James A. Smith, Jr. Memorial Video

A beloved father, devoted friend, and D&D Dungeon Master extraordinaire. We miss you! To view video, click here Memorial Video

Note - The original video used a different song but it could not be uploaded due to copyright issues.

Note - The original video used a different song but it could not be  uploaded due to copyright issues.

James's Celebration of Life

We could not have asked for a prettier day for James's service. It was a bit chilly and windy but gorgeous. A heartfelt thank you to all that joined us today to celebrate his life. Though we shed some tears, the laughter at stories and the sharing of fellowship made for a day that James would have enjoyed.  We miss you James ~ Brisco and Jillena

From James' son and family:  We are deeply saddened to share the news that James passed away on April 10, 2019.  The following is a link to his obituary:  James Smith Obituary

The OSR News: March 23, 2019

Anthony Huso unleashes a new module into the wild. And after a long absence, Carcosa again haunts the dreams of more than one OSR blogger. Meanwhile, Dyson Logos finally gets some company in Maptime. Konsumterra of Elfmaids & Octopi posts a ton of fantastic material, per the usual, and ditto for Dungeons and Possums. All this and more in this week's News!

New Releases

Zjelwyin Fall Digital by Anthony Huso. Available from Lulu in PDF for $10.00. 53 pages. (A full color print edition from Lulu is forthcoming. Tagged under AD&D and OSRIC on Lulu. Here's a link to the author's site for a larger version of this really, really cool cover, as well as more info on the module and playtest results. ed.)

(PDF) The Endless Fall... Sages assume Shodredh Dhachod, the Gringling Lich who conceived and constructed Zjelwyin Fall, must rest inside, dreaming his sidereal dream. But Dhachod’s wards are such that knowledge of the Fall’s location and trajectory are forgotten before they can be put to paper; so it hurtles unwatched, a spindle of otherworldly beauty, a ruby comet tracing the limits of the Astral Plane. This module is designed for five or more characters of 2nd or 3rd level who are willing to brave the terrors of planar travel!

Piracy & Privateering by Josh Peters. Published by Stellagama Publishing. Available from Lulu in Print for $19.99. 84 pages.

Piracy and Privateering is a system-neutral sourcebook to help gamemasters run complete space pirate campaigns. In it, you will find guidelines for setting up a piracy or  sandbox campaign. There are fully developed encounter rules for figuring out which poor unfortunate souls have crossed paths with terrible player character pirates. We have also included system-neutral rules for fleshing out encounters with ships, space stations, and other unexpected sources of adventure. There are rules for selling ill-gotten booty, for splitting up crew shares, and for holding privateer courts. We have included examples of the economics of piracy and privateering, as well as sample encounter tables for two systems. There are over a dozen NPCs for GMs to use as pirate crewmembers, merchant captains, or pirate-hunting naval officers. Finally, we’ve included eight adventure seeds to help kick off space piracy and privateering campaigns!

Straffshire: Village of Planar Fugitives (Labyrinth Lord) by Giant Space Shrew. Available from  DriveThruRPG in PDF for $8.99. 60 pages.

Straffshire is a gonzo, high fantasy setting for Labyrinth Lord and other fantasy role-playing games. In the plane-shifting village of Straffshire, mortals, fey, demons, undead, sapient animals, and other creatures from across the planes live uneasily together.

The village is surrounded by a wasteland of wild magic and caught in a cold war between a demon lord and a fey deity. Powerful magic is common, and the village’s eccentric, decadent wizards have transformed their community into a weird realm where the supernatural runs rampant.

Straffshire is packed with larger-than-life characters and locations. There is Bear, the surly, militaristic bear paladin, and Jert Breeboz, the amphibian necromancer who just wants a friend. Within the village is the Polliwog Public House, a social club where bourgeois wizards hobnob and play magical table games, and the Dunman Library, a decrepit, subterranean archive operated by an angry elemental and haunted by a ghostly warlord. Beyond the village are the Planar Wastes, an ever-changing landscape wracked by magical storms and filled with gates to other worlds.

Straffshire and its environs could be the springboard for many adventures, or the basis for an entire campaign.

Features:

• An unpredictable setting full of magic, monsters, planar travel, weirdness, and danger
• Detailed descriptions of the setting’s important people, places, conflicts, factions, and history
• Tools for running adventures in the village and the magical wasteland outside its walls
• 6 new monsters
• 50 outrageous new magic items such as the potion of child development and the living stuffed animal
• Numerous opportunities for conflict and adventure

The Oerth Journal # 28. Available from the Publisher for Free. 32 pages. (Also, see this post by grodog of From Kuroth's Quill. Celebrating Greyhawk: A Fandom Renaissance - GaryCon XI Seminar. Contains the podcast of the seminar, and additional material from the seminar.

● A new Order!! … The Knights of Ulek - created by Jay L. Scott "Lord Gosumba" in his 39-year campaign!
● State of the Bandit Kingdoms - by Will Dvorak
● Trading Card Style Artwork - Jeffrey B. Garrison
● Erastoriul Ka'arndrik: Drow Sage of Erelhei-Cinlu - by Allan T. Grohe, Jr. ("grodog"")
● Rhennee Rumors Up and Down the River - by Kristoph Nolen with the Oliver Bothers
● The Great Flanaess River Adventure - by the Oliver Brothers with Kristoph Nolen
● Cultists of Tharizdun (comic) - by Mike "@GreyhawkMike" Bridges
● The Cerulean Cyst - by Carlos Lising
● The Wall - by Denis "Maldin" Tetreault
● Greyhawk Reborn - by Dave Guerrieri
● The Greyhawk Channel - by Kristoph Nolen 

Worlds United by John Snead. Published by The Design Mechanism. Available from DriveThruRPG in Hardcover/PDF combo for $39.99, in Softcover/PDF combo for $34.99 and in PDF for $15.99. 128 pages.

What if...

The Martians really did invade Earth in 1897? And again, in 1938?

Venus really is a lush jungle planet, where dinosaurs still roam?

Psionics are a reality? Crystal Technology an everyday fact of life?

Rockets ply the spacelanes between Mars, Earth, Venus and the asteroids?

The year is 1959?

Worlds United is a setting of Planetary Romance and Pulp Science Fiction. Your characters are adventurers and explorers, people of extraordinary abilities, with drive and ambition to match. Here, the gleaming alloy air cars of Gernsback era SF are a reality; one really can sail the Martian canals, or wrangle dinosaurs on Venus; and there truly are wrecks of Martian War Tripods standing fearsomely tall in the Smithsonian – and the fear that the Octopoid Martians, unseen for a generation, are once again drawing their plans against us...

Fully compatible with Mythras, Worlds United takes you into a 1959 with rockets, rayguns, dinosaurs, and rip-roaring adventure.

The Corrupted Jungle - Adventure Compilation for #ZweihanderRPG by Peter Rudin-Burgess. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $3.00. 15 pages.

This is a series of adventures that builds into a mini campaign. The action starts with the wrecking of the Wight’s Shadow. With the characters washed up on the beach they have many adventures before them and will face many horrors in a strange land of jungle, witchcraft and mutated monsters. 

This book is organized into distinct adventures. The first is the entry point and will launch the characters into an adventure of survival. The adventure should cumulate in a confrontation with a Defiler who has returned to her homeland to exact her revenge and destroy her own people who drove her away centuries before.

Berlin - The Wicked City by David Larkins, Lynne Hardy, Mike Mason. Published by Chaosium. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $19.99 and from the Publisher in PDF for $19.99. 272 pages. (Print version forthcoming. If you plan to get the print and want the PDF now, order from the Publisher: So you want to purchase the hardcover version, but really want to get your hands on Berlin - The Wicked City - PDF so you don't have to wait. We have you covered! When you buy Berlin - The Wicked City - PDF now, we will send you a discount coupon just before the physical book goes on sale that will offset the PDF purchase price once the hardcover version is available. ed.)

