Influences on His Majesty the Worm: House of Orr

His Majesty the Worm didn't fall out of a coconut tree. It is a manifestation of the OSR scene. As such, it carries on the long and proud tradition of the Appendix N. 

One of the comics that influenced the development of the game was called House of Orr. At the time of the game's publishing, the website that hosted it was dark. 

When the game was published, it found its way into the hands of the comic's author, Nolan T. Jones. And friends? He put it back online! The House of Orr can now be read and enjoyed again!

https://houseoforr.com/

To celebrate this serendipity, I'm going to talk through specific ways that the comic influenced my thinking and goals for His Majesty the Worm. 

Mild spoilers for the first plot arc are below.

The Guild

Each guild should feel different. Don't just be "adventurers."

The titular House of Orr is a guild. In the story, a guild isn't just a collection of adventurers, its a political body in its own right. 

Each guild has its own traditions, quirks, and goals. For example, the House of Orr has each member choose a new name that begins with the syllable "Orr-". 

In His Majesty the Worm, the players are also members of a guild. This is a legal entity in the City. A guild charter is like a writ of mark, that allows them to legally plunder the Underworld (and provide 50% taxes to the crown, for the privilege). Each guild has a name, heraldry, and looting rights. Adventurers sign the guild charter and self-declare their role in the guild: cartographer, cook, ranger, keymaster, etc.

Bounties and OSR problem solving

The House of Orr does quests to convince people to support their cause, which allows them to remain a political force in the council of guilds. 

It's a livin'

In His Majesty the Worm, each individual character has a quest -- some reason for them to brave the terrible Underworld. But that doesn't pay the bills. To actually pay for the upkeep of adventuring, guilds pick up bounties from job boards in the City.

Many important questions are being asked

To that point, there's great examples of open-ended OSR problem solving in House of Orr. If you're looking for some bounties to pepper into your game, read the comic and get inspired!

Moments of Whimsy and Delight

I think there's lots of gross stuff in His Majesty the Worm. It's not a grimdark game though. 

Although the art style of House of Orr and His Majesty the Worm are different, I do think they both have a sense of fun.

There are no "bards" as a class in His Majesty the Worm, but just playing an instrument should have the ability to soothe a savage beast, in my opinion.

My friends are funny. They do funny things when they play. I wanted to embrace that side of the hobby. The default Bond is "Ally." The Ally Bond is charged when you say something in character and it makes your ally laugh in and out of character.

There should be moments of delight in the game. 

Inventory management is important

I briefly considered using item cards, like Last Gasp Grimoire/Mausritter, but ultimately cut it as an unnecessary expense.

When I first saw this panel in House of Orr, I stared at it forever. I loved it. The detail! The way it thought through what different characters had. It didn't look like my character sheets playing Pathfinder. How could I make a game where "spare jewelry" and "dank herb" was a fun choice to make? 

In His Majesty the Worm, every item carried is an important choice. But the game centers the human experience: you're not a grizzled, emotionless, methodical mercenary. You're a person. And you represent that with the things you carry.

Are you an aesthete sorcerer? Then represent that by carrying spare jewelry and dank herb. That's how you practically create that sort of character.

And with OSR problem solving at the core of gameplay, the most unlikely items can be used in the most unlikely ways.

The Guild as a Character

To reiterate, I feel as if the guild is a character in His Majesty the Worm in the same way that the ship Serenity was a character in Firefly. That's why the guild charter essentially operates like a character sheet. 

The guild persists longer than any individual adventurer. As players complete their quests, they retire their adventurers -- but the guild continues. 

The guild is a political entity

The guild is also fellowship

His Majesty the Worm - Available Now

His Majesty the Worm is a new-school game with old-school sensibilities: the classic megadungeon experience given fresh life through a focus on the mundanities and small moments of daily life inside the dungeon.

Click here to get the game!

(The physical editions from Exalted Funeral are currently out of stock. I anticipate them being back in stock before the end of summer, and will announce when they are.)