I have been following you for years now and I just have to say you do such an amazing job and your content is always top notch. Please don't stop creating and running your games!
I backed the special Dolmenwood🍄Limited slipcase offering. I'm watching the Kickstarter mow over 1mil which means an extra Map book for me, but far more importantly, universal recognition of the quality of this creation. I feel like there is more demonstrated logical thinking in the world, with this outcome. Thank you, Jon, for introducing this to us. ...And demonstrating it so well. It is important to support what you love and what makes the world a better place. My 3D6 DTL Tshirt is ordered as well.
Hell Yes ...independent passion project? You got my attention brother. It's great you bring up product design as something to pay attention to. It's easy to overlook something so simple.
Watching your dolmenwood campaign inspired me to develop my own simple version of travel and camping for my home game. We play 5e (🤷♂️) but everything is very procedural and “old school.” Characters’ darkvision works like OSE, we travel in Hexes, time is very important, an importantly resurrection spells don’t work in the area they are adventuring (basically my version of Ravenloft), and enemies have moral, etc. These types of rules tacked onto a modern game have single handedly revolutionized my players 😂. I’ve noticed them thinking and approaching situations much more carefully and intentionally instead of blast first ask questions later type gameplay. Tldr; thanks for providing the highest quality examples of an “old school,” way to play. I’m a DM of the younger generation, and i really appreciate this (new to me) style of play :)
Jon, I don’t know if you take requests or not, but I really hope that at some point you get back to your dorm and would actual plays. That was hands-down the best actual play I’ve ever heard, your style fits perfectly with that setting. I wish I was half the DM that you are.
Great deep dive into the book, as a Patreon backer I've got the WIP PDFs but am currently in the middle of another campaign, I'll definitely be looking to start a Dolmenwood game when I get the hardcopies though. Loved the vid and it's got me really fired up for Dolmenwood :)
"A pleasant dream that is distilled into a liquor" -- "C'mon now. That's fantastic!" Totally agree. This looks to be filled with amazing ideas. Thanks for shining a light on it!
Wish I could participate on the Kickstarter. Love everything about this project, your campaign beeing the main reason for me to discover the setting. Unfortunatly I'm unable to support the project at the moment. Wish best of luck to everyone involved. Cheers!
I would listen to Jon read the dictionary. Great to see your input/opinion on the kickstarter - very excited to get my hands on the books. And hopefully the video gets some more viewers to the most criminally underrated actual play.
Super stoked for the kickstarter. Thanks for making such a comprehensive breakdown, I think I might point people to this video when I have to introduce them to Dolmenwood. I’d also watch more videos like this.
Really appreciate your deep dive, can't wait for parts 2 and 3. Hoping for a part 4 - How Jon prepares and runs a Dolmenwood campaign/session. A similar series for Arden Vul would be great.
Great run through of the book and setting! I've backed the kickstarter and working on getting my group as excited as I am to run it. This setting just has so much detail and flavor, I can't wait :)
I really enjoyed this. I’ve been excited to get the pdfs, mostly to see what changes were made due to the OGL scare. Aside from setting specific needs, it’s not a lot, but I’m more interested in the d6 mechanics he added that you went over (that isn’t already in carcass crawler). I’m glad he added the “kindred as class”. Definitely with you in preferring those characterizations. Hoping this drives more viewers to the channel and site. I was happy to see your Dolmenwood campaign linked on the KS! Speaking of, I love how the setting really pushes overland exploration. Argus con score was such an interesting driver of choices that had to be made for them, that otherwise wouldn’t come into play for most groups. It really raised the stakes for the camping system (which I really like). To your general point, it highlights how 3d6 down the line character creation is far more interesting than more forgiving methods; also, hats off to Ted for rolling a con5 fighter instead of something that maybe made “more sense”. Did you notice if Peter Mullen is listed for any illustrations? Your sentiment of role playing is about having a conversation and not so much acting, is a concise way to get that idea across, very nice 👍👍
@@3D6DTL Sure thing! I didn't think he was, but thanks for checking :) I was hoping he'd continue given the OSE work, but Knave may have drained him -_-
Great to hear about the setting, and your tidbits of wisdom about having run it for people both online and in person. Always loved the 3D6DTL Dolmenwood adventures, and I hope you all return there someday. Was waiting for this Kickstarter for years, and I'm very glad its here. C'mon 1.2 mil!