Unveiling the Mythos in Weimar Germany 

In the aftermath of the Great War, Berlin has a reputation for licentiousness. A place where anything may be had for the right price. It is both a city of hedonism and a city of business; its streets overflow with disabled veterans, prostitutes, destitute immigrants, and political agitators—all rubbing shoulders with buttoned-down businessmen, scholars, and artists. The gutters run with the blood of political assassinations, where Communists and völkisch Nationalists clash with each other, as well as with the police. Long into the evenings, Berlin’s world-famous cabarets offer music, dance, and titillating entertainment in stark contrast to the gray buildings that run on for endless miles along the sprawling city’s byways.

Into this bubbling stew, Secrets of Berlin introduces the weird elements of the Cthulhu Mythos. A hotbed of occult organizations, strange cults, and half-whispered lore. Amid the wicked air of the world’s capital of sin, the very nature of what it means to be human is questioned. And, as the city hurtles toward its inevitable dark destiny, the oppressive atmosphere pushes the sanity of investigators to its breaking point.

This book presents an overview of 1920s Berlin as it would be experienced by visitors and residents of the time. Guidelines are presented for creating investigators for a Berlin-centric campaign, as well as investigator organizations to help bind groups together. Notable personalities, key locations, and a system for generating details of the urban landscape on the fly are provided. With crime and punishment, the city’s underworld, and also its high culture detailed, the tools provided help the Keeper gain an understanding of what makes Berlin unique.

Three scenarios, spanning the history of Berlin between the end of the Great War and the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, contain colorful details of Berlin and its inhabitants and may be run as stand-alone adventures or linked together to form a mini-campaign.

The Asklepios Recovery by Michael Brown. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.99. 15 pages.

A deadly global pandemic forces the authorities to quarantine a planet. In order to help, a young, streetwise doctor hires the PCs for a dangerous mission: seize a cargo of illegal drugs from an interstellar criminal for use against the plague. But the heroes find they may have bitten off more than they can chew when they must fight off both ruthless criminals and a ravenous microbe.

The Asklepios Recovery is an adventure designed for Cepheus Engine and other 2D6 science-fiction RPGs, including The Original Science Fiction Roleplaying Game (OSFRPG.)

 The Civil Serpent - Adventure for #ZweihanderRPG. Published by Sad Fishe Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 11 pages.

This scenario is released as part of the upcoming A Dark and Salient Land Campaign, the early access rules to which are available on DrivethruRPG as a “pay what you want” product. This scenario and others will be released with that product upon its completion. This product does not require A Dark and Salient Land.

Requires ZWEIHÄNDER Grim & Perilous RPG from Grim & Perilous Studios, however.

Jabberwockies are such curious, strange creatures. Sometimes harmless, othertimes deadly, always unpredictable and searching for their next laugh or trick. A jabberwocky who has taken up residence in an old marble quarry has found himself quite the joke indeed, and has taken it upon himself to force that joke onto other, violently if need be. Will those sent to hunt him find it quite as humorous?

Visceral and Emotional Damage by Jon Hook. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.00. 12 pages.

This supplement was inspired by a subject discussed in Episode 143 of the Good Friends of Jackson Elias podcast, www.BlasphemousTomes.com; thank you Scott, Matt, and Paul for such an interesting, insightful, and inspiring conversation. Keepers can use this supplement to add sanitytesting gore to combat scenes and psychological tolls to investigators who injure other human beings. The ideas in this supplement assume the players and Keeper have set their Call of Cthulhu game in a more “realistic” and gritty world, as opposed to Pulp Cthulhu which by its very nature is a more “romantic” and adventurous world.

Burger Wars! (DCC) by Julian Bernick. Published by Shield of Faith Studios. Available from  DriveThruRPG in Softcover/PDF combo for $11.99 and in PDF for $4.99. 48 pages.

An Umerican Adventure of Tasty Treachery for 3+ Level Characters 

Welcome to Oniontown! 

Oniontown is the inhabited remains of a once sizable pre-cataclysm city. For decades the Buddy O’Burger cult has claimed dominion here but now a dreadful curse and formidable rivals threaten to upset their reign and tear the city apart! 

• Will you aid the O’Burger cult in restoring order to the city?
• Will you side with the rival Piggy King cult, hungry to take over?
• Will you delve into other malevolent mysteries that might be behind the conflict consuming Oniontown?
• Will you use the conflict to grab every bit of sweet salvage you can get your mutated mitts on?
• Will you profitably prevail the perils of the city or just become another freshly served value menu item in the Burger Wars? 

This product is compatible with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game

The Hand Hack by L. F. Barbosa. Published by Ryukan Shubbansha. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $5.00. 25 pages.

"During his reign, King Sho Shin ordered the gathering of all weapons. He also ordered the aji to make their residences in Shuri. A people with no weapons and with their lords away from home would be less inclined to start rebellions. But the people of Ryukyu did not forget how to fight. They started to make weapons from their hands."

An old-school martial arts hack for the ancient mythical east.

Five classes for gifted individuals: fighter, monk, priest, sorcerer and thief.

But if your character can not choose a class, he at least can FIGHT. Learn Ju-Jutsu, Karate or Kung-Fu and kick some kobolds' butts.

You can also easily adapt the rules for dystopic, futuristic, modern day, sword & sorcery or high fantasy settings.

If you're a fan of traditional eastern martial arts and RPGs, this is your game!

Re-Releases, New Editions, Now in Print, etc.

Psionics by Courtney Campbell. Published by Hack & Slash Publishing. Available from  DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 30 pages.

The original 1e style psionics index and compliation.

(Hi Courtney! I need blurbage man! I can't fit a decent sized picture in without it. It totally screws up my formatting! Okay, I've got this covered. ed.) 

Ahem. If you're not familiar with Courtney and his blog, Hack & Slash, you really should be. Courtney's a triple threat. He can write, design and draw and does all three damn well. He's also the best RPG theorist I know of. So, you should get this and pay something for it. Then buy everything else of Courtney's. Then follow and read his blog. Shit, I need another sentence or two. I'll just kind of type some... that's good. Ed.

The Excellent Travelling Volume Issue 1 by James Maliszewski. Published by Grognardia Games. Now Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $5.99. 32 pages.

The Excellent Travelling Volume is a fanzine devoted to Empire of the Petal Throne and M.A.R. Barker's world of Tékumel.

Issue 1 contains the following articles:

• Additions and Changes to Alignment, Profession, and Basic Talents in EPT
• The Shaman (a new character class)
• Patrons (five potential NPC employers)
• Bestiary (twelve new monsters)
• Magical Devices (six new magic items)
• The Hidden Shrine (a short location-based adventure)

The Excellent Travelling Volume Issue 2 by James Maliszewski. Published by Grognardia Games. Now Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $5.99. 33 pages.

The Excellent Travelling Volume is a fanzine devoted to Empire of the Petal Throne and M.A.R. Barker's world of Tékumel.

Issue 2 contains the following articles:

• The Adventurer (new character class)
• Sokátis, the City of Roofs
• A Portion of the Underworld of Sokátis
• Patrons (five potential NPC employers)
• Lost and Found (adventure)
• Random Tsolyáni Faction Names

 The Excellent Travelling Volume Issue 3 by James Maliszewski. Published by Grognardia Games. Now Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $5.99. 33 pages.

The Excellent Travelling Volume is a fanzine devoted to Empire of the Petal Throne and M.A.R. Barker's world of Tékumel.

Issue 3 contains the following articles:

• Salarvyáni and Pecháni Characters
• A Portion of the Underworld of Sokátis (continued from issue 2)
• Demons of Ksárul and Grugánu (three new monsters)
• On the Road (Sákbe road encounters)
• The Tower of Wachánu (adventure)

Terror Australis - 2nd Edition - Hardcover. Published by Chaosium. Available from the Publisher in Hardcover Print/PDF combo for $47.99 and in PDF for $21.99. Pagination unknown.

