Convention Time

Gencon
I have the great pleasure of residing less than an hour from the Indianapolis Convention Center, current home to Gencon, the largest game hobby convention I know of. The convention experience is one I greatly enjoy especially during years such as this one when I have friends attending and am able to share the experience. Games on my must-play ticket this year include the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG by Goodman Games. Goodman Games is taking their role of keeping Appendix N and the old school feeling alive and thriving very seriously and they have an entire hall devoted to their games which run throughout the con. DCCRPG is not a clone, but rather uses modern mechanics to provide a unique gaming experience that is both deadly (to characters) and fun (for players).
Gencon has become the traditional site of many new releases each year and the biggest RPG release this Gencon promises to be Paizo's Pathfinder 2e. I have played and refereed the 2e playtest rules and I like it. It's a modern game that does not try to be old school and Pathfinder 2e delivers a satisfying game experience even for a self described old school gamer like me. I am especially enamored with the new action economy which allows each character three actions during each combat round. Players may select any combination of movements, attacks and spell casting actions that add up to three. Each attack after the first one receives a penalty to hit, making each successive attack more difficult during a round. Classes have special abilities which allow them to combine two or all three actions into a singe attack or spell with more powerful results. It's a really neat idea and has worked brilliantly in the games I have been a part of.

The City of Great Lunden

WOW!
The cover illustration of this neat little green volume says a lot. The Midderlands setting is an old school compatible play aid series with plenty of creative content ample enough to support years of play. All The Midderlands game setting material is steeped in (green) flavor and whether it is run directly from the books as is, or is used as a source of inspiration for a homebrew setting, the maps, illustrations and original content is well worth the entry price.
The City of Great Lunden, like all The Midderlands materials, takes inspiration from the historic area of Great Britain bearing a similar name. The City of Great Lunden provides a complete urban environment and several wonderful maps. Whether your adventures take you across the rooftops or below the streets and into the sewers, The City of Great Lunden cartography is there to add color and excitement for your enjoyment. I am delighted with this latest offering from Monkey Blood Design.

Play a Hero

More on The One Ring
One of the several aspects of The One Ring which I really enjoy is the assumption that the player's characters are going to be heroes. The author in fact refers to PCs as "heroes" throughout. You roll up your hero, you play your hero, your hero journeys, etc. The main characters in the developing story are "heroes".
If all my going on about playing a "hero" doesn't immediately contrast with characters you recall from other systems, let me expound on my obsession. Part of the way The One Ring stays true to the work of Professor Tolkien is by casting the player characters as heroes. They are the epic good folk, the free peoples of Middle-earth out to help save the world from the forces of evil. Tolkien is epic fantasy. His characters are not anti-heroes (except maybe Gollum), but rather do-gooders... heroes!
In other systems it can be fun to play the thief, the assassin even, the witch hunter or the anti-hero. Some enjoy playing the most broken, min/maxed or crazy character they can devise and push the system rules for character generation to its limits in order to create such a character. If that is your goal, you may find The One Ring a bit frustrating.
The One Ring supports characters that fit into the existing fiction of Middle-earth, characters who may be central to the stories that emerge through your game-play, but who also are less powerful than many of the prominent characters Professor Tolkien created for his novels. There are no Gandalf or Galadriel  player characters in TOR. The stories that TOR encourages all fit within the plots and themes of Middle-earth and involve good folk trying to resist the schemes of the dark master.
TOR reinforces the role of heroic goodness mechanically through valor and wisdom, hope and shadow. If the character commits bad acts such as stealing or killing an innocent in TOR, their shadow score goes up. Once shadow equals or exceeds hope, the character may succumb to a bout of madness and fall under control of the referee/ lorekeeper. This can result in the permanent retirement of the character reflecting their status as a minion of evil. TOR is not a game that encourages you to explore your dark side during play.
This appeals to me on several levels. I enjoy the zero-to-hero tale of common folk who make a difference in their world through heroic endeavor. Sometimes this is achieved by just resisting the temptations evil presents. Strength of character is just as important as strength of arms. The story of Frodo and Sam is just such a tale famously told by the good professor himself in the trilogy that takes place soon after the period which is covered by The One Ring. Bad choices and bad behavior frequently have bad consequences in real life and making the game world work in a similar way makes it all the more believable (and therefore more enjoyable in my opinion).

