Let’s talk about Poison in your Old-School Roleplaying Game

 

 

Nothing instills more dread to a high level character than hearing “make a save vs. poison” knowing that their character has a chance of death. Now of course this can be dependent on a variety of factors such as race/class, Constitution modifier, or even if the referee throws you a bonus for something. But still, DEATH is permanent (usually). This type of save is quite fun and exciting at low levels, tying into an enjoyable level of “lethality” in old school games where punishment is expected.

However this can feel more punishing and less fun if your campaign has been running for years and some characters who have taken on the scars of dungeon delving and high adventure can suddenly eat it and die. Like if Sir Mighty has endured many blows to the head to rest and recover due to having an accumulated 8 hit dice worth of hit points but as soon as he drinks the wrong potion he is done. So much for reaching name level! Hope your henchmen also survived!

I do like save vs. poison as written, especially in the context of low level player characters or convention play. What makes those situations different from a longer term game is that they are low stakes so immediate death is exciting! And it's also great because you can easily roll up a new character at 1st level or the referee at the convention hands you a new character. The home campaign where your players have invested in their characters and the campaign setting feels more like a sneaky “gotcha!” that Gygax was quite fond of that feels unsatisfying; especially with 50 years of reflection into the hobby and game theory. There are countless house rules out there that seek to “fix” this problem with poison, including the one I published in Demesnes & Domination. Again, I don't think immediate death is a problem in a variety of contexts and I truly think it adds plenty of excitement. I just don't think it scales well for high level gameplay. So let's take a look at a variation of Save vs. Poison and its function!

My main design focus for this is to touch on a couple of ideas

• Strength: Keeping Poison lethal especially for lower level/Hit Die PCs, NPCs, and monsters but a chance to recover from it at higher levels

• Time: Making poison time sensitive by having it continually harm over a duration of time until it is treated, much like how “bleeding out” can work in RPGs.

• Variables: Make poison customisable with weak and strong poisons as an option, allowing it to be scaled up or down if desired. Players can craft poison along these parameters as long as they have the components to do so.

Here is Poison as described in Demesnes & Domination:

“Poison deals 1d6 of continuous damage every time the target fails their poison save per round. Any successful save will then stop this ongoing damage. Once a target’s hit points reach zero,  they are considered dead unless they receive antivenom or the spell  Cure Poison within a number of turns equal to their Hit Die. 

• Example: if a target with two hit dice is poisoned and drops to 0 hit points, then they have two turns (twenty minutes) to be cured of it otherwise they die completely.

• Alternatively, the referee can rule that poison deals a flat 6  damage per round to increase the lethality of poison, as depicted in the original game rules. Applying poison to an item such as a weapon, drink, etc. there’s  a 5% chance that the person handling the poison will accidently  poison themselves as well. This range increases to a 10% chance  of being done by an individual without specialized knowledge of  poison and the use of them as determined by the referee.

Low HD monsters, NPCs, and players still have a chance for a quick  death by poison as per the original rules. Any target with less than 1  hit Die will immediately die regardless, which is most Normal Men as  well as monsters with 1HD-1.”

Let me explain my rationale:

• 1d6 damage was chosen because a d6 is the average damage done in OSR games, with OD&D having it be the only damage form. It is also the midpoint between a d4 and d8 which are the PC hit die range and most weapons as well. I figured this would scale well as an average for damage. Plus, low level PCs have a chance to succumb to poison as originally designed or at least take a notable hit to their hit points.

• Per Round was added to allow for multiple chances for both saving and taking damage while under a familiar structure of combat where poison attacks are likely to happen. The 10 second round also allows for a more time sensitive pressure to solve the problem of poison Meaning, every failure means a d6 of damage is taken until there is a success. I chose rounds to give a sense of immediacy for recovery whether by magic, consumable, or an eventual success. Succeeding is inevitable, especially for higher level players, but its more of the damage they took from the damage, making the players figure out their resources to aid with recovery.

Using these bases, referees can choose to make poison more powerful, such as 2d6 damage, 3d6 damage, etc or have slow acting poison where the PC makes a save every turn or hour. I also rule that any monster that deals poison deals a number of d6s equal to their hit die per round. Meaning that a 1HD Pit Viper would inflict 1d6 damage of poison per round while a 8HD Green Dragon’s gas cloud will deal 8d6 damage per round. Other methods of poisoning such as a spell like Cloudkill will deal damage equal to 1d6 per caster level.

