OD&D with Outdoor Survival setting

[onerom]

I'm thinking of creating my setting on the Outdoor Survival map, but I'm still not sure how much I should write, describe in depth, and how much to improvise during game. Should I just enter the names and descriptions in two lines or wrote a proper setting? I'd like to insert in my game elements from the C.A. Smith, R. Howard and F. Leiber novels.

I find this pdf at this link here. It's a very interesting thing, but I'm young and my habit is to have a proper setting, I'm used to doing differently, with modules like Mystara's Gazetters. How do you advise me to start acting and preparing this campaign? What should I forget and what to keep, from the later tradition? I'm used to telling complex stories, with pc related to events, with a character of their own, not simple pawns. How can I combine the derivation from this model with the high mortality of the pc?

Thanks for your precious advice.

[mao]

Aug 23, 2018 8:18:54 GMT -5 onerom said:

I'm thinking of creating my setting on the Outdoor Survival map, but I'm still not sure how much I should write, describe in depth, and how much to improvise during game. Should I just enter the names and descriptions in two lines or wrote a proper setting? I'd like to insert in my game elements from the C.A. Smith, R. Howard and F. Leiber novels.

I find this pdf: docs.google.com/file/d/0Bx-230B8tqxvMmFrNGJFU3hGNnM/edit/ it's a very interesting thing, but I'm young and my habit is to have a proper setting, I'm used to doing differently, with modules like Mystara's Gazetters. How do you advise me to start acting and preparing this campaign? What should I forget and what to keep, from the later tradition? I'm used to telling complex stories, with pc related to events, with a character of their own, not simple pawns. How can I combine the derivation from this model with the high mortality of the pc?
Thanks for your precious advice.

First of all: Welcome!
If your used to being as you say "not simple" I suggest you make everything in depth. 30-40 Majpr and minor NPC(a few line for each would be fine) . If you are going to use any dungeons(Players love dungeons) , these should be fleshed out and don't need to be huge(2-3 adventures to finish them. 

[Deleted]

Here's my take, and remember this is one man's opinion only and not a universal truism.

Creating a complicated milieu with detailed NPCs and histories can be frustrating for a creative referee. Players will typically be disinterested in what came before them and you will be disappointed all your hard work was so casually pooh-poohed.

My advice? Have a general idea of an area's history along with a few prominent NPCs, the ones your player will be interacting with the most (shopkeeper, innkeeper, the local lord, the local high priest, etc.). Then? Have a stable of less fleshed out NPCs you can roll out on a moment's notice, but who will fit into any area you need to put them. This will give your campaign a sense of consistency while still not involving tons of work that will sit unused in folders.

In this way your campaign will be a fusion of your vision with the player's actions. And that IMNSHO is the very best kind. All the persons sitting at the table will have a sense of ownership.

[Mighty Darci]

secretsofblackmoor , El Borak , Hexenritter Verlag , mormonyoyoman , ripx187, True Black Raven and many others, have you seen this thread?

[secretsofblackmoor]

The original design has a lot of flaws in it as far as the actual way the numbers work. Wilderness adventures run according to the encounter charts and evasion charts are extremely lethal.

One could assume there are slightly more civilized places where most of the monsters have been rooted out? So it might serve a Ref to create their own encounters that are more reasonable

As to running the game. David Megarry has told us a lot about using outdoor survival early on with Dave Arneson. It was mostly a way to get out and adventure in a very sand box like place. It was likely also where they placed their first baronies in order to conduct a war game campaign that would have direct impact on their RPG campaign.

I would say that you may just want to do some test runs with your players and see how it works. You will likely end up having to come up with your own methods for dealing with all kinds of situations. I personally would make a copy of the map, or redraw it and put different symbols on it. Playing direcly on the map might reveal too much to the players, so if you make copies and track where they are on the map; you could just give them a hand drawn map without any scale measurements/hexes on it. It would make the feel of the game more like original style play where you do not know everything as a player.