Call of Cthulhu in the Land Down Under

Camels in AustraliaThe driest, flattest, and smallest continent, Australia is almost as big as the continental United States, but has a fraction of the inhabitants—six million people in 1925. Beyond the settled areas, three-quarters of the land remain relatively little known until after World War Two. Seen by those in Europe and America as one of the last great wildernesses, despite decades of exploration and incursion, it remained a place that guarded its secrets.

While the ancient and primordial character of the Australian inland lures many, it is the cities in the south and east that have become centers of population. Surprisingly modern and surprisingly British in character—it is not uncommon for foreign visitors to express astonishment when they disembark from their steamer in Sydney or Melbourne and find themselves in a great metropolis with all the modern refinements of London or New York. Ever present, though, are the modern blights afflicting cities worldwide: organized crime, overcrowding, civil unrest, and uncertainty.

This unique mix of old and new—the tension between civilization and the frontier—is what makes Australia a particularly fertile 1920s setting for Call of Cthulhu. Those Keepers wishing to challenge their players with tales of gang-related squalor underpinned by ancient Mythos threats can find ample opportunity in Australia’s urban environments. Equally, investigators do not have to go too far into the Outback to become entangled in tales of stark frontier life bereft of modern conveniences of technology, underpinned by dark shadows cast by the Ctuhlhu Mythos that seem to haunt the very landscape. And for Keepers who wish to push investigators to the very limits of wilderness survival, there is no shortage of opportunities for true expeditions into places where Europeans and Americans have never set foot.

In Australia, the investigators come face-to-face with supernatural forces that have endured for longer than humanity has existed; they can attempt to step inside the ancient legends of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia in search of mystical knowledge; they can cross swords with nefarious cults intent on diabolic schemes, or challenge unwitting scientists who haplessly threaten to achieve a similar end by probing the mysteries of the Australian land.

Brining your investigators to Australia is certain to reward your gaming group. For, as soon as they have set foot upon this ancient continent, adventure, peril, and mystery abound. Whether run as an Australian campaign, a series of one-shot games, or a protracted stop over during a globe-spanning campaign, the time spent in the Land Down Under will not be wasted!

Polyhedron Newszine V7 #1 Issue 34. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 42 pages.

Included in this issue:

• Revolution! - by Bob Blake, Anita Frank, and Rex Zinn. Intrigue is afoot and the realm is threatened by civil war on the eve of invasion. Part two of a series in the land of Finnish myth.
• On The Road to the Living City - by Jean Rabe. The first installment of a series designed to introduce the Living City Project.
• Fun in Games - by Rick Reid. A new column. In his first installment Mr. Reid discusses a few things that make role-playing gaming fun: conventions, nostalgia, and consuming snacks.

Polyhedron Newszine V7 #2 Issue 35. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 42 pages.

Included in this issue:

• And All The King's Men - by Bob Blake, Anita Frank and Rex Zinn. This also includes The Undead Bole, another chapter in the tournament module set in the land of Finnish myth.
• Rogues Gallery - by Michael Lach. Meet the Dragon-Stalker and his adventuring friends.
• Who Ya Gonna Call? A review of the Ghost Busters game

Brutal Imperilment in the Bag of Infinite Holding by Frank "Mottokrosh" Reding. Published by Mottokrosh Machinations. Available from DriveThruRPG in Softcover/PDF combo for $4.99. Still available in PDF for $3.99. 28 pages.

Spelunk into a wild network of interconnected and nested magical bags.

An adventure and toolkit for Hypertellurians and all fantasy roleplaying games.

The queen has lost the crown jewels and her beloved poodle Duchess down her magical bag of infinite holding. Many have tried to enter it and retrieve her majesty’s prized possessions. Will you be the ones to finally succeed?

This adventure is bags of fun, and can be adapted to play over one or several sessions, thanks to its toolkit approach. Inside you will find:

• 29 imaginative locations
• 7 pre-made characters to play or use as NPCs
• 50 thematically appropriate random finds of all shapes and sizes
• Loads of art by Alysa Avery, Frank “Mottokrosh” Reding, and Luka Rejec 

Quiver at these haverhandy sacks holding bags of marvels!

More Free Gaming Stuff from the Blogosphere and Environs

Courtney Campbell of Hack & Slash posted On the best places to gather rare plants.

Goblin's Henchman posted Uno | an initiative system.

Anne of DIY & Dragons posted GFA18 - North American Familiars.

Beloch Shrike of Papers and Pencils posted Free PDF: Mice with Legitimate Grievances. 3 page PDF.

Brian Richmond of the Goatman's Goblet posted Dolmenwood: Notable Trees of the Dolmenwood & Their Uses.

Michael S. of Chicagowiz's Games posted HOW I DO WILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS and [THREE HEXES] LOST ISLAND AT WORLD'S EDGE.

Skerples of Coins and Scrolls kicks off a Gygaxian Democracy project with OSR: The Indefinite Train - Community Project. And posts OSR: Spell Research and Magical Industry, Part 1 and Part 2.

GREGORIUS21778 posted THE GREAT FUR: ENCOUNTERS & FEATURES.

David Schirduan of Technical Grimoire made this Troika Generator & Tracker.

V. A. of Leicester's Ramble posted Gothridge Manor's Macceum Sewer re-filled!

David Baymiller of The OSR Library posted Operation White Box vs DC: The GI Robot, Operation White Box vs DC: Sgt ROCK and Easy Co., and Operation White Box vs DC: Axis Villains.

Michael Kennedy of Sheep and Sorcery posted THE CITY AT THE END OF TIME.

Konsumterra of Elfmaids & Octopi posted Exilon Hex 006, d100 Servants for Hire, Owing a Spell Caster, Broken Hill Locations for Gamma Oz, and Some Relics.

Maptime

Dyson Logos of Dyson's Dodecahedron posted The Bitter Minotaur Inn & Tavern, Endgame of the Age of Myth, and Lair of the Octopus Sorcerer.

Adamo Dagradi of At the Mountains of Weirdness posted Zyan: so beautiful, so scary, so sad.

Warren D. of I Cast Light! posted CARCOSA: A PLAYER'S MAP (Hex Kit 2.0)

Mike Bridges of Greyhawkery posted Greyhawk Map: The Wastes.

Dungeons and Possums posted The Maps of Broodmother Skyfortress.

Reviews & Play Reports

Dungeons and Possums posted Interview: Rich Longmore Talks Carcosa, Space 1889, and More! and Respect Where It's Due: Jeff's Gameblog and Review: Carcosa by Geoffrey McKinney.

Scott Malthouse of The Trollish Delver posted How to get started with Tunnels and Trolls.

Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org posted The Pilgrimage of Hunger and Off Track: The Uncharted Swamp.

Justin Isaac of Halls of the Nephilim reviews Hawk the Slayer.

Melan of Beyond Fomlhaut reviews The Sea of Vipers.

Wizard Lizard of Underground Adventures posted Mushrooms Elves Doom - An Into the Odd Session Report. 

Timothy S. Brannan of The Other Side posted Monstrous Mondays: Monster Book Round Up, 1st Ed style.

Glen Hallstrom of Radio Grognard uploaded Great Lunden, The Midderlands And You (with Glynn Seal).

Brandon Goeringer of YouTube uploaded RPG Overview #43 Diesel Punks for the Black Hack Part I and also Part II.

Frog God Games uploaded a YouTube video: Gaming with Joe Manganiello, Mapping With Alyssa Faden, and More! | Gary Con XI Vlog.

Dungeon Musings of YouTube uploaded Actual Play - Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea - Thuleborg Tales - Ep1. 

ivanmike1968 of YouTube uploaded Lamentations of the Martian Princess ep #15 ~ Into the Void.

