The OSR News: March 1, 2019

The GM Day sale at DriveThruRPG is here and there's some damn good prices on a lot of excellent OSR stuff! Meanwhile, Dungeons and Possums is still kicking ass, Timothy Brannon brings us more witchery, James M. Spahn keeps making me want to run a Science Fantasy campaign and another OD&D supplement becomes available in Print. All this and more appear in this week's News!

New Releases

Walking the Way: A Mysticism Sourcebook [Swords & Wizardry] by James M. Spahn. Published by Barrel Rider Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.39. 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.

The Angel's Burial Ground - A Suburb of Infinigrad by Michael Raston. Published by Gorgzu Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.99. 31 pages.

A mountainside suburb of towers, inhabited by angels and haunted by an undying colony of scaled men. The Angel's Burial Ground is filled with gilded corpses, gangs, mysteries and ancient medical technology. All set in the sprawling fantasypunk megacity of Infinigrad.

The Angel's Burial Ground can slot into your campaign's world preexisting megacity or serve as a fully fleshed out settlement in a mountain range of your own hexcrawl. This adventure location can be scaled or tailored to your party, as NPC hit dice are variable and random throughout.

Included in the PDF are:

• Stats and descriptions of 7 local factions
• Suburb Map
• Landmark and Building descriptions of 39 locations
• Random encounter and reaction tables
• Rumour table
• Quest generator
• Bone to pick table
• Random name tables
• Angel visual quirk table
• Building interior stocking and mapping tables
• NPC relationship table

Grimtooth’s Trapsylvania (DCC Sourcebook) by Grimtooth the Troll. Published by Goodman Games. Available in Hardcover for $39.99, in Softcover for $24.99 and in Leatherbound for $100. A PDF version is available for $14.99. Also Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $11.99. 168 pages.

For the first time ever: the Legendary locations of Grimtooth’s Traps revealed! And fully compatible with DCC RPG!

For over 30 years Grimtooth’s numerous Traps books have horrified players and inspired gamemasters with hundreds of dangerous devices, deadly deathtraps and hilarious hijinx! Now Grimtooth (with a little help from kid sister Grimtina) will take you on a personally guided tour of his realm and the central hub of his vast Traps empire.

Run your own Grimtooth campaign or pick and choose locations you can use in your own single location adventures. Explore Grimtooth’s caverns, visit his Inner Sanctum, escape the Deathmaze Testing Center, attend Warthog’s School for Trolls, take a ride on Grimtooth’s Airship, tour Grimtina’s Petting Zoo or get lost in the Infinite Corridor of Hallways and many more gigantic places of doom. Each of these infamous locations include maps, descriptions, Non-player character details, scenarios, all with in-depth DCC stats and lots of art by Traps artist SS Crompton.

And can you uncover the horrendous secret that lies deep beneath Grimtooth’s caverns and back into his family’s history? It’s a great read and a useful campaign setting all in one book. What are you waiting for? Get yours today!

1988 Dungeon by Goblin's Henchman. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 20 pages.

This is an 1e AD&D adventure made in 1988. It was one of the first dungeons I ever made when I was a teenager. So, it’s about as Old Skoool as it gets … not in an OSR sense, but in a “I’ve made a dungeon who wants to play” kind of way. If you’re looking for understandable/sensible dungeon ecology, themes, plot, and balanced encounters etc., then you’ve signed up for the wrong adventure!

I'm very happy for you to pay nothing for this product; and anything given to me will only be frittered away on RPG-related wares anyway.

Escape the Noose - Adventure for #ZweihanderRPG by Brent Scanlon. Published by Nights of the Shed. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print for $3.99. 13 pages.

Can you make it out of Nuess alive, and Escape the Noose!? 

Escape the Noose is set in the context of historical events known as the War of Cologne, or the Seneschal’s War. The adventure begins with the characters finding themselves trapped in the fallen city of Neuss on the Rhine river.

Neuss was once famous for repelling previous attempts to storm her walls; however, this time her garrison is surrounded—and outnumbered—by a host of Spanish and Italian soldiers with cannons.