Since OD&D has high mortality rates, bring lots of henchmen and as players die let them take over the henchmen.

BTW - I can't see the attached file.

[Admin Pete]

Aug 23, 2018 8:18:54 GMT -5 onerom said:

I find this pdf: docs.google.com/file/d/0Bx-230B8tqxvMmFrNGJFU3hGNnM/edit/

I'm getting a page not found error for this. Since it says edit, it might be something that was shared with you and only people it was shared with can see it.

I copied and pasted it like this docs.google.com/file/d/0Bx-230B8tqxvMmFrNGJFU3hGNnM/ and it worked.

That is the Original D&D Setting pdf complied from posts on the Semper Initiativus Unum blog by Wayne Rossi initiativeone.blogspot.com and the Map is by James Mishler based on the Outdoor Survival map. Just what secretsofblackmoor said, you'll want to create your own encounters/tables and do what works for you.

Yes, don't show the players the whole map. I would give them a sheet of paper with the town or village where they are based and a little info about the hex that is in and maybe a little beyond that, everything else they have to discover and I would describe it and let them draw it. They will deviate from the real map fairly quickly and that is the way it should be. As they travel back and forth through areas they may have to correct their map from time to time.

With new players I start very simple and add to it as they gain experience as players.]

Do a little at a time as you have time and you will have a lot done before you know it. Don't try to do too much at once and get overwhelmed. Creating it yourself is different from using modules. Start on a dungeon, but you don't have to get it all done quickly. You can easily justify a double ring of hexes around a town as being monster lite, and beyond that were there are villages it will be still pretty lite, then beyond the villages it will get more dangerous. They will have limited funds, so have brothers, sisters, cousins etc as part of the party as rolled up PCs, but keep them more in the background, all the PCs can pool money and get some henchman and some pack mules. This will make travel safer with a larger party and you will have bodies to watch the mules and supplies while the PCs are in the dungeon. If Joe PC dies, then the Player can take over the PCs cousin Fred. These relatives, friends and henchman can also do some hunting and fishing to supplement the supplies of food. You can hand wave that with a deer or wild cattle or something and a mess of fish now and then. Play out the parts you all enjoy and hand wave some of the things. If they are there for a while the game will get scarce, they can still end up running short on food and other supplies, but I would not sweat it to close until everyone gets acclimated, then I would tighten up on the supply situation. The Outdoor Survival Rules can get you dead from starvation and being lost in a hurry, so those you will need to temper in the beginning.

[onerom]

Thanks to all, and thanks to Admin for fixed my broken link. Probably I have to start and try to understand which approach to the game is more appropriate for me and for my players. I consider the hexagonal map to be practically mandatory in this context, even if in other games I also use maps without hexagons and I measure in centimeters. Another problem is the use of miniatures or not, I like minis, I own a great collection from early 80s and 90s, but probably the tactical use of the squared map it's not appropriate with old school spirit, which uses inch measurement as a standard...

[Admin Pete]

Aug 23, 2018 11:29:52 GMT -5 onerom said:

Thanks to all, and thanks to Admin for fixed my broken link. Probably I have to start and try to understand which approach to the game is more appropriate for me and for my players. I consider the hexagonal map to be practically mandatory in this context, even if in other games I also use maps without hexagons and I measure in centimeters. Another problem is the use of miniatures or not, I like minis, I own a great collection from early 80s and 90s, but probably the tactical use of the squared map it's not appropriate with old school spirit, which uses inch measurement as a standard...

You are welcome and I also just added some advice to my post.

[Deleted]

I played a board game once upon a time, a combination of "checkerboard" movement and miniatures. It solved the problem of movement over terrain by altering the size of the "squares" into rectangles. There were squares over rough terrain, rectangles over smooth terrain, and even longer rectangles over roads. Your pawns moved a set number of "squares" but obviously moved more distance over road squares than rough terrain squares.

Maybe this idea might help? It would require some pre-work, but might communicate movement over terrain more effectively to your players.