Scott Malthouse of DelveCast uploaded British Old School.

Fantastic Dimensions of YouTube uploaded Rogues to Riches, session 2: The Pastor, The Whore, and the Farmhouse.

Endzeitgeist posted Wormskin #3: Ye Ruined Abbey of St. Clewd Pt. I (OSR), Wormskin #4: Ye Ruined Abbey of St. Clewd Pt.II (OSR), Advanced Adventures: The Secret of the Callair Hills (OSR), Whisper & Venom Compendium (OSR/PFRPG), and In the Prison of the Squid Sorcerer (DCC).

And in Other News...

Erik Tenkar uploaded E305 of the Tavern Chat Podcast Designers & Makers Fireside Chat with Courtney Campbell (Hack & Slash) Round Two.

Bundle of Holding - More Stars Without Number.

Nate Trem has put out a call for a Pamphlet Dungeon Jam.

Kickstarters, Pre-Orders, etc.

The Road to Hell. Published by D101 Games. Available from the Publisher in Hardcover print/PDF combo for pre-order. £15.00.

The Road to Hell is a Halloween themed adventure for early editions of D&D/OSR using the Swords and Wizardry ruleset.

Please note this title is on pre-order, print copies will be sent out when they come in from the printers in early April, and you get the PDF copy immediately.

It’s been a rough year for professional adventurers such as yourself. Last year good Queen Bess finally passed on, and Sir Robert Cecil effortlessly paved the way for King James to come south from Scotland and take up the crown. A more prudent monarch with a considerable national debt to deal with, he immediately tightened the purse strings. So, less money for expeditions to the New World. Also, Good King James has been making friends with the Spanish, so no more licenses for pirating the Spanish and an end to dubious endeavours in Europe. He’s also no friend of witches. He even sat in on torture sessions while up in Scotland. So patrons for your line of work have dried up or in some cases lost their heads in the change of regime, and you were looking destitution in the face.

Then the architect of your downfall, Sir Robert, seeks you out and puts you in touch with an old patron. An odd fellow called Dr Dee, former court astrologer to the Queen until he fell out of favour and had to go on a grand European tour. Last you had heard Queen Bess had arranged for him to take up a post at some priestly school up North, well away from the intrigues of her court. You remember the occasional job you did for him as being some of the fantastical of your career. Not the most straightforward work, but needs must.

So, at the end of a long trek made at your own expense northwards, you find yourself outside the door of an inn where Dr Dee has paid for your lodgings, according to a letter you hold that details your current employment. It’s an ominous missive that details Dr Dee’s precarious position as Warden of Christ’s College in Manchester, and worst still that he has divined that your journey north from Chester will take you along a “Road to Hell”. Its nine in the evening, there should be music and sounds of revelry from within. It’s strangely silent. You look at each other expectantly. Someone is going to have to take the lead and open that door and go inside.

We have such sights to show you!
Some of the encounters awaiting the players in this adventure:

Headless Zombies, flesh-eating demonic assassins, all-seeing oracles, screaming mad women, cowardly men hiding in water closets, The Death and Resurrection Show, at least one bar room brawl (two, if the adventures like to pick fights), a black knight of the realm, his gang of knaves, a stone circle of menace, and a tower made of twisted flesh that writhes in agony.

Look here’s a sketch (a work in progress) of one of the monsters, the Fearcrow.

Features of the Book

• Six Premade characters so you can pick up the adventure and play it straight away. Unlike many other OSR adventures, these characters are hardened adventurers of 5th Level. Each character will have a portrait by Peter Town (Hearts in Glorantha, Mythic Russia).
• Black and White Illustrations by Daniel Barker (Monkey, Tales of the Reaching Moon) of the monsters that the characters will meet in the adventure.
• Five black and white detailed maps by Golden Ennie award winning cartographer Glynn Seal (MonkeyBlood Design, The Midderlands).
• A colour cover by Jon Hodgson (Warhammer Fantasy 1st-4th edition, D&D 4th & 5th, The One Ring).
• The book is a 6 inches by 9 inches hardback

And That's It for This Week...

You may have noticed the Patreon Link to the left, near the top of my blog. For $3.00 a month (or less) you can help support The OSR News and help me realize additional plans for my work with the Old School RPG Community. Your patronage is very much appreciated!

About The OSR News

Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files unless that is the only link available.

I have received no remuneration from any publisher for reporting on their releases, nor is such a requirement for a product to be included in these posts. At times, an author or publisher may send me a complimentary copy of an item, for purposes of review. This is not a requirement for a product's inclusion in these posts. One Bookshelf site links are affiliate links and may provide some compensation from that retail site.

All prices are set by the respective venues and are subject to change, or may otherwise be different from what is listed in this post.

Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest which you would like to see mentioned.

Death from Damage in AD&D. Again.

Death from Damage in AD&D. Again.

I'm continually trying to find or create death rules with which I'm satisfied. For years I used the AD&D rule from page 83 of the DMG. Let's look at that, shall we?

"When any creature is brought to 0 hit points (optionally as low as -3 hit points if from the same blow which brought the total to 0), it is unconscious. In each of the next succeeding rounds 1 additional (negative) point will be lost until -10 is reached and the creature dies."

Now, what exactly does Gary mean by that bit in the first set of parenthesis? Did he intend that a PC brought from positive hit points to -4 or lower in one attack was instantly killed, without benefit of the negative total cushion extending to -10? Or, is the negative countdown supposed to start from 0 if the blow in question doesn't cause more damage than would bring the PC to -3?

I dunno.

Back in the day, we ignored that parenthetical bit and just played it to -10. For instance, if you had 5 hit points left and took 10 points of damage, you were at -5 and would lose one more hit point at the end of every succeeding round. The cleric better get over there in a hurry, or your ass is dead!

I've tried various methods over the years, but haven't found anything I really like. The -10 thing is okay. PC death is uncommon at low levels. At mid to high levels, the damage output in AD&D increases to the point where a PC being reduced from positive hit points to near, or beyond negative ten occurs with more frequency.

There's something to be said for leaving things as they are. Still, it's like an itch I just need to scratch.

I don't really care for Death & Dismemberment tables. They can be kind of fun, but are often too harsh for a long term campaign. If your character is going to end up armless and legless, he might as well be dead. Yeah, it's a good opportunity for robotic and squid-like replacements, but that seems to be a fast-track to some pretty gonzo PC's and I don't often want that sort of thing. I'm okay with ability damage and similar effects and appreciate the black humor often associated with such tables. Scars and the like are pretty cool, too. That said, I'm more focused on adjudicating possible death, while still keeping death a possibility, than I am in creating a Monty Python situation.

So, here we are again. One idea which occurred to me is allowing for attempted combat while the PC is seriously wounded, barely able to swing their sword in one last desperate and probably futile attempt to triumph. "I'll bite your legs off!"

On Death and Dying

Death from damage occurs at Negative Con. In addition, the following rules apply.

At 0 Hit points, the PC is slowed to half their movement and any attacks are made at -2 to hit.

From -1 to -4 hit points, the PC is grievously wounded and may either take a move action or an attack action, but not both. Movement is reduced to 1/4 the normal rate and attacks are at -2 to hit. Furthermore, the strain of making an attack incurs a 50% chance of inflicting 1 point of damage to the PC.

At -5 hit points or lower the PC is unconscious and must roll on this table at the end of the following round:

d20 Dying Table

1: You're almost certainly fucked! That last wound tore up something kinda important. Take 3d4 additional damage. If you're still alive, make a save vs death and live or die by the result. If you live, you stabilize. Lay there and suffer until the cleric heals your sorry ass, or Sir Deathblow comes along and casually stabs you with something pointy.

2-5: You're probably fucked! Take an additional 2d4 points of damage. If you're still alive, then at the end of the next round make a save vs. death to stabilize. If you fail, take another 2d4 points of damage. Keep doing this at the end of every round until you stabilize or die. Lay there and hope that your side wins and doesn't bug out, leaving you behind to get eaten by the owlbear.