The One Ring Continues

That Way Madness Lies...
I am continuing to enjoy my study of The One Ring and its Adventurer's Companion. The Companion brings many of the character culture backgrounds from the various source books allowing one to play Dunlending, Rohirrm, and Dunedain characters, among others. Additional material adds the leader role and some new combat options such as the ability to protect one member of the party by assigning front line characters a guardian role.
Cubicle 7's The One Ring and its 5e associated product, Adventures in Middle-earth take a unique approach to gaming which focusses on certain notable aspects of Professor Tolkien's best known works, The Hobbitt and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. The One Ring and Adventures in Middle-earth allow players and referee (Lorekeeper) to explore and role-play in the classic fantasy setting, making their own story along the way. The authors of the world's first role-playing game seemed to see very little opportunity in playing in Middle-earth despite the inclusion of hobbits, dwarves and elves, balrogs, ents and nazgul in the game. Inspired by, but not set in the fictional world of Professor Tolkien, the original D&D game is in many ways poorly suited to replicate adventures in Middle-earth and it contains many non-Tolkien elements inspired by the myriad of other sources from which the authors take inspiration.
The One Ring (TOR) offers a game experience very different from D&D. Combat in TOR is stylized and essentially takes a back-seat to the journey and encounter aspects of play. There are many perils to be found in the wilderness and a player character's skill at traveling is just as important, if not more so, as their skill at combat. Use of various player character social skills will often determine the outcome of an encounter with a non-player controlled personality of Middle-earth. In fact encountering a famous character from the novels seems to be a principle draw for playing the TOR role-playing game.
While D&D has roots deeply embedded in the wargaming hobby, TOR seems much less about killing monsters and taking their treasure. In fact, it appears to me the goal of TOR can be found in increasing one's valor and/or wisdom through journeys and encounters while avoiding the worst effects of being exposed to the shadow forces of the dark lord. Combat is a dangerous threat that can serve a narrative purpose, but a focus on killing things seems to miss the point TOR is making, namely that it is fun to travel about Middle-earth, take in the sights and meet a few of the legendary characters from the fiction. Middle-earth, as presented in TOR, is also a dangerous enough place without violence due to fatigue, sickness and hopelessness and ultimately there is the madness that can result from passing contact with shadow and from giving in to one's own dark side.
TOR is not designed to replay The Lord Of The Rings. To repeat a phrase, that story has already been told. It is rather a role-playing game that encourages players to immerse themselves in Professor Tolkien's Middle-earth through the eyes of their characters, to role-play meeting Gandalf or Bilbo Baggins, to look upon the lonely mountain, visit Rivendale and listen to the song of elves. TOR also contains the threat of the shadow which ever lurks in Middle-earth tempting, luring, and corrupting.

Old School Sensibilities

Keeping It Real
There are no characters with dark vision in the original three little brown books. Without a light source, characters are in the dark. Elves, dwarves, humans and hoblings are all dependent on a light source in order to use their vision. Being plunged into blackness and forced to rely on senses other than vision is disorienting and frightening. It's also part of the tone of the original dungeon game.
Monster creatures who dwell in the underworld have access to an almost magical ability to "see" in pitch blackness. They sense their way through corridors and glean the presence of intruders and prey. This ability to "see" in the dark serves them right up until the moment they are charmed or otherwise convinced to aid a party of adventurers when they suddenly become just as blind in the dark as real life humans. This is all by design and adds to the potential enjoyment of the game.
People find a safe scary situation exciting. In situations where there is no real danger, a scary story, film or amusement ride makes us tingle and jump and we find it all good fun to laugh about afterwards. Adding the element of imagined darkness and the threat of boogie men we can'y see, cliffs and traps we may blindly stumble over, all adds to the wonder and tension of the game.
Thank the deities for those light spells!
Danger of all types seems more immediate in White Box and other old school games. Fewer hit points and weaker healing magic is also part of the tone. The cure light wounds spell is available at level two for the cleric class (no spells at level one cleric, sorry). A better cure spell doesn't become available until level 6. So that magical healing is not about setting the characters aright in terms of max hit points, it rather seems a way to stabilize a seriously weakened character so that they might push a little further and prolong the current delve, or just survive the dangerous trip back out of the dungeon where time and safety can do the rest. The idea that parties of adventurers heal up after each encounter is not old school.
Casting during combat is risky in the original game. The rules are not explicit in the LBBs, but the game is frequently played such that spells require the entire combat round in order to take effect and that if the casting character is damaged during this round, the spell is lost. It fails to take effect and the spell is considered used and therefore not available until after rest and re-memorization.
In the original game it is customary to roll three d6 in order for the six ability scores. The original three LBBs allow for very few bonuses (or minuses) based on these ability scores other than the prime ability score bonus to earned experience for each class. There is no rolling against an ability as appears in the Basic and Expert version (B/X), so the function of the ability scores is often seen as an aid to roleplaying in older editions. If the character has high scores in strength and constitution they may be seen as strong and healthy. Low scores in intelligence and wisdom imply that the character is a bit dull and uneducated. A high charisma suggests the character makes a good impression and inspires loyalty. A critical examination of the character's ability scores may help the player get a "feel" for who their PC is and how to play them during the game.
The tone of the original game is one very close to the real world. Darkness is absolute and can be scary. Characters are vulnerable to damage caused by weapons and other hazards so we worry about their health and survival. While the game is new, and in the days of the original game we were all experiencing something new, the sense of wonder is easy to achieve as each new creature is an unknown, magical effects have not become routine and surprises abound. The longer we play, the harder it is to achieve some of these effects.
At my table, I try to make use of these old school sensibilities. Darkness is dark, characters are vulnerable and magic and creatures are unpredictable and special. There are no orcs or goblins, just bigger and smaller humanoids with pointy fangs and dirty nails, and who may or may not be looking to eat you.