[The Bloody Nine]

Aug 23, 2018 13:48:59 GMT -5 @gizka said:

I played a board game once upon a time, a combination of "checkerboard" movement and miniatures. It solved the problem of movement over terrain by altering the size of the "squares" into rectangles. There were squares over rough terrain, rectangles over smooth terrain, and even longer rectangles over roads. Your pawns moved a set number of "squares" but obviously moved more distance over road squares than rough terrain squares.

Maybe this idea might help? It would require some pre-work, but might communicate movement over terrain more effectively to your players.

Do you remember the name of the board game?

[Deleted]

TSR's "Sirrocco" comes to mind, but it's been a while.

[The Bloody Nine]

Aug 23, 2018 15:02:08 GMT -5 @gizka said:

TSR's "Sirrocco" comes to mind, but it's been a while.

SIROCCO 1985

Designer David "Zeb" Cook, Douglas Niles
Artist Linda Bakk, John Meyers, Picard Didier, Inc.
Publisher TSR 1985
Publisher's description:

"SIROCCO is an exciting game of desert combat for two players. Simple and easy to learn, battle develops fast and furiously!"

Each player represents one side in a highly abstracted WWII North Africa desert battle. Using order cards, they maneuver various units and attempt to capture or kill their opponents' general. Basic and advanced rules are included.

Review

Short Review

[ripx187]

Greetings onerom. I think that we all have "Our" edition, the edition that we started with. For me, it was 2nd Edition and I emulated the detailed modules when I did my writing and I was always getting frustrated. I finally came to the conclusion that I was playing the game by myself instead of creating an environment for the players. I've also burned myself out doing too much prep. My advice to you, which was earned the hard way, is to keep prep brief and recyclable. Naturally, this will take some getting used to, and don't change your system over-night. Prep what you feel comfortable with, and then, after the game looks to see what you used and what was ignored. What can you make up at the table, and where do you get stuck? Design only what you have to, and PLAY THE GAME with the players, not during prep.


Food for thought, a module is a dead thing that has already been played, your game is much better if it is alive.


In regards to miniatures during play, I am one of those DM's who use them when I have to, or if the players are having to much trouble visualizing and request it. This game is slow! I use a square grid, mark out the walls doors or outside terrain (hopefully ahead of time, but if it is spontaneous than the players have to take a break while I draw it out. The players place their minis on the board and then I place the monsters which they can see. The only reason to do this is to accurately measure movement and line of sight during missile fire. Typically, the players have walked into a monster defensive trap and are in big trouble, but its good for anytime that the players want a clearer reference of distance.


The rules that I use, even while playing OD&D, is a book for the AD&D 2nd Edition rules called "Combat & Tactics". It is easier to learn because it uses the same mechanics as Dungeons & Dragons. I do modify it some if I've got too many creatures to track hit points, instead, I'll go by 1 hit = 1 HD of dmg to the monsters only, the players have no idea that this is going on. 

For Mass Combat, I run this in my head and just describe things from the perspective of the players. If they are commanding an army, they must give orders to their troops and come up with a plan of defence or attack. These can be pretty difficult, but in these scenarios I use statistics; I mean, you can use figures, but honestly, it can take a lot longer to set up than to actually just play it out, and when the players can see the field from over-head they have an unfair advantage. Your best friend in any mass combat system is the Morale Chart. Also, every game using this style is a play-test, don't be afraid to use your own mechanics to determine outcomes. I also ignore point systems, I don't want evenly matched forces, that is a two player game. (Opinion only)

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Aug 23, 2018 8:18:54 GMT -5 onerom said:

I'm thinking of creating my setting on the Outdoor Survival map, but I'm still not sure how much I should write, describe in depth, and how much to improvise during game. Should I just enter the names and descriptions in two lines or wrote a proper setting? I'd like to insert in my game elements from the C.A. Smith, R. Howard and F. Leiber novels.

