tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79133197895643976992024-03-19T02:16:19.325-05:00The Other Side blogThe Other Side Blog is a game design blog from Timothy S. Brannan, author of the Ghosts of Albion RPG and contributor to many horror themed RPGs. Follow his thoughts on game development or even just game playing. Named after the author's 10+ year old website "The Other Side".Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comBlogger5939125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-47442425496982186172024-03-18T10:06:00.001-05:002024-03-18T10:06:15.982-05:00Monstrous Mondays: Faerie Lord, Rübezahl<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EAotcATTFWrmPQXxdJo97VsbCQ6ovMzmjLSn2W0i9zAIjf1ZwLi8Q4aJNeJazG8zRYa3bfwVbu6SfmQUpPzmoDNfR_nrOJN8uvydcmBupsTl3PM2yqm2IM7AL5cVq-6g7eSzFiFEa3zA4c03tDifD7SeXSKOjlXiYB2WvkYnhIm8pPcfv5z981FtSpc/s1649/R%C3%BCbezahl%20-%20Moritz%20von%20Schwind.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Rübezahl" by Moritz von Schwind (1859)" border="0" data-original-height="1649" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EAotcATTFWrmPQXxdJo97VsbCQ6ovMzmjLSn2W0i9zAIjf1ZwLi8Q4aJNeJazG8zRYa3bfwVbu6SfmQUpPzmoDNfR_nrOJN8uvydcmBupsTl3PM2yqm2IM7AL5cVq-6g7eSzFiFEa3zA4c03tDifD7SeXSKOjlXiYB2WvkYnhIm8pPcfv5z981FtSpc/w242-h400/R%C3%BCbezahl%20-%20Moritz%20von%20Schwind.jpg" title=""Rübezahl" by Moritz von Schwind (1859)" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Rübezahl" by Moritz von Schwind (1859)</span></td></tr></tbody></table> I am working on a post for tomorrow, and while doing some reading, this guy came up. Since I am still in the middle of editing the "F's," I figure I might as well add him. <p></p><p>The concept of having Faerie Lords in my games goes way back—maybe to the first time I read "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The machinations of Oberon and Titania were so much fun that I had hoped the whole play had just been about them. I added them to my games immediately, and I was disappointed that AD&D had nothing of the sort then. Faerie Lords next appear in Ghosts of Albion and many of my WitchCraft games. </p><p>Adding them to my Basic games is a no-brainer, really.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Faerie Lord Rübezahl</b></span><br /><i>Krakonos;</i> <i>Lord of the Mountains</i><br /><i>Medium Humanoid (Fey, Faerie Lord)</i></p><p></p><p></p><p>Armor Class: 2 [17]<br />Hit Dice: 14d8+42 (105 hp)<br />Move: 120' (40')<br />Attacks: 2 fist slams, 1 weapon (staff) <br />Damage: 1d6+2 x2, 1d6+2<br />Special: Magic resistance (25%), immune to poison; can communicate telepathically, Magic +1 weapons to hit, grow to giant size, druid spells, alter appearance<br />No. Appearing: 1 (unique)<br />Save As: Monster 14<br />Morale: 10 (NA)<br />Treasure Type: C x5<br />Alignment: Chaotic (Chaotic Neutral)<br />XP: 6,100</p><p>Languages: Elven, Sylvan, Telepathic, Goblin</p><p>S: 17 (+2) D: 16 (+2) C: 18 (+3) I: 14 (+1) W: 15 (+1) Ch: 20 (+4) </p><p>Faerie Lord Rübezahl lives in a large mountain range and avoids civilized human contact. He often appears as a tall (6'5") wild man with long gray, unkempt hair and a beard. He wears very tattered clothing and looks like a wild man or a woodwose. He can also appear as a gruff stone giant or a beautiful young maiden. He takes pleasure in transforming between all his forms to confuse and bedevil others who enter his lands. He is the lord of bugbears, ogres, trolls, and other wild fey creatures not given over completely to evil. </p><p>His true form is shrouded in mystery, but his presence is undeniable. Rüberzahl is a force of nature, as unpredictable as the mountain storms he commands. While he protects the mountains and those who respect them, he delights in testing mortals by shifting his form and blocking passages with rocks and fallen trees. He is the guardian of his range of mountains, and he does not tolerate the greedy, arrogant, or environmentally destructive who cross his path, for Rübezahl may lead them astray or unleash the fury of the mountains upon them.</p><p>Rüberzahl is a formidable opponent in combat. He wields his staff with devastating power. His true strength lies in his magic, however. In addition to being able to change his form to a giant, he also has the abilities and spells of a 14th-level druid. He will use spells to deal with large groups and shift to giant form to attack (use Stone Giant for combat). He is fond of casting <i>barkskin</i> on himself and <i>call lightning</i> on large groups.</p><p>Rüberzahl is a solitary creature who does not need companionship. His capricious nature makes it difficult for him to get along. However, he has a grudging respect for other powerful beings who dwell in the world's wild places. He avoids the other faerie lords, and they avoid him. The stone giants give him respect, and he avoids getting into their affairs. He has been known to aid those lost in the mountains in finding their way out. Whether he does this out of benevolence or simply to get people out of his mountains is not entirely clear. </p><p>His home is a large cave near an expansive field of turnips. This has also given him the title of Lord of Turnips. A name he does not much care for. </p><p>--</p><p>The editing of Basic Bestiary continues.</p><p></p><p></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-15524150047432689612024-03-15T09:06:00.000-05:002024-03-15T09:06:54.108-05:00Kickstart Your Weekend: Kickstarter Overload!<p> There were so many this week, and so many were good ones. Let's get going.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bluestocking/tales-of-voracious-ragnarok?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Tales of Voracious: Ragnarok</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bluestocking/tales-of-voracious-ragnarok?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Tales of Voracious: Ragnarok" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1020" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jf6C-1veJdVEPHoT90Jz_3WAUp1UJxOIMzCwdrFHn845V4tAxGz1eeAWdXtCkdkTZRio1hmAfBOgzffTGDwoWsKu1W3GQrhlC-PqtymLX2PYhidMysYKNHJFKDzAk4CWQyRwH_47M4Xt63RcHpiwBGtEl82J-VUteL5d_V-4p8GmR6Yuh9gMSDYifu4/w640-h360/ToV%20Ragnarok.jpg" title="Tales of Voracious: Ragnarok" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bluestocking/tales-of-voracious-ragnarok?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bluestocking/tales-of-voracious-ragnarok?