OSR Working on succinct OSE house rules for online pickup play

[Mannahnin]

Update. My latest iteration as of Sept 2024:

Characters (Slightly more heroic):

• When rolling ability scores, you may EITHER use the set as-rolled, OR “flip” it. That is, invert all values by subtracting them from 21. This way there are no “hopeless characters”, but if, say, you wanted to play a Cleric and got a high Wisdom in the rolled set but some other poor ability scores, you can choose to stick with the set as-is.
• Max HP at first level. At each level thereafter, re-roll existing HD & add one die. If the new HP total is not higher than the old total, add 1 to the old total.

High Numbers Are Good:
Ascending AC is in play. For simplicity and consistency, you always want to roll high. D6 rolls for opening doors, hearing noises, or finding secret doors for example, instead of succeeding on a 1 or 1 & 2 in 6, succeed on a 6 or 5 & 6.

Better Thieves:

• Thieves have a d6 HD.
• Ignore skill percentages. Instead roll a D6 and use the Hear Noise chance (flipped so high numbers are good, as above). Climb Walls/Sheer Surfaces instead starts 2+ on a d6, and each time your skills improve, increase the die size.

Fighters Sweep:
Fighters, Dwarves, Elves, & Halflings make a number of attacks equal to their level when fighting foes with fewer than 2HD. When using this rule do not roll damage; each hit defeats a foe. Fighters (only) may also divide their level by the HD of their foes to make such attacks against foes with >=2 HD. So a 4th level Fighter may attack twice against foes with 2HD. A 6th level Fighter may attack twice against foes with 3HD, or three times against foes with 2HD, and so on. Disregard any + values after the HD for this rule.

Mages Collect Spells:
Magic-Users and Elves may add additional spells to their spell book from a scroll or captured spell book. Roll Int or less on 3d6 to do so. If the check is failed, you are unable to transcribe that particular spell formula, but may attempt again if you find another copy. The attempt will expend a scroll.

Other Skills or Knowledge:
Most of the time your player knowledge will be used, but in instances where the character (based on class or other factors) might know a thing, I will normally simply inform you. Please feel free to speak up and remind me of such factors “Hey, would my Cleric know about this?” If I am unsure or think there’s a chance of a character knowing or achieving a non-combat task, we will roll a d6. The mechanic of rolling a d6 from Open Doors and Hear Noise and hoping for a 5 or 6 is generalized to other such circumstances.

Encumbrance:
Movement speed is based on armor worn. No armor or leather: 120/40, Chain: 90/30, Plate: 60/20. Magic armor counts one step lighter. You may carry up to 400cn weight without being slowed; each additional 400cn or fraction thereof halves move rate.

Initiative:
Side based, d6. Ties mean action is simultaneous. Movement, Missiles, Magic and Melee are resolved in that order. Declare spells or retreats before rolling initiative.

Generally players may decide among themselves in what order they act in a given step, but I may override that and say that, for example, x character is around the corner and the only one who can see what exactly is going on, so they must go first, or something similar, based on the specific tactical situation.

Crits and Fumbles:
20 to hit = +1 damage, OR deal normal damage and you may declare a cool situational effect- disarming, knocking a foe back or prone, overbearing, etc. If the effect is particularly devastating, I may grant the victim a save vs poison/death to avoid. I do not use fumbles on a 1 (it’s just an auto-miss), though I may narrate amusing fumbles for hapless bad guys.

Smoothed attack progression (Demi-Humans use the Fighter table):

 

[Jack Daniel]

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[Cruentus]

@Mannahnin I know you've mentioned these rules before, but we are really enjoying the Revised Thief rules from Carcass Crawler 1 (all thief skills on a d6). The ability to put the points into what you want be better at really helps the thief, even with the d4 hit die. We also try to follow the advice in the same Crawler about Adjudicating Thief Skills. We only roll when there is some type of pressure, stress, or need to do the thing immediately. You want to Hide in Shadows? Sure, you're hidden. No roll. Want to Hide when an enemy is nearby, then its a roll. Climb? Sure, you make the climb. While under fire? Roll.

I also converted the other percentage based classes (assassin, barbarian, ranger?) into that same d6 system so there aren't any % based rolls left.

Dolmenwood also changed all of those die rolls to a "roll high" paradigm, and I'm not sure I like it that much. Probably my old brain then needing to do another step before rolling or calling a roll. Though I do really like their camping and foraging rules, which I've pulled into my OSE game.

