Barrowmaze 5E Session 9 - Following the Oracle to the Tablet of Chaos

 

Saturday (11/8/25) we played our ninth session of Barrowmaze 5E. The party decided to continue to delve into the depths of the Barrowmaze dungeon, following the directions of the oracle . . . 

The roster of characters:

• Tanya - Sariel Moonblossom (Half-Elf Cleric of Arcantryl 3)
• Eli - Omarion Zolond (Drow Necromancer 3) 
• Aidan - Alivin O'Harris (Human Ranger 3)
• Christopher - Feles Pugnat (Tabaxi Fighter 3)
• Hireling - Freelik of Glossimir (High Elf Fighter 3) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Arnd Cobblestone (Dwarf Cleric 3) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Brother Binford (Human Cleric of St. Ygg 3) - 2 gp/day
• Mongrelmen Hirelings: Kasmut, Kenamon, Qalhata, Somintu, and Werenro

12th Day of Hardfrost, 1000 GCY

     The party awoke in their "safe room" in the dungeon, having taken an extra-long rest to recover and prepare to face the terrors of the dungeon. They had decided to make it their mission to find and destroy the Tablet of Chaos, following the oracular directions they had received from a talking statue. 

     They fought and defeated a coffer corpse and acquired a couple of potions of healing. They battled some ravenous zombies, which were deafeated rather easily using magic. They defeated an ochre jelly and found a runic tablet (that went into their bag of runic tablets). They battled a swarm of six clockwork scorpions. 

     They followed the directions of the oracle into a chamber with an "island" floating in midair over a deep shaft, and there appared to be the Tablet of Chaos. Yet they discovered that they could not touch it, and speculated that it was some sort of illusion or trap - the directions of the oracle had led them to this place, but they could not find the true tablet. 

     They explored a side passage from the chamber with the false Tablet of Chaos and found a bound sarcophagus. They opened it and released a massive scorpion from stasis, which they then had to defeat. 

     The party pushed on into another chamber, encountering a six-armed bone golem. Another furious battle ensued, but in the end, they did defeat the monster. 

     This is where the session ended . . . 

Current PC XP: 2611 XP

Current Hireling XP: 2144 XP

Valhalla (R.I.P.)

•  Imeni the Mongrelman, beheaded by Varghoulis the Dread Knight and his Crypt Knights of the Black Legion (1/3/1000)
• "Killer" Kelg Barrelgut (dwarf fighter hireling), killed by a Son of Gaxx (and subsequently the corpse was burned for fear he would arise as a new Son of Gaxx) (1/9/1000)

Old School RPG Principles, part 2 - Rulings, Not Rules!

  Old School RPG Principles, Part 1 - Rulings, Not Rules!

     Probably the most cited Old School principle - almost a mantra - is "Rulings, Not Rules!" The game master - the referee or judge - makes rulings in the course of the game, deciding how things will work mechanically (ideally only doing so in the absence of offical rules on a given situation). This is a principle of Old School game thinking going all the way back to the very beginning, when rule sets were necessarily quite limited, and there simply were no rules for many situations that could arise in a game scenario. In the absence of an "official" rule, the game master, as referee, was expected to make a "ruling" on how it should work. 

     Of course, we live in an age of rules bloat. Even as early as 1st edition D&D (AD&D), there was a recognition that there could be such a thing as "too many" rules (I remember a lot of gamers being skeptical of Unearthed Arcana when it was published - did we really need all these new rules?). The problem has only grown with each new edition of D&D, and other RPGs grew likewise, with the publication of countless "splatbooks" extending each game potentially endlessly. We have more options for findinng rules for any given situation in almost ever game in print today than could ever have been imagined back in 1974. 

     But again, do we need all that? Do we want it?