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Kate Bullock is back with a new set of erotic horror monster tales. This one covers the nine realms fo Norse Myths. If it is anything like her first book in this series then it should be a lot of fun. This one has the added benefit of a connecting theme. </p><p>Kate is a great write and great person to boot, so I'd love to see this one do well.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brambleheartgames/fey-earth-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Fey Earth</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brambleheartgames/fey-earth-1?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Fey Earth" border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1537" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA34V8sa2M_2x-zrnD_WWk7rL1JUppx5A4LuraxoCBy7NYZ3RoM511A_d5HO7acC3BuZMoguzZInWyb7TbDAOkYZqgTBNazGKQELsw5igyBhuVqiXOdWnJkT-PJfDWRtiVRhiUjzZi1ggJ6I5adghJKQSp4vI2isY6kVog85lVOE-X_teC9H45ryLaiZg/w640-h358/fey%20earth.jpg" title="Fey Earth" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brambleheartgames/fey-earth-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brambleheartgames/fey-earth-1?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>I have been following this one for a while now, and their Kickstarter is live. It is set in the 19th Century and has Fey races, magic, and more. That sounds exactly like my cup of tea, to be honest. Add in some witches and that makes it a must buy! </p><p>So yeah, I know next to nothing about the system but the premise sounds good and the art is great. I also want this one to do well.</p><p>The tiers are nice and simple. Easy to figure out what I want.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thenacellecompany/the-expanse-collectable-action-figures?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">THE EXPANSE Collectible Action Figures</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thenacellecompany/the-expanse-collectable-action-figures?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="THE EXPANSE Collectible Action Figures" border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1542" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPx03a4HEsjZiiu8Y6uqlvwYjWv5JqiY1KDL2ZpibXMjSiDenUO5FwwF2RCyhWBZb79Sbo64e0jcLKdUP8r8PEtmLaTRqFRWJi1Wc7jjP8ExonaEg3EDoC7lbhLFxUDcanqVPU_E77aNE7CZ-uDV7eGaOKjUotFJ8ZeZyh-qcMs6YeDE-9ofWKl5MlCo/w640-h358/THE%20EXPANSE%20Collectible%20Action%20Figures.jpg" title="THE EXPANSE Collectible Action Figures" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thenacellecompany/the-expanse-collectable-action-figures?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thenacellecompany/the-expanse-collectable-action-figures?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Before it was a TV Series, or a Green Ronin RPG, or a Book Series, the Expanse was a d20 Modern game. I just learned that today. This Kickstarter is for action figure line. Because really, you need Chrisjen Avasarala and Camina Drummer figures!</p><p>As of this writing this has not hit it's goals yet, but I am sure it will get there.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ckg/gary-gygaxs-gygaxian-fantasy-worlds?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Gary Gygax's World Builders Archive</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ckg/gary-gygaxs-gygaxian-fantasy-worlds?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Gary Gygax's World Builders Archive" border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1550" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tW20dF9RpY14tLuwwqcVWwIYua5DQZJ7e1qxEjneyzilaSAGYJWs_D5PpSw8DP_oaUTgIwX-gv6pHyoljjZixrEFKkTLWcAucO1Sm-bPLdDsjn_Z8tQorJrkIEiRGPbnpwHl5KQnLaHQ8wye1ogvtQ3iuPTR0UJHK_hkQpE3TzSvy8lbgdoI_gkanxI/w640-h360/Gary%20Gygax's%20World%20Builders%20Archive.jpg" title="Gary Gygax's World Builders Archive" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ckg/gary-gygaxs-gygaxian-fantasy-worlds?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ckg/gary-gygaxs-gygaxian-fantasy-worlds?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Troll Lords continues to add weight to their claim that Castles & Crusades IS the spiritual successor to AD&D. This Kickstarter brings new Gygax material to C&C.</p><p>There is so much here that I can't get into it. If the name Gygax means anything to you then click on this and see what they have.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdkingdom/bx-advanced-bestiary-vol-2?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">BX Advanced Bestiary, Vol. 2</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdkingdom/bx-advanced-bestiary-vol-2?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="BX Advanced Bestiary, Vol. 2" border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1016" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVITE5G8gVp0oNDWVyVtR4G6dby-qrMII5t4vwly27_8FrkUscFCN5bHoXRBE-yHsiF2gIZR4kZHogiRzPfVK_9qnGAhpqhhzQYsDmhu-74fr51uCtG81jKAeQSfzAJ1RfF0vS1QwD7oMUlkAXsSg4OLJ6a6Oo5hWkmyK6qfqQZ3fIxVavg1dZzM5Aag/w640-h362/BX%20Advanced%20Bestiary,%20Vol.%202.jpg" title="BX Advanced Bestiary, Vol. 2" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdkingdom/bx-advanced-bestiary-vol-2?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdkingdom/bx-advanced-bestiary-vol-2?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>More monsters are always great! The only I like more than making monsters is reading about them so this one is also a must-get for me.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="832" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPY3ISMLGV6oh5SIjdOPlBluua0HXTJdHMh_fjhOBqw0SgRnkLeJxET-TBRdgvxzMD-JisQwZuRs9xxtOJlrYb9-H0hleL56_BGZKpW4ODYtCnkqN_rYBQJSIZagYcxZdH94TC0L3tLhxX-ZM5NtyW0rR8nOxVIi1APbsbNSyn_akqXrVMhclgggLqR7A/w640-h416/Dark%20Wizard%201.jpg" title="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="838" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF66xbQz6jGD14yBY0SU-akgrFPjHtMwAx8_8DXB4Ys8dvp_5yhFhpwIPjkrLlraA0zW0-vMEjNhrqvl3G8mmXuFxymnSXIp52TGlqZvSKrXJxn8bHiy4Dz34zaU_j8KrG_aj75LNBf_eNRUjqzcWzncHXIRSu0FKYIUzYCjfHvxrVN5CNvKBlX-IMFNk/w640-h412/Dark%20Wizard%205.jpg" title="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Mentioned this one last week, but it is worth repeating!</p><p><b>NOW some upcoming ones.