Thanks for doing this. This is a great profile and advertisement for Norman's Kickstarter project and with plenty of time left to get involved. I can't imagine that he's not panicking a bit with the overwhelming response, but I want things like this to win.
I might have to watch this a couple of times, there is so much good stuff in there, from dogs to character gen and all the way to mushrooms, camping and pub menus... What a setting. Cannot wait.
I was rather hoping to get Dolmenwood as an OSE sourcebook rather than a separate self-contained system however after WoTC/Hasbro's shenanigans earlier this year I can't blame Gavin for taking the leap and protecting his work under the Dolmenwood line of product. Anyway, I'm an early backer and looking forward to seeing the game out there whether I end up using it as a sourcebook or take it on more fully in my games... While I'm here, thoroughly enjoying 3D6DTL, good to see a real style of play moving along at a smart pace. I credit the excellent referee, makes all the difference. :)
I’m in the same boat , I’m going all in At top tierbut I will still be running it with the OSE rules . May require some more work to bring the classes back to OSE.
I noticed the Saints of Dolmenwood appendix pages are gone from the newest backerkit pdf. Has Gavin said if this list is being moved somewhere else? I found it really useful. Love these deep dives, btw. Amazingly thorough and thoughtful work.
Hi, Jon. It’s been so helpful and enjoyable to watch your actual plays. I’m planning to run Winter’s Daughter for my first attempt at GMing. Seeing Mike, David, Matt, and Ted’s thought process, watching your fantastic refereeing, and referencing the adventure book to see what you’re mentioning (and not yet mentioning) is a MASSIVE help. Thank you!
That's such an amazing place to start DMing! It's perfect for new DM's as well as players. Great for oldies in both departments as well. Crisp and a delight for the imagination. I wish you and your group the best fun with this and future adventures!
It was your AP that finally convinced me to finally switch from 5e to OSE, specifically dolmanwoods. I felt ose, even advanced fantasy was a bit too simple vs 1e. Specifically classes had little mechanics. However, dolmanwoods seems to lean more to 1e than even advanced fantasy. OSE’s clean design is a big draw as well.
Been waiting for something like this from you guys, even though I'm loving Arden Vul, very excited to see you guys return to this too at some point. Not to mention getting these books myself, they look amazing.
The “tactical infinity” idea sounds good on paper, but at least at my table the players are unable to organize themselves in this way. It leads to a lot of “wait, did I act this turn?” “Idk, did you?” Am going to stick to clockwise around the table.
For context, I play over discord mainly with attention-deficit millennials so that might be part of it 😂. I’m sure for a dedicated in-person group you could work wonders with tactical infinity.
@@blorpymcnornor2415 Even in person I will still use clockwise around the table, it gives people equal chance to shine. Otherwise the less outgoing players won't get enough limelight imo. But it depends on the table
Correction regarding shrines. There's no longer a time limit as to when you can cast the spell. It stays with you until cast, though only one blessing at a time. I was thinking of making this a house rule but it seems to be current canon.
@@3D6DTL Yeah. I like the idea that characters could prepare for a big project by first finding, clearing and possibly traveling on a separate occasion to a shrine.
Very near perfect pronunciation of Pauliina's whole name. It's pretty cool that both the main artists and fantastic ones at that are from Finland! It's always a special occasion here when Finland is mentioned 😅
Whoa, really? I can’t believe I managed to get that right! Yes, Pauliina’s work is magical; it reminds me a great deal of Eyvind Earle’s work in many respects.
@@3D6DTL Oh wow! Earle looks very interesting as well. Can't wait to have the physical books in hand and one of the things I really look forward to is seeing the art finally on paper. Gavin btw has given us quite a gift as well in all the names in Dolmenwood and I think there's a bunch that'll prove a mouthful for native and non-native English speakers alike 😆
@@3D6DTL I've been collecting Mork Borg stuff (currently running a game) and while I do like the aesthetic sometimes it can rather obscure the info. I also do info design in my day job, and really appreciate good clean presentation.
