Another Tidbit from my Greyhawk Campaign

I posted this on G+ some time ago and wanted to make sure I didn't lose it, since G+ is shutting down. This took place close to a year ago, I think. Brisco's PC was probably around 9th level at the time.


So, my son's Evil Magic User discovered and sneaked his way into the small, hidden dungeon beneath a temple dedicated to an obscure Spider God, located on the Wild Coast. Long forgotten by the priests above, the secret sanctuary below had once been the domain of the sorcery wielding masters of the cult.

After dispatching the guardians hidden therein, he discovered what he thought he was looking for. A sealed, silver door, glowing fiercely with red sigils of protection and binding. Flashes of flame, occasionally erupting from the lines of power traced into the metal.

A radically dismembered mage, the forgotten leader of the cultists, begged for help in achieving a long awaited death as flames licked at the many separate parts of his gore covered mortal coil. With tortuous gasps and whispers, the damned creature told him what lay beyond the door. And that the Bindings had been weakened by their prisoner's decades long attempts to win free, though the efforts exerted were still too paltry, thanks to the inhibition of her powers.

Still, my son's MU was fairly certain that the dark magic he sought was within the sealed room. One of the lost Doctrines of Darkness.

Leaving the cursed mage to whimper in agony, he went back to the fiercely heated door to attempt to dispel the wards.

"Allright. After your conversation with the dismembered mage, you can definitely see where the wards have been strained and made threadbare in places. I'm giving you a 50% chance to finish unraveling them with a Dispel Magic."

"Can I try again if I don't make it?"

"Sure. Next time you level up."

"Great!"

He rolls some ridiculously low number and grins in triumph!

"The door cracks and shatters as the wards disintegrate and stepping out of the doorway, surrounded by smoke and flame..."

My Response to Zak S.: His OSR Guide For The Perplexed Questionnaire

Zak posted this here.


Thanks Zak for giving me something to blog about today.

OSR Guide For The Perplexed Questionnaire


1. One article or blog entry that exemplifies the best of the Old School Renaissance for me:
Good gravy, that's a tall order. There's hundreds of things I could list here, but I don't have the time to be overly pedantic, so I'm going with what I thought of first: The Unexpurgated Dragon Generator

2. My favorite piece of OSR wisdom/advice/snark: 

How to Awesome Up Your Players by the incomparable Jeff Rients. 

3. Best OSR module/supplement:

Fuck. 

Module: Death Frost Doom. 

Supplement: The entire run of Fight On!

4. My favorite house rule (by someone else): 

Class based weapon damage. Here's Akrasia's version.

5. How I found out about the OSR: 

Fiddling about online one day several months after my last 3.5 campaign wrapped up. I ran AD&D 1e till about 2001, then ran 3e till 2009. WotC had put out 4e and I wasn't interested. I was looking about online and wondering what I was going to run for my next campaign and stumbled onto Grognardia. And thought, "Oh, yeah. Right. I'll run 1e again, or maybe one of these clone thingamajigs." By the end of the day I had a folder full of retro clones and associated OSR stuff. 

6. My favorite OSR online resource/toy:

  Meatshields!

7. Best place to talk to other OSR gamers:

Up until last week, this was Google+. MeWe has the heat and the numbers, at the moment. It's decent.

8. Other places I might be found hanging out talking games: 

Every once in a while I might drop by the OD&D Discussion forum. This and the Swords & Wizardry Forums are the only ones I keep up with at all. The Goblinoid Games forum used to be pretty cool, though, but I haven't peeked into it in years and from a quick look see, it's not very active.  

9. My awesome, pithy OSR take nobody appreciates enough:

High level play rocks! DMing high level play rocks! Crank the dial up to 11 and embrace the chaos!

10. My favorite non-OSR RPG: 

Not sure how to define this. I'll go with Deadlands. 

11. Why I like OSR stuff: 

Well, I have really, really liked TSR era D&D my whole life. I really, really like seeing new, creative material for these games, as well as new interpretations, off-shoots, hacks and the like. I like making stuff for games. I like using stuff other people make for games. I love running D&D. And the OSR is where it's at for creativity, pushing the envelope and coming up with ideas I hadn't thought of, or wouldn't have thought of. OSR stuff is fun. 