</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/djinnintheshade/djinn-unboxed-nsfw-artbook?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Djinn Unboxed - NSFW Artbook</a></span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/djinnintheshade/djinn-unboxed-nsfw-artbook?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Djinn Unboxed - NSFW Artbook" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbwUBudMmzahZKq7tzAHzrZWi3Q-eLCYVYYRKzRHFky9gUXGU_oXyWFSw2nHQ_Eg52G8FtpWjEaGXccpwsUkwjpmNd58xfQEWnXJZTSEF4ZFfKXgCeLdzrEdzs4Zh4P8Tndc-hzwfhErqM-OoEwVID0xlJYRW-Llze0yFgjxseN6dCCvjYsCPtWeoeclU=w640-h360" title="Djinn Unboxed - NSFW Artbook" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/djinnintheshade/djinn-unboxed-nsfw-artbook?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/djinnintheshade/djinn-unboxed-nsfw-artbook?ref=theotherside</a><p></p><p>Djinn is a great friend of the Other Side. I feature her art here a lot. She is coming out with her own art book and it should be great.</p><p>Not live yet, but please sign up for updates.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/margomods/murders-at-lorelahc-manor-5e?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Murders at Lorelahc Manor - a mystery campaign for D&D 5e!</a></span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/margomods/murders-at-lorelahc-manor-5e?ref=theotherside" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Murders at Lorelahc Manor - a mystery campaign for D&D 5e!" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR1cFgyerZnsObKnmvXN6klUZcZ6BzlfqeIXKsJkQWt8hhASUgoe9wwi4I5PQMN4rMwYUo6x7zwATVrQWH9PS1pnCdAi7L3e6cwomW-jRSKIdc_p6AcAR6pGcVo30q7QleUjG8G1k2yinZRcWKFj8ewrJcg1zdgwBM6XHawbgirCHDkRrE4E49GrXmMp8=w640-h360" title="Murders at Lorelahc Manor - a mystery campaign for D&D 5e!" width="640" /></a></b></div>
<p></p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/margomods/murders-at-lorelahc-manor-5e?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/margomods/murders-at-lorelahc-manor-5e?ref=theotherside</a><div><br /></div><div>This one is also not out yet. But a murder mystery for D&D? Hell yes!</div><div><br /></div><div>There is also a pre-launch page for it on Backerkit.</div><div><a href="https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/1a3ccacf-6061-4c0f-a4c0-40a34400abfa/landing" target="_blank">https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/1a3ccacf-6061-4c0f-a4c0-40a34400abfa/landing</a></div><div><p></p><p>Sign up for more details.</p><p>And of course, this one!</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/13psignuptim " target="_blank">Thirteen Parsecs</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/13psignuptim " imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Thirteen Parsecs" border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1024" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YCQgUie0zz5sRZgoxWWmDUlkGwWeyR1YQnjI1jAm9JaBs_oTjqMTPl2fLM8W_UIJ7fdWV8KwpjEZ5F_vcuYToG3iUJoyjDVz5DPiwz3BBaE3-aFAgRZdc6kMlh9H1DgZP4OHSNSNhHlb13rJ-qXofB_hZqm0FW13g9rbN8KFfArFbqlkNtRXzRtoyqk/w640-h362/13P_Optimized_Cover_Concept_Banner.jpg" title="Thirteen Parsecs" width="640" /></a></div><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4c451647-7fff-0bc6-8929-98b72b7dd981"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/13psignuptim" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/13psignuptim</a></span></span></p><p>Thirteen Parsecs is coming! Please sign up to get notified of our launch of the Backer kit.</p><p>We really want this game to be your sci-fi RPG of choice, so help us make that happen.</p><p><br /></p><p></p></div>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-88372316381904977492024-03-14T11:11:00.002-05:002024-03-14T11:11:31.095-05:00Daggerheart Open Playtest Beta: Intro and Character Creation<p> The minds behind Critical Role have come up with their new Fantasy RPG and honestly, it has some things going for it.</p><p><b>Daggerheart</b> Fantasy Role-Playing is now in Open Beta Playtesting and you can grab a copy for free from <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473383/daggerheart-open-beta-playtest?affiliate_id=786813" target="_blank">DriveThruRPG</a> or <a href="https://www.daggerheart.com/" target="_blank">their website</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOY91UrbYv3W0EPeedHjivJ12lfdWUhKJcYcKDQ3wFD4M1ywiHQMwA3L5jotkxpmNX_f4C_sh2OPcQgmo9bUFww7abBZSgpSyzAUIj7V2k_J8dxXSRygdMgLtoPXjKrj1eIs13HlfHh5BMEx4o0sKBSHbLnKA42Ls0kC7544Lq4yZu8Crvp3LwT5PlR0/s900/DH0027_Galapa_Jessica_Nguyen_Expanded_2-1_logo.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Galapa by Jessica Nguyen" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOY91UrbYv3W0EPeedHjivJ12lfdWUhKJcYcKDQ3wFD4M1ywiHQMwA3L5jotkxpmNX_f4C_sh2OPcQgmo9bUFww7abBZSgpSyzAUIj7V2k_J8dxXSRygdMgLtoPXjKrj1eIs13HlfHh5BMEx4o0sKBSHbLnKA42Ls0kC7544Lq4yZu8Crvp3LwT5PlR0/w640-h320/DH0027_Galapa_Jessica_Nguyen_Expanded_2-1_logo.png" title="Galapa by Jessica Nguyen" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Galapa, one of the new Ancestries. Art by Jessica Nguyen</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I began reviewing it yesterday and quickly decided to take the plunge to print out the entire 375+ page playtest document so my kids and I can try it out.</p><p>You can see the DNA of many systems and games here, which they acknowledge. I have not read a bunch, but there is a very interesting world here and one I think many will like to play in.</p><p>I know most of my readers are "old-school D&D" so I'll say this. If there is something about D&D 5 you dislike chances are good it is here and turned up to 11. </p><p>That all being said there is a really interesting game here. