All My Rowdy Friends

Starting on Monday, I have a weekly game starting. I have two total d&d virgins and two that have only played 5th edition. It will be the perfect opportunity to start from scratch and try out #BroSR play.

There’s a dad and an 8 year old daughter, and then a brother and sister who are 11 and 13. We also may get visits from older sister (15) and mom; there is an outside chance we will get another 12 year old boy and his dad too. But four players and the Ref will start.

We will use my Crown & Valor as the rule book of record. 

We will play a deadly variety of the game. Death at -1. Dead PCs and even team wipes should happen fairly often. Players will learn to fight only when necessary - use small unit tactics and throw their henchman ahead of them when possible.

The several players will each keep several characters right from the start. Each player will roll up four sets of stats. One set will serve as the basis of their first PCs and the rest will wait in the Bullpen to fill in for that character when necessary. To that end I have developed a Bullpen sheet.

We will keep strict time records. To that end, I have developed a calendar for the game world and worksheets to keep track of PCs while they are away from the table.

With time rules, we can make training rules of a stricter nature, which encourages interpersonal relationships with NPCs and also gives the player an excuse to switch out characters.

We will keep strict time in the underworld, marking turns, wandering monster checks, torches and rations. To that end, I have developed a time tracking by sheet. The same sheet keeps time by hour in the wilderlands. 

We will make henchmen readily available, and I will strongly suggest taking them along as soon as they can. To this end, I have adapted reasonable hireling rules and Retainer procedures, and I have several likely candidates printed out on index cards ready to hand to the players. 

We will have a Patron game as soon as the players feel like they can handle the tactical element. I have not developed objectives but I have an idea of who the patrons are and what each one wants.

I have adapted the excellent ACKs domain rules for the table for when the several players get a PC to Name level. 

We will have aging, romance (offscreen,) marriages, births, deaths, and hopefully dynasties. Is this too ambitious? Maybe. But I would rather have the capacity ready to go than tack it on later.

But Monday is Session Zero! Almost three years to the day since I last Reffed or played. 

Here is a link to the Cyfandil campaign summary sheet. 

Session Zero Lecture

 

Welcome to Dungeons & Dragons. I’m so happy we can all be here together today. 

Some of you are new to D&D, which is AWESOME, and some of you have played the contemporary version of the Great Game. Also awesome. To start out, let’s talk a little bit about what it means to play old school D&D. 

The contemporary game is based on the premise that the player’s characters are heroes and they play through an adventure that is produced by a dungeon master, in which these characters will be heroes and will triumph. 

In the beginning, however, D&D was player-driven. The referee (not dungeon master) would provide a premise, a location, and several people, places and things with which to interact. Then the players would set their own goals and agendas and set off for whatever adventures they wanted. 

There has been a continuity of the old way. Guys have published their own rule books that capture the essence of that play style and use a lot of the rules from the first decade of our hobby. These rule sets are recognizable and intelligible to other folks who play the same way, and soon you recognize them too. 

This is my rule set. It’s called Crown & Valor. The emphasis of this rule set is simplicity and clarity. It is based on rules drawn from original d&d and the first three  editions of basic d&d with just a splash from the contemporary game.

A good example of Crown & Valor’s simplicity is in its character class offerings. There are six of them; just six. You will see that six is plenty for a full robust D&D play experience. 

In chess, there are six different kinds of pieces: king, queen, bishop, knight, rook and pawn. Each has its own rules for movement and some have special abilities and/or limitations that make for interesting choices in the game. If every piece could move just like the queen, that would not be as interesting as real chess.

Coincidentally, there are also six different kinds of pieces in Crown & Valor. These pieces are the Cleric, Fighting-Man, Magic-User, Dwarf, Elf and Hobbit. We call these the standard character classes. Admittedly, these are more complicated than chess men, but this is a useful analogy because the six Crown & Valor  classes are somewhat uniform. That is, two Fighting-Men are more alike than they are different. Just as one chess pawn follows the same rules of behavior as the others, each kind o character has rules about what he is good at and not good at. 

In 1968, an English wargames enthusiast named Tony Bath invented the hit point. 

Who here can explain what a hit point is? 

(Something about a measurement of health, life and death etc.)

