New here
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:27 pm
New here
Completely new to bfrpg wanted to dip my toes into more osr stuff,currently playing dungeon crawl classics and it totally has me hooked,well long story short wanted to gm a bfrpg campaign and I wanted some pointers for a osr newbie thanks for any & all feedback.
Re: New here
Welcome to the game and forum!
As you know from playing DCC, combat in OSR games is deadly. When prepping a game keep in mind the number of players vs. the number of opponents/creatures, including any henchmen the PCs may/can hire. If it's my game combat is not the focus and normally the last resort. The game should also have interesting traps, puzzles, NPCs, other unique dungeon features, etc. Don't be afraid to start smaller/simpler, and as you run the game keep notes on what works well and what needs improving.
As you know from playing DCC, combat in OSR games is deadly. When prepping a game keep in mind the number of players vs. the number of opponents/creatures, including any henchmen the PCs may/can hire. If it's my game combat is not the focus and normally the last resort. The game should also have interesting traps, puzzles, NPCs, other unique dungeon features, etc. Don't be afraid to start smaller/simpler, and as you run the game keep notes on what works well and what needs improving.
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:27 pm
Re: New here
Thanks for the feedback,I already drawing what I hope will be some engaging dungeon maps
- Metroknight
- Posts: 1396
- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:26 pm
- Location: Alabama, USA
Re: New here
Here is some advice:
Remember that defeating an encounter does not mean combat or actually defeating the monster/trap/ etc...
Let the players be creative within the game and think outside the box.
Never force the players down the path you envisioned but give them multiple paths to choose from (they all might lead to the same destination but they don't need to know that).
Always plan on the players to ruin anything you have planned and be ready to run a session on the fly. No plan ever survives intact upon contact with the players.
The rules are there to help provide a balanced framework to play from but you are not beholden to follow them to the letter. If you find your group enjoys the game by ignoring a specific rule then don't stress and ignore the rule (within reason as most of the rules are there for game play balance).
Start off your games simple and easy but be open to the organic growth that will happen. You might drop a npc name and the players will become focused on that npc (even a disposable one) which might be for the whole session or longer. That npc could easily be expanded over time.
Take notes, lots and lots, as your players will come up with stuff you would not even dream of.
Remember that defeating an encounter does not mean combat or actually defeating the monster/trap/ etc...
Let the players be creative within the game and think outside the box.
Never force the players down the path you envisioned but give them multiple paths to choose from (they all might lead to the same destination but they don't need to know that).
Always plan on the players to ruin anything you have planned and be ready to run a session on the fly. No plan ever survives intact upon contact with the players.
The rules are there to help provide a balanced framework to play from but you are not beholden to follow them to the letter. If you find your group enjoys the game by ignoring a specific rule then don't stress and ignore the rule (within reason as most of the rules are there for game play balance).
Start off your games simple and easy but be open to the organic growth that will happen. You might drop a npc name and the players will become focused on that npc (even a disposable one) which might be for the whole session or longer. That npc could easily be expanded over time.
Take notes, lots and lots, as your players will come up with stuff you would not even dream of.
Re: New here
If you remember onyl one bit of advice, let it be this. Every question by your players should be answered with, "Yes, but..." and then you give them options.
"Can I try to jump over this ravine?"
"Yes, but... it's so far down you can't see the bottom. Even though it's only three feet across, if you fall you'll probably die."
"I want to attack the ogre, then the goblin, then the orc. Can I do that?"
"Yes, but, that has to be done on separate rounds. You have to chose one to attack first. You'll also be able to change your mind about whom to attack on your next turn."
"I seduce the stone golem with my alluring hip dance. Does he do my bidding?"
(Okay, this one is really hard to work into, but...)
"Yes, but he thinks your bidding is to viciously attack your party, so he still swings he club at the Elf magic user..."
Actually, this is the exception. If your players' characters try something and it fails, then the answer really is "no, that failed." But I think the point here is clear.
Rule of thumb is that if they ask before they roll, it's "Yes, but." Afterwards it might be "no."
More generally, there's a lot of good general table top RPG information out there. Google and youtube are your friends.
But for starters, here's a few key things.
Rolls are a suggestion you should usually follow, but you never absolutely have to.
If you made a small mistake, don't worry about trying to "correct it." Just don't do it again. if it's a bad mistake, tell your players and apologize. Unless somebody lost their player character, don't go back and re-do anything.
Be very familiar with the rules and any module you're running. "Hold on, let me check," is the worst thing for players to hear that's not something bad happening to the party. It breaks up the game at probably the most tense part, combat. It's also inevitable, but you should try to minimize it. At the same time, don't over-prepare. Things will not go as you expected. Just try to keep your world in your mind and think about what would happen logically after an in-game event goes differently.
Give everybody a chance to shine. Keep everybody involved with the game.
"Can I try to jump over this ravine?"
"Yes, but... it's so far down you can't see the bottom. Even though it's only three feet across, if you fall you'll probably die."
"I want to attack the ogre, then the goblin, then the orc. Can I do that?"
"Yes, but, that has to be done on separate rounds. You have to chose one to attack first. You'll also be able to change your mind about whom to attack on your next turn."
"I seduce the stone golem with my alluring hip dance. Does he do my bidding?"
(Okay, this one is really hard to work into, but...)
"Yes, but he thinks your bidding is to viciously attack your party, so he still swings he club at the Elf magic user..."
Actually, this is the exception. If your players' characters try something and it fails, then the answer really is "no, that failed." But I think the point here is clear.
Rule of thumb is that if they ask before they roll, it's "Yes, but." Afterwards it might be "no."
More generally, there's a lot of good general table top RPG information out there. Google and youtube are your friends.
But for starters, here's a few key things.
Rolls are a suggestion you should usually follow, but you never absolutely have to.
If you made a small mistake, don't worry about trying to "correct it." Just don't do it again. if it's a bad mistake, tell your players and apologize. Unless somebody lost their player character, don't go back and re-do anything.
Be very familiar with the rules and any module you're running. "Hold on, let me check," is the worst thing for players to hear that's not something bad happening to the party. It breaks up the game at probably the most tense part, combat. It's also inevitable, but you should try to minimize it. At the same time, don't over-prepare. Things will not go as you expected. Just try to keep your world in your mind and think about what would happen logically after an in-game event goes differently.
Give everybody a chance to shine. Keep everybody involved with the game.
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- Posts: 31
- Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:58 pm
Re: New here
And remember .... While you want to keep the game fun and flowing, the DM's final word is FINAL.
Thread Necromacer-at-Large
Re: New here
Also, you can start your PC's at a higher level. If you check the showcase, there are plenty of third level pregens.
http://basicfantasy.org/showcase-downlo ... ens-r8.pdf
http://basicfantasy.org/showcase-downlo ... ens-r8.pdf
Teaman is the sole proprietor of Sharp Mountain Games at roll20 and DTRPG
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/p ... tain-games
http://drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/8418 ... tain-Games
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