     The simple answer from an Old School perspective is . . . no. It is neither necessary nor desirable for rule sets to cover every possible contingency that might arise in a scenario. A good rule set thoroughly covers the most likely situations . . . and allows the game master the license - the duty - of filling in the gaps. The best rule sets have flexible interpretations baked it. For example, the Luck mechanics in DCC RPG give a nearly infinitely adaptable tool for the Judge to adjudicate situations. These are not necessarily RAW (rules-as-written), but a tool for making rulings. Who gets attacked first? Whoever has the lowest Luck. Who gets the first or best opportunity? Whoever has the highest Luck. No rule to cover whether or not something is possible? Make a Luck check! Nobody needs infinite tables and charts and rules to cover this stuff - as Judge, I often decide on the fly - "Who gets hit by the flying shapnel?" "Oh, easy - who has the lowest Luck?" 

     A good game has rules. Without rules, it isn't a game. And a game isn't fun if it feels like it is all arbitrary, But rulings from a game master ought not to be arbitrary, ought (in fact) to have a firm basis on existing rules. But the rules should be light enough to be manageable, useable, and open to interpretation - rulings - by the game master.

     A corollary to this principle - how much does system matter? Can you run an awesome game with a terrible system? Seems possible. Can you run a terrible game with a great system? Oh yeah - happens all the time. So . . . does system matter? Yes, but not as much as some people think. But ultimately, system matters less than the people playing the game, just as rulings (how the rules are used) matter more than the rules themselves. 

     "Rulings, Not Rules!" - it's not just a popular Old School mantra. It's good sense. 

Old School RPG Principles, part 1 - Choices (Real Choices, No Quantum Ogres, and No Fudging Dice Rolls)

 Old School RPG Principles, Part 1 - Choices

     As mentioned in my last post, I've been thinking a lot about my principles as a game master and game designer for old school RPG gaming. The first principle I wrote about in my notebook was "choices."

     RPGs are all about choices. "So . . . what do you want to do?" is one of the most iconic utterances of the game master. In most games, players make choices for their characters, and game masters adjudicate the outcomes of those choices, using dice to resolve elements of chance.

     So why is this a principle that even needs to be discussed?

     First of all, there is a difference between someone telling a story and somebody refereeing a TTRPG. Player choices have to be real choices. So I strongly opposed the concept of the "quantum ogre". If you haven't heard of the quantum ogre, it is this idea that if the GM wants the players to encounter an ogre, it will happen regardless of the players' choices. In the usual example, players have to choose between a door on the right and a door on the left. The players may or may not be aware there is an ogre in the dungeon they are trying to avoid. They choose the door on the left. The text says that the ogre is behind the door on the right. But because the GM has decided he wants the PCs to encounter the ogre, the GM decided that the ogre is actually behind the door on the left! Once this happens, you're no longer playing a game, the GM is just telling a story.

     But another consideration in this example - how did the players come to choose the door on the left in the first place? Is it even a real choice if it is simply a choice between two identical doors with nothing to distinguish them? If it can be resolved with a coin flip, it is not much of a choice! Real choices require context, which is another important component here. Players should be able to obtain context to make their choices. Imagine PCs examining the two doors, maybe listening at the doors. They can hear the ogre's heavy breathing, or muttering behind the door on the right. Based on the clues provided, they choose the door on the left. They made an informed choice. 

     Now, I'm not going to say that PCs don't draw the wrong conclusions from their clues. Context is rarely complete, and incomplete or misunderstood context leads to incorrect choices. Sometimes players are going to be surprised by the outcome of their choices - "WHAT?!? But we thought the ogre was somewhere else!" That can happen. BUT that is not the same as simply overriding the players' choice and making their efforts fail despite the fact that they made the correct choice! Again, once you do that, you're not really playing the game anymore! 

     Another factor in making real choices is abiding by the consequences of those decisions. Deciding that the room on the right is actually the room on the left "for the story" is an example of not abiding by the consequences of the players' choices. Another example is fudging dice rolls. Let the dice fall where they may! Imagine a player decides their character should search for clues. That's often a good decision! The outcome of this decision is uncertain, however. Dice help us adjudicate the outcome when there is uncertainty. So if the rules state that a player character is supposed to find a clue on any roll greater than a 3, and the GM rolls a 5, the consequence of the decision to search for clues is supposed to be finding a clue. If the GM then decides that giving the player the clue would "ruin the story," well, again, you're not playing a TTRPG anymore. You're just telling a story. The whole point of rolling dice is to adjudicate outcomes. If you're going to fudge the dice rolls, why even roll the dice? Why ever roll dice? Just decide what happens (which is what you're going to do anyway) and skip the die roll . . . but understand you're no longer playing the game. You're just storytelling. And people who signed up to play a game may not be happy that they're not actually being allowed to play. 

