Tabletop Gaming Feeds

 Combining Hostile (a gritty, industrial sci-fi setting) with Alien and The Bio Booster Armor Guyver creates a terrifying "Bio-Industrial Horror" aesthetic. In this world, the "Company" isn't just looking for a biological weapon—they are looking for a way to merge human consciousness with ancient, god-like weaponry. This blog entry picks right up right from The Mission Encounter: The Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

In C&C, all class abilities and saving throws are resolved with Siege: A stat-based saving-throw and class ability/skill mechanic.

Of your core stats: Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha, two are primes and the rest are secondaries (there's an option for tertiaries as well; also of note, humans start with three primes). Primes start at 12, secondaries start at 18 (with tertiaries it is 12, 15, 18, a better option in my opinion). These are target numbers -- like classic saving throws.

To make a Siege check, you add your level and your stat bonus to a d20 roll to meet/beat that Siege target number. Further, that target number will probably be modified by the level of the threat, such as saving against a spell cast by a 7th level wizard or disarming a trap set by a 10th level NPC. In many ways, that's logical, but, as you gain levels, you will have to face tougher threats, which leads to the following reality: The more levels you gain, the more skilled you become...and...the more challenging the traps, spells, and locks also become, so... are you really improving? Sure, if you encounter a 1st-level trap, but, this has been a problem since 3rd edition.

The beauty of older systems, with regard to class abilities, is that you actually got better at what you did without the fear of encountering more complicated obstacles. Locks were locks, poison was poison, spells were spells, and traps were traps. Period. Sure, you would occasionally encounter some kind of modifier, e.g., save at -4 against this or that, but that was kind of rare. It was good to know that if you had a 70% chance to disarm a trap... you had a 70% chance to disarm a trap.

Now, I don't want to bash C&C (as I like the game) but Siege can break down, making your base primes unstoppable by around 7-9th level, practically mandating more complex obstacles.

Example: 8th level thief, 18 dex (+3) -- prime (12). That's +11 (level 8, + 3 for dex) to your d20 roll, in essence, the base target number becomes 1 (12 - 8 - 3 = 1) Unless this thief (rogue) meets more complex threats, all successes are automatic, unless you count a natural 1 as an auto-fail. Now the GM, must, to keep things interesting, assign an almost arbitrary difficulty level to your roll. "Oh btw,  that lock was built by a 15th level locksmith!" 

Yeah, no.

Another thing, I know it sounds logical that higher level wizards cast tougher spells, but better saving-throws as you leveled up was a specific counter-weight to the powerhouses that high level wizards became.

• Palladium Fantasy handles this fairly well, with wizards gradually becoming better at casting; their spell's save number improves by 1 every 3 or 4 levels of experience.

And also, should higher level wizards cast tougher spells in a game where each spell is a specific magical formula designed for a specific purpose (Vancian!) regardless of the spell-caster's experience? -- But that's a whole separate topic, because... D&D is actually quasi-Vancian; some spells do in fact scale with caster level. Otherwise, you'd have a 1d6 fireball spell, a 2d6 fireball spell, a 3d6 fireball spell, and so on.

Also, I'm a fan of the notion that if a thief makes his stealth roll, whether moving silently or hiding in shadows, then he succeeds, period. No perception checks. The thief's failure IS the perception check.

And so, here is my Save Redux for C&C (and any version of the game really)...

A more standard saving-throw/ability-check system. The target numbers start the same: Primes: 12, Secondaries: 15, Tertiaries: 18. Subtract any ability modifiers. And those are your fixed saves. These saves improve by 1 every 3 levels. Except for rare circumstances, your roll is NOT affected by caster-level, monster level, or artificially inflated locks/trap levels, etc. See below...

•  0 at levels 1-3
• -1 at levels 4-6
• -2 at levels 7-9
• -3 at levels 10-12
• -4 at levels 13-15
• -5 at levels 16-18
• -6 at levels 19-21
• -7 at levels 22-24

Your Save numbers are frozen at 24th level (and no save can ever go below 2) never to improve (unless your core stats improve, maybe). For any progression beyond this (such as an Immortal system I've fiddled around with for levels 25-36) you would roll with advantage (if for some reason you don't know what advantage is, it's rolling 2d20 and keeping the best result).
We'll use a rogue as an example since they use Siege more than any other class (with comparisons to AD&D saves): 
1st level human rogue...
                                                        New Siege Save                    AD&D

• Str:   12          Tertiary               Siege: 18                  Poison/Death:  13
• Dex: 18 (+3)  Prime                  Siege:   9                  Paralyze/Poly: 12
• Con: 13 (+1)  Secondary           Siege: 14              Rod/Staff/Wand: 14
• Int:   12          Prime                  Siege: 12                             Breath:  16
• Wis:   9          Prime                  Siege: 12                                Spell:  15
• Cha: 14 (+1)  Secondary           Siege: 14

                                                          Average: 13.1                      Average: 14

At 13th level, he looks like this:

• Str:   12          Tertiary               Siege: 14                  Poison/Death:  10
• Dex: 18 (+3)  Prime                  Siege:   5                  Paralyze/Poly:   9 
• Con: 13 (+1)  Secondary           Siege: 10              Rod/Staff/Wand:   8
• Int:   12          Prime                  Siege:   8                             Breath:  13
• Wis:   9          Prime                  Siege:   8                                Spell:   9
• Cha: 14 (+1)  Secondary           Siege: 10

                                                         Average: 9.166                      Average: 9.8

At 24th level, good for sure, but still vulnerable...

• Str:   12          Tertiary               Siege: 11                 Poison/Death:    8
• Dex: 18 (+3)  Prime                  Siege:   2                Paralyze/Poly:    7
• Con: 13 (+1)  Secondary           Siege:   7            Rod/Staff/Wand:    4
• Int:   12          Prime                  Siege:   5                            Breath:  11
• Wis:   9          Prime                  Siege:   5                               Spell:   5
• Cha: 14 (+1)  Secondary           Siege:   7

                                                        Average: 6.166                      Average: 7
Now keep in mind, C&C's saving throws categories are linked to core stats as follows (with some spells affecting different stats):

• Str:    Paralysis, Constriction
• Dex:  Breath Weapon, Traps
• Con:  Disease, Energy Drain, Poison
• Int:    Arcane Magic, Illusion
• Wis:  Divine Magic, Confusion, Gaze, Polymorph, Petrification
• Cha:  Death, Charm, Fear

(I have reworked these saves to my fit own logic, including shifting death saves to your best save and I also reassigned lock-picking and trap-removal to Intelligence; Dex is for avoiding sprung traps). My version with Death being your best save...

• Str:    Paralysis, Constriction
• Dex:  Breath Weapon, Traps
• Con:  Disease, Energy Drain, Poison, Polymorph
• Int:    Arcane Magic, Illusion & Confusion, Lock-Picking, Trap Finding/Removal, Searching
• Wis:  Divine Magic, Fear, Gaze, Petrification
• Cha:  Charm, Loyalty, Morale

C&C gives options for alternate stat bonuses, such as the more modern ones started in 3rd edition. These would only change some numbers by 1.
The above rogue is only slightly better than his AD&D counterpart because of stat bonuses, which other than wisdom, are not applied to saves in AD&D. Your typical fighter would be slightly worse off in Save Redux.
Under Save Redux™ (which can actually be applied to any version of the game) if you want to attempt something that falls under the jurisdiction of another class, like thief abilities, tracking, and other non-mystical stuff, treat all stats like tertiary stats with zero level adjustment; stat bonuses do apply though, so: 18 minus stat bonus. Also, it gets one point harder with every attempt. So a fighter with a +1 Dex bonus (I prefer Int here, but whatever) trying to pick a lock would have to roll a 17+ no matter what his level is. And if he fails, his next attempt is 18+, and if he fails again and tries again, 19+... that would be 30 minutes (3 turns) wasted, and at least one wandering monster check.; (C&C doesn't use "turns" but you probably do). And you could rule that once you hit 20, it ain't gonna happen.
And speaking of monsters...
In C&C, monsters have two saves, physical and mental; one or both can be primary (secondary takes the slot of tertiary). So, that would be 12 or 18 adjusted by the level chart above. Examples...

• Gargoyle (5HD): P:11, M:17
• Young Adult-Adult Green Dragons (10-12HD): P:9, M:9
• Titan (17HD): P:7, M:7
• Goblin (1HD): P:12, M:18

Monsters are slightly more vulnerable under Save Redux™, however, percentage-wise, they're not too far off from AD&D 1st edition.
Now just for fun, I'll take it further and give monsters three saves because a lumbering beast can have loads of fortitude but no agility, so: Fort/Reflex/Will, with varying combinations of primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries. The above four monsters perhaps now look like...

• Gargoyle (5HD): F:11, R:14, W:17
• Young Adult-Adult Green Dragons (10-12HD): F:9, R:12, W:9
• Titan (17HD): F:7, R:10, W:7
• Goblin (1HD): F:15, R:12, W:18

The beauty of Save Redux™ is that it's cleaner; there's no math, and it still gives you that collision of old and new.
All for now.

I just saw that Far West Redux is live on BackerKit, and it hit me with a wave of nostalgia.

I was a backer of the original Kickstarter way back in 2011. If you know the lore of this project, you know the road wasn’t exactly smooth. It faced serious challenges, delays, and a vocal crowd of detractors who thought it would never see the light of day.

But here is the thing: Gareth Skarka never gave up.

I’ve always maintained that crowdfunding isn’t a pre-order store; it’s an investment in a vision and a creator. Through the long journey of Far West, I got to know Gareth. I only met him once in the wild at Gen Con (I have no idea if he remembers!), but I consider him a friend and a genuinely terrific human being.

He is a passionate, creative force who pushed through every obstacle life threw at him to get this book into our hands.

And he delivered. The final product was great, and this Redux version looks even sharper.

If you have any love for Wuxia and Westerns—and specifically, the magic that happens when you mash them together—I highly recommend checking this out. It’s a cool setting, but more than that, it’s a testament to resilience.

Check out the campaign here: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/adamant-entertainment/far-west-redux

Question: Have you ever backed a project that took the “scenic route” to completion but turned out awesome in the end?

The moathouse model for the Battle for the Moathouse 

Finding myself with a some rare free time, I dove back into my unfinished blog posts, and found this one covering my highlights from the first official day of Gary Con XVII, Thursday March 19th, 2025, where I played in two wargames and ran an RPG. Better late than never...

See the preceding post in this series here: Day 0

(1) For my first game in the morning, I played in the epic Battle for the Moathouse, a Chainmail scenario that recreates  a piece of Greyhawk history; specifically, the assault that creates the Ruined Moathouse in T1 The Village of Hommlet. This was refereed by the indefatigable Paul Stormberg, who organizes the entire Legends of Wargaming hall and game series every year.

Convention event listing description:

"Legends of Wargaming event! This Chainmail fantasy battle recreates one of the battles fought in the greater struggle against the Temple of Elemental Evil. After the Battle of Emridy Meadows and the Temple itself, a small force marched on the Moathouse, an outpost of Elemental Evil. Join the forces of weal and their righteous cause or serve Elemental Evil to crush the armies of good!"

