Do you ever wonder what "rulings over rules" looks like in practice, especially for an OSE (B/X) newbie like me? Do you want to see one of the more meaningless instances of adding a PC's attribute bonus to a roll? Well, aren't you in for a treat with this blog post!
Below I take a look at three oddball scenarios from my last session and discuss how I ruled each one. But first, a brief recap of my third session of Winter's Daughter.
Dramatis Personae
Flynn Four-Fingers, Level 2 Thief
Russell, Level 2 Fighter
Ancin, Level 1 Magic-User
Chadwick, Level 2 Cleric
Notable Events
- While the dancing skeletons Lady Amaranda and Lord Brigforwith took Flynn and then Russell on a tour of the tomb, the others investigated the family crypt but only made off with an ash staff inscribed with a glyph.
- The skellies showed Russell the mural of their pride and joy Sir Chyde in a yet unexplored room. After bidding the dancers adieu, they returned to that room and found Sir Chyde's fabled sword as well as the name of his second hunting dog.
- Using the hound names as the key, the party entered Chyde's tomb. Russell pandered to his hero and promised to reunite him with his beloved, while Flynn tried once again to steal precious jewelry from right under the nose of the undead.
- Following Chyde's directions, the party descended into the realm of Fairy. The goblin doorkeeper allowed them entry as long as they could entertain the guests by consuming some of his mystical shrooms. Flynn's eyes moved to his hands and Ancin's skin turned purple.
- An elf guard escorted the group to the princess, where they delivered Sir Chyde's ring as promised. The princess offered them anything in return, and Flynn quickly wished for his eyes to return to his face. He then proceeded to steal the princess' jewelry, get caught in the act, and barely escape back into the mortal world.
Referee Insights
A lot of old school primers stress rulings over rules as a tenant of old school game-play. During this week's session, my players put me into several tight spots where I had to make on-the-spot rulings. Some were lame, some I'd use again. Let's take a look at the good and the bad to see what "rulings over rules" looks like in practice for a referee new to Old-School Essentials.
SCENARIO 1: Flynn tries to sneak the copper bracelets off of the skeleton of Sir Chyde
Russell had already done a great job engaging with Sir Chyde at this point (and got a 13 total on his reaction roll), so he had sufficiently distracted his ghost. Chyde consented to allow Flynn to retrieve the magic ring from his skeleton, and Flynn wanted to try to pilfer Chyde's copper bracelets while he was at it.
First, I gave him a pick pockets roll, which he failed. So, as Russell entertained Chyde with the random facts he has come to be known for, I allowed Flynn another attempt. I used a variation of the test I devised last week for stealing from the dancing skeletons. Flynn could roll 2d6+1 (his DEX bonus): 10-12 = he gets them both, 7-9 = he gets one, 2-6 = something goes awry.
He rolled a 6, then added his DEX for a total of 7, barely getting away with one. I narrated the bony arm slipping from Flynn's grasp only for him to catch it just before it clanked against the coffer. I was satisfied with this ruling. The tried and true Turn Undead / Powered by the Apocalypse 2d6 resolution mechanic felt right here because it gave his attribute bonus slightly less impact than last week's 1d6 version.
SCENARIO 2: An elf guard interrupts Flynn ransacking Snowfall-at-Dusk's jewelry
The party had just reunited Sir Chyde with his lost love, and as a reward Flynn wished for his eyes to return to his face (understandable, though Chadwick wasn't happy). Flynn still had his eyes on the princess' jewelry boxes, though. As the happy couple descended to join the party, he made his move.
At the same time, I made a random encounter check and rolled a 1: an elf guard was coming to retrieve them. How many objects could Flynn steal before the guard arrived? There were, I believe, 43 objects in total. Eyeballing it, I had Flynn's player roll 2d20+1 (again his DEX bonus): he could dump that many items into his pack before the guard made it to the top of the stairs.
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| A thief slightly confused by his referee's task adjudication |
I was a little less happy with this ruling. Looking back, I feel like I could have done something to give the player more of a push-your-luck choice. Perhaps returned to the trusted 2d6 roll: grab a number of items, then roll 2d6 with a bonus or malus equal to how far below or above that number was from your DEX score.
SCENARIO 3: Russell tries to hold the door while Chadwick stakes it shut
I have temporarily forbidden myself from using roll-under ability checks. As a player coming from attribute-centric systems (5e, Into the Odd, and Knave), I believe that rolling against ability scores is a crutch that would pull me away from the old school spirit. We should be able to play just fine without it!
That said, I have found myself leaning heavily on the PC's "open stuck door" chance for physical tests, and that's exactly how I adjudicated this situation.
Flynn had stolen from the princess, and the party had been made. Snowfall-at-Dusk called the guards, and they grabbed Russell (the slowest PC in his plate mail). After a scuffle, he retreated down the tower and got to the exit with guards hot on his heels. He wanted to hold the door while Chadwick staked it shut, so I allowed him a 4-in-6 chance (his open stuck doors chance) of success. He succeeded and gave them enough time to escape from the Fairy realm.
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