     Roll dice in the open, and let the dice fall where they may. The characters win a huge victory you didn't foresee? Cool! They characters are all killed in a TPK? OK! What happens, happens. That is the point of playing a game. A game that can't be lost - or can't be won - isn't much fun! So let the choices - informed choices, real choices - be real choices, with real consequences . . . and if the dice dictate a certain outcome where there is an element of chance, allow chance to have its place. The GM's role is a referee, adjudicate, judge - not to tell the story they want to tell!

RPGs for Kids at Conventions - Being the Change I Want to See in the World!

      As some readers may know, I'm an OSR-style gamer living in New England. I attend about 3 RPG conventions every year. I have two young kids; at this writing one is 11, and the other is about to turn 13. The almost-13-year-old doesn't have much interest in RPGs, but the 11-year-old definitely does. They want to come to gaming conventions with me, but there is a problem - there are not many convention games for kids. 

     I can understand all the reasons why this is so. And there are sometimes games that are open to kids, but often only ages 13 and up. So my 11-year-old can't play yet. Kids get left out. 

     At one convention I've attended for the last few years, there is one guy who runs a game for kids, often just one slot for the con. He's great. His daughter plays (I think she's 10 now), and some other kids. They always have a great time. I know last year it was Old School Essentials, and this year a simplified D&D 5E. System doesn't matter so much, really, but I like that he doesn't just run "kids games," like Amazing Tales or something. Don't get me wrong - there are some great systems designed for little kids out there. But I also think kids grow best when they are challenged to stretch themselves, and playing with "grown-up" systems is good for them, as well as fun. 

     Anyway, I recently came to a conclusion. For the last several years, I've run about 3 games at each convention I attend (mostly Dungeon Crawl Classics, as part of the Road Crew). But I think I need to be the change I want to see in the world. Instead of waiting for more kid-friendly game masters to run more kid-friendly games, I think I need to start running at least one game for kids at every convention I attend. 

     I never really thought much about doing this before. I have been an educator, and I have training and experience in working with kids. But since I began adult life, at least, RPG gaming has been an adult activity for me, with the exception of playing with my own family. But I think I need to do this. I started playing D&D at 10 years old (in 1985!). I started with the Metzner "Red Box" Basic D&D and soon thereafter with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (aka AD&D or "First Edition" D&D). It was extremely formative to how I grew up and the man I have become. I made my most enduring friends through D&D and RPGs, I learned vocabulary and history and math skills, I formed my tastes in literature and art through that lens. I probably wouldn't have become a teacher of Latin, Ancient Greek, History, and Mythology if not for RPGs. I'm running a campaign right now, in November of 2025, with two guys I started playing with in 1991. My life has been shaped by RPGs, and I'm very grateful for that. Kids deserve RPGs. 

     Be the Change You Want to See in the World. Not enough kids' games? Run more kids' games! 

     My wife is a special education expert and and educator with much more experience working with younger kids than I have. She has agreed to help me with this project. 

     So, I'm going to start writing games for kids for conventions, and running them. I need to make some choices, like about system (my wife thinks I should stick to D&D 5E, since that's what most kids are going to encounter outside of my convention games; I'm much more of a fan of experimenting with systems and promoting older systems like BECMI or retroclones of those systems like OSE). I think I want to create some "iconic" pregen characters that can be used across several convention games. And I've been reviewing my basic principles of game design (which I shall probably be writing about more over the coming weeks).

     There is a lot to consider. One thought I've had is that I ought to use miniatures and battlemaps for kids' games, because I think that will hold greater appeal and even help organize play better, while in adult games I generally prefer a "theater of the mind" style. A lot to think about and work on. But I think it'll be worth it. 

     Kids deserve good convention games. Be the Change. 

Barrowmaze 5E Session 8 - Clues to the Tablet of Chaos!

