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<blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 8140392" data-attributes="member: 7026594">OSR does not necessarily equal deadly, but mechanically it's quite likely unless you keep the monster numbers relatively low, use Reaction rolls to reduce the number of automatically-hostile encounters, and make more treasure available than you're probably used to (unless you're experienced with old-school games) to ensure that the PCs level up within a few sessions.&nbsp; Once PCs gain a couple of levels they have a buffer against being killed by one or two lucky attacks from a monster.&nbsp; Other factors which add enormously to PC survivability are them being willing to run from encounters (especially if you use the OD&amp;D or B/X rules for pursuit and dropping treasure or food to deter it), and them employing retainers, henchman, and possibly war dogs as meat shields.In my old-school B/X / Five Torches Deep mashup open table I've been running this year, I have significantly more forgiving death rules than BX (zero HP isn't automatically dead; if you get bandaged or healed within a minute you get a roll on a chart with a small chance of being dead), and over 50ish sessions so far this year, I've had I think 3 PC deaths out of about a dozen active PCs, but they've had more than thirty dead hirelings and retainers (their chart is less forgiving).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mannahnin, post: 8140392, member: 7026594"] OSR does not necessarily equal deadly, but mechanically it's quite likely unless you keep the monster numbers relatively low, use Reaction rolls to reduce the number of automatically-hostile encounters, and make more treasure available than you're probably used to (unless you're experienced with old-school games) to ensure that the PCs level up within a few sessions. Once PCs gain a couple of levels they have a buffer against being killed by one or two lucky attacks from a monster. Other factors which add enormously to PC survivability are them being willing to run from encounters (especially if you use the OD&D or B/X rules for pursuit and dropping treasure or food to deter it), and them employing retainers, henchman, and possibly war dogs as meat shields. In my old-school B/X / Five Torches Deep mashup open table I've been running this year, I have significantly more forgiving death rules than BX (zero HP isn't automatically dead; if you get bandaged or healed within a minute you get a roll on a chart with a small chance of being dead), and over 50ish sessions so far this year, I've had I think 3 PC deaths out of about a dozen active PCs, but they've had more than thirty dead hirelings and retainers (their chart is less forgiving). [/QUOTE]

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