This adventure is designed for Basic Tier characters; however, it can be easily made more difficult for Intermediate Tier play by adding extra soldiers to encounters, increasing the rate of cannon fire at escape vessels, or increasing the difficulty rating of skill rolls due to smoke, rubble, toil and other trouble.

This adventure also contains:

• Historical background for the Siege of Nuess
• A short bestiary detailing new foes
• Adventure seeds for further escapades in 16th Century Cologne
• Nuess city maps

Adventure Location 003 - The Mountain Tollkeep by Peter Lattimore. Published by Garblag Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.99. 10 pages.

For a century the only safe land route between the two nations was to go all the way around the Great Central Mountains. The sea route wasn’t been much better, with stormy seas around the peninsula barring the path of all but the bravest captains. So when the Mountain Pass was hewn from the rock of those great peaks a short, and important, route was finally available. To ensure that this route was not abused another construction project was undertaken.

High on a mountain side where the pass skirts the flank of a massive peak sit two towers standing proud against the sky. Between them a thick wall and portcullis bar the path of anyone seeking to sneak from one land to another, for whatever purpose. The walls of this structure have witnessed many things: diplomatic envoys hell-bent on trade deals, generals on horseback with declarations of war, displaced peasantfolk hammering on it’s gates with malnourished hands.

The Mountain Tollkeep does much more than just watch the border of two countries.

This open source adventure location is a standalone scenario that is designed to fit into an existing campaign, or be the jumping off point for one.

As an open source fantasy location, the Mountain Tollkeep is a useful site for many roleplaying games, including: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Zweihander RPG and of course, Dungeons & Dragons!

This document will provide you with location descriptions, hooks to get in and out of the scenario and some potential hazards and enemies that would fit into the location well. As such this document will refer to elements that should be represented by finding the appropriate stats in which ever system you choose to play.

We hope you enjoy.

Rakehell - Issue One: The Rift of Mar-Milloir. A downloadable zine for KNAVE by Goatman's Goblet. Available from itch.io in PDF for $3.00 USD or more. Pagination unknown. (A print edition is forthcoming via DTRPG. ed.)

The Rift of Mar-Milloir will always be contested between two kingdoms, though neither will ever have the means or desire to enforce that claim with true rulership. Each year, the representative courtiers will send spies and assassins to one another’s court, to beguile, berate, and suffer further insult to see the conflict never ends. No one goes to Mar-Milloir who has a choice, it is a wretched and perfidious region of serpent-haunted mountains, wayward nephilims, and heretical holdouts who refuse the reformation of the Grand Heliopapacy of the Cathedral Tempestuous.

You have been sent here, if not to die then to profit your betters. You are a blaggard, a knave, a blackguard, a rakehell, and an out-and-out scoundrel; whether you desire such a title or otherwise.

Survive. Change your fickle fortunes. Take the Rift for yourself. Praise be to the Sun and those who have inherited its grace; with ambition enough, you will stand among them.

Bastard Sword Hargrove. Published by Mystic Beard Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.00. 10 pages.

A collection of down and dirty house rules for The Original Fantasy Roleplaying Game, I've culled these mechanics over the past 24 years from various sources for use in my home games. Now you, too, can use these rules as you see fit, for the low price of only $1 (US).

A Dark and Salient Land (Early Access) by Tyler A. Thompson, Owen L. Luetkemeyer, Tyler J. Urish. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 28 pages. (This appears to be a Zweihander thingie. ed.)

A short time ago, a Great Horde formed far to the east, from deep within the cold and savage mountains at the edge of the known world: a horde of foul, corrupted men, twisted human-beast hybrids, the dead walking in perverse imitation of life, and distorted, maddening creatures of corruption and chaos.

