Mythbusters: OSR Edition Ch. 2

My post Regarding Character Death led me to write the post titled Mythbusters: OSR Edition which mostly focused on attributes at character creation and hit points. This latter post led to a lot of traffic and garnered a lot of feedback. Most of the feedback was positive but there were to common points that some people tried to make with me. 

The first point was that I was told to go look at OD&D and B/X as my book examples where from AD&D 1e. I stated in my original post that same game in the OSR are retro-clones that stay close to their source material outside of some minor re-organization, better clarifications, and maybe some sidebars for optional rules. There is nothing wrong with these games and they can be fun. 

The second point is what made me dive back into some research because it just made some things click. Anyway, there was some people that told me that starting characters were not meant to be heroic but they will become heroic at later levels.  

So after following the bouncy ball I realized that there is a third myth that permeates the OSR. This being the myth of...starting characters not being heroic because of rules as written.

Going back to the source material...

1. When David Arneson started his initial "Fantasy Game" using the Chainmail Fantasy rules, the players started as Heroes (equivalent to 4 normal men, or 4th level in D&D), and being able to progress up to Superheroes (as 8 men, or 8th level). With that ruleset, there simply weren't any other options for him to start with. (See: Gygax, Dragon #7, "The Origins of D&D".)

2. In 2002, Gary posted about some additional rules he used when he ran OD&D;

"Just a quick note to say I still DM some using the three booklets sans any of the additional supplements :wink: It is very much an exercise in free-wheeling game-mastering and roleplay, that. 

I do allow elven PCs to operate in both classes, F/MU, but Clerics don't get any spells at 1st level, just as the book says. 

As for skills, I just ask for a reasonable background for the character, then decide if the capacity is logical for that. then I use the closest stat likely for the skill, have the check made against that with 3d6. Old fashioned, yes, but it fits"

3. Then we can turn to the interview Robert Fisher did with Gary Gygax in 2005 about some games he ran. When Gary Gygax ran a games with OD&D he did not run them as written. It is extremely plausable that most of the games from the beginning were house ruled. His style of running games has become know as Gygaxian OD&D. These house rules were taken from Q&A's with Gary Gygax on Dragon's Foot and on En World.

• Not using the supplements. Only the three little books.
• Ability scores rolled as best 3 out of 4d6. Arrange scores to taste.
• All PCs get 1d6 hp/level. HP rolls are rerolled on a 1.
• Fighters get +1 HP/die. All PCs get +1 HP/die if Con > 14.
• Fighters do +1 damage if Str > 14.
• Dex doesn’t affect AC. (It does affect missile attack “to hit” rolls.)
• PCs started at 3rd level.
• PCs are unconscious at 0 hp. They can go as low as level +1 before death. (A 4th level fighter can be brought as low as -5 hp & just be unconscious.) A healing potion or cure spell restores them immediately.
• 1d6 for surprise. 1=1 round. 2=2 rounds. 3 or more=no surprise.
• PCs must declare actions before initiative. Casters must declare the specific spell being cast.
• 1d6 for initiative. A tie means simultaneous.
• A casting caster whose side loses initiative will lose his spell if hit.
• No training necessary to gain a level.
• To acquire new spells: Casters must find scrolls, spellbooks, or a friendly higher-level caster.
• Clerics don’t need spellbooks. (The original books can be read to imply that they do.)
• Gary IDs most magic items immediately (charging large sums of money when they return to town to rest & recuperate for this service). (This is because the players are anxious to get back into the dungeon & don’t want to bother with in-town adventures.) Potions must still be tasted to ID, though. Unusual items require a trip to the striped mage.

4. On en EN world post in early July 2007, Gary clarified that MUs with a 15 or better Int or Clerics with a 15 or better Wis a bonus 1st level spell slot. Thus, a Cleric can have one 1st level spell at 1st level.

