawson Benett
• Norman Harman (me)
• Kevin Searle
• Nathan Jennings
• Anthony Huso

More information and to register interest (as a player or referee) visit the Austin D&D and Tabletop Meetup page.

---

[While googling for the above LBB image I found this blog, Why OD&D is my (sometimes) favorite RPG. Which, hey, I wrote! Rereading it, other than cringing at my writing style/voice, I get the same craving for hunk of open fire roasted meat. Although now, B/X is my system of choice to satiate that hunger. It sharpened my understanding of what I enjoy in this style of game. Quoting from the designer notes of my Wilderlands Campaign Book;

I really enjoy how B/X leans more towards “a game” than towards “story time” or towards “tactical battle simulator”. Players move their game piece around a “board”. Rather than being their game piece. A subtle distinction. Backgrounds, goals, character growth are emergent rather than preconceived and related. B/X is play over narration.

B/X is built to be a game of exploration and acquisition of mechanical power (levels, items, gold). Which is what I often want. When I don't I use some other rules. They all have a place.]

2020 Central Texas RPG Conventions

OwlCon Feb 28th - March 1st, 2020

On campus, Rice University in Houston, TX https://owlcon.com/
I've been to this great little convention several times. 

ChupacabraCon VII May 1-3, 2020

Wow! Hard to believe this is in its 7th year. I remember backing the (failed) Kickstarter for the first one. Right here in Austin (well Round Rock). https://tabletop.events/conventions/chupacabracon-vii

North Texas RPG Convention June 4-7, 2020

The Texas Old School convention. Really, really great. Meet and play with folks who invented this hobby. Always interesting auction. Many great artists attend. In Dallas/Ft Worth area https://ntrpgcon.com/

http://lonestargameexpo.com/

http://www.freerpgday.com/

https://boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/21/bggcon-2019-preview

Commissioned Conan The Barbarian Artwork

After seeing the work of a local artist, Wiley Ross, at my local cafe. I asked if he'd be interested in doing a commission based on my favorite still from "Conan The Barbarian" movie.

This was his answer.

It is huge, larger than life size, about 5ft x 5ft.  The quotes are from the movie ("Grab him and take him" is a, probably mangled, Grace Jones line from CtD). I love it.

I've bought a fair bit of original art, mostly from "RPG" artists. But, this was first piece I've commissioned. Probably not the last.

Role Play Rally, Austin TX July 16-17, 2016

Booyah!

roleplayrally.com

South Austin Two day RPG Convention.  Role Play Rally is 100% Adventurer's League. Which fits into my recent interest in AL. I mostly DM and was really jonesing to play (as a player).  I knew I couldn't commit to a campaign or regular schedule.  Adventurer's League to the rescue. It has downsides, because it's rarely the same group or DM, there less campaign/character/story building.  But you can take and play your character anywhere. Back to Role Play Rally ...

The highlight is the "Reclamation of Phlan" Epic. Multiple groups will be playing the same adventure at the same time.  One table's actions can impact the others. It's neat concept and I'm excited to be participating as a DM.

See you at Role Play Rally!

Planet Eris House Rules PDF

As I've mentioned several times in the past, many Austin area gammers, including myself, play and run campaigns in a shared world we call Planet Eris. Mostly at various FLGS. There are now two online roll20.net games as well (if interested in joining search that site for tags "ODD" or "Eris").

We share a set of house rules, which aren't exactly how I'd like things (but they are darn close). And what little fantasy heartbreak I incur is more than made up from having multiple DMs and players all interacting in the same world.

Thought others might be interested in the actual rules so with author's permission and without further ado I present the

Planet Eris: House Rules PDF

Pleskos Map

Yes it is a map of Pleskos (Gatetown), an adventurer boom town, outside ruins of Anatolis. Made for online, roll20, campaign I'm currently running.

Not all that exciting (the town is more interesting than map, probably post write up after players learn about most of it). Guess I'm posting it to encourage others to post their stuff. Even if you're crappy at art like me, or think it's dumb or boring, throw your shit out there. I bet somebody, someday will get a kick out of it. Or better get that push they need to do something of their own. Reading peoples blogs and seeing the stuff they do, has certainly kept me creating and playing.

Click it HUGE!

Point Crawl Map, Durthos Region

In Planet Eris, campaign shared by Austin area DMs/players, I'm currently DMing an area around Durthos, "city of adventure". This area is fairly civilized, known, and small. My campaign focuses on city adventure and possibly exploring ruins / megadungeon, not wilderness exploration. All around great candidate for a Point Crawl map. 