This horde marched westward, growing in strength and devouring all that is good and living as it went. The Empire and the other nations of men rallied a great host of their own, and engaged the forces of evil and corruption across a massive front spanning the east, a bulwark against annihilation. For years, they fought what seemed a losing battle to push back the foul tide of corruption, but through the valor, heroism, and determination of the great heroes of the lands and the stoic labor of the people, the foul host was broken, scattered, and destroyed. The Empire has at last achieved some semblance of peace, prosperity, and security within its own borders. Corruption, heresy, and the other great evils that plague humanity are still present, but are for now pushed firmly to the fringes of the realm or beaten back into hiding throughout the realm. The same cannot be said of the lands beyond the Empire’s core. Those to the east are war torn, and those beyond the final frontline are desolate and destroyed. Those to the west, while enduring struggles with corruption of their own, stand strong, but consider themselves the true heroes of the recent war and have themselves settled back into petty politicking, even as efforts to reconstruct the east have begun. Worse, the lords, priests, and academics of the land have reason to believe the host was merely a vanguard, and in time a new host will form and once again descend from the mountains. Many believe it to be unbeatable, a mere fact of existence now. Others have hope that it can be vanquished for good, if only all of humanity continues to try. What is certain is that the enemy is powerful, and grows more powerful still, day by day. When it will come is uncertain, but there is every reason to suspect it will indeed come, and just as much reason to suspect that humanity is not yet ready. The players take on the role of petty lords and their personal retinues, freshly granted title to fiefs in the Zizka Valley, a region at the border of the Empire, a final gateway to the Eastern Kingdoms and steppe tribes that lie beyond- or the final gate before the Imperial core, and mere days of travel from the final frontline of the war. A long-neglected region which has suffered greatly from corruption and waste, the players have been tasked with reclaiming the valley and establishing a defensive line, a final bulwark to buy humanity time should the evil host return and beat back the crusading forces at the frontlines. Players will be afforded little help by their Emperor, nor their neighbors; the Valley is a contingency plan, a gap stop, and not a priority in which to invest too much cscarce time, money, and resources. How much time they have before the horde is at their doorstep is unclear and depends on their contributions to the effort, the valor of the crusaders, and luck. Perhaps they have mere weeks, perhaps years, perhaps it will be vanquished before reaching them at all. All that is known is their duty, and that the fate of humanity may depend on securing the Zizka Valley.

DISCLAIMER: This represents the main rules of the A Dark and Salient Land campaign, but lacks the scenarios which will accompany the final release. These scenarios will be released on their own as they are finished at a nominal cost, and later added to this document. To support development, pay what you want. Enjoy.

Ruins & Adventures 2: Aldair's Arboretum (B/X Essentials) Published by Mesozoic Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.50. 10 pages.

This version uses the B/X Essentials rules from Necrotic Gnome

An isolated forest dwelling holds mystery, magic, and new dangers.

Encounter Location: Forest

The Ruins & Adventures series is intended to be dropped into an existing campaign as encounters and events that occur during their travels. While each one is self contained, they contain advice on how to further expand upon the events.

Contains:

• 7 magical items
• 4 new monster
• 150 DPI jpeg map (17” x 25”) for use with VTT’s

Whisper in the Crags (S&W)by Lloyd Metcalf. Published by Fail Squad Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $4.00. 15 pages.

When the winds blow in from the east at just the right angle, the Whispering Crags north of Lorview howl and moan, giving rise to dark superstition and legends. Little Lottie Fisher has a secret friend who knows more than most about the crags. That strange little girl, drawing her pictures and talking to the dark.

“Lottie has a wanderlust,” her mother Rasel Fisher often says. “Even as a babe on the road, she wandered off for two days into the forest alone. She’s a blessing and a handful.”

What dark secret await the heroes in the city of Lorview this time?

Falls Keep (S&W) by Lloyd Metcalf. Published by Fail Squad Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $4.00. 12 pages.

An old keep at the head of nearby falls fills the local tavern with rumors of the past lord of the land, Lord Venwexal. The purpose of his towers is the subject of wild speculation, late night tales, and rumors. After the lord was removed from power by a revolt, some twisted sorcery took up residence, or so the tales say. The abandoned towers have certainly fallen to the wildlands, and few, if any, survive venturing anywhere near the falls. What is sure is that the stone buildings are not standing empty, and most can agree that some powerful magic is at the heart of the unusual keep.

Gregorius21778: 50 Small-Time Vendors for a Weird, Irradiated Post-Apocalypse by Kai Pütz a.k.a Gregorius21778. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.40. 11 pages.