I was on the side on the Forces of Woe (Elemental Evil), defending the Moathouse against the Forces of Weal. If I recall correctly at this late date, the game fairly faithfully recreated the course of the original events, with Weal doing pretty well storming the Moathouse. Woe was still in control of the Moathouse at the end of the allotted time, which I think was technically a win for us (i.e., surviving a certain number of rounds), but if the game had gone on just a little longer our leaders would have been forced to flee.

Photos:

The lineup for the Forces of Woe

The Forces of Weal advance on the Moathouse



Woe's Troll goes down on the battlefield

(2) In the afternoon I ran my Party of Balrogs OD&D scenario, the first of two games I was scheduled to run. This was second time running Party, the first being the year before at Gary Con 2024. That game had a great group of players, but they completed the scenario more quickly than I had anticipated, so I revised/added a few things to it for this year. 

Here's my convention blurb for the game:

"The 1974 D&D rules allowed for a character to be "virtually anything", even a balrog. This adventure takes this to 11 by having *all* of the PCs be balrogs! Ensorcelled to serve a wizard deep in a megadungeon, the spell is now broken. Can you get past the other guardians and make the wizard pay? This game by the Zenopus Archives celebrates 50 years of D&D. Balrog PCs provided."

I again had a great group of players, including one fellow who had played in some of my games previously. They undertook their mission with gusto and creative play and were successful in their mission. I'm running this scenario again this year at Gary Con 2026; the event page for it is here: Party of Balrogs GC 2026.

Unfortunately, I didn't take or receive any table photos for this game.

Michael Mornard, who played the original Balrog character in Greyhawk, happened to be GMing the next game I was scheduled to play (see below). To show my appreciation for originating the concept of Balrogs as PCs, I found him before his game and was able to introduce myself and buy him a beer to thank him for his inspiration.

(3) My evening game was Michael Mornard's Battle on the Ice, another Chainmail game, but historical rather than fantasy, based on the actual battle of the same name. This was played on the famous sand table in the Legends of Wargaming hall, with white coloring added to simulate the ice. I was part of the team on the side of Prince Nevsky, who won the actual battle, but unlike the real battle, we didn't fight on the actual ice, but rather tried to defend a position on an island, which probably contributed to our loss. However, our biggest mistake was separating our commander from his cavalry troops, without realizing this would render him much more vulnerable.

Convention Blurb: 

"Legends of Wargaming sand table event! This Chainmail historical scenario will be conducted on the Gary Con Sand Table. Refight the glorious battle of the Teutonic Knights vs. Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod! The referee will be none other than Michael Mornard an early participant in LGTSA games and the playtesting of the Dungeons & Dragons game."

Photos:

Mike talking about the scenario prior to us placing our forces 

My team. I think Mike took this photo. I'm on the far right, wearing a Vecna tee.

The two opposing forces facing each other across the field



The other side advancing towards our island


Mike in action refereeing

Also in this series:

Gary Con 2025: Day 0

Gary Con 2025: Day 2 (forthcoming)

Previous Gary Con convention summaries:

Gary Con 2023 (unfinished): Day 0

Gary Con 2022: Day 1 --- Day 2 --- Days 3 and 4

Gary Con 2019 (unfinished): Day 1 --- Day 2 (part 1)

By Stephen Smith
Mr Smith Design
B/X
Levels 1-3

The farms and fields around Turnip Hill are being plundered. Desperate locals need heroes to investigate—and stop whatever’s threatening their livelihoods. A straight-forward job—but things have a way of getting complicated.

This four page adventure features a fourteen room dugout cave/dungeon/warren under a hill. Nicely evocative but it’s just a hack and doesn’t really lean in to the Bone Tomahawk aesthetic. 

Fuck you. It’s my blog and I’m clearly intrigued by the possibilities that a shorter page count could imply. We all know it’s not going to fulfill all of my hopes and dreams (well, I don’t …) but we must carry on anyway, the search for meaning in a word cruelly devoid of it. I mean, how many fucking pages do you need to stab shit if you’ve got a dozen rooms and are getting eight or so to a page? Maybe six, I’ve decided. If we accept six to eight to page, with a page of monster stats and shit, then a couple of pages of Village Investigation and/or Overland Travel. Hmmm, no, I should think more about the perfect ratio of leadin/support and appendices to encounters. 

“We’re at our wit’s end. For the past few weeks something’s been making off with livestock and supplies. No tracks, no broken fences—just gone. Folks around here say they’ve seen shadows in the fields after dusk—the unnatural kind. I don’t know if I believe all that, but if we lose much more, our families won’t make it through the season” So we’re framing this as Heroes rather than adventurers, but, whatever. This isn’t bad at all, but that’s all that there is. No one to talk to, and no guidance on investigation in order to eventually find an entrance to a warren. Well, there’s a wanderer table for above ground which will lead you there, but each of the four entries literally leads you there. “You hear wind whistling from the entrance” or “You see a druid observing a hole.” And why the fuck doesn’t this fucking druid do something? Oh, because he’s a druid. Fucking neutrals. Anyway, it’s clear that I’m a little disappointed in the above ground portion. It feels like there was a page available so something was tossed in to fill it. Which means I feel like this was a stunt dungeon: majesty revealed in four pages! Look, use the page count you need to bring the work alive, just don’t fucking pad it out. That seems simple enough. 

The map here is above average for being so small. A little isometric, it gives a nice “warren under the hill” vibe via the map/art style used. There’s a great number of ramps, same level stairs, columns and such on it. It also fails somewhat in being a map, with some of the room exist not being shown in the best way, as well as a lack of walls (doors imply walls, I guess) that would get in the way of the visual impact. How close to a Rothko can you get before your patron starts to question if you’re doing a portrait of their spouse? This one is probably ok if you dig through the rooms first to better marks exits, Yeah, I do like the map even though its simple.

There’s some decent descriptions inside. The rooms all have these tree roots and things growing through the ceiling. “The air is damp, musty, and smells of soil. Footing is uncertain—shifting between eroded flagstones, soft patches of earth, and scattered debris.” or “The floor of this wide corridor is extremely broken and low-hanging roots require frequent ducking. Loose stones make the uneven stairs somewhat precarious..” That’s not terrible. “Wide” isnt great, but we’ve got low-hanging roots and loose stones on a set of stairs. It’s the modern style of presenting something that COULD be called read-aloud but isn’t labeled as such so could be DM notes. It does, in places, lead to over-reveal if used as read-aloud. “Then don’t use it as rad-aloud.” Ok. Another point toward that is the lack of creatures in the faux-read-aloud. These come later. So, in essence, this kind of room overview up top, then a little listing like “3 Giant Centipedes drop from the ceiling” and then a mechanics note or two like “-1 hit from swinging weapons” or a list of treasure to be found or something else. It’s not a bad format. The weakness, in all formats, being that they ARE formats and the designer always needs to keep a little willingness around to deviate from it in order to achieve the needs of the room/encounter/adventure/whatever. 

This is a hack. Monsters in the room attack. Not much in the way of interactivity beyond that. D&D has a long history of hacks, but the more interesting play expands upon that a bit. The hack as a fail condition is also a meme, but something closer to that. Things to explore and play with and so on. Something to discover, if only a hidden treasure behind a waterfall. 

But is it a GOOD hack? Well, there’s little in the way of an order of battle. Which means essentially no order of battle. And while the adventure makes a point of the lack of lack in this place the monsters also don’t seem to recoil to respond or get warned by light and react appropriately. Circle the wagons, do the defensive thing, use the halls to get behind people … nothing of any of that. Well, there is this: “If Chieftain loses 3 or more HP, he sends up an alarm-whistle. Any remaining Grimlings will add to the fray in 3d6 rounds.” There’s the extent. 

This thing is certainly moving in the right direction, much more than most of the endless line of adventures coming out. It’s tight, the writing tries to be evocative, the map is nicely evocative and things are least themed to a non-generic degree with the burrow/tree root/dugout thing going on. Slave to the format, be it the encounter format or the page count, means having to focus more on form over function, to the detriment of the adventure. Also, loot feels lite for B/X.

This is $2 at DriveThru. There is no preview. I don’t care if it’s $2 and four pages, I still want a decent preview. 

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/548444/trouble-at-turnip-hill?1892600

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) through Crisis! This week, I read the comics released the week of February 14, 1985, just before my 12th birthday.

Omega Men #25: Klein and McManus/Smith are in place as the new creative team, and they start the story so in media res I had to check to make sure I hadn't missed an issue. Nimbus contends with an insane X'hal and her son Auron, while the Omega Men, now led by Kalista and Tigorr, and contending with spider-themed invaders to Vega who aren't identified in this issue, but I assume are the Spider Guild, who also appear in the back-up.
In "Tales of Vega" by Moore and O'Neil, the Spider Guilds invasion of a world is thwarted by the giant inhabitants moving too slowly to take notice of them.

Amethyst #5: Estrada is back on pencils this issue. We pick up where we left off with Amy and Emmy in the hands of a headless robot made. With the help of Taffy the dog, they managed to destroy the robot. They start investigating the device Carnelian has apparently been building, visiting an alternate Plantworld where Princess Amaryllis battles the Dark Maple. Carnelian finds them and tells them he got stuck here and has been looking for a way back to Gemworld. Carnelian and Amethyst take the path he discovered, but it's not without dangers.

Arak Son of Thunder #44: This is another issue I bought off the spinner rack back in 1985. The Thomases and DeZuniga continue Arak's and friends' voyage to North America with Captain Re-Iz Hazz. They are sailing east to circumnavigate the globe (or go under the great turtle, as Arak explains it). They make a stop at the island of al-Hind, whether they are waylaid by a pirate with a grudge against their captain. He sales them to the island's corrupt priest as sacrifices for "Shiva." The priest transforms into a multi-armed monster in a ritual, but Arak manages to defeat him. 

Batman #383: Moench and Colan/Alcala present a somewhat humorous story of Bruce Wayne just needing to get some sleep after several busy days for both him and his alter ego. Unfortunately, responsibilities to his home, business, ward, and romantic life keep getting in the way. Finally, after an unplanned night out as Batman, he leans up against a gargoyle on the side of building to at least catch a nap, forgetting he had made dates with both Julia and Vicki the following night.

Flash #345: This issue erodes what little faith I had in the Flash's lawyer, Cecile Horton, and perhaps the entirety of the legal system in Central City. The prosecutor brings a surprise witness to the stand, Kid Flash, who testifies to a number of ways the Flash could have stopped Reverse Flash without killing him. Apparently, there isn't mandatory discovery in the DCU. Cecile handles that reasonably well but treats it like some devastating blow that I just don't see it as being. Then she does something real dumb. After spying on the Allens and discovering the Flash's secret ID, she plans to reveal it in open court--without telling the Flash what she's going to do. Somehow convincing the jury he had a strong motive to kill the Reverse Flash is going to get him found innocent? Anyway, she pulls off his mask in court but he doesn't look like Barry Allen! 

