OSR Settlement Generator

This post is about a pretty interesting product called OSR Settlement Generator. As the name suggests it lets you quickly come up with the aspects of a settlement for use in any OSR game. Like many similar products its based around a series of tables each of which makes up one part of the settlement's description, for instance: 

• How many people live here?
• How many mercenaries are available to hire?
• Are there any pubs?

There's certainly enough here to throw the outlines together in a random way that can inspire your imagination. 

But there's something different and special about this! As well as the usual PDF you also get an automated version of the product. In the package you get an HTML (web page) that you can run in your browser. Simply dragging the file out Windows Explorer and dropping it into your browser starts it up. On screen you get a button to push, and pushing it runs the generator. What I liked about this was the fact you could just keep pushing the button until you get a set of results that suit your wants/needs.

I've not seen this combined PDF/HTML option before, but I do hope to see more of it.

Edit: I see the product's been updated since I wrote the above, more tables/features added.

2up Adventure Continues

We finally return to the solo adventure I was running with two PCs. I'm using characters created created in Scarlet Heroes along with its combat rules. I'm using the spells from Basic Fantasy, and running the 2 PCs through a published scenario from the "Adventure Anthology 1" for Basic Fantasy. Part 1 of this story was published on this blog on the 19th. So, to continue....

Erin and Wizard leaves the room heading south to a door they'd glimpsed. They pass a side passage but can't see to the end. Listening at the door reveals nothing. Nerin gently edges the door open to find an empty room. There are three other exits all with text scrawled on them the one to the east says "Storage", so they opt to go that way. Nothing heard, so Nerin quietly opens the the door. Beyond is a 20' corridor and another door.

Another listen at the woodwork reveals multiple whinning voices beyond. Nerin quietly opens the door and inch and sees 6 Kobolds. He and Wizard nock arrows and shoot through the gap and both down a Kobold each, before Nerin Slams the door. Both our heroes back up and nock another arrow. There's shouting from beyond the door, then a breath's length of silence, and the 4 Kobolds burst into the room. Wizard flinches sending the arrow wide, but Nerin's arrow hits his target but it lodges harmlessly in the kobolds belt.

Wizard kicks open the door and runs through it while Nerin stands his ground and weighs into the fray. In a few seconds three Kobolds are down, and the last one running back through the door. Nerin moves up to the door and sees the kobold cowering at the far end of the room.

Wizard bravely comes to stand behind Nerin. "We should see if knows of a treasure horde."

Nerin lets fly an arrow killing the kobold. "All I see is an ear worth gold."

Nerin sets to recovering a ear from each foe and Wizard enters the room.

Statues line the walls, and he find two bags of coin, one of copper, the other silver. He spills the copper across the floor, "Worthless".

Nerin comes in brandishing three ears, "And I found 41 silver pieces in their pockets."

Wizard holds up the bag. "About a 1000 silver by my guess."

"Huh!" Nerin kicks through the copper and pulls open the door at the far end of the room revealing an empty storeroom. He slams the door. "The Mayor said there were Goblins. Where are they?"

"We must keep looking, sooth?" Wizard smiles.

Nerin leads the way back to room with four doors, he listens carefully at the southern door hearing nothing. Slowly opening the door, he find a short corridor. Carefully testing the ground they move to the next door. Hearing nothing. Nerin edges the door open a crack to see walls lined with shelves stuffed full of bones. "A bonarium. This is not a goblin cave they do not honour the dead's bones." He pulls open the door and enters the room and walks straight to a door in western wall. Listening he hears nothing and opens the door for a peek. A corridor stretches away westward. "Come, lets find these missing goblins."

Walking to the corridor they shortly come to a door in the north wall. Wizard puts his ear to the wood. "I hear kobold voices." He whispers.

"Stand aside, ready your bow." Nerin readies his own bow and cracks the door. They see six kobolds one of which is clearly the boss. Nerin lets fly at the boss. The boss screams and rips the arrow from his arm as Wizard fires a missing one of the smaller kobolds. Nerin kicks open the door and readies his spear.

The kobolds charge, Nerin skewers 2 of them and they can get a hit on him, Wizard backs up and loads another arrow. Nerin's spear quickly takes out the boss kobold and another of his minions. The last two kobolds run to the back of the room quailing in fear. 

With the enemies dispatched the heroes move in and study the room. The sound of snivelling comes from a cage suspended above the floor. Wizard jumps to get a view of what's in there. He sees 5 small children.

"Human children. We should free them." Wizard tells Nerin.

"Why? What reward would be gained?" Nerin asks as he cuts the ears from the dead kobolds.

Wizard rubs his chin. "Perhaps the humans would be grateful for their return."

Nerin spears the two kobolds and takes their ears. "They might at that. Cut them down. We'll take them."

Wizard cuts the rope and the cage crashes to the ground, the children scream and cry.

"Bind their hands, and to each other." Nerin orders as he searches the big kobold. "Ah ha! Gold and silver."

Pushing the children ahead of them, Nerin and Wizard continue along the corridor, often rebuking the children for making noise. As they turn a corner they see a dim glimmer of light ahead. "Cover your lamp. Wait here. " Nerin whispers, and edges ahead to investigate. He sees 5 orcs in the room ahead working on something by the wall. He returns to Wizard telling him to leave the lamp with the children and bring his bow. They bow sneak back and nock arrows.

They loose, Wizard hits his Orc but Nerin misses. In disgust he throws his bow aside prepares his spear. Wizard draws his sword and they both move forward into the fray. Nerin takes out 2 Orcs and Wizard took a slash to his arm. 

Nerin polishes off the final two orcs swiftly, and turns angrily Wizard. "Why draw sword if you can not fight, fool. Bind your wounds."

Wizard binds his wound as Neric picks up his bow and takes the ears.

Wizard picks recovers the children and together they return to the village to claim a reward. They got 75gp reward for the ears, and and sadly an attempt to convince the mayor to pay for the rescued children fails.

Death Spirals

Some random thoughts on Death Spirals. I've not had a lot of experience of Death Spirals, in fact I can't pinpoint an actual RPG game where I suffered from a death spiral. I just have this vague memory of running into it back in the 90s. I've slapped myself a couple of times trying to figure out what game it was. Maybe it was RuneQuest, Stormbringer, or even Space Master, I can't remember!  I've also ran into Death Spirals in Wargames where one unit crumples, and the one next to it is weakened by that, until eventually the whole line starts running.

Anyway, the point is Death Spirals suck. You take an injury or setback, and that causes you to suffer more, and then "more" begets "even more" until you stand no chance and the odds are so stacked against your character it just dies. Sucks.