12. Two other cool OSR things you should know about that I haven’t named yet:

Anything by Matt Finch. The Tome of Adventure Design and The Spire of Iron and Crystal, for instance.

13. If I could read but one other RPG blog but my own it would be:

Playing D&D with Porn Stars, but that's almost too obvious an answer. Grognardia and Planet Algol are pretty much defunct, but if you haven't read them go do so. Jeff's Gameblog, but he doesn't post very often.

14. A game thing I made that I like quite a lot is:

The Random Planetary Angel Generator. Link to the PDF is over there on the left. And right here.

15. I'm currently running/playing:

A 1e campaign for my son. Set in Greyhawk. We play every Sunday. Merlin is 13th level now and really, really trying to stay alive to see 18th.

16. I don't care whether you use ascending or descending AC because:

This is such a bizarre hill to die on. I'll use either. In my 1e campaign we use descending. A few months ago, I ran a side campaign using my own OSR rules hack and ascending AC.

 

To which my son immediately replied in the mildly put out tone teenagers sometimes evince with their parents, "Why haven't we been doing it this way the whole time?"

17. The OSRest picture I could post on short notice:

Umm... I think I'll go with this Robert Altbauer piece. 

Things I've Used in my Greyhawk Campaign and Reports on Some Recent Events in the Central Flanaess

I've been DMing by son, Brisco in a Greyhawk campaign for the past two years. Aside from the core 1e books, here's most of the published sources I've made use of and a little of what happened during play.

OSRIC - A handy quick reference for 1e. If I don't feel like lugging around a lot of books and I'm not expecting anything out of the ordinary, I'll sometimes just take my 1e PH and OSRIC A5 along as my basic ruleset. Available at RPGNOW in print and in pdf for free. 

The World of Greyhawk Folio - I've got the boxed set as well, buy I like the compact nature and layout of the folio. For me, the only thing of value the box set adds is info on the gods and I'm using the Dragon magazine articles for those. Now available at RPGNOW in print or pdf. Also, still very findable on the second hand market.

Mad Irishman's AD&D 1st Edition Character Sheets and NPC Sheets - The TSR goldenrod sheets for AD&D were the best. And these replica's are just what the DM ordered. The NPC sheet replica's are really cool, as well. Available gratis.

Classic Dungeon Designer's Netbook #4 - Old School Encounters Reference - This thing. This thing is very, very good. If you don't have it, get it. It's free. Perfect for running a 1e Hex Crawl, doing your normal prep, or for quickly rolling up virtually anything at the table. ANY THING. The word is: Comprehensive as Fuck!

Monsterless Manual - Al from Beyond the Black Gate posted a lot of good stuff back in the day and this free PDF of NPC's is something I always keep on hand. 

Things About Villains from Playing D&D With Porn Stars - An excellent random table from Zak S. Free on his blog. 

Tower of the Stargazer - James Raggi's classic OSR introductory adventure. When playing, my son is sometimes brazen as all hell and often incredibly... judicious. Upon confronting the "star gazer," he snatched the star crystal, did a quick appraisal and said "That's good enough! I'm outta here!" and made his way out of the tower, with the occupant's curses screaming after him, thus avoiding many of the module's nastier traps. Brisco later ran this module himself, DMing OSRIC for his friends. I set the tower in the Cairn Hills, not too far from the city of Greyhawk. Available in PDF from RPGNOW and in Print from the Publisher.

Under Siege - A Labyrinth Lord module set in Larm, this one is kind of interesting. Its main selling point is the battlemat and counters it comes with and if you don't mind printing these out and maybe gluing some cardboard backing to them, you've got a nice wargame set up with which to play out the Battle of Larm. A host of Goblin and associated critters, about 60 if I recall correctly lay siege to the small village of Larm. The PC's are expected to lead the defense and save the village! Bonus: the spider-goat encounter with associated game counter. 

I've been meaning to do a full review of this. I've ran it twice. The first time was a resounding success and the heroes saved the day. The second time was in this campaign.

Brisco's PC and his hireling fighter Thomas found themselves in Larm, located where the Need River is just about to cross into the Cairn Hills, some miles SE of the City of Greyhawk. In the early hours of the siege, Thomas is rudely dispatched and Brisco's Merlin decides to bug out, but not before stealing a few choice scrolls from the now dead village elder's office. 