Your mention of running an open table game at your LGS really hits me. I would love to do something similar, but I'm not really confident enough in my abilities to bring myself to do it. Channeling a lot of your style has certainly helped, and hopefully Gavin's layout will help me like you mentioned it helped you.
Great deep dive, cant wait to get the almost-finished PDFs sometime in October. Quick question Jon, what kind of microphone setup are you using? Audio sounds great!
Hey Jon, I have a question about getting players into the OSR revolution. I have a group that meets monthly, all good friends, but we play in 5e. I've been slowly implementing new rulesets that make 5e slightly more OSE-like with some success. But I can't get them to make the jump into a true OSE game. One of my players has had a very poor experience with 2e D&D, and another member has only heard horror stories from old style play. Ive only ever GMed for 5e (Edit: I started in 2e, but THAC0 had me switch to 5e quite quickly) but the OSR calls to me in a deep way. What do you think would be a good way to get my players to trust me to run a OSE style game? I'd LOVE to get them into Dolmenwood. As always, liked and sub'ed to my favorite, and most criminally under watched, d&d channel.
I came to OSE from playing primarily 5e, and one of the biggest selling points I've found is the creative freedom OSE allows. The rewarding of good ideas over good die rolls may sound scary at first, but the first time a player gets the "Yeah, that just works!" feedback is a pretty sweet dopamine hit. There's also a misconception that they may harbor that OSR play is just "5e but you die more" or it's a "meaner" game, but if you can convey that the goal is a collaborative effort between player and DM--that it's not about the DM "trying to get you"--that may help. It helped me! Sure, 5e is fun to play. You get to pretend to be a superhero, and players are rewarded for building cool characters that do good math rocks. In OSR, the rewards are for the clever ideas that YOU have as the player.
Hey! I also had a lot of scar tissue left over from my old ad&d games. I was pretty resistant to trying OSE when Jon and David first proposed it. It took a while but their excitement and talking about it convinced me to give it a go. Highlight the creativity involved in the game, the emphasis on player skill over numbers on the character sheet. If you are going to be gm-ing pick incidences in the 5e game that players might have had some frustration (like a great idea missed b/c of a bad skill check) and explain to them that in OSE you'll reward those good ideas. We talk about that a LOT in the detox episodes. Player ingenuity can be rewarded in OSE in a much easier way than in 5E. IMHO
@@michaelmorrison8679 wow thanks for the response! Those detox episodes definitely shine a light on the best aspects of old-school play. Thanks for that reminder. There's a bunch of nuggets in there that can be convincing "ammunition", if you will. Side bar: the "scouring of the shire" was the single greatest dnd moment I have ever witnessed online, and I've consumed a TON of dnd actual play content. Hands down the most satisfying story arc I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, well f-ing done. But I try to tell those types of stories to my players and it seems like it falls on deaf ears sometimes. Again, thanks for the response and keep up the fantastic work!
@@mattavaricios4679 it's an honor to get replies from you guys! Awesome stuff, thank you! I think the "it just works" part of OSR is so foreign that sometimes I forget it's a real thing, and something my players I don't think yet fathom. A few weeks back I ran a little one shot using the "Cairn" ruleset and I think it went pretty well, but GMing in the old-school style is still very new for me so I felt like maybe it just played like a stripped down 5e game. I digress, thank you again for the response and the great advice! I'm looking forward to snagging the Dolmenwood setting and hopefully playing with my group! P.S. I love the campaign you guys have going in the Halls, but I do miss the Dolmenwood too! I would totally watch if one of you players took up the mantle of Ref and Jon got to be a PC in a Dolmenwood game, although he knows so much maybe it wouldn't be fun for him to play!
1:15:00 Always thought skills ought be the things no one would automatically expect a person of a given background and class to be good at. Of course the knight knows how to ride a horse - but the adventurous young fisherman? If he can ride, that should be on his character sheet, and there should be a story about why he can ride, even if it's as basic as "used to drive the catch to market" or "best friend was a blacksmith's apprentice and he taught me".
Quick minor system question/quibble, please: why rolling low for skills and high for everything else? Feels a bit counterintuitive not to celebrate a 6!