Jemm, Son of Saturn #9: Synn and Tull are both confident they duped the other in their recent deal, but we don't find out this issue which of either may be right. With knowledge of New Bhok, the White Saturnians make an attack. The Bhokian military has a super-weapon it has been eager to employ to wipe out the White Saturnians once and for all. Jemm, though, views himself as having responsibility to all Saturnians and destroyed the weapon. A renegade priest inflames a mob against and soon he is strung up for execution.  

Legion of Super-Heroes #10: The candidates for President of Earth have been drafted, and the Legion has assigned one of their members to guard them which proves a prudent move as Khundian agents try to assassinate them. In the process of defending a candidate, Invisible Kid reviews new powers--maybe teleportation? It turns out though, the Khunds have also target the current President Marte Allon, who locally has her son, Colossal Boy on hand to save the day. Meanwhile, Cosmic Boy announces a leave of absence to the Legion.

Star Trek #14: Barr and Sutton/Villagran pick up where they left off last issue, with Excelsior surrounded and about to be destroyed. Kirk and crew have another trick up their sleeve, though, and that involves the two Spocks in the cloaked Klingon bird of prey causing chaos while Excelsior gets her engines ready for a transwarp dash to safety. It works, then Kirk sends the Spocks and Konom as emissaries to the Klingon Emperor, offering them the means the check the Empire. Konom has to go through a painful interrogation to prove their information is legitimate, but in the end, it works.

Superman #406: This is a done-in-one by the Conways and Novick/Hunt, and like last month's Action Comics with Captain Strong, it sort of has the feel of an inventory story. The Daily Planet crew (including Lois) is featured prominently, and no mention is made of Galaxy Broadcasting or Lana. Mr. Mxyzptlk is up to hijinks and causes a crisis with a biomechanical worm designed to aid digging that the imp enlarges into a monster. With Metropolis threatened from underground, Mxy whammies Superman so that he passes his powers to others via touch. Once they figure out what's going on, Lois, Jimmy, and Perry, have to team-up with Superman to defeat the creature, but only after Mxy gets afraid the weakened Superman will be killed and calls the others in to help.

 Combining the high-octane, neon-noir espionage of Agents of W.R.E.T.C.H. with the visceral, body-horror evolution of New Flesh creates a campaign setting that is equal parts James Bond, Akira, and The Fly.In this world, the Cold War never ended; it just moved inside the human genome. This adventure picks up two years after events at the last session. T.H.E. Cat calls in the party who have Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Balance is for curated experiences.

Balance exists to shape outcomes. It’s about tuning difficulty, smoothing edges, and ensuring players encounter challenges in a controlled, satisfying arc. That’s valuable in many kinds of games, where fairness and pacing are the point. The experience is designed first, and the player moves through it.

Tabletop RPGs ask something else entirely.

Are you playing the world or not?

An RPG isn’t a ride. It’s a place. The world doesn’t scale itself to your party, doesn’t guarantee fair fights, and doesn’t arrange events so every path feels equivalent. It exists on its own terms. When you engage with it, you’re exercising agency, not consuming balance.

That means you can make smart decisions, bad decisions, or desperate ones. You can walk into something unwinnable. You can retreat, negotiate, or fail. Those outcomes aren’t design flaws. They’re the texture that makes success meaningful. If every option is tuned to parity, the world becomes a menu, not a setting.

Balance ensures reliability. Playing the world creates consequence.

Neither approach is wrong. But they answer different questions. One asks how to deliver a curated experience. The other asks whether you’re willing to engage with a living environment that doesn’t revolve around you.

So when the conversation turns to balance in RPGs, the real question isn’t mechanical, it’s philosophical.

Are you playing the world, or expecting the world to play along?

 In the Thurian Age of King Kull, the Serpent Men are not merely monsters; they are the remnants of a pre-human empire built on alchemy, sorcery, and the worship of the Great Serpent. Their treasures reflect a civilization that was ancient when the first humans were still shivering in caves.This blog entry picks right up from D100 Conan era Eldritch Spirits & Forbidden Rituals Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

This post continues the series of brief play reports I have been posting on Discord. This does not cover every single session (sometimes, recon and setup is what happens), but it covers our ongoing games.

The Divided Palace01/12/2025 FOMALHAUT

News from ULTRAREALITY! Strengthened by Zurv, a caveman fighting-man who entered a strange metal tower on Fomalhaut and fell into ULTRAREALITY’s seas after a long voyage, the company returned to the palace divided by the great force barrier. Investigating a crater in a marshy area from which came a steady hum, they found strange ceramic jars containing a crumbling yellow-green material, which reminded Lilith of the toxic waste found deep beneath the fortress of Velkos Vel; the site was vacated immediately. The next target, a spiral outcropping behind the muddy river, had an entrance at its base with magic sigils. A passage led to a grotto containing a stone bowl containing pulsing, weirdly coloured energy, surrounded by stone pillars graven with glyphs. Figuring this was a containment field, they retreated again. Another entrance was found underneath a terrace, between two enormous stone steles. Low passages led to cramped tunnels choked with sickly vegetation. From the side-chambers came browned, boneless corpses. In the melee, Kallimedon’s fire-whip lit the surrounding plants on fire, resulting in much flame and smoke. Fleeing the conflagration, Malakos IV was grievously burned, and would have died if not for quick surgery. The corpses were dispatched. Following the tunnels led to the palace interior, with a collapsed stairway to the rooftops, and a side-chamber bisected by the force-wall. On this side were jugs and jars; on the other, patchers of the Ochre Death, and many skeletons encrusted with its spores. The dead rose, scratching the force-wall, and telepathically asking the intruders to bring down the barrier and let them out. As this did not seem either feasible or desirable, they drew back. Another room confirmed the decision: a scrawled message read „BEWARE THEIR LIES”. Not wishing to cross the palace’s grand entrance chamber, they climbed to the rooftops to see if there was a way in from up.

There were multiple cupolas, including two cracked ones. From the parapets, they also saw the great worm to the E, crawling out from its muddy pit to drink from a pond of foetid water. The first cupola offered a way down, but was unstable. The second, located in the centre by the force-wall, was more stable. Murat the Etunian rappelled down into a dim grand hall in ruin, bisected by a 40’ chasm. On the other side, many skeletons slumbered among the spores of the Ochre Death. Investigating the chasm, he found what they were looking for: eight enormous, locked chests on the bottom. The rest of the team descended, but the skeletons also arose, demanding to be released. As the first chest was lifted out of the chasm, their telepathic powers took over Malakos IV, but he was too frail to do anything but lash at someone. Ion came up with a clever stratagem, telling the mind-controlling undead that the instruments to bring down the barrier were in the chests, which would have to be emptied to find them. This worked, and the chests were lifted out and cracked open, to reveal a wealth in coinage and mysterious items, quickly loaded into the portable hole. The demands of the skeletons grew harsher, and they were only pacified temporarily. They made another attempt to possess Bocephus, but the magic-user was protected by an amulet vs. mind-control. Bocephus pretended to obey the undead, slowly pulling the remaining chest with him, then dimension doored out of the palace with his gains. The rest ran; the shrieking chorus of the undead angry in betrayal. They took over Kleombrotos, making him attack in berserk fury as he pursued, and as more undead started to come from the side-passages. But they were eventually out of the palace, and out of the mind-control’s range. They left the site quickly, blasting a group of weird pod creatures with a fireball.

Captain Yonon’s treasure was theirs. As agreed, this was their last adventure in ULTRAREALITY (for now). The Viridian Star, and its companion ship, the Bringer of Purple Splendour taken in the siege of the Doorless Arct, sailed through the seas, too formidable to be targeted by random encounters. Days passed. They approached the great gateway leading back to Fomalhaut. Here, a final challenge awaited (a very appropriate random encounter roll): a strange, shimmering serpentine being of colourful crystal scales or plumes whirled through the air, demanding to ask the characters of their purpose. It proved friendly enough, introducing itself as the Lord of the Eastern Isles, and demanding to be honoured. A dark, gem-studded mirror was offered for it by Lilith to better admire its resplendence, and the being was satisfied, asking Lilith what she wished for in return. She asked for a blessing, and it did, granting a boon of luck (a one-time +3 bonus on a saving throw). They parted, and the ships sailed through the enormous gateway, to find more familiar blue skies and wine-dark seas. After 68 days (and 27 game sessions starting way back in May 2024), they were back on the world of Fomalhaut, their tasks accomplished. From here, the rescued men of Thellas returned to their home city to see the loved ones, but offering to join the company in future sea adventures – they were still poor, and Thellas needed the funds. The Viridian Star sailed back to the city-state of Glourm. Hela al-Tyraxus, the sorcerer-tyrant’s daughter was well pleased too: this effort would help make her Tyraxus Targ’s favoured successor. They returned to port, and (coincidentally) Day 300 dawned from the start of the campaign. On that day, weird, fiery comets fell from the sky all across the sea and land, and the stargazers were confounded, as none of their methods and devices could read these portents.

The Ruined Town

02/12/2025 THISIUM

News from the doomed city of Thisium! On Day 74, Falumfano and Ramondo Montefeltro, two of the Lyceum’s exiled instructors, arrived back in Thisium to report on their findings, and to drink in some schadenfreude. They spoke to the Imperator on his island, discovering him to be an embezzler of his legion’s fund, and a reckless, headstrong leader, but very brave, with a trained force of 60 men. It was judged he’d be a good addition to the war against the mountain orcs, but only after more concrete plans were created. For now, the company sailed across the sea, stopping to explore an already explored island, then moving on to the Isle of Black Dogs. Building a rope bridge across the rapid river cutting through the isle, they travelled east in its thick jungles. In a clearing, they fought and killed a spotted smilodon, and from its lair, retrieved strangely antique, yet well-kept jewellery and armaments, including a magical longsword capable of shooting a light beam. Thus, Opiter Torchbearer, who had an identical weapon, was joined by Quayin Torchbearer. Continuing the way, they found a ruined town they had previously seen from a higher vantage point. It had been long abandoned, and mostly retaken by the trees. In the twisting streets, they found many carved images of snarling black dogs; and in the few intact houses, contorted bodies turned into petrified ashes. The Doom had been here, many years before, Quayin said, and this fate would await Thisium too unless averted. Exploring the small agora, they entered an old senate building, and spotted lurking figures sneaking after them. Setting a trap in the doorway, they waited. A large pack of ghouls were ambushed and put down. Their den, a ruined granary, was also purged with sword and fire. Here was some meagre coinage, but that was all found on site: the town’s fortified treasury had been looted long ago. They left the ruins to continue their adventure.

