The OSR News: February 16, 2019

The return of the News Spotlight, a fist-full of One Page Dungeons and I link something from Deadline Hollywood. Al Krombach makes an interesting return to the News, after several years of absence. And something for Cthulhu fans. All this and more in this weeks OSR News.

New Releases

Palace of the Dragon's Princess by Mark Taormino. Published by Dark Wizard Games. Available from the Publisher in Print/PDF Combo for $25.00 ($30.00 International) and in PDF for $10.00. 40 pages.

Once upon a time, the lakeside Kingdom of Damoros was suffering from the death of its benevolent King. All hope now lay with the Princess who was set to marry the bravest knight in the land, and their union would restore the realm. However, on the wedding day, the evil Dragon Maelfesto attacked the castle by surprise and took control! The serpent drove everyone out and took the princess captive in the caverns below, wickedly enchanting the palace never to be seen again. Riches, honor and glory will be gained for those who save the fair maiden, defeat the beast and return alive from the Palace of the Dragon’s Princess!

• 40 Pages saddle stitched
• 40 Encounters
• Removable Cover with 2 Blue Maps• 2 New Monsters
• 4 Pre-Generated Characters

One Page Dungeon Compendium 2018 Tenth Anniversary Print Edition. Published by Shattered Pike Studios. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print for $13.25. 175 pages.

The 2018 Tenth Anniversary Print Edition One Page Dungeon Compendium contains 161 "one page" dungeons and adventures! This is the largest compendium to date, with entries ranging from post apocalyptic village raidsand an alternative history 1950's town to classic fantasy dungeon delves and everything in-between.

A retrospective on the contest, written by Michael Curtis, is also included.

175 pages with 600 dpi image quality.

Colonial Troopers: Knight Hawks by Thomas Denmark. Available in Print from Lulu for $9.99. 74 pages.

In Colonial Troopers the emphasis is squad level missions. Eradicating bug hives, smashing pirate dens, or steal a piece of tech. Spaceships were just a way to get from one place to another. The journey can now be the adventure. When you escape with that weird new weapon from the skinnies that isn’t the end of it. A skinny warship is in hot pursuit, they want their tech back! Ship to ship combat ensues. Blasting their cruiser out of the skies you make fast your escape.

But that is only the smallest part of this supplement. Most of it is information on the piece of the galaxy inhabited by the Terrans, and lots of adventure locales. More details on the Bugs. And a sandbox style adventure locale: Spacestation Zeta.

Sunday's Hand-Drawn PYRAMID ADVENTURE by John Fredericks. Published by Sharp Mountain Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.50. 25 pages.

ENTER THE PYRAMID OF ONISIRUS! 

Join Sunday Roamer as he guides you through the pyramid of Onisirus. This product contains maps, descriptions, and statistics for all the opponents inside. It also includes pregenerated characters.

This product can be used with most old school fantasy systems right out of the box. With minimal tweaking, it may also be used with more recent systems.

Here’s what you get for your gold pieces:

• A ready-to-play adventure
• Printable maps for tabletop play
• Digital maps for your virtual tabletop
• Pregenerated player characters. Get playing TODAY!
• Three BONUS CHARACTERS from our other supplements.
• Suggestions for extending the adventure for further sessions

Gaming looks even sweeter from Sharp Mountain!

Tumbleweed Tales Volume 2 by Robert Garitta. Published by Surreal Estate Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.99. 57 pages.

Welcome to Rio del Sol, a place that will leave you rich and respected or leave you bamboozled* and cold as a wagon wheel**.

A collection of essays on the charming boomtown of Rio del Sol, its buildings, citizenry, plots, and intrigues for your Old School Roleplaying Game, being particularly suited for and sponsored by Deputy Emeritus Mark Hunt’s ~Tall Tales~, a thrilling game reflecting the exploits of knights of the genus bovine, desperados, purveyors of patent nostrums, soldiers of fortune, and diverse others!

Tumbleweed Tales Volume 2 has background on the businesses, people and mysteries of Rio del Sol, two short adventures, and a stampede! Buy your copy for a time as fine as cream gravy!

Tall Tales Wild West B/X Fantasy Adventure Game is copyright Mark Hunt

Riding into the sunset is optional but highly recommended in some situations.

*cheated

** dead

Balancing Act: Interstellar Relations in Clement Sector by John Watts. Published by Gypsy Knights Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $9.99. 135 pages.

Can you relate?

This book concerns the relationships which have been established, broken, strained, and improved between the worlds of Clement Sector over the time between their establishment during the 2200s and the current situation in Clement Sector as of 2342. It will take each world, one at a time, and detail how well or how poorly each world government gets along with its neighbors.