I find this pdf: docs.google.com/file/d/0Bx-230B8tqxvMmFrNGJFU3hGNnM/edit/ it's a very interesting thing, but I'm young and my habit is to have a proper setting, I'm used to doing differently, with modules like Mystara's Gazetters. How do you advise me to start acting and preparing this campaign? What should I forget and what to keep, from the later tradition? I'm used to telling complex stories, with pc related to events, with a character of their own, not simple pawns. How can I combine the derivation from this model with the high mortality of the pc?
Thanks for your precious advice.

Check out this PDF from Lulu, it is a great free primer on Old School roleplaying. 

You can run OD&D as you normally do, but prepare your players that things are dangerous, it is best to find other ways than combat to gain treasure & running away is a valid option. House Ruling is your friend, try to come up with XP for non-treasure rewards if dungeon delving is not your preferred style. Telling complex stories are possible with any rule set, make things up, have fun, be fair and consistent. If you want to create a setting go in as much depth that you are comfortable with and that your players normally expect. You can use the PDF you linked (but people will have to delete the '/edit/' bit first to get to it) or use the Mystara Gazetters or both. If you choose to use the Mystara Gazetteers you'll need to do minor conversions & you might want to download the Threshold e-zine found here.

[secretsofblackmoor]

Good reading here.

[El Borak]

Aug 24, 2018 0:40:37 GMT -5 secretsofblackmoor said:

Good reading here.

Yep!

[mormonyoyoman]

Aug 23, 2018 16:51:52 GMT -5 ripx187 said:

Food for thought, a module is a dead thing that has already been played, your game is much better if it is alive.

Quote of the Day. It should be on the front cover of every module published ever.

[El Borak]

Aug 24, 2018 15:22:29 GMT -5 mormonyoyoman said:

Aug 23, 2018 16:51:52 GMT -5 ripx187 said:

Food for thought, a module is a dead thing that has already been played, your game is much better if it is alive.

Quote of the Day. It should be on the front cover of every module published ever.

Have an exalt ripx187!

[secretsofblackmoor]

Aug 23, 2018 11:29:52 GMT -5 onerom said:

Thanks to all, and thanks to Admin for fixed my broken link. Probably I have to start and try to understand which approach to the game is more appropriate for me and for my players. I consider the hexagonal map to be practically mandatory in this context, even if in other games I also use maps without hexagons and I measure in centimeters. Another problem is the use of miniatures or not, I like minis, I own a great collection from early 80s and 90s, but probably the tactical use of the squared map it's not appropriate with old school spirit, which uses inch measurement as a standard...

I can't actually tell if you are yankin' our chain or truly asking questions.

But here goes.

A couple years ago I tried playing a Path Finder game. Although I really liked the core mechanic which is basically extracted from OD&D, the expanded skills and feats seemed ridiculous to me. So I set about making my own game system and setting.

I decided to do sort of a mash up of realms. My players began on a giant orbiting space resort. Of course it was sort of post apocalyptic and things no longer worked exactly the way they should. It seems at some point the huge satellite had somehow orbited through some kind of anomaly, or some strange rift had opened up between the different planes. Thus if anyone wandered east on the map there was a big swamp and things would get very dark. There would be these strange floating rafts on the water that magically traveled around. Getting on one of these would eventually bring you to a very strange walled city and of course this city had gates that opened up onto other strange realms. Many with very odd physical laws for gravity and this strange "magic". 

Anyway, I decided to not have a map. I simply covered the table with a big piece of paper. Where ever the players went I just drew terrain with colored pencil. Over time a map was created, but much of it remained unexplored. The entire game was essentially an experiment at playing an RPG with no rules at all. I did make up some basic systems of my own, but the players did not know the rules per se.

The point of that campaign was to have players wandering from one truly bizarre physical reality to another. So while wandering through the swamp they found a different anomaly that was like a giant sink hole and the swamp water was slowly draining into this place. As they walked down it they realized they were in a sort of pipe with gravity pulling outward, so they were now walking on the walls of the place to a completely different world reality in this tunnel world, which would possibly lead to another strange place after walking through some dense fog.