50 Small-Time Vendors for a Weird, Irradiated Post-Apocalypse is a collection of hawkers, hucksters, peddlers and other NPC that have something to sell in small quantities. It is all Mutant Future(tm) compatible, so the goods are from the equipment and technological artifact section of said game. A few vendors offer services instead of goods. Each one (humans, mutants, robots, mutant plants and mutant animals) comes with a very brief description and a name, as well as what is on sale for what price (or whatever else a given vendor may ask for in return). Use them on a “a few per settlement” basis in your game, or round them all up in one location for a big, colorful, post-apocalyptic flee market.

Back to the Dungeon Zine for LL/AEC V1I4 by Eldrad Wolfsbane. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 28 pages.

The freasome 4th level of the BLACK STAIRS MEGA DUNGEON!

Macchiato Monsters by Eric Nieudan. Published by Lost Pages. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $12.00 and in PDF for $6.00. 58 pages. (There's also a PDF upgrade bundle, which looks like it comes with a different version of the game. $10.00.)

Macchiato Monsters is a rules-light, slightly collaborative, old school roleplaying game. It is not a game about coffee.

Two years after the release of the Zero Edition, we come to you with a perfectly tuned engine for adventure, exploration and survival in all kinds of perilous , whether you're using published settings and adventures or create your own.

Key features:

• Freeform characters: emulate a classic concept, or come up with something unique and help define the world.
• Risk dice: a simple attrition mechanic for armour, gear, encounters, treasure, and story progression.
• Flexible magic: invent your spells, and keep casting them as long as you have resources - and hit points - to fuel your magic.
• One-roll combat rounds: no initiative, no battle maps, no quarter given.
• Campaign tools: a panoply of tables and procedures to prep and improvise content.
• A while lot of illustrations of monsters having coffee!

Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting Hex Map by Stephen J. Grodzicki. Published by Pickpocket Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $5.00. 2 pages.

A gorgeous full colour Hex Map (plus no hex version) for the Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting by RPG veteran cartographer John Stevenson. The Map is 14 inches by 15 inches, PNG file. The hexes are 20 miles by default (scale in the bottom left corner, beside the compass). For more pictures of the map (including close ups) check out the Low Fantasy Gaming website. Hope you enjoy!

The Merchant's Heart by Michael Palacios. Published by Three Swords and Three Ravens. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 8 pages.

*THIS ADVENTURE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN*

*IT PROBABLY ISN'T SUITABLE FOR ADULTS EITHER*

A rich merchant is found murdered, his heart removed. Will the heroes find the murderer or will the apocalypse be unleashed upon an unsuspecting Europe?

This was a joke, a jest, a parody, a, dare I say it, lampoon that got out of hand. But it was well received. Interest was expressed. It's bad. It's kind of terrible. But it might be so terrible it's good. It's also free!

GM Screen Panels - Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe Edition by Stephen J. Grodzicki. Published by Pickpocket Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for Free. 8 pages.

8 x landscape 8.5" x 11" GM Screen Panels (4 x Colour and 4 x B&W) for Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe Edition, illustrated by Daniel Comerci. Fits perfectly in the 4 panel DrivethruRPG Game Master Screen (landscape).

Note page number references in the PDFs may change depending on the final page count of the LFG Deluxe Hardcover (due by 31 June 2019). This file will be updated if so.

An Evening’s Adventure #2: The Nixie’s Quandary by J. Published by New Realms Publishing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $1.60. 6 pages.

A chance encounter with a nixie sends the party on a quest to discover the source of Briar Creek’s pollution. But the source may be difficult to cleanse and deadly hazards lurk around each bend of the river. Can your party save the nixie and her kin or will you fail to solve the Nixie’s Quandary? 

The Nixie’s Quandary is a short adventure for five to seven 1st level characters and suitable for use with Labyrinth Lord (tm) and similar Old School games. The adventure can be played independently or as part of the Evening’s Adventure campaign.

Hobonomicon #1 Published by Alephnullpublishing. Available from Gumroad for $15.00.

HOBONOMICON ISSUE #1 is planned to arise at Gary Con 2019. Gods help ye all.