What is the purpose of the mechanically induced Death Spiral? The obvious answer is to make the player realise they are overmatched and encourage them to withdraw. Yet going into a Death Spiral indicates that the mechanic is failing, the player hasn't taken the hint. So how can you encourage the player to have their character run away?

Hit Points does this in a very simple way. The player tracks hit points and realises the number is rapidly falling. If they take the hint, they withdraw.

Attack Penalty works in a similar way. As the character takes damage they suffer increasing penalties when trying to attack. Such as -1 at half hit points, -2 at quarter hit points. If they take the hint, they withdraw.

There's the issue, it always needs the player to take the hint. If the player doesn't take the hint what can you do? I suppose you might be able to add a personal morale mechanism that forces the player to withdraw. Thus as the character takes damage it has to make a morale check in order to remain in the fight, with each damage the morale check gets more difficult. The result though would be pretty un-fun. the players agency for their character would effectively be gone. The excitement of risk vs reward would be gone too.

So what's the answer?

Perhaps there's is a perfect mechanism, but the nearest I can come up with to ask the DM to keep watch on over enthusiastic players and at least point out to them the risks they are taking. Anything else seems to be taking something away from the player. If you have any ideas, please comment below I'd love to read 'em.

Simple Modernity, OSR today

Simple Modernity is an "add on" for any OSR game. Its a 40 page PDF that can be used to drag that old fantasy style game into the modern age. Inside are rules for modern weapons, and vehicles in almost autistic detail.

How much damage does as choosing Armour Piercing vs Hollow Point vs a guy in ballistic armour differ? Simple Modernity has the answer!

This book contains modern classes for you to play including Soldier (well duh), Heavy Gunner, Crook, Specialist, Sniper, Survivalist, Contract Killer, and Medic. This cool range of classes means you can easily throw together a party for almost any modern game, everything from specialists dropping HALO onto a terrorist held sky scraper, through to crooks carrying out a heist.

However I think my favourite idea for these rules is carrying a modern force through time to the distant past or across a rift into a fantasy world. It makes me go squee! Ever since I read about "Rome, Sweet Rome" I've wanted to play as modern troops taking on the might of ancient Rome! Simple Modernity is set up to deliver that game.

There's a great book series by Myke Cole (Shadow Ops) that runs with the scenario of magic reawakening in our world. People world wide are manifesting magical abilities and of course the government cracks down on that. But there's more, rifts between planes can be opened and there is a modern military base in a fantasy-style world under siege from all the goblin tribes. In short Simple Modernity is giving you the tools to play THAT game.

How about dropping a few modern weapons into your gonzo Basic Fantasy game?

Summary: If you want the simplicity of OSR in a modern game, take a look at Simple Modernity

Spell "slots" in OSR, Dafter than a brush

I'm going to come out and say it straight up. Spell slots and spell memorisation is absolutely awful. The original D&D and almost every OSR derivative has carried on this nonsense (including my first OSR OSRIC), and as far as I can tell, for no good reason.

Why is it bad? 

It is the opposite of fun. Just think about being that Magic User, at the beginning of the session you pick that spell to memorise and never get to use it. Gosh what sterling quality fun that is! The perfect spell that's needed in the minute...was not memorised, more sterling fun.

It is not good story telling. When a Magic User pulls out the perfect spell at just the right time, you have a story to tell and share. When the Magic User just shrugs in response to a desperate need from the party there's no story there, no exiting flash of fiction to cause gasps and tales over beer in the years to come. It's a nothing burger.

There's no rational reason for it. I've read the original D&D and plenty of other OSR games, and I've never read a rational reason for it. Sure there's some literary inspiration reference in a book I've never read, but what good is that too me? Am I supposed to go read that book in order to enjoy this game? Not going to happen, So within the game, what the heck is the reason for the limitation imposed by slots? There needs to be a world-reason given for it to make sense. To me the whole structure just feels like a mechanical restriction imposed for a non-story reason. I won't argue that its imposed because of "balance" because there is no balancing a 1st Level MU and Fighter. So I see no genuine mechanical reason for it either.

What is better? I'll offer a suggestion here, but it is just one idea. 

Lets start by retaining the restrictions of the power of spell, thus a 1st level MU can still only cast 1st level spells. This restriction make story sense to me, as the character progresses they learn to handle more powerful spells. So lets keep it.

The existing rules allow higher level MUs to cast more spells, so again this makes sense. A MU learning his craft could clearly learn to use their power more efficiently. So lets keep that.

I suggest we add to the above a points system for casting spells. These points will be representative of the amount of spell casting power that that the MU can wield.  

Thus a 1st level spell costs 2 points to cast, and a first level MU has 2 points to spend.

At second level the MU gains 2 more points to spend.

At third level the MU can now cast 2nd level spells. So lets say a second level spell costs 4 points to casts. The MU at third level gets 2 more power points. This allows them to cast three 1st level spells, or a 2nd level spell and a 1st level.

As levels progress the cost of spells by level and the number of power points the caster gains could be adjusted.

So there you have it. An idea for a better spell system that would be more story-friendly and offer more versatility.  I might add that the progression I came up with in this post doesn't have to replicate OD&D exactly, in fact its probably better if it doesn't especially if you are striving for "balance".

GrandCon in Grand Rapids

Something a little different today. 

A heads-up if you will. GrandCon is running Sep 2nd-4th in Grand Rapids MI, if you pop along there you'll find "DM Blackwall" demo-ing "Horde Wars". He's there every day of the con, so pop along say "Hi".

Ascending vs Descending Armor Class table

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know I've been enjoying the heck out of Scarlet Heroes and playing through some Basic Fantasy scenarios. Well this has led me into the clash of Armor Class systems, as Scarlet armour class numbers go down as you get up-armoured, and in Basic Fantasy it goes the other way.

And so to avoid having to do math every time I read a monster stat-block I've knocked up this little chart.

Armor Class Conversion
Basic Fantasy		Scarlet Heroes
11		9
12		8
13		7
14		6
15		5
16		4
17		3
18		2
19		1

The Doom that Came to Astreas

You know what, I've struggled to open the 5e rule books, as they are just too damn big, but then along comes a 5e product that makes me reconsider. The Doom that Came to Astreas is such a product.  I mean, you only have to look at the cover and if you've ever read a Conan book you'll be immediately hooked like me. Go visit the page at DriveThruRPG and watch the supporting video it shows off some of the cool art.

Its a campaign world ideal for any sword and sorcery gamer with some interesting character races, that go well beyond humans with pointy ears! As well as the mighty human tribe, there are three tribes of humans that have been cursed and mutated into new animalistic races.