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0W6X2KF-8ld3ZQuVLhb8xejU4PzcYQUi10D7iFG5XDsqyPeM1rUinEmYy-MouUwy9u9S_idoeYK77BYJtpnxz5_P-3XSco84CAYEDbEVpLumC-SV-TkfoZzJ6V2IPiYaNLlXNCf9dDMhGtJL93zBU0orGmga1UXIbX1LocvKQTEFqY1Eydpg9YDF8Uc/s4080/PXL_20240314_040841801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="That's a lot of pages. Daggerheart playtest" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0W6X2KF-8ld3ZQuVLhb8xejU4PzcYQUi10D7iFG5XDsqyPeM1rUinEmYy-MouUwy9u9S_idoeYK77BYJtpnxz5_P-3XSco84CAYEDbEVpLumC-SV-TkfoZzJ6V2IPiYaNLlXNCf9dDMhGtJL93zBU0orGmga1UXIbX1LocvKQTEFqY1Eydpg9YDF8Uc/w640-h482/PXL_20240314_040841801.jpg" title="That's a lot of pages. Daggerheart playtest" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Will this game be a "D&D Killer?" too early to say. I mean we didn't see Pathfinder taking D&D's throne when 4e was out, but then it happened. And when was the last time an RPG Playtest made the pages of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/critical-role-launches-daggerheart-disruptor-dungeons-and-dragons-2024-3" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> the day of release? Do not underestimate the fanship of Critical Role, who, in their nine years, has only seen their popularity rise. Sooner or later, Hasbro will do something boneheaded again, like the OGL or maybe even AI art, and people will look for more options. </p><p>One thing is for certain, the crew at Critical Role will make the game look great to play. Cases in point, they have already produced some videos for it. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYVrzqTPHRA&list=PL1tiwbzkOjQyz_ufJ0fl_gLcRJ-vYdUPj&index=1" target="_blank">How to Play Daggerheart | Open Beta (16:18)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbNsxHuX1FE&list=PL1tiwbzkOjQyz_ufJ0fl_gLcRJ-vYdUPj&index=2" target="_blank">How to Make a Character in Daggerheart | Open Beta (31:55)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvX_IVul9HE&list=PL1tiwbzkOjQyz_ufJ0fl_gLcRJ-vYdUPj&index=3" target="_blank">Critical Role Creates Characters in Daggerheart | Open Beta (2:00:05)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/8vXe48xQSoo?si=5qxokXaRXiBdeCdm&t=1162" target="_blank">Critical Role plays Daggerheart | Live One-Shot | Open Beta | LIVESTREAM (4:33:57)</a> </li></ul><p></p><p>I am watching the One Shot now, and the game looks fun. The feel is a solid fantasy RPG. Their enthusiasm is infectious. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Character Creation</span></b></p><p>I have gone through character creation. It will be faster once I know the system better, but it is still very fast. There are a lot of options. LOTS. If you are the type that looks at D&D 5's choices of species and shakes your head then this will not be the game for you.</p><p>Daggerheart is a Class and Level based system, so that will be familiar to most; especially what I perceive as their main target, D&D 5e players. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKk20rSV-zfYyzidpTwoqPrVPqEegJ2lrMAYlJpHS6kKzUQnjCtThESAq6Wes2jdj7MPYs9W6LjoCmeCPwL2yVhdJNDPTMgWLsLtXk_7RmIgNYaYEAhvoFvHWwTW2Lh_bFieeWphd08-GPM1Nv-zyuyQvrNsoI0bFqRpzQCSfmdWfjWtFXxbcvHYQObIk/s4080/PXL_20240314_141902705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classes and Heritages" border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="4080" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKk20rSV-zfYyzidpTwoqPrVPqEegJ2lrMAYlJpHS6kKzUQnjCtThESAq6Wes2jdj7MPYs9W6LjoCmeCPwL2yVhdJNDPTMgWLsLtXk_7RmIgNYaYEAhvoFvHWwTW2Lh_bFieeWphd08-GPM1Nv-zyuyQvrNsoI0bFqRpzQCSfmdWfjWtFXxbcvHYQObIk/w640-h434/PXL_20240314_141902705.jpg" title="Classes and Heritages" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>So, there are nine classes, each with two sub-classes (Foundations) and 18 ancestries. Like I said, there are lots of choices. Watching the "How to Make a Character" video is helpful here, but I just dove right in. That's how we did in the 1980s! The video shows Travis Willingham of Critical Role rebuilding one of his Campaign 3 characters, <a href="https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Bertrand_Bell" target="_blank">Bertrand Bell</a>, in this game. I can relate. </p><p>Each class has two "Domains" and these overlap. These help decide what sorts of powers, abilities, and spells they can take. For example "Arcana" is magic and is the Domain of Druids and Sorcerers. But Sorcerers are also "Midnight" which is sneaky, shadowy stuff and also a Domain of Rogues. </p><p>You choose a Class, then a Foundation (which gives you benefits), then your first-level powers/abilities.</p><p>Choose your Heritage (Ancestry and Community) which gives you yet more powers/abilities. There are nine Communities. Think of these as being like your background. </p><p>So where are we? We have 9 classes, 2 foundations, 18 ancestries, and 9 communities. So 2,916 combinations at level 1. </p><p>There are Traits, which line up more or less with d20/D&D abilities. </p><p>Damage Thresholds are bit like HP, with a tracker. Damage gets deadly really fast. Oh and damage to you also damages your armor. </p><p>A note about Death. This game has a great rule that I might steal for my home games. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-uplkWyl_kzZ9GyfwkzgBPhVH39SvClZ6F-VmcMxiQi9u_iUfRX3j02aDqO-EyqC43wej4ymZzAIXysXAPR0E6DPzUCOFa0bMOj4wWsGIqONcUseclLEbBcD-AI9Pe8x4skwKWRFaw14mr3WpCPq-3xk43EHXCZi-bEGwUh85lih0JvRdwK0JR18_P4/s4080/PXL_20240314_050518767.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Death" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-uplkWyl_kzZ9GyfwkzgBPhVH39SvClZ6F-VmcMxiQi9u_iUfRX3j02aDqO-EyqC43wej4ymZzAIXysXAPR0E6DPzUCOFa0bMOj4wWsGIqONcUseclLEbBcD-AI9Pe8x4skwKWRFaw14mr3WpCPq-3xk43EHXCZi-bEGwUh85lih0JvRdwK0JR18_P4/w640-h482/PXL_20240314_050518767.jpg" title="Death" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I like the whole "Embrace Death and Go Out in a Blaze of Glory." You die and stay dead, but you do it with style. Oh, it also seems that coming back from the dead is rare and not at all easy. When a character does, they<i> permanently</i> lose one point of the Hope resource. I have not talked about the Hope and Fear resources yet. But they are spent like Drama or Hero points depending on the situations. These use the oft-neglected d12.</p><p>You choose your abilities/powers/spells based on your Domains. The feel is similar to some of the choices for characters seen in D&D 4e.</p><p>There are Background questions. They are optional, but they are fun.</p><p>Experiences are fun. These are bits on your background that you can use a bonus to your Hope roll. These are figured out in Session 0 and work best if they complement (or aggravate!) the other characters.</p><p>Connections are similar. This has a solid Blue Rose feel to it. </p><p>Character creation is fun and would work best during Session 0 with your group. