Dungeons of the Otherkind.

Some play time with online posts, BX D&D and Otherkind dice.

You have made the long, hard trek to the House of Raam. Outside, the snow is deep and the wind bites hard. The flakes are like shards of ice, and they bite at your skin. The large hall you stand in is dry and protects you from the harsh mountain winter. Torches are lit, and they crackle and pop, sending sparks into the air. Shadows move unnaturally as the firelight dances along the floor of bones, equipment and skulls. There’s a skittering on the stonework above, an alien shriek then a killing silence… A large dark form drops from above you.

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I’m experimenting with Play-by-post. I’m reaching waaay back to when that meant by snail mail. While stationed overseas, I got into Play-by-mail games like Legends and spent crazy days pouring over the many pages of my results before planning my next turn. I’ve read somewhere recently that many of those old-school moderators are …Sailing West. This is my attempt to pick up the banner in this day and medium and see what can be done. I’m running this same scenario over on Play.Fearless with some changes, over here, we will share a pool of dice results.

Play-by-Post is Dead: Dungeons of the Otherkind.

For sure, I’m not even playtesting here; I’m more in the discovery of play, experimenting. You’ve been warned.

First, start with OtherKind Dice by Meguey & Vincent Baker. This is how things get done. At its basic, there are outcomes for which you will assign dice rolled from a pool. We’re starting simple here, though.

Make yourself a BX or Old School Essentials character, and stick to the basics1. You can even summon one up for use. What we’re most interested in are the bonuses for the stats [-1, +1, 0] and class abilities. We could use more of the details, or not.

Outcomes

• RUN!!! [DEX or WIS bonus dice, place high die here.]

• Kill it [STR bonus die, place high die here]

• Seek a parley [ Cha or Wis bonus dice, place high die here]

• Are You hurt?

• What have you uncovered?

• Are your Retainers hurt? ( if you have retainers include this outcome)

Dice: 2 4 6 5 5 3 2 1 [https://rolz.org/info?yn96uhqv8m:l7kgfoir]

From the bolded outcomes, pick a primary outcome. Pick a secondary one if you like. Then gather your Otherkind dice.

• + Stat bonus of primary outcome as noted on that outcome.

• +1 for one background that helps your current goal

• +1 for each retainer you have (Your Cha bonus, for now)

• +1 for one applicable class ability.

Some outcomes may call for other dice modifiers.

You can only use one Stat bonus in a roll. Some outcomes may have conditions on which stat.

You will always have at least one die. Select dice left to right from the dice results above.

Outcomes with no dice assigned invoke the worst of that outcome, or nothing if it doesn’t apply. I.e., retainers can’t be hurt if you have none.

Remember, this is play in progress and not a whole anything. Through this play, I’m looking for answers to a few things, starting with process.

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Introduce your character in the comments, say what brings you to the House of Raam, where you’re from, and something about your background. Post your Otherkind dice results and choices.

An example:

Belvenne, Paladin [Str:+1 Int: 0 Wis: 0 Dex: 0 Con: -1 Cha:+1]

Here to recover the remains of the fallen paladins of his order. Belvenne is among the last of the Capricorn Order.

Belvenne and his rook, Mondaj, shout the sacred invocations of the Capricorn and draw weapons to fight this fell creature of shadows. 3 dice =  Str, Retainer, Holy resistance [2,4,6]

Kill it: 6
Are you hurt?: 2
Are your Retainers hurt?: 4

Belvenne and Mondaj

Next week: results and new rules, new situation, and we talk about the process and stuff.

Play Fearless!

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I know my example isn’t a basic character type…do as I say! 🙃