Things never went farther than that. I was pretty excited about them getting to another plane where it was just a vast landscape that was always lit by dim red light and a massive headless figure slowly wandering around, that if you got up close , you would realize that it was pocked with holes, and climbing inside those you would find an immense dungeon within the walking creature. Such high hopes I had for that campaign.

The problem is, you can't always know where the players will go, so they just never got there before we ended.

So when you say you feel you need hexes, I would say you may not at all.

I am curious why you would want to use the outdoor survival map because it is rather small, unless you change the scale of the hexes.

I would also say that instead of merely redo-ing what everyone else does, you could just get really weird and do something different and all your own.

Often people seem to want to make a thing, but in the making it, they may limit themselves. So perhaps being more free form and merely sketching out ideas, allows one to be more free in their thinking. 

Of course, this is just a suggestion.

[Hexenritter Verlag]

@secretsofblackmore, I think onerom is honestly asking these questions but remember English is not his native tongue. Also remember his primary gaming experience is via Warhammer Fantasy and likely started playing D&D with 3.5 D&D where miniatures. He seems to legitimately learn how to play in a more Old School style. That all said, I like how you illustrated your answer in away a noob could easily comprehend. I am new to OD&D and Old School gaming myself and this forum has become a bastion to me.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Read the OD&D books all the way through several times and rough out what you want to do. Give the players lots of options. Once you start play, if the players are having a lot of trouble deciding which option to pursue, as the ref make this suggestion, have each player write their top two on a piece of paper and the three with the most mentions are the ones the party can vote on to see which they pursue. Once they get used to having lots of options this will rapidly get easier for them. If they are in a dungeon (as one example) if they are standing and debating, remind them that things can sneak up on them when they are distracted like this and that their voices can carry a lot way and attract attention, if the debate does not wrap up then role a wandering monster check, repeat as needed. The players will learn and the game will go faster and faster and they will be immersed deeper and deeper. 

Try not to stop and refer to the rules during the game. You use the combat tables, turn undead table, saving throw table and not much more. Study the rules so that you can over time not need to refer to them, as that tends to break immersion. Also the better you know the rules, the better you will be able to rule on the fly as needed or to implement a house rule for the way you want to run it.

[ripx187]

The gamers who hail from Italy or Mexico are playing a game that is deeply interesting. I have spoken to gamers who had little to no knowledge of English and D&D books had to be interpreted even further than what is required of native English speakers. Only a few books are available, either original English editions or poorly translated versions, what this did was form satellite groups where the users always had to make up their own procedures and game theories which can be totally unique to areas. I keep in some touch with one of the Italian groups and they are pushing the game just as hard into unique places as we are, but coming up with ideas and going into different directions than our own English speaking think-tanks are.

The Internet has put a kind of a damper on this, but there are still unique regional styles at play. My blog is linked to an Italian language blog because that blogger's stuff is incredible! I also like him as a person, he told me that he and his friends got a copy of an American D&D handbook when they were children, had no idea what half of the more obscure words meant, but they played it anyway and had a blast. Can you imagine? They made a lot of it up, just to get the thing to work. There were lots of debates before they even decided how to run combat. Exciting stuff. 


A friend from Mexico told me that he wanted to learn how to play so bad that his first game took place in a bar and being played by members of a Cartel. That is much better than my first game story! His English is superb but it went back to acquiring books and finding examples of play, so, again, after that Cartel game he talked a couple of his friends into joining him and they just played! 

You've really got to give props to any person who hail from most foreign countries, as they had to fight harder to grasp this game than we did.

[mao]

Aug 25, 2018 13:31:49 GMT -5 ripx187 said:

The gamers who hail from Italy or Mexico are playing a game that is deeply interesting. I have spoken to gamers who had little to no knowledge of English and D&D books had to be interpreted even further than what is required of native English speakers. Only a few books are available, either original English editions or poorly translated versions, what this did was form satellite groups where the users always had to make up their own procedures and game theories which can be totally unique to areas. I keep in some touch with one of the Italian groups and they are pushing the game just as hard into unique places as we are, but coming up with ideas and going into different directions than our own English speaking think-tanks are.