6-10: You might be fucked! Take an additional 1d4 points of damage. If you're still alive, then at the end of the next round make a save vs death to stabilize. If you fail, take another 1d4 points of damage. Keep doing this at the end of every round until you stabilize or die. If the DM didn't screw up and host another TPK, you've got a shot at making it out alive.

11-15: You're probably not fucked yet. Make a save vs death at +2. If you make it you stabilize. If you fail, take an additional 1d3 points of damage and at the end of the next round repeat the above. Keep doing this until you make the save or die. Lay there and hope an unengaged monster doesn't decide to start eating you.

16-19: Stop whining, you'll probably live. Make a save vs death at +2 and take 1d2 points of damage if you fail. Assuming you're still alive, you stabilize, regardless of the save result. The monsters will probably ignore your dead looking self and focus on trying to kill your friends.

20: You are definitely not yet fucked. Make a save vs death. If you fail, you're stable and unconscious. If you make it, then an adrenaline surge, divine favor, residual healing potion energy or whatever kicks in and you get 3d6 hit points back! Assuming you're no longer in negatives, you may move at half speed and attack at -2. This condition is removed after a day's rest. Now go kill something and take its treasure!

First aid from your friends will allow advantage on any of the d20 rolls on this table, or a +4 bonus if you refuse to truck with any 5e inspired shenanigans. Healing magic will instantly stabilize you and get your ass off this table for now. 

The OSR News: March 16, 2019

Courtney Campbell releases more stuff, Gregorius21778 continues to publish their ass off and Bloat Games goes Super Heroic. All this and more await you in this week's News!

New Releases

SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City - Core Rules. Published by Bloat Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $9.99. 292 pages.

PRINT ON DEMAND COMING IN JULY. ALL PDF PURCHASERS WILL  A $5.00 DISCOUNT CODE WHEN PRINT ON DEMAND IS AVAILABLE! 

What is SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City?

From the creators of SURVIVE THIS!! Dark Places & Demogorgons comes SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City, a gritty, street-level, superhero game set in the near future.

Vigilante City is heavily inspired by Batman: The Animated Series. Along with the X-men, Spider-man and TMNT cartoons of the 1990s.

Vigilante City utilizes the familiar ruleset of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG, mixing the old-school with modern mechanics for the best possible gaming experience. With it’s modular system design, you can easily play to the exact style of super’s game you want!

SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City - Core Rules features ALL the rules to make a vigilante and play the game.

Complete Modular Independent rules for Humans, Mutant Animals, Borg Conversion and Power Armor, Magic, Mutant Abilities, Psionics, Speedsters and Super Soldier Drugs, that are designed to be added or removed easily to allow your game of Vigilante City to be tailored to the exact style of superhero game that you want to play! There is also, Background/Origins, Weapons, Equipment, Gadgets, Vehicle Upgrades, Vehicle Combat, Ranged & Melee Combat, Morale, Skills, Usage Die & so much more!

Vigilante City features both Human (no powers) and MegaHuman (powers) classes!

SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City - Villain's Guide. Published by Bloat Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $9.99. 300 pages.

PRINT ON DEMAND COMING IN JULY. ALL PDF PURCHASERS WILL  A $5.00 DISCOUNT CODE WHEN PRINT ON DEMAND IS AVAILABLE!

What is SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City?

From the creators of SURVIVE THIS!! Dark Places & Demogorgons comes SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City, a gritty, street-level, superhero game set in the near future.

Vigilante City is heavily inspired by Batman: The Animated Series. Along with the X-men, Spider-man and TMNT cartoons of the 1990s.

Vigilante City utilizes the familiar ruleset of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG, mixing the old-school with modern mechanics for the best possible gaming experience. With it’s modular system design, you can easily play to the exact style of super’s game you want!

SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City - Villain’s Guide is designed with Game Masters in mind. This book contains a detailed City Generator to allow the GM to build the exact city they want to base their game in. There’s also, GM advice to running the game, a HUGE selection of villain-based Adventure Seeds, Quick NPC and Villain Generation Tables, Mutant Island Adventure/optional setting and so much more!

Suddenly, Goblins! by Jonathan Hicks. Published by Farsight Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 7 pages.

Goblins! Goblins everywhere! When a castle is suddenly overrun by the small cackling mostrosoties the PCs have to discover how they got in and stop any more from causing trouble!

Suddenly, Goblins! is an OSR adventure for Swords & Wizardry White Box, although it can be easily adapted for most classic OSR systems. The adventure is designed for a party of any number of adventurers of any race, class and level and can be inserted into your existing campaign quite easily, no matter what world you’re gaming in.

Level Up a Book of Fantasy Gaming Lists by Courtney Campbell. Available from Lulu in Print for $9.99, from Lulu in PDF for $6.99, from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.99 and from Amazon in Kindle for $6.99.

Do you feel a bit intimidated by Dungeons & Dragons?
Would you like to impress your gaming group and feel more confident when playing?
Then check out Level UP: the fantasy gaming book of lists, answering all of D&D's most pressing questions.
Why do wizards live in towers?
What are the biggest news stories in the history of Dungeons & Dragons(r)?
What don't you know about hit points? ⁣
What are all the different kinds of games?
Get to the deepest secrets of dungeons and dragons, feel confident, and impress your gaming group and Level UP today.

After World Issue #1 by Vor the Eyeless. Available from the author in PDF for free. 32 page direct
download.

After World was written to be compatible with most iterations of the 1981 edition of the World’s Most Popular Role Playing Game, as well as its modern retroclones such as B/X Essentials, Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry and many others. Much of the content herein has been adapted from my homebrew post-apocalyptic RPG Ruinations.

Sapphal: Three Clusters World Book 02 by Paul Drye. Published by Baggage Books. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 29 pages.

Once, the Orion Arm was humanity's plaything, the Earth Alliance expanding by leaps across interstellar space. But as happens with all our species creates, it was destroyed through greed and lust for power and spite.

A thousand years on, space is still dark, but light sometimes flickers for a while in a little corner here or there. The dream of the Alliance dies hard, and over and over one world or another has tried to recreate a fraction of its glory, only to fail.

Sapphal is a former prison planet left to its own fate for centuries after the Earth Alliance fell. Now home to a world-spanning low tech empire, it's become an important trading destination and a lure for freebooters and other unsavory adventurers. Pack your laser rifle, put on your brown leather hat, and make your fortune if you can on a world where high-tech luxuries are few and far between. It can be used as part of the larger Three Clusters setting or as a "drop-in" for a GM who needs a detailed destination to use in another campaign.

The Three Clusters Campaign is a "classic-style" Hard Space Opera game setting, using the PWYW Cepheus Engine rules, for which Sapphal is the second world book. Not sure if you want to buy this product? The first world book, Wallwichen, is FREE and available for download on DriveThru RPG. Check it out and then decide.

The Three Clusters setting is also OPEN for use in other works, including commercial products. See details on the Sapphal book's copyright page.

Gregorius21778: The Pilgrimage of Hunger by Kai Pütz a.k.a Gregorius21778. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 17 pages.

Attention please! The preview shows you the whole of the product, so that you may read it first and then decide how much you want to give me for my effort. Thank you, and please remember: everything counts in large amounts.

The Pilgrimage of Hunger is a small cave system written for Veins of the Earth. The idea behind it is that it came into being in response to the hunger of the living, sentient minds and souls of the Veins. If it is the creation of cruel and dark gods, of a devil or demon, something from the Outer Dark or of some strange underworld godling of hunger that has devoured its own name is up to you as the GM. It is assumed that the existence and rites of the chapel are known to at least a few dwellers of the Veins in the wider area, and that those in the know make regular “pilgrimages” to the chapel (for the sake of survival).

