State of Play, Week of 7-31-22
Loads of B/X games from last week! :)
It was a good week for B/X games online! Total Party Kilroy starts Barrowmaze; Of Steam Steel & Murder brings us the fifth session of B12: "Queen’s Harvest"; Tale of the Manticore is back with the fourth episode of season two.
In the B/X Bandits house-campaign, Morgan Ironwolf and party take their first steps inside the Haunted Keep!
Please note: The following analysis is my opinion. The Basic rules themselves give DMs (and groups of players) permission to change any rules they want to change (p. B3). To have some basis for comparison, however, I’m using the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rulebook, edited by Tom Moldvay, and the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rulebook, edited by Zeb Cook and Stephen Marsh, as a common frame of reference. Your opinions may, of course, differ.
Week of 7-31-22
Public Game(s)
Total Party Kilroy | Barrowmaze Campaign - #1
System: Old School Essentials
Format: Video Livestream
Style: Multiplayer
Platform(s): YouTube
Date: 7-31-22
Highlight
The musty stench of ancient death pervades the catacombs. Four men and a dwarf, dressed in clothes that have seen better days, stand before what, minutes earlier, had been a solid brick wall sealing off one of the burial chambers. The leering skull carved above the entrance now looks over a hole three feet high, created using a pair of sledgehammers the grave robbers have discarded on the floor.
Torchlight spills into the chamber beyond, reflecting from hundreds of gold and silver coins lying at the feet of a statue depicting a hideous demon. The companions hesitate, weighing the risks of entering the chamber against the chances someone else will take the treasure if they don’t act now. One by one they dither about the dangers of stepping across the threshold. Unexpectedly, while the others continue to vacillate, the man at the back of the group gathers his robe about himself, ducks through the hole, walks across the chamber, and turns to look at his gaping friends. Then he kneels and begin filling his pack with gold.
Hits
What I liked most about this session:
DM Kilroy makes the best use of Roll20 of any B/X streamer I’ve seen—including music, illustrations, and a full, interactive dungeon map useful for both exploration and combat.
The cleric Malachi’s insistence on full funeral rights for the fatally wounded man the party finds on the road, including burying him with all his personal effects, other than the journal he gave them, is some great role-playing!
The notebook itself, providing the players with an option to deduce the location of the dungeon, is a stroke of genius.
Timers are an underused pressure tactic in many RPGs, where it seems the player characters have all the time in the world to do whatever strikes their fancy. Heavily implying the party should return to the village before nightfall or face dire consequences makes every foray into the Barrowmaze an exercise in strict mission management.
Using the campaign calendar as the default screen in Roll20 is an elegant way to keep the players aware of how much time is passing in-game.
Misses
What I thought could have been improved:
As mentioned above, I’m a big fan of the way the notebook from the dying man is used to expand the players’ choices in the game. Because I love it so much, I wish it was more than some crudely drawn images that look like they were made in Microsoft Paint. This item is important enough, it seems like it would have justified drawing the pages out by hand, perhaps covering the paper in catsup or raw hamburger juice to simulate blood, then photographing them and importing them into Roll20.
The Roll20 user labels are configured to only show us the names or initials of the players; I found it very difficult to pick-up on the names of the characters, and match them with their respective players.
While I’m on the subject of Roll20, the user labels give viewers no indication of who is speaking, again making it a huge challenge to determine which player is talking, and therefore which character is acting.
Overall, this stream has challenges with audio quality, particularly with the sound levels for Russell/Garrus and Anthony/Thratmit. At times, Russell’s voice is so faint, I can barely make out what he’s saying.
Could go either way
DM calls I might have made differently:
I found using a shared spreadsheet for party inventory, rather than individual character sheets, to be confusing—and the term “equip items” is way too video-gamey for me.
MVP
Heretic/Gnarles A. Foestepp the magic-user, for walking in like a boss and taking the treasure right out from under the nose of the demon statue!
Assessment
Presentation: 3; Too many production issues, but I expect these to get better, since this is the first episode of the stream.