Leaving the module and its doomed inhabitants behind, he uses his magic to turn Invisible and heads into the Cairn, northwards, running out of food, water and in serious trouble. A fortunate roll on the encounter tables finds him meeting up with a couple of gnomes, who offer him succor. In what is possibly his darkest deed, Merlin murders the Gnomes, taking their supplies and heading west. He later runs into a lone Mynock. This creature was an agent of Iggwilv, spying for her in the area. Brisco decides to attack first and ask questions later. 

The DM thought Merlin was going to die at this point, but the dice gods decided otherwise and Merlin unexpectedly triumphed, earning a Crystal Ball for his efforts and the attention of Iggwilv for the next several months of the campaign. 

It should be noted in his favor, that while he still sometimes prefers bold actions, Brisco quickly passed through this, shall we say, highly chaotic phase of his early D&D career and now seldom slaughters innocents, or attacks something for merely looking at him funny. He is still prone to betrayal, however and sometimes frets that his PC isn't being evil enough. 

Monsters of Myth - A book of monsters for OSRIC. One of the best alternative, or secondary monster manuals out there. And its Free in PDF. 

T1 The Village of Hommlet - A lot of the action in the campaign has taken place in and around the Kron Hills. Even after killing that bastard Lareth the Beautiful, Hommlet was the center of the campaign for several months. Rufus has been called back to Verbobonc and Burne is currently in Nulb, working against the surviving members of the Cult of Elemental Evil. Only available in pdf from RPGNOW, I'm sure you can find a copy on ebay. One of the most celebrated modules of the TSR era. 

B2 The Keep on the Borderlands - I replaced the dungeon but kept the keep and the basic setup. Baridel Keep is located in the Principality of Ulek, near the border with the Pomarj. An ambassador from Ulek traveled to several nearby areas, recruiting adventurers to help stabilize the area in and around the border with the Pomarj. My son's PC Merlin decided to check out the situation and while he was away from the Kron Hill area, a group of ne'er do wells went into the Temple of Elemental Evil and unleashed all manner of vile darkness. A few stray bands of cultists, as well as the occasional demon or two can still be found roaming the area, though good aligned forces have gotten the situation mostly back under control. Available in PDF from RPGNOW, but easily found on ebay

Highlights from the period include a 7th lvl Merlin taking on a mercenary band some 200 strong, alone, after they confiscate his horse and satchel of gold. Also, the Quest to recover The Horn of the Edge of Time, where Merlin earned the trust and respect of the dwarfs in the Kron Hills. . 

Fight On! - Various issues. The Darkness Beneath. I replaced the caves of Chaos in B2 with the Fight On! megadungeon. Only a few levels actually saw use, as play shifted back to the Kron Hills. If you haven't checked out any issues, I encourage you to do so. Fight On! was a staple of the early OSR and probably the best bang for your gaming buck. 

G 1-3 Against the Giants - A slaughterhouse of a module series. Available in PDF from RPGNOW. Second hand print copies can still be found, but you might have to do a bit of digging for this one and prices have been going up, last I checked. A party of doughty dwarfs, and one somewhat evil MU cleared up the Giant uprising. 

D 1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth - Things got weird with this one, as at the end of the Giants series, Brisco decided to descend into the depths at Eclavdra's side and traveled with a party of drow, down to Erelhei-Cinlu. Available in PDF from RPGNOW and of course, on the second

hand market.

D3 Vault of the Drow - After a bit of exploring the Vault, Brisco and a duergar henchman he picked up along the way, found themselves in Lolth's temple and face to face with the earthly avatar of Lolth herself! The duergar was quickly dispatched, but Brisco managed to sneak in a Disintegration spell at the beginning of the battle, before Lolth could extricate herself. Brisco watched nervously as I rolled the dice. Lolth failed the MR roll and her save, as well! This precipitated open war between the drow factions, further complicated by the arrival of several hundred Dwarven warriors from Balak-Tor. Available in PDF from RPGNOW and ebay, etc. 

DF16 Skein of the Death Mother - Published by Dragonsfoot, this is an alternative dungeon for Lolth's lair, meant to replace the Spider Ship in Q1. Curiously, I couldn't find this on DF but did find this link to a copy. I didn't use Q1 at all, choosing instead to expand this module with some appropriate abyssal scenery.