It also includes a game within a game called "The Balancing Act". This game will allow you to take on the role of a head of state in Clement Sector and go up against other leaders as you attempt to push your world ahead of your competition. These rules can easily be used in other settings and games where one might wish to become a leader of a world.

Now you can rule your own world!

Fungithrill - A Twitter Hexmap by Karl Stjernberg, A bunch of people on twitter. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 5 pages.

What happens when you draw a hexmap and ask twitter to fill in the hex descriptions for you? 

Well, THIS THING happens!

Explore the world of Fungithrill, a strange, magical land filled with adventure, rivaling gobling gangs, strange subterranean creatures, wyrm cults, swamp dwellers and much more!
FEATURES

• Hand drawn map, both in color and black-and-white (player facing and for the GM)
• Over 29 hex descriptions (because as it turns out, it's hard to make sure that people don't write different descriptions for the same hex, but what do you care? It's just more content! Pick which one you wanna run with, or just go with all of them!)
• Hyperlinks to all the contributors twitter pages! See something you particularly like? Just click on the link in the pdf and go to their twitter page. Let them know how much you like their description!

It's 100% free, but only if you want it to be!

Desert Wind - a Ghibli Inspired Adventure by John Battle. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $15.99 and in PDF for $5.99. 98 pages.

Welcome to Desert Wind, the third issue of the extra-planar zine, Songbirds.

Desert Wind comes with:

• A fully fleshed out village with NPCs, shops, and some cool stuff to buy
• A D300 list of plot hooks inspired by Studio Ghibli films
• A 50+ room dungeon, set in a flying castle, with monsters and treasure inspired by Ghibli 

This is my love song to Studio Ghibli, one of the greatest inspirations of mine.

I hope you find something in here you can use.

Good luck, don't die.

Malcon's Tome of Treachery by Malcon the Firebringer, Joseph Mohr. Published by Old School Role Playing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 50 pages.

The ancient Lich Malcon the Firebringer brings us his finest research on his favorite subject....Treachery. This tome discusses a number of topics dear to the heart of many a dungeon master. These subjects include: puzzles, tricks, traps, encounters, obstables and illusions. The tome gives many examples and offers extensive lists of features and attributes which might be useful for creation of your own forms of treachery. Malcon's offers this tome with his sincerest wishes are that every dungeon master have the ability to achieve a total party kill.

Monkey Island by PRD Ward. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $3.22. 31 pages.

Monkey Island expands on the beginning scenario provided in The High Seas Hack rule book with enough adventuring to get characters to third level.

The High Seas Hack is a tabletop roleplaying game set in the golden age of piracy using a variation of The Black Hack rules.

Monkey Island sees the party of adventurers shipwrecked on a mysterious island teeming with mystery and cannibal tribesmen, will they be able to find a way back to civilisation? 

DARK ADVENTURE RADIO THEATRE - MASKS OF NYARLATHOTEP by Dark Adventure Radio Theatre. Published by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Available in CD for $69.95 and in MP3 for $34.95. 7+ hours.

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: Masks of Nyarlathotep is an epic tale of globe-trotting adventure inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, presented as a 1930s-style radio drama. Dark Adventure Radio Theatre presents the tale with an absurdly large cast of professional actors, exciting sound effects and thrilling original music by Troy Sterling Nies. Click for more information about our other Lovecraft stories in the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre series. They're like movies you can enjoy with your eyes closed.

Like many Lovecraft fans, we played Chaosium's celebrated role playing game Call of Cthulhu®. Now, in partnership with Chaosium, we've adapted their most famed and beloved game supplement of all time — Masks of Nyarlathotep — into a fully dramatized 6 disc super episode of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre. And if you've never heard of or played the game - don't worry, you don't need to know anything about the game to enjoy this super-sized episode.

The death of a dear old friend and an inquiry into a doomed archeological expedition spiral into a global investigation with dire repercussions. Can a handful of intrepid investigators make a stand against an insidious and bloodthirsty cult? Can a diabolical conspiracy be thwarted before a doomsday plan comes to fruition? Is there any hope for mankind against the machinations of an Elder God or will they meet only despair, death and madness?