The following map will be used on roll20 starting Friday (OD&D 6:30 CST, contact me if interested). Circles represent villages, city of Durthos and Valum Auster, a fort. "Heraldry" of controlling power is shown for all but two. A camp of miners too small to care about and adventurer supply boom-town outside Anatolis ruins/megadungeon which no one has control over.  I included the population of each village to provide players some perspective.  Also on "DM Layer" of roll20 I have names of NPCs, Inns, and the like for each town.  Blue triangles are "adventure" points.  Dashed red lines represent actual road.  Other lines are more abstract connections between points. Each link takes one day of normal foot travel. Except lines with blue dots are only 1/2 day.  Large red dots are "points" with nothing really interesting there and exist only to split longer routes into one day chunks. 

Clicky to embiggen

The time to move between points and if there is a link at all depends not only on distance but also more abstract factors such as knowledge of route, how often route is used, difficulty of terrain, and frankly DM fiat. But players aren't strictly limited to the connections. The links are just the easy, fast routes when they just want to get to big city and back. For example there's not even chance for encounter in northern half of map (between civilized dots). 

Compared to "hand-waving" a trip to big city, Point crawl provides more context (for verisimilitude, to riff off of, chance for unexpected, pointing out "cool stuff is on these dots, go there", etc.) for players and DM. But, aren't as "slow" to create or play as hexcrawling. What I've done here isn't the only way to use point crawl. They can also be used for traditional, exploratory crawl the wilderness as in The Hydra Collective's Slumbering Ursine Dunes. And in modified form, a way to map and run a huge ruined city. But, that is a post for another time...

"The Family" Thieves Guild

The Family Thieves Guild PDF

The Family

The thieves guild of Durthos calls itself "The Family".

Many rumors surround the Guild:

1. Main hideout is hidden as noble's mannor.2. Ruled by powerful monster; Succubus, lich, demon, vampire.3. Controled / Controls Noble family.4. Stealing from dead is prohibited.

Family Traditions
The family has long standing unwritten code that is well understood by its members. These traditions are one reason The Family has
survived and prospered.

• Don't cheat, steal from, or harm The Family or its friends.• Non-family operators must be reported and unsanctioned Jobs disrupted.• Jobs must be approved by Brother / Sister.• The Haul from a Job must be sold through Family.• During a job, murder, maiming, and property damage are to be avoided.• The Family does not steal from the dead.

Family Ranks
Members receive a Family name. The number of syllables in one's name denotes their rank.

"Cousin" 1 syllable name
levels 1-3.
20% haul fee.
Fence goods at 50% value minus haul fee.
Safe goods/gold Stash: 10% fee on withdrawal.
Assistance if caught by law, local, mark, etc.

"Brother / Sister" 2 syllable name
levels 4-8
15% haul fee.
Fence goods at 50% value minus haul fee.
Safe goods/gold Stash: 5% fee on withdrawal.
Assistance if caught by law, local, mark, etc.
Access to safe houses.
May plan Jobs, recruit Cousins.

"Uncle / Aunt" 3 syllable name
level 9+
10% haul fee.
Fence goods at 75% value minus haul fee.
Safe goods/gold Stash: 5% fee on withdrawal.
Assistance if caught by law, local, mark, etc.
Access to safe houses. Permanent residence at guild hall.
May recruit brothers and / or cousins for Jobs.
Member of Family's ruling council.

Adventuer's Guild

In Austin TX there are a collection of DMs and players running in a shared campaign world, Planet Eris. Each DM, so far, has taken responsibility for different area of the world. Typically around a dungeon.

One of the groups goals is to encourage characters to move among the various DM's campaigns.  As a conceit to travel times and DMs maybe not wanting certain powerful magic items in their campaigns teleportation gates are placed around the world guarded by "archons" who magically and temporarily strip characters of anything destination DM don't like.

I'm running a "city" campaign and wanted something "around" this gate, a bank without really being a bank, gold sink, and path for players to involve their characters in local factions/politics.  So, created the Adventurers Guild among several others. I'm normally dead set against anachronistic "meta" organizations like that. But, it fits in with archon gates and the city, Durthos, which I've dubbed "City of Adventures" due to its proximity to various adventure sites and cosmopolitan trade hub nature attracting, researchers, wizards, tomb robbers and rest of the "adventurer types".


