The Concept of Level
Sometime it good to revisit the basics.The question asked over on the RPGSite was "Why do Fantasy Games use Levels".The short answer is "Because of D&D". That led naturally to the question where to do levels in D&[...]Read on >>
recession-proof gaming VII – mission to game
Is that light at the end of the financiapocalyptic tunnel? Maybe. Here's some more stuff anyway. Browser Tools hack/ has produced some neat RPG bookmarklets. I've mentioned... Click the title if yo[...]Read on >>
Reavers on the Seas of Fate – Twelfth Session Summary
Twelfth Session (12 page pdf), “Mansion of Shadows, Part II” – The PCs hang out with a Chelish noble family for a while, and witness depths of degeneration that make even hardened criminals from Ridd[...]Read on >>
I Cast Cone of . . . Sonic?
You know one feat I’ve always disliked – Energy Substitution. Effectively it allows you to turn a fireball into a frostball for no penalty in level, unlike many metamagic feats.My issue with the feat is not its game [...]Read on >>
Microlite75 Suffers a Critical Hit: Split in Twain
I'm finally beginning serious work on Microlite75. After giving it a lot of thought and talking with the gamers playing in my OD&D game, I've decided that main version Microlite75 will be less an attempt to duplicate[...]Read on >>
Fiend Folio: Aarakocra
March 10, 2010 from How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less
Filed under: Old School, RPG, RPG Hub
I was recently reminded that I had completely forgotten to mention an item of crucial importance: I've got a copy of the AD&D Fiend Folio. (Someone very nice--but still evil!--figured out that I like collecting the o[...] Filed under: Old School, RPG, RPG Hub
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Stock Characters In Your RPGs
March 10, 2010 from The Spirits of Eden
Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, RPG, RPG Hub
My NPCs never die. This is not to say that they are invincible. They can surely be reduced to 0 HP and never seen again in that particular game. But that only gives them new life, a life beyond the confines of any single[...] Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, RPG, RPG Hub
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three even quicker items
I'm slow as all heck, but all the characters from the Easy Peasy EC PC contest are finally available for viewing at scribd. Also at the official Encounter Critical yahoo group.Blair must've used his nefarious powers to [...]Read on >>
Changer of the Ways
This blog has always been somewhat stream-of-consciousness in nature. It's largely become a receptacle of little ideas that never really get used much in my own gaming time. I constantly spout half-baked campaign concept[...]Read on >>
Cosmology of Shayakand
One of the inspirations for Shayakand provides a very different cosmology. The source for this alien cosmology is not Vedic, Funan, or Asian at all. It comes from a Greek philosopher and astronomer named Anaxagoras. The [...]Read on >>
The Book of the White Cat
[A compact volume of spells and cryptic notations on the construction of mageries, the Book of the White Cat is small enough in size to be cradled comfortably in the crook of an arm. The Book's pages are of creamy parch[...]Read on >>
Tuesday Magic Item – Belt of Defiance (“Bruising Belt”)
Something a bit strange here, but still combat-themed, playing on the difference between damage types in D20/Pathfinder to make a magic item that help keep someone alive, in a slightly painful way: Belt of Defiance (“B[...]Read on >>
Rituals and Incantations: Welcome Zombie Sky Press
Though he’s too modest to brag about it himself, our Web Editor Scott Gable has launched a dual-edition set of Spirit Magic that I think is the most promising new company launch in ages. Now I might be slightly bia[...]Read on >>
Beyond Sanctuary: Kandara Tanum
The fifth character in my Beyond Sanctuary Mythic GME Old School Sandbox game. Fortunately, she is a mage (I was getting a little worried that I wouldn't roll a magic-user). Kandara Tanum Attractive human woman of da[...]Read on >>
Customs and Folklore of the Flanaess
I'm always fascinated by hearing about strange (to me) customs, habits, superstitions, and other bits of trivia about other countries. In my gaming, I'm also always looking for subtle ways to differentiate one land from [...]Read on >>
Gloomspear’s Saga: Part Five
