If you're the ref

Preparation

Spend some time thinking about the world.

• What interesting locations are nearby?

• Who lives here, and what do they want?

• What here is not what it seems?

Note down your answers, but keep them general. Most world building happens during play, not prep.

If it helps, draw a basic map of your locations.

If you’re using material written by someone else, read it with these questions in mind. Take note of any useful maps or illustrations.

Encounters

For each location (e.g. a town, a dungeon, a forest) create a list of 6 people, monsters, or unexpected events that the characters might encounter.

Some should be mundane, others strange. Don’t worry about making them dramatic or meaningful.

People & Monsters

Give each person and monster up to 6 characterful traits and a brief description including their wants or behaviour, and any interesting equipment they carry.

The more traits, the better they are at avoiding danger, and the harder they are to defeat in combat.

People and monsters have no luck. They make saves using their remaining number of useful traits instead.

When they’re injured, cross out a trait or appropriate item as usual.

Convert monsters from other games by giving them a number of traits equal to their hit dice (HD) up to a maximum of 6.

Time

Track time in dangerous locations in exploration turns of about 10 minutes and travel turns of about 8 hours.

Mark 1 exploration turn each time the characters act slowly or carefully, and 1 for every 10 minutes spent resting.

Mark 1 travel turn each morning, evening, and night.

When you mark either an exploration or travel turn roll a 6-sided die. If you roll a 5 or 6, consult your encounter table for that location for more detail.

Don’t roll for turns spent in safety. Instead agree the time that passes in hours or days, as appropriate.

Description

As characters explore the world, describe what they can see, hear, and smell, and what they might infer from contextual clues. If something is obvious, let it be obvious.

Use relative positions—ahead of you, to your left, above you—to give the players a sense of the space.

When the characters move slowly, encourage the players to draw a map. When they’re in a hurry just explain the basics and let them keep moving.

Consider how each character’s traits might affect their perception of their surroundings.

An alert character might be more likely to notice danger, a wise character might recall additional details from their learning, and a weird character might notice what others would miss entirely.

Always make the consequences of failure serious, and signal the risks to players. Encourage the players to look for less dangerous solutions if they don’t like their odds.

Magic

If your game includes magic you should discuss it briefly as a group.

Consider what magic is capable of, how to use it, and what it costs.

Magic is mysterious and usually dangerous enough to require a save.

This text includes a sample spellcasting system based on other OSR games for your convenience.

Spellcasting

Characters with an appropriate trait may start play with a spell instead of a weapon.

New spells can be learned with training or careful study of rare spellbooks or scrolls.

Spells are grouped into orders. To cast a spell you must spend luck equal to its order and make a save to avoid a proportional psychic injury.

You may spend additional luck to increase a spell’s effect, range, duration, or injury for that casting.

Agree each spell’s effects with the group, using its name and order as a guide. For example, casting Beguile might make a nearby monster confused for a few moments.

1st Order

2nd Order

3rd Order

4th Order