Running the Hole in the Oak (OSE)

All that prep...

I ran The Hole in the Oak for Old-School Essentials tonight, with a group of players from the Gaming Tavern (Forum and Discord) using the Role VTT. I had fun. I don't know if we will do a second session but whatever happens, it was fun. It's been a long time since I ran BX D&D.

OSE is really well put together, but I did have some flicking around as the DM, and a couple of times I struggled to find a reference. However, the players were very forgiving. 

I'd forgotten how ineffective characters can be - thieves with a 15% chance to pick a lock, characters missing a mid-range target 75% of the time and more. All things that D&D3e and onwards addressed through increased competency, raised hit points and mechanical developments like feats. However, there's a certain charm to the desperation.

The players successfully bypassed three traps (two of which they either triggered or identified and the third they just walked away from). They managed to pick a path through the dungeon that avoided most of the creature encounters. They discovered one of the boss monsters but escaped by locking it in its own room. The ingenious use of a light spell saved them from a shadow monster.

It was going really well, right up to the point they found the wight. Two retainers had their life force drained (including poor Bob, who everyone liked) completely. One of the PCs and another retainer are now Level 0 and fighting for life. They managed to lock the wight back in its chamber, but will stay there now they've defiled its rest and stolen its magic sword?

25% of the party are dead, and another 25% are reduced to normal human level. One magic-user has cast his spell. One of the two lanterns is in the chamber with the wight. But they have gold, and treasure and are mostly healthy.

Role worked flawlessly for AV, and the only mapping issues came from me (forgetting to add tokens for the retainers, fortunately, resolved for by First Age loading them from his account). It would have been nicer to have had fog of war effects as well.

I used the standing desk and the honest truth was that it gave me a much better experience of GMing than sitting at a computer desk. I forgot how much I like to stand when running.

This does make me want to set up the drop-in game I've been considering for Castle Xyntillan using OSE. I think it would be fun for the occasional raid. I've been building it with dynamic lighting using Roll20, but part of me wonders about use Role if the fog of war is implemented.

The Tally

16 locations visited.

2 dead retainers

1 drained retainer

1 drained PC

1 Shadow killed - 35xp - via a devious use of the light spell

1 Wight defeated - 25xp

1 angry Ogre

2 traps disabled

1 secret door discovered

45gp

42sp

15gp brass skull necklace

50gp silver box with dust

20 strange black tomato-like fruits

A magic sword

They've not made a huge haul yet, but they've more than covered their expenses.

It's not something I'd want to do regularly, but it was fun and I'd happily do the occasional drop-in session. I wonder how the players feel!

4 August 2021