 

 

Crafting Poisons is based around having the following:

• Knowledge: The player seeking to make poison must learn how to make it, similar to a magic-user trying to find a new spell in a spell book or the PC can hire a specialists like an alchemist or assassin to teach them for 500gp

• Crafting Material: the PC requires 6 “harmful components” and takes 3 hours (1 hour per 2 components) to process the components into a usable dose of poison.

• Crafting Success: The PC succeeds one making a dose of poison on a 1-on-a-d6, with a chance of accidentally poisoning themselves on a 6-on-a-d6. Any positive Wisdom modifier is added to the success chance (a +1 mod means a 1-2 on a d6 is a success) while a negative wisdom modifier increases the chance of self poisoning (a -1 mod means a 5-6 on a d6 is accidental ingestion) any base result of a 2-5 is inert. The check is made after the components and time have been used to craft. Specialized classes such as the Alchemist or Hexer use their crafting percentage skill instead.

• Concentrated Poison: Players can make the poison more powerful by increasing the amount of components required. Making a dose of poison that deals 2d6 requires 12 harmful components and takes 6 hours to make, a poison that deals 3d6 requires 18 harmful components and 9 hours to craft, etc. 

Harmful Components cost 50gp each while Beneficial Components cost 10gp each. Components can be purchased from an apothecary or similar specialists or can be found in the wild with foraging (I outline foraging on pg. 79 of Demesnes & Domination). Beneficial components can be used to make Antivenom and healing salve.

• Antivenom allows for an additional and immediate save vs. poison per 1d6 poison if the PC failed a save vs poison. Antivenom can be made to be more potent to allow for making a save against any poison that is more than 1d6. This can be prepared similar to making poison more potent.

• Healing Salve: This is a general wound paste that heals 2hp and stops bleeding.

• Both Antivenom and Healing Salve are crafted in the same way as poison. 

I use “Components” as a catch-all term for any herbal or harvested items instead of listing individual herbs. I found this to be much easier to manage as a resource for players. That doesn’t mean you can’t still refer to Belladonna or Wolfsbane, but they would be considered a Harmful Component. 

In general, a main focus of my game design is the use of time as a resource. This is essential for players to not only have a sense of structure such as rounds, turns, etc. but also for how long it takes to make something. In my experience, having time as a primary focus in the game allows players to make informed decisions with what they do. This makes the setting feel more interactive and the players feel like they have more control over decisions. This isn’t a new concept, Gygax starts off the DMG hot with this idea, and is a part of OSR game design dialog. Crafting takes time, making a poison takes time, recovery from an injury takes time, etc etc. How do the players want to spend their time? Does the ranger want to sit out for a day and make a strong poison to fight that troll they saw lingering in the dungeon, while the rest of the party checks out the unexplored section? Or does the party spend the afternoon hopefully foraging for harmful components to make minor poisons to coat their weapons for their raid on the bandit keep? 

How do you use poison in your game? Comment below!

 

 

Cogs & Crabmen and Lulu Update!

 

Hey folks! Just a brief update! I've been receiving some great feedback for the Cogs & Crabmen playtest so far! I'm also currently working on a few more concepts for playtest version 2 which should be coming in the next week or so. A big element i will be adding to version 2 is Trade, where players can make extra income delivering cargo to a destination they are planing on going to, or even just engage in medieval mercantile-style adventures! I'll also be expanding the Port Town section with info on making merchant guilds, extended naval combat options, and The merchant Class, which I've already released separately!

In addition, Demesnes & Domination is updated on Lulu, DrivethruRPG, and Amazon. While I release the pdf for free, please consider buying a copy to support me and the content I put out! 

 

- Bryan

Cogs & Crabmen Playtest

After spending a good chunk of my holiday break editing and formatting, I have finished the first playtest for Cogs & Crabmen. my medieval maritime adventuring supplement rules for Demesnes & Domination.  This is the preliminary play-test so it doesn't include deck layouts for all of the ships or a size chart yet but I'm currently working on those. There is also plenty of "placeholder" areas for artwork so you're going to see some gaps. Speaking of, the artwork included isn't the final images I'm using. I used Medieval/Early Modern artwork to illustrate what the period looked like. I'm also working on some additional appendices for crime & punishment and more in depth port settlement generation. I developed the Merchant as a thief sub-class for this book, but i released it separately but it will be included in the later versions. An aim of this book is to capture waterborne adventuring in the late medieval period within the set up of b/x and adjacent games since most sailing-themed RPGs focus on the Age of Sail. Providing players with the means to navigate water with a ship and seek high adventure in a sandbox setting was the main goal. I want to eliminate barriers and open up the possiblilites of a campaign for both the referee and the players, and waterborne adventuring was a natural extension of that.