A southern trail led to stakes in the forest, with mouldering skeletons tied to them with vines, abundant plants growing on them. They chose to return to ship to rest. Three owlbears came at them in the jungle. Two were temporarily blinded with light-beams, allowing the pack to be caught on readied spears and put down. Resting on the ship, they returned to the isle the next day, and headed up to the broken central volcano. The crater was filled by a dark lake, dead tree trunks still seen in the water. The place was peaceful, but ominously silent. Remembering that a band of pirates had sought treasure here, the waters were surveyed with the light-beams. A glowing item lie on the murky bottom, and Heraclitus Pyrros retrieved it with a phantasmal hand, snatching away a glowing magical dagger, just as several corpse-hands reached out of the water to try and catch it. Happy with the find, they turned back and left this gloomy place. In the woods, they were attacked by a pack of snarling black dogs, attacking in berserk fury, and as they were slain, they turned into humans, their expressions still carrying feral madness. „Doom confirmed”, spoke Quayin. They now explored the island’s NW side. A cedarwood building turned out to be a hall. Stuffed heads of black dogs gazed down ominously from the walls with glittering eyes; the marble statue of a naked bowman stood opposite, nocking a golden arrow with more in his quiver. Opiter reached for the arrows, and with a blur of incredible speed, the statue shot six arrows at him, but he survived. Another trick was tried by Quayin, who tried to throw a sack filled with chalk dust on it, being rewarded with six more arrows. Not wishing to try their luck, but picking up the golden, well-balanced projectiles, they returned to the ship and turned back to Thisium. Arriving in port came the news: the innkeeper, Lumps, was killed by the strange masked assassins lurking in the city. At this time, the city had 22 days left...

The Scouts of Locassum
08/12/2025 THISIUM

News from the doomed city of Thisium! A small company left the cedar grove where they were encamped after the sack of Aqua Mala. On the coastal road, they encountered a harried rider bringing baleful news: the coastal garrison of Locassum has fallen to a coordinated orc sneak attack, and most of the defenders were dead, including the commander and quartermaster! Abandoning other plans, the adventurers rode to Villa Cardone, speaking to the few surviving legionaries, then riding on to the Wailwind, the fortified inn along the Bay of Pearls. A small group of legionaries sent to patrol the area was here, led by their officer, Cipriano Favazza. They discussed what to do, and decided to scout out the fortress to see if the orcs just plundered it, or were still present. Cipriano gifted his boots of speed to the thief Eriberto Barrella to aid in the task. They rode towards the fortress with Girafalles, a legionary who knew the area like the back of his hand. They reached the swampland, and at the foot of the ruined aqueduct, discovered an ominous old statue staring at them motionlessly. Girafalles swore he had never seen it before, nor did the other characters who had been there. Leaving the creepy thing, they continued, discovering a group of orcs constructing a roadblock and the beginnings of a palisade. The swine did not notice them, so they withdrew. Dismounting and leaving the horses to a follower, Girafalles led them through the swamp’s hidden byways to spy on Locassum. From a wooded isle, spies in land that had been human just a few days back, they observed several orcs on the parapets, and other signs of occupation. The Flatfish, the garrison’s ship, was not to be seen. Hatching a plan, Eriberto tried out his boots to lure out a group of orcs into an ambush, where they killed two and captured the third, escaping through the swamps and shaking off pursuit. They rode away, making camp at a known shelter at a crossroads. 

The orc captive was interrogated. The attackers were transported by ships from Arak Brannia, and once their task was done, the vessel and the Flatfish sailed with the remaining captives to Castrum Rapax on the northern peninsula. The orc was confident many more of his kind would arrive soon, and the Coastlands would fall under the orcish yoke once Thisium has been finished. The next day, Don Spezzaferro travelled to the Wailwind to report. Two petty merchants from Arak Brannia were immediately arrested and their small coaster, The Marmot, seized. The merchants knew little, except that their city-state’s influential merchant families were all in on a massive deal that let them sell a lot of food, equipment, and weapons up north, and they were very secretive about it. In a dark mood, Cipriano Favazza mentioned something about burning the treacherous isle republic to the ground after Thisium was saved; for now, he volunteered to defend the people of the coast from orc incursions along with Ottilia Cardone, while giving up his magic boots on permanent loan. With that, the company bought several smaller gemstones to uncover a mystery of the Forest of Verrilli! In the forest, they ran into Sir Egmont Mouseburg and his riders, who was rattled by the bad tidings as Don Spezzaferro recounted their tale. After all, he expected relief for Mouseshire from Locassum, and now there would be none! They parted, and soon met another strange thing – a galloping, riderless warhorse carrying a sack. There was no trace of its rider, but the panicked beast was carrying treasure – and no other treasure than the crown of Prince Ambrosio Adimari, who ruled beyond the forests. (Very, very lucky roll for jewellery.) The crown was priceless, but the prince was known to employ an army of spies and assassins, so this was hot stuff needing to be unloaded quickly before the news got out.

Westwards through the woods, they emerged at the sunlit clearing where permanent noon reigned above a sundial. They rode on to their target: a grey lake ringed by the statues of 12 sightless maidens, casting no reflection in the water. This is what the gems were for. Taking 24, they were inserted into the maidens’ eyes, and their gaze cast beams of light intersecting in the centre of the lake. A woman’s arm emerged from the water with a sword in hand, which it tossed to the surprised Eriberto! The Sword of Roses was theirs, a fine undead-killing blade with a rose-shaped gemstone in its pommel! Night was approaching. They returned to the sunlit clearing, where it was noon as previously. They rested, and rising, emerged... to the same hour of dusk. They turned towards Thisium. Passing through the tangled night forest, they emerged in the Cyclopean Hills, next to a giant anthill. Along the road, they heard the sounds of bells from the hills. Eriberto prowled across a hill, spying an enormous flock of sheep, some two dozen short figures around campfires, and... four enormous sheepdogs! Eriberto ran, the dogs baying and giving chase now that they had a rustler. The boots were of good service to the old thief; he reached the horses, and they departed quickly. Still fresh, they rode through the night on known roads, arriving in Thisium. Lumps the Innkeeper’s death was what greeted them after their long wilderness sojourn, and the inn, where the drinks were slowly but surely running out as no heir was forthcoming. The crown of Prince Adimari changed hands, bought through intermediaries by one of the doomed city’s collectors, who were now sparing no expense to get what they wanted before the coming of the end. But for the company, new adventures awaited. At this time, the city had 20 days left...

Sormadium

11/12/2025 KASSADIA 

News from the fallen empire of Kassadia! On board the Grandiose Cloud, the Lion Pack sailed into the port of Sormadium, the only city on the mountainous isle of the same name. The crumbling walls rose on tall cliffs, beneath which was a shantytown and an ill maintained port. Picking their way among urchins, beggars, and other louts, they found a local guide in the person of Carmino, a cheerful young fellow, and a new companion in the person of the ominous Sidius, a Cleric of Roxana, Goddess of Death. Carmino led them up crumbling stairs to the city gates, talking of pirate kidnappings in the shantytown, and the clergy of Kurlakum of the Seven Misfortunes, who were the town’s masters, and known for their acts of charity. This was  revealed soon enough as they passed into Sormadium: the steep gate fee was waived on behalf of the god, and they entered the labyrinth of dirty alleys, aggressive beggars, and shady figures. Carmino led them up the Street of Benevolences, where charity was the custom, and here they caught the first glimpse of the red-robed, trident-carrying clerics, distributing alms to the needy. Aristeo gave Carmino 20 sp at once, which he acknowledged as an act of great charity indeed. They visited the small forum, and saw the crumbling senate building, guarded by ill-equipped lictors. Harlots, mountebanks, pilgrims and common thieves plied their trade. But their destination was close: Renaldo’s Fancy, a higher-class inn and cathouse. They invited their guide to dinner, and listened to his stories of mutants prowling the night streets. The next day, Carmino did not turn up in the morning despite his promises, so they ended up striking out on their own. The Senate was in session: venerable patricians were seen entering, among them the ancient Porfirio Holden Balatro, respected bipartisan, wheeled in in his wooden wheelchair. Unfortunately, this day was not one when the senators would receive petitioners, so they turned away.

Having heard of an aristocratic magician and statue collector, they headed down the Street of Benevolences, where they were mobbed by ill-looking beggars. Receiving a single silver, the ragged lowlives grumbled and cast evil glances at the Lion Pack, who departed quickly. The eccentric palace of Arcibaldo Ponzi rose with immaculately polished bronze cupolas and marble balustrades. They were admitted for an audience with Arcibaldo, a man of fine tastes. The company’s mission on the island was to find and destroy a cursed tower and architectural blasphemy built by the elven architect, Quintus Equitius Elvorix. Their host knew of its location (a small island off Sormadium’s northern coast), and was interested in procuring its rare statues, but knew that the place was magically locked and not possible to open even with a knockspell. He offered to teach Martus the Opiate some of his arts in exchange for another statue, found in the villa of the declining Memmoli family – it’d have a better place in his domed hall! They descended from the city back to the port, seeking an oracle known to be found before a barred cave entrance. They found an ancient crone, a disciple of Caedicia, who cast lead to find signs to help them find entrance into the tower: she spoke of a sealed gate, a Rider crossing their way, and a heinous curse. They agreed to seek the tower to investigate what they would learn of getting in. Looking for a ship led them to the crumbling tower of the Vigilants, charged with watching over the harbour. They looked more like a band of scoundrels and loose women than a serious force, but their leader, Sculptor Silvestro, was agreeable after a good price was offered to rent out his small but swift vessel, the Spruce Goose, for a deposit and daily fee.

Queried about who the „Rider” mentioned by the crone might be, he noted that there were few who went by horseback on the Isle of Sormadium except the wealthy landholders: the old Quirino Bonnacorsi, the wealthy Alfonso di Lucio, and the aloof Verenzio Altieri. All of these men ruled one of the island’s villages. Silvestro gave them a guide to accompany them: Antino, an enthusiastic sailor lad. They sailed out in the afternoon, passing the island’s coast with its high cliffs, beyond which rose even steeper mountains. They sailed by a larger complex, the monastery of Kurlakum’s clerics, and the retreat of the high priest. They planned to spend the night in the village of Ucria, but their voyage was interrupted. Two enormous giant octopi rose from the sea, attacking the Spruce Goose from the two sides. Aristeo Guarini fell into the water, and was badly roughed up by one of the cephalopods, but he was rescued by the fighting-woman Lucia, who struck the beast dead before the archer would be devoured. In the melee, Antino was almost killed (surviving at 1 Hp), but the other octopus was also finished off. Although wounded in the fight, they were in possession of an unexpected bounty: a vast quantity of octopus meat, which they butchered on deck, sailing back to Sormadium to sell it on the open market before sundown. Richer in gold, they feasted on grilled octopus and chilled white wine at the Pegasus, when they were approached by a liveried manservant. The man bowed politely, and invited them for a morning audience with Porfirio Holden Balatro, the senior member of the city senate, and a known master of the magical mysteries...

