To GLOG, or not to GLOG?

Introduction

So there's been a challenge going around asking people who love and use the GLOG to write how and why they do it. Check out some entries, here, here, here, and here. But this entry is mine. 

Why GLOG?

Before I get into How to GLOG, or even what the GLOG is, let's start with why you might want to GLOG. So let's start with some introductory questions. 

Are you looking for an alternative to supporting Wizards of the Coast / 5th edition? 

Do you prefer games with low-stakes but high-tension?

Do you want an incredibly active, welcoming, and supportive community for your game? 

Do you find yourself wishing you could tweak the rules of a game without instigating a Reddit war? 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then the GLOG might be for you. But in all seriousness, here is what I love about the GLOG. 

De-Centralized 

For those who don't know, the GLOG was originally created by Arnold K of Goblin Punch as the Goblin Laws of Gaming. You can find his latest version here.  However, since then dozens of people have taken the rules, chopped off bits, added bits, combined bits, and hacked their way into their own versions, known as GLOG-hacks. There are nearly 30 distinct GLOG-hacks out there, most of which you can find here. Not only does this provide a wealth of options, but it also means no one is in control of the GLOG. Not a corporation or even a person. If there's someone in the GLOG-o-sphere who you don't want to associate or listen to, it's easier to cut them out. And vice-versa, if there is someone who you think is doing excellent work, it's easier to take that work and plug it right into your system. 

Diversity 

The awesome Vayra has already written up an excellent post explaining the virtues of the GLOG in creating a more diverse and inclusive table-top space. I'll link the post a second time to ensure you've opened it in another tab for later reading (or now, I'm not in a hurry). The GLOG's decentralized nature also makes it easier to avoid the uglier parts of the TTRPG and OSR scenes. I've been watching the GLOG community grow on and off for over two years and in that time I've had nothing but pleasant encounters and struggle to think of any serious issues that arose within the GLOG community. They're genuinely just an awesome group of people.

Adaptability

The GLOG is flexible. You can use it for fantasy, but you can also tailor it. There are pirate GLOGs, sci-fi GLOGs, Ultra-Violet Grassland GLOGs, GLOGs for specific settings, and more. The core bones once you have them are easy to bolt on to any game you want to play. And with over 400(!) classes for the GLOG there are bound to be classes that fit your setting or theme, or can be easily tweaked to do so. 

Ownership

Your GLOG hack, or any GLOG hack for that matter, will have holes. It'll have flaws. Missing systems, broken classes, etc. But, what you will have, especially if you truly make your own GLOG hack, is a sense of ownership. It'll be yours. Nobody else's. Having something that is truly yours, and is unique, not only makes the game more enjoyable, but also is incredibly meaningful. It might be a shitty half-baked rule set. But it's YOUR shitty half-baked rule set. 

How to GLOG? 

So now that we've talked about Why GLOG, let's talk about the how. 

Step 1. Find Out What You Care About 

Skim through your favorite (or most-used) RPG system up till now. Make note of which systems you like as-is, which systems you find interesting but need to be tweaked, and which parts of the game you don't think need systems at all. Write these categories down. Let these be your guiding stars in building your GLOG. Just because everyone else in the GLOG cares about the magic system doesn't mean you have to. Do you want hyper-specific naval combat rules for your pirate GLOG, but want to hand-wave melee combat with a single roll? Write it down. Do you think spell lists are dumb but love the idea of a rigorous herbalism / alchemy system? Write it down. 

Step 2. Read the Basics

First, read Lair of the Lamb. It's a starter dungeon written by Arnold K (founder of the GLOG) and includes his most current GLOG hack. It's an incredible Dungeon and a great place to start for a simple yet well-developed hack. 

Second, read some other hacks. I recommend Skerples Pirate Hack and Phlox's Vain of the Sword which both highlight how you can tailor a hack to a specific setting/aesthetic. Many also consider Skerples Rat on a Stick hack to be an excellent place to start, and while I disagree with many of the design choices, it is probably the most fully realized GLOG-hack to be compiled in a single document. Just don't let its length intimidate you. From all of these, your goal is to take what you like and leave what you don't. If your appetite for hacks is even bigger, check out this list for more. Heck, you can even check out my GLOG hack if you're looking for something a little different but still very GLOG. 

Step 3. Learn the Lore

I think before you actually write the GLOG, it can be useful to steep yourself in the lore and writings of other gretchlings (GLOG members endearing term for themselves). Here are the readings I'd recommend. 

Oblidisideryptch's Post on What the GLOG Means to Him - This is possibly the most succinct and effective explainer of what I love about the GLOG ever written. It's written from the perspective of a former 5e player and does a great job laying out the GLOG and its advantages. 

The Tao of the GLOG - Short and Sweet. A couple of phrases to live by as you bounce around the GLOG-o-sphere. 

The History of the GLOG-o-sphere - The most comprehensive review of the members of the GLOG-o-sphere (ala March 2019 that is). Really an excellent review of the community and how it has grown and changed.

Join the OSR Discord - The GLOG has it's own little channel known as #glog-ghetto where you can stay up to date on all things GLOG. Go here if you need advice, or especially motivation. These people are the most awesome, encouraging, and supportive people. Even the slightest mention that you are considering writing a GLOG hack and they'll immediately begin hyping you up and telling you how good of an idea it is. This blog wouldn't exist without them. 

Step 4. Write, Steal, Run, Revise. 

Write the parts of the hack that you want to and can. Steal shiny things from others (with attribution to your fellow gretchling of course) when you can't or don't want to write it yourself. Those are the easy steps. The next two are the important ones though. Run the game. Actually, play. Find friends (or stop in the discord) to recruit people to play your silly, mashed together, homebrew GLOG hack. It might be a disaster, but I think it'll perform better than you think. But even a bad performance is better than keeping it buried in some folder on your computer forever. Take it out for a spin, let your players beat it up, and then fine-tune and adjust from there. Rinse and repeat. 

A Few Words of Caution

These are a few mistakes that plagued me for the longest time, and prevented me from truly building my own hack and playing for years. 

1. Don't Get Too Focused on Classes - with over 400 classes its easy to spend all day reading over the various templates and abilities that awesome people have come up with. However, this quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns. Most campaigns will only feature a few classes, and most characters probably won't make it past the A template. I know I got bogged down for weeks on what classes to include, but don't sweat the decision. As long as your players feel like they have options they'll be happy. And they certainly won't be wondering why some obscure class you fawned over for two weeks didn't make the cut.

2. Play the Dang Game! - maybe this is just a problem for me, but I find actually starting the campaign, and keeping it going much harder than writing rules, reading blogs, or anything else. But it needs to be done. 

3. Stay Involved in the Community - the GLOG has such a vibrant and awesome community, that ignoring it is truly one of the worst mistakes you could make. Start a blog, hop on the discord, follow others, read and review their stuff. A rising GLOG tide lifts all boats. 

4. Don't be Afraid to be Different - for the longest time, I insisted on a roll-under system even though both me and my players didn't like it just because it was the norm in most GLOG-hacks. That is the exact opposite of what the GLOG is about. Keep the rules you like, ditch those you don't.