The Blackest Magic

It's Brilliant!
The Blackest of Deaths is innovative. I imagine that small press self publishing designers can take more chances than corporate designers who often work as part of a team with lots of outside input/ oversight. With his new fantasy RPG, Eric Bloat eliminates the class level and spell level concepts and it seems to work out just fine. The Blackest of Deaths includes three caster classes, the Necromancer, Monster Slayer and Ranger. Each starts with spells taken from a short list of about 20 spells which includes a mix of attack, defense and utility enchantments.
So how do I get more magic for my necromancer character? Adventuring!
The incentive for risking our characters in The Blackest of Deaths is the prospect of winning treasure not experience points. Among the treasures that are scattered about various tombs, lairs and towers are scrolls containing the best spells found in the game. Scrolls and the occasional evil sorcerer's spell book are the means to vast, unlimited power.
Magic items are the equivalent incentive for non-casting character classes. Quest for that legendary sword thought to have been buried with the hero who wields it in story and song. Do some old school research. Hire that sage to rummage through dusty tomes for you in order to uncover rumors of lost items, haunts of ancient necromancers and forgotten cities.
There are plenty of reasons to risk The Blackest of Deaths!

Point of View

The Other Side of the Screen.
As a player and a referee I notice there is a difference in my point of view. This position probably varies from person to person because there are a multitude of ways to both play and referee role-playing games. I can only speak from my own perspective, but having given my role as player and referee some introspective consideration, I offer some of my observations in this post with the hope that it may serve as inspiration for thought.
The player position is one of assuming the role of an individual character in the game. Doing so can be compared to "acting a part", but does not have to be such. In some games, the character (or "figure" as it is termed in the tactical combat oriented RPG The Fantasy Trip) is more a pawn or playing piece and immersive role-play is not encouraged. Making decisions for the character is a primary responsibility of the player in an RPG, so it is necessary to know the strengths and weaknesses of the character and the details of the surroundings being described by the referee so that meaningful actions may be taken during play. Paying attention, asking questions and making decisions is the player's role. Additionally, creating a distinct personality, voice and background for your character is encouraged in some games so as to increase the feeling for all that the character is a realistic person separate from the player.
Playing the part of all the non-player characters, monsters, villains and beings the player's characters may encounter falls withing the referee's realm. It is (at least from my perspective) the referee's world, so creation of all the non-player character elements of play is the referee's responsibility. I find this element (and that of making up rulings as needed) great fun. So much fun that I can sometimes over-play my part and forget to be quiet and listen to my players. To be a good referee, I must encourage my players to act upon the world and change it. I must listen to the players and include challenges and rewards that interest them and fall in line with their aspirations for their characters.
The referee position is one that must focus on the big picture. While players may focus on their individual character's point of view, excluding even that of the other party members at times, the referee is charged with including all the players and knowing what each character is up to. Listening and thinking quickly are key skills when taking the part of referee in a game. The referee must see the fictional world from each character's point of view because players must depend on the referee to tell them what their character sees, hears, feels and smells.
The referee must act as each character's senses. Obviously some characters will sense things other do not and in different ways. The referee must therefore see all the characters as individuals, and meanwhile keep in mind that they are a group, THE group in fact, because it is through the actions of the characters that things happen in the game. Thinking ahead, guessing where play may take the characters is a necessity, but maintaining objectivity and not completely committing ourselves to any single course of action or plot, rather being flexible and ready to improvise following the characters wherever they may go seems a logical stance as well.
The game obviously requires both a referee and players. The ability to switch back and forth can be challenging at times. I have experienced and observed that people who are comfortable in the referee role often get used to being the center of attention and can therefore tend to dominate table conversation when acting as a player. Roleplaying is generally a cooperative endeavor and it definitely helps to look around the table and note whether everyone seems to be enjoying the game. Some players wish for more active time at the table, while others may prefer to take a less active role and observe much of the time. Each player should be given ample opportunity to engage in active decision making and a chance for tabletop glory. Share the fun and be encouraging to others seems good advice for referee and player alike.