The Uttermost Masters

14/12/2025 FOMALHAUT 

News from Fomalhaut! Three weeks passed after the company’s arrival back from ULTRAREALITY. Untold treasures were divided, the haul of the Doorless Arct between the adventurers and Tyraxus Targ, the Wizard-Tyrant of Glourm, and the rest among themselves only. Bocephus returned in triumph to Pentastadion, establishing an academy of learning and a garden of special herbs and spices, and earning his rank among the Syndic Lords. Likewise, Kleombrotos commissioned a Colossus of Kang the Thousand-Eyed on the city’s acropolis, to tower over the seas with his mighty spiked flail. It is reputed that not only was he also elected among the Syndics, but he received a private audience with his god in a flying cloud-palace (?), where he learned a major secret. Lilith also returned in triumph and splendour, and Ishtar’s rites those weeks were the wildest Pentastadion had seen. The city was at her heels at that time, and she was rumoured to be a favourite to succeed Head Syndic Beslandar. Ogg the Caveman ended his adventuring career, retiring to a fortified villa with a gaggle of 10/10 beauties to found his own caveman tribe, and entrusting his best items to Polybios, who spent an enormous sum to advance the fate of his own colony project. Ion chose Glourm as the site of his efforts: collecting artefacts from ULTRAREALITY, he established a lavish museum commemorating their journey in that strange world. So passed the time, but the Uttermost Masters, that secretive order of savants they have been in conflict with, have also made their move. The image of an enormous stone head appeared in the Wizard-Tyrant’s throne room one day, and spoke:

“LISTEN, OH, TYRAXUS TARG, OVERLORD OF GLOURM! WE, THE UTTERMOST MASTERS, GREET YOU! YOU HAVE SEEN A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR MIGHT ACROSS THE LAND AND THE SEA, AND KNOW THAT MORE SIGNS OF IT SHALL SOON BE REVEALED. TREMBLE! FOR YOU AND OTHERS OF YOUR KIND MAY RULE THE CITIES OF THE LAND, BUT WE NOW RULE YOUR SKIES, AND CAN SCOURGE YOUR DOMAINS AS IT PLEASES US. FURTHERMORE, OUR INFLUENCE STRETCHES INTO OTHER WORLDS, AS IT SHALL BE REVEALED. YOU WHO HAVE TRAVELLED INTO STRANGE VISTAS SHOULD KNOW THERE LIES MORE BEYOND THAN CAN BE TOLD! (…) DO NOT TRY TO OBSTRUCT US, NOR SEEK US. ALL IS FUTILE. YOU SHALL BE NOTIFIED OF OUR DEMANDS WHEN THE TIME COMES. YOU CAN SHARE IN OUR GREATNESS, OR BE FOREVERMORE DESTROYED!”

Temple of the Fallen Idol

There have been news of disappearances in the coastal city-states, and in Glourm, five influential courtiers had vanished in recent months. The Overseers, the palace’s secret police, could trace three of them to the Temple of the Fallen Idol, and this is where the company focused its investigations. They set out at night, finding the building’s entrance walled up, but could enter through the upper windows into a deserted hall. Enormous statues had had their faces and other identifying marks removed. Stairs descended down, and they followed. An under-temple with a colossal form in a throne was found by a strange pool, but here, too, the damnatio memoriae was all too successful. As they were investigating the idol, they were attacked by a spectral form calling himself Rhodomax the Theurgist before being turned away. Finding little in the chamber, they investigated the area, which was partly connected to the sewer system. Southwards, they proceeded through multiple rooms, until hearing sounds of chanting from a distance. Announcing themselves, they were confronted by 8 fur-clad, muscular men of barbaric appearance. While they were negotiating, they spotted a colourfully-dressed fellow trying to sneak off behind the men. An arrow killed the sneak, and the barbarians exclaimed „They got the sacrifice victim!” In the melee, the fanatical cultists were killed off, but their unfortunate victim, who had tried to sneak away from their bloody altar, was too dead by their own arrow to answer questions. This area led to some kind of infected area and a hallway covered in innumerable human bones, so they returned where they came, and tried a downwards stairway in the NW corner. These stairs led to more elegant marble passages. They were surprised by two weird spider-things who could control minds, but triumphed over them with some effort. Through a secret door, they stepped into a columned hall.

Dark marble covered the walls, and inky darkness pressed on them, suffocating light sources. A torso of a myrmidon stood on a pedestal, identified by a plaque as Hieron the Mighty. Spiral stairs led even deeper. At this time, from the shadows came a 15’ tall figure of pure darkness, its eyes burning, and drawing a veil of darkness on the whole group. It tried to possess one of them, but was banished by Lilith into the depths, disappearing down the spiral stairs. Small treasures were found in a mostly looted treasury. To the north, a room held a weird spiral, which spun around and swallowed a pebble thrown into its middle as if it was sucked into another space. Eastwards, they entered a long, weird corridor lined with strange stone faces, wells, and statues of bloblike things holding tridents. A side-chamber led to a small tomb, where a slab of resinous material held the perfectly preserved body of a fire-haired woman wearing a strangely cut tunic, holding some instrument. To the south, the passage entered a vast, empty chamber of grey stone. The iron band of a monorail track ran through the middle, which they had seen previously. A metal door was pulsing with magic runes, and was avoided. But there was more here: around the door were crates of fresh foodstuffs, expensive spirits, and other goods. The place was recently used, and the number of torch stubs also hinted at regular visits. They reconnoitred the surrounding chambers, finding weird things: a starfish-shaped stone idol radiating harsh cold, what looked like a dimensional portal, passageways with weird hovering blobs, the despoiled tomb of a mummy, and further passages leading onwards. For now, this was enough. Returning through the passages as they came, they emerged from the Underworld in the sealed temple, and from there, to the shadowy streets of Glourm...

Return to the Isle of Horrors

15/12/2025 THISIUM 

News from the doomed city of Thisium! A smaller party sailed from Thisium to continue investigating the Isle of the Black Dogs. On the island’s northern side, they found a clearing ringed by headless statues; five giant apes were playing in a muddy pool by tossing the stone heads in a twisted ball game. The apes were ambushed, but one ripped off the head of the thief Scaramouche. Restoring the heads to the statues’ necks, one spoke: „OUR TIME HAS PASSED, STRANGER, AND WHEN THE BREATH OF THE CHASM COVERS THE ISLES, BROTHER SHALL TURN ON BROTHER, AND YOUR TIME SHALL PASS, TOO.” Continuing and fighting off an owlbear, the trail led to a site of carnage: badly mangled, rotting animal carcasses were feasted on by buzzing giant flies. Not interested in this situation, they turned back, running into three more owlbears, from which they ran, and waited a while to see if they’d move off. They did not, so it came to a fight, in which the company was almost slaughtered, escaping from the beasts with minimal Hp. Narvi the dwarf was only saved by a strategic darkness 15’ r spell, and his magic shield averting a killing blow (almost-TPK #01), while Clotilde escaped with a single Hp. They returned to ship, slaying a group of maddened black dogs, and sailing back to Thisium to heal and gather more men. The next day, they first investigated a small isle in the Bay of Pearls. The idyllic place had traces of abandoned agriculture and large fields of flowers being harvested by swarms of giant bees coming from a massive ceramic hive. They found abandoned villages too, and in the simple stone huts, several skeletons, presumably dead by giant bee stings. Not wanting to mess with bee poison, they sailed east. The seas here were emitting plumes of steam, and the water bubbled hot due to underwater volcanic activity. But the main volcanic cone rose to their north, crowning The Isle of Horrors, where the company was once decimated during a previous expedition.

They landed on the SW shore, next to a small, archaic town partially destroyed by lava flows. Petrified bodies turned into ashes and glass lay screaming motionless in rectangular houses. A domed shrine was the only notable structure, and as they approached, they heard a choir of beautiful singing. Most of the company was enchanted by the siren-song, and stumbled towards the entrance. Five harpies laired inside on mounds of silver and gemstones; only a quick web spell and great courage saved the day, in which Berserker #02 was killed, but miraculously, nobody else was (almost-TPK #02). The silver was theirs, along with a matching set of beautiful sapphires, as well as a shield +1 reflecting gaze attacks. They now checked the isle’s NW valley, which had been Poucas Trancas’ first adventure, and almost his last. Some traditions do not die easily. They climbed up a long, crumbling set of stairs leading to a desolate volcanic plateau, the two thieves scouting ahead and the rest following. As dusk fell on the landscape beneath the smoking cone, they approached a broken altar man-sized cracked amphorae, ominous winged statues, and the scattered bones of their previous expedition. Pellegrino the Thief checked the amphorae, finding them to be heavy with melted-together gold – probably old jewellery. Poucas did not watch out for the horned chameleons, and was ambushed just like the last time. Here, they were almost killed at once, running back to the party with the reptiles in pursuit. A shield-wall was set up, and they defended against the heavily armoured creatures. By all rights, they should have been killed (almost-TPK #03), but by incredible luck, they weren’t. Three horned chameleons were killed, and one fled back among the rocks. Not wishing to press their luck, they sailed back to Thisium, where they learned that one of the city’s most influential nobles, Gordisio Pamfile, was murdered in his palace. At this time, the city had 20 days left...

Isle of the Swamp Oaks

18/12/2025 KASSADIA 

News from the fallen empire of Kassadia! The Lion Pack was summoned before the presence of Senator Porfirio Holden Balatro for an audience. The venerable statesman, wheeled inside the senate building in a wooden wheelchair, had learned of their exploration plans, and requested that they recover a healing plant found on a northern island – the resting place of an elven hero. He only lamented that age had robbed him of his strength, and that his seat was not a destructive chariot of war, from which he could enjoy the smell of flesh burned by Greek fire. Respectfully accepting, the company sailed out, travelling north along the island’s shores, and avoiding the walled village of Ucria. Their goal, the blasphemous tower of the elven architect Quintus Equitius Elvorix, was found on a small, barren island populated only by seagulls. The rectangular white marble structure lacked any ornamental stonework, being constructed in an eerie hypermodern style. False windows stared down with painted scenes but no way in, and a large gate was sealed with a fourfold magical seal, and bore an inscription: „EVIL, DEFYING THE WILL OF THE GODS, DWELLS BEYOND THE GATES, WHICH WE HAD NOT THE POWER TO OVERCOME, ONLY KEEP UNDER LOCK. DO NOT BREAK OUR SEAL. GUISCARDO BONNACORSI, GALATEA DI LUCIO, CRISTALDO STAFFA, PAOLO VIGLIONE.” They surveyed the false windows, painted to show merry nobles in sumptuous suites – but there was something unsettling about each scene’s background – a decomposing corpse, a curtain hiding the infinity of the starry sky, a giant snail devouring servants, a trial and execution scene, etc. It was dusk, so they returned to the coast to sleep, but were troubled by nightmares of being trapped in an endless maze, and found no rest.