Adventurers Guild PDF


Adventurers Guild
Several adventuring parties established guild to provide support to its members. They have received
charters from numerous sovereigns and may be found across the known world.
Secretly founded and controlled by, d4:
1. Wizard Zantanos, as means of gathering secrets and artifacts both long forgotten and well
protected.
2. The Emperor to keep tabs on and exert subtle influence over these powerful individuals.
3. Trickster god, there being no humans more chaotic and entertaining than "adventurers".
4. Thieves' Guild, it being easier to steal gold once someone else has hauled it out of the dungeon.


Guild Activities
Operate Hostels, Inns, and other "support" businesses at prime "adventuring" locations.
Member services. Including coin exchange, storage, appraisal, legal aide, and hard to quantify access to
network of adventurers. Arrange for ransoms to be paid.
Grant monopolies and concessions (when local situation allows).
Operate Gates - Guild Houses
5gp toll outbound, inbound always free. Store tax free >1000gp gold for anyone coming through gate.
10% (1% members) coin exchange (at gates).
Political Influence:
Pushing for low/no tax on recovered treasure. Encouraging expansion into "wilderness" and "border"
regions. Promotion of "adventurer as hero" image and a valued, needed part of society through art,
literature and song. Suppression / Spin of negative "press". Such as when adventurers accidentally
burn down a town. Similar pro-adventurer lobbying.


Appraisal
At major guild houses several experts are at hand to appraise Art, Goods, Gems, Jewelery and other
objects of value. Depending on local resources, guild may offer to buy appraised items. Esp. goods
needed by guild, low-value gems, or unique items for The Auction. Some such items are typically
available for purchase. Will issue semi-recognized cert for 5% fee.


Legal Aide
Registry and enforcement of wills. The guild will enforce local death taxes which range from 20-50%.
Guild will assist members who run afoul of the law with bail posting, hiring of barristers, bribing of judges;
whatever is "normal" for local jurisdiction. Much depends on nature of crime, guild's opinion as to
member's guilt, and member's stature within guild.
Guild will arrange for the payment of ransoms demanded for captured guild members, their retainers, and
companions. Gold and other wealth stored with the guild can be predesignated for this purpose.
Otherwise Guild will provide a loan at 20% interest. This ransom grantee is well known. Which both
protects members and makes them targets.


Monopolies & Concessions
In many regions the Guild has been granted (or more rarely operates by force) a monopoly to a particular
adventuring site: tomb, dungeon, etc. In turn the guild leases these to it's members. Larger more popular
adventure locations are often split up into separate monopolies and/or concessions (such as right to
collect entrance/exit toll).
Claims (to a newly discovered location or previously unknown level) may be registered with guild. If
legitimate a short-term monopoly will be granted. The trade off is you must reveal the location, means of
access and provide maps to the guild.


Storage / The Auction
At major guild houses members may store wealth and other items in standard sized chests. Items are
subject to inspection and dangerous ones are prohibited. If desired, an appraisal will be issued and the
guild insures against loss equal to this amount. Although, it is rare to hear rumor of a chest being stolen or
lost. If this is due to guild's security or their suppression of any such rumor is a frequent, if whispered, bar
room debate.
These chests will be released (only) to owner or validated inheritor.
If a chest remains unclaimed for 13 years it's contents are forfeit to the guild. Unclaimed contents are sold
at periodic auctions. Which attract a fair amount of attention. Esp when a famous adventurer's belongings
are purported to be on the block.


Guild Duties
• Be good of character, an upstanding representative of guild, and support fellow adventurers.
• Obey laws, customs and norms of local population. Pay all local tolls/taxes/tariffs/etc.
• Respect guild granted monopolies, concessions and all other guild edicts.
• Keep guild business within the guild. Grievances against a member should be resolved in guild
court.


Guild Ranks


Probate
Requirements
• Nominated by two existing members or pay 1000gp "evaluation of character" fee.
Rights
Free use of gates. Use of guild lodgings & other services.


Wanderer
Requirements
• 1 documented adventure / 2nd level
• 1,000gp total contribution to guild
Rights
• 100gp/level/annum dues.
• Free use of gates.
• Use of guild lodgings & services.
• Store 1 chest 13 years.
• Bid on unclaimed goods auction.


Hero-Adventurer
Requirements
• 4+ documented adventures / 4th level
• 5,000gp total contribution to guild
Rights
• 100gp/level/annum dues.
• Free use of gates.
• Use of guild lodgings & services.
• Store 5 chests 13 years.
• Bid on unclaimed goods auction.


