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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kenada" data-source="post: 8245731" data-attributes="member: 70468">I’m linking Old-School Essentials because the SRD is available freely online, but it’s B/X. The <a href="https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Dungeon_Adventuring" target="_blank">dungeon procedure</a> breaks down exploring a dungeon into turns and specifies what you do over the course of a turn. It’s very prescriptive compared to “modern” games. The point of having it is to provide a framework for exploration-based gameplay. It sets baseline assumptions, and it presents players with decisions they have to make while they explore. Because time isn’t hand-waved, they aren’t necessarily going to be able to do everything they want.<a href="https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Encounters#Monster_Reaction_Roll" target="_blank">Reaction rolls</a>, <a href="https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Morale_(Optional_Rule)" target="_blank">morale checks</a>, and <a href="https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Evasion_and_Pursuit" target="_blank">escape procedures</a> are also important. Reaction rolls ensure that not every encounter is combat, which gives the PCs opportunities to prevent conflicts before they happen (possibly even making new friends). Morale checks provide a way to end combat without having to kill everyone. If the PCs know you are rolling them, they can focus on that when killing everything might not be feasible (e.g., target a leader). Escape procedures are important because they assure players that they can recover from a mistake (picking a fight you can’t win). For example, compare <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-was-your-last-session.667468/page-37" target="_blank">my last session</a> and <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/a-pathfinder-group-tries-old-school-essentials.677957/post-8244962" target="_blank">similar situations that happened in 5e and PF2</a>.The Alexandrian wrote an <a href="https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/43568/roleplaying-games/game-structures-addendum-system-matters" target="_blank">article</a> about the loss of these procedures that digs into the history a bit.</blockquote>

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