In the version I have have skills like this: "Skills represent specific competencies practiced by adventurers. All adventurers can use the Listen, Search, and Survival skills, and some Classes grant the use of additional, specialised skills. Rolling: Roll 1d6 and add any applicable modifiers. If the result equals or exceeds the character’s Skill Target for the skill being tested, the check succeeds. Skills default to a target of 6, unless the character’s Kindred or Class specifies a lower target. 1s and 6s: A roll of natural 1 always fails and a roll of natural 6 always succeeds, irrespective of modifiers. Kindred and Class: In cases where a Kindred and Class grant an improved chance of success with a skill (i.e. a lower Skill Target), use the more favourable." So you also roll High for Skills now.
I never understood why the term peoples instead of races is not used more. It’s the term Tolkien used and the most sensible. Just got to make an own game to use it:)
I don’t mind it. I never liked the stat adjustments being a constant looming factor in my mind in deciding what to play. It puts more weight on the importance of ability scores, which I think should be limited in B/X and other Basic expressions of D&D.
By not allowing humans to be enchanters you are significantly underestimating the amount of role play that can go into a human that has made deals with the fae and completely overlooked the absolute quality that the class has been designed with. A faery will be a lackluster choice when creating an enchanter in all circumstances.
Dear 3d6DTL, thank you for this very deep dive into this RPG, however, a lot of us don't have a lot 95 minutes to spend on a video. I think this review might have benefited from a TLDR at the beginning telling us how this RPG is different from any other and and why you like or disliked it.
Thank you for the comment. I named it a Deep Dive so no one would mistake it for a brief overview. As well, in the vid description, I linked to Questing Beast’s excellent 18 minute overview, which is probably exactly what you’re looking for.
Your "calm" voice is great for this sort of thing.
3d6DTLASMR
Do the next one as "Roger the Rapier".
I have been following you for years now and I just have to say you do such an amazing job and your content is always top notch. Please don't stop creating and running your games!
Thank you for those very kind words!
Even if it’s just for the Deep Dive it’s so great to see Jon return to Dolmenwood 🍄
I backed the special Dolmenwood🍄Limited slipcase offering. I'm watching the Kickstarter mow over 1mil which means an extra Map book for me, but far more importantly, universal recognition of the quality of this creation. I feel like there is more demonstrated logical thinking in the world, with this outcome. Thank you, Jon, for introducing this to us. ...And demonstrating it so well. It is important to support what you love and what makes the world a better place. My 3D6 DTL Tshirt is ordered as well.
You’re the best, thank you! 💕
Hell Yes ...independent passion project? You got my attention brother.
It's great you bring up product design as something to pay attention to. It's easy to overlook something so simple.
Watching your dolmenwood campaign inspired me to develop my own simple version of travel and camping for my home game. We play 5e (🤷♂️) but everything is very procedural and “old school.” Characters’ darkvision works like OSE, we travel in Hexes, time is very important, an importantly resurrection spells don’t work in the area they are adventuring (basically my version of Ravenloft), and enemies have moral, etc.
These types of rules tacked onto a modern game have single handedly revolutionized my players 😂. I’ve noticed them thinking and approaching situations much more carefully and intentionally instead of blast first ask questions later type gameplay.
Tldr; thanks for providing the highest quality examples of an “old school,” way to play. I’m a DM of the younger generation, and i really appreciate this (new to me) style of play :)
Man, I love to hear stories like this! Let’s change some minds!
@@3D6DTL 😁
PLEDGED.
Jon, I don’t know if you take requests or not, but I really hope that at some point you get back to your dorm and would actual plays. That was hands-down the best actual play I’ve ever heard, your style fits perfectly with that setting. I wish I was half the DM that you are.
Your typo had me cracking up, lol. Thank you for the kind words!
Great deep dive into the book, as a Patreon backer I've got the WIP PDFs but am currently in the middle of another campaign, I'll definitely be looking to start a Dolmenwood game when I get the hardcopies though. Loved the vid and it's got me really fired up for Dolmenwood :)
I want Paulina’s art hanging in my place. Beautiful. Evocative. Perfect.
