Sunday, February 24, 2019

The OSR News: February 24, 2019

A lot of Cthulhu stuff this week, another OSR sale at DTRPG and more Fighting Foolishness is unleashed. All this and more this week in the OSR News.

New Releases


Fighting Foolishness 3: Fighting Ideas For OSR Games. Published by Unbalanced Dice Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.50. 43 pages.
Fighting Foolishness 3. Not 3 times the ideas of the first books but again 30 more ideas/abilities. The Fighter has more stuff, more stuff to make her a little more interesting. Or fun. Fun is good.
Ha ha, the foes attack and miss the Fighter. With Futility it will become even harder for them to hit her. Is trying to hit her not futile?

With my 6 swords I will use One Weapon After Another. Each round a different weapon, each round a chance of a special benefit occuring.

A dead wizard's body? My senses tell me there are uncast magic spells in it. Maybe I can put them into my sword for a bonus? Yes, let's try that with From Dead Magic.

All these characters with 7 Strength scores. Doesn't someone think there's something wrong with that? I'll move my Fighter 15 feet away and activate Weak Is Wrong. Come foes, challenge me so I can show you my power!

At last we all lie dead on the floor. But there is still a chance for us. Let us rise up as zombies and stumble to the Cleric. Zombies For Now, with it we can still make it out of this dungeon.

All this inside and more, Fighting Foolishness 3... fight the fools today!
Lost in the Wilderness by Zzarchov Kowolski. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.99. 25 pages.
You know what always used to tax my GM brain? Making a random wilderness encounter of a "forest: 2d4 gnolls" interesting for the 5th time in a row.

Lost in the Wilderness Is a collection of seed table encounter generators to make it much easier to generate interesting and dynamic random wilderness encounters. It is a useful tool for further lowering the prep required with a game of Neoclassical Geek Revival but its honestly pretty system neutral.
Wallwichen: Three Clusters World Book 01 by Paul Drye. Published by Baggage Books. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for Free. 22 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.

Enter the Three Clusters, where it’s happening again. Whether or not they succeed this time depends on you.

The Three Clusters Campaign is a "classic-style" Hard Space Opera game setting, using the PWYW Cepheus Engine rules. for which Wallwichen is the first world book. Players take on the character of merchants, mercenaries, explorers, or many others in a universe where every world is hand-crafted by a veteran game setting designer.

This introductory book is FREE and further volumes will be low-priced. Each book details one world, and all are designed to interconnect into a larger whole. Alternatively GMs can use it as a "drop-in" planet when they need a new, detailed destination quickly in their usual setting and haven't got the time to make one.

The Three Clusters setting is also OPEN for use in other works, including commercial products. See details on the Wallwichen book's copyright page.
In Vino Gigantus (Swords & Wizardry) by James M. Spahn. Published by Frog God Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $7.99 and from the Publisher in PDF for $7.99. 18 pages. (Also avail. for PF and 5e. I believe the softcover is forthcoming at $16 but there's no option on the FGG site as of yet.)
In Vino Gigantus 
An introductory adventure by award winning author and designer James M. Spahn for Swords & Wizardry and other old-school fantasy roleplaying games!
Stormridge Sanctum was once home to the the an ancient and noble line of storm giants. It floated miles beyond the sight of mortal men, witnessing the birth and death of countless civilizations. But as time wore on and decadence laid hold to the Tempestas clan, both Stormridge Sanctum and its magnificent liege lords surrendered to the decay of time and decadence.

Now a single storm giant noble remains, the haughty dilettante sorcerer-prince Clovis Tempestas II. He concerns himself only with base pleasures and none more so than his beloved stock of family wine. But his beloved wine cellar has become flooded with a foul murk and strange creatures slither between bottles of his finest family vintage. He cannot be bothered to wade into such filth himself and he has no servants remaining in his household, so he has used what little magic his grape-addled mind can recall and summoned new servants: A troupe of unsuspecting adventures who will serve -- and if necessary, die -- to save his beloved wine.

This introductory adventure can be instantly inserted into any campaign without preamble, as it opens with the player characters being the unwitting targets of a Summon Monster spell! Once summoned into the very hands of a mad and drunken giant, the player characters will find themselves exploring a realm designed for creatures ten times their size as they fight all manner of strange creature, traverse larger than life obstacles and objects, encounter other adventurers who have fallen into the clutches of the mad prince Tempestas, and even risk plummeting to their death as the very foundation of the cloud castle of Stormridge Sanctum is crumbling beneath their boots!