Merlin the MU - L 12,

his henchman Elimon the Fighter - L 10, 

associates Theron the Dwarven Fighter - L 11, 

Horos the Dwarven Cleric - L 11, 

Gozman Voz a hideously scarred servant of Zagyg - MU L7, 

and two L 7 Dwarf Fighters serving Horos, 

All descended into the Abyss to slay Lolth. For shits and giggles, apparently. It's been said that Q1 really doesn't follow logically from D3 and there's no reason for the PC's to go after Lolth in the first place. True. But I bet they do, 99 times out of 100. After a few skirmishes and one major pitched battle in Lolth's lair, the PC's quickly hunt down the demon queen and the final confrontation is over fairly quickly.

In round one, Elimon dies from Lolth's poisoned bite and the dwarves are struck with confusion, or fear. Someone manages to slightly wound Lolth. By about eight points. Not enough that she feels the need to invoke her thrice daily Heal power. Brisco has no idea how many Hit points she has, but he gets initiative and being now alone against Lolth, decides to take a gamble. He's been carrying around a scroll of Power Word Kill for several months. As always, I roll the dice in the open and Lolth totally blows her Magic Resistance roll! With 58 remaining HP, she dies!

Save vs. G+, Blogging, Killing Lolth, the Greyhawk Campaign and Other Projects

With the announcement of the impending death of G+, the online OSR & DIY gaming community seems to have quickly and largely settled on MeWe as its tentative new hub of activity. While there have been some concerns raised about the alt-right presence on the site, I don't see an issue as you don't have to friend or see anyone you don't want to and the goddamn alt-right is going to have a presence anywhere. You can friend me on MeWe at: mewe.com/i/james.smith227

There's been a lot of talk about revitalizing the blogosphere. Also, some people are certainly choosing other venues than MeWe, or none at all. With an OSR diaspora on our hands, my former OSR News post series might be of use again. I'm considering revising it.

The links to my gaming stuff should all be valid again. Somewhere over there, on the left.

I'm also currently looking into starting a YouTube channel, as there isn't enough OSR content available over there, yet. My son and I have been talking about starting a Podcast, which might be an interesting venture. He's been DMing for some of his friends, as well as for me on occasion and I think his fresh perspective combined with my own middle aged one might make for a good show.

I'm also currently working on a module. No expected arrival date. Maybe next month. Maybe next year.

On the gaming front, my son's MU, Merlin killed Lolth last week, with help from those shady
dwarves from the Kron hills, he hangs with. On the way back to the Prime Material, they accidentally got side tracked in Arcadia for a few minutes and one of the dwarves, Theron, saw Mount Clangeddin and is now convinced he has to atone for his many and varied sins. After days of soul searching, he was reminded of the dwarven bastion he saw when on Lolth's plane and has decided Clangeddin wants him to go to their aid. He demanded that Merlin aid him in this endeavor, in return for the many times he has fought at the MU's side. So, we'll see how that turns out.

Running a Greyhawk campaign has been a lot of fun. I've picked up so many bits and pieces of the lore over the past 35 years, but this is the first time I've actually ran a game in the setting. All of that material got reshuffled and properly organized in a rather enjoyable process. Most of the campaign has taken place in the area in and around the Kron hills. Merlin has convinced the Chief of the Dwarven stronghold of Balak-Tor to allow him to build a Tower in the mountains near their demesne, so once his latest adventure is over he gets to plan out his tower and pay through the nose for dwarven architects and builders. So, my son will get a proper introduction to the AD&D endgame and we'll start moving towards retiring the campaign. He wants to make it to 18th level before ending it, of course, so things aren't going to wind up too soon. He's 13th level now, so I can see the current campaign running for another year, or close to it.

Mirror, Mirror - d10 Random Table Logical Madness

1. Interlopers from an alternative dimension are attempting to murder and replace key inhabitants of the city. So as to better identify their fellow conspirators, they have taken to wearing a distinctive style of beard. 10% chance the new fashion catches on with the broader populace.

2. An person from an alternate timeline switches places with his NPC counterpart. He knows the true identity of the Purple Plane Hierophant and the hidden location of the Vault of Zumarios. His relationship with any PC's may or may not be similar.