Rulings: 8; I feel Kilroy gets some of his calls “wrong”, but not in a way that harms the entertainment value of the session.
Roleplay: 10; This group excels at role-playing—I’m looking forward to learning more about their characters.
Exploration: 10; The party really gets into gathering information about the Barrowmaze, and seeking out the entrance. While we may be left with more questions than answers at the end of the first session, in a game of D&D, that’s good.
Combat: 3; Regrettably, many of the calls I feel Kilroy gets “wrong” occur during combat (no rule in B/X or OSE prevents clerics from spamming their turning ability; since they can’t cast spells at first level, it’s a big gimp to rule they can only turn once per combat—Thratmit nearly pays the price).
Overall: 6/10; cleaning up the production issues would go a long way to moving up this score.
Tale of the Manticore | Episode 4: “Faylin Forward”
System: B/X
Format: Podcast
Style: Solo, Dramatized
Platform(s): Podbean
Date: 8-1-22
Highlight
A woman of great means and many enemies dips her finger into her drink, and wipes it carefully across the surface of her ring, which will tell her whether or not the beverage is poisoned. Tonight, however, is different. Although she doesn’t know it, the ring she wears is not the ring that has protected her for so long.
Hits
What I liked most about this session:
Finding a book written in a language other than Common; I love it when languages are used to significant effect in B/X. A book written in a non-magical, but unknown, language, helps deepen the setting while creating a mystery the listener wants to see solved.
The poison in the drink, which the fraudulent ring is powerless to detect, is slow-acting—much like the disease from a rat’s bite in Moldvay’s Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rulebook (p. 41). This is unsettling, creating a measure of uncertainty, even though consuming the drink seems to cause no ill effect.
Misses
What I thought could have been improved:
As much as I love the scene above, I feel the NPC in question should have received a save. I understand the incident, as narrated, may simply form background detail for an adventure. In an open world, however, I think even background characters deserve the same chances as the player characters.
Could go either way
DM calls I might have made differently:
We’ve now had our second flashback of Season 2. While it was as well done as the first, I would rather see back story come out in dialog.
When DM Jon generates the treasure from the safe house, he uses a method reminiscent of Treasure Types, but I can't identify it as any particular individual Treasure Type. One of the joys of this podcast is seeing the B/X rules in play, so I regret a missed opportunity to show them off.
MVP: Yellowfly, for leveraging his connection with the innkeeper to gain the information the party requires.
Assessment:
Presentation: 10; This podcast is a thoroughly professional production, and this episode is no exception.
Rulings: 5; There weren’t a lot of rulings in this episode, and as explained above, I felt a couple of those that were included could have been handled better.
Roleplay: 10; Jon has a strong focus on character development, which serves his story well.
Exploration: 10; Listeners continue to learn important details about the player characters, the NPCs, and the world they inhabit.
Combat: 4; One combat, in flashback—but since no mechanical detail is provided, it’s impossible to tell whether or not it follows B/X rules.
Overall: 7/10; an excellent dramatization, but I look forward to more explicitly B/X content in future episodes.
B.N. Drake | Further Adventures of the Thunderous Fury, Session #25: “Sophia’s Choice”
System: Old School Essentials
Format: Video Stream
Style: Multiplayer
Platform(s): YouTube
Date: 8-1-22
Highlight:
Concealed in the darkness, showing no torch or lantern light of their own, the party watches as the travelers ahead of them make their way across the piles of dirt, loose rock, and dust. The dim luminescence from what fungus grows in this underground desert does little to relieve the oppressive blackness on all sides. Even the members of the party with the ability to see body heat are now blinded by the torch of the travelers.
Finally, the torch disappears below the crest of the “dune” the others are crossing. Soon, all that can be seen is a faint glow as they descend into the trough between that dune and the next. Then the screaming begins.
Hustling to the top of the dune, the companions look down on a scene of horror. The torch, still lit, has fallen to the dirt. All around it, tentacles extend from the loose ground. The three travelers are fighting for their lives. A tentacle has seized one of them, and is mercilessly thrashing him back and forth, slamming him into the ground—first at one extreme of its reach, then at the other.