Includes Art, Comics, Words, Thought Crimes and Game Mechanics by: 

Doug Kovacs
Stefan Poag
Steve Gomez
James MacGeorge
Jarrett Crader
Wayne Snyder
Clea Bennett

Make your own decisions. Elastic thought is paramount. Dig your hands into the clay of the universe and shape existence as you will.

The Hobonomicon demands it.

SCAIII.1 Cavalier Attitude by Louis "sirlou" Kahn. Published by Starry Knight Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.00. 19 pages.

Hello and welcome, adventurers and Game Masters!

Welcome to the First issue of the Third Volume of my webzine: Cavalier Attitude. As the masthead says, this zine will focus on the Old School Revival (OSR) in fantasy role-playing. The Oldschool System Reference and Index Compilation™ (OSRIC) is my personal retro-clone of choice, but I will cover other games systems as well, as interest and time permit. The zine is publishing quarterly. The first issue was published in September 2017, this is our seventh issue.

The seventh issue’s contents include the following highlights:

• Felony Murder Hobos: Law and Order in Medieval Campaigns: an article on applying legal system in your fantasy role playing campaign.
• Bard’s Corner: a feature showcasing fantasy fiction with an RPG theme, by myself and others.
• The story in this issue is entitled “Prue’s Fate".
• Magickal Menagerie: a feature wherein we provides new and unique magic items for your players, straight from the pages of my published adventures!
• Pre-generated player character: a set of six pre-generated player character ready to take on whatever your GM’s campaign can dish out. This issue features our new landscape character sheet format, which we hope you enjoy!
• An Exclusive OSR adventure, "The Blood Moon": a lycanthrope-themed OSR adventure which takes place at a ransacked farm a few short miles outside civilization, known as the Humbill House. This mid-level adventure features a set of three new lycans, the WEREWEASEL, WEREJACKAL and WERELION. It is compatible with most FRPGs and is intended for 4-6 player characters of levels 4-6.
• BONUS HANDOUT: A full-page sized handout of the map for the Humbill House farmstead for use with the BLOOD MOON adventure.
• Old School art: a showcase of art by myself and others which is features in my published books;
• Market Square: synopses and information on my recently published books; and
• The Inn: a roundup of role-playing social media posts. 

The inaugural issue of the zine is still FREE to anyone who purchases one of my modules, supplements or one-shots. It is also available for regular purchase here on this site.

This zine is sure to please discerning GMs and players everywhere! Thanks for checking it out!

Tantalus by Simon Todd. Published by MontiDots Creations: The Art of Simon To. Available from  DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.00. 44 pages.

Tantalus can be played as part of the Highcliff Gard series or placed into any adventure where characters step through a magical gate. Designed for characters of 5th level or above, this book provides players with challenges requiring more than just brawn or spell power and introduces players to a completely new realm of existence unlike anything they have encountered before.

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

OD&D Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (0e) Pubished by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF combo for $14.19 in Print for $12.99 and in PDF for $2.99. 60 pages.

The book you now hold in your hand represents new dimensions to an already fascinating game system. This is the third supplement to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and was produced as a result of an ever increasing demand for new material.

This book also represents a new trend in the fine art of Dungeon Mastering. As originally conceived, D & D was limited in scope only by the imagination and devotion of Dungeon Masters everywhere. The supplements have fulfilled the need for fresh ideas and additional stimulation. But somewhere along the line, D & D lost some of its flavor, and began to become predictable. This came about as a result of the proliferation of rule sets; while this was great for us as a company, it was tough on the DM. When all the players had all of the rules in front of them, it became next to impossible to beguile them into danger or mischief. The new concept pioneered within these pages should go a long way towards putting back in some of the mystery, uncertainty and danger that make D & D the un-paralleled challenge it was meant to be. Legend Lore once again becomes the invaluable spell it was meant to be. No more will some foolhardy adventurer run down into a dungeon, find something and immediately know how it works, or even what it does, By the same token, no longer will players be able to send some unfortunate hireling to an early demise by forcing him to experiment on his master's goodies. The introduction of psionic combat is bound to enliven games grown stagnant. It opens up untold possibilities for both the players and the DM, and in so doing recognizes one of the favorite topics of science fiction and fantasy writers: the unknown powers of the mind.