The land is being overrun by a red tide of monsters driven by an evil queen. The heroes will have travel beyond their tribal lands, battle the hordes and other nasties and eventually perhaps even face the queen herself.

I've read it cover to cover despite its 192 page length. The Lore is fascinating , and the artwork superb, and that is what kept me reading. I understand the author is planning to include 5e and OSR stats in his next project, so I'm going to be all over that. For now I'll have to OSRify this book myself.

Initiative in RPGs

Imagine your game, everyone's sitting forwards at the table, the standoff off is tense, the rhetoric is passing backwards and forwards between PCs and NPCs, players are fully engaged, it escalates to strong words, then finally to violence as someone draws their sword.

...and the entire game grind to a halt as the mechanisms of "initiative" kick in and everyone sits back starts checking their phones and grabbing snacks. There ladies and gents, you have a failed mechanism. Initiative is just about the least interesting aspect of any combat. It needs to be quick, and it needs to be smooth, it needs to get out of the way.

I first ran into Initiative problems back in the 90s playing Games Workshop's implementation of Judge Dredd (Side note, the latest Mongoose edition of Judge Dredd has fortunately switched to a roll2D6 system which itself is based on Traveller) . In that game turns were broken down into ten phases and your character might act on phases 3 and 8. This meant the referee had to count down through the phases, many of which might not have anyone active, to ensure everyone at the table got to "go" at the right time. But it was worse than that, because two PCs might activate during the same phase, so that you have to determine which of them actually goes first. The result of all this shenaniganing is that rather than assisting the combat, the initiative becomes a slow, divisive, complex problem in itself. Other systems have similar problems, consider that old classic Rune Quest which literally has players comparing the size of their weapon!

The very worst initiative system I've come across, has been repeated in multiple systems and follows this process. Everyone rolls their own initiative then in initiative order you go round the table asking what each PC is going to do this round, then you go around again with every person carrying out the declared action. OMG what a dire slow onerous process. Not only does it destroy any pace the game may have achieved but it ends up with some portion of the players not even being able to do what they want because the situation/environment has changed before play comes round to them!

My question to budding game designers, is what are you trying to achieve with your complex slow-ass initiative system? Is your goal some sort of "realism". Ask yourself, does realism make your game better for the players, and if it does, at what cost? me, I say realism generally destroys play.

Well, that's lots of moaning, but does this moaning ninny have an answer for you? An answer that's quick and easy? Yes I do. Its called "Going clockwise round the table". But I'm not going to explain how that works :)

Lecturing customers in an RPG?

 WTH

A couple of days ago I say the cover image for "Coyote & Crow" on the promoted row of RPGs at DriveThruRPG. That small image peeked my interest, it was cartoony and evocative so I clicked through to read more. Well done marketing department!

The game's listing is full of more evocative and inspiring art and when you read over the description it sounds really imaginative. The America's were never colonised, historic world wide disasters, new technologies that add a sheen of sci fi. I read all that and got more excited. so I clicked the preview.

All my excitement died as I read that sample from the game. 

Was it the rules that peeved me? No. 

Was it the layout? No. 

Was it the internal art? No.

It was the hectoring, the lecturing, the talking down, the horrific, ridiculous, speechifying right there in the introduction. 

"If you do not have heritage native to the America's..."

That was the line that started the paragraph that destroyed my interest in the game. It goes on to tell me what I can and can't do in the game... my game, at my table, in my house, with my friends.

Note please, it's not a request, not some friendly guidance, but instructions. This game is so desperate to tell me, the client, the purchaser, how to behave and how to act that they put this rude and impudent instructional right there at the front.

So what's the game actually like, how does it play? Damned if I know, I haven't bought it. I wont buy it now. It seems to be a lecturing document rather than a fun time. Notice I say "seems", I say that because I'm fully aware this is all first-impressions, and the reality of the game may be different, but the marketing people fecked up here. Create a good first impression is a rule of society and marketing, and they seem to have forgotten that.

Waste Runners

Waste Runners is a small 34 page game set in a changed near future, its kind of a post apocalypse setting not not quite. Rather than the entire world being devastated a huge swathe of central Europe was ruined in a flash. Most of the people are gone, those that remain are "changed".  

This devastation, centred on the CERN accelerator loop, certainly includes vast areas that are smashed as if by a fleet of bombers, but other areas look untouched, yet the people are still gone.  There are also the "anomalies", these are areas of strangeness, everything from radiation, to time jumps, and anything else you can come up with.

The PCs come into this game as "Waste Runners" people, agents, soldiers, or operatives tasked with entering the waste and recovering, discovering or investigating.

I find the whole background fascinating, going into this strange waste armed to the teeth and likely to meet almost anything gives you an endless variety of scenarios. "Changed" survivors gives you tons of possibilities, and when you throw in competing waste runners and foreign militaries there is just so much fun to be had. Militaries going in to recover weapons, criminals seeking bullion, scientists needing to study, lots of opportunities. I've even got a couple of scenario ideas in my head that might make it to published products at some date in the future.

The rules are based on the Cowpunchers game system, based around the three stats of Vigor, Finesse, and Smarts. It uses D6s, and skills and penalties add or subtract dice from your roll. Every 5-6 you roll on the dice is a success, and various tasks may require different numbers of successes.

This game is for you if you are a gun-fan, nine pages of guns are listed and stated, so your operative can get truly geared up. A bullet-types,  armor types, vehicles, along with survival rules (food and water) create relatable environments where surviving may easily become the only part of the mission that matters.

In short, as you can likely tell, I like what this game offers, and at the price its a bargain too.

Fancy Dice

 No. Just don't do it!

It seems that every time I hit up Amazon I get adverts or suggestions for "fancy" dice, especially  "Lovecraftian" dice. No doubt the Lovecraft shenanigans is because of my podcast, but it really gets my goat because they are the worst example of dice.

These disgusting dice show the numbers of the faces, sure,  but then do everything with colour and engraved scrollwork to make the dice actually unusable. If you get up close and turn the die round you can even sometimes see what the number is! Cool eh?

No.

As fun to own and show your friends as these fancy dice are they are absolutely awful at the table. When you're roleplaying the dice are there to resolve a question and get the hell outta the way. When some doofus rolls up with his bag of exquisite accurate engraved, multicoloured boulders I know we're in for a session where squinting at dice is going to destroy the ebb and flow of the game.

I'm not a complete Neanderthal when it comes to dice. I don't demand that D6's have pips, I'm even okay with dice having some translucency. But they MUST be legible by people sitting across from you.