In hushed tones, the party debates whether they should help the travelers, whom they don’t know, or leave well enough alone. Then the paladin takes the decision out of their hands by charging into battle.
Hits
What I liked most about this session:
DM BN enforces resource constraints regarding food or water; the party is three days into the Underdark, and he’s not letting them off the hook when it comes to finding something to eat and drink in unfamiliar territory.
The Bessex brothers are a full-on comedy duo when it comes to their obsession with “training” as part of leveling up.
Karn the paladin taking multiple opportunities to proselytize party members about St. Cuthbert is both great role-playing and great fun!
Misses
What I thought could have been improved:
This is the first time I have watched this stream, and as much as I enjoy it, the production suffers in a couple of significant ways. First, the player/character labels on the video feeds are so small and blurry as to be unusable, which makes it quite difficult to figure out who’s who, and which character they are playing. Second, the video streams are generally very poorly lit, giving the entire production a rather muddy appearance.
Hustle points? What are hustle points? They aren’t part of B/X, and don’t appear to be a feature of OSE Advanced Fantasy, either—which is what the group seems to be playing (that paladin comes from some where!)
Could go either way
DM calls I might have made differently:
Everyone rolls for wandering monsters?! Did I get that right?
MVP: Brendan/Ethex, for rolling with the “hot mama” when a swamp goddess makes his acquaintance; this turns what could be a by-the-numbers “divine vision” into something much more interesting and entertaining.
Assessment
Presentation: 6; Cleaning up the labelling and lighting issues would help a lot.
Rulings: 10; While I don’t agree with every ruling BN makes, in general they are very good and serve the game and players well.
Roleplay: 10; this group delivers some of the best role-playing I’ve seen, even better than Total Party Kilroy, above, although they both score a ten in this area.
Exploration: 10; the nature of the adventure, apparently a modified version of the Incandescent Grottos, lends itself to a rapid-fire series of fascinating discoveries.
Combat: 10; The fight with the underground “jellyfish” is tense, exciting, and weird. BN handles the mechanics so they make sense, and allow for a very cinematic experience.
Overall: 9/10; this is a fun stream, and I’m excited to watch the next session.
Of Steam, Steel, & Murder | BX Dungeons & Dragons - Queen's Harvest session 5
System: B/X
Format: Livestream
Style: Multiplayer
Platform(s): Twitch, YouTube
Date: 8-5-22
Highlight
They’re finally here, standing in front of the commanding officer of the mercenary army massing to wage war upon Penhaligon. If they can but secure a place within the army’s ranks, the party may find a way to prevent the invasion.
The commander looks Schtolteheim directly in the eyes, while the hapless soldier he has pulled out of the ranks cowers in the background. “Kill him,” the officer tells the mage.
“Well,” says Schtolteheim, “I can make him wish he was dead.” He performs a few gestures, while uttering some incomprehensible phrases. The man behind the commander suddenly doubles over, hands on his midsection, vomit spewing from his mouth. At the same time, a foul odor leaves those near him in no dobut that he is having the same problem at the other end.
The commander’s grin is like steel. “Take your place in line,” he says, gesturing to where those accepted for service are standing.
Turning next to Schtolteheim’s massively overweight companion, Radnor, the man begins to ask him what he can do that might be of use to his army. Not to be outdone by the aristocratic fop from Averoigne, Radnor interrupts his questioner:
“I’ll go ahead and take my place as well,” he says. A few words, a few motions, and he steps toward the commander—then appears in the line of new recruits. That will show Schtolteheim who is the true master of the arcane!
Hits
What I liked most about this session:
Dion actually does a sound check, to make sure viewers can hear clearly what the performers are saying!
DM Bert offers an invitation for anyone who wants to play in his games to contact him. What a great way to foster engagement in your stream!
The only combat in this episode is spell combat, and both times Bert uses initiative checks to determine which caster gets their spell off first.
Bert rigorously enforces the language rules. As mentioned above, I feel this is one of the best ways to immerse players and viewers in the setting.