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Larina Nix in Daggerheart</span></b></p><p>Of course, I am going to try this with my D<i>rosophila melanogaster</i> of character creation experiments. There is no witch class here, so the first thing I need to do is figure out what her class is. </p><p>While the playtest materials give me plenty to create a class (and the videos use them) there are other options. One is the Character builder at the <a href="https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/daggerheart" target="_blank">Daggerheart Nexus at Demiplane.app</a>. This is what I did for my witch Larina. </p><p>Looking through my options here and with the playtest I am opting for Sorcerer over Wizard. Larina knows things, but they didn't all come from books (which she loves) plus I like the idea of the Midnight Domain for her, so she is a Sorcerer. For her Foundations (subclasses), I gave her Primal since her magic needs to feel a little old and a little wild. Her ancestry is human, and in this reality, she is Loreborn to tie into her connection to reading and books. </p><p>Background I can skip over since this not with a group yet, but I do want to cover her Experiences here. For her +2 Experience I went with "I understand that! (Magical Scholar)" so she can spend a Hope die anytime something magical needs to be explained or figured out. For her +1 Experience, I went with "Wait, I need to read this (Seeker of Magical Secrets)" to cover that sometimes her curiosity overrules her common sense. So that +1 to her Hope die would be great in situations where she is trying to read a magical inscription on a tomb wall while avoiding getting hit by a mummy. </p><p>For my Domain Cards (yes there are cards, but also slots on my sheet) I took one Arcana and one Midnight out of my choices of three each. I wanted to try a balance of the two. </p><p>The effort was fast, really fast. <a href="https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/daggerheart/character-sheet/67e74db8-ef3a-49a9-81fe-c3a869b1bd0b" target="_blank">And I am pleased with the results</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwamWKM_lmgVXKQqRATUHrbnKiNKdrvHwwrbRj58Xn3ika-yNLWd8bVhKpK0IEICOwjOlrzp3owz9-RS9ANnfRoScrLAXBC0kVQLKSNBwozZpS0y2ngJz40oimJoI32n91Th3G0R18cSoeESwrohCeah2zsOncQKbWtsLNpPtU3_Q5KomCWIJPUni3RxQ/s1062/Larina%201%20of%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Daggerheart Larina 1 of 3" border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1062" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwamWKM_lmgVXKQqRATUHrbnKiNKdrvHwwrbRj58Xn3ika-yNLWd8bVhKpK0IEICOwjOlrzp3owz9-RS9ANnfRoScrLAXBC0kVQLKSNBwozZpS0y2ngJz40oimJoI32n91Th3G0R18cSoeESwrohCeah2zsOncQKbWtsLNpPtU3_Q5KomCWIJPUni3RxQ/w640-h336/Larina%201%20of%203.jpg" title="Daggerheart Larina 1 of 3" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5cPQUnl5rrUHONj1h_MHSpFDv4cDFqRf2sGEZr7LkybQHgBfyrHylQNUj2zYXUCiIVYgHHYIB4t7yGdEzykvsSL3bSBAUDFpEjSrtC4HgJGFzZUsH8A74lXQ8lXi28c3fQV6zY3q3EL6Wy_LR3sFYFtcmDZvJrkCLVN9S1B2t8PznirThrPSSn_fHvg/s1046/Larina%202%20of%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Daggerheart Larina 2 of 3" border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1046" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5cPQUnl5rrUHONj1h_MHSpFDv4cDFqRf2sGEZr7LkybQHgBfyrHylQNUj2zYXUCiIVYgHHYIB4t7yGdEzykvsSL3bSBAUDFpEjSrtC4HgJGFzZUsH8A74lXQ8lXi28c3fQV6zY3q3EL6Wy_LR3sFYFtcmDZvJrkCLVN9S1B2t8PznirThrPSSn_fHvg/w640-h376/Larina%202%20of%203.jpg" title="Daggerheart Larina 2 of 3" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMoKAK2TrZ1T3UTzYDDLw0d9JfDvo3eQPbPvtnV8-HVaiWndKBhdEXRufjcQcY18jJbLLd1o36v7q77JzLNL57H3FZHXLVb3L6WQdNe09XcsmgCBetxpYJoHkIWKv_34KJTMANTg1CBqCO3evcx_PjrUfLdOZNoNcVBVFeemnsT1m8qzHM301Eubqi_Y/s1050/Larina%203%20of%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Daggerheart Larina 3 of 3" border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1050" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMoKAK2TrZ1T3UTzYDDLw0d9JfDvo3eQPbPvtnV8-HVaiWndKBhdEXRufjcQcY18jJbLLd1o36v7q77JzLNL57H3FZHXLVb3L6WQdNe09XcsmgCBetxpYJoHkIWKv_34KJTMANTg1CBqCO3evcx_PjrUfLdOZNoNcVBVFeemnsT1m8qzHM301Eubqi_Y/w640-h374/Larina%203%20of%203.jpg" title="Daggerheart Larina 3 of 3" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Yeah, I am quite pleased with this character and character creation. But the proof is in the playing.</div><div><br /></div><div>So now, after reading, making a character, watching some videos, and retweaking the character, I'll try my hand at making a character from the start again to see how long it takes. For this I will do my other active character Sinéad. She is also a sorcerer, but I want to see how different two characters of the same class can be. Then I'll also try her as a multi-classed Bard.</div>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sinéad in Daggerheart</span></b></p>
<p>In D&D Sinéad is a half-elf Magic-user (Sorcerer)/Bard. Now her history is very, very much tied to the Forgotten Realms. So unlike Larina, her home is a very integral part of her. It will be interesting to see how that works in a game like Daggerheart.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxrWlVv_Zpn8qAsnB6u9WqD0JX9I8_VVvVUVDM0Kn9cta5Mm1CQjraJWcRljhxI9SWS6tKETT_6C2q3kaqfD89W_GsjSs5k0oCMeLkjj219EmOfA9lIVWULsCXloRhVSApx6253OoGknsc3cI2Ot-UV9I_4vWBpaHwT30PL6A71ttlLFADK4X1gi-2Pw/s1063/Sinead%20Daggerheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1063" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxrWlVv_Zpn8qAsnB6u9WqD0JX9I8_VVvVUVDM0Kn9cta5Mm1CQjraJWcRljhxI9SWS6tKETT_6C2q3kaqfD89W_GsjSs5k0oCMeLkjj219EmOfA9lIVWULsCXloRhVSApx6253OoGknsc3cI2Ot-UV9I_4vWBpaHwT30PL6A71ttlLFADK4X1gi-2Pw/w640-h338/Sinead%20Daggerheart.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Ok, that took about 4 minutes. While I can get into the details, suffice it to say that this worked well for me and I was EASILY able to capture the concept here that this is character who can't control her magic and is working on figuring out how. She isn't a bard yet. But that also fits in well with my starting concept of her. For her item, Family Heirloom, I have it as her father's lute.</p><p>In Daggerheart, you can multi-class starting at the 5th level, so I am going to try that. When Multi-classing, you choose one of the two Domains of the second class. I rather like that. The Bard Domains are Grace and Codex. While Codex would be great for the added magic, concept-wise, Grace is a better fit. She also chooses one of the Foundations (Subclasses). For Sinéad, I picked Troubador so she can get some game advantage from her lute.