There's one more thing. D100. No. Throw that ball of shite in the bin and never let me see it again. Keep your "funny fancy" dice at home.

2up Scarlet Heroes

Here starteth my foray into Scarlet Heroes solo playing 2 PCs. Nerin the Hobbit Halfling Warrior returns to go adventuring but with a new friend!

Nerin the halfling (lvl2) has joined up with Wizard (lvl1) and decided to hit a local dungeon. Before setting off Nerin tried to hire a retainer, but alas his golden voice was not up to convincing anyone to join. As Nerin is the tank he will take the lead in marching order.

Playing "Beneath Brymassen" in "Adventure Anthology 1" for Basic Fantasy.

The mayor of Brymassen offers a mission paying 5gp per goblin ear gathered from the basement of the mill, where the evil ones have invaded. Sounds like a prefect job for Nerin and Wizard.

At the mill there's a hole in the wall that the goblins has invaded through. Nerin takes the lead and crawls into the tunnel. It opens into a square room with two open exits. Tunnels head east and west, the east one turns a corner, but there's a door at the end of the west. Nerin decides to go east, after a couple of corners they come across an open pit blocking the way. there's a ledge.

Nerin falls as he tries to get past (7) and hurts his knee as he crashes to the bottom (1HP). He decides to help wizard pass on the ledge by holding up the spear for him to hold (+1). Wizard gets across no problem and they use Nerin's rope to pull him up.  They see a door ahead and head that way but immediately Nerin falls through the floor into a hidden spiked trap - Saving throw 2D8 + lvl(2) + dex(1) vs target of 11, rolls=6 - Nerin hurts the same knee again (1HP). After swearing a lot he discovers the corpse of a past adventurer. A quick search finds 3gp, a key, and a healing potion! They decide to go on, so Wizard carefully lets himself down into the pit. At the other side Nerin lifts Wizard up on his shield, and then Wizard use the rope to pull Nerin up.

There's a awful smell on this side of the pit. Nerin taps the floor ahead with his spear-butt just case there's another trap, and they approach the door at the end. The door looks rotten at the bottom maybe there's water on the other side. Nerin puts his ear to the door but hears nothing. He tentatively pulls on the door, its stuck. Time for muscle, Nerin pulls the door open and finds a room pilled with rotting rubbish. Clearly the goblins have been filling it with their refuse. There's another door opposite so they head across with Nerin checking the floor ahead of them. Suddenly a swarm of (32) centipedes swarm up his spear and dive under his armour.

Nevin shrieks and starts trying to kill the creatures swarming over him, but they keep moving and he can't seem to squish them. Wizard waves his hands and casts sleep at Nerin, Nerin manages to stay awake but the creatures all fall asleep. Wizard grabs Nerin's hand as he's about to smash at one of the beasties, and shakes his head. "They but sleep Nerin. Remove your armour and we can dispatch them, be careful they do not wake." They suit deeds to the word and rapidly dispatch the creatures.

They move to the door opposite and Nerin gives it a listen. Nothing. Door's stuck again, he applies his halfling muscles and cracks the door open. A short corridor leads to another door. Nerin listens again, then slowly pulls open the door. There's an empty octagonal room beyond with doors in the east and west walls. Testing the floor all the way they move to the western door. A quick listen reveals nothing, so Nerin pushes the door open as quietly onto a short corridor ending in another door. Listening once more he hears nothing and again quietly opens the door. A bedroom, a table, four chairs and still no goblins. No one is visible. Nerin slips through the door and a ruddy great axe swings down from above! Nerin dives out the way. Once he gets his nerves back in order he searches the room. He finds 20gp in a bowl on the table.

Wizard comes into the room and rips down the tapestries that cover the back wall. "I'd store my treasure where I sleep. If there is anything its in this empty hole, it will be here." There's nothing to be found, but Wizard carries out a minute search. "Nothing! It makes no sense."

Both disheartened they turn back.

Back in the octagonal room the listen at the untried door, then pass through. Beyond they find a rough tunnel that leads them outside. They know there was another door back beyond the traps and decide not to go past the pits and instead find their way overground and drop back down into the first room.

They head towards the door to the east testing the floor as they go. The door is actually on a corner and the corridor heads south. They listen at the door and then Nerin tries to sneak in but immediately sees a big Hobgoblin, he edges back. Both Nerin and Wizard prepare bows, then Nerin pushes the door wide and they fire. Both arrows go wide.

The Hobgoblin grabs a pillow and stands "Hold friends, what do you seek?"

Nerin is momentarily stunned at a monster talking, and readies another arrow. Wizard replies, "We seek gold and riches, where is your treasure... friend."

"I have no treasure, but I can show you where treasure can be found with my ..." The hobgoblin's hand starts to lift a medallion.

"Magic! Shoot him!" Shouts Wizard. Nerin lets fly and an arrow sinks into the monsters chest.

The Hobgoblin charges whirling the weighted pillow around its head, Nerin readies his spear. But the Hobgoblin is bested by an arrow from Wizard. the heroes move into the room. "Search for gold", says Nerin as he bends to collect the goblin's ear. Wizard kicks the pillows around find a purse containing 20gp. He also finds a book, greedily he opens it, then drops it when he realises it's merely a cook book.

... there we will leave it for now. The adventuring session is not over, out heroes have more ground to cover.

Haggling in RPGs

I'm pretty sure I've never seen an RPG implement haggling as a rule. I've certainly done some in-character haggling with NPCs, but never used a game mechanism. Well, I'm on an OSR kick at the moment so I started wondering how I might implement haggling within that framework.

First thought was to use a stat bonus. INT and CHR which both seem obvious choices possibilities. But then there's WIS too. CHR is all about influencing people, INT is problem solving and memory, and WIS is... well, what is WIS all about. Actual IRL WIS would seem to feed into the haggling process but does it apply in-game? In the end I've decided  to use CHR as that just feels more applicable.

For a core mechanism I feel like DieRoll+Mods >= ShopKeep and I'd like to have various levels of shop keeper.

Assuming a roll of 2D8 + CHR mod

Street vendor    9+

Market stall    10+

Shop keep    11+

Artisan    12+

And I like a variable level of success. 

Beat score gets you 30% off. 

Beat score by 2+ and you get 50% off.

Roll snake eyes and price goes up 10%

There you go a first attempt at a haggling mechanism. Please post in the comments any suggested changes!

There you go, my first cut at haggling. I can see you using this in Basic Fantasy or Scarlet Heroes, or even Fallen Justice. To be honest, any OSR title could use this. Especially for starting poor characters.