Misses
What I thought could have been improved:
Bert states that when a magic-user learns a reversible spell, they must choose which version they are learning. According to the rules, the magic-user makes this choice when they memorize the spell, not when they learn it.
Negotiations feature heavily in this session, but Bert never calls for reaction rolls while this is going on. Using reaction rolls here, for their intended purpose, would work much better than Bert’s preferred approach, Charisma roles.
Could go either way
DM calls I might have made differently:
When the players roll ability checks, Bert apparently makes a distinction between high, medium, and low success. While this is a reasonable house rule, it’s more complicated than the binary “success/fail” approach of the original rule. In B/X, simpler is generally better.
The players often roll a “luck check”, which apparently is just a 50-50 chance, like a coin flip. While Tunnels & Trolls and Dungeon Crawl Classics have luck mechanics, its another complication I think B/X could do without.
MVP: Schtolteheim, for putting his fief on the line, in negotiations with Ilyana.
Assessment
Presentation: 10; generally, I could hear all the participants, and all the players but James included both their player name and their character name in their video stream label.
Rulings: 8; while I give Bert a herd time about some of his rulings, generally they get the job done, and appear to make for a fun time for those playing and watching.
Roleplay: 10; this is another crew that does a good job role-playing—I think this was one of Bert’s best sessions I’ve seen so far.
Exploration: 10; Bert does a good job describing the keep, the mercenary armies, and performing the various NPCs, making it fun for viewers to watch the players learn more about the setting.
Combat: 8; spell combat is very different from normal combat, and both Bert and Bill (Radnor’s player) handle it like pros.
Overall: 9/10; this may be the best multiplayer B/X stream active right now.
Private Games
Conquering the Barbarian Altanis | Session 19: “The most successful failed expedition”
System: B/X
Style: Multiplayer
Date: 8-2-22
Summary: Having escaped certain death, most of the party members decide to rest in Antil, the only civilised city in all of Altanis. But not Rad, Winslow and Deter!
They agree to escort a young noble to “a magical tower that allows only the select few in. Those who manage to pass all its tests and tribulations are rewarded with a vast kingdom, breathtaking princess, and endless riches.”
Was it worth the promised 500 gold coins?
Read the full session report here.
The Haunted Keep | “Sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty.”
System: B/X
Style: Solo
Date: 8—6-22
Summary: With Frederik in the lead, the party pushes open the doors to the keep, lights their torches, and moves into the short corridor. Another set of closed doors await them at the far end. Listening at these doors and hearing nothing, the adventurers force these as well. Beyond, another short corridor reveals doors to the right and left, with a turn to the left as well. Frederik goes right.
The right-hand door opens into what appears to be a former guard barracks. The ceiling beams have rotted away, and rainwater has flooded the room, causing the floor to collapse. A stagnate, green pool now fills most of the space. A soggy mattress floats in the water. The torchlight reveals some sort of statue, just below the surface.
Morgan Ironwolf wades into the pool. Satisfying herself the mattress is of no interest, she attempts to lift the statue out of the pool, but is unsuccessful. She ties a rope securely to the piece of art, then with the help of Frederik and Silverleaf, pulls it out of the pool. Unfortunately, the statue is made of nothing but rusting iron—worthless.
Setting aside their disappointment, the companions prepare to move on, through a door in the north-eastern corner of the room.
Please help!
If you know of currently active B/X actual-play streams or podcasts you would like to see me follow in “State of Play”, or if you want to submit short summaries of your private game sessions, please email me at:
bxbandits at substack dot com
If submitting streams or podcasts, please use the following format:
Stream or Podcast Name
Link
If submitting a private game summary, please use the following format:
Campaign Name (if any)
Session Name (if any)
System (B/X, Old School Essentials, Basic Fantasy, Labyrinth Lord, or BX RPG; no BECMI, or non-B/X retro-clones, please)
Style Multiplayer or Solo
Date Date of the session described
Summary 75-150 words
Please note: Submissions may be edited for publication.