3. A well known and loved hero has suddenly taken to acts of rapine and cruelty. Attempts to cast Remove Curse and similar magics have all failed to restore him to his former self. He has been seen entering the compound of an obscure cult, whose members play harps and espouse a coldly rational philosophy.

4. When utilizing a means of teleportation during inclement weather, there is a 1% chance that the Vancian Intelligence affecting space/time will come into contact with a version of itself in an alternate reality. There will then be a 10% chance of a psychological entanglement, causing any beings which are teleported under such conditions to swap places with their counterparts.

5. An attempt to summon a legendary hero goes awry. Any PC or NPC of 9th level or above must Save vs. Magic or be replaced with a doppelganger from another dimension.

6. As the self styled Dread Empress is in the midst of her conquests, she suddenly begins altering her usual way of carrying out her plans. Showing mercy, instead of cruelty. Choosing diplomacy over war. Her lieutenants are disturbed.

7. Upon emerging from the dungeon, the party finds the world has turned upside down. Former allies are now enemies, once great empires have been brought to ruin and once wise rulers display madness and cruelty. Banners, heraldry and social customs have all changed.

8. The Dagger of the Octagonal Mage has been carelessly left laying about in a dungeon. Anyone bearing the blade will shift places with a counterpart from another dimension, every 1d8 days. Class, alignment and any other attributes may change at such times, at the DM's fancy. There will be a total of Eight such counterparts involved, inclusive of the PC or NPC finding the dagger.

9. The Oculus of Barimor will expose anyone spied upon, if they are not native to the dimension of the owner.

10. A fantastically powerful ship from the Terran Empire enters orbit around the planet and demands complete obedience from all inhabitants. The captain, who appears half elven, demands access to several abandoned mines, where worthless crystals are all that remains of what was once a treasure trove of minerals.

The OSR News - Revival Edition

Some Recent New Releases

Flower Liches of the Dragonboat Festival from Kabuki Kaiser.

Author - P. Crespy. Artist - Evlyn M.

Available in PDF for $4.99 and in softcover for $9.90. Available in Hardcover for $19.90. Other combinations also available at the same link. 95 pages.

When omens portend ill fortune for the city, the priests call upon a Dragonboat Festival: a racing competition gathering swift boatmen from all over the continent. Their ancient chants call forth the powers of the undying, waking the Flower Liches from their distant graves. For a week, the liches roam the city freely, and oversee the race, taking the losing crews as tributes and sacrifices. Once the Dragonboat Festival is finished and the liches disappear, the city's prosperity is magically replenished, and all the monetary wealth the citizenry had before the festival — player characters included — is doubled.

Under Tenkar's Tavern, Levels 1-3 from ThrowiGames.

Author - Thom Wilson. Artist - Je Shields.

Available in PDF for PWYW. 10 pages.

Once a boisterous and popular bar, Tenkar’s Tavern has recently become a place shrouded in mystery and despair. Members of the kitchen staff have disappeared and have not returned in several days. Additional hired hands have also since gone missing. An empty kitchen means unhappy customers and the barkeep Nerik is losing money! He needs outside help to solve his dilemma. Can the adventurers help find the kitchen staff or the source of the tavern’s problems?
An Adventure for three to six characters of 1st or 2nd level, designed for Swords & Wizardry TM by Matthew J. Finch.
10 pages, B&W

Fever Swamp from Melsonian Arts Council.

Author - Luke Gearing. Artist - Andrew Walter.

Available in Print & PDF for £12.00. Available in PDF for $7.84. 32 pages.

The air is moist. The moisture mixes with your sweat — the heat is relentless. The drone of insects gives you headaches, and the fever from the infected wounds has left you delirious. Your raft is damaged, and there are spirits in the trees. 

You’ve only been here for three days. 

Fever Swamp is a hex-crawl sandbox adventure compatible with Lamentations of the Flame Princess and most other Dungeons & Dragons clones.

PLEASE NOTE: this is a pre-order (expected delivery date late November) discounted to match the Kickstarter pricing. Once released the book will be priced according to material costs, which will likely be higher. Also bear in mind that and any books ordered along with this will be held back until it is ready to ship.

The Dying Sword: A Labyrinth Lord Adventure from Unbalanced Dice Games.