Master Adventurer
Requirements
• 8+ documented adventures / 8th level
• 25,000gp total contribution to guild
Rights
• 100gp/level/annum dues.
• Free use of gates.
• Use of guild lodgings & services.
• Store 25+ chests and/or large objects 13 years.
• Bid on unclaimed goods auction.
• Part of Guild leadership

ChupacabraCon this weekend

Austin TX very own game convention, Chupacabracon has snuck up on me. Apparently it is this weekend Jan 9th-11th at the Norris Conference Center 2525 West Anderson Ln #365 Austin, TX 78757.

Jan 9th-11th, 2015

Unfortunately, I'm already scheduled, Fri to delve Palace of the Vampire Queen (play Planet Eris OD&D roll20 online game). Sat, tdefeat the aerial hooligans and their limey armor (playing monster wargame Highway to the Reich) and on Sunday Count Strahd will hopefully, do away with these pesky interlopers that have been prowling around Ravenloft these past few weeks (5th ed run of I6 Castle Ravenloft). Sometimes I wish I had more time for games :)

Millenium Con

Miniature war-gaming is an old man's hobby, judging by average age at this years (my first) Millennium Con. Had great fun will go again next year.

Hordes of the Things, over looking my hero

Great use for old CD-ROM

Klingons - A Call to Arms

Broke enemies line (and paid for it) 

Consistently outmaneuvered british and raked them

My poor little ship

That is a lot of Battle Mech, all for sale...

S3M Diaspora Ends, Fantasy Effing Vietnam Begins

Finished up running 4th session of Diaspora Fate.  Some quick thoughts.

• Confirmed, I don't really like "indie" cooperative story telling. I want to play (run) a game not a thespian circle jerk.
• I much prefer FUDGE over Fate.  Fate adds aspects and forces the cooperative story telling aspects.  FUDGE by itself is nice rules lite, generic system featuring bell curve mechanics.
• Games you don't like can still be fun given right group of people.  Inverse is also true.  Which is to say rules matter, but not as much as people.

By FFV I mean, of course, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Fantasy Flights version which I picked up boxless and cheap from EBay and haven't touched since...

S3M Next Up, Hard Sci-Fi FATE / Diaspora

Last Sunday we finished the first of my S3M (Six Systems in Six Months), Dungeon Crawl Classics running the published module "The People of the Pit". Started with 0-level funnel and after several deaths the characters and still lost deep underground. The characters got pressed into service by the Moleman King. (to save his daughter, Princess Binky, from the pit of tentacles. Gifted with crab carapace armor and mushroom stalk spears they descended into the pit. After slow start (and a few lost companions) they cleared out the tentacle cultists and located the "people of the pit's" lair. Interrupted sacrifice and saved Binky, which made the tentacles "angry". After ripping the EHP in half they smashed up everything. Once dust settled and players climbed out of the pit, they were greeted not with the familiar rolling hills of home, oh no that is not the DCC way. Instead they peered across the alien, mushroom dotted vista of the Perilous Purple Planet! [Adventure TBC when I get my paws on that kickstarter.

Next session I'll be running Diaspora this Thursday at Dragon's Lair, one five! FLGS, Austin is game blessed.

Diaspora is Hard Sci-Fi (mostly, they have FTL gates connecting worlds) and based on FATE which in turn a version of Fudge (one of my favorites from way back, search this blog for a look). It is much, much more of a narrative, cooperative story telling game than I normally play. One of S3M goals is to stretch gaming horizons, mine included.

"Diaspora is a role-playing game that uses the FATE system to deliver a hard science-fiction framework for adventure, where you build the setting on top of the basic, gritty axioms of the universe: everything is bigger than you are. You will pilot spacecraft driven by fusion torches that light the night sky towards rifts in the fabric of space that shift you between a small number of lost worlds, each with thousands of years of history."

One of the interesting things about Diaspora (and FATE in general) is shared character creation. Diaspora takes this a step further and has mini-game for creating the campaign setting. 5-6 or so interlinked worlds. The history, cultures, and connections created are then used to guide characters history and backstories.

Diaspora has large amount of Traveller influence and I'm really looking forward to it.

Epic Game of Thrones Board Game Customization

I have a friend. This friend has imagination, a hot glue gun, and way more free time than I do. He spends some of that free time modifying board games. Both by adding extra rules, cards, pieces, etc. And by making 3-D game boards. His latest "large" project has been "A Game of Thrones". The board is huge 7+feet, see last photo of game board folded in half next to creator. My friend says it's 90% complete, only needs some labels and pouring the water stuff modelers use (acrylic?) for the oceans.