Can the player characters placate the whims of a giant drunk on power and lost grace? Will they survive encounters with the strange animated objects that have become twisted by decades of neglected magic beneath a crumbling castle? And just what the hell is that echoing boom coming from the eastern part of the wine cellar?!

You’ve been granted the hospitality of the storm giant prince Clovis Tempestas II, and he’s always up for a little more...
City of Brass (Swords and Wizardry) published by Frog God Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $49.99 and from the publisher for $49.99. 442 pages.
(Also avail. for 5e. The HC has not been released as of yet.)
The Sultan bids you welcome...
Good folk have vanished. Those who were once disparaged and forgotten now wield power unlike anything seen before. Rulers and sages turn a blind eye to the disturbing events unfolding around them. In every corner of the Lost Lands, the Cult of the Veiled One spreads unchecked.
Prophesizing a cleansing jihad of flames and the coming of the Burning One, the cult has erected its brazen spires in every land. What follows depends on the wit and courage of mighty heroes who must rise to the occasion and take the fight to the enemy in its very stronghold. Will they succeed, or will they succumb to the temptations of the Veiled One’s court and join in the conquest of their home world? A fabled city of wishes on the edge of an eternal flame. The City of Brass is a rich combination of sand-box style role playing adventure, planar exploration, and twisted dungeons designed to test even the most seasoned adventurers.

Adventure Begins Across Planes of Fire and Deceit
 
Beginning with low-level challenges in the familiar confines of the Lost Lands, the adventure leads characters on a thrilling journey through multiple planes of existence culminating in the exploration of the City of Brass itself. The gleaming towers and floating platforms of the city hold terrors and wonders such as the Great Repository and the Minaret of Screams. Characters may choose to take a turn in the Circus of Pain, raid the floating Pyramid of Set, or join the resistance to the Sultan’s oppressive rule and lead an assault on the palace itself! A phoenix rises fully formed from the ashes of the past. The City of Brass is re-imagined for the new renaissance of fantasy role playing games, brought to you in the epic style of old school fantasy campaigns of yesteryear.

About City of Brass
 
From the design team that brought you Bard's Gate and Sword of Air, the City of Brass is an adventure unlike any other. With full color art and maps, new content and new organization, the City of Brass returns bigger and better than ever! An Adventure Sourcebook for characters level 1-20. A new version for Swords & Wizardry and other OSR fantasy roleplaying gamges has been created.

So what’s new in this release compared to the original Necromancer Games Boxed Set?

This new release of The City of Brass includes all new color maps by Alyssa Faden and Robert Altbauer. Plus amazing new color art by Colin Chan, Adrian Landeros, Terry Pavlet, Michael Syrigos, C. J. Allan Marsh, and Artem Shukaev.

The original City of Brass was divided into 3 sections and has been revised and reorganized throughout with 150,000 new words of adventures and material.

Section 1: Cult of the Burning One - Now includes the following adventures

Lornedain the Secret Flame: An introductory adventure for characters Levels 1-3.
Freegate: the Brazen Spire (For Levels 4-6), giving new details to the Lost Lands city of Freegate as the characters investigate the arrival of a new cult and its magical tower.
The Sea of Baal: (For levels 5-8). Adventures in the Titian Isles, the Elemental Plane of Air and Beyond as they travel across the Sea of Baal to the continent of Lybinos!
Numeda a Caliphate in Flames: (For levels 6-9). Arriving in Lybinos the characters discover that the city of Cirtius in the Caliphate of Numeda is over-run by the forces of the Sultan of Efreet. Help free the survivors or join the Sultan in his conquest of the Lost Lands!
The Path of the Prophet: (For Levels 8-10). Rewritten from the original with new content.

Section 2: The City of Brass is now newly organized with details on factions, new locations in the Plane of Molten Skies.