As with the two previous supplements, the material herein contained follows the format of the original three booklets that comprise D & D. Corrections and additions are noted, so that it can all be integrated into the original with a minimum of bother. As you will note on the title page, this supplement had many contributors. Such is the nature of the beast. D & D was meant to be a free-wheeling game, only loosely bound by the parameters of the rules. We feel that ELDRITCH WIZARDRY goes a long way toward fulfilling the original premise of danger, excitement, and uncertainty. May you always make your saving throw.

This PDF is drawn from the Original Edition Premium Reprint, which included new cover art and updated layout.

Praise the Fallen. Published by Graphite Prime Studios. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 16 pages.

There were those demented powers that wanted to return all to naught, to become one with the Ever Slumbering Void. Pantheons collided and the Heavens shattered with war. Untold cosmic powers were lost without their names ever spoken by mortal tongues. Countless legions fell. Defeated in their gambit of annihilation, they scattered across the universe. Several of the Fallen fell to this world, forever imprisoned at their point of impact...

Praise the Fallen is an OSR styled one-shot dungeon-crawl where the players explore the lair of a Fallen Angel Cult. It is designed to challenge character levels 3-4. It is a place where alignment matters and foolish decisions have consequences. It is also a place where the players may find strange bedfellows as they ultimately try to thwart the cult from resurrecting an angel of destruction.

Polyhedron Newszine V6 #1 Issue 28. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.79. 32 pages.

Included in this issue:

• The Great Bugbear Hunt - by Frank Mentzer. Originally written as an AD&D® Game Open Tournament for the GEN CON® South Game Fair in 1982, Module R5 has become one of the RPGATM Network's most popular tournament scenarios. This search for the party magic-user's missing spell books set the standard for wilderness adventures.
• Adventure in the Clouds - by Jeff Martin. Need a new setting for adventures? Our cover story offers suggestions from a top-notch player and judge for developing cloud islands for campaign use.
• The Specialist Mage - by Jon Pickens. Our series of unofficial new spells for the AD&D® Game continues with new spell suggestions for the necromancer and guidelines for developing specialty magic-users of your own.

Polyhedron Newszine V6 #2 Issue 29. Published by WotC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.79. 32 pages.

Included in this issue:

• The Camel's Nose - by Michael D. Selinker. Five vally elves and a camel must carry a sacred artifact called "The Camel's Nose" across the desert to the Shrine of Camelopardus, Camel Lord of the Burning Desert.
• The Lighter Side of Encounters II - by Skip Williams. Has your campaign grown too predictable? Add a bit of madness!
• Dungeonsongs - by David Collins, Jeff Grubb, Frank Dickos, and Jon Pickens. More music to adventure by.
• The Ecology of the Tiamat - by Michael D. Selinker. And you thought there was only one! Here's the REAL story of chromatic dragons.
• Fractured Spells - by Rick Reid, with an introduction by David Collins. For our final installment of the "New Spells" series, we present the most unofficial set of spells yet!
• The Gods of the GAMMA WORLD® Game - by James M. Ward. The stuff of which legends are made.
• The Savage Sword of Lugnut the Barbarian - by Roger E. Moore. Foolish fiction for fantasy fans.

Thousand Suns Complete Bundle by James Maliszewski, Greg Videll. Published by Grognardia Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $20.00. Includes: Thousand Suns: Rulebook, Imperio 1bis, Thousand Suns Character Sheet, Thousand Suns: Five Stars, Thousand Suns: Starships.

It is a time of wonder.

Humanity has reached the stars and created a society of glittering sophistication and diversity on hundreds of planets. Poets declaim, lovers rendezvous, and rakes duel with wits and monoblades. Colonists settle virgin worlds, merchant princes vie for emerging markets, and free traders hawk their exotic wares. The Navy rules the jumplines, putting down pirates and charting new star systems. Scientists uncover startling new truths on long-dead worlds and posit revolutionary theories dizzying in their implications. Technology advances at a rapid pace, each year improving the lot of all who accept its boons. None dare deny the bright destiny Man has seized for himself.