The Internet has put a kind of a damper on this, but there are still unique regional styles at play. My blog is linked to an Italian language blog because that blogger's stuff is incredible! I also like him as a person, he told me that he and his friends got a copy of an American D&D handbook when they were children, had no idea what half of the more obscure words meant, but they played it anyway and had a blast. Can you imagine? They made a lot of it up, just to get the thing to work. There were lots of debates before they even decided how to run combat. Exciting stuff. 


A friend from Mexico told me that he wanted to learn how to play so bad that his first game took place in a bar and being played by members of a Cartel. That is much better than my first game story! His English is superb but it went back to acquiring books and finding examples of play, so, again, after that Cartel game he talked a couple of his friends into joining him and they just played! 

You've really got to give props to any person who hail from most foreign countries, as they had to fight harder to grasp this game than we did.

Fantastic story rip! Have an exalt!

[El Borak]

Aug 25, 2018 13:31:49 GMT -5 ripx187 said:

The gamers who hail from Italy or Mexico are playing a game that is deeply interesting. I have spoken to gamers who had little to no knowledge of English and D&D books had to be interpreted even further than what is required of native English speakers. Only a few books are available, either original English editions or poorly translated versions, what this did was form satellite groups where the users always had to make up their own procedures and game theories which can be totally unique to areas. I keep in some touch with one of the Italian groups and they are pushing the game just as hard into unique places as we are, but coming up with ideas and going into different directions than our own English speaking think-tanks are.

The Internet has put a kind of a damper on this, but there are still unique regional styles at play. My blog is linked to an Italian language blog because that blogger's stuff is incredible! I also like him as a person, he told me that he and his friends got a copy of an American D&D handbook when they were children, had no idea what half of the more obscure words meant, but they played it anyway and had a blast. Can you imagine? They made a lot of it up, just to get the thing to work. There were lots of debates before they even decided how to run combat. Exciting stuff. 


A friend from Mexico told me that he wanted to learn how to play so bad that his first game took place in a bar and being played by members of a Cartel. That is much better than my first game story! His English is superb but it went back to acquiring books and finding examples of play, so, again, after that Cartel game he talked a couple of his friends into joining him and they just played! 

You've really got to give props to any person who hail from most foreign countries, as they had to fight harder to grasp this game than we did.

How about some links, in a new thread to the blog and whatever else you have links to.

[onerom]

Thanks for all precious advices. The secretsofblackmoor's campaign seems an amazing stuff! I like bizarre gonzo settings, with sci-fi elements. I plan to use Outdoor Survival because it's recommended in the OD&D booklets. It's an exercise in style to go back to the origins, but it's not mandatory, I'm also inclined to adopt other maps. One idea would be to loot concepts and ideas from various modules to make a useful mashup for adventures.
I started with proper rpg in 2000 with D&D 3 ed., but I already played Warhammer Fantasy Battles and a lot of Gamebooks, also trying to experiment with made-up rpg inspired by these last two products. Today I'm far as possible from the 3.5/Pathfinder model. I don't like the excess of personalization. I would like the players to think, instead of reading the possible actions on the sheet. So I don't even love a codified system of skills. Although it's a later concept, I'll do skill tests by d20 and staying under the ability for success. The class and race must define the skills and competencies in a non-transcribed way. I confirm that it was difficult for us, Italians, to play, especially in the past. I learned my poor English on D&D manuals, I had a strong desire to be able to understand (our school doesn't teach English very well).
Even though I started playing late, my miniatures collection is made up of old pieces by Citadel, Marauder and Grenadier, strictly painted with the style of the 80s, white primer, bright colors. That's why I'd love to use them, they're not the rubber miniatures of the 2000s.