Available in PDF for $2.50. 16 pages.

The Labyrinth Lord has heard the story of Delldrell. A mad man who lead his people away from the water to conquer the land people. A man who was not right for that job! Now his clumsiness has been released again. His final battle he must finish with the party's assistance. The priest will show them where he is. Delldrell is making him do it! 

The Dying Sword is a short mid level Labyrinth Lord adventure. A fight for a dark night and a grumpy Labyrinth Lord. Come party, come whispers Delldrell and the blade that will never finish dying.

 The Wasted Hack from Shattered Pike Studio.

Author and Artist - Aaron Frost.

Available in PDF for $5.00. 100 pages.

The Wasted Hack is a “Pen and Paper” role playing game made using "The Black Hack" by David Black that uses dice and character abilities to resolve conflicts and overcome challenges in a Post-Apocalyptic world. 

Players assume the roles of survivors in this ruined world, with varied backgrounds and abilities at their disposal. Play as a brutal Savage, disciplined Veteran, crafty Scavenger, or baleful Infected. 

This 100 page book contains rules for Action Dice that fuel special abilities for each class that can be acquired as the characters level up, a wide array of mutations the characters can develop over time, weapons, armor, and gear, varying degrees of success, hirelings, character vs. character combat, waste-land beasts to oppose your players, printable monster cards, Marvelous Items including Future-Tech, Relics, Lost Marvels and Schematics, and more!

Eructation Of The Goblin Troll: A Labyrinth Lord Adventure from Unbalanced Dice Games.

Available in PDF for $3.50. 35 pages.

Again the party is summoned by the Labyrinth Lord. In their hands is a notice from Blurf. Come to the Inn Of The Big Beer, the situation is dire. The party must hall their mid level butts there. To a dangerous place Blurf is sending them, to bring back the head of The Goblin Troll! People have stopped drinking his beer and the Goblin Troll is why. 

Eructation Of The Goblin Troll is a mid level adventure for Labyrinth Lord. Be prepared not only for fighting but for being damn confused! :D A nights entertainment or an eternity of being lost? Blurf is waiting. Blurf Blurf Blurf the party will find themselves saying, why only 100 GP???

Wizardry Unearthed for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light from Cross Planes Game Studio.

Author - Mark Craddock.

Available in PDF for $1.25. 

Wizardry Unearthed presents Additional Classes, Races, Optional Rules for a Saving Throw inspired system for Thief Abilities, and Monsters from across the planes to add to your SWORDS & WIZARDRY CONTINUAL LIGHT Game.

The Witch for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light from The Other Side Publishing.

Author - Timothy S. Brannon. Artists - Marlena Mozgawa, Luigi Castellani, Larry Elmore, William McAusland, Bradley K McDevitt.

Available in PDF for $1.49. 13 pages.

The Witch. 

This is a spellcaster that blends both divine and arcane practices. Whether she is the helpful local healing woman or the evil wicked hag of legends is up to the player. 

Designed to be used with the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light game. 

This class adds three new Witch Traditions, new spells, and new magic items to the Swords & Wizardry Continual Light game.

Advanced Adventures #38: White Dragon Run II from Expeditious Retreat Press.

Authors - James C. Boney, Joseph Browning, Joseph A. Mohr. Artists - Peter Mullen, Jack Holliday,
The Forge, Jeremy Hart, Matt Morrow, William McAusland, Rob Torno, Jason Walton.

Available in Print & PDF Combo for $14.00 and in PDF for $7.00. Also available from the  Expeditious Retreat Press Lulu store. 18 pages.

White Dragon Run II is an OSRIC(tm) module designed for 6-10 adventurers of levels 2-5. 

Return to the little village of White Dragon Run! At the edge of civilization— the place where monsters are a constant threat and adventurers thrive—reputations are made or broken, and deeds are performed only to be set in verse decades after the real story is long lost. On this thin line between country and chaos lies White Dragon Run, the last stop for the civilized before the well-trodden road becomes the weed-infested trail leading to creatures that would rather fight than herd, fish or farm. 

White Dragon Run II contains four new locations in the Skathernes: The Sane Hermit, The Rainbow In The Dark, the rare and unusual Ambulatory Tower, and the deadly Temple of the Snake God.