Section 3: Tales of Brass features new adventure locations including:

Ard’s Sanctuary: An adventure location for 11-14th level characters.
Freeman’s Tower: An ultra-dimensional apartment complex and home base located in the lower city. Conquer the tower and live rent free under the Sultan’s nose! For 11th-14th level characters.
The Apartment of Ra Po Jejh!: An old enemy makes a surprise return. Find his phylactery and finish him off once and for all! For 16th-18th level characters!
Cathedral of the Lightbringer: The cathedral of the Lord of Infurnace’s minions serving as his consulate in the City of Brass. Steal the Sword of the Lightbringer if you Dare!
Devil's Reach by Michael Brown. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.75. 2 pages.
A world-spanning train breaks down in the middle of a desert, and with it comes the threat of a breakdown in relations between a desert tribe and the railroad operators and the smooth running of the planetary economy itself. In the face of assaults by armed tribesmen, the heroes race the clock to get the vehicle under way and avoid becoming just more bleaching bones in the Devil’s Reach. 
Devil’s Reach is a short adventure for 2D6 science fiction RPGs such as Cepheus Engine and the Original Science Fiction Roleplaying Game (OSFRPG.)
With Eyes Cast Skyward by Michael Brown. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.75. 2 pages.
Who would’ve thought that a class in telepresence would lead to danger? But that’s exactly what happens when a band of smugglers invades a science academy to find out who’s been nosing around their stash with remote-controlled drones. The heroes are on hand to stop them, but their usual methods of dealing with enemies may be useless this time as there are innocents in the line of fire.

With Eyes Cast Skyward is a short adventure for 2D6 science fiction RPGs such as Cepheus Engine and the Original Science Fiction Roleplaying Game (OSFRPG.)
 
Diesel Punks: Rocket Blast by Robert Garitta. Published by Surreal Estate Games. Available from  DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.50. 25 pages.
"Send us to the Aliens!!"

Diesel Punks gave stats and background capsules for retro Sci fi classes with The Black Hac 3Ed. Rocket Blast gives you ships to take them to adventure. From the hot shipment transports/scouts to the lumbering colony ships and fighter tenders, your Universe just got bigger! This product includes rules to build your ships, earn money with them, explore, and fight! Streamlined rules for NPC ships are included as well as hard and soft sci fi options.

This product requires The Black Hack Second Edition to use.

Not responsible for any actions resulting in Kessler Syndrome.
Argonautica #ZweihanderRPG by Peter Rudin-Burgess. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.99. 23 pages.
This campaign setting was built with players familiar with D&D in mind. D&D, in all its incarnations, is well known for its rich variety of threats and monsters in its adventures. The same is true of the traditional Greek myths with a different monster or demigod on every island.
The big difference between D&D and ZWEIHÄNDER is that D&D players are used to being the world saving heroes. ZWEIHÄNDER characters are not the heroes that save the world, they are the heroes that make a difference one small tragedy at a time.

Jason and the Argonauts is a well trodden path but in this version there is no Jason. The characters, the crew of the Argo, will have to get by as best they can without their hero. The events of the quest for the Golden Fleece take place immediately before the Trojan war. After your players have completed this quest you can launch them directly into the war and use that as the backdrop to your own ZWEIHÄNDER campaign.
Axes & Orcs Compendium Volume One: Non-Human and Monster Classes
Axes & Orcs Compendium Volume One: Non-Human and Monster Classes by By Ian Woolley. Available from Lulu in Print for $5.50. Available from itchio in PDF for $3.00. 12 pages. (See the author's blog for info on a forthcoming A5 version.)
This is a collection of the homebrewed and modified classes for elf games I've used over the years. All of them can be found on my blog for free. You can also buy physical copies of this and my other publications here on lulu.
TOC

