[proto dnd] An endeavor inspired by Eero Tuovinen's OSR Sandbox

[Joshua Bearden]

Next J. used this distraction to claim initiative and charged in with fists swinging, forcing a strength contest with the intention to injure the pod-man and/or loosen its grip on S.  He staked 5 points which I said would only be enough to inflict a 2nd degree wound, and that only if his roll included at least on '6'. He won the contest and his dice included a 6. Things broke down for a bit as we discussed what I mean by a 2nd Degree wound.  (see below) Since he'd won the contest, but not yet defeated the pod-man (it still had resources in play) he retained initiative and was able to position the next contest. Strength again! This time he decided to stake 8pts strength (2 less than all in for him) and attempt to strangle the pod man into submission.

I decided, (maybe should have rolled), the podman lost his will and 'folded' showing no resistance and obviously surrendering. If the J. had said he wanted to try to kill him, the pod-man probably would have gone 'all-in' to resist and escape. Had the pod-man won the strength contest he might have initiated a quickness contest to escape.

[Joshua Bearden]

(It seems I'm allowed  to make short posts only)


That was the end of the play test but we discussed a few other possibilities. If a player had a weapon or armour it could be added to an appropriate resource pool. Had the players been more coordinated, they could have pooled abilities/resources in a combined attack.

One clarification: "staking" 5 points entails actually spending them. If you win the contest you're still out the 5 points.  The loser is also out what ever they staked PLUS they lose the equivalent of your stake. If you win but have depleted a resource you need to use your initiative to change the type contest  - this opens up a new resource pool. In contrast if if you went 'all in' and lost, you're totally outmanoeuvred and at the mercy of the victor.

I haven't decided under what circumstances resources recharge, but it should usually be pretty quick. Perhaps a mere beat between contests is enough, or perhaps some period of undisturbed rest is necessary. Perhaps it should vary with different resource types.  Health is not a resource, but stamina might be.  Wounds, see below, should have pragmatic consequences which do not necessarily translate into a resource penalty. A second degree ankle sprain may make running impossible - but doesn't prevent you from using your speed resource in a contest involving only hand-eye coordination.

[Joshua Bearden]

That pretty much sums up the idea as it stands at the moment.  I could really enjoy tinkering further but I'll need more players and play sessions.  I might just suspend the 'sandbox' campaign in favour of an 'arena' for a while; (Metaphors are funny).

In yet another test run an unarmed character on the deck of a wrecked boat was being stalked by a slaver with a club. She offered to stake 2 of her 15 dexterity points to simply stay out of range of the clumsy but dangerously strong thug. I told the player the thug was responding by staking all 8 of his dex points with the clear intention of clobbering her, and that critical hit with his club could easily knock her out. By doing so I'm communicating to the player (1) the opposition's resources and (2) the new stakes.  She responded by going all-in with 15 dex and raising the stakes to deke-him out and trick him into falling off the ship.  I agree but rule that such a manoeuvre would draw on wits as well as dexterity allowing both parties to draw on a new resource for the contest.

* if I can get one more post out I'll provide a footnote about wounds.

[Joshua Bearden]

Wounds

Wounds in the tests so far have been set as explicit target outcome OR as results for critical hits (when ever a six comes up as part of a winning roll). 1 six = a first degree, 2 = a second degree, 3 = a third degree ... I haven't decided how to achieve a mortal wound yet.

1st = a scratch or bruise; potentially distracting and painful but does not deplete resources.  Might leave a scar but no lasting impairment. Can be safely ignored for a while and will not progress without intervening circumstances... ie infection.

2nd = A sprain, a flesh wound, possibly a break of a semi-redundant appendage (a leg for instance if you have eight); can have an immediate but temporary impact on a resource depending on positioning. Can be healed with first-aid and rest.  Cumulative and progressive.  Meaning if ignored or compounded can lead to a 3rd degree wound.

3rd = Concussion; wide area burns; deep flesh wound or abdominal puncture; breakage of essential appendage (ie. a leg if you have only two). The contest is over. Long-lasting or permanent impairment. Progressive to moral injury without immediate intervention.

Mortal Wounds = Recipient is presumed dead. Decapitation; ventricular puncture; complete conflagration; If gods or saving throws exist in the game... this is when you need them.

[Joshua Bearden]

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I'm only bumping this thread to try to close it with dignity.  I'm indefinitely postponing this project in favour of doing something else.  The bottom line is that I finally found a person who seemed like the ideal partner in this sort of endeavor and his response was this: "okay fine, I like what you're thinking but I don't want to participate if you're calling it D&D".  OSR/Primitive/Proto notwithstanding it was clear that this fellow survivor of "the orthodoxy" had no interest in pursuing a project that was in any notional way connected with that thing.

On reflection I decided that playing games right now is way more important to me than re-inventing old stuff.  So we've started something else.  I'll post another thread.

[Mike Holmes]

I find this resolution to this thread to be satisfying in ways I can't even explain well.