So the new post is up now: https://basicfantasy.org/blog/?p=271 I'd be interested to know if the group has any interest in a Campaign Designers Handbook style publication on here? I know there's no call for a Supplement Volume, but perhaps something that talked about how to design a campaign, using ...

Long time no see. I haven't been here since 2019. Stuff really changed in 2020 didn't it? I am planning on putting up another post on the blog - - this time on Magic-Users. It would be a "How to Make a Magic-User" guide to the resources, a bit like the Ranger one I did years ago. I did thi...

In regards to Druids, Necromancers, and so on, I think the answer depends entirely on what sort of spell lists you have. If you look at the Cleric spells in the core rules, only a few spells at 1st and 2nd level really stand out as 'Druid' spells: Charm Animal and Speak with Animals - and maybe Resi...

I've honestly never really noticed demi-humans being overly powerful in any RPG I've played in. I think one time we had a character reach "level limit" in an old school system and we just quietly ignored that because he was a cool character and we wanted him to keep levelling up with the g...

On a side note: I have once run a game where the players managed a magic items shop. The haggling was definitely part of the fun. Also, it gave good opportunities for quests to attain certain ingredients, and to actually use magic item crafting skills. The description is Sir Percy building a castle ...

Good question. The answer is, I don't manage it. I have never run or played a game in any system where the party properly managed a stronghold. As a GM I have enough trouble getting them to manage their own personal expenses let alone running a castle. You'd have to check with your players if that's...

"further, I'd make the roll myself, and if it was particularly bad I'd give a false hint."

Thanks. This is the answer, I think. Any dice roll needs to have a potential negative consequence as well as a positive one otherwise there's no risk.

Some of my younger players are in the habit of asking to make Intelligence rolls to see if they can think of clues or 'work things out', when they themselves can't figure out what's going on. In a lot of modern games there's an 'Investigate' skill and I guess that's what they are looking for. I'm re...

My group uses the acronym 'PRP' - pointless role-play. It can happen when characters get into town and go around chatting to NPCS. You typically end up with one person interacting with the GM while everyone else listens. It's more fun if player characters role-play with each other. I tend not to des...

Maybe this is just me but I sometimes find being a heal-bot kinda fun. When you think about it, its just another way of modifying the total hit point pool of the combat, and swinging it in the party's favour. You just do it in a different way. Also, actually getting close enough to heal a fighter wh...

Thanks, Solo. (It's been a while since I was here. Still intending to do more blogging when I get a chance...life just keeps chucking stuff at me.) One more thing to add on topic: in Old School games, part of the appeal for me is that people won't do too much stuff that's out of their character arch...

Hide and Move Silently and Climb are the only ones that I have to think about as a GM, because other characters can do 'mundane' versions of these things that are a bit like the thief skill, but not as good. Swim, Ride, and other physical activities do not duplicate thief skills and can be covered b...