Deliberately Breaking Rules

 No, I'm not talking about cheaters, nor am I talking about fudging the dice behind the GM screen.

What I AM talking about is choosing to break the rules as a group. I think anyone who's played RPGs for a while will have played in a game where the players have house ruled some aspect of the game, but I'm not talking about that either.

What I am talking about is breaking the rules in a defined way. I guess the best known game that does this is Magic the Gathering, which has some basic easy to follow rules, but then every other card that gets played introduces a rule breaking change. Another card game that's similar is "Killer Bunnies".

Those are card games but what about RPGs you say?

The first time I heard about this in an RPG was a game of "Heroic Cthulhu" being GMed by Logan Horsford. In that game he had/has a vast deck of cards. Following a few simple rules players get a hand of cards, and through play at the table they play the cards and get given new cards.  This is all in addition to the normal role playing, not a replacement for it.

The card themselves break the rules of the game, or rather allow the players character to break the rules of the game. The simplest of cards would be something a "+10% chance on a skill check." Other cards might grant automatic success on a combat roll, a headshot with a gun, automatic pick pockets, or spotting a weakness. Each card modifies a rule, an action, scenario, plot point, and everyone effectively breaks the accepted rules.

Other cards are even more meta, allowing players to swap cards, or draw a full new hand. The entire concept of playing these cards during a game is meta, and becomes a game within a game. Its a fun thing to do, and once everyone gets used to how to play with the cards the actual playing of them doesn't get in the way of the game. The cards are an empowering thing, as a player you have a way of breaking the rules, getting past the limitations of normal play and do what would otherwise be impossible.

You can knock up a set of cards to use in almost any RPG. If you go for it, don't rush to produce the cards. Its easy to make far too many that are just +1 or +2 as those are easy to come up with. Think about it for a while, try to make as many cards as possible unique, and allowing you to do things you wouldn't normally be able to do.  For instance in D&D you might have a card  saying "You convince your target". or "You hear the trap firing and get out the way."

Now the real pitch. I made a set of cards to use in Cepheus Engine or Traveller games.

 

Going solo with 2 PCs in Scarlet Heroes

I've upped my first character in Scarlet Heroes to level 2, and now its time to create another character in a different class to see how that feels. I wanted to try a wizard, but I'm guessing that a lone wizard is going to be very (too) squishy, so I've opted to run two PCs. This way I can put my level 2 halfling fighter in front and use the wizard for DPS.

What's nice in Scarlet Heroes is that they can use missile weapons and any melee weapon. However they only ever roll 1D4 for damage. I love this, now I can have my "gandalf" wielding a sword like the man in grey himself! With a bow, this upcoming wizard is entirely capable especially at low level. He only rolls 1D4, true, but that means his hits have a 75% chance of taking out a 1HD creature on one shot. that's pretty powerful especially when safely done from a distance..

As I'm mixing Basic Fantasy and Scarlet Heroes, I'm picking spells from BF. That's not because I dislike the Scarlet Heroes spells, indeed, I haven't even read more than one or two, its because I know the standard BF spells better. As a new wiz I need to pick three spells that my wizard knows at level 1...

My first thought was "Magic Missile", you know for firepower, but then I thought about that bow I plan on using. Magic missile does 1D6+1, meaning a result of  5-6 would mean the wizard could do 2HD of damage. that's good, but it is just one shot. Is that one-shot worth a spell slot? I kept this in my back pocket and looked through the 1st level options. 

In the end I've opted to take "Shield" which gives the PC some protection, especially against missiles, and considering  the Wiz is going to be at distance if at all possible it makes sense. I'm also taking "Sleep" as that can effect more than one target. I pondered Magic Missile again, but in the end that one-use issue ruled it out for me, and I've taken Read Languages. I want to be able to find more spells, so being able to read alien languages in a library seems like something a wizard would want.

Poor old wizard (no names at first level, what's the point) has a horrendous AC of 9 and only 4HP. Eek!

Better at WH40K than WH40K

Space Marines in the WH40K universe are bad ass. They come, they kill, they dominate, and they crush their enemies like bugs beneath their feet. Seven feet tall, hugely strong, wrapped in battle suits that can shrug off cannon rounds and armed with guns that can take out tanks, buildings and anything in the way.

Then you get the official WH40K books, like Deathwatch,

After you've spent an hour building your awesome Space Marine player-character and are ready to start striding across the battlefield laying waste to the Emperors enemies, you get to your first encounter with the enemy and ...

Referee: "Roll to hit the enemies."

You: "So I've got my base to hit chance that's 32%. You said they were grouped together, so I can use my 'hordes bonus', that gets me to 36%. They are the declared enemies of my chapter, so that's anther 2%, so that's um... 38%. I was blessed by the chapters chaplain that puts me on 39%. Rodrick is suppressing them so that gets me to 42%. I roll ... 56. Gosh darn it I missed."

And that's where the official 40K games leave me. I'm looking at the beautiful books filled with glorious details and lore of a universe that is hideous and alluring, a place I want to game, but with a bittersweet taste. The actual game play especially combat, crawls at a snails pace. Instead of wiping swathes of enemies to jelly in an instant, I'm adding up small percentages that if I'm lucky allow me to hit one bad guy and maybe taken him out.

It fails, blocks your might say, the story you are trying tell. Its simply not fit for purpose.

Contrast to the game: Three Sixteen: Carnage Amongst the Stars

After you've spent the full 30 seconds creating your character you dive into the action

Referee: "Roll to hit the enemies."

You: "7 on the D10, that's a hit, rolling 2D8 for kills, I kill 9."

Clearly you see the difference. 

Deathwatch is a traditional detail orientated , methodical, plodding game, where as Three Sixteen is a rapid, rules-as-tool system that's almost entire story focused.

The background of Three Sixteen is almost a null, so combining the rules of it with the lore and background of Deathwatch is the way to go if you want that "feel" of Space Marines". Go ahead, mash them together, two great tastes in one!

Thoughts on D&D5e

I remember being excited for D&D 5th edition. At the time I hadn't D&Ded since AD&D. I'd noticed in passing the 3rd, 3.5th, the Pathfinder eruption that seemed to blow away good old D&D, and even the 4th fourth edition. I'd glanced at the book for 3.5 but that was it, I was playing other things at the time.

So, and I don't know why, 5th ed was all over the social networks, podcasts talking about it, youtubes promoting it, and I caught that old D&D bug once again. I'd heard the complaint that 4th had been too boardgamey and that 5th was going to correct it. But alas money was short, and I couldn't afford to buy the books.