In the game of chess, how many hit points does the king have? How many hit points does the rook have? 

They all have one hit point. That means  they’re alive or dead. One is alive, zero is dead. 

Our figures in Crown & Valor, like in all forms of d&d, have varied numbers of hit points. That means that sometimes they will be able to take one or more assaults that would kill a chess man. You can add equipment to him to make him harder to hit. As you play him, he will get more hit points. When they take damage but do not die, they will slowly mend up just like real people do. 

The pieces we use in chess play on a game board. It is a very abstract representation of a battlefield. Their actions are restricted to fighting each other. 

Our figures in Crown & Valor also play on a kind of game board. It’s less limited than a chess board. This game board is mostly in our imagination and it represents a whole world. Our figures can do anything a real person could do, and in some cases, their abilities let them do more. They can explore the wilderlands, delve into the mythic underworld, conduct war campaigns, quest for magic artifacts, start a religion, rule a country, or whatever else you want him to try. 

This freedom of action is what differentiates this kind of game from all others. 

You may notice that I often use the word “figure” to refer to your character. I do this because d&d has its roots in the wargaming hobby. A miniature figure placed on a tabletop battlefield would represent one hero or a unit of many soldiers working together. You can find such figures online. Some hobbyists will collect and paint them. I keep a figure of the last character I played, back in 2019. His name is Robert Bluetooth. He is a cleric to Freya. 

In addition to recalling the hobby’s roots in wargaming, I choose to say figure because you do not have to actually role-play your guy to get the whole experience. But you can. Some people like to use distinctive voices and even wear costumes. Some people will speak in the first person and say “I crush that goblin with my mace.” Some people will refer to the character in third person: “Bluetooth attacks the goblin with his mace.” And some people will just refer to the game mechanics. “I’ll move my figure to this goblin figure and roll to hit.” All of these approaches are equally valid. 

You have heard the term Dungeon Master. What are some other names for this job?

(Solicit names)

I am not a Dungeon Master; I am the Referee. A referee’s job is to keep things moving and make impartial rulings. We have numerous rules to adjudicate many situations. But when we come to a corner case, it will be my job to decide what to do. 

I will also present the world and the various people to you. I’m not master of anything. It’s up to you to choose your figure’s destiny. 

For those of you who have played first-person video games or have played contemporary rile-playing games, our point of view will be quite unusual. Rather than a tone of heroic fantasy, it will feel more like a war story. Your characters are quite ordinary to start - very much like you and me - and will gain in skill and power by collecting treasure. They will be the focus of our story, but not the focus of the world. There is no set outcome and you’re not guaranteed to win.

Treasure is the measure of power in this kind of d&d. One gold piece equals one xp. (Repeat.) This is a departure from contemporary games which use various ways to hand out XP. We earn XP from killing or otherwise defeating enemies and monsters, but it’s a small amount compared to the treasure XP.

You will find that this game is much more deadly than what you’re used to. I’m not responsible for keeping your characters alive. I’m responsible for presenting the world for you. It’s up to you to be as careful or as aggressive as you like, and find out what happens. 

For this reason, think carefully about what gear your man will bring and how to proceed in the face of the unknown.

It will help to hire people to carry torches, haul gear, and even to help fight on your behalf. In fact, the Fighting-Man class has a great class feature where he can lead units of men effectively at low levels and eventually lead armies. We call these kinds of people henchmen or hirelings.  They are a central part of this kind of game. 

The lethality of this version of the game will probably be a surprise. At zero hit points, you’re dead. Magical healing is scarce or expensive, and natural healing is slow. But the death of one figure is not the end of the game for you. 

You know when you play Mario Brothers, Mario dies. A lot. Sometimes it’s your fault and sometimes it’s just bad luck. But when he does die, he comes right back so you can keep trying. 

In a similar way, when you lose one figure, you can grab another and keep going. To that end, we will roll up several characters to begin. That way, when one dies or needs to do something else such as heal up or research a new magic spell, we can bring in the next guy. Or maybe you just get bored with your first one and want to try a different character class for a time. 

So the first thing we do to make up a character is determine his basic physical and mental abilities; three physical and three mental. In d&d, there are six ability scores, sometimes called stats. Why? It’s arbitrary. Some games have three and other games have nine or more. In 1971 or 1972, Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax decided there should be six, so it’s six. They are: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma. 