My dream is to commission her to do a piece for 3d6 DTL. Beyond our budget at the moment, I’m sure!
Looking forward to next deep dive
DEEP DIVE?! Yes please!
I love that he sticks with the old SIWDCC order.
This is the way
"A pleasant dream that is distilled into a liquor" -- "C'mon now. That's fantastic!" Totally agree. This looks to be filled with amazing ideas. Thanks for shining a light on it!
That trinket plus the elf background "Dream Thief"? Your backstory writes itself.
Couldn't agree more on your insistency to roll on the random tables during character generation!
I haven't insisted on that but I sure have enjoyed it when some players have felt enticed to go for it 😁
Great video! Go go Kickstarter!
Looks like the video production quality is better!
Wish I could participate on the Kickstarter.
Love everything about this project, your campaign beeing the main reason for me to discover the setting. Unfortunatly I'm unable to support the project at the moment.
Wish best of luck to everyone involved.
Cheers!
Luckily it looks like Dolmenwood will be long lived so there will be opportunities to get the materials in some format in the future.
I would listen to Jon read the dictionary.
Great to see your input/opinion on the kickstarter - very excited to get my hands on the books. And hopefully the video gets some more viewers to the most criminally underrated actual play.
Super stoked for the kickstarter. Thanks for making such a comprehensive breakdown, I think I might point people to this video when I have to introduce them to Dolmenwood. I’d also watch more videos like this.
We would appreciate it, thanks!
Really appreciate your deep dive, can't wait for parts 2 and 3.
Hoping for a part 4 - How Jon prepares and runs a Dolmenwood campaign/session.
A similar series for Arden Vul would be great.
1000% agree. I want to Matrix-style absorb Jon's brain.
The video of how to incorporate and add the detail to really flesh out this world for running sessions would be awesome.
Agree, Jon, that Pauliina's art is absolutely fantastic and has the perfect "vibe" for DW
Yes please this and more of this! I wish I knew how to use kickstarter
Great run through of the book and setting! I've backed the kickstarter and working on getting my group as excited as I am to run it. This setting just has so much detail and flavor, I can't wait :)
I really enjoyed this. I’ve been excited to get the pdfs, mostly to see what changes were made due to the OGL scare. Aside from setting specific needs, it’s not a lot, but I’m more interested in the d6 mechanics he added that you went over (that isn’t already in carcass crawler).
I’m glad he added the “kindred as class”. Definitely with you in preferring those characterizations.
Hoping this drives more viewers to the channel and site. I was happy to see your Dolmenwood campaign linked on the KS!
Speaking of, I love how the setting really pushes overland exploration. Argus con score was such an interesting driver of choices that had to be made for them, that otherwise wouldn’t come into play for most groups. It really raised the stakes for the camping system (which I really like). To your general point, it highlights how 3d6 down the line character creation is far more interesting than more forgiving methods; also, hats off to Ted for rolling a con5 fighter instead of something that maybe made “more sense”.
Did you notice if Peter Mullen is listed for any illustrations?
Your sentiment of role playing is about having a conversation and not so much acting, is a concise way to get that idea across, very nice 👍👍
Thank you! Peter Mullen is not one of the artists commissioned for Dolmenwood. (Love his work, though!)
@@3D6DTL Sure thing! I didn't think he was, but thanks for checking :) I was hoping he'd continue given the OSE work, but Knave may have drained him -_-
Great to hear about the setting, and your tidbits of wisdom about having run it for people both online and in person. Always loved the 3D6DTL Dolmenwood adventures, and I hope you all return there someday. Was waiting for this Kickstarter for years, and I'm very glad its here. C'mon 1.2 mil!
Yeah! Let's go!
Thanks Jon, really good to get your insight. I've already backed the kickstarter mainly because of 3d6 DTL- can't wait to get the books in hand!
Thanks for the detailed walk through! I *need* this for my table - the campaign can't end/pdf cant come out soon enough!
Thanks for doing this. This is a great profile and advertisement for Norman's Kickstarter project and with plenty of time left to get involved. I can't imagine that he's not panicking a bit with the overwhelming response, but I want things like this to win.