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3V8qOdzckEBPGbKEO5zj7-pzBit49OwuWg6CyljoKrmf01IZyv0lxxU1MUi9BljxQvFzwBUXnB_YBtUbsCmb5ZrIhuh-sZMz0idNhqo20pR4DRXaegZl8_y33Cfq21ezH8HXnAENk9PtVDoF1dkoGHjtYuLutIObPJMGvghzbdn2xgIIjvmCfWiTs7s/s1064/Sinead%20Daggerheart%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1064" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3V8qOdzckEBPGbKEO5zj7-pzBit49OwuWg6CyljoKrmf01IZyv0lxxU1MUi9BljxQvFzwBUXnB_YBtUbsCmb5ZrIhuh-sZMz0idNhqo20pR4DRXaegZl8_y33Cfq21ezH8HXnAENk9PtVDoF1dkoGHjtYuLutIObPJMGvghzbdn2xgIIjvmCfWiTs7s/w640-h356/Sinead%20Daggerheart%201.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yaak-O3n7DgkWmkzW67RaMnBsGr0hPEqNZ10rzk1ownw0nRfUMYSX3VBrhSWYN8z7TJrFuF_IT6MX7adX50Fvk6YlONRiX651RjN9eckFZ2lDUvjKdl43zv4LHRcqUd1fAfWAIQdlWViw0rvabaFzXf7NkdJIoCAiae57G0FrLHj3-ZF43g5tYutHtE/s1066/Sinead%20Daggerheart%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1066" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yaak-O3n7DgkWmkzW67RaMnBsGr0hPEqNZ10rzk1ownw0nRfUMYSX3VBrhSWYN8z7TJrFuF_IT6MX7adX50Fvk6YlONRiX651RjN9eckFZ2lDUvjKdl43zv4LHRcqUd1fAfWAIQdlWViw0rvabaFzXf7NkdJIoCAiae57G0FrLHj3-ZF43g5tYutHtE/w640-h360/Sinead%20Daggerheart%202.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0RyjSvfrgNkaBwzPyMybrUEhSGrB3SL0YVQZUuv1x-fM_p1i_R1tVCAOd9Vm5u6n9mD51BtOk2WtqOb9UiTgeNlz7qfKybcfHjgVv_UFi3QcfW5ZTOhSMXW3n2h0Lyv_GCLaT9jqO9R8NhT8tsDEOY2NvsfdpxtOXNbslNMOYe48xLbE_1gN0vNiX2g/s1050/Sinead%20Daggerheart%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1050" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0RyjSvfrgNkaBwzPyMybrUEhSGrB3SL0YVQZUuv1x-fM_p1i_R1tVCAOd9Vm5u6n9mD51BtOk2WtqOb9UiTgeNlz7qfKybcfHjgVv_UFi3QcfW5ZTOhSMXW3n2h0Lyv_GCLaT9jqO9R8NhT8tsDEOY2NvsfdpxtOXNbslNMOYe48xLbE_1gN0vNiX2g/w640-h458/Sinead%20Daggerheart%203.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7hzubpKldUpwpkRLZ3SZv10ilncJbsuByOjHDF5F-M9R1vTNsVfvFv4Dy6-0iJe5q4_17ef0aCVrLI7Zoi5BRbMFBwcwH30A-O-xEDG4t4UEzEd0wDUpgLzgdAJAy5UHgw96QLB3htCpWHFLTQEQSNzuRNklUXTXzeGx-CjZRngkfvYzwZryfN8jST0/s1077/Sinead%20Daggerheart%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1077" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7hzubpKldUpwpkRLZ3SZv10ilncJbsuByOjHDF5F-M9R1vTNsVfvFv4Dy6-0iJe5q4_17ef0aCVrLI7Zoi5BRbMFBwcwH30A-O-xEDG4t4UEzEd0wDUpgLzgdAJAy5UHgw96QLB3htCpWHFLTQEQSNzuRNklUXTXzeGx-CjZRngkfvYzwZryfN8jST0/w640-h338/Sinead%20Daggerheart%204.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfZomI4EKRO9FrLZNxBo-vGwkgm92qVa6bzHSVnCTTXAwAdw6tpmfMdnAzP5arQElnUx557tUqv99R06GxNU6he05OBUFMKyebTh4kxKHnOvbcrluKuQQJDJm4vraj_eKZgZezlijQVrAyfLC9tt_6AX_P6kXXT64HkMziob19n6ovnAxUe0jGNduxXA/s1062/Sinead%20Daggerheart%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad in Daggerheart" border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="1062" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfZomI4EKRO9FrLZNxBo-vGwkgm92qVa6bzHSVnCTTXAwAdw6tpmfMdnAzP5arQElnUx557tUqv99R06GxNU6he05OBUFMKyebTh4kxKHnOvbcrluKuQQJDJm4vraj_eKZgZezlijQVrAyfLC9tt_6AX_P6kXXT64HkMziob19n6ovnAxUe0jGNduxXA/w640-h280/Sinead%20Daggerheart%205.jpg" title="Sinéad in Daggerheart" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Level 0 to Level 5, plus making screenshots? 25 mins. A PDF export would be nice here.</p><p>So, despite Larina and Sinéad both being Sorcerers in Daggerheart, they do look and feel different.</p><p>There is a lot to try out for this game and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes.</p><b>Links</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.daggerheart.com/" target="_blank">Main Website</a></li><li><a href="https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/daggerheart" target="_blank">Daggerheart Nexus (character creation)</a></li><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473383/daggerheart-open-beta-playtest?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Daggerheart Open Beta Playtest rules, DriveThruRPG</a></li></ul></div>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-57658026238373693902024-03-13T14:49:00.004-05:002024-03-13T14:49:43.364-05:00Review: Return to the World of Maximum Mayhem<p> I have a slight sidestep today. I have been playing around with something for a bit. You all know I am a fan of Mark Taormino's <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product-category/modules/" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem adventures</a> from <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/" target="_blank">Dark Wizard Games</a>. I have been getting his latest in both the 1st Ed and 5th Ed versions, one for me and one for my kids. I have also mentioned that while they are designed overtly for "First Edition Rules" or what I call "The Advanced Era" the adventures top off at the 14th level, making them compatible "in spirit" with my beloved B/X rules.</p><p>The obvious solution to this was to run some sort of mutant B/X-Advanced hybrid. The ruleset that won out was <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/336584/old-school-essentials-advanced-fantasy-player-s-tome?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Old School Essentials-Advanced Fantasy Edition</a>. While there are some bumps, it is a surprisingly good fit. To be honest, I would love to test out OSE-Advanced vs. 1st Edition vs. OSRIC and see how they all fare with the same sort of character. I have not done this, nor do I think I will. I think that the differences would be so minor as to be unnoticeable in actual play. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiNUAUHjHLEpdX64UbaoFa8zFqCyLaLk4Hbjicjx_T-RIgx0YszpzD2IrwyBGGs6oPBIxdi-KkTjGGjBdjH2E78FTelWZLVk-0Qgzg_h7ifHUvuT8quX18YrZCdSqjxeJEVOFZgMknbM72pHh5mavgkZoj0ZHUGmg1lXPMKUj0a81fqACvNR1WT3GSEI/s4080/PXL_20240313_051728963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem adventures with OSE-AE" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiNUAUHjHLEpdX64UbaoFa8zFqCyLaLk4Hbjicjx_T-RIgx0YszpzD2IrwyBGGs6oPBIxdi-KkTjGGjBdjH2E78FTelWZLVk-0Qgzg_h7ifHUvuT8quX18YrZCdSqjxeJEVOFZgMknbM72pHh5mavgkZoj0ZHUGmg1lXPMKUj0a81fqACvNR1WT3GSEI/w640-h482/PXL_20240313_051728963.