In Central Casting: Heroes of Legend, the twists and turns of a character's life have an effect on their personality, represented by Lightside, Darkside, and Neutral traits. Considering all the crap Gloomspear's been thr[...]Read on >>
Red Box Niagara Poster
I've been reading lately about the Red Box Calgary crew, and the other Red Box games in Vancouver and New York. They certainly look like fun.I decided to post a flyer at Phoenix Rising, the FLGS in St. Catharines, ON.I h[...]Read on >>
Otherworld Minatures + Goblinoid Games = Something Awesome
A couple of weeks back I was approached by Richard from Otherworld Miniatures about contributing a small adventure to the upcoming boxed set of miniatures of Labyrinth Lord. I said"Mmm let me think about it, yes!"Basical[...]Read on >>
Trapsmith: Trap Enhancements
There is always room for improvement. This is a basic fact known to trapsmiths. The only limits to improvement are time and money: usually clients only want “reasonable” protection or warding. Trapsmiths offer a plet[...]Read on >>
Beyond Sanctuary: Liamas Appledore
The fourth character in my Beyond Sanctuary Mythic GME Old School Sandbox game. Liamas Appledore Young Halfling male with unruly red hair and sideburns; typically wears leather armor and always has a smile on his f[...]Read on >>
Gloomspear’s Saga: Part Four
Having escaped from slavers and befriending a dwarf and a wizard, Gloomspear is ready for adulthood (or so we hope). Table 217: Significant Events of Adulthood works a lot like the Childhood & Adolescence chart, rig[...]Read on >>
New Feat – Pankration (Martial Art)
The Ancient Greeks practiced various forms of unarmed combat, wresting, early boxing and the vicious style known as Pankration. Pankration is built around grappling leading to takedown, joint locks (and breaks) and cho[...]Read on >>
Game Night #2 ~ Monkey Business
Session 2: “Monkey Business”(Running Paizo Publishing’s AP: Curse of the Crimson Throne #1: Edge of Anarchy)CAST OF HEROES:Pint Hornswaggle – Halfling Rogue/Wizard 1/1Imilio Phillips – Human Cleric [Cayden Ca[...]Read on >>
Gloomspear’s Saga: Part Three
When last we left our unfortunate hero, he had been released from prison at the tender age of 12, only to be enslaved by a conquering force that reduced his home city to ashes.Table 539: Enslaved! is one of the more comp[...]Read on >>
(3.5) The Company of the Combustable Commode Pt 3
So, as I stated in the first post, the summary is pretty much how this long running group got their name. It’s been, probably, the best D&D campaign I’ve ever run and the first game in general in my yea[...]Read on >>
(3.5) The Company of the Combustable Commode Pt 2
The bard’s presence, of course, served as a distraction for the rest of the taproom and very few people took notice of a small group of adventurers coming in from the cold. A Dwarf was in the lead and upon hearing [...]Read on >>
Otherworld Miniatures – Goblinoid Games Announcement
Otherworld Miniatures and Goblinoid Games have announced a forthcoming series of miniature figure sets packed with related adventures.As you may have read, these appropriately named "mini-adventures" will be written by s[...]Read on >>
The Wonderful Scrolls of Doctor Holmes
Over the weekend I was flipping around in the blue Basic D&D rulebook edited by J. Eric Holmes. One of the better-known quirks about the Holmes edit of D&D is the easy scroll rules. Any magic-user, starting right[...]Read on >>
The OSR (or whatever you choose to call it) Has Been RockingOut
Do people really not realize how much the OSR has accomplished? And not theoretical bull shit "pointers" on What is Old-School or How to Play retro. Concrete, real, practical stuff. Stuff that has gotten more people si[...]Read on >>
Film Review: Alice in Wonderland
Minor spoilers ahead.I had the chance to see the new Alice in Wonderland film by Tim Burton this weekend (oddly, I didn't see it with my 8 year old daughter, who saw it the day before with my wife). I liked it immensely,[...]Read on >>
Fantasy Wargaming
As I mentioned in my previous post, I found a copy of Fantasy Wargaming at Half Price Books last week. This brought back personal memories for me, but also represents a slice of gaming history that I’d like to write [...]Read on >>
Beyond Sanctuary: Tenistan Rhial
The third character in my Beyond Sanctuary Mythic GME Old School Sandbox game. Tenistan Rhial Massively built human male with short reddish-brown hair. Favors plate armor and is always loaded for bear with weapons [...]Read on >>
“…and many others.”