Congratulations on what is likely on its way to become the channel's most watched video!
Blue Cheese Massage Oil- that is a 3D6 DTL T-Shirt if there ever was one!
I might have to watch this a couple of times, there is so much good stuff in there, from dogs to character gen and all the way to mushrooms, camping and pub menus... What a setting. Cannot wait.
Amazing art.
Let's go, Jon! Love that you're branching out
I was rather hoping to get Dolmenwood as an OSE sourcebook rather than a separate self-contained system however after WoTC/Hasbro's shenanigans earlier this year I can't blame Gavin for taking the leap and protecting his work under the Dolmenwood line of product. Anyway, I'm an early backer and looking forward to seeing the game out there whether I end up using it as a sourcebook or take it on more fully in my games... While I'm here, thoroughly enjoying 3D6DTL, good to see a real style of play moving along at a smart pace. I credit the excellent referee, makes all the difference. :)
I’m in the same boat , I’m going all in At top tierbut I will still be running it with the OSE rules . May require some more work to bring the classes back to OSE.
Luckily it should be very easy to merge with OSE stuff.
@@paavohirn3728 yes I agree, I'm sure it will run fine as OSE plus the setting.
I noticed the Saints of Dolmenwood appendix pages are gone from the newest backerkit pdf. Has Gavin said if this list is being moved somewhere else? I found it really useful.
Love these deep dives, btw. Amazingly thorough and thoughtful work.
I’m not sure what the plan is for that appendix. I hope it shows up in some form, though.
Hi, Jon. It’s been so helpful and enjoyable to watch your actual plays. I’m planning to run Winter’s Daughter for my first attempt at GMing. Seeing Mike, David, Matt, and Ted’s thought process, watching your fantastic refereeing, and referencing the adventure book to see what you’re mentioning (and not yet mentioning) is a MASSIVE help. Thank you!
That's such an amazing place to start DMing! It's perfect for new DM's as well as players. Great for oldies in both departments as well. Crisp and a delight for the imagination. I wish you and your group the best fun with this and future adventures!
It was your AP that finally convinced me to finally switch from 5e to OSE, specifically dolmanwoods. I felt ose, even advanced fantasy was a bit too simple vs 1e. Specifically classes had little mechanics. However, dolmanwoods seems to lean more to 1e than even advanced fantasy. OSE’s clean design is a big draw as well.
Just backed this! Cannot wait to dwell in this world ❤
Been waiting for something like this from you guys, even though I'm loving Arden Vul, very excited to see you guys return to this too at some point. Not to mention getting these books myself, they look amazing.
Yes!! So stoked for the full releas of Dolmenwood, finally!
The “tactical infinity” idea sounds good on paper, but at least at my table the players are unable to organize themselves in this way. It leads to a lot of “wait, did I act this turn?” “Idk, did you?” Am going to stick to clockwise around the table.
If you have the time, take a look at some of our actual play vids to see it in action. Organized properly, it works like a charm!
For context, I play over discord mainly with attention-deficit millennials so that might be part of it 😂. I’m sure for a dedicated in-person group you could work wonders with tactical infinity.
@@blorpymcnornor2415 Even in person I will still use clockwise around the table, it gives people equal chance to shine. Otherwise the less outgoing players won't get enough limelight imo. But it depends on the table
Ugh the flavor and structure looks so good, it's honestly inspiring! I want to play in this world so badly!
Correction regarding shrines. There's no longer a time limit as to when you can cast the spell. It stays with you until cast, though only one blessing at a time. I was thinking of making this a house rule but it seems to be current canon.
Ah, very cool!
@@3D6DTL Yeah. I like the idea that characters could prepare for a big project by first finding, clearing and possibly traveling on a separate occasion to a shrine.
I went for full physical books
Very near perfect pronunciation of Pauliina's whole name. It's pretty cool that both the main artists and fantastic ones at that are from Finland! It's always a special occasion here when Finland is mentioned 😅
Whoa, really? I can’t believe I managed to get that right! Yes, Pauliina’s work is magical; it reminds me a great deal of Eyvind Earle’s work in many respects.
@@3D6DTL Oh wow! Earle looks very interesting as well.