Axes & Orcs Pocket-sized Compendium: Volume One: Non-Human and Monster Classes by Ian Woolley. Available from Lulu in Print for $6.00. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $4.49. Available from itch.io in PDF for $1.50 or more. 20 pages.

This the A5 version of my first compendium for old-school style role-playing 
games. https://axesorcs.itch.io/compendium-volume-one

Email me and I'll send the corresponding PDF.

TOC

• Halfling Druid
• Moon-Rat Arqubusier & Machinist
• Transforming Robot
• Pegataur
• Skeleton
• Sky-Gnome
• Sphinx

GS13: Secret of the Storm Giant King by RC Pinnell. Published by Dragonsfoot. Available from the publisher in PDF for Free. 16 pages.

The war with the lesser giants has waged for many years, and now hope is at hand with the discovery of information on the whereabouts of the artifact know as Giant's Bane. The war can be won, if you can persuade the goodly Storm Giants to part with it. An adventure for 4 to 8 characters of levels 12 to 15.

Wet Work: A Cepheus Engine Adventure by Joseph Mohr. Published by Old School Role Playing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 17 pages.

A scout ship carrying an alien artifact crashed on a water planet. A Colonel from the Rysnian Confedration is willing to pay for it's return. But there are other interested parties. And a storm is brewing. Things might get messy.

Wet Work is an adventure designed for the Frontiers of Space.

Spontaneous Generation Monsters by Derek Holland, Skirmisher Game Development Group. Published by Skirmisher Publishing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.99. 16 pages.

Spontaneous generation, the idea that life can arise from non-living matter, is one of several obsolete biological concepts that can be used in fantasy games to provide a storyteller with more options for monster and setting design. This concept can include living creatures that, by modern definition, are not biological, such as those made of glass or metal.

There are at least three forms of spontaneous generation and these are all covered in this mini-sourcebook. Happenstance due to magical laws is the first and the most similar to the historical definition of spontaneous generation. Alchemy is the use of natural laws to create creatures through spontaneous generation by mortals. Divine intervention involves creation of monsters when circumstances fit the requirements dictated by a god.

“Spontaneous Generation Monsters” includes guidelines on how to create, use, and incorporate into games the title sorts of creatures; descriptions of the three distinct sorts of spontaneous generation; and 17 sample monsters, two of which include variants.

Material in this publication was written specifically for the "Basic" version of the OGL/d20 system and can be used as-is or easily adapted for other games using the same core rules. It was written by noted game developer Derek Holland and includes illustraions by artist Andy Hopp.

Brutal Imperilment in the Bag of Infinite Holding by Frank "Mottokrosh" Reding. Published by Mottokrosh Machinations. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $3.99. 28 pages.

Spelunk into a wild network of interconnected and nested magical bags.

An adventure and toolkit for Hypertellurians and all fantasy roleplaying games.

The queen has lost the crown jewels and her beloved poodle Duchess down her magical bag of infinite holding. Many have tried to enter it and retrieve her majesty’s prized possessions. Will you be the ones to finally succeed?

This adventure is bags of fun, and can be adapted to play over one or several sessions, thanks to its toolkit approach. Inside you will find:

29 imaginative locations
7 pre-made characters to play or use as NPCs
50 thematically appropriate random finds of all shapes and sizes
Loads of art by Alysa Avery, Frank “Mottokrosh” Reding, and Luka Rejec
Quiver at these haverhandy sacks holding bags of marvels!

Delilah's Dubious Decoctions #ZweihanderRPG by Andy Garland. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.99. 19 pages.

In a dusty, forgotten alchemy lab reeking of dried herbs, a young acolyte mulches kobold eyes and corpseblossom petals together, trying their best to recreate a long-forgotten formulae…

In the flickering light of a campfire, a Hexer prepares a series of draughts that will make them more than a match for the prowling pack of vampires stalking these forsaken woods…

And in the warrens deep beneath the city streets, the brightest Skrrzak minds work tirelessly to create and bottle debilitating vapours, another tool in their arsenal to use against the surface dwellers…

DELILAH’S DUBIOUS DECOCTIONS expands on the alchemical rules found in the MAIN GAUCHE supplement to offer over thirty new potions, decoctions and vapours to augment any adventurer's arsenal in your Grim and Perilous campaign. Hunt your prey in the witching hours with a dose of Nighthawk, explore the depths of the churning oceans with a draught of Diving Belle and debilitate fiendish spellcasters with a potent blast of Soulrot fumes. Also included for GMs is over 100 plants and minerals to add to your game, sorted by rarity and location.

Creature Feature Quarterly vol.1 (OSR Edition) by Jeremy Hart. Available from DriveThruRPG in electronic format for $4.50. 36 pages.

NOT JUST STATBLOCKS! 

16 new monsters for your OSR game.
+ Extensive Fluff including Descriptions, Lore, Ecology and Adventure Seeds.

+ Paper Mini designs you can easily cut out and glue together to get on your table quick!

+ VTT tokens if you prefer to play your oldskool on Roll20, etc.

+ The PDF is formatted to be easily printed at home on A4 sheets as A5 facing pages. (DIY!)

+ I also included two covers for your further DIY pleasure. One black and one white.

The stat blocks after modeled after Swords and Wizardry but without Descending Armor Class. The terminology draws upon the gamut of DnD from 5e back to ADnD. As a result, knowledge of other editions will be helpful.

Gregorius21778: Names for Elves by Kai Pütz a.k.a Gregorius21778. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.75. 4 pages.

Gregorius21778: Names for Elves includes two tables (99 entries each) for the creation of last names out of a themed two-word combination (Sungale, Fernstep, Fairdawn, Mistspear, Moonspeel, etc.), and two further tables with 50 male (Alaris, Cerun, Ulliad) and female (Illyda, Malyvon, Tana) first names each.

To create a last name, roll a d100 once on both tables (and re-roll any 100 that comes up).

To pick a random first name, roll a d100: if the result is between 1-50, pick the according name in the table. Is it 51+, subtract 50 from the result and pick the according name in the table.

A printer-friendly black/white version of the document is part of the download as well.

Adventure Framework 52: A Creeping Tide by Stephen J Grodzicki. Published by Pickpocket Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.50. 15 pages.

Danger: Moderate.

Pages: 12 (exc cover & credits).

Map: Yes

"Saxford you say? Yea I know it. Small outpost on the far side o’ Lake Argos. Sure you want to go there, stranger? Lot o’ death in Saxford, I hear. Nay, not by beastmen nor barbarian… Saxfords’ are taking their own lives. Why? Har! Might as well ask why the sun sets at dusk, eh? Wodon knows, wanderer. Wodon knows."

In this adventure, Saxford’s outlanders (exposed to the Black Spire’s subtle taint for years) engage in increasingly bizarre, hivemind like behaviour, as they unwittingly summon a tsunami that will claim the outpost, and everyone in it.

Every Adventure Framework is set in a generic medieval or ancient fantasy location, with enough meat to enable the GM to improvise details (with minimal prep) and adapt to player choices. System wise, these adventures use the Low Fantasy Gaming RPG (an old school/modern mix d20 based game; free PDF), but are easily adapted to any d20 system.

Montserrat by Paul Ward. Published by Matakishi's Tea House. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $7.79. 70 pages.

Montserrat continues on the starting adventures provided in Monkey Island, the first adventure module for The High Seas Hack. Montserrat is a sandbox setting that continues stories started in Monkey Island as well as presenting the players with several new adventure opportunities.

Montserrat's 70 pages contain over 20 adventure-hook rumours to entice the players, illustrated NPCs and 7 mapped and detailed towns along with a map and description of Porto Grande, the pirate stronghold of the dreaded Black Sanchez.

The High Seas Hack is a tabletop roleplaying game set in the golden age of piracy using a variation of The Black Hack rules. You will require a copy of The High Seas Hack to enjoy these adventures fully.

