RPG Primer and Old School Playbook

[chiisu81]

Page 39, 4th full paragraph: correct to "...let's further assume..."
Page 52, 4th full paragraph: correct to "...sometimes it's more a factor..."
Page 57, Swords & Wizardry: you have the Complete and Core versions mixed up; Complete is the "full" game with all supplemental material while Core only includes some.

[Solomoriah]

Page 39, 4th full paragraph: correct to "...let's further assume..."

Fixed.

Page 52, 4th full paragraph: correct to "...sometimes it's more a factor..."

Fixed.

Page 57, Swords & Wizardry: you have the Complete and Core versions mixed up; Complete is the "full" game with all supplemental material while Core only includes some.

Ack. Not so much mixed up as badly described. OGL rules, you know? I've revised it somewhat.

[Solomoriah]

And, as of right now you can buy it on CreateSpace.com:

https://www.createspace.com/5040509

It will be on Amazon.com soon, and I'm going over to Lulu.com right now to get it set up. Then, maybe, I'll start in on getting it on RPGNow.com... but given how things went with the Core Rules, I'm guessing December there...

[Solomoriah]

Found the initial linkage on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Role-Playing-Game ... 452&sr=1-8

It's not available right now, but it will be very soon.

[Solomoriah]

And now, Lulu.com:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/chris-gonnerma ... 52003.html

... takes NO time to get something active there.

[Dustinian]

Ordered mine when it first hit Amazon. I enjoyed it! I'm still by and large a "New School" DM, but I'm still trying to pick up the "Old School." In fact, I ran a game of BFRPG after work two weeks ago.

My group had another great time! I meant to take a few pictures, but, alas, we started playing right after work, and powered through the game without too many asides, as all of us had wives (and three of us kids) waiting at home!

I do, however, have a request/thought. You have a "Pit Trap" on page 32, and the instructions as written are great.

But I find that my game REALLY grinds to a halt once the players get a sense that traps may be afoot.

In D&D4E, that's no problem: Once the players realize the place is trapped, they put the guy with the highest perception out front, and he tells me he's moving carefully, looking for traps, and I give him a +2 to his passive perception. (Yes, yes, I know that's "roll play" rather than "role play." Don't get angry with me yet. I'm not saying BFRPG should work the same way, I'm just saying: There's an easy mechanical solution to super-careful characters in 4E.)

But I'm struggling to find that easy solution in BFRPG. There's the "Secret Doors" D6 roll, and the "Remove Traps" D% thief ability. But that results in "I take a step and look for traps ahead... [roll]. I take another step and look for traps ahead... [roll] etc." There's the advice in the Old School essay someone posted a while back which recommends players "role play" it with 10-foot poles. But, again, that results in players exhaustively telling me they're poking ever surface in the room.

Having said that, how do you handle situations like this? How do you let the players tell you they're being careful without either rolling ever few feet, or having them describe exactly what they're poking at?

Perhaps I'm the only one who's had this problem, but, if not, it may be a worthy addition to future revisions of the book.

Having said all that, let me still sum up with: Great book! I enjoyed the read, and I want to run "The Abandoned Tower" soon!

[Dimirag]

Any character can search for traps, they have a 1 in 6 chances to find one (page 37).

The rules says that the movement rate takes into consideration searching for traps, so, I make a secret roll per character that does not have their attention put somewhere else (like mapping, singing, moving faster, looking for any possible ambush, etc).

I made one roll per turn that covers the 40' track they move during that time. Yes, It takes 10 combat rounds to find for traps.

[Solomoriah]

But I find that my game REALLY grinds to a halt once the players get a sense that traps may be afoot.

Huh.

Your players should always suspect traps. There should be no "get a sense" about traps, they should expect them everywhere.

That said, yes, it's a requirement that the players tell you when their characters are being extra cautious. You should mention, casually, that the caution takes time, and then be sure to roll extra wandering monster checks.

No, I'm not being a jerk... this is how the game works. There should almost always be an air of uncertainty when they are exploring a new dungeon area.

It's enough for them to mention it when they enter the dungeon, and again when entering each room. Players who fail to say, for instance, that they are looking at the ceiling may be surprised by an attack from above more easily than those who make an effort.

[Dustinian]

Your players should always suspect traps. There should be no "get a sense" about traps, they should expect them everywhere.

Well, I don't run many traditional "dungeons." My player characters are much more likely to get drawn into a tavern brawl or a gang battle in the local market than they are to go delving through kobald-infested, booby-trapped caves.

That said, yes, it's a requirement that the players tell you when their characters are being extra cautious. You should mention, casually, that the caution takes time, and then be sure to roll extra wandering monster checks.

I think the way I'll approach this from now on... to shorten the amount of time it takes for them to describe all the ways they're looking for traps... I'll ask them to define an SOP for doorways, intersections, etc. And from that point forward, they can say: "OK, we run the standard doorway procedure."

No, I'm not being a jerk... this is how the game works. There should almost always be an air of uncertainty when they are exploring a new dungeon area.

I don't think you are! I'm just trying to work out how to adapt "Old School" to my table.

It's enough for them to mention it when they enter the dungeon, and again when entering each room. Players who fail to say, for instance, that they are looking at the ceiling may be surprised by an attack from above more easily than those who make an effort.

I think that's what I'll get from the SOP.

Thanks for your response!

[xoriel77]

I ordered and really enjoyed the old school playbook. If I wanted to introduce this to a 'new-school player' will he/she have to order the book as well or is this available as a pdf somewhere on basicfantasy.org?