If you enjoy this adventure, look for future releases in the Advanced Adventures line from Expeditious Retreat Press.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #95: Enter the Dagon from Goodman Games.

Author - Harley Stroh. Artist - Doug Kovacs.

Available in Print for $9.99. In PDF for $6.99. Also from DTRPG in PDF for $6.99. 36 pages.

A Level 5 Adventure 

The Isle of Dagon: to common folk, it presages death, pestilence, and woe. To warlocks, witches, and wizards, the isle offers a wealth of occult power, forbidden knowledge, and spells beyond the ken of mortal man. But before you can lay claim to the island’s secrets, first you have to survive its fabled spell duels — a series of death matches where only one caster may reign supreme.

Wizards and elves will be tested to the fullest of their abilities. To triumph, parties must also survive the machinations of the other contenders and their wicked retinues. For when vying for the title of Master of Dagon, and battling against some of the most powerful sorcerers to tread the Known Worlds, you will need every advantage you can glean. Will you and your companions sit passively by, awaiting whatever fate befalls you? Or will you take the fight to your foes? 

And when your life — and those of your companions — hangs on the casting of a single spell, will you have the courage to accept Dagon’s challenge? 

The time for questioning has passed. Black-sailed ships have come to ferry you and your companions to the fabled death matches. It is time to Enter the Dagon.

Threshold #17: Western Brun from The Vaults of Pandius.

Editor in Chief - Francesco Defferrari (Sturm.) Artists - Giampaolo Agosta, Leandro Abrahão, Robin D., William McAusland.

Available in PDF for Free. 210 pages.

This issue of Threshold should be considered a starting point in a great voyage to th
e 
West of Brun, with the help of the maps and the reports sent by previous explorers. 

We will indeed begin by examining the maps of Brun produced over the years, and then we will look at the timeline of the great continent and at the people and creatures who inhabit it.  

Special focus of this issue is on the Arm of the Immortals, with Ignacio Ramos’ maps and Atila Pires dos Santos’ original nations and cultures

Frontier Explorer #22 from Frontier Explorer Magazine.

Senior Editor - Tom Stephens.

Available in PDF for Free. 41 pages.

And welcome to the fourth and final issue in Star Frontiers’ 35th Anniversary year. This issue has a wide ranging variety of articles including new archetypes, new equipment, station construction rules, and more. This issue also introduces a new back cover comic, The Escape Plan, by our comic artist Scott Mulder. It will be fun to see where this new adventure takes us.

Advanced Adventures #37: Under Ruined Onm from Expeditious Retreat Press.

Author - Joseph A. Mohr. Artist -  Bradley McDevitt, Del Teigeler.

Available in Print & PDF for $14.00. Available in PDF for $7.00. Also available from the  Expeditious Retreat Press Lulu store. 16 pages.

Under Ruined Onm is an OSRIC(tm) module designed for 6-10 adventurers of levels 5-7. 

Nearly seventy five years ago the greatest bard ever known in the dry land of Zanzia disappeared. Anton Deangelo was a hero famous for some of the greatest songs in Zanzian history. In verse, countless dragons he slew, dozens of giants he felled, and hundreds of demons he put to the sword! Outside of the world of song, he and his band of adventurers gathered significant riches and looted many dungeons all over the land. Then suddenly…he was gone. The last time he was heard from he and his merry band were outfitting an expedition to explore the ruined city of Onm in search of the lost Mandolin of Duaree the Mad.

The Onm ruins are on the edge of the Blood River and the Dragon Teeth Mountains and no other ruins fabled enough to attract Deangelo are known to be in that area.

If you enjoy this adventure, look for future releases in the Advanced Adventures line from Expeditious Retreat Press.

Garden of Evil from Dragonsfoot.

Author - Joseph A. Mohr. Artists - See File.

Available in PDF for Free. 30 pages.

The Great Druid of Zanzia has summoned adventurers to the standing stones near the city of Barrowmar. He is very concerned about one of his initiates who has disappeared in the Dark Forest north east of the city. The initiate has lived there for some time but has not been heard from for weeks. Strange reports have been coming in about bizarre creatures and plants in the forest. Multi-headed creatures and plants that walk, talk and move have been reported. Something dire has happened in the forest and the Great Druid wants the adventurers to investigate these strange reports. An adventure for characters of 7th to 9th Level.

