Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules • Hacker News Board

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#11

Post by SubiculumCode » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 3:17 PM UTC

zbikowski wrote: post #9

I appreciate all that Gavin Norman and Necrotic Gnome have done for the OSR TTRPG scene over the past few years, but I have to say each time I see a D&D-derivative system it makes me wish that other systems of the time—like Runequest, Tunnels & Trolls, or West End Games' d6 system beneath Ghostbusters (1985) and Star Wars (1987)—got even half the attention. Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook's Basic/Expert (1981) has been don…

I am sure those systems deserve a modern renovation, but as a general matter, I think the particulars of game systems matter less, overall, when it is not a mechanics heavy system like Pathfinder and DnD 5e...or Rolemaster. It mostly comes down to rulings over rules...which is why rules lite systems, e.g. Mausritter, Knave, Into the Odd, have play in the OSR/NSR scene.

I do not know where on the crunch spectrum the systems you mentioned fall,

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#12

Post by SubiculumCode » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC

simonh wrote: post #10

I just picked up the books, after finishing playing in a short campaign. It's a great setting. The rules system is a bit bare bones, but you could easily run Dungeon World or pretty much any trad fantasy RPG there. Yes, 5e, sure. It would work great for Pendragon.

Bare bones is a plus for me honestly. I'm fairly tired of crunchy mechanics that takes days and slow player interaction.

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#13

Post by 127 » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC

Didn't know this existed. Have to say that's some great looking art.

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#14

Post by GolfPopper » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 4:25 PM UTC

pepperoni_pizza wrote: post #8

jasonlotito wrote: post #7

Woah... this is crazy to see here. The books are absolutely amazing. Everything is carefully crafted and filled with love. The modern OSR and modern TTRPGS are absolutely wonderful. This is the craft at its finest.

> Woah... this is crazy to see here. Yeah, I'd expect HN to be more into Eclipse Phase or something.

Why would we need to play Eclipse Phase when we can spend all our time LARPing the Fall instead?

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#15

Post by er4hn » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 4:49 PM UTC

If you're curious drivethrurpg is currently[1] offering a quick start adventure of this for free: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/575501/dolmenwood-qu... .

[1] - I found it in their "Free Title of the Week" from their newsletter. Not sure if it will go away 07-30 or so when the next newsletter comes out.

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#16

Post by er4hn » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 4:52 PM UTC

er4hn wrote: post #15

If you're curious drivethrurpg is currently[1] offering a quick start adventure of this for free: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/575501/dolmenwood-qu... . [1] - I found it in their "Free Title of the Week" from their newsletter. Not sure if it will go away 07-30 or so when the next newsletter comes out.

D'oh it's also on the owner's site's page for free: https://necroticgnome.com/products/dolmenwood-quick-start

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#17

Post by Propelloni » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 5:01 PM UTC

zbikowski wrote: post #9

I appreciate all that Gavin Norman and Necrotic Gnome have done for the OSR TTRPG scene over the past few years, but I have to say each time I see a D&D-derivative system it makes me wish that other systems of the time—like Runequest, Tunnels & Trolls, or West End Games' d6 system beneath Ghostbusters (1985) and Star Wars (1987)—got even half the attention. Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook's Basic/Expert (1981) has been don…

At least BRP (the system behind Runequest) and d6 are actively developed and there are games, new and old, using them. They are also rather popular, at least if one browses rpg.net.

T&T I don't know. I think there is a new edition coming along?

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#18

Post by sklargh » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

I have run several campaigns in Dolmenwood - from early Wormskin and OSE Patreon days through the current open game license free format.

I’m consistently amazed at the depth this setting offers a sandbox-curious referee and a creative table. It is well worth exploring. It is also a masterpiece of information design and the easiest tool I’ve used at the table.

My session notes for my current campaign are here if you are interested in what is achievable.

https://publish.obsidian.md/generallyobservable/Dolmenwood+S...

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#19

Post by SubiculumCode » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

I'm just working up the courage (and the people) to run it. I might have the face of a grognard, but I've only run a handful of sessions as a gamemaster / dungeonmaster. Between relative inexperience and the demands of my career in autism research career, I have not yet taken the plunge.

On the plus side for prep, the Dolmenwood books and pdfs are wonderfully organized...bringing the same expertise that Gavin Norman brought to Old School Essentials that had won him (and his team) wide acclaim.

Re: Dolmenwood: Fantasy RPG built around the acclaimed Old-School Essentials rules

#20

Post by SubiculumCode » Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 5:12 PM UTC

zbikowski wrote: post #9

I appreciate all that Gavin Norman and Necrotic Gnome have done for the OSR TTRPG scene over the past few years, but I have to say each time I see a D&D-derivative system it makes me wish that other systems of the time—like Runequest, Tunnels & Trolls, or West End Games' d6 system beneath Ghostbusters (1985) and Star Wars (1987)—got even half the attention. Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook's Basic/Expert (1981) has been don…

I think one of the impetuses to not using the Old School Essentials rules was the Hasbro DnD debacle where they started making moves to undo the Open Gaming License (OGL) in 2023. The resulting Dolmenwood system cleanly removed the last vestiges of anything that might be subject to the OGL...e.g. certain spell names, monster names, etc.