Each of these has two numbers attached to it. The first is the base score and the second is the modifier associated with that first number. Don’t worry about this yet. The math will make sense later. 

Ability scores range from 3 to 18, and cluster around 10-11. Why 3 to 18? Because those are the numbers generated when we throw three six-sided dice. When Dave and Gary started, all they had was six-sided dice, so that’s what they used for just about everything. 

So we throw three six-siders, total them up, and write the total next to Strength. Then do it again for Intelligence, and Wisdom, and so on down the line. 

Now peek at the character sheet. Look at how little space is devoted to those numbers. They’re not a huge factor in determining a figures success or failure. 

For those of you who have played any version of the game before, you’re going to look at these numbers and be kind of bummed. They seem very pedestrian or boring or LOW. In Crown & Valor, low stats are not a death sentence. Three means you have the minimum ability necessary to be an adventurous man, and 18 means the best in the realm at that thing. But even a 3 is not weak - it’s just the bare minimum one would need for the sort of life these figures lead. 

In this rule set, scores of 14 or above are exceptional. That means you write a +1 next to them. This is a modifier to any die roll your man will make on a d6. It represents about a 17% bonus to those rolls. Stats which are 6 or below get a -1. 

There are a couple of reasons we do it like this. One is, people like to roll dice. Another is, as we throw the dice and see the numbers, our figures reveal themselves to us. This one is clever; this one is strong; and so forth. 

Now let’s assign a character class to each of your four sets of ability scores. However, only one of these four can be a demi-man. The rest have to be a member of a human class. They can all be the same or all different; but at least three must be humans. This is a rule I use when I referee any rule set; it does not appear in the Crown & Valor book. The reason why I made this rule is to keep the adventuring party majority-human. 

Let’s go ahead and read about the seizure classes available to you. 

Now assign classes to each set of ability scores. 

Now that we know their classes, we can determine their hit points on 1d6. Note that a character adds his Constitution modifier to the total. This suggests that a character of most classes with a CON score of 6 or lower who rolls 1 for his hit points will begin the game with zero hit points. He will start out dead! 

So be it! Not to worry. When your bullpen is empty, you can make a whole new list of backup characters. 

Now choose one of those characters to be your starting character. We will assign his former job, his age, his birth date, and his alignment. We can mark down his class-based special abilities. We can hand out his starting equipment. Once we know what he is carrying, we can tell how many squares he can move in a Turn. 

There are a few other details to fill in, but the character is basically ready for play. You might give him a name, or you might wait to see if he lives to second level before naming him! In the mean time, you can always refer to him by his character class or his former job. 

Next we will talk a little about the world in which these characters live and the town in which they begin play. 

Welcome to Cyfandil

An enjoyable rustic pastime 

Cyfandil is a temperate island chain at a northern latitude, consisting two major islands and hundreds of smaller ones. Its land area is about the same as Madagascar, or a little larger than the British Isles. 

Demi-Men live here and there, but are somewhat uncommon. Besides, there’s quite enough cultural variety in Man’s tripartite lineage: Aluvian, G’harundim and Sho. 

Our part of the realm is Aluvia, which is a lot like Medieval Northern Europe. 

Aluvian civilization has risen at times and fallen at others, leaving mysteries and secrets in the deep forest; but the Aluvian people carry on regardless. 

Now the Aluvian League is experiencing spots of turmoil, as it does from time to time. Robert, the Duke of Sutton, is attempting to unseat King Bradnwyr. Nobles have begun to form up in support of one or the other. Little skirmishes have commenced here and there- the usual vainglorious summer nonsense.

Thus far, the war has kept itself at a sensible distance. Merchants and pilgrims bring news from the corners of the Realm. War news has been interesting and non-threatening, like hearing the final result from a rousing shinty match at Glenden Wood. It’s something harmless for the old gainsayers to gainsay about when meeting in town.

 

Welcome to Cragstone

 

Our little part of Aluvia is called Lleannedd March. Our town is Cragstone, named for its founder, Thorsten Cragstone, the hero of times past. Neither a village nor a city, Cragstone is home to 100 families. The economy is based on trade by road and river. Among those men and Hobbits whose business it is to know such things, Cragstone is known best for producing an excellent grade of honey. 