Some Re-Releases and Second Editions

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (Second Edition) from North Wind Adventures.

Author - Jeffrey Talanian (author), David Prata (editor.) Artists - Ian Baggley, Daisey Bingham, Johnathan Bingham, Charles Lang, Peter Mullen, Russ Nicholson, Glynn Seal, Val Semeiks, Jason Sholtis, Logan Talanian, Del Teigeler.

Available in Print for $69.99 and in PDF for $19.00. 622 pages.

ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA™ is sword-and-sorcery role-playing at its pinnacle. Play an Amazon fighter, Atlantean magician, Esquimaux shaman, Hyperborean warlock, Ixian necromancer, Keltic barbarian, Kimmerian cataphract, Pictish thief, Viking berserker, or one of many other possibilities. 

The heroes of a HYPERBOREA campaign delve the mazes and labyrinths of vast dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, lethal traps, and bewildering puzzles. They explore savage frontiers, breach hostile borderlands, probe ancient ruins, and investigate cursed tombs. They plunder for treasure and magic in a decaying world inhabited by bloodthirsty beasts and weird, otherworldly beings.

Now in its second edition, AS&SH™ has been expanded to include new classes, new spells, new monsters, new magic items, and more! It also includes a new, full colour map, an introductory town and adventure, as well as hundreds of new illustrations! This new edition is backwards-compatible with the original edition of the game.

Explore endless challenges and infinite realms of imagination with this complete sword-and-sorcery role-playing game! 

 

Space Age Sorcery Version 1.5 from Hereticwerks.

Authors - Garrisonjames, Eric Fabiaschi. Artists - Garrisonjames.

Available in PDF for Free. 28 pages.

Space Age Sorcery (1.5) was first made available from the Hereticwerks blog in 2013, now the free pdf lives again here at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow. We hope you enjoy it. 

The Revised & Expanded Version of Space Age Sorcery (v. 2.0) will be coming soon in both hardcover and softcover formats.

Misc. News

The Bundle of Holding Old School Revival +5 still has 14 days to go.

Rafael Chandler has some cool generators up for your perusal.

The prophet Konsumterra of the Elfmaids & Octopi blog continues to put out weird and wonderful random tables.

Papers & Pencils brings you Blogs on Tape.

Mighty Thor JRS - Fantasy Book News & Reviews.

And a Character Sheet for Death is the New Pink.

A few Product Reviews

Melan of Beyond Fomalhaut reviews Under Tenkar's Tavern.

Bryce of Ten Foot Pole reviews Under Ruined Onm.

And a Map

A pretty cool interactive map of Sigil. 

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. Some of the links to products are affiliate links and do provide compensation from the pertinent 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.

The Horn of the Edge of Time

This large black horn is made of a dense wood of unknown origin and encircled with thick gold bands engraved with Dwarven runes.

Only a Fighter (or B/X style Dwarf, Elf, etc.) may use the Horn and usually has only one opportunity to do so. A Fighter who raises the Horn with the intent to use it, will immediately know why this is so and may choose not to follow through with their decision.

Upon sounding, the Horn will summon a number of Warriors from the Edge of Time, as follows:

If the user's level is 1-5, then the Horn will summon 1d4 5th lvl Fighters for every three foes present, to a maximum of 3d4.

If the user's level is 6-8 then the Horn will summon 1d4 5th lvl Fighters for every three foes present, to a maximum of 6d4.

If the user is 9th level or higher, then as above, except the maximum number summoned is 15d4, unless the number of foes exceed 25,000 and there are a significant number of outer planar powers present on the battlefield, such that the battle might be considered of apocalyptic import. In which case, the full compliment of Warriors will be summoned to the battle field and their exact number is left to the Referee to determine.

In the aftermath of any of the above cases, if all of the warriors are slain by foes or accidental friendly fire, then the user may retain the Horn and activate it again at a later date, assuming he survives.

Otherwise, if the user and at least one of the Warriors are still standing, then the user is instantly slain and must accompany the surviving Warriors to the Edge of Time and join their number. The Horn will then teleport to a random location in the multiverse, unless seized by a Dwarf who was an ally of the previous user, within 1d2 rounds.