I don't know game, and haven't even watched the series (or read books). So, mostly let pictures do the talking.

Length of board looking south.

Ice wall, with snow zombies behind it. The Black Watch?

Scoreboard, playing decks, council table, and throne room

Flash washing out castles and viallages detail

The "rolling game box" and creator Yoseph B.

Maybe it was more impressive in person, but at least for me... Mind Blown!

Six Systems in Six Months

Because I have too many games I want to run and I like "promoting" RPGs at my FLGS's I came up with scheme to run small "campaigns" with six different (less common, but currently available) game systems in roughly six months.  I'm sure with holidays and scheduling it will take a little longer than that. But the goal is run 3-5 connected sessions of each RPG. Long enough to get real feel for system, not too long the DM burns out.

Candidate Systems

Dungeon Crawl Classics - too 'popular" for list but friends are begging me to run it...

FATE - Thinking something Hong Kong Action like. "Big Trouble in Little China" with some "Escape from New York" thrown in.

RuneQuest II (Mongoose) - cause that is version I have.

Brutal Big Bad Ball Bustin Bloody Battles - Fast light fun.

Something Sci-Fi; Stars Without Number, Star Frontiers, maybe classic (TOS) Fasa Star Trek  but that's not really "available".

HARP / MERP - My most favorite system I've never (well vanishingly rarely) played.

My DCC Characters

Every other Tues at Whose Turn is it Games in Austin, TX I transform into the Elf warrior wizard, "Malifoi the Chaotic". That is, I did until he got turned to stone last session. Although I'm sure one day he'll be returned to flesh and continue his rise to power, fall into corruption.

Malifoi the Chaotic

Tomorrow, I'll be breaking the new funnel of death survivor and backup character "Gary".  A former Game Designer who is now A Witness to the Great Eagle. Gary, along with a vice cop (dead), disco dave (alive), auto-factory worker (dead) arrived on a bus from 1970's Lake Geneva, WI. Other survivors include a former lifeguard "Chester the Crimson Conjurer", a history teacher who styles himself "The Professor" another wizard.

Gary, Witness to the Great Eagle

My first character, "Bubba Two-step" turned out to be a thief. After a couple sessions decided I wanted to sling spells and so put him out to pasture.

D&D 40th Anniversary Game with Cake!

Went to the Emerald Tavern Austin game shop / pub / cafe for 40th Anniversary celebration. Played three little brown books edition Dungeons & Dragons, drank mead, and ate red velvet cake!

Booyah!

I rolled up a freakin murder hobo rockstar. 3d6 in order of course. 12 Str, 15 Int, 17 Wis, 14 Dex, 9 Con, 14 Cha. Best rolls of my life and then only 2 hit points. Named him Beorn, the Chaotic Acolyte (1st level Cleric) who has pledged his black soul to the Death Metal Gods.

Early on he acquired a goblin "slave" (henchman) and claimed a ring of three wishes! I used one wish to restore life to our Elf. Beorn figured having a wizard indebted to him would be useful. This also impressed the slave and cemented Beorn's superiority over fellow party member Cuthbert, the Lawful (blek) Cleric.

Gamers in their natural habitat.

I instructed Sniglet (the goblin slave) to lead party to the most fearsome monster it knew. Which turned out to be an Ochre Jelly.  The second wish was used to slay it D.E.D, dead. I allowed the hobbit to claim it's mighty treasure, a dancing sword, as I had no use for it esp as it was Lawful (blek).

By the end of the afternoon Beorn was 2nd level (and only 150xp shy of 3rd), had 1 wish remaining, a goblin henchgoblin and enough gold to make him hungry for more!

Get it? Dungeon & Dragons

Thanks to Brandon for making me come, Jimm for running the game, Nathan for the awesome cake and speech (he got whole store to sing happy birthday) and all my fellow party members for serving Beorn and keeping him alive. My your nightmares be filled with the screams of the Metal Gods.

ChupacabraCon 2014 Austin Game Convention

ChupaCabraCon 2014 See you there!

South Austin has new Game Store

Whose Turn Is It? recently opened in South Austin on S. Lamar.  Which is great news as although Austin has tremendous number of game stores for it's size all but one, two now, are way the fuck up North. Handy Google map of Austin Area Game Stores, I maintain.

I dropped by after work yesterday, unfortunately they close early on Tue.  But, I ran into the proprietor locking up. Amiable fellow, looking to grow his smallest are, RPGs.  I think I can help with that ;). They have space to play games. Which might just be the nudge I need to start up another campaign.