Re-Releases, New Editions, Now in Print, etc.

Tricks, Empty Rooms, and Basic Trap Design by Courtney Campbell. Published by Hack & Slash Publishing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 30 pages.

The original Tricks, Empty Rooms, and Basic Trap Design document.

I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City (1e) by David Cook. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF combo for $11.99, in Print for $9.99 and in PDF for $4.99. 32 pages.

Somewhere in the heart of the steaming jungle lies the answer to the whispered tales - rumors of a magnificent city and foul, horrid rituals! Here a brave party might find riches and wonders - or death! Is your party brave enough to face the terrors of the unknown and find the Forbidden City!?

Parts of this adventure were used in 1980 for a major East Coast convention tournament. Information is presented here to reconstruct this exciting tournament and even more has been give to expand play. Here characters may adventure several times in a unique and interesting mini-campaign setting. Included in this module are background and tournament notes, referee's keys, new monsters, pre-generated characters, and eight different maps.

For characters levels 4 to 7.

Book of Artifacts (2e) by David Cook. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF combo for $21.99, in Print for $19.99 and in PDF for $9.99. 160 pages.

Incredible magic for all campaigns! The Book of Artifacts will help every adventure reach new plateaus of mystery, danger, and epic excitement. Within these pages is the most complete collection of legendary and obscure artifacts ever assembled for the AD&D 2nd Edition game. Each enigmatic token or powerful relic has a detailed history, special powers that truly fit the theme of the item, and even tips on how to introduce - or remove - the artifact from a campaign.

New and valuable information is also included for characters who want to create magical items or recharge existing ones. Making that special magical sword or finding ingredients for that powerful potion can be the basis for whole adventures! Whether the characters find the Machine of Lum the Mad or the Jacinth of Inestimable Beauty, the Book of Artifacts packs enough adventure between its covers to be an invaluable addition to every AD&D game!

Walking the Way: A Mysticism Sourcebook [Swords & Wizardry] by James M. Spahn. Published by Barrel Rider Games. Available from Lulu in Print for $9.99. Still available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $7.99. 64 pages.

Strange Gifts and Mystical Powers

Across A Galaxy of Endless Stars

Walking the Way: A Mysticism Sourcebook for White Star brings a plethora of new options to your OSR sci-fi campaign! As heroic Star Knights and exotic Alien Mystics fight against the agents of the Void and the evil Galactic Consortium, they find new options to add to their arsenal in the latest supplement for White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying and White Star: Galaxy Edition. Inside you'll find: 

• Four brand new classes! Elusive Althar meld both Meditations and Gifts, while Augumented Waybreakers meld cybernetic enhancement with the powerful Meditations.
• New Gifts and Meditations to expand the power of your Mystic character classes!
• Half a dozen paths for Alien Mystics to customize their journey towards enlightenment!
• Complete rules for building and customizing the iconic weapon of the Star Knights: The Star Sword.
• New gear, weapons, and armor!
• New Advanced Technology, like the esoteric Spirit Stones!
• New Monsters, from the adorable Gorp to the dangerous Void Serpent!
• A completely new form of Mysticism: Technomancy!

Expand your galaxy today with Walking the Way: A Mysticism Sourcebook.

Star Sword: The Official White Star Magazine (Issue #1) by James Spahn. Published by Barrel Rider Games. Available from Lulu in Print for $7.99. Still available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $3.99. 42 pages.

In the first exciting issue of Star Sword: The Official White Star Magazine, you'll thrill to the adventures of the Cosmic Kestrel, explore the seedy spacer bar the Pickled Pulsar, discover the cosmic power of the Prime Human character class, and more! For use with the White Star Roleplaying Game and other OSR RPGs.

Journeys in Time by Mark Stout. Published by Stouthearted Games. Available from Lulu in Print for $5.00. Still available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.99. 68 pages.

Journeys in Time is a tabletop roleplaying game based on The Black Hack, an old school system blended with modern rules into a fast-playing, rules-light system. Journeys in Time is a standalone game that lets you play the role of a time traveler. You can travel through time and space with a mysterious guide, be part of a team of troubleshooters that go back in time to prevent terrible disasters, hop through time to stop others from changing the past, or be police from the future chasing escaped criminals into the past.

The Tall Witch by Davide Pignedoli. Published by Daimon Games. Available from Lulu in Print for $5.00. Still available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 26 pages.

The Tall Witch is a short introductory adventure for the Crying Blades, or any OSR system.

It presents a classic adventure, with a mission assigned to the characters by the priest of a small village, and rumors of the coming awakening of the terrible Tall Witch.

Polyhedron Newszine V6 #5 Issue 32 Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 32 pages.

Included in this issue:

• Operation: Butter Up - by Japji Singh Khalsa. Code-na med "Clambake," this TOP SECRET® Game adventure pits four agents against evildoers out to disrupt a European conference on terrorism, with potentially terminal results.
• Tournament Coordination: Pain & Pleasure-by John Cereso. The trials and tribulations of coordinati ng an RPGATM Network AD&D® Game tournament at a major game convention.
• The Kellar-An Optional Race for STAR TREK®: The Role-Playing Game - by Jon Leeke. Want to add a truly alien character to your galactic adventures? Take one of these unique aliens on your next interstellar voyage, but be sure the Kellar is on you r side.

Polyhedron Newszine V6 #6 Issue 33 Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 32 pages.

Included in this issue:

• The Sword & the Anti-Hero - by Robert J Blake, Anita B Frank, and Rex Zinn. High adventure and intrigue in Mythical Finland. How will you fare as a pawn of the gods?
• The New Rogues Gallery - by Andrew Ernstein. The Brenalette Family and Friends can add a bit of spice to any campaign.
• Let's Clean Up Our Act - by Tim Tollefson. Some advice on how to get more enjoyment out of role-playing while depriving role-playing's detractors of their ammunition.
• Expanding the Power of the Cube - by Daniel Bowers. Want to do some serious gaming, but don't have the nght dice? No sweat, here's how you can get any random number you need with just a D6.

One Page Dungeon Compendium 2010 Print Edition. Published by Shattered Pike Studio. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print for $10.00. 70 pages.

The Print Edition of the 2010 features 62 “one page dungeons” ranging from the Post-Apocalytpic wastelands and wilderness hex crawls to forlorn mines and crashed star ships.

Authors/ Creators

Michael Richards, Random Wizard, Adam Thornton, Antti Hulkkonen, Chris Gonzales, Clarabelle Chong, Corwin Riddle, Craig Brasco, Heron Prior, Herwin Wielink, Jimm Johnson, Jeff Lynk, Lord Kilgore, Paul Siegel, Peter A. Mullen, Rob Antonishen, Shane Mangus, Simon Bull, Stuart Robertson, Tim Shorts, Tom Holmes, Aaron Schneider, Andrew Durston, Brenton Haerr, Caleb Jensen, Chris Maler, Darcy Stratton, David Bedell, Dean Bemen, DeForest Piper, Dennis Carter, Eric C. Alderson, Fabien Deneuville, Gabriel P., Gottfried Neuner, Greg Hartman, James Carr, James D. Jarvis, Jens Thuresson, Jesse Rothacher, John Laviolette, Lee Barber, Maximilian Thieme, Michael Christensen, Michael Hutchinson, Michael K. Tumey, Michael Wiemholt, Moritz Mehlem, Mrrkyllothur, Onno Tasler, Patrice Crespy, Paul Fini, Philippe Tromeur, Redrobes, Rick Ray, Ron Parker, Samuel Dennler, Scott Morrison, Scott Wylie Roberts, Shawn harris, Sven Vogler, Tim Hartin, Tim Morgan, Todd Hughes, Tom Allman, and Tom Livak.

Avremier: Supplement 0 by David A. Hill. Published by Mothshade Concepts. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $15.99, in Print for $11.99 and in PDF for $6.99. 84 pages.