Masks of Nyarlathotep is a sprawling tale spanning five continents, and even its most basic version includes six CDs brimming with audio thrills. Enjoy a Dark Adventure over seven hours in length! This super-sized DART set includes twenty props to enhance your listening experience, including:

• Seven intriguing items from Jackson Elias' room at the Hotel Chelsea
• A ghastly crime scene photo
• Weirdly futuristic schematic drawings
• A photo of the ancient Egyptian relic - the Eye of Light and Darkness
• A clipping from the Nairobi Star about the fate of an expedition
• A photo of ruins in Australia's Great Sandy Desert
• A translation from the rare occult tome, the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan
• Plus seven more gloriously detailed props for you to enjoy spanning all six episodes of the story 

All of these great extras will be complemented by the fantastic artwork of illustrator 
Darrell Tutchton in the style you've come to know and love from other episodes of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre. Orders for the CD version will include a free digital download of the show.

Deluxe T&T character sheet by Jagoba Lekuona. Published by Hirukoa. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for Free. 1 page.

This is the character sheet for T&T that will be included in T&T graphic novels.

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

Arcanum 30th Anniversary Edition by K. David Ladage. Published by ZiLa Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $19.99. 366 pages.

(I believe a Print copy is forthcoming on this. Check the Publisher page for further details. ed.)

In the mid-1980s, a small publishing company released a genuinely original role-playing game. While most other companies were releasing clones of the larger press games, or generic systemless suplements, ARCANUM took a bold, fresh look at the infinite possibilities of fantasy gaming.

ARCANUM has unconventional races, more than 30 professions, dozens of skills, a way to track fame, and an approach to alchemy and magic that has not been equaled in the three decades since its initial release.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of this classic is an evolution, not a revolution. It cleans-up, modernizes, and re-organizes text, fills gaps, and fleshes out concepts.

Re-discover the wonder of ARCANUM.

Back to the Dungeon Zine for LL/AEC by Eldrad Wolfsbane, Al Krombach. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 44 pages.

My Old OSR Zine from back in 2013 for LL/AEC. V1 I1

(See, this is the problem. No where near enough blurbage to cover the size of a decent pic for the product. And hey, what ever happened to Al Krombach? His blog was one of my favorites, back in the early days. ed.)

Back to the Dungeon Zine for LL/AEC V2 by Eldrad Wolfsbane. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 36 pages.

The Second Issue zine from Back to the Dugeon Blog for LL/

(See, this is the problem. No where near enough blurbage to cover the size of a decent pic of the product. And hey, how come Al Krombach isn't in this issue? His blog was one of my favorites, back in the early days. ed.) 

Polyhedron Newszine V5 #3 Issue 24 published by Wizards of the Coast. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 40 pages.

Included in this issue:

• "Needle" (Part I: Ruins of Empire) - by Frank Mentzer. POLYHEDRON Newszine proudly presents the first installment of the wildly popular AD&D® tournament featured at GEN CON® 17 Game Fair.
• Secrets of Success - by Steve Null. One of the Network's top players shares his techniques for winning RPGATM Network events.
• Unofficial New Magic-User Spells - by Jon Pickens. Part 2 of the "New Spells" series started in Issue #22.
• How Game Reviews Are Done - by Errol Farstad. The Newszine's new game reviewer explains his rating system for RPGs.
• The Grond Family and Friends - by Roger Moore. This issue's cover story introduces six tough new characters for your campaign.

Polyhedron Newszine V5 #4 Issue 25 published by Wizards of the Coast. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 32 pages.

Included in this issue:

• "Needle" (Part 2: " Retrieval") - by Frank Mentzer. The epic adventure continues with a unique mission. "Needle" was the featured AD&D® Game event from GEN CON® 17 Game Fair.
• Unofficial New Magic-User Spells (Part 2) - by Jon Pickens. Can't figure out how to recharge items in the AD&D® Game? Try these new spells! The third of a continuing series.
• The RPGATM Network Player and Judge Standings - the official ranking of participants in RPGA Network events through June 15, 1985.
• Rampage! - by Roger Moore. This issue's cover story is a rough-and-tumble scenario for the MARVEL SUPER HEROESTM Game.
• How to Succeed at Judging an RPGA Network Event - by Rembert Parker. One of the Network's top judges offers hints on preparing for a tournament judging assignment.

The OSR Spotlight

Need some relaxing ambiance, a soothing presence and good gaming related conversation? Courtney Campbell is on Twitch and if you've ever thought it would be cool if the OSR had its own Bob Ross, here he is!

Hi!

My name is Courtney and I'm a working artist and writer. I produce content for Dungeons and Dragons focused on improving the quality of play.

A large part of that is producing immersive maps and other art, which we will do here on this channel!

Tuesday: 11am-4pm Art and layout
Wednesday: 11am-7pm Dungeon Drawing
Friday: 11am-4pm Painting Miniatures
Saturday: 11am-? Variety stream, either painting or grindtastic video games like Disgaea 2, Warframe, or Grim Dawn

My stream is a relaxed place for intelligent discussion.