Where You Come In

You are members of the mysterious Order of the Brass Dragon, a society by, of and for adventurous men. However, it is a society with absolutely no benefits, nor dues, nor oaths whatsoever. Benefits, that is, aside from your brooch: a smart brass brooch with which to hold your cloak in place, and the moderate air of mystery such a brooch might lend. 

A nigh-distant but fitting goal for a character when he starts will be to collect enough money and power to conquer a hex, build a castle or other great dwelling, and become a Lord. However, a player must decide what each of his characters truly wants from his paper life.

 

What Everyone Knows in Leanned March

• Strange noises come from the accursed wood just outside town.

• The Empire is enjoying civil war again.

• Roads are dangerous! Monsters and bandits prey on unsuspecting travelers. Stick together.

• Locusts destroyed the crops last year in Glenden Wood.

• Rithwic was hit by the plague. Some say it was G’harundim merchants who brought it there. 

• Most people say Druids are a myth.

Patrons and Factions:

•Lord Alberz, Marquis of Rithwic. His delegate in Cragstone is Lieutenant Kenneth.

•Dockmaster Brodus Stoneriver of the Dwarven Sea Clans. 

•Brienne of the Collectors Guild.

•Various Chaotic types outside the towns. 

Concepts of Note

 

Character death is close so decisions are more meaningful. 

Henchmen are important. 

Cha > Str.

Speak in natural language. I will adjudicate. I will show you what rules I use when applicable. 

Town is safe. Your character cannot die in town. 

House Rules

 

The Bullpen.

Any adventuring party is permitted to have a maximum of 40% demi-men.

Race as class.

Strict observation of time.

Slow Healing.

Clerical discontinuity and other unusual rules. 

Stochastic Rounds.

Bandages.

No initiative. 

Light sources. 

Opportunity attacks. 

Splintered shields.

Cyfandil's One-Page Campaign Document

This will change of course. Here is a screenshot of the document. It's not exactly the way I said it should be but it has all the information I want it to have. And it's a very readable single page. (Trust me. It looks good in hard copy lol.)

I will give this handout to the several players either before Session Zero or at the start of it.

Then we will talk about some of the finer points, such as how to make characters and what classes are available.

The Realm of Cyfandil

Cyfandil is a world of Men. Our little principality is called Lleannedd March. Our town is Cragstone, named for its founder, Thorsten Cragstone, the hero of times past. Demi-Men are rare upon these isles. Besides, there’s enough going on with Man’s tripartite lineage: Aluvian, G’harundim and Sho.

Cyfandil is a fairly standard medieval fantasy setting, something like Northern Europe in 1300, but with the opportunity to travel to different lands. It is low fantasy. The greatest monsters are rare and distant. Even the allied races of Mankind are only seldom seen in any great numbers.

Cyfandil’s primary purpose is the backdrop and sandbox for teaching the folkstyle D&D of yesteryear. Its secondary purpose is to backdrop teaching my particular folkstyle philosophy.

The nominal goal for the players when they start will be to collect enough money and power to conquer a hex, build a castle, and become a lord. Of course, that’s just the opening bid. Players can decide what each of their characters truly wants from life. In fact, we should all voice our dreams and desires about what we want to happen in our campaign story.

To that end, it is a most suitable realm for presenting the challenges of problem-solving, role-playing with reaction rolls, exploration overland and underground, and combat using surprise and morale checks that constitute D&D.

 

What Is New

 

We play face-up, toward each other, and speak in natural language.

The players, not the Referee, will push our story forward.

We will use gold for XP, roughly 80-20, with monsters filling in the difference.

Differentiation comes not from your character sheet, but from you. In folkstyle, class is an element of your character, but “build” is not. In terms of game mechanics, one fighter is about as good as another. Most clerics are almost identical. So, it is down the line (except for wizards and elves, who have more latitude due to spell selection.)

Henchmen and other hirelings are a big part of expanding your character’s power, so hire them and cultivate them. The difference between one fighter and another will largely be in his equipment, his henchmen, but super-especially, the player’s ingenuity.

We will observe strict timekeeping, light, rations, slow healing, etc.