Can't wait to have the physical books in hand and one of the things I really look forward to is seeing the art finally on paper. Gavin btw has given us quite a gift as well in all the names in Dolmenwood and I think there's a bunch that'll prove a mouthful for native and non-native English speakers alike 😆
That typography is niiiiice.
It’s so good. Easy on the eyes, easy to parse, easy to reference.
@@3D6DTL I've been collecting Mork Borg stuff (currently running a game) and while I do like the aesthetic sometimes it can rather obscure the info. I also do info design in my day job, and really appreciate good clean presentation.
Okay this looks really cool.. this is the kind of game Id love to play in!
Your mention of running an open table game at your LGS really hits me. I would love to do something similar, but I'm not really confident enough in my abilities to bring myself to do it. Channeling a lot of your style has certainly helped, and hopefully Gavin's layout will help me like you mentioned it helped you.
🍄Awesome!!! 🔥🦎
Great overview. Thanks! Super excited now.
Great deep dive, cant wait to get the almost-finished PDFs sometime in October. Quick question Jon, what kind of microphone setup are you using? Audio sounds great!
Thank God, lol! Shure SM7B through an Elgato Wavelink interface.
@@3D6DTL Thanks! Looking forward to Part 2 of the deep dive!
this was awesome. I'm so stoked for the book to come out.
Hey Jon, I have a question about getting players into the OSR revolution. I have a group that meets monthly, all good friends, but we play in 5e. I've been slowly implementing new rulesets that make 5e slightly more OSE-like with some success. But I can't get them to make the jump into a true OSE game. One of my players has had a very poor experience with 2e D&D, and another member has only heard horror stories from old style play. Ive only ever GMed for 5e (Edit: I started in 2e, but THAC0 had me switch to 5e quite quickly) but the OSR calls to me in a deep way. What do you think would be a good way to get my players to trust me to run a OSE style game? I'd LOVE to get them into Dolmenwood.
As always, liked and sub'ed to my favorite, and most criminally under watched, d&d channel.
I came to OSE from playing primarily 5e, and one of the biggest selling points I've found is the creative freedom OSE allows. The rewarding of good ideas over good die rolls may sound scary at first, but the first time a player gets the "Yeah, that just works!" feedback is a pretty sweet dopamine hit.
There's also a misconception that they may harbor that OSR play is just "5e but you die more" or it's a "meaner" game, but if you can convey that the goal is a collaborative effort between player and DM--that it's not about the DM "trying to get you"--that may help. It helped me!
Sure, 5e is fun to play. You get to pretend to be a superhero, and players are rewarded for building cool characters that do good math rocks. In OSR, the rewards are for the clever ideas that YOU have as the player.
Hey! I also had a lot of scar tissue left over from my old ad&d games. I was pretty resistant to trying OSE when Jon and David first proposed it. It took a while but their excitement and talking about it convinced me to give it a go. Highlight the creativity involved in the game, the emphasis on player skill over numbers on the character sheet. If you are going to be gm-ing pick incidences in the 5e game that players might have had some frustration (like a great idea missed b/c of a bad skill check) and explain to them that in OSE you'll reward those good ideas. We talk about that a LOT in the detox episodes. Player ingenuity can be rewarded in OSE in a much easier way than in 5E. IMHO
@@michaelmorrison8679 wow thanks for the response! Those detox episodes definitely shine a light on the best aspects of old-school play. Thanks for that reminder. There's a bunch of nuggets in there that can be convincing "ammunition", if you will.
Side bar: the "scouring of the shire" was the single greatest dnd moment I have ever witnessed online, and I've consumed a TON of dnd actual play content. Hands down the most satisfying story arc I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, well f-ing done. But I try to tell those types of stories to my players and it seems like it falls on deaf ears sometimes.
Again, thanks for the response and keep up the fantastic work!
@@mattavaricios4679 it's an honor to get replies from you guys! Awesome stuff, thank you! I think the "it just works" part of OSR is so foreign that sometimes I forget it's a real thing, and something my players I don't think yet fathom.
A few weeks back I ran a little one shot using the "Cairn" ruleset and I think it went pretty well, but GMing in the old-school style is still very new for me so I felt like maybe it just played like a stripped down 5e game.