The next day, they sailed north to the island where the healing plant would be found. Sailing around, they surveyed a wooded landscape and marble monuments, as well as a small port. Making landfall, they started at a small watchtower, which proved to be inhabited by unfriendly elves, who proved hostile to human visitors on their island. However, with Arden Oakbark’s mediation, they agreed that they could have the plant if they brought news of Lady Gwaelben, one of their own who disappeared while on a mission to the Isle of the Swamp Oaks, SW of Sormadium’s main island. Taking this into account, they left. On Sormadium’s northern coast, they visited a grove with a tall standing stone. As they approached the centre, the landscape shifted to fantastic colours, the plants animated, and a voice spoke to them, asking for obeisance. After a generous donation of gold, it revealed the identities of the four names they found on the tower gates – members of local noble families from a previous generation. Continuing on their voyage, they visited Castel di Lucio, a tidy and prosperous village much unlike Sormadium’s poverty, surrounded by well-tilled lands and ruled by a walled manor house. Armed young men were to be seen all around in their best clothes, as it turned out there was a wedding going on. The master, Signor di Lucio was away on a visit to a village called Fiolaga, so he could not make an appearance, but the newcomer Condottieri were invited for an evening of dancing and feasting, and the following day, were supplied with a generous amount of leftover food as they departed. They sailed by Sambuci, a partially abandoned, ramshackle little town, and over Vinasio, a sunken village.

At sunset, they neared the Isle of the Marsh Oaks. The isle was a bayou of old trees and waterways. Sailing inside, they found a flooded village of ruined stone huts, and saw an ominous sight: deboned, leathery human bodies hung from the tall tree branches. Beyond the village, a mound rose from the brackish waters, overgrown with vegetation, and topped by worn standing stones. With careful observation, they noticed that some of the vegetation was alive, and also that an abandoned skiff was moored nearby. Climbing the mound and ready to fight, they were beset by killer vines coming from the surrounding bushes, and slightly later, by an enormous, evil-looking tree, which opened a tooth-filled maw, and uprooted itself to join the fray. Antino the sailor lad and Petros the light footman fled, while Forget-Me-Not the light footwoman, Tybalt the bowman, and Davidus, a faithful companion in many adventures, were strangled by the vines. Finally, with fire and sword, the evil vegetation was purged. They found the remains and weapons of Lady Gwaelben, while Arden Oakbark took care to destroy this blasphemous site of dark druidism. During this work, they discovered that the mound was an ancient mass grave, filled with innumerable human remains. They recovered a good amount of silver and gold, and ugly wooden fetishes, which Arden threw in a fire. Carrying the bodies to their boat, they set out on the way back to the city of Sormadium.

Beyond Clear Blue Skies

21/12/2025 FOMALHAUT 

News from Fomalhaut! Continuing their investigations into Glourm’s undercity, the adventurers descended beneath the Temple of the Fallen Idol. On the lowest level, they investigated a chamber with a pedestal and two brass hemispheres embedded in the wall. Murat the Etunian found that the pedestal could be rotated, and Pausanias, a man of Mung recently joining the party, that the hemispheres resembled fulgurators operated with the powers of electricity. Rotating the pedestal a few times produced an arc through the chamber that almost fried Murat, who escaped with lesser burns. They tried charging up an electric polearm with this power source, which was a good idea, but unlucky, and the device was melted by the arc. Proceeding east, they investigated a mysterious secret chamber called the Tomb of the Architect, containing the intact body of a fire-haired woman encased in a slab of translucent resin. The block was impervious to most damage, but was eventually smashed up with a ring of the ram, destroying the corpse, but netting them some strange instrument and a valuable golden headband. From the long north-south passage, a collapsed section opened into natural caverns. The passages led to a pool fed by a waterfall, where they encountered and slew a giant slug. In side-passaged, among partially digested victims, they found a beautiful gem-studded golden helmet, and a magical mace. In a cavern to the north, glowing crystals grew underwater. Lilith dove down to retrieve them, while the rest of the party was attacked by a cloud of mist, from which biting mouths emerged. They bested the swirling creature, but Fahris the cataphract was chewed up and killed. Crossing the pool, the caverns led to a grotto filled with giant mushrooms and strange colour distortions (or it was just hallucinogenics). But a cavern passage let up to a higher level, to another cavern, and here, they discovered a building with spiral stairs going further up.

Murat overheard noises from behind a door arguing about scraps. (Correctly) suspecting cannibals, they broke down the door, and happened upon a group of filthy beggars, the followers of Shakkur, devouring a hapless plebeian. Some of the miscreants were killed, some fled through a street exit, and two were kept as captives. Polybios the Fighting-Man caught an unpleasant disease searching the bodies („Polybios did not wear his face mask, and now he will soon die.”) They led the captives down to the lower level. This time, the giant mushrooms moved, and they ran. One beggar went down due to poisonous spores, and one of Lilith’s amazon followers was wounded while covering the escape. But they made it, passing through the caverns to the monorail terminal. Their target was a metal door with shifting symbols. The cannibal was ordered to open the door, and died to a poison needle trap. The runes had no effect, and finally, Murat opened the door. Steep stairs rose into infinity, and at the end, they saw a rectangle of blue, cloudy sky. Approaching, they passed into the sky... and stepped through it into a cellar, beyond an illusion! An underground warehouse this was with various valuable objets d’art, and they eavesdropped on a group of guards mentioning a recent theft, and their master, Pellostratos. It seems he was conducting some sort of operation here, whether it was smuggling or something else. Deciding they would investigate this through their connections with the wizard-tyrant, they returned back down. Further exploration of the level led them to a chamber with a pool of water reflecting a myriad stars. This was a place for divinations, and they tried to discover which way would lead them towards the Uttermost Masters. The signs pointed towards the fact that they would find their trail beyond the great metal gates of the monorail, in four days. This was a lead: and after some more rooms, they decided to return where they came, to prepare for their next move.

The Centipede Lord

06/01/2026 THISIUM 

News from the doomed city of Thisium! A large company descended into the Thisian Underworld. Among them was Platonis Gratianus, corpulent brother of the late Adonis Gratianus, who returned to adventuring with a married couple of two knights, who also brought along a war dog and a halberdier. They entered the passages from the graveyard, and passing through the Grand Mausoleum, followed passages to the underground tower of Yldegonda Gremullo. Platonis bribed the wizardess’ talking door with a flask of good wine, and they were admitted. They handed her a letter from the musician Falumfano, and in exchange, she let them pick an item from her treasury – they picked a pair of jeweled slippers. Saying farewells, they descended deeper through a well, a cistern, and the great cavern of bats, and even further through an underground temple where they had fought doppelgangers. Seeking a deep well they figured would lead to a deeper level, they fought and slew a rust monster, which ate the shield of the knight Vanglorio Pomposini. The well turned out to be haunted by a restless spirit, which Platonis tried to, but could not turn, and it departed through a wall. Checking the well with several tied coils of rope, Amedeo the halfling found the water level, but also saw that there was a current able to suck someone underwater. This did not seem like a good way to the depths. They returned the way they came, but just as they were about to enter the cavern of the bats, they heard noises. This turned out to be an adventuring company of 9 elves, led by Sieglind and Yonwin, and seeking the statue of the sage Tiresias to find a cure for the illness of their prince. They could help them with instructions to approach the sage, suggesting the use of robes and bird masks to petition him. The elves thus returned to the surface through a secret door the company pinpointed to buy masks, and gratefully gifted them with a potion of clairaudience for the advice.

They had another known way to the deeper levels. From the Temple of the Bat, a passage lined with weird gargoyles had a secret door opening to a grand staircase descending to unknown depths. They sought this door, and followed the ornate gothic stairs, wide enough for three men abreast. The first exit was a door from behind which Amedeo heard roaring fire and a metallic slithering, which they thought might have been a salamander. The next two doors down were quiet, and skipped on the way down. But Amedeo heard something from behind them, a slight scraping of stone... and after investigating, discovered a secret door and tracks in the dust. Suspecting someone behind it, they barged into a grotto filled with a great pile of coins, and six ghouls, who were put to the sword (the two knights proving their mettle). The treasure was theirs: 20,000 copper pieces, and six crates filled with candles. They continued down the stairs, which ended deeper down. The doors here were frequently stuck from humidity, and had to be battered down. One was marked „ARCHIVVM”, which looked promising. Again, they could not force it (agitating something beyond it), and finally, their two berserker companions were called, who just hewed the door in two with some work. The destroyed door led into a tall chamber, with levels above levels of dusty shelves filled with documents, connected by a spiral staircase. The source of the noises was 40 giant centipedes swarming around the bronze idol of a rearing centipede, its two ruby eyes gleaming. It thundered not to be disturbed, and they retreated, but not before dousing the corridor floor with plentiful oil. Luring out the centipedes, many were burned, but more came, and proved quite ferocious. Here, Vanglorio Pomposini was bitten, and fell badly sick from poison.

With the centipedes out of the way, they investigated the archives. The materials were old, crumbling administrative documents, many eaten by the centipedes. One batch of contracts was missing, with only a scrawled message as a clue: „ONLY AMONG THE FOOLS CAN YOU FIND WISDOM.” Now they checked out the statue. Platonis Gratianus suggested removing the gemstone eyes. The statue thundered that this would bring down its divine wrath. Platonis countered, suggesting that it had no minions left, and that he could not have been a god at all, as he was not even found in the Omnipotent Index. „I am in there, foolish mortal!” bellowed the idol, clearly irritated. „Perhaps as a footnote!”, retorted Platonis, reaching for the gems, whereupon the idol blasted him with its death-rays, and Platonis shrivelled into a dry husk. Involuntia the knight suggested he would have to be avenged, but did not actually do anything. Kaeso suggested they could steal the gemstones by pulling a sack over the idol and trying from behind, but he did not do anything either. For now, they departed the archives discreetly. The next room was a small marble arena with seats, ringed by eight statues of perfectly proportioned men. A sign read „ARENA OF THE OVERMEN”. Racha Ducka stepped forward to offer a challenge, and was greeted by a disembodied voice offering him a fight with one overman for one magic item, or two for the drink of the gods. Choosing the former, he wrestled and (due to his previously acquired wrestling powers) handily defeated the overman who appeared out of midair, claiming the belt of giant strength! Listening at the next door, Amedeo heard women singing in the distance. Suspecting harpies, they decided to call it a day, and following the Grand Staircase, then well-known passages, they returned to the basement of the Pickled Carp just as the elves were preparing to go back in. At this time, the city had 23 days left...

The Well of Harpies and Beyond

12/01/2026 THISIUM 

News from the doomed city of Thisium! A small group of adventurers descended into the Thisian Underworld to explore the area around the Grand Staircase. They followed known routes deep into the lower levels, and started checking the doors opening from the spiral stairs. The first opened into a wide, long, clammy corridor, where a grey ooze first devoured the weapon of Porziano the halberdier, then devoured poor Porziano himself. His companions slammed the heavy door on the evil aspic, and left it to its grotesque feast. A different door, slightly higher up, led to a hexagonal chamber. Fire roared in a basin in the middle, surrounded by three stone statues, two familiar as the Magic-Users Yldegonda Gremullo and Pantomorphus. The third was unknown to them. Seeing fiery serpents crawling in the basin, they just read a mysterious inscription around the pit, and retreated. On the bottom of the Grand Staircase, they now investigated beyond the Arena of the Overmen. They had heard singing from here on the previous foray, and they plugged their ears with wax as a precaution. Amedeo the halfling crept forward, finding an oval chamber with a great bottomless well leading into the fiery depths of the Underworld. But on a ledge only 20’ down, he could look into a side-chamber, where harpies fought for human bones. A plan was hatched: they smeared a dungeon door with plentiful glue, Amedeo lured out the harpies, and they slammed the door on the woman-birds as they gave pursuit. Three were trapped thus and burned with oil, while the third came through, but was killed. Descending into their lair yielded silver and gold, although not much. Further on, they found a large pillared crypt, leathery bodies standing in recesses and skulls on the floor among wooden crates. Amedeo snuck up on a living being: a crazed-looking man rifling through crates of crumbling writings, clad in the ragged and dusty clothes of a minor city official.