It is a time of upheaval.

The inhabited galaxy – the Thousand Suns – teeters on the brink of chaos. Half a millennium since the Concord, and a generation since the bloody Civil War, the dynamism that ended the Age of Warring States is sorely tested. Diplomats try new gambits, shifting their ground for an unknown future. On dozens of worlds across known space, the lights are going out again and the process of decivilization begins anew. Despots and tyrants who would rather lord it over benighted backwaters than bend their knee to even a distant authority, arise once more. At the edges of explored space, rivals – both human and alien – watch and wait.

It is a time of glory.

Victorious fleets smash enemy armadas in distant star systems. Soldiers parade through liberated planets to alien cheers. Sector governors draw up breathtaking visions of terraforming and orbital cities. New jumplines open to the heart of unexplored space, daring the bold to venture into the unknown for profit and peril. Surveyors stumble upon lost colonies and puzzle out the mysteries of inscrutable clades. Captains with blazing eyes save worlds from barbarism-and rule them as gods. Daring thieves turn new technologies to unexpected ends or sell them to shadowy cartels on the fringes of known space.

Meanwhile, bold operatives seek out these criminal plans for reprisal. Everything is possible with enough beauty, brains, or blasters, and it's all within reach of a single jump.

It is a time of adventure.

Thousand Suns is a roleplaying game that takes its inspiration from the classic literary "imperial" science fiction of the '50s, '60s, and '70s written by authors like Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester, Gordon Dickson, Larry Niven, H. Beam Piper, Jerry Pournelle, and A.E. van Vogt, among others.

This is a complete game, providing all the rules you need to play under one cover, from character generation to starship combat to the creation of alien lifeforms. Also included is the Thousand Suns "meta-setting," a flexible outline of a setting, in which certain details have been provided, along with lots of lots of "blank spaces," and whose final shape and content is entirely up to each Game Master to build upon as he wishes for his campaign.

The Necropolis of Nuromen by Michael Thomas. Available from Lulu in print for $5.99. Still available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 20 pages.

The Necropolis of Nuromen is the first instalment of three modular quests designed to let the referee introduce a group of 1st level characters to the thrills of Underworld exploration as they attempt to unravel the secrets buried in the evil necromancer’s lair.

To play this adventure you also require the BLUEHOLME™ Prentice Rules or the BLUEHOLME™ Journeymanne Rules, a table top fantasy roleplaying game that emulates the game play of the original basic rule book, popularly known as the Holmes Edition or simply the Blue Book.

Slime Bugs by Jorge Jaramillo Villarruel, Scott Charlton. Updated version. Available from the authors at Google Drive for Free. Link direct to file. 27 pages.

Mutants & Mazes is what happens when you combine Dan Proctor’s Labyrinth Lord & Mutant Future. But that doesn’t mean you need to run a hybrid campaign to make use of this little adventure. You can drop this dungeon in your campaign, either classic fantasy or gonzo post-apocalypse. It can be useful for when your players need to locate a special item; just put it in rooms 3, 10, 16, 19, or 23.

Or it can be just another labyrinth or ruins to explore.

News Spotlight: Evlyn Moreau

Evlyn recently re-released her delightful RPG stuff on Lulu. Here's the link to her Lulu spotlight and be sure to check out her blog at Le Chaudron Chromatique. If you enjoy Evlyn's art, she also has a redbubble store and a Patreon.

More Free Gaming Stuff from the Blogosphere and Environs

Evlyn of Le Chaudron Chromatique posted Basic boring monsters as building blocks.

David Perry of Lithyscaphe released Quintessential BX. 35 page PDF.

Max Cantor of Weird & Wonderful Worlds posted Weird & Wonderful Blasted Lands: Tarsos Theorem Appreciation.

James V. West of Doomslakers! posted Demodyn Character Class.

Jason Zavoda of Hall of the Mountain King posted Item - The Dancing Jesters Boots of Charm and Pain. Also, NPC - The Beggar King.