Death is always nearby. Your paper man will die. Because of easy death and regular PC indispositions, be prepared to play three or four different characters at different sessions. “Next man up” as they say.

The seasons and even the years will matter. Characters will age. They will carouse, they will love and befriend, they will war, they will politick (at least personal politick) and of course they will adventure. In time, even the elves retire and leave the field of valor to their children. So will our paper men.

At least 60% of the PCs must be Human.

 

Common Knowledge:

Things Everyone Knows in Lleannedd March

·         Strange noises come from the accursed woods just outside town.

·         The Empire is shattered by civil war.

·         Roads are dangerous! Monsters and bandits prey on unsuspecting travelers. Stick together!

·         Locusts destroyed the crops last year in Glenden Wood.

·         Rithwic was hit by the plague. Some say it was G’harundim merchants who brought it there.

·         Most people say Druids are a myth.

Factions and Patrons

1.      Our ruler is Lord Alberz, First Marquis of Rithwic (L FM 9,) at Castle Rithwic, the seat of Lleannedd March. He has ruled for 35 years. He has a deep, booming voice and has turned several of the castle’s rooms into additional kitchens. He will always accept the help of up and comers, at least until he feels like they are a threat to his power. Lieutenant Kenneth is the captain of the militia and town guard in Cragstone. (N FM 4.) Kenneth is the Lord’s representative here. If you want to work for the Marquis, speak to Kenneth.

2.     Brodus Stoneriver is the master of the docks and minder of the traders. He is an elder of the Dwarven Sea Clans, and he has settled in our town. If you need mercenaries or need mercenary work, speak with him.

3.     An informal guild of curators, crafters, and natural philosophers haunt Cragstone. You can get in touch with them through Brienne, the barman’s daughter, at the Brass Dragon Pub. If you want to gather strange knowledge and artifacts, or get answers to strange questions, she’s the one who can put you on the right path.

4.     Outside of the towns there are roaming bowmen, weird cultists, Orcish men, mad Wizards, and maybe some Druids. Chaotic types might want to seek them out, but then again, they might not.

Lines and Veils

 

There are three distinct races of people, analogous to Nordic White, East Asian and North African.

We will track the months and years. The characters will have “real lives” away from the dungeon (but we don’t have to role-play them if we don’t want to.)

I would prefer to have only traditional boy-girl type romance. Half-humans are not a thing (although the several common races might intermarry if they please.)

Towns are safe. Dungeons, roads and wilderlands are not. A henchman or even a PC can face deadly situations at any time.

Writing a One-Page Campaign Document

The one-page campaign document is a primer on what kind of world you’re running and what the next campaign is going to be like. High Medieval fantasy? Survival Horror? East Asian warlords? All Dwarves (and that one Hobbit?)

The Realms of Cyfandil

It helps players understand what they’re getting into and what characters will work better in the world. It will also give them a chance to feed back to you during your Session Zero.

Send this to the players before Session Zero. Or at least tell them that the several of you will be spending some time with one of these. When Session Zero arrives, read this to the players and then hand out the page.

Make sure that everything fits on one page. People won’t read more than that.

Each one-page campaign document will be different, but here is the template I like to use.

“One Sentence”

One sentence to tie the characters to the world and to each other. This limits options somewhat, but it ensures that the players have a good idea about making characters which fit with each other and with the world. 

For example, the one sentence for my Port setting  is, “Prince Jaroslav lays dying.” This sets the mood with an evocative and strongly cultural name, and with the sense that things are at least in transition, if not in decline.

“What Is New” 

Things that set the campaign world apart from others they have played. For folkstyle d, you would write about the problem-solving nature of the game, the nearness of death, the face-up play style, and the rulings, not rules.

Campaign Truths - “Things Everybody Knows” 

The next section of the document gives the players a few nuggets of common knowledge. These are things that both the players and the characters will know. They are not hints or secrets. They just help define the premise of the world. Do not write more than six of these. Fewer is okay. 

“Factions and Patrons”

give the players some background on the power centers, at least in the immediate area. 

I use seven (!!) factions in my Port setting, but players generally choose among four of them. (Reasons. Unusual settings sometimes require unusual solutions.) In your setting, I recommend at least three and maybe as many as five, but over five, and players’ eyes tend to glaze over. (I’ll use fewer in Cyfandil.)