Halfling Druid
Moon-Rat Arqubusier
Moon-Rat Machinist
Transforming Robot
Pegataur
Skeleton
Sky-Gnome
Sphinx
Gruechute #2: The Old School Enlightenment by Pekka Rihko, Aleksi Nikula. Published by Floodhold Publishing. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 36 pages.
What comes after the Old School Reneissance? This edition of Gruechute explores the possibility of an Old School Enlightenment, a RPG revival philosophy centered on games like Twilight 2000, Cyberpunk 2020, Traveller, Runequest and Gurps. Contains ponderings on running old school games, how they should be approached as systems, and how said systems could be homebrewed more playable.
Gruechute is a roleplaying zine from Oulu, Finland.
Mini Bestiary by Larry Hamilton. Published by Follow Me, And Die! Entertainment LLC. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 7 pages.
This is a collection of creatures from my blog, campaign, and convention games.
Fours! 3d Revised and Augmented Printing by Ken St. Andre, Charlie Fleming, Jason Youngdale, Sergio Mascarenhas. Published by Trollhalla Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 10 pages.
John Wick and I were discussing the question of how much does an rpg need in the way of rules to be playable? This is my answer. I would give it to you gamers for free, but people don't value things that are just handed to them, and so I'm asking for a minimal cover price, mostly to make up for the fact that I actually paid the artist. No dice needed. Just an ordinary deck of playing cards. I believe this system would work with any other rpg. Just throw out their rules and keep the adventure. This is the 3rd iteration of the rules with some minor changes and additions from the 1st & 2d editions. If you get all 3, you can really see how a game design changes as more people get involved.
The Solo Investigator's Handbook. Published by 5E Solo Gamebooks. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $9.99. 95 pages.
5e Solo Gamebooks presents The Solo Investigator's Handbook, a 95-page supplement for Call of Cthulhu. This product is the result of months of work and extensive playtesting, and contains a full system for generating on-the-fly, immersive adventures for your investigator(s). Using paper, pen, dice, this system, and your fevered imagination, you can generate full scenarios for yourself without the need for a Keeper. This is great if you cannot find a group, or for creating little scenarios for yourself in between your regular group games.
It can also serve as a great source of adventure generation/inspiration for Keepers (possibly as they adventure through the scenario themselves - creating as they go). Even if you are not interested in the concept of solo scenarios within Call of Cthulhu, take a quick look below at the Mythos-related resources that this supplement offers.

CONTAINS:

  • 50 quest hooks to get your investigator started on their dark adventures.
  • 50 rumors that you may hear in the course of your travels.
  • 50 clues that you might stumble upon in the course of your investigations.
  • 50 random events to drop into any adventure.
  • Tables of randomly generated spooky effects that an investigator might experience.
  • Tables for randomly generating NPCs.
  • NPC stat blocks for commonly encountered characters such as beat cops, cultists, high priests, thugs and more.
  • A handy reference table listing the main characteristics of every Mythos creature from the Keeper's Rulebook.
  • A system of location tables that will randomly generate locations as you travel through just about any environment - Arctic, Jungle, Urban, you name it.
  • A full system for generating solo adventures for your investigator(s).
  • A question/answer mechanic designed to answer questions that will guide your quest.
  • An escalating mechanic (Mythos Points) that increases the intensity of the action over time.
  • A list of 499 random verbs that can provide direction/suggestion for any aspect of the quest.
  • Examples of solo gameplay using this system, so you can see it in action.
Voyage of Terror by Stephen J Jones. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.00. 35 pages.
Voyage of Terror is a Miskatonic Repository Call of Cthulhu scenario set around 1925. It takes place on a transatlantic steam liner. It features:

- an evil plan to shunt the entire liner into a hellish alien dimension

- fishy Cthulhu cultists

- 14 non-player characters to help or hinder

- 27 pages of outer dimensional horror

- transdimensional engines and Deep One variants

- outline of a new mythos fighting organisation: Section D
When the Light Goes Out by Megan Tolentino. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $2.95. 17 pages.
Standing forgotten on the Oregon coast, a beacon for lost sailors helps conceal a town’s secrets, and an insidious evil. The Widow’s Peak Lighthouse has been a landmark for travelers near the Witch’s Cauldron State Natural Area for nearly 150 years. Closed to the public, it’s been the source of many local legends. Recently it went up for sale, and the bidding between the locals and a reclusive millionaire was vicious. However, money won out over local interests, and members of the party have been hired to help with the restoration and study of the lighthouse. As they work to restore the building, they find more and more things that should not be.
When the Light Goes Out is a modern stand alone adventure for Call of Cthulhu, that can be incorporated into an ongoing campaign. It includes six pregenerated investigators.
DARK PLACES & DEMOGORGONS - The Cryptid Manual - An OSR Bestiary by Josh Palmer, Jodie Brandt, Eric Bloat. Published by Bloat Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in HC Print/PDF Combo for $38.99, in SC Print/PDF Combo for $28.99, in PDF for $19.99. 90 pages.
"Do you believe in creatures like Bigfoot, The Mothman, The Jersey Devil, The Pope Lick Monster, Chupacabra, Gremlins & Lake Monsters? Well you should! These things are real. They are out there, just beyond the shadows, stalking the unsuspecting. Awaiting the perfect time to strike! Don’t believe me? Then maybe you should check out the Dark Places & Demogorgons Cryptid Manual. It’s based on a stolen, partially redacted and notated Federal file and case book that is splattered all throughout with real blood stains. Still not enough? Please kid, I implore you to keep reading below. The knowledge contained in this creepy file, may just save your life!"
The Cryptid Manual is Bloat Games first exclusively Bestiary/Monster Manual type of product. However, instead of using the same monsters that find their ways into most Bestiaries, for the Cryptid Manual, Bloat Games focused on highlighting the creatures of Cryptozoology from all around the world. If you’ve ever wanted to run your players against a Big Foot, a Lake Monster, The Mothman or Jersey Devil, then this supplement will be a must have. While the Cryptid Manual was created for Dark Places & Demogorgon it can easily be used with any OSR game, with very little conversion needed by the DM.