 

Saturday (11/1/25) we played our eighth session of Barrowmaze 5E. The party decided to continue to delve into the depths of the Barrowmaze dungeon . . . 

The roster of characters:

• Tanya - Sariel Moonblossom (Half-Elf Cleric of Arcantryl 3)
• Eli - Omarion Zolond (Drow Necromancer 3) 
• Aidan - Alivin O'Harris (Human Ranger 3)
• Christopher - Feles Pugnat (Tabaxi Fighter 3)
• Hireling - Freelik of Glossimir (High Elf Fighter 2) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Brother Binford (Human Cleric of St. Ygg 2) - 2 gp/day
• Mongrelmen Hirelings: Kasmut, Kenamon, Qalhata, Somintu, and Werenro

11th Day of Hardfrost, 1000 GCY

     The party awoke in their "safe room" in the dungeon, having taken an extra-long rest to recover and prepare to face the terrors of the dungeon. They decided to check out the northernmost edge of their map and see what progress they could make, They had decided to make it their mission to find and destroy the Tablet of Chaos. 

     They found a room that appeared to be a chapel, with a large statue behind an altar. They heard muttering and grumbling from under the floor, and found a pit trap containing a dwarf cleric named Arnd Cobblestone. Arnd had fallen into the trap and his companions had fled. They freed him from the trap and he became a new hireling of the party. 

     The party experimented with making offerings on the altar, and finally discovered that sacrificing an enchanted chain shirt produced an effect - the statue animated and offered to answer a question. The party carefully worded a question for the statue to tell them how to get to the Tablet of Chaos. The statue began to give them directions through the lightless corridors of the dungeon to the area where the tablet supposedly rests. The party does not think the statue necessarily gave them the shortest or safest route to the Tablet of Chaos, but they do believe that the information is genuine and that following its directions will lead them to the tablet. 

     With a long trek through the dungeon ahead of them, the party decided to stock up on supplies. They made the four-hour trek back to Helix, where they did some shopping, including for at least ten days worth of rations for each member of the party, Then another four-hour hike back into the Barrowmaze and back into the dungeon. They were lucky enough to avoid any encounters during this time. 

     The party began to follow the oracle's directions to the Tablet of Chaos. They encountered a party of tomb-robbers, and negotiated safe passage (the tomb robbers were heading west and the party was heading east). The party then looted the room they had vacated. 

     Next the party came across a battle between the Acolytes of Orcus and the Necromancers of Set. They joined the Acolytes and helped defeat the Necromancers, then negotiated another safe passage. Omarion looted a talisman of the dead from one of the Necromancers, learning that he could only attune to it if he were a sincere worshipper of the evil god Set. 

     The party passed through and looted several more chambers. Eventually they discovered an odd wand of secrets and tested it out in a nearby room - discovering a pit trap and three secret doors. They actually already knew where one of the secret doors was, because it had been revealed to them in the oracle's directions. 

     The party actually passed through a different secret door to check out the area and establish a safe place to camp. The room they explored contained four giant carnivorous flies, which they had to defeat, but then they were able to establish a safe place to camp until the next morning. 

Current PC XP: 1654 XP

Current Hireling XP: 1187 XP

Valhalla (R.I.P.)

•  Imeni the Mongrelman, beheaded by Varghoulis the Dread Knight and his Crypt Knights of the Black Legion (1/3/1000)
• "Killer" Kelg Barrelgut (dwarf fighter hireling), killed by a Son of Gaxx (and subsequently the corpse was burned for fear he would arise as a new Son of Gaxx) (1/9/1000)

The NEW roster of characters:

• Tanya - Sariel Moonblossom (Half-Elf Cleric of Arcantryl 3)
• Eli - Omarion Zolond (Drow Necromancer 3) 
• Aidan - Alivin O'Harris (Human Ranger 3)
• Christopher - Feles Pugnat (Tabaxi Fighter 3)
• Hireling - Freelik of Glossimir (High Elf Fighter 2) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Arnd Cobblestone (Dwarf Cleric 2) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Brother Binford (Human Cleric of St. Ygg 2) - 2 gp/day
• Mongrelmen Hirelings: Kasmut, Kenamon, Qalhata, Somintu, and Werenro