Here's an official-type announcement of the upcoming collaboration between Otherworld Miniatures and Goblinoid Games to produce official Labyrinth Lord miniatures. FYI I'm one of the "many others" mentioned in paragraph[...]Read on >>
Gloomspear’s Saga: Part Two
Picking up where I left off, it's time for me to roll up Gloomspear's childhood. We already know he spent a good chunk of it on the streets, even spending a couple of years in prison. Nevertheless, table 215: Significant[...]Read on >>
Yoinked: B-X Alignment Language House-Rule
I've always hated D&D alignment languages.As a result I've never used them.I was listening to Stuart Robertson's Podcast of the Expedition to the Ancient Academy and heard him reference a house-rule whereby the chara[...]Read on >>
Five Uncommon Metals
When spicing up a treasure hoard, sometimes minor -- if still unusual -- properties of an item's material can be every bit as interesting as a new enchantment, especially if the material is rare and/or valued in and of i[...]Read on >>
Beyond Sanctuary: Arien Fingalen
The second character in my Beyond Sanctuary Mythic GME Old School Sandbox game. The finished character is presented first, then a description of the cliches, followed by notes describing the process of creating her (a[...]Read on >>
Gloomspear’s Saga: Part One
Previously, I introduced you to my fighter, Gloomspear. Now it's time to see where he's coming from. I've unbagged my battered copy of Central Casting: Heroes of Legend and broken out some Gamescience dice for maximum ra[...]Read on >>
Magical Javelins
Sorry this is late, yesterday was taken up with work and then going into Atlanta to see the amazing Al Stewart preform live at Eddie’s Attic and we did not get back until after midnight. Great performance, grea[...]Read on >>
The Forbidden Dozen
One of the things that's always puzzled me is why, when WotC was putting together the System Reference Document (SRD) for Dungeons and Dragons 3.X, they took several creatures out of public circulation by name, by declar[...]Read on >>
Monster: Duraki
DurakiArmour Class: 5Hit Dice: 3+5Move: 120' (40')Attacks: 1 fists or by weaponDamage: 1-4/1-4 or by weaponNo. Appearing: 2-8Save As: F4Morale: 10Treasure Type: EAlignment: ChaoticXP Value: 75Strange humanoid[...]Read on >>
three things: inflictions
This content is provided under the terms of the OGL. Lachrymose Mask - This ivory tragedy mask is intended as a punishment for errant spellcasters and overly shrewish or loud conversationalists... Click the title if [...]Read on >>
Beyond Sanctuary: Hal Ptor
The first character in my Beyond Sanctuary Mythic GME Old School Sandbox game. The finished character is presented first, then a description of the cliches, followed by notes describing the process of creating him (and[...]Read on >>
The wheel in the cage goes round and round …
March 6, 2010 from A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons
Filed under: Legacy D&D, Old School, RPG Hub
Not back for a week, and the blogosphere has managed to already cough up the beginning of another one of Those Debates. Pfeh. Lovely. And with a side-order of one of my other annoyances, besides; but that seems confin[...] Filed under: Legacy D&D, Old School, RPG Hub
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Mapping Methodology Update
I now have a 'player map' for the surrounds of the Keep. I have given this to the players and said this is what they can see from the lookout towers at the keep. Note that I have brushed out all the numbered encounters t[...]Read on >>
New d20 Modern Patronage Project
Last month I wrote about the state of modern d20 gaming and mentioned there might be a project in the works to update it for Pathfinder. Well, the project is up and taking donations! It’s being done as a patron[...]Read on >>
BX-LL-AEC Borderlands Campaign Character Sheet
The Borderlands Campaign Player Record Sheet Here's a draft of a special character record sheet for a potential Old School "Borderlands Campaign". This is just a draft. Please feel free to make comme[...]Read on >>
Introducing Gloomspear
This is Gloomspear the fighter, a character I made for Labyrinth Lord. I rolled 3d6 in order and named him using my Core Names table. Check him out:So far so good, right? Sure, his Hit Points roll could have been better,[...]Read on >>
A Discussion of Probability
March 5, 2010 from How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less
Filed under: Old School, RPG, RPG Hub
I was flipping through my copy of the 1e DMG today and realized that it's the only place I've ever seen a discussion of probability in a game book. (This may be because I haven't been reading the right RPGs.) This is how[...] Filed under: Old School, RPG, RPG Hub
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three quick items
Tuesday's picture post seemed to go over fairly well. Gameblog reader Jayson noted "Looks like a coherent campaign setting to me!" while the mysterious d said "I want to play this. All of it.NOW." Guess what, folks? As i[...]Read on >>
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