More info on Dark Places & Demogorgons:

In Dark Places & Demogorgons, you play as high school students during the early 1980s. The town you live in has had a rash of disappearances and strange happenings. The adults seem lost as what to do, the police are as clueless as ever and aren’t helping and Reverend Phillips is on another witch-hunt. It’s up to you and your friends to figure out what’s going on and stop it from happening again!
 
The Cthulhu Hack: Valkyrie-9 by Paul Baldowski. Published by Just Crunch Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $4.95. 29 pages.
You're maintenance and repair units. You've activated to find power failing and no network connectivity except for short range buzz shots to other local units.

Stabilize. Restore. Report.

Unsuccessful execution caused by a system error that precludes successful execution of 
subsequent statements. Database file appears corrupt (). Shellmanager database is corrupt of missing. Unit enquiry could not make a connection to the primary server. There may be a problem with your network connection. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
POWER_STATE_UNKNOWN.

ENVIRONMENTAL_STATE_UNKNOWN.

INTEGRITY_STATE_UNKNOWN.

Recovery stat& has b&&n activated, initiali$ing all maintenance and repair units. Corrupted network conn&ctivity m&an$ state data = 0%. Correct the problem. Restore power. Restore network connectivity.

Valkyrie-9 is a one-shot investigation, written for The Cthulhu Hack but playable with any system geared toward Lovecraftian horror. Set 100 years into the future, the investigation sets the starting point for a wider campaign setting that will feature in a future release, supported by more investigations.

The adventure includes:

a 15-page adventure, including deep background, timeline, GM guidance, non-player character write-ups and a detailed overview of the Valkyrie-9 station
a set of 5 full sheet Gamemaster Reference maps
a 6-page section of handouts and pre-generated character cards
While you need the for Core Book to handle the baseline mechanics, the investigation includes five pre-generated character archetypes with modified rules for playing as automated drone units.
Eldritch Tales RPG Referee Screen & Reference Sheets by Joseph D. Salvador. Published by Raven God Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $9.99 and in PDF for $3.99. 10 Cards.
This product is made for use with Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing and comprises reference sheets that help to ease play at the table. Quickly find equipment prices, Insanity and healing rules, weapon damage, and other useful information. Two items found here that do not appear in the core rulebook are a "Skill Reference" list and an "Insanity Saving Throw flowchart", both of which will prove helpful and speed play at your table!
This product has 10 landscape pages:
  • 1 page title/credits
  • 5 color pages of tables, charts, and rules that can be used as sheets or as GM screen inserts
  • 4 pages of color art to decorate the exterior of your referee screen
The Print On Demand version of this product is printed on heavy cardstock and includes a free copy of the PDF and is cut to 8.5"x11" to fit snuggly into most landscape GM screens. The vinyl GM screen available through this website is very sturdy and can be added on during your purchase!
Call of Cthulhu 7e & Pulp NPC Sheets by Joshua Certain. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for Free. 4 pages.
The keeper shuffles through his papers sweat beading on his brow. He has the scenario memorized, but he cannot remember the stats for an NPC. "I know I had this somewhere," he said as he desperately flips through the pages of the adventure. Knowing he has blown the pace of this momentus encounter by not being better prepared he resignedly says, "Gimmie a second folks I cant find my notes."
That keeper is me. I looked all over for NPC sheets for 7e. I found some 6e editions, but they didn't really fit my needs. So I made these. The set contains two Print only and two Form fillable NPC sheets. There is a two-up NPC sheet for Mooks & Minor NPCS, as well as a Major NPC sheet. I hope the rest of the CoC community can benefit from these as I have greatly benefitted from the work done by community members such as Seth Skorkowsky, The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Podcast, and the How We Roll podcast.

