On Thursday night, I ran the first playtest of Sellsword, a one-page OSR ruleset. For an adventure, I used The Undying Flame of Gal-Bog, a one-page dungeon I wrote, inspired by this all-time classic illustration.
In no particular order, here are my dominant takeaways:
1. Scenario drives Player behavior.
- Starting out dirt poor: the Players murdered an NPC for his hand-axe and sling.
- Starting out as strangers: one Player led two other Players into known danger.
- Playing as swords-for-hire: the Players were inclined towards chaotic-evil levels of violence.
Is this a problem? Not necessarily. The game should incentive multiple types of problem-solving. If the ruleset makes Players feel they have choices, it works. The PvP conflict is an issue if the Players feel incentivized to kill one another endlessly; this brings the story to a standstill.
2. Action and resolution were in lockstep.
It felt like the story was happening at the same speed as the game. Often, roleplaying games can feel laggy— like the story is waiting for the mechanics. Not so here. If anything, the pacing was at times too rapid.
Is this a problem? I don’t think so— at least, not a rules problem. This could have been remedied with a 10-minute break (as the Narrator, I was speeding to do the entire dungeon in one session) or adding a slow scene.
3. 100% random Character Generation is fundamental.
The Players don’t make a single decision during Character Creation. For this group, it meant no decision-paralysis or tyranny of choice. As a result, I think they felt freer and more playful. This is also essential for a highly lethal game (two of the four Characters were killed).
Is this a problem? Yes, if the Players have a specific vision for their Characters. I suppose custom Characters could still be an option, but the characterization would be entirely narrative, not mechanical. Also, they need to be warned that their Character will likely die. Don’t get attached!
4. A satisfying “wind down” phase.
At the end of the session, we rolled for loot (all items have a d6*x value) and recapped a few experiences. I enjoyed the rhythm of this hardwired, mechanics-meet-narrative “wind down” phase. If it weren’t tied to mechanics, I expect it wouldn’t happen.
Is this a problem? No, but the Players still did not write down many experiences. Personally, I love the idea of finding a Character sheet five, ten, twenty years from now and seeing a little log of the memorable moments (the reason I love analog RPGs in the first place). Connecting this action to Character advancement seems like a sneaky way to force it on the Players (it’s for their own good!!) but we’ll see how often it actually happens. There is a strong personal taste/value tied to this one.
4. Two actions, initiative, and distances were never used.
- Two actions. Honestly, I forgot. However, combat (and action economy) felt like it was the right speed. But I’ll need to play-test this properly to know for sure.
- Initiative. This felt like it disrupted the flow of the game, adding a needless division between “combat” and everything else.
- Distances. This terminology is new to me and not a part of my vernacular. In time, I think it will be.
Is this a problem? Definitely not. If something isn’t essential, it should be cut— not included in the game simply because it’s listed in the rules.
5. VERY minimal bookkeeping.
As the Narrator (GM), my bookkeeping consisted of the Characters names-- that’s it. To be fair, none of fights had a ton of combatants (4 or 5 tops) but I was able to track NPC HP mentally. Handing off dice-rolling and HP-tracking to the Players allowed me to focus on the storytelling and kept the Players engaged. A definite win-win.
Is this a problem? Not a bit. This Player-facing rolls is well-vetted in other games, so that doesn’t surprise me. But the low HP counts and fixed damage (1 on hit, 2 on crit) was a bit of a novelty— and was both intuitive and seamless. A successful slaughtering of the golden calf of the damage roll. (Though Fate and Ironsworn went first.)
6. A grand finale.
An incredibly, if accidentally, cinematic finale as the two surviving Player characters sprinted out of the dungeon— naked, their clothes burned off— clutching their treasure haul as a dragon pressed its maw against a set of double-doors and breathed fire after them.
6. Slots and supplies were a big hit.
- Slots. I wasn’t sure how a restriction on inventory would be received. (Any limitation to carry weight is new for these Players.) However, it seemed to be well-received. I advocate for “three small items = 1 slot” (thanks Mothership) because it allows all of the Players items to be listed in the Inventory section-- no need to bleed over into Notes.
- Supplies. Also well-tested (thanks Dungeon World), supplies were a big hit. I gave each player 1 supply to start. This increased TTT (time to table) and promoted meaningful choices and problem-solving, two of the biggest priorities for this game.
OK, that’s it, To conclude, here’s a list of the elements I’d like to include in future playtesting sessions:
- Combat with multiple foes at various distances
- Shields, armor, heavy weapons.
- Situations where combat is not a viable method of survival. (Incentivize diplomacy, roleplaying, etc.)
- Set a starting debt (5000 coins? Thanks Electric Bastionland) and a reason for the debt. This will tie Player Characters to at least one NPC and the World at-large.
- Run a non-dungeon scenario. A settlement or wilderness region, likely. Perhaps an “escort / retrieve the NPC” mission.
If you’d like to playtest Sellsword yourself, here’s the free PDF. Let me know how it goes!
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