An OSR experiment: Party roles

 So this isn't for Vicious Princes. It's just something I've been meaning to try out with a group I play OSR with.

They're a sub crew, piloting a demon-powered submarine through an eldritch, haunted water-world called the Bathosphere. To help capture the feeling of a crew with titles and jobs--and to bring back, somewhat, the Gygaxian idea of a Caller--I've made a menu of party roles for them. Each player gets two roles.

A role is divided into two aspects: what the player is in charge of calling and what their duties are. The call doesn't mean that you're the one who gets to always decide, but you do break ties or cut through arguments to be the definitive "OK, Mr. GM, we're doing this" voice.

The duties are an ad hoc mixture of notes you might be in charge of taking, and just a fun little flavor thing.

You are probably not playing a game with demon submarines in it (and if you are, let's compare notes), but it might come in handy for you anyway if you're looking for strategies to engage all your players or emulate an Enterprise-y bridge setup.

For the record, though, DS9 is best trek.

Diplomat

Calls: Party interactions with important settlement NPCs

Duties: NPC list note-taking, schmoozing at banquets

Pilot

Calls: Where the sub goes next and the method of travel

Duties: Keeping track of the sub’s stats and condition, hanging out with the ship's demon

Quartermaster

Calls: Big party purchases and sales

Duties: Keeping track of the group’s money and inventory, HR for the hirelings

Dungeoneer

Calls: The party’s moves through dungeons

Duties: Mapping the dungeon, marching orders, keeping up team spirit in spooky basements

Fireteam leader

Calls: When and where to start blastin’

Duties: Notes on foes, cleaning the guns

 

Ritualist

Calls: Party interactions with Gods, spooky shit, and magic

Duties: Notes on metaphysics and divinity, sub chaplain

Scrapmaster

Calls: Distribution of loot

Duties: Keep track of looted stuff and stuff to be looted, artifact restoration

 

Epicure

Calls: When the party goes to a party, expenditure on and display of luxury items

Duties: Design the appearance of the sub and its interior, convince the fighter to wear something other than a diving suit at fancy dinners

Jailer

Calls: How the party handles captives and prisoners

Duties: Notes on prisoners, prevention of escape

Divemaster

Calls: Whether and how the party investigates discoveries made while traveling the bathosphere

Duties: Keeping track of discoveries on the overworld map, waterwalks when necessary