Over the past few months, I’ve been looking at Old School Renaissance (OSR) rules and procedures. With the arrival of the Burning Wheel Codex (BWC 📖), I wanted to map some of the OSR procedures to Burning Wheel (BWG 📖).
Reaction
When introducing new Non-Player Characters (NPCs 📖) that are not part of a Circles Test, consider their disposition based on their Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits (BITs 📖) and any relevant reputations of the Player Characters (PCs 📖). When in doubt consult Table 54: Reaction Roll.
| 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Hostile |
| 3–- | Unfavorable |
| 6–- | Indifferent |
| 9–- | Favorable / Talkative |
| 12 | Helpful |
Morale
When NPCs encounter stiff opposition, the Game Master (GM 📖) should reference their relevant BITs to determine a response. This overlaps with Steel Test, however with a bit of modification, could help determine the response to a failed Steel test. When in doubt consult Table 55: Morale Check.
| 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Routes |
| 3–- | Retreats |
| 6–- | Assess fight or flight |
| 9–- | Fight on |
| 12 | To the Death! |
Initiative
If there are multiple actions in which timing is critical, leverage the following procedure for simultaneous declaration:
- Players may declare task and intent (+1s for Speed tests).
- Game master declares task and intent.
- Remaining players declare task and intent (-1s for Speed tests).
- All participants roll Speed to determine order of execution.
- Resolve actions from most successes to least. Characters may cancel actions but not revise.
This is a refinement on my experience hacking together a Burning Wheel Conflict resolution - a conflict that involved 34 characters that took 20 minutes for talking, stabbing, and looting.