Monday Musings #78 🤬

Musings on OSR, bad schedules and PLAYED > READ

Good Monday, Gamer!

"Never touch my dice” –Han Solo, Scruffy Rogue.

Indie RPG Newsletter

Big thanks to Thomas for shouting out Play Fearless in this week’s Indie RPG Newsletter! where he does a 2024 in review. Every Sunday, it’s like catching up with a well-read friend who always has something interesting to say about the TTRPG hobby. I enjoy how Thomas blends table reflections with his insights. It’s not just about hyping new games; he writes about his thoughts and experiences with them. I’m here for that!! Plus, I’ve found so many hidden gems through it. If you’re not already subscribed, check it out and if you can show it some support.

---

Outcast Silver Raiders

This week, I went looking for thoughts and reviews on Gods of the Forbidden North Vol. 1 but somehow ended up buying Outcast Silver Raiders.

Outcast Silver Raiders is what the televangelists, the hack investigative journalists, and the grasping Hollywood producers imagined when they caused a satanic panic around RPGs in the eighties. Daemons. Darkness. Sacrifice. Blood spilling over cracked altars in desecrated chapels. Players portray brutal warriors, clever rogues, and conniving sorcerers who reject the barbaric theocracy of medieval society to seek fortune and glory as outcasts beyond the reach of lords or God.

I'm still reading it through; it's brutal and might set some folks off [WARNING]. Silver for XP, Sandbox, Factions, Safety Tools talk...check, check, check, and check. I plan to run this IRL locally. The 'God as D&D deity' could be tough for an open table game of various folks, many of whom I don't know. But I haven't gotten to the referee's guide to see how that is mechanized or described --I'll report back!

---

Black Void Missteps

Getting Black Void to the table has been… complicated. It's been tough to find the time between kids’ band concerts, rock band rehearsals, and general life chaos.
For those unfamiliar, Black Void takes place after Earth’s destruction, with humanity scattered across a cosmos ruled by alien hierarchies and ancient, incomprehensible powers. It’s a mix of dark mysticism, Babylonian aesthetics, and cosmic horror—I get Planescape vibes.
The system itself leans traditional. My son specifically asked for this game for his birthday, so it’s happening. He’s all in on the cosmic weirdness, and I’m looking forward to diving into this strange universe with him.

---

Burning Wheel Pick-Up Game

Ah, nothing beats getting dice on the table to cut through the “I’ve only read the book” resistance. This weekend, I ran a pick-up game of Burning Wheel for a mouthy critic who never played the game. Lots of thoughts...no experience. I blame The Sword as one-shot; it's got folks thinking BW is a PvP. All, Day kind of game.
I’ve got two players, two iconic characters: the Elf and the Dwarf straight out of the book, pregen-like except beliefs and instincts --we made these on the fly. They were sent on a joint reconnaissance mission to uncover who—or what—had lit the broken lantern at the haunted ruins of Kohnoor. The session was short, clocking in at about 90 minutes, but dense.
It was all about the hub—the central core of the game’s mechanics—along with a little Bloody Versus to settle some combat disputes. And Range and Cover, BW's missile/pursuit mechanics...me showing off. They went in expecting Orcs, of course. Our impromptu setting history, their combined beliefs, and instincts suggested something old and forgotten—something like ghouls!
Great player decisions drove the narrative beautifully; by the end, I had two players buying copies. Luke Crane owes me commissions at this point. Where’s my Burning Wheel kickback, Luke?! 😂