Are your online pickup game one-shots?

 

[Mannahnin]

@Mannahnin I know you've mentioned these rules before, but we are really enjoying the Revised Thief rules from Carcass Crawler 1 (all thief skills on a d6). The ability to put the points into what you want be better at really helps the thief, even with the d4 hit die. We also try to follow the advice in the same Crawler about Adjudicating Thief Skills. We only roll when there is some type of pressure, stress, or need to do the thing immediately. You want to Hide in Shadows? Sure, you're hidden. No roll. Want to Hide when an enemy is nearby, then its a roll. Climb? Sure, you make the climb. While under fire? Roll.

Yes, though I don't have that in the text of these rules, I've been leaning that way in adjudication for a while too- not calling for rolls unless there's reason.

I can see the appeal of allowing point allocation. I may try that out too at some point.

Dolmenwood also changed all of those die rolls to a "roll high" paradigm, and I'm not sure I like it that much. Probably my old brain then needing to do another step before rolling or calling a roll. Though I do really like their camping and foraging rules, which I've pulled into my OSE game.

I backed Dolmenwood but haven't really looked at it yet. It's possible that I'll try running that just as it is.

Are your online pickup game one-shots?

I ran a couple of those, and a one shot convention game this Spring which was in-person and used the same rules. And now I'm running a "2-3 shot" single adventure for some friends at home using them.

So I guess the use-case has shifted a bit, but I still like to bear in mind that I want them simple and short. They've expanded a bit, but still fit on a single page, which I think is ideal.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I love how simple OSE is. Such a good D&D.

I use most of the house rules above in one way or another.

My only gripe is I wish the weapons where more... useful. I mean always take a Longsword if you can.

 

[LordEntrails]

I will say our table's favorite way of rolling ability scores is that everyone makes one set of rolls (4d6-L) and then anyone can use any set of rolls. Usually in any order. That way characters are balanced to one another.

 

[Cruentus]

I love how simple OSE is. Such a good D&D.

I use most of the house rules above in one way or another.

My only gripe is I wish the weapons where more... useful. I mean always take a Longsword if you can.

Its not official, and may make things too complicated, but 3d6 Down the Line uses Weapon Traits to further differentiate them. Link to their weapon and armor house rule resources: AV OSE Armor and Weapons List

Now, in actual gameplay, I've not seen them get used, so I think its probably chrome that is easily forgotten, but I fiddled with these a little as well, but dropped them.

 

[Mannahnin]

Its not official, and may make things too complicated, but 3d6 Down the Line uses Weapon Traits to further differentiate them. Link to their weapon and armor house rule resources: AV OSE Armor and Weapons List

Now, in actual gameplay, I've not seen them get used, so I think its probably chrome that is easily forgotten, but I fiddled with these a little as well, but dropped them.

Yes, unfortunately I think they're easy to forget in practice. Delta uses a significantly shorter and simpler set in Original Edition Delta, and he still finds that they often get forgotten.

• Sword: Can be drawn and used in a single round.
• Spear: Can be used to attack from the 2nd rank (+5') reach)
• Axe: +2 to hit targets in Medium/Heavy armor, or creatures with a tough hide (AC 5 or better)
• Club: +4 to hit targets in Heavy armor, or creatures with a very tough hide (AC 3 or better)

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

I haven't felt the need to significantly house-rule OSE. It works pretty well out-of-the-box.

 

[Mannahnin]

I haven't felt the need to significantly house-rule OSE. It works pretty well out-of-the-box.

It does! Half of these are really just clarifications/reminders/confirmations of which option I'm using from the book, like the ascending AC, initiative, and encumbrance. The "Other skills and knowledge" section is just clarifying how I rule that as a DM to encourage people to remind me if their class might be relevant.

The parts of this which I'm most attached to are the ability score procedure (which eliminates any need for re-rolls), and the HP tweak.

The class tweaks are QoL improvements. IME almost no one ever wants to play a Thief. Spell collection is one of the most fun parts of being a Magic User, so I think B/X leaving that out was a rare editorial miss in it. The Fighter Sweep thing is just a tweak I like for a rule which I agree with Delta was intended to be core in OD&D, and my current version of it also gives Fighters of level 4+ a nice little bonus over Dwarves. Smoothed attack progression is also just more fun; not having to wait for 4th or 5th level to be any better at hitting.