They rushed and captured him, snatching away a wicked dagger which filled Amedeo with terror (dagger +1, +2 vs. goblins and halflings). The madman, who was named Jacindo, was an archivist gibbering about some documents, not being a fool, and watching his step, but they could make no sense of his ramblings. They ended up releasing him to see where he would go... and he fled through the crypt, up a flight of stairs. They gave pursuit, rushing through bodies which were just coming back to unlife. Jacindo darted through a secret door at the top of the stairs, and was gone. Emerging through, they took a turn, and ended up in a large chamber with the broken remains of an enormous, ugly statue. Five undead, dressed in sackcloth hoods and smelling horribly, demanded a tithe of 200 gp for safe passage in the name of their master, the great Prospero. Amedeo paid the fee, but they decided not to visit Prospero’s domain. The other way from here led to the halls of the Judge of the Underworld, whom they did not wish to visit without proper attire and gifts. They traced back their steps and followed a decaying passage eastwards. They discovered a great archway at the head of wide, crumbling stairs leading downwards. The head of an insane, grinning jester glared down at them. They kept to this level, finding a half-collapsed section leading to a natural cavern where weird, batlike things were preserved in slabs of dark-grey crystal. The forms were motionless, and left well alone. After more exploration, they decided to return to the surface through known territory, finding their way to the downstairs room of the Pickled Carp, where they could just learn of the bad news: Lumps the innkeeper had just been assassinated. Moreover, three hirelings who saw Porziano dead and unavenged decided to retire from the company and seek their fortune elsewhere. At this time, the city had 22 days left...

By Stephen J Jones
Unsound Methods
OSE
Level 1

Twenty years ago the Painted Men – wild mountain folk – overran the garrison at the pass through the Ash Mountains. The wild men cast the iron bridge into the abyss, and have occupied the fortress ever since. But now Lord Gallowick of the City of Green Lanterns wants to reopen the lucrative trade route to Port Featherglass, and is offering a coffer of gold for those who can liberate the citadel.

This eighteen page adventure presents a ruined fortress, on either side of a chasm, with four adventuring areas and about forty rooms described in about eight pages. Decent factions in a slow-burn ruined fortress. Investigative adventurer are rewarded through a variety of classic old school techniques. This is more of a Factions in a Fortress adventure then it is an Exploratory adventure.

Some Lord somewhere wants to reopen an old trade route. Standing in the way is a ruined fortress on either side of a chasm. It was destroyed by the hilljack wildmen. If you go secure the place Lord Whatsits will give you 1000gp. If I reframe this in to Aragon, or, rather, his advisors, have a long list and you pick a spot in Rhudar then I soothe my feelings a lot. 

We got this chasm with a kind of gatehouse/small keep on either side. The Iron Bridge between the two sides has fallen. (And, it turns out, lodged in the chasm further down.) Each little keep has a cellar. So you have the west side keep, and then its cellar and then the bridge over, the east side cellar and the east side keep. That’s an interesting layout, and I’m always down for a more interesting layout and the possibilities it brings to creative play. The west side has some Wolverine people in it, looking for a lost child of theirs. The east side has the remnants of the wildmen, the titular Painted Men, unable to leave the site of their crowning achievement, living in the past like Theoden in the Wormtongue era. (Also, who keeps an advisor with the name Wormtongue? Meet my trusted aid Evile Backstabberman.”) Except this time he’s being controlled by a fungus colony in the basement which is slowly but surly infecting people, with the goal of just having them settle down to stay. Which is a very fungus colony thing to do if you think about it. He’s got a supportive wife, a supportive older son, and a younger son ready to make a deal to have him murdered so the tribe can move on to greener pastures. The chasm also has a giant wasp nest, home to the Wasp People, who just happen to have a young wolverine-person child in their larder. Oopsy. Also, they would like to eat the fungus in the east side fortress. Let us add in the party, with the goal of clearing the place out. You’ll probably meet the wolverine people first, who actually seem pretty chill for being wolverine-people, then the wasp people, then the painted men. 

Room descriptions are decent enough. Mostly terse, with a First Impressions section for the DM to riff on and then a Further Investigation section with the details for the DM to grok to. There’s a certain, I don’t know, bronze agey vibe to this. Maybe a more human and/or humanoid framing? The wolverine folk carry “1d20 gp in silver ingots or semiprecious stones. About half instead wear discs of green malachite on a thong around their neck (20 gp).” Sure thing. I can get behind that. That’s flavour and local color and great. Wolverine men, painted men, wasp people … a kind of tribal bend to things. Not in a mud-core way or even maybe a low-fantasy way, but it’s an interesting take without going full bronze age or mudcore. Especially at level one. 

There are some classic elements here also that I’m fond of. There’s a body stuffed up a chimney to find. You did look up the chimney, right? A chimney, latrine, waterfall, bookcase, these should all have something. Oh, also, the body has an iron dagger. Magic. Nicely cursed; when you draw first blood it bonds to you and you’ll know you will die when hitting level three, the dagger whispering dark thoughts to you. Coolio! Also, you can get someone to draw blood with it to transfer it/the curse. Ouch! There’s a test of moral fortitude. This is how you do a fucking curse. None of this mechanical “-2 to hit” bullshit. Make that thing (ah, what’s the word? Classical Greek tragedy? I should have not had the third bloody mary this morning)  And then, also, you can find a map, a huge centerpiece one, old, kind of ruined. And on it an old tower in the hills. Dump in your own adventure or find an owlbear there with a gnawed body wearing a torc with blue aventurines worth xxxx. There’s a nice little sidetrek! A map that actually means something if you follow up, and a couple of sentences to turn it in to a little side trek if you wish.  Classic interactivity and followups for an exploratory adventure. 

The people here are relatively terse, but well, described. The leader of the wildmen has this little bit, if you parlay with him:  “Things Geberic might say (eyes ablaze, spittle flying, bits of food stuck in his beard):” And the things he might say are that of a old man living in the past glories of his tribe. Demanding tribute, recognition, etc. I’m not entirely sold on the detail of the faction play. There are a decent number of humanoids in each of three factions, maybe a couple of dozen or so each, which makes a hack hard. But enlisting them against each other better, and there are order of battles offered as well as a sentence or two on how an alliance with each might be made. And I suppose a truce with the wolverine people, a joint raid on the wasp people ending with burning them ou tof their paper nest, and murdering the wild men leader  by allying with the youngest son, who will call way the guards from a remote watch that his dad is going to inspect ,,, and then blame the party, will get the party a long way to their goal. Then it’s just a matter of cleaning up the odd skeleton and giant rat swarm ad figuring out that fungus shit. The faction element here is main draw, and it feels like each of the three parties needs just a little more in, hmmm, striking up with them? As is, it feelslikeit’s a reaction check for the wolverine people s what the adventure hinges on. 

Also, the bottom of that chasm is not detailed, which is a bit of a let down. 

It’s got an odd vibe to it. The faction play is central with the exploration elements, the usual bread and butter,  being a little … mundane? I wish there was just a little bit more there, in an adventure that already has quite a bit going on. I would not be at all unhappy running this if I were looking for a more realistic take on a fantasy situation. There is magic. And curse, and animated skeletons, but the core here os the people.

This is free at DriveThru. I’d snag it and play it.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/539490/bastion-of-the-painted-men?1892600

This weekend, I set up a sort of escape room/LARP for my 8 year-old. She took on the role of a warrior princess sent to retrieve a golden treasure (a plastic version of the idol at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark) from a many-armed monster (my old Clash of the Titans kraken toy, rescued and restored when my parents moved a couple of years ago).

With sword and shield, and a bag with a couple of coins (a KS reward from Outgunned Adventure) she set out to go to the wizard's tower (the upstairs of our home) where she had been told that a wizard had imprisoned a unicorn (a statue of the Last Unicorn from movie located on a bookshelf in her bedroom).

The quest involved the occasional puzzle (a tic-tac-toe cypher, a coordinate grid puzzle, riddle answering, and some light math) combined with random encounters. These were strategically placed pairs of cups, one of which had a monster (a cardboard mini) under it and the other either a coin or a friendly encounter that provided clues. For example, a gnome Meeple revealed that the Lime Gnome (a green garden gnome statue that for some reason sits in our dining room) runs an apothecary shop that will sell you a potion that gives a power up.

Monster fights were handled with simple dice rolls of a d6. Scoring a hit required beating the monster's roll by a certain amount, and monsters had a certain number of "hit points." My daughter had her own "life points" in the form of three hearts on sheets of paper clipped together.

As it turned out, my daughter was very luck. She only fought one monster before the boss and out rolled the monster every single time.

She enjoyed it and immediately asked for another one, but I said that would have to wait for another day.

 Highlights from the named video:

Watch Length

Pick a watch length that matches the kind of game you want:

• If you want it tight and gritty, use 2-hour watches.

• If you want classic “cover ground but still feel pressure,” use 4-hour watches.

• If you want it looser and faster, use half-day watches.

The three travel modes 

Normal travel

• standard movement

• standard navigation

• standard encounter risk

Cautious travel

• slower movement

• better chance to spot trouble first

• better chance to stay on course

Fast travel

• more distance

• more likely to get lost

• higher fatigue risk

• more likely to blunder into trouble

Wilderness actions

• foraging or hunting

• scouting ahead

• searching for a feature

• mapping carefully

• moving stealthily

• hiding your trail

• setting an ambush

• building shelter early because the weather is turning nasty

For wilderness travel to matter, you need:

• a time unit (watches)

• a risk roll (encounters)

• navigation consequences (lost, drift, time)

• resource pressure (supplies, fatigue, exposure)

• and a feature per chunk (so there are actual decisions)

 The mission seemed simple, go into the borderlands and retrieve the Duke's son from the Black Martians. Things went sideways as our party hit the gates and encountered our first tripod! Tripods and in Barrows and Borderlands are a bit different. Here's some of the campaign notes.  We crossed into the Martian Gate and found the ruins of the Tripod where the Duke's son was held in a Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

By Scott Myers, Daymon Mills
Shadow Drifter Games
OSR
Levels 1-2

Being hired to accompany a noble on a bear hunt was supposed to be an easy way to make some gold during winter. But when a frost dragon chases the group into a mysterious cavern, survival and escape become the goal. Not to mention keeping the nobles alive to prevent them from becoming wanted men.