I digress, thank you again for the response and the great advice! I'm looking forward to snagging the Dolmenwood setting and hopefully playing with my group!
P.S. I love the campaign you guys have going in the Halls, but I do miss the Dolmenwood too! I would totally watch if one of you players took up the mantle of Ref and Jon got to be a PC in a Dolmenwood game, although he knows so much maybe it wouldn't be fun for him to play!
so i'm running a game for my kid in 5E. I've been ignoring skills almost entirely. I plan to dupe them into OSE in the near future. @@PastaMage
Great great review, thank you! ❤
1:15:00 Always thought skills ought be the things no one would automatically expect a person of a given background and class to be good at. Of course the knight knows how to ride a horse - but the adventurous young fisherman? If he can ride, that should be on his character sheet, and there should be a story about why he can ride, even if it's as basic as "used to drive the catch to market" or "best friend was a blacksmith's apprentice and he taught me".
were you going to push this out to your podcasts, Jon?
I wasn’t planning on it, since I’m referring to visuals on a screen, but I listened back to it today, and I think a podcast version may be viable.
@@3D6DTL i regretted asking cuz i didn't want to ask you to do more work; I was just about to drive to work and wondered.
"You roll 3d6...down the line."
Hey, that's the name of the show!
Will you GM a dolmenwood game again?
Never say never, but we’re still having fun with Arden Vul.
They could be in AV for at least two more years I don’t even think they have mapped a full level
35:50 is that a cross necklace? It even looks like there is somebody on it.
Will Dolmenwood support OSE still? Is it going to be backwards compatible?
It is its own game now, but it is fully compatible with (and in most ways indistinguishable from) OSE.
Quick minor system question/quibble, please: why rolling low for skills and high for everything else? Feels a bit counterintuitive not to celebrate a 6!
In the version I have have skills like this:
"Skills represent specific competencies practiced by adventurers. All adventurers can use the Listen, Search, and Survival skills, and some Classes grant the use of additional, specialised skills.
Rolling: Roll 1d6 and add any applicable modifiers. If the result equals or exceeds the character’s Skill Target for the skill being tested, the check succeeds. Skills default to a target of 6, unless the character’s Kindred or Class specifies a lower target.
1s and 6s: A roll of natural 1 always fails and a roll of natural 6 always succeeds, irrespective of modifiers.
Kindred and Class: In cases where a Kindred and Class grant an improved chance of success with a skill (i.e. a lower Skill Target), use the more favourable." So you also roll High for Skills now.
CON 5 camping... now a classic
CON 5: Still Alive
In our hearts, perhaps.@@warduke42
Is this version of the players book only available to kickstarter backers?
Correct!
I never understood why the term peoples instead of races is not used more. It’s the term Tolkien used and the most sensible. Just got to make an own game to use it:)
Hi Jon, I backed the patreon and have that version. Is this an early look at the new version for the kickstarter?
Yes indeed!
@@3D6DTL ok jealous now...
I’ve mentioned this to fellow players/friends that it seems off to me that some systems are getting rid of stat adjustments from races/ancestries.
I don’t mind it. I never liked the stat adjustments being a constant looming factor in my mind in deciding what to play. It puts more weight on the importance of ability scores, which I think should be limited in B/X and other Basic expressions of D&D.
By not allowing humans to be enchanters you are significantly underestimating the amount of role play that can go into a human that has made deals with the fae and completely overlooked the absolute quality that the class has been designed with. A faery will be a lackluster choice when creating an enchanter in all circumstances.
Perhaps. I’m not convinced. Probably a matter of personal choice in the end. 🤷♂️
Dear 3d6DTL, thank you for this very deep dive into this RPG, however, a lot of us don't have a lot 95 minutes to spend on a video. I think this review might have benefited from a TLDR at the beginning telling us how this RPG is different from any other and and why you like or disliked it.
Thank you for the comment. I named it a Deep Dive so no one would mistake it for a brief overview. As well, in the vid description, I linked to Questing Beast’s excellent 18 minute overview, which is probably exactly what you’re looking for.
Cuts! What is this post recording editing crap!?