While this play-test is happening, I'll be making artwork for Cogs & Crabmen and commissioning more artists to contribute as well in addition to laying out the basis for the next follow up book regarding underground adventuring.

If you are interested in checking it out and being a play-tester, email me at arcaneswordpress AT gmail DOT com! Since this is a playtest, anyone who tries out the rules and gives me feedback will certainly be credited in the final release!

Sample Battle from Swords & Spells using Demesnes & Domination

This is a battle I've been planning on doing but haven’t been able to until now. The Example battle in Swords & Spells by Gary Gygax and editted by Tim kask has always made me wonder about how cool it would be to lead an army in “the first roleplaying game” and its OSR variants. This is the only official mass combat system introduced in the classic era of TSR, straddling the fence of OD&D becoming Holmes basic and the release of AD&D. Until the release of the Mentzer’s Companion Set for his take on Basic D&D, there wasn’t any official mass combat support for D&D, but is alluded to in AD&D without any procedures on how to do it. So between the Release of Swords & Spells in 1976 and Mentzer’s Companion Rules in 1984, there is an EIGHT YEAR GAP in the support of such rules. 

I feel like the lack of these type of rules and for having a domain (again, alluded to in AD&D with scattered rules in the DMG) I think lead to a public perception on that the type of fantasy conflicts read about in classic fantasy novels wasn’t doable (or dare I say desirable) with the D&D system during its golden years when the game arguably made its largest impact in the cultural zeitgeist and the impression on the hobby. I’m sure to the average kid consumer in the early 80s, getting your hands on chainmail was underwhelming or getting a copy of Swords & Spells plainly confusing. Later attempts at mass combat were different systems which I felt added the burden of new concepts and rules to players who also would have to buy a new box set just to try out, with combat that felt disconnected to the combat procedures players are already familiar with. Bastlesystem is playable but not without its own burdens while Mentzer's War Machine feels dull and not fun. Both of these commercial attempts by TSR to sell rules that didn't seem playtested to consumers who probably didn't wholeheartedly enjoy their new acquisitions. 

All of this, I feel like disconnects the hobby from its roots in wargaming and sets up the assumption that you can’t do mass combat in D&D; and OSR games by extension. This was a main motivating factor for me to write demesnes & domination. Having said all that, the following post is a combination of an example of play, an analysis of game systems, and the execution of a fantasy battle concept from 1976 using modified b/x combat. If anything, it's a tribute to the pioneers of the hobby and to the imagination of Gygax & Kask and their influence on my own gaming table.

 Note: all original artwork is done by David Sutherland and is taken directly from Swords & Spells by Gary Gygax

You can find Demesnes & Domination Mass Combat Errata here 

Demesnes & Domination Errata

Heyo! The following is Errata added to Demesnes & Domination! The pdf has been updated but for print copies, this is the official update to some rules, clarifications, and additions. I've split it into two sections, one for a general errata and one specifically for damage resolution for mass Combat as listed below. The following errata info is printable with both sections on their own sheets for easy printing and insertion into your print copy. Here is a link to the Main Errata Sheet and the Mass Combat Errata Sheet! For those that have ordered a print copy in the past month, the updates are minor grammatical fixes and the damage multiplier for mass combat. Enjoy!

ERRATA AS OF DECEMBER 24th, 2023:

ADDED:

Pg. 22; Class-Oriented Structures and housing for Henchmen: All class-oriented structures have enough housing for the listed maximum number for any level indicating 200 square feet of space per henchmen. However, zero-level henchmen can be provided 20 square feet instead, representing bunk beds and common housing areas instead of private quarters. 

Pg. 67; Ransoming Henchmen: Players who are able to capture enemy leaders and/or their henchmen are able to ransom them back. The estimated gold piece value is equivalent to that NPC's XP level. For any first level henchmen, it is equal to ½ their second-level XP requirement (so a fighter that is 1st level is worth 1000 gp to ransom, a magic user is worth 1,250gp etc.) Conversely, a Player Character's henchman might be captured and may have to deal with negotiating terms to return a beloved and important henchman back into their party.

- Players are encouraged to set their own ransom price, including non-monetary rewards if desired or necessary, but the referee should use this benchmark to determine chances of success or failure when negotiating a ransom deal and having it modified using the reaction roll if necessary. Items, property, or services roughly equal to the gold/xp amount may also be considered an option as well.