TLDR: COC7e & Pulp keepers, here are some NPC sheets that will help keep your game organized.

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


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. Now also available from DriveThruRPG 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
Divinities and Cults: Volume III (DCC RPG) by Dan Osarchuk. Published by OSRDAN Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $6.99. 44 pages.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GO REALLY OLD SCHOOL! 
Have you unleashed the mighty power of Divinities and Cults in your game yet?

Divinities and Cults: Volume III covers the gods and goddesses of both the Mesopotamian and Egyptian Pantheons, as well as a number of Evil Cults. Like Volumes I & II, this work provides detailed tenets, special cleric considerations, magical side-effects, numerous divine tests, and custom spell lists for all 19 of them. What is more, optional rules and random tables abound, organized by divinity of course. This excellent book is compatible with Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG™!

Inside, you'll get:

  • Detailed rules for playing clerics of 7 Mesopotamian and 7 Egyptian gods and goddesses, including Enki, Enlil, Ereshkigal, Ishtar, Marduk, Nanna, Utu, Anubis, Bast, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Ra, and Thoth
  • Full rules for also playing clerics of 5 Evil Cults, including Apep, Dagon, Nergal, Set, and Tiamat
  • 20 pieces of unique artwork by Luigi Castellani
  • 7 random encounter tables, including afterlife, apsu, desert, inn, pyramid, tomb, and ziggurat
  • 20 new monsters
  • Other optional rules & sidebar sections
  • And much more!
The World of Mayhem Box Set includes Modules #1-5, Monsters of Mayhem #1, Dice and dice bag. This is a special preorder product related to the fulfillment of the Dragon’s Princess Kickstarter which is now in production and will be shipped in November. You will get all digital products immediately. (AFAIK all of the modules have now been released, so this should be ready to ship. You might want to contact the Pub. to make sure, though. ed.)
Polyhedron Newszine V5 #5 Issue 26. Published by Wizards of the Coast. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 32 pages.
Included in this issue:
  • "Needle" (Part 3: "The Powers That Be") - by Frank Mentzer. At last, we present the conclusion of this epic adventure. "Needle" was the featured AD&D® Game event from GEN CON® 17 Game Fair.
  • Squeaky Wheels - by Frank Mentzer. Frank takes the Network podium to address the issue of the current D&D® Came controversy in a special guest editorial.
  • GEN CON® 18 Game Fair - by Fast Eddie Carmien. A guest editorial from a staff volunteer at Convention HQ.
  • Where Chaos Reigns - by Sonny Scott and Michael D. Selinker. Two volunteers reveal what the RPGATM Network really does at game conventions.
  • Gamma Mars - by Roger E. Moore. Need a new frontier for your GAMMA WORLD® Game? Check out our cover story for detai ls on the planet Mars!
  • Unofficial New Illusionist Spells - by Jon Pickens. Can't figure out how to recharge items in the AD&D® Game? Try these new spells! The fourth of a continuing series.
Polyhedron Newszine V5 #6 Issue 27. Published by Wizards of the Coast. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $0.99. 32 pages.
Included in this issue:

  • She-Rampage! - by Susan Lawson and Tom Robertson. For the first time, POLYHEDRONTM Newszine presents a full feature module for the MARVEL SUPER HEROESTM Game! Play one of six super-powered women out to avenge their honor. Characters are included.
  • Dominion Spells - by Jon Pickens. This issue's installment of the "Unofficial Spells" series offers a whole new category of magic-user spells.
  • The Thorinson Clan of Yentam - by Skip Olsen. Our cover story is another installment of "New Rogues Gallery." If you need a few interesting personalities for your campaign, try these live dwarves.
  • Alignment Theory - by Robert Desjardins. This pseudo-mathematical model puts a new light on character alignment in the AD&D® Game.
  • Gamma Mars: The Attack! - by James M. Ward. The Humans and Luncarians are not alone on Mars. Enter the natives!
Back to the Dungeon Zine forr LL/AEC V1I5 by Eldrad Wolfsbane, Seig and Indigo Rose. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for PWYW. 36 pages.
The 5th Level of the Black Stairs, Drow the PC Race.
Imperio 1bis by James Maliszewski, Robert Saint John, Greg Videll. Published by Grognardia Games. Available from DriveThruRPG in PDF for $4.99. 33 pages.
(I'm not sure if the print is still avail. Check the Pub. site for info. ed.)
Imperio is an irregularly published fanzine containing original material to support Thousand Suns and other science fiction roleplaying games.