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem adventures with OSE-AE" width="640" /></a></div><p>But I do have the characters. </p><p>A while back, I introduced a lovely druid couple, <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2015/08/class-struggles-beastmaster.html" target="_blank">Maryah and Asabalom</a>. They were OSE characters from the very start. They have connections to previous characters of mine, but nothing major. I see Asabalom as the grandson (or maybe great-grandson) of my "<a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2015/08/class-struggles-beastmaster.html" target="_blank">Beastmaster</a>" character, Absom Sark. Because of this, I am fudging things a little and giving him the ability to wild shape into a wolf at the 4th level. He just doesn't have the control a 7th-level druid does. Right now, he can only shift into a wolf. </p><p>For a variety of reasons that are too minor on their own but added up, these two characters are my natives of Mark's Maximum Mayhem world. One that uses OSE-AE. They are the ones I am taking through these adventures, and their son, <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2021/01/character-creation-challenge-dungeons_9.html" target="_blank">Áedán Aamadu</a>, will go through the 5e versions. </p><p>The biggest issue has been finding the time to do these. With his <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">new Kickstarter now live</a>, I figured I needed to get caught up. </p><p>So. I will review these, knowing I really can't go through them anymore. Sorry, Mad Master! I am reviewing these in "campaign order" and not in release order.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/453131/village-on-the-borderlands-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands</a></span></b></p><p>by Mark Taormino, 64 pages. For levels 1-3. Art by Justin Davis, Jacob Blackmon, Carlos Castilho, Daniel Commerci, Jeff Dee, Felipe Faria, Mark Lyons, William McAusland, Brian McCranie, Matt Morrow and JE Shields. (How's that for a who's-who among OSR artists?)</p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe_OngOznw8-N2bFmB_UaTuTKFvNL_KFOfLtepburYn6gDowBX6AX1kOUWebyYvPVdE7uNaga569ByTy1EB7n4-pOiq5GrvSwhx1jYnXgxnzo0L-wtBqWYJ_GNMe18lXimS4MsAQU3TnRhUrDEBGKOKOstD7YCW_4WynW3x36sglDMagRdUye8ZWY6Es/s853/Village%20on%20the%20Borderlands%201e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands 1e" border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe_OngOznw8-N2bFmB_UaTuTKFvNL_KFOfLtepburYn6gDowBX6AX1kOUWebyYvPVdE7uNaga569ByTy1EB7n4-pOiq5GrvSwhx1jYnXgxnzo0L-wtBqWYJ_GNMe18lXimS4MsAQU3TnRhUrDEBGKOKOstD7YCW_4WynW3x36sglDMagRdUye8ZWY6Es/w247-h320/Village%20on%20the%20Borderlands%201e.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands 1e" width="247" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVUuuGwFrHFCWpmHbCh2nZ1rMu2fu6E7PvOruzFxqzx5gYvPAWuldsfsblGapZUoS02tAwS2cPrYei10wXonr4jMV2ogapVZWWS8cuYFiZmna37Gtb5LB55lKWkl1NHQUQ254g8U8nNWnDOCi2xAqM-qg7g-Cpxwbtp_TYMa0nD4kXewhkFPFyTCzsBA/s857/Village%20on%20the%20Borderlands%205e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands 5e" border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVUuuGwFrHFCWpmHbCh2nZ1rMu2fu6E7PvOruzFxqzx5gYvPAWuldsfsblGapZUoS02tAwS2cPrYei10wXonr4jMV2ogapVZWWS8cuYFiZmna37Gtb5LB55lKWkl1NHQUQ254g8U8nNWnDOCi2xAqM-qg7g-Cpxwbtp_TYMa0nD4kXewhkFPFyTCzsBA/w246-h320/Village%20on%20the%20Borderlands%205e.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands 5e" width="246" /></a></div>
<p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/453131/village-on-the-borderlands-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/village-on-the-borderlands-1e-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store</a>.</p><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/453133/village-on-the-borderlands-5e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Fifth Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/village-on-the-borderlands-5e-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">Fifth Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.</a> </p><p>The first edition has "blue" maps, and the fifth edition has full-color maps.</p><p>A lot of us freely mixed Basic D&D and Advanced D&D back in the early 80s. It was not uncommon then to find groups that had gone through B2 Keep on the Borderlands and T1 The Village of Hommlet. Mark knows this, and this adventure is a nod and homage to that experience. This is also Mark's biggest adventure to date.</p><p>While this could have come off as pastiche or, even worse, a bunch of hamfisted clichés, instead it is a nod and even an homage to not just how much fun those old adventures were, but also to the experiences we all had. Don't get me wrong, there is a great a adventure here; but if you were playing the Keep or the Village or Giants series back in the early 1980s then this will hit differently. </p><p>The is best described as "what if the Village of Hommlet was set outside the Cave of Chaos and not the Keep?" You have a local village in need of help. There are roving bands of ogres and weird fungi and skeletons. Whats a local farmer to do? Easy, call upon some brave, and expendable, adventurers for help. </p><p>There are some hooks for the adventure but for me they are unneeded. THOUGH I will add that the whole Valley of the Moon was a great hook for me. Not just because the name is similar enough to where my characters Maryah and Asabalom were from, but it is nothing if not a nod to one of my earliest crushes, <b>Moon Unit Zappa</b>. </p><p>We have all sorts of classic monsters, rumor tables, nods to (in)famous NPCs, tarot readings, standing stones, name puns, an inn to meet in, places to buy equipment and weapons. </p><p>The Inn of the Whistling Pig is wonderfully detailed and loaded with all sorts of characters. In fact, while reading, I half expected to see stand-ins for <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/Duchess%20%26%20Candella" target="_blank">Duchess and Candella</a>. </p><p>I said, "Caves of Chaos," but there are only a few caves where a lot of the "out of town" action takes place, and that is plenty. The Hill Giant cave is the first. There is also the Forest of Fallen Oaks, the Ruins of Sternholm Keep, and the Caverns of the Wicked Peaks.</p><p>A great non-linear adventure where the party can start at the Inn and head out in any direction to find adventure. They can come back, heal up, spend their loot and go back out, OR keep going. That last one is not advisable as everything here has a good reason to see the PCs dead. </p><p>There are hooks here to other Maximum Mayhem adventures, too.