Then a few months ago, I finally get my hands on the 5th ed PDFs. I literally opened the DMs guide scanned the first 5 or so pages before closing it down. Why'd I do that? Page count. there was simply too much for me. Those books were going to take something like 24 solid hours of reading to get through. I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I realised then that I've lost my will to invest what little time remains to me on reading huge tomes of PDFs. A recent purchase of mine was the newest Dune RPG, and I am a Dune nut, read the books multiple times, watched the films loads too... but the page count for a ... game, felt daunting. I have since got through it and it took a while with breaks to read other things, but that's more because its Dune, than because its an RPG.

I believe there's a strong movement in the RPG industry to push the big expensive hardbacks with notable page counts, the "new" shiny etc, and its not for me. I recently saw the Japanese RPGs that come in the fiction-novel  form factor, and those intrigued me, but then I see page counts in the 500 range...

Conclusion of sorts, I like clever shorter games ( like Cowpunchers ) , and big glassy art is a draw but not needed to get my purchase, and more importantly.to get me to read, I need lower investment of time.

Edit: You know those times you're trying to look up how to do a thing a quick thing, and all you get is 10+ minute videos where they hide the instructions to make you watch longer.... these big flashy RPGs are like that.

OSR rule for Consumables

I was breezing over the rules for The Front today, as I'm thinking of writing another scenario for the

system. Actually I was looking for a mechanism to hang a scenario on (that's a little tip for anyone wanting to get into scenario writing). I found my attention drawn to the "consumables" rule.

This rule is a way of tracking anything that can be "consumed", be that rations, bullets, grenades, or hot water. Its very handy for bullets, as in modern games tracking bullets-left can be terribly burdensome, way worse than arrow counting in your average fantasy game.

The core rule is that a consumable is allocated a die, for our example lets assume the players bullets are assigned a D6. After each round firing, the player rolls the consumable die. If he rolls a 1-2 then the die is reduced to the next smaller die, so in this case it would be exchanged to a D4. If you roll 102 on a D4 then that's it, you've run out of whatever it is. The assigned consumable die can be any of the standard polyhedrals, so the companies ammo supply might start with a D20 consumable. Then each time the company is engaged the referee can roll the die and reduce it through the all the dice 

D20 > D12 > D10 > D8 > D6 > D4

I think you could steal this rule and drag it back into fantasy games too. You could track arrows, oil flasks, food, water. Also if you want to stretch it a bit you could use the same mechanism to track the energy supply of a broken down horse the players are relying on. Its cool for this because everyone can see the die roll and will be bought into watching the bones slide across the table.

OSR has a problem with Levels

So I've had a bit of annoyance with OSR games for quite some while, and nearly all of them are guilty of it! I remember when I was a nipper and looking over the old old Basic D&D rules I ran into the problem that everyone knows. Levels. The word, not the implementation.

Levels is used to describe character progression, and that's all fine and dandy. BUT, its also used to describe spell usage, such as "Magic Missile is a first level spell". This re-use of the same term for two different things in the game confused the heck out me, and I've seen it do the same for every new player I've dragged kicking and flailing into a game.

Its retarded to use the same word for two different things in the same manual. If you came across that in a washing-machine manual you'd be rightly pissed at its lack of clarity. If I came across this confused nonsense in a boardgame rules set I'd get righteously angry over the stupidity of it. Yet in game after game, especially in OSR games the author does the same thing. Pulling out the tired confusing , patently stupid, dual usage of "levels".

No more, I say! Its time to move on. I've got a few options you might consider:

• Circle (sounds nice and magical, and I think they use this in Earthdawn)
• Ring
• Rank
• Grade
• Stack
• Power

Please, authors, especially OSR authors, don't Dual Wield Levels.

Nerin Returns to the Goblin Dungeon

Once again we return to our solo Scarlet Heroes game. This time with the freshly named 2nd level halfling Nefin Tossmeadow. He's been to the dungeon twice and been beaten back twice. here's how it went...

Nerin decides to return to the goblin cave, he concludes that there's only the big goblin left and leaving him alive is leaving an enemy with a grudge. Better to leave no enemies to curse your sleep.

Nerin sneaks up to the goblin cave hoping to spy out but trips and falls out of cover into view of anyone in the cave entrance. (1-2 Goblin is there,5 no goblin). Fortunately the goblin is not there.

Moving into the entrance with his bow out and ready  Nerin moves up to edge of the pit trap. He's concerned that the goblin might appear as he edges past the trap, but sees no option except to grimace and bare it. He puts the bow up and edges past the trap.

Spear at the ready he edges up to the T-junction, (1-2 Goblin is there,3 nope) its clear and so he moves up to the doors. He listens at the door's crack (1-2 Goblin is there, 2 yes) and hears knocking or banging. he sneaks through the door and spots the big goblin using a mace to smash at the constructs in a destructive rage.

Nerin quietly edges out his bow lines up the shot and lets fly but arrow misses and cracks into the wall. The goblin looks up, grabs his halberd and charges!

Nerin stands his spear against the charge but the goblin sweeps it aside with a blow that sends our hero bowling across the cave floor.

Rising to his feet Nerin meets the goblins next charge only be sent tumbling across the floor but fortunate in not being further injured. 

The goblin comes in, over confident and Nerin takes advantage with jab into it arm pit.

The goblin is wary now and they circle each other, and then with a swiftness unlooked for, the goblin jabs with the halberd and smashes Nerin into the wall. It screams its delight!

Nerin levels his spear quickly to keep the beast at bey, and they circle each other again.

The goblin jabs again but Nerin has seen that before and knocks the thrust aside with his shield.

Nerin reverses the circling movement and gets his back to the doorway. The change in direction causes the goblin to misstep and Nerin thrust his spear in under the goblin's chin, it drops dead.

With a sigh, he drops to the ground and tries to staunch the bleeding (+2HP).

He thinks the place is empty but isn't sure, so he edges into the next room where he first encountered the big goblin. Fortunately the place is empty of foes, but the bodies of the goblins he killed last week are laying around partially consumed.

Nerin looks around the room and sees an interesting chest. He ponders if it might be trapped, goblin are evil like that. He nips back to the big goblin,  grabbing its halberd and comes back and starts using the halberds great weight to smash the chest from a distance. 

With it splintered apart he find it contains 400gp, 326cp, 168sp and two glass bottles (smashed on 1-3, 5,1) one of which is smashed. He pops the lid to sniff one and it smells foul. It may be magical. He takes the gp and sp and the bottle. Back at the body of the big goblin Nerin removes an engraved golden ring from its finger and returns to town.

