"You see this."

  • Consider this: Player mastery is meta

    This is a short rant. Around when I first posted “Just hold it” I also created this doodle to explain a superior approach to using slow, d10, 2H weapons: In brief, it explains that the slow, heavy 2H tank trope is a mistake. The wielder is better off unarmored, frankly. While the former is effectively…

  • Consider this: Swords & Shorties

    I previously wrote a post regarding d10 pole arms in the hands of Dwarves and Halflings: cutting a pole arm should demote the weapon to its d8 or d6 equivalent. I’m taking this logic a step further. I don’t think Dwarves and Halflings were intended to wield normal swords. And I think this is part…

  • Consider this: Non-attack actions in combat

    This will be short. I mainly didn’t want to lose the thought. (Also this largely assumes side initiative.) There’s no codified phase in BX/OSE for taking non-attack actions during a combat round. By this, I refer to drinking potions, pulling levers or ropes, pushing over a brazier, and so on. Most DMs I’ve spoken with…

  • Consider this: Running

    There are so many misconceptions regarding Running in BX and OSE that it’s difficult to determine where to begin explaining a correct RAW understanding. These are my TL;DR conclusions after a recent deep dive where I flip-flopped half a dozen times: 1. On B24, Encounter movement is clearly defined. Running is defined next, followed by…

  • Consider this: Encounter initiative rolls

    Throwing this here for the sake of posterity: A lot of tables run right over the encounter initiative roll in OSE and BX games, but that mechanic is what allows PCs and monsters alike to avoid combat, run, hide, parley, surrender, and more. Let’s review the sequence, starting with the encounter: 4. Roll for wandering,…

  • Consider this: 1E multiclass rules are punitive

    Once, I defended splitting hit die in 1E and OSE-AF, and said something like, “A F2/MU2 must have two hit die because they are 2nd level!” And I would have backed that up with something like, “If you plan to roll a hit die each time a class goes up, then you’d also have to…

  • Consider this: Artist Matt Ray

    Most of my work is premeditated homage. I am the first person to point out that I’m the artistic equivalent of a cover band. At a sniff, you probably pick up the dominant scents of Trampier, Nicholson, and Sutherland around my work. And while I’m fascinated by the iconic mood and ambiance captured by Otus,…

  • Consider this: Turning Points

    The basic game does not specify a lot of aspects of the Cleric’s ability to turn undead. My opinion on this is simple: Each edition of the game is its rule set, so when the rules don’t limit an ability, I consider the absence to be deliberate. To put this in perspective, consider something we…

  • Consider this: 3d6 in order

    Not. One. Edition. Prescribes. An. Order. This is not an opinion. This is not an interpretation. No order prescription appears in the ink of Holmes, BX, BECMI, or the 1991 or 1994 Basic Box instructions, or Old School Essentials (citations below). The closest you get is Method III in AD&D, which is one of several…

  • Role play / Roll play

    I believe the OSR community misapplies these terms to disparage the difference between modern and classic play styles. Here’s why we have it backwards. THE SOURCE OF JOY Classic editions of Dungeons & Dragons have their roots in miniature wargaming—a niche hobby that hinges on player mastery. The joy of playing comes from achieving success…