 Dave Arneson’s Basement circa 1971. Dave Arneson’s role-playing group, consisting of Bill Hoyt, Duane Jenkins, Pete Gaylord, David Megarry et al. Photo by Arneson. (Photo: Dave Arneson, Dave Arneson Archive, curated by Paul Stormberg)

 5. Circa 2007, Gary talked about some of these rules (some of them overlap with above);

• STR > 14: +1 to hit and +1 to damage if a Fighter
• INT > 14: +1 1st level m-u spell
• WIS > 14: +1 1st level cleric spell
• DEX > 14: +1 to AC, and +1 to move silently
• CON > 14: +1 HP per HD (same as a Fighter class gets, +2 if a Fighter)
• CHA > 14: +1 (positive) on reaction checks
• HPs: Characters are only unconscious at 0 HPs. For each level a character may have a minus HP total equal to the level, so a 1st level PC is dead at -2, a 2nd level at -3, etc.
• When taking damage allow -1 HP per character level 

It is interesting to note that a lot of both Arneson and Gygax's house rules and/or play style revolved around character livability (especially at early levels). Another point to this was that because the capacity to take more hits for PCs; they get to assess whether they're in trouble/over their heads, flee, and fight another day. These rules also can make the game more fun, create more variations between characters, more chance to really get into the immersion of your character, so there is more stuff to do, less messing around in town recovering from wounds, researching spells, and id'ing items. Gary Gygax spent a lot of time iterating these points in articles in the first twenty issues or so of Dragon Magazine. In these articles he also spent a lot of time harping against critical hits and things of that nature. 

All of this really comes down to the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. If there are DM's and/or players out there that are convinced that the only way to game for them is rules as written (RAW) then they can play what they want and it does not bother me a bit. As long as they do not turn preachy about the "one true way". Though, I am pretty sure every time someone quotes RAW, a players dice betrays them. I can imagine these DM's quoting Judge Lex;

"Save that sh*t for the rookies. 20 years I've been gaming. You know what rules as written is, Dredd? It's a f***ing meat grinder. People go in one end, and meat comes out the other. All we do is turn the handle."

To further illustrate that I do not think the authors ever intended them to be played rules as written (with the caveat that people should understand the base rules before altering), I will turn to the three little brown books themselves.

"These rules are as complete as possible within the limitations imposed by the space of three booklets. That is, they cover the major aspects of fantasy campaigns but still remain flexible. As with any other set of miniatures rules they are guidelines to follow in designing your own fantastic-medieval campaign. They provide the framework around which you will build a game of simplicity or tremendous complexity — your time and imagination are about the only limiting factors, and the fact that you have purchased these rules tends to indicate that there is no lack of imagination — the fascination of the game will tend to make participants find more and more time. We advise, however, that a campaign be begun slowly, following the steps outlined herein, so as to avoid becoming too bogged down with unfamiliar details at first. That way your campaign will build naturally, at the pace best suited to the referee and players, smoothing the way for all concerned. New details can be added and old "laws" altered so as to provide continually new and different situations. In addition, the players themselves will interact in such a way as to make the campaign variable and unique, and this is quite desirable. If you are a player purchasing the DUNGEONS and DRAGONS rules in order to improve your situation in an existing campaign, you will find that there is a great advantage in knowing what is herein. If your referee has made changes in the rules and/or tables, simply note them in pencil (for who knows when some flux of the cosmos will make things shift once again!), and keep the rules nearby as you play. A quick check of some rule or table may bring hidden treasure or save your game "life".

Men & Magic (Vol. 1) details what characters can be played, potentials, limitations, and various magical spells. Monsters & Treasure (Vol. II) describes the beasts and creatures which will be encountered, as well as the kind and amount of treasure they are likely to guard, including magical items. Finally, The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures (Vol. Ill) tells how to set up and actually play the campaign. It is presented last in order to allow the reader to gain the perspective necessary — the understanding of the two preceding booklets. Read through the entire work in the order presented before you attempt to play."

My final thoughts are going to revolve around Dungeon Crawl Classics, as it was also brought up as an example. This game has really took the deadly angle and myths of the OSR and made it really fun. The game starts out with all players creating four 0 level commoners and then they go adventuring which is known as the death funnel. Anyone who survives gets to become heroic and level up to a real character. I have personally had a lot of fun with this and some great stories have been recorded. An experience like this is mostly enjoyable from players from all different backgrounds but the death funnel is a short and fleeting part of the campaign. After it is over, the characters have proven themselves to be more then average men and deserve to have a fighting chance.