Cowpunchers, Western RPG

Cowpunchers is a straight Western themed RPG. With a PDF running to only 25 pages its clearly on the RPG-lite end of the game spectrum. This base game is entirely "straight" that is to say, there's no "weird", there's no Cthulhu lurking in a cave.

The system itself is quick and easy to get into, I see it as perfect for a one-shot game, or for anyone that doesn't want to be looking up rules for every situation. Generating a PC is quick and easy with only 3 characteristics  Vigor, Finesse, and Smarts which are each rolled on 3D6.  That covers the physical and mental aspects of the character. As with most OSR type games the value of each stat is associated with  a bonus. In most OSR games that would be a +1, or +2 to a die roll, but as Cowpunchers is D6 based, the bonus effects the number of D6's you get to roll when making a check against the stats. 

There are a number of skills in the game, and starting characters buy skills and they're about ready to go.

Skill and Stat checks are all rolled by trying to roll a number of successes, with each 5 or 6 on a die being a success. This simple straight forward system is again an appear to new players or those who just want the system to get out of the way.

I mentioned one-shots, but Cowpunchers provides character advancement, by gaining levels the character gains new or improved skills. Its worth noting here too that each level gets the PC an extra Hit Point. That's important as it means that characters stay squishy. These PCs are not becoming super heroes but they will become crack shots on a par with "The Man with no Name". And talking of shots, there are enough gun stats in this book to keep the gear heads happy too.

The end of the book includes a scenario to get you started, but I have published the first supporting scenario for the game, called Pink Gold.

The art is evocative and on-point, drawn/painted by the author Jonathan Torres a.k.a. "The Basic Expert" 

Fallen Justice, RPG

Fallen Justice is an OSR inspired RPG where you get to play the part of a vigilante, not a super hero, but a real person who's willing to put two-fisted justice into the gaps left by the officaldom.

I picked up the 84 page PDF from DriveThru and I have to say, I'm impressed with it. The comic book style art on the cover is used throughout the book and creates a ambiance of the gritty violent bloody mood the game presents. This mood is supported by the included fiction extract, that features blood and teeth shooting everywhere as fists, bats, and bullets take down the bad guys.

Being a OSR game is has the expected standard six stats from every OSR game, but has an additional one called "Infamy" which represents the notoriety of the PCs vigilante character. 

Characters also have to track Stress that the PC encounters. This is important to the game play, as increasing stress pushes the character towards their "Breaking Point". If the PC breaks through the break Point they pick up a behavioural trait, which might be have a Mindless Rage, or turning to substance abuse.  In this way the Stress can become a kind of "Alignment".

Your character can be one of ten classes, including "The Crusader" who's out to clean the streets, and "The Marksman" who uses guns over fists. Each class has a number of special abilities , for instance "The Colossus" class has a "Granite Chin" that can turn critical hits suffered into normal hits. 

For money the system uses $, but I found the various costs of the hero-equipment were really cheap. Only by reading further into the rules did it become clear that this is not real world money prices. For instance if your PC were to take a hit-job from one underworld criminal to hit another the fee would likely be in the many thousands. But that kind of money would allow you to buy up all the game equipment. So if you are refereeing a game keep this in mind, and the money supply low.

This game is gritty. You play the part of someone who's been wronged, badly wronged, and the justice system has failed. Your character is driven by a revenge motive that will likely evolve into a desire to clean up everyone out there doing wrong. Play should include lots of descriptive play, When you smack an NPC with a baseball bat, make sure all the players know what it sounds like. Keep it visceral and unpleasant and you'll be on-target for the mood the game wants you to have. I liked everything I read in this book, it was on-target and meaningful.

Scarlet Heroes: Solo session 2

This is my second journey into a solo play of Scarlet Heroes, using the same PC, returning to the same dungeon.

Halfling spends a week lodging at the inn for 3gp, and heals back up to full HP.

Halfling decides to return to the same dungeon. 1-3 chance the goblins have replaced the guards, no guards. 1-5 goblins have armed the pit trap, they have armed it. Halfling attempts to edge past trap, success. He deactivates the trap.

Halfling turns right and tries to sneak through the double doors, success. The 10 goblins are still there. Rather than leap into the fray like last time he plans to knock one down with his sling, then retreat back outside and sling any others he can see. He takes his shot, hits but does no damage. He sprints for the exit and runs over the trap and stops just outside.

The goblin mob charges after him, he gets a shot off and misses.

Halfling stabs at a nasty looking goblin but misses, but while laying about himself he knocks down two gobbos. The goblins swarm our poor hero but he fends off all but one attack and takes a point of damage.

His aimed spear attack misses again in the next clash, but he unintentionally takes out a goblin with the spear butt as he pulls it back. The goblins keep swarming, they wont give up as they are defending their home, three of them hit him!

Badly hurt but determined, Halfling strikes running his target right through and stabbing another goblin behind! Shocked at the horror, only one goblin manages to hit Halfling and the blade just slides off his shield.

With only three goblins still on their feet Halfling shouts his war cry and stabs one goblin through the throat  and slicing open two others with a wild swing on the spear.

Gasping for breath Halfling binds his wounds (+2HP). He searches the dead and gathers up 7 daggers that he slides out of sight under a bush, and 19gp that he slips into his purse.

Halfling heads back into the cave and through the doors to where he encountered the goblins and find 3 Hobgolins coming at him! (Actually I misread the room, these should have been mixed in with the goblins, lucky for Halfling!)

A hobgoblin dodges his spear thrust, but the trusty shield-bash took out another. One of the two remaining goblins smashed its mace into Halfling's armoured arm nearly breaking it.

Angry and in pain Halfling quickly spears the hobgoblin that hit him, and slashes the other one.

Halfling rests up again (+2HP), stashes the three maces and finds another 8gp. He goes back into the cave to search the goblin's cave. He sees some constructs but nothing of interesting so follows the tunnel that extends beyond.

He finds himself confronted by 5 relaxing goblins waiting for the stew to cook! he jumps 'em. One is speared before he can get out of his cot, and another dies as Halfling stomps him through the bottom of his cot. The last goblin, a sneaky git(!) stabs Halfling under the armour. Halfling can't bring the spear into line in time, so shield charges and crushes the goblin against the wall.

Spending another minute or two he binds the wound from the goblin (+1HP) Rifling a few filthy pockets he turns up 11gp. He decides he doesn't want any more of the goblin daggers so leaves them.

The tunnel goes on so Halfling sneaks along as he can hear goblin voices. At the corner he dares a peek and sees a big goblin in a chair, and two more, one of them looks like a shaman.

Halfling prepares a sling stone and steps round the corner and fires at the shaman, he hits the shaman right in the spell book doing no damage! The big goblin and his pal charge. The large one is wielding a dangerous looking halberd that's bigger than Halfling.