Issue 1bis is 32 pages in length and includes the following:
Deep Background: The characters are employed to investigate the credentials of a young man from the planet Stavros.

The Caristoj: Details of a mysterious nomadic alien race that has recently appeared in the Thousand Suns.

The Fast Freighter: A description of a common small starship, including deckplans.

Runaway: The characters arrive at Reyes Station only to find all traffic in and out is being halted to deal with an emergency.

Random Name Generation: Tables for producing Terra Lingua names for player and non-player characters.

Allies and Antagonists: Three fully fleshed out non-player characters for use either as friends or foes.
Blades: Blades & Black Magic Book 1Blades: Blades & Black Magic Book 1 by C.R. Brandon. Available from Lulu in PDF for $6.99. Still Available from Lulu in Print for $9.99. 190 pages.
Blades is the first book of the Blades & Black Magic adventure game. Unlike many high fantasy games populated with Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings, Blades & Blacks Magic focuses on humans as the characters and animals as frequent foes you will fight in a low magic setting. Blades & Black Magic is inspired by Heroic Fantasy. For a new Player or Referee to this game system, relax! It is a simple and sensible rule system; easy to learn and easy to play using only six sided dice! With this book, you will quickly start your adventures in ancient and mysterious lands. The other book to come, Black Magic, will cover sorcerers, spells and alchemy.
Ice Kingdoms Bestiary Compilation by CS Barnhart, Caleb Congrove, Chris Lites, Ryan Lynn, James Ward, and Moses Wildermuth. Published by Mad Martian Games. Now Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $8.80, in Print for $7.10 and in PDF or $6.80. 72 pages.
Welcome travelers of the Thanelands.

The Ice Kingdoms Bestiary Compilation collects together the monsters and menaces that have terrorized the Frozen North so far.
It is a collection of fiends familiar and strange that stretch from the cold shores of Drawoh Rock to the peaks of Mount Surtur and into the depths of the dark heart of the Mournwood and beyond.
Monsters, Animals, Beasts, Men, and more lie in wait to challenge heroes and villains, wizards and warriors, those destined for greatness and those bound for doom.
This tome collects monsters from the Ice Kingdoms line of books, including The Ice Kingdoms Campaign Setting, Into the Mournwood, The Girl with the Demon Tattoos, The Lair of the White Wyvern, The Temple of Drawoh Rock, Ice Kingdoms Expansion: Expanded Bestiary, and The Fires of Mount Surtur.
The Ice Kingdoms Bestiary Compilation is compatible with most Old School Games, especially Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, and For Gold & Glory and is easily converted to many other games.
A Beginner's Guide to Tunnels & Trolls: The Necropolis of Death by Thomas H Pugh. Published by Bolt Thrower Press. Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF Combo for $7.82 and in PDF for $5.21. 116 pages.
An evil necromancer is terrorising your town and only one person can stop him. Well no, that's not true. Lot's of people could stop him but they're not. And so you decide to take on the task...

This adventure introduces the reader to the wonderful world of Tunnels & Trolls. You will create a character and learn the rules as you play, no preparation or knowledge of the system is needed. By the time you have finished you will be ready to take your newly minted delver and subject them to any of the hundreds of Tunnels & Trolls solo adventures available.

The adventure starts here!
Beasties 2 by Thomas Denmark. Published by Knight Owl Workshop. Now Available from DriveThruRPG in Print/PDF combo for $11.00, in Print for $10.00 and in PDF for $4.00. Available from Lulu in Print for $9.00. Available from the author in PDF for $4.00. 90 pages.
Beasties II is a fantasy bestiary supplement compatible with the original fantasy roleplaying game and subsequent editions, and other “OSR” games that follow in the mold of the original like Colonial Troopers, Guardians, and Warriors of the Red Planet. More than just a manual of monsters this book includes ready made NPC’s, traps & tricks, an adventure location and random encounter tables. 
This is a handy reference book to bring to your gaming table, or use for inspiration in creating adventures.