It’s also quite possible that the players don’t care much for factions and politics at all; or they wish to travel the majestic wilderlands far and wide. Factions and patrons still gives the players two things:

1. a better feel for the construction of the world, so they can better mold their character concept, and

2. a place to get their starting quests. Much better than “you meet in a tavern” or in media res. 

Who knows? They may end up liking factions after all, since they provide powerful allies.

“Lines and Veils:”

Lines are hard lines about what sensitive topics will, and won’t, appear in the campaign. Veils are softer lines - a veiled idea might happen offstage rather than being played out. 

Tell the players which sensitive topics might come up, and which will come up. Ask each player if there is a topic or topics they would like to avoid. This establishes trust and boundaries. Sometimes these lines and veils will cross each other. It’s better to sort out what is out of bounds prior to session one. 

Here’s an example. In my Cyfandil campaign, there will be three distinct races of people, analogous to Nordic White, East Asian and North African. I don’t plan to broach controversial issues of race at all, but there is a real-world shade to the campaign where three different peoples make up Mankind. I also want to have traditional boy-girl romance and very little human-demi human race mixing, if any. 

By the standards of this decade, these are all controversial ideas. There were nonwhites in actual medieval Europe (in small numbers.) I will have a multiracial table including at least one mixed race child. I want my several players to be

able to choose a character that’s like themselves (without limiting them so.) I will explain the romance and mixing expectations as adhering to the genre. Certainly, your world will be much, much different. 

Additionally, ask the several players if there is something they absolutely want to try. And then try to find a way to make that possible. There are some concepts that simply won’t work with some settings, but do your best to make them work somehow. 

One important line to mention straightaway in folkstyle d is that your paper man will die, and that’s okay. You, the player, don’t lose when your character dies - his story ends. You just use another character and carry on playing with your friends. 

After Session Zero you should update the document based on your conversation and send it out or hand it out to everyone again. 

That's a lot!

Yes. Yes it is. That’s a lot for one page. Write small. Use two columns. But make sure it’s one page.

 

In the header, put the name of the campaign and the version number of the document.

In the footer, put your name, email and phone.

 

You can do this. I can do this. In fact, I’m going to do it for my Cyfandil campaign now.

 

A Family of Old-School Henchmen

In old school play, it’s very important to introduce henchmen early on. In a game where character progression and personalization requires equipment rather than skills and feats, henchmen are a great colorful way to grow. 

It gives the player an instant replacement if and when his guy dies. It gives the party some leverage and wiggle room when the push too far. It builds for them a core team of trusted assistants for when they reach Name level. It’s an important way to grow a character’s personal power in the sociopolitical as well as martial spheres. Finally it provides for RP opportunities. 

It is important to introduce this idea during Session Zero. (More on that in a future post.) Then, during sessions 1+, you might use some of the following methods to get the PCs to pick up the entourage they should have. 

The first is to put the cost of hirelings right next to the cost of horses and boats. This gets the players to begin to consider them as equipment rather than a hassle or resource drain. 

The second is to introduce them to another party which has a large entourage. Perhaps the other party ridicules the PCs for being so poor or stupid as to not hire help. In character, they can explain the costs and benefits. 

The third way is to have an in-game bulletin board or bill post with adventure hooks and men begging for work. 

The fourth way is to put the henchman front and center and frame the hire as an act of charity. 

Consider the following: a lowly medium foot: chain, shield, helm, spear, approaches the party and asks to serve them. 

He says he has five children to feed and he needs work. He knows this lot finds gold sometimes. He’s willing to bear weight, bear shield, or even fight on a front line. But he needs to feed his kids. 

The next day, they will find he brings his grown son and his pre-teen son and daughter who will accompany him. He says that if they are paid properly they will serve as well. One medium foot and two linkboys/porters/shield maidens. 

A family of adventurer’s assistants changes the concept from cannon fodder to an interesting RP, and even tactical, situation. Do they protect the kids? Do they throw the whole family in front of danger? Should they make sure the young man has more than a a helm, shield, and clothing before they have him enter the unknown? 

Maybe one of the kids takes a shine to the wizard. Maybe the kid could be an apprentice. Many possibilities there.