A Hacking OSR Mindset
Exploring ideas that get me excited about rules...
Welcome to the Glyph and Grok - A weekly blog-letter exploring topics in the tabletop gaming arena. We explore design, execution, and culture relating to anything played on a tabletop. Explore the other Game Mastering entries from Glyph and Grok here.
Introduction
I am in a state of attempting to absorb all the OSR materials I can get my hands on, doing so flares my love of this hobby. It has taken me years, but I have gotten to a place where I really do enjoy intaking rules and adding them to the tempest in my subconscious and then let these ideas percolate to see how they fit into other ideas to create interesting interactions at the table.
Since finding the OSR style of game play, the goal is always interesting decisions by the players at the table.
Every year I run at least one big one-shot where I like to try things that are experimental to the way I run games, and this year I know I'll have two opportunities for sure. My ultimate goal being to figure out what my favorite game play involves and run that regularly.
My big games will be run in Shadowdark, as any regular readers will know is my favorite system to date, but I enjoy getting at the systems, breaking them down and hacking them. Last year I tried the chaos magic spell books from Knave 2E and it was a lot of fun. Another of those ideas I know I've heard in a video or mentioned in text that has percolated is to think of the PC sheet in terms of resources that can be attacked, bartered, or sacrificed - More than the typical way a 5E player would think about their sheet - But draining your constitution, trading spell slots and hit dice for effects in ways you wouldn't expect in a new edition 5E/Pathfinder game. The thing may not have specific rules for what you're trying to simulate, but there's examples of people cobbling together something that approximately does what you're looking for all over the place - and then you can sprinkle your own flavor on top.
The Thing
One of those things I've been wanting to play with is the strict failure of rolling poorly when attempting to cast a spell in Shadowdark. Previously, I think I'd only seen roll-to-cast in one other game but I really like it in comparison to something like spell slots or number of casts per day - You just keep casting as long as you keep making the check. It feels good and the more badass your spellcaster is the easier they will cast spells.
But you'll fail that check plenty in a game with low modifiers like Shadowdark. And when it happens at lower levels, it can be very detrimental and you'll end up with casters being really strapped for options. That of course though is mostly the point. To have that risk. Make the casters have that risk of this rather bad situation for them, in exchange for their ability to just make cool things happen.
By accident I played with this concept in a live game. One player failed trying to cast "Light" and then asked me if there could be literally any effect from the spell's magic, they seemed to really just want the juice for the narrative and it was going to be a brick wall for their creative next step and we were playing a one-shot. I was quick on my feet and asked "What's the least convenient thing that you could have now stuck with this spell's light effect on" they said "their backpack." So now instead of a weapon or shield they could hold out like a torch, their backpack was lit.
Then they took it off and tried to put it on the front of them and I added another wrinkle, when the pack was away from the wizard's body, the spell effect went away - coming back only when it was held to the body.
Even more gonzo, one of the players at the table that wasn't playing yet became the consciousness of the pack that would only exist as long as the spell would last (1hr). The players seemed to really love this and it felt like a fun "yes-and" to the story-driven powered by the apocalypse style games that are always failing forward. None of this insanity would have been there if I had just said “no.” I don't think this can work in every scenario, but with a lively table it can make for some great fun.
I've been thinking about this interaction at the table ever since it happened. This was so much fun, how do I get more of this at the table? I want to bottle that up and infuse it into the rules if I can. One theory I have is that players like feeling like they have options. Players SHOULD always feel like they have options and they should always be negotiating the space in game and finding every advantage they can - ala tactical infinity as the Questing Best says - but what rules flavor could help make this apparent?
These ideas aren’t even rules as much as an attempt to reinforce to players to build their player skill in the way they think about these situations. I want them to be thinking about what they can offer me in trade for situational benefits:
Magic Users can choose to lose the ability to cast one of your spells to boost the spell you just successfully cast (Guaranteed crit effect? Make a single target spell effect multiple? Gain advantage on current spell cast check?)
Martial classes can boost an ability check or attack roll but then are "exhausted" (disadvantage on CON and STR checks till rest? Cannot sprint? Have to roll STR checks that might have not had rolls without?)
Temporarily sacrifice CON stat score to boost something? What can be gained? How does this hurt?
Sacrifice HP? Can we somehow enhance a spell's effect?
I think the through line is pretty apparent. These are situations that are between the lines that aren't necessarily in need of rules in the main text, but may be something that can add unique flavor to setting material. If you’re in a strange pocket dimension and suddenly have the ability to do one of the above, that sounds like a memorable session. I think the WAY of thinking is more important than the ultimate rules that come out of this.
It also makes my creative juices flow. Sometimes I look and I think "everything has already been done" but creating a custom setting that uses all the rules I love and props up my favorite ways to play, that has definitely not been done yet. F
Focusing on hacking something and bolting on different stuff to it is how I think all of these OSR creators do what they do. And I am having fun in the journey.
What about you, dear reader? Do you have a favorite hack? What's the house rule of choice at your table? Do you create custom stuff like this for your table?
Till next time!
Thanks for Reading!
Please like, share, and comment your thoughts!
I don’t think to be OSR (but who knows nowadays?)... however the path you described is what I did everytime I sat down and revised my rules! I think I came to a solution which offsets good outcomes in terms of players' game and easiness in rule adoption. Happy to send you a comp digital copy as soon as the book is ready!