Introducing a setting more than 30 years in the making.

Avremier is a world said to rest at the very center of Creation. Contested by gods and monsters of outer dimensions, this is the new home of a colonial human race. Established less than 500 years past, human civilization has yet to match the heights of the older races, but humanity does lead the way in the industry of adventuring. Whether you further the cause as a human adventurer, or make your mark as a dwarf, elf, halfling, or hobgoblin PC - Avremier is a setting for glory and renown.

This first "Supplement 0" for the Avremier old-school edition offers:

• A new fighting PC class - the Armiger. Champions of Humanity.
• Setting-specific details for running non-human PC races, including a hobgoblin player character race: the Yalkhoi.
• The industry of the professional adventurer, including guidelines for gaining Renown as a hero of the realm.
• 24 new Magic-User spells. 10 new Cleric spells. 6 new Druid spells.
• Over 50 new and variant monsters, such as the Dungeon Dragon, Flutterpotamus, and Cauldron Golem.
• More than 100 new magical weapons and items. Wield the bizarre chess-aspected Checkered Blade or baffle opponents with the mighty Wand of Dragon Bubbles.
• The known, surviving deminities - diminished remnants of Humanity's old gods.
• Details of the Avremier setting and environment. 

This homage to the first published fantasy RPG rules is the first of a five-volume set.

Troika! Numinous Edition by Daniel Sell. Published by Melsonian Arts Council. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $14.27. 116 pages.

Troika! Numinous Edition is the new edition of our popular Troika! RPG, a complete science-fantasy RPG full of critically acclaimed writing, built-in wonder and room for everyone at the table to go wild!

Inside the book you will find:

• A full automated character creation system that generates exciting starting points for players to build upon
• Weighty lists of spells and enemies to encounter
• A baked-in plane-hoping setting which draws you into the world and allows you space to build upon its sturdy foundations
• Lavishly illustrated by Jeremy Duncan, Dirk Detweiler Leicthy, Sam Mameli, and ENnie award winning Andrew Walter

Book Details

• Hyperlinked PDF: 116 pages
• Publisher: Melsonian Arts Council (13 Mar.. 2019)
• ISBN: 978-0-9957567-2-4

More Free Gaming Stuff from the Blogosphere and Environs

Evlyn Moreau shared a Google Drive link with free PDF's of her amazing zines. 

Konsumterra of Elfmaids & Octopi posted Necromancy and You, d100 Crap in a Necromancers Lair and d100 food items and events at evil feast.

Skerples of Coins and Scrolls posted OSR: Spell Research and Magical Industry, Part 1.

Christopher Green shared a Google Drive file: Here is Some Fucking D&D.

Homebrew Homunculus posted Random LotFP Class Generator, OSR Class: Trollkin (Half-Troll) and Differentiating Spellcasters: Spell Orbs, Elven Mind-Palaces, and more.

BoxinaBox of Box Full of Boxes posted The Ascetic - LotFP Custom Class.

Trey of From the Sorcerer's Skull posted Random Mars and Random Mercury.

Michael Shorten of CHICAGOWIZ'S GAMES posted [THREE HEXES] THE WORLD CLOCK.

Andrew Marrington of Save vs. Player Agency posted The Horror of Hull.

James Mishler of Adventures in Gaming v2 posted [Advanced Labyrinth Lord] Class Level Title  -- Emendations and Additions. 1 page PDF.

PLINES of Hex Junkie posted The 529 hex Barbarian Prince D&D sandbox.

Dungeons and Possums posted An Ode to the D30 and The War-Witch of the Crimson Forest.

David Baymiller of The OSR Library posted Operation Whitebox vs DC: The War Wheel.

Michael Galosi of 400 Billion Suns posted Strange New World: Fearsome Creatures - The Whirling Whimpus (Kickstarter zine preview.) 1 page PDF.

Matthew Schmeer of Rended Press posted Toss Off Issue 3. 2 page PDF.

spittingimage of Late Night Zen posted Incarnari, city of the mad. 1 page PDF.

Evan Elkins of In Places Deep posted 20 Questions for the City State of the Invincible Overlord.

Timothy Brannan of The Other Side posted Isaina Lyd’ar for The Witch for Swords & Wizardry White Box.

Evlyn of Le Chaudron Chromatique made this for you.

Brian Richmond of The Goatman's Goblet posted Dolmenwood: The Tumulheights - (Hex 1609).

Maptime

Trey of From the Sorcerer's Skull found some Maps of Eternia.

Dyson Logos of Dyson's Dedecahedron posted Temple of the Seven Heretics, Lesser Temple of the Heretics and Nagmer’s Throne Cavern.

Reviews & Play Reports

Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org posted The Mountain Tollkeep and The Dog That Would Not Bark.

Jeremy “frothsof” Smith of Thought Eater posted Humpday Blog-O-Rama 3.13.19 and Frothcast #25: Night Below Session Recap 3.10.19.

Justin Isaac of Halls of the Nephilim posted SURVIVE THIS!! Vigilante City Villain's Guide Review.

Brian V. Molina of Laughing Leviathan posted First Time Playing: Knave.

Ynas Midgard's RPG Blog posted Review: Eldritch Tales.

BRUTORZ BILL of Green Skeleton Gaming Guild posted SWN- Cabal Sigma Session 1- The Wrong Side of Heaven (part 4).

Dungeons and Possums posted Review: Obscene Serpent Religion 2 for LotFP.

Skerples of Coins and Scrolls posted OSR: Veinscrawl Session 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17.

KingBrakish of Tomb of the Wandering Millennial posted O Povo do Buraco #1 Zine [Review].

Tamás Kisbali of Eldritch Fields posted [Actual Play] Back to the Stacks! The Stygian Library, Revisited [LotFP].

Pookie UK of Reviews from R'lyeh reviews What Ho, Frog Demons! and Kaigaku.

Timothy Brannan of The Other Side posted Monstrous Monday: Beasties II from Night Owl Workshop.

Fantastic Dimensions uploaded Rogues to Riches, session 1: Desperate Times Make Desperate Men.

Bud's RPG review uploaded Cults of Prax (Part II) for RuneQuest 2nd Ed by Chaosium.

ivanmike1968 uploaded Lamentations of the Martian Princess ep #14 ~ Apocalypse Now.

Dungeon Musings uploaded Actual Play - Scarlet Heroes - B/X D&D: Barrowmaze Beckons - Session 34.

Dungeon Musings uploaded Actual Play - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition - Session 3.

Dungeon Musings uploaded Actual Play - Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea - Reavers of Thule Ep 5.

rsk350 of Age of Dusk posted [Actual Play] Inside the Daemon Worm Session 3 (Cha’alt) and [Review] The Return of the Blue Baron (Blueholme); Second-time’s the Charm.

The Dorker Realms’s Podcast uploaded Hell and Back Part 1.

Patrick of False Machine posted A Review of The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison.

And in Other News...

Matt Finch RPG Studio uploaded Courtney Campbell part 2!

The 2019 One Page Dungeon Contest has begun!

Check out this pic Stefan Poag posted.

Kickstarters, Pre-Orders, etc.

And That's It for This Week...

You may have noticed the Patreon Link to the left, near the top of my blog. For $3.00 a month (or less) you can help support The OSR News and help me realize additional plans for my work with the Old School RPG Community. Your patronage is very much appreciated!

About The OSR News

Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files unless that is the only link available.

I have received no remuneration from any publisher for reporting on their releases, nor is such a requirement for a product to be included in these posts. At times, an author or publisher may send me a complimentary copy of an item, for purposes of review. This is not a requirement for a product's inclusion in these posts. One Bookshelf site links are affiliate links and may provide some compensation from that retail site.

All prices are set by the respective venues and are subject to change, or may otherwise be different from what is listed in this post.

Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest which you would like to see mentioned.