A collection of monsters, creatures, strange beings, traps, and encounters compatible with the Original Fantasy RPG and similar systems.

More Free Gaming Stuff from the Blogosphere and Environs


Michael Prescott of Trilemma Adventures released The Mouth of Spring - 2 page PDF.

Dungeons and Possums posted One-Page Setting: The Savage Tundra of the Winter King. PDF.

Martin O of Goodberry Monthly posted Counterspell.

MTZE writes about Games posted One Page Adventure #2 and One Page Adventure #1.

Tristan Tanner of The Bogeyman's Cave posted JABOM House Rules Update!!!!! 27 page PDF.

Josh of Rise Up Comus posted GLoG: Monk Traditions and Techniques. 

Olav Nygård of Triple Suns posted Sourn Monastery Murder Mystery.

Arnold K. of Goblin Punch posted The Exile. 

Konsumterra of Elfmaids & Octopi posted Structures of the Apocalypse: Part 3.

Saker Tarsos of Tarsos Theorem posted Mapping with Playing Cards Part 1: Cities.

Yami Bakura of Remixes and Revelations posted OSR: Morningstar.

Goblin's Henchman posted Tuesday Toot!! | VotE Cave Generator.

Jason Vey of The Wasted Lands posted Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Original D&D. 

Claytonian JP posted Under the Painbow. Link direct to 10 page Google doc. And this 15 page Google doc Arduin, Bloody Arduin.

The blogger at A Blasted, Cratered Land posted Wielding a Magic Sword. 

GREGORIUS21778 posted Why are the Nightmare Elves Here. 

Dungeons and Possums posted The Mushlug - A Random Advancement Class for the OSR.

Emmy Allen of Cavegirl's Game Stuff posted Sharne's Clockwork Market - Intro.

Scott Anderson of Treasure Hunters HQ posted Goblin Class for B/X.

Jorge Jaramillo Villarruel posted Slime Bugs. 19 page PDF. Link Direct to File.

Scott Malthouse of Trollish Delver posted Free OSR game: Dungeon Nights.

Daniel Dean of Basic Red posted Basic Red RPG. 6 page PDF. 

Maptime


Dyson Logos of Dyson's Dodecahedron posted The Citadel at Sabre Lake, The Portal Nexus and Adventures in Cromspoint.

Necrotic Gnome posted a sample from the forthcoming Winter's Daughter. 

EOTB of The Blue Bard posted Some WBP (world building in-progress).

Reviews & Play Reports


Bryce Lynch of tenfootpole.org reviews The Throne of the Gods and The Beast of Briar Creek.

Jeremy from OSR News and Reviews looks at Tomb of the Lovelorn.

Michael Bacon of Buildings Are People posted Hot Springs Island Mini-review After 6 sessions.

Jeremy “frothsof” Smith of Thought Eater posted Frothcast #14: Humpday Blog-O-Rama 2.20.19.

Tomb of the Iron GodDungeons and Possums posted How To Get Started Playing Old-School D&D For Free.

Melan from Beyond Fomalhaut reviews Sailors on the Starless Sea. 

Endzeitgeist reviews The Wizardarium of Calabraxis, Tomb of the Iron God, Wormskin #2: LankshornThe Bloodsoaked Boudoir of Velkis the Vile, and Wormskin #1.

Needles of Swords & Stitchery posted Review & Commentary On Ford's Faeries: A Bestiary Inspired by Henry Justice Ford From Studio Kortex For Your Old School Campaigns.

Tamás Illés  of Vorpal Mace posted [Review] Wee Warriors Reprints, Part I: Palace of the Vampire Queen.

Jason Vey of The Wasted Lands posted Reading Original Dungeons & Dragons. 

Bud's RPG review of YouTube fame uploaded Cults of Prax (Part I) for Runequest 2nd Ed by Chaosium.

captcorajus uploaded a YouTube review: OSR Review: B/X Essentials.

And in Other News...


Alex Schroeder posted 2019-02-21 RPG Blog Highlights?

Dungeons and Possums posted Links: DriveThruRPG More Awesome OSR Sale.

Check out this old BBC clip brought to us by Old School FRP.

Kickstarters, etc.


TEYLEN'S RPG CORNER posted Crowdfunding Collection #97.












And That's It for This Week...


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