FIXED AND CLARIFIED

Page 16; Labor Dispute: workers aren’t getting along with the PC or the Engineer. Increase total remaining time by 1/2 unless resolved

Pg. 30; Demesnes Encounter: Traveling Entertainers provide +1 morale if you pay them. Use the settlement size multiplier on page 18 and multiply it by 100 to determine the cost of the entertainers for that settlement.

Pg. 33: Landed Title Table: changed hex mile amounts by title

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pg. 80; Fortifying Encampments:

• Trench: 1 turn per 5x5x1 area per individual digging

• Fence: 1 turn per 5ft wide section

• Abatis: 1 turn to make 1d4 sharpened sticks

• Pg. 138: Bounty Hunter Encounter: 3) 3) looking for info on a Party associate

Pg.98; Magic Item Crafting - Charges: The base cost of treating a mundane item to hold magic charges costs 1000gp per spell level and takes one wee/spell level. Adding charges costs an additional +100 gp per level/charge. The maximum amount of charges is determined when it is crafted based on the time and cost needed but modifies the crafting chance by -5% per additional charge. Recharging a reusable item requires using two Magic Components per spell level for each charge when crafting.

Pg. 138;  Human Encounter: 6) Bounty Hunters; 1) mislead by bad information 2) looking for a party member 3) looking for info on a Party associate

DEMESNES & DOMINATION MASS COMBAT ERRATA

ADDED & CHANGED:

Damage Resolution has been simplified and changed for easier and faster game play:

Pg. 46; Mass Combat Damage: Any damage rolled automatically removes that many Hit Die worth of soldiers from the damaged unit, rounded up. For example, a unit of 10 1HD soldiers with spears rolls 1d6 for damage; dealing 4 damage which is the equivalent to 4HD worth of soldiers in the enemy unit is removed.

• Units with individual soldiers that are less than 1 hit die count as 1/2 hit die for damage. This means for every one point of damage inflicted, that unit loses two soldiers. For example, a unit of 10 1HD soldiers with spears rolls 1d6 for damage; dealing 6 damage against a levy unit of 20 Normal Men soldiers The levy unit loses 12 individuals from the unit.

• Any unit that has heroes in their ranks that are in the front line roll separately and add any damage they provide to the total done by the unit. However, this exposes the hero to also taking any damage rolls made by the unit. For example, a unit with a player character fighting takes 7 damage. The unit loses 7 1HD soldiers and the player character also takes 7 points of damage.

• Original mass combat damage has since been changed to Simulation Damage

Pg. 47; Maximum Mass Combat Damage Rule: This option allows for quicker combat without needing to do additional damage dice rolling but has more

deadly results- When a unit takes damage, they lose Hit die worth of soldiers damage equal to the full weapon damage die.

Pg. 47: Exhaustion: All units have to rest after a maximum of six mass combat rounds if they are moving, casting spells, and/or attacking. Any unit that doesn’t rest accrues a -1 to every attack, AC, morale checks, and saves for every combat round they keep active after six.

• Any unit that only moves less than 1/2 their movement speed doesn’t incur exhaustion for the movement.

Pg. 47; Multiple Hit-die Soldiers and Monsters: units that make up of soldiers that each have multiple hit dice, the amount of soldiers or monsters removed from the unit is rounded down.

• Example: A unit of 10 Ogres where each ogre has 3 Hit Die is attacked by a unit of 20 archers. The Ogre unit takes 10 damage total, where 10 Hit Die worth of Ogres are removed rounding it down to 3 ogres are removed from the unit.

Pg. 47; Mass Combat Spell Damage: As stated earlier, any spell that inflicts damage eliminates a number of hit die worth or enemy units equal to the amount of dice rolled. Any successful saves instead deal 1/2 the amount of hit die worth of damage, rounded down.

Pg. 47: Hit Die = Hit Points: Due to the function of hit die to keep track of the number of units fighting, then hit dice essentially function as hit points from traditional combat but zoomed out to account for a full minute of combat instead of 10 seconds.

Pg. 47: Unit Groups below 10 soldiers: When a unit gets reduced to less than 10 remaining soldiers, roll morale again. If it’s a failure, then the remaining unit flees. If they hold their morale then the unit can still fight but incur a -1 to attacks and to their morale score. Any additional hit against the unit requires a morale check to maintain fighting.

REMOVED

Pg. 45; Mass Combat Unit Make-up damage multiplier: Removed the multiplier to damage for both on foot (x10) and mounted units (x5) since that was only applied to the prior damage resolution from an earlier printing where units had Hit Points instead of subtracting hit die worth of soldiers or monsters from damage.

Pg. 47; Mixed Units (optional) damage multiplier: Removed the multiplier to damage (x10)