This 31 page adventure uses about thirteen pages t present thirteen rooms in a little cave/dungeon complex. Mostly linear maps, and an escort mission, with a whiny aristo, what more could you dream of? You stab things in underdescribed but over-explained situations. Is this the Tree of Woe?

I’m not the biggest fan of these “inciting event” adventures, but I know they have their place. As a First Adventure, this is how the arty gets together, and you bond over all becoming outlaws because you let someone die or you bond over your hero status because you saved him, and thus the rest of the campaign is launched and you all know each other. This is general handwavery stuff for me in my games, but I know some people want a little pretext, hence a starter adventure like one.

You’re hired by a dipshit heir for a bear hunting expedition. He’s a whiney shit, has a loyal bodyguard, a tracker, and four or so men at arms besides the party. On day two you find a bear, and then a dragon swoops down, kills the bear, and corners your little group in a cave. Oops. But, hey, bodyguard dude thinks he saw a door in the rear of the cave, it must lead out, right? So you snake through a small, mostly linear, dungeon until you pop out the other side. Whiny aristo heir will be dead, in which you get a bounty on your head by dad, or not dead, in which case maybe you get some cash or maybe you get some hero status from a grateful dad. The escort mission, with the whiny brat, is just the campaign kickoff. If the campaign is on a deserted island then you gotta wreck on the island first, so we can allow a little more leeway. Besides, there’s no real moral judgement here, just dad doing what dad does, using his power, if the party are shits. IE: there’s a balance to tormenting the PLAYERS, and this handles it fine.

The actual adventure, though, is painful. We can place this squarely in the “just another linear hack” category. And, straight. I might have gone a little farcical with it “oh, whats this big red button do?” and so on. But that’s not to be found here. Just a room with some skeletons to kill. Or some goblins to kill. Or some giant spiders to kill. Excitement abounds. Stabbing is a means to an end, not an end unto itself. 

There is a trap. An arrow trap specifically. It takes a page to describe. Classic trap and door porn where there’s a fixation on it. An unwarranted fixation on activation, reset, deactivation and so on. With diagrams. At least its not the kitchen room that “appears” to be the kitchen. *sigh*

Let us look at the first real chamber you encounter: “This large, cold room has only one prominent feature, an intricately carved fountain. The stonework fountain is covered in carvings of manta rays, sharks, and other powerful sea creatures. Filled with fresh but frozen water, the fountain has a mechanism beneath it that used to cause it to flow; it stopped working long ago. This room is filled with skeletons waiting for the door to open after hearing the group in Area 3 moving stones. These skeletons have only the barest tatters of clothing and armor left on them (both styles are a few generations old)” The mechanism stopped working long ago. Great. The fountain does nothing, its window dressing. Nothing here really does anything. It’s just a long description of nothing important. Just like: “The ring is a ring of invisibility. Studying the skeletal remains with a successful and appropriate INT Check would determine that the skeleton is of a male elf, and the bones in the area of the sternum and ribs have several deep cut marks, most likely caused by bladed weapons. Anyone rolling an 18 or higher on the roll would determine the skeleton has been dead for less than twenty years, and minor gnaw marks indicate the flesh was eaten by small creatures (rats).” Nothing here, beyond the ring, is important. The dead body, the slashes, the aging, the gnawing. None of it matters. It’s just padded out detail for the sake of being padded out. 

So, suffer through some long and meaningless descriptions that lead to nothing but hack after hack. Bumbling aristo, overprotective bodyguard, terrified men at arms, solo guide … none of it really comes in to play in the various rooms. The men at arms don’t even get names or personalities.Dude needed to be 3 days and a wake or something, with another one Hicks and so on, They were there, use them, don’t just hand wave them. 

This is Pay What you Want at DriveThru with a suggested price of $2. The View of the Pre is three pages and shows you absolutely nothing but the credits and the chapter page. The purpose of the preview is to give a potential buyer a chance to check out what you’ve written, say, by showing an encounter page or something. SHowing the title page and chapter page doesn’t do that. At All.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/548491/the-caves-of-cold-death?1892600

 Combining the lush, decadent planetary horror of C.L. Moore’s Northwest Smith with the industrial, claustrophobic grit of The Red Room’s Orbital Decay creates a unique subgenre: Grime-Pulp Cosmic Horror.In this mashup, the "Old Solar System" (breathable Mars, jungle Venus) is replaced by the decaying, corporate-owned vacuum of Orbital Decay, but the threats are no longer just malfunctioningNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Our 5e Land of Azurth game continued last Sunday with the party (after a rest and healing) undertaking the capture of the other shadow/temporal duplicate of the nefarious Wizard of Azurth they had run across, the mysterious Shadow Man in the Half-ruined Tower.

The group objects to the possibility of running into their earlier selves, but Princess Viola and her Gnomes already had that figured out. The slide show they present says they are sending the PCs back to 5 days after they left the area.

When they arrive in the past, there is still one Gloom Elf in the tower, but he's in no mood for fighting. He says the Shadow retreated into the large, whirlpool of shadow that now takes up most of the tower, but there was a blockage in it somewhere and he doesn't seem to have gotten where he was going. 

With little else to go on, the party jumps in after him. They find themselves (surprisingly) in a prison dungeon, partially flooded, and partially caved in, run by Mole Folk. The mole folk are remarkably lackadaisical about their situation, noting that time runs differently here, but they are reasonably friendly. The dungeon itself is something of a maze with unnatural darkness, so even the mold guards used unspooling twine to help from getting lost. The prisoners are in oubliettes with sort of steampunk contraption doors, set to open when their sentence is up. 

Using their hand-held device given to them previously by the Princesses, the party discovers the Shadow is in one of these cells. Waylon is able to pick the locking mechanism, causing the chronometer to run faster, making it open.

The Shadow is inside, and though the part is expecting him to fight them, he is willing to go, even knowing what they are up to. Having had different experiences from the Wizard, he has had a change of heart. He says if they can find "the bridge" located elsewhere in the dungeon, they can get to a place to acquire a page from the Book of Doors that will take them directly to the Wizard's sanctum.

The party sends the Shadow back to the Princesses with a gem. The Shadow suggests the way to find the bridge is to ask the guards. They intend to do just that, but no sooner than they are out of the cell and debating a course of action than a random encounter roll leads to a very ugly bird-beast coming upon them.

I’ve been interested in the history of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) in Puerto Rico for a long time. Back in 2017, I started an initiative to track down exactly how Dungeons & Dragons arrived on the island and map out the scene in the late 70s and early 80s—the era before I even picked up dice in 1986. Those efforts were put on hold after Hurricane Maria upended life for so many of us, shifting my priorities both professionally and personally. But now, as I celebrate “40 Years a Gamer,” I’ve decided to pick up those threads again.

Did you know that Puerto Rico hosted a dedicated TTRPG convention way back in 1990? To my knowledge, it was the first—and perhaps only—event of its kind at that time.

And here is the kicker: I knew about it back then. But I didn’t go.

As I confessed in a post from 2011, I had recently started dating my high school girlfriend, and let’s say hormones trumped gaming.

Even though I missed it, I remembered friends who attended. So, in 2019, I started digging and eventually connected with the Convention Director, Alberto Martínez, PhD. We grabbed lunch at a Mexican restaurant with his friend El Mago Velasco (a local illusionist and Call of Cthulhu enthusiast), and he shared his memories and documents from the event.

The Details

Based on Alberto’s records, planning began in 1988, with a pre-convention meeting in May 1989. The event, titled Puerto Rico at Last, finally took place from Thursday, February 8th to Saturday, February 10th, 1990. The University of Puerto Rico Student Center was the point of contact for the original organizer, Henry Miller. Tickets went on sale in early December for just $5, which covered participation in all events.

The Tragedy of a Nerd in Love

At the time, I had been playing TTRPGs for four years. I was a junior in high school (11th grade), and my gaming circle had evolved. I was no longer playing only with my original group of neighbors; I was also rolling dice with high school classmates like Luis and Gary, and my friends from my Boy Scout Explorer Post, like José Anes and Manuel Clavel (you can read his literary and social analysis blog in Spanish following this link), also played.

One of them had a flyer. I really wanted to go, but I was intimidated. I was just a high school kid, and this was a university event. Since it ran Thursday through Saturday, school ruled out the first two days.

Saturday was my only shot. But—and here is the irony—there was a Model United Nations event that same day. My girlfriend and I were both active in our school chapters, so I chose Model UN over the first TTRPG convention in Puerto Rico. Priorities, right?

The Artifacts

Dr. Martínez showed me the organizers’ contact list. Looking at it 36 years later, I recognize the names of friends who went. In fact, someone must have put my name down for future contact, because there I am: my name, my home phone, and even my grandparents’ number.

They even managed to get listed in Dragon Magazine #154’s Convention Calendar.

Below is the original welcome letter included in the program, as well as a translation:

At Last!

I never imagined it would take this much work. The idea was born in late 1988, between sessions of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. After fourteen years of playing RPGs and attending hundreds of conventions in the US, it was time for Puerto Rico to have its own.

More than a year has passed since then, and it has involved countless hours of work and far too much money.

Behold the convention. It features an art exhibition, a model-making contest, miniature combat, a diverse array of events and competitions, and the island’s first AD&D tournament with roughly $500 in prizes.

Even so, it feels like the time wasn’t enough; it always seems too brief when you are getting a lot done, or when there is still so much left to do.

And to those new to this world, take a moment to explore other realms—to contemplate a past that never existed and a future that never will be.

Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

Enjoy the games!

Alberto Martínez Convention Director

Looking Back

I don’t have final attendance numbers or a list of exactly which games were run. I’ve reached out to a few people from that contact list, hoping to dig up more memories. But the fact that this event happened in Puerto Rico in 1990 is worth remembering and celebrating.

I need to thank Alberto Martínez (who went on to become a professor and author—check him out at scientifichistory.com) for his generosity in sharing these archives. A fun bit of trivia: Alberto also had a cartoon published in Dragon #163 in the “Dragonmirth” section, right above the long-running strip Yamara!

I eventually made it to other conventions—Gen Con twice —and to plenty of local events with the Puerto Rico Role Players. I am proud to support our local community however I can.

But I will always regret missing Puerto Rico at Last!

 You’re blending the "Lost World" Victorian pulp of the 1978 film Warlords of Atlantis with the gritty, modern-supernatural edge of Night Shift and the streamlined OSR feel of Castles & Crusades. This leg of the campaign picks right up from here on the blog.Aethel, the Sunken Core Inner Earth Sword & Sorcery Campaign Adventure Using both Castles & Crusades (C&C) and Night Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 In the Hyborian Age, treasure is rarely just "gold." It is often heavy with history, stained by blood, or humming with an unsettling, pre-human energy. This blog entry picks right up from OSR Sword & Sorcery Undead Encounter Tables with Rumors, Relics and Boss Monsters For Especially Castles & Crusades & Other Old School GamesHere is a d100 table of abandoned relics and Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0