[secretsofblackmoor]

Dave Arneson had Sci fi in his campaign within the first year in 1971. If you look at the copy right on your personal OD&D, you will see this exists much earlier. And if you look at OD&D you see strange things like white apes in the wandering monster charts.

[El Borak]

Aug 25, 2018 17:05:06 GMT -5 onerom said:

Thanks for all precious advices. The secretsofblackmoor's campaign seems an amazing stuff! I like bizarre gonzo settings, with sci-fi elements. I plan to use Outdoor Survival because it's recommended in the OD&D booklets. It's an exercise in style to go back to the origins, but it's not mandatory, I'm also inclined to adopt other maps. One idea would be to loot concepts and ideas from various modules to make a useful mashup for adventures.
I started with proper rpg in 2000 with D&D 3 ed., but I already played Warhammer Fantasy Battles and a lot of Gamebooks, also trying to experiment with made-up rpg inspired by these last two products. Today I'm far as possible from the 3.5/Pathfinder model. I don't like the excess of personalization. I would like the players to think, instead of reading the possible actions on the sheet. So I don't even love a codified system of skills. Although it's a later concept, I'll do skill tests by d20 and staying under the ability for success. The class and race must define the skills and competencies in a non-transcribed way. I confirm that it was difficult for us, Italians, to play, especially in the past. I learned my poor English on D&D manuals, I had a strong desire to be able to understand (our school doesn't teach English very well).
Even though I started playing late, my miniatures collection is made up of old pieces by Citadel, Marauder and Grenadier, strictly painted with the style of the 80s, white primer, bright colors. That's why I'd love to use them, they're not the rubber miniatures of the 2000s.

Have an exalt. Because of the language barrier you had to work harder to gain access, so you are more invested an motivated. In a lot of ways that is a blessing, although good translations ought to be available they often are not.

[El Borak]

Aug 25, 2018 18:19:55 GMT -5 secretsofblackmoor said:

Dave Arneson had Sci fi in his campaign within the first year in 1971. If you look at the copy right on your personal OD&D, you will see this exists much earlier. And if you look at OD&D you see strange things like white apes in the wandering monster charts.

You can see a lot of Sci Fi in the First Fantasy Campaign.

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Aug 25, 2018 17:05:06 GMT -5 onerom said:

Thanks for all precious advices. The secretsofblackmoor's campaign seems an amazing stuff! I like bizarre gonzo settings, with sci-fi elements. I plan to use Outdoor Survival because it's recommended in the OD&D booklets. It's an exercise in style to go back to the origins, but it's not mandatory, I'm also inclined to adopt other maps. One idea would be to loot concepts and ideas from various modules to make a useful mashup for adventures.
I started with proper rpg in 2000 with D&D 3 ed., but I already played Warhammer Fantasy Battles and a lot of Gamebooks, also trying to experiment with made-up rpg inspired by these last two products. Today I'm far as possible from the 3.5/Pathfinder model. I don't like the excess of personalization. I would like the players to think, instead of reading the possible actions on the sheet. So I don't even love a codified system of skills. Although it's a later concept, I'll do skill tests by d20 and staying under the ability for success. The class and race must define the skills and competencies in a non-transcribed way. I confirm that it was difficult for us, Italians, to play, especially in the past. I learned my poor English on D&D manuals, I had a strong desire to be able to understand (our school doesn't teach English very well).
Even though I started playing late, my miniatures collection is made up of old pieces by Citadel, Marauder and Grenadier, strictly painted with the style of the 80s, white primer, bright colors. That's why I'd love to use them, they're not the rubber miniatures of the 2000s.

If you like bizarre gonzo settings with sci-fi elements you should check out the Arduin Trilogy onerom, it started out as basically house-rules for OD&D and has a bunch of gonzoness. 

If you like miniatures you with your RPGs you should check out this blog by Chirine Bakal, though the focus is primarily on Tekumel. 

[George Smith]

Nothing says gonzo like Arduin. I have heard people say that Hargrave is an example of a true Arneson disciple.