Halfling drops the sling and wades into combat. He tries to take out the big guy, but the second goblin takes the blade in the chest to protect the big one. The huge goblin attacks but catches his pole arm on the roof. The shaman fires off a magic missile that hurts Halfling.

Halfling attacks back, but the big goblin blocks the thrust, but fortunately the shaman leaves himself open and pays for it. The huge goblin sweeps his weapon above Halflings head.

Halfling's thrust goes uselessly between the Goblin's legs, but it does throw off its aim.

Halfling swings wide in his next attack, missing and the goblin does likewise.

Halfling makes a weak thrust as he tries to back off missing his target, but also getting clipped by a halberd swing!

Another spear thrust goes wide of its mark but the goblin smashes a blow in Halflings Armor drawing a gush of blood.

Finally Halfling gets a solid strike into the goblin's leg, but at the desperate cost of another serious wound. Halfling's nerve finally gives, and he streaks for the door.

Goblin will pursue on 1-2, does not follow.

Halfling stands outside gasping for air, holding a sling in case the beast chases, but it soon becomes apparent he's not being pursued. He binds his wounds, picks up the daggers and maces before heading back to town.

Halfling sells the daggers/maces for 1gp each. As he sits down to his first meal at the Inn, he realises he's got his second XP and is now 2nd level. He's very happy and he's now worthy of being given a name!

I decide a level 2 character does indeed need a name, thus I dub him Norin Tossmeadow. I also spend some of Nerin's gps to upgrade his sling to a short bow.

Two sessions in and I'm really enjoying the experience of using the Scarlet Heroes for solo play in combination with Basic Fantasy. There is still that large goblin in the cave, so perhaps Nerin might head back when he's healed up.

Scarlet Heroes: Solo session 1

I played a mini solo game to learn how Scarlet Heroes plays out. I created a Halfling fighter (no name as he's level 1 and level ones are so prone to death in OSR games it aint worth the effort of naming them). Wearing scale armour with shield and spear. 

I decided to hit up ”Gold in the Hills” from the Basic Fantasy Adventure Anthology 1. I'm also using the implied background of Basic Fantasy as I haven't read the background material in the book yet.

Halfling approached the cave entrance sneaking up on the two goblin guards, they spotted him and fired arrows one of which hit the mark. Then Halfling was in among them and took out one with a spear hit and the other with the Fray die. Going through pockets and pouches got Halfling 6gp and two daggers for loot.

Halfling spotted the trap and edged around it and got to a T-junction. To the east double doors, to the west a tunnel leads to a big hole in the floor. Opting to clear the western room before opening any door Halfling went down that way. The hole was uninteresting, so it was back to the doors.

Listening at the door our hero heard sounds of digging and goblin voices. Halfling slipped in through the doors and saw 15 goblins across the way. Being the “heroic” sort he decided to sneak up on them before jumping into their midst. 

He speared one goblin, and Frayed another (perhaps smacking a goblin in the face with his shield). The remaining 13(!!!!) goblins drew daggers and dived at Halfling, more than a few stuck their pins in. 

Halfling bloodied but not downhearted struck back. 

He ran another goblin through with his spear, and Frayed another two (a shield into the back of one head, and spear butt into the crutch of another). Then the remaining 10 goblins attacked. Many missed but not enough. Poor halfling was reduced to 1 HP. 

Brave Halfling ran for it!

Having returned to town Halfling earns 1XP, and sells the two daggers for 1gp each giving him a total loot of 8gp.

Here's Halfling's stats...

Halfling STR16 DEX 15 CON 12 INT12 WIS 12 CHA 16 HP 9

Traits: Halfling stealth, Popular cook, Twisted firestarter, Make your own comfort

Camp gear, rope, rations 3 days, lantern, 2 oil flasks, waterskin, backpack, scale armour, shield, 8gp, 8sp.

Scarlet Heroes: First thoughts on the rules

I picked up the Scarlet Heroes RPG because of its touted awesomeness for single player OSR style roleplaying. A few years back another GM ran me (my character) though a single adventure. it was really a learning experience for him, but I remember having a good time.

Anyway back to the present day, and I now have a soft back copy of the game myself. Reading the rules for the first time certainly made it look suitable for solo play. In fact it IS designed for one player and a GM, but I think it could easily handle two players. However I would have to think twice before moving to three or more, I'm not so sure that would work, and here's why...

At first level your PC is a bit of a bad ass able to leap into battle with as many as ten goblins. It'll be close, but you'll likely win. With a second PC, you'd wipe the floor with them. With a third PC it wouldn't even be a challenge and I'd be surprised if it lasted beyond a single round of combat. 

So what would you do as a GM to increase the interest level for these three PCs? Adding more goblins would seem the obvious choice. But this leads to a huge number of gobbos to track and a bucket of dice, which would bog the game down. The next option would be to place beefier monsters in the dungeon to batter the PCs. BUT the players PCs are pretty squishy without a large number of hit points. One, maybe two hits from a bigger monster could lay them out dead. So that seems like a bad idea. Maybe there's something else to do, but it escapes me for the moment.

The rules of the game are presented first and only take up about a third of the book, with the remained being the well laid out background for the world. The rules are based in an OSR framework and indeed you can use these rules to play in any OSR world, not just the one presented in the book. I have done this and will make a separate post about that.

There are two main changes away from your average OSR title that make you're PC a bad ass, and that increase the single-PC dynamic preferable. 

The first is that hits your PC does to the monster, are done to hits Hit Dice (HD) rather than its hit points (it effectively does not have hit points). Therefore one hit point of damage done to a 1HD monster kills it. Whoa, don't panic. you roll your damage as normal, for instance 1D6 for a spear, then reference the result on a simple chart. A 1 on the D6 does no damage at all, 2-5 does one point of damage and 6 would do two points. Thus, a result of 2-6 would kill a 1HD opponent, and a result of 6 would be able to kill a 1HD or a 2HD opponent.

The second bad-ass trick is the "Fray" die. This is like secondary damage. In each round of combat you roll this extra die and check the number of damage the result does on the same table. These "extra" points of damage you can allocate to other opponents of your level or lower that are in the same combat. If your PC is in combat with ten goblins, you roll to hit one on them, perhaps skewer it with your spear, BUT you also roll well on your Fray die scoring two hits, meaning in the same round you also take out a couple more goblins. The Fray die results represent the general melee that takes place around and close to the main target.

I've run a couple of mini solo sessions, and I'll be posting about them shortly, but the TLDR of those sessions was "Nice!".