More Free Gaming Stuff from the Blogosphere and Environs

The blogger at Meandering Banter (whose name I can't find anywhere on the blog) made Die Trying -24 page PDF GLOG like thingamajig. 

Konsumterra of Elmaids & Octopi posted Structures of the Apocalypse: Part 1. Also check out the Book Updates post. 

Needles from Swords & Stitchery posted More Commentary On The Many Facets Of The Demon Prince Orcus In Original Dungeons & Dragons As Well As My Old School Campaigns.

From Golden Goblin Press - Rituals of the Eternal Mother - FREE Grimoire for Cthulhu Invictus by Oscar Rios. 2 page PDF.

Michael Shorten of CHICAGOWIZ'S GAMES continues his Three Hexes series with [THREE HEXES] The Goblin Choir.

Olav Nygård of Triple Suns posted 12 remnants of the Witch King's rule.

Betty Bacontime of Paper Elemental posted Signs of Angelic Heritage: A Table of d60 Biblical Oddities for Aasimar and Nephilim.

mrlich of DRAGONBONES posted Create an RPG Zine in Google Slides.

Michael Kennedy of Sheep and Sorcery posted INTO THE WEIRD BLUE YONDER: GHOUL'S CHURCH ADVENTURE LOCATION. And NOW PRESENTING!: TABLES FOR BIZARRE COURTLY CHARACTERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.

Bernie the Flumph posted Carousing and Philanthropy.

Blair of PLANET ALGOL posted SCI-FI RPG CHARACTER SHIRT TABLE.

Red Dice Diaries posted Random Things: Odd Taverns.

James V. West of Doomslakers posted this B/X Character Sheet.

Here's a dropbox link shared by Eric Nieuden of his B4 Expansion. 2 page PDF.

semiurge of Archons March On posted D20x5 Passages To The Underworld and
D20x5 Wondrous Wizard Towers.
rattlemayne of tales of absolute doom posted Teenage Mutant Ninjas Into the Odd: 2! 7 page G doc.

Yami Bakura of Remixes and Revelations posted OSR: Paladin.

Maptime

Dyson Logos of Dyson's Dodecahedron posted Beneath Rose Point Manor, Rose Point Manor and Temple of the Mad Titan.

Has everyone else stopped making maps? Any maps. Hex maps, dungeon maps, world maps, good maps, bad maps, send me some maps!

Reviews & Play Reports

Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org reviews Witchburner and What Ho, Frog Demons!

Pookie UK of Reviews from R'lyeh reviews Shadowbrook Manor and A Fallen Star for All. 

Brian Willie of Bad Company posted Operation Whitebox: Just Before A Bridge Too Far.

Jeremy from OSR News and Reviews takes a look at Cantrips.

Dungeons and Possums reviews What Ho, Frog Demons! and Misty Isles of the Eld. 

Jeremy “frothsof” Smith posted Frothcast #14: Humpday Blog-O-Rama 2.13.19.

Timothy Brannan of The Other Side reviews Realms of Crawling Chaos. 

Joethelawyer's Not-So-Wondrous Imaginings podcast uploaded A Retro-Review/Tribute to Christian Walker's Loviatar Zine, Wherein I Nominate Him For Patron Saint of All OSR Zines.

Delta of Delta's D&D Hotspot posted Book of War: Battle of Emridy Meadows.

Dungeon Musings of YouTube uploaded Actual Play - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition - Session 1. Also, Actual Play - Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea - Reavers of Thule Ep 3.

Dungeons and Possums posted Zine Quest: Week Two.

GREGORIUS21778 concludes the series with EFAG: GLOVES OF COPPER.

BRUTORZ BILL of Green Skeleton Gaming Guild posted SWN Session Zero.

And in Other News...

Tenkar is Looking for Contributors for The Tankard Zine by the Designers & Makers on the Tenkar's Tavern Discord Server.

Hearts in Glorantha Call for Submissions issue 8.

From Deadline Hollywood (yes, Deadline Hollywood) ‘Good Omens’ Producer BBC Studios Developing Adaptation Of Michael Moorcock’s ‘Runestaff’ Fantasy Novels.

Kellri posted Interview with Richard Barton, Author of Arden Vul. 

Dungeons and Possums posted Interview: Humza Kazmi Talks Hydra Cooperative, Legacy of the Bieth, and More!

Joethelawyer's Not-So-Wondrous Imaginings podcast uploaded My First Interview! Tim and Ivy Shorts Join Me For a Wide-Ranging Discussion!

Kickstarters, 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, 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. 

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