GREGORIUS21778 posted WHY DOES THE MONSTER ATTACK THIS SETTLEMENT?

KingBrackish of Tomb of the Wandering Millennial posted The Woodsman's Hatchet (A Weird Magic Item) and Black Dogs (A LotFP Monster).

Ben L. of Mazirian's Garden posted White Jungle Races: Plumed Reavers & Mole Rat People.

imminentchurchengine shared this on Reddit - d200(!) level-less spells for GLOG Magic. 14 page Google doc. Link Direct to file. 

wrathofzombie of Wrathofzombie's Blog posted The Sorcerer Spell Casting for Barbarians of the Ruined Earth.

Arnold K. of Goblin Punch posted The Ruined City of Braxa / Undead Armies.

Logan Bright Works uploaded The Harrington Harrowing. Link direct to 3 page PDF.

Doug of Smoldering Wizard made a White Box FMAG Player Quickstart. 1 page PDF. 

Dungeons and Possums posted Fraternity of the Festering Wood.

Shane Ward of 3 Toadstools Publishing posted Challenge accepted! 30 minute dungeon.

Michael Raston of The Lizard Man Diaries posted The Nautilus Shrine (30 Minute Dungeon).

Konsumterra of Elfmaids & Octopi posted d100 Broken Hill Ruin Encounters and a bunch of other stuff, surely you've added this blog to your blogroll, right? I mean you have, certainly, right?

Timothy Brannan of The Other Side posted Tanith, Iconic Witch for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea.

Anne of DIY & Dragons turned us on to Kyle Marquis and his Hex A Day Project. You can find The Sea of Vipers here and also a 36 page Google Doc put together by David Perry here.

The blogger at The Lovely Dark posted The Anti Wizard.

Maptime

Mike Bridges of Greyhawkery posted Greyhawk Map: Lordship of the Isles.

Anna B. Meyer posted the Final 2019 Edition of her Map of the Flanaess. 

Dyson Logos of Dyson's Dodecahedron posted The Halls of Ghuldesh and Quellport and the Isle of Seven Bees.

Reviews & Play Reports

Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org reviews Through the Gate of Flesh and Fight On! #14 – Citadel of the Dark Trolls.

Jeremy “frothsof” Smith of Thought Eater posted Frothcast #19: Night Below Session Recap 2.24.19. And Humpday Blog-O-Rama 2.27.19. And Frothcast #21: Five Minute Friday: Unknown Clones 1 (great idea for a series Jeremy!)

Pookie UK of Reviews from R'lyeh posted OSR & The Big One and The Other OSR: Bastion Ein Sof.

Robert Morris of Back to the Keep posted LL game - sessions 7 and 8.

Brutorz Bill of Green Skeleton Gaming Guild posted SWN Cabal Sigma Session One (part 1).

Trey of From the Sorcerer's Skull posted a review of Carapace.

Shane Ward of 3 Toadstools Publishing posted Black Hack Playtest Part Trois!

Patrick Stuart of False Machine posted The Unbalanced Creator Returns? - A Review of The Tricks of Treachery Isle.

Timothy Brannan of The Other Side posted Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (Compleat Second Edition).

Endzeitgeist reviews Misty Isles of the Eld and Creature Compendium.

MODOC31 of Rolling Boxcars reviews The Marriage of Count Roderick.

Fred Daniel of White Box and Beyond posted Powers & Perils Partial Success.

Aaron Marks of Cannibal Halfling Gaming reviews Troika. 

Michael Curtis has a piece on the Goodman Games site: Adventures in Fiction: Margaret St. Clair.

Dungeon Musings of YouTube uploaded Actual Play - Scarlet Heroes - B/X D&D: Barrowmaze Beckons - Session 33.

Dungeons and Possums posted Review: Mothership RPG by Sean Mccoy.

And in Other News...

The DriveThruRPG GM's day sale is here!

Moe Tousignant of Tabletop Bellhop posted MASTER LIST OF TABLETOP GAMING PODCASTS.

The Gong Farmer's Almanac 2019 is open for submissions.

Kickstarters, etc.

And That's It for This Week...

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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.

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