</p><p>The plot and organization of the first and fifth editions are the same. The Fifth edition version features color maps. </p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397559/shadow-of-the-necromancer-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer</a></span></b></p><p>by Mark Taormino, 16 pages. For levels 1-3. Art by Phred Rawles, Chet Minton, Adam Black, Brian Brinlee, Carlos Castilho, Bradley McDevitt, and Phred Rawles.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTSKnPSF6UX_2DAL32vI-KiUYyqI3SfXptnQsM8HQUZuBD4wouIIB6zkHqKH99jzRKLSL-v_sZcsggw-uwYjEwY_5YjYRtgt_qppHxGzzNro15Ycvr5EkeXYBjd-_ZbiNnMwMhAQeRoEGuEcvEj-0klQspnrzcK-BQJ0x07G6bGNVmg4R8SWVz19dCi0/s864/Shadow%20of%20the%20Necromancer%201e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer 1e" border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTSKnPSF6UX_2DAL32vI-KiUYyqI3SfXptnQsM8HQUZuBD4wouIIB6zkHqKH99jzRKLSL-v_sZcsggw-uwYjEwY_5YjYRtgt_qppHxGzzNro15Ycvr5EkeXYBjd-_ZbiNnMwMhAQeRoEGuEcvEj-0klQspnrzcK-BQJ0x07G6bGNVmg4R8SWVz19dCi0/w247-h320/Shadow%20of%20the%20Necromancer%201e.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer 1e" width="247" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o_16jqj1bFPF8Xo187O3g3v9sigP1iQ-7B51q36uKx-PBbZb0MGMa4R2YLN4mw3zKyHL7JsLZ1wHnbt6Xjo6dajAOsWrjouMe_8RykjGSyf0ghqVwBlcbUAryAsDrPH6y66_Ve0sgygts34ImBXTzM0RsWQTN8BoSjWNIvTXnc_mwuN1rLqQZlSXieM/s826/Shadow%20of%20the%20Necromancer%205e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer 5e" border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o_16jqj1bFPF8Xo187O3g3v9sigP1iQ-7B51q36uKx-PBbZb0MGMa4R2YLN4mw3zKyHL7JsLZ1wHnbt6Xjo6dajAOsWrjouMe_8RykjGSyf0ghqVwBlcbUAryAsDrPH6y66_Ve0sgygts34ImBXTzM0RsWQTN8BoSjWNIvTXnc_mwuN1rLqQZlSXieM/w247-h320/Shadow%20of%20the%20Necromancer%205e.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer 5e" width="247" /></a></div>
<p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397559/shadow-of-the-necromancer-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/shadow-of-the-necromancer-1e-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store</a>.</p><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397474/shadow-of-the-necromancer-5e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Fifth Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/shadow-of-the-necromancer-5e-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">Fifth Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store</a>. </p><p>The first edition has "blue" maps, and the fifth edition has full-color maps.</p><p>This is a mini adventure, and the first one Mark has done. Much like his Vampire Queen adventure I have used a figure called "The Necromancer" in my own games. Get out of my head Mark!!</p><p>These are designed to be played in one or two sessions. We managed to get through it in three short sessions. It has a great "Hammer Horror" vibe to it, and honestly, I rather love it.</p><div>The adventure comes with a map, in beautiful old-school blue for the 1st ed version and full color for the 5th edition version. The module is 16 pages (one page for title and credits, one page for OGL , and one-page blank). The adventure is a simple "strange things are going on! The PCs must investigate!" situation. It turns into "stop the minion of the Necromancer from finishing his evil plans." It's tried and true, and it works fine here. As with many of the Darl Wizard/Maximum Mayhem Dungeons, the adventure is a deadly affair. Not as deadly as the Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen, but it is not a walk in the graveyard either. It is a fun romp and really captures the feel of old-school playing. Both versions are great, and I can keep the 1st-ed version for myself and give the 5th-ed version to my kids to run.</div><p>Exactly what you want in an adventure. Despite the size and scope Mark gives this one the same love and attention he does to all his larger adventures.</p><p>The plot and organization of the first and fifth editions are the same. The Fifth edition version features color maps. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/337424/dread-swamp-of-the-banshee?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank"></a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDxjmEJfA6MvONh99EvWEvGyxbyStLfKKJWeceJY4PoDdiCy1_kPTFvNfn5FDYmDRhkC64RGaLIn6vA-c1Y7PQTONabUj-wWM7Pmj6mnPc4tIt3z-uHS_UpmZDRmmtOuI8aibqGbaL9MLZeLLI9RfAcEK__gepHxmAJJcy5E5l4bHdAcOYnROnbaD1Sg/s862/Dread%20Swamp%20of%20the%20Banshee.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #7: Dread Swamp of the Banshee" border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDxjmEJfA6MvONh99EvWEvGyxbyStLfKKJWeceJY4PoDdiCy1_kPTFvNfn5FDYmDRhkC64RGaLIn6vA-c1Y7PQTONabUj-wWM7Pmj6mnPc4tIt3z-uHS_UpmZDRmmtOuI8aibqGbaL9MLZeLLI9RfAcEK__gepHxmAJJcy5E5l4bHdAcOYnROnbaD1Sg/w247-h320/Dread%20Swamp%20of%20the%20Banshee.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #7: Dread Swamp of the Banshee" width="247" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/337424/dread-swamp-of-the-banshee?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #7: Dread Swamp of the Banshee</a></span></b><p></p><p>by Mark Taormino and Alan Chamberlain, 48 pages. For levels 4-8. Art by Jacob Blackmon, Brian Brinlee, Ed Lacabanne, Mark Lyons, Brian McCranie, Matthew Ray, and Phil Stone.</p><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/337424/dread-swamp-of-the-banshee?affiliate_id=10748">First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/dread-swamp-of-the-banshee-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store</a>.<br /></p><p>A noblewoman has returned to her family estate and finds it has been taken over by a swamp. Worse, there is an evil banshee stalking the lands. But what is the noblewoman hiding?</p><p>This adventure is for characters of 4th to 8th level. But I will say this. 4th and 5th level characters are going to die. This is not a meat-grinder like Hanging Coffins, but it is deadly. There is a mystery here too so, so it is not all fireballs and swordplay. But there is a lot of that too.</p><p>Like the adventures of old, there are also new monsters here. Mark always adds a little something like that. I also get the vibe that Mark and Alan were reading a lot of B3 Palace of the Silver Princess. Not for the plot but just the feeling. It works here to be honest. </p><p>In the series, I would run this one after <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/219916/vault-of-the-dwarven-king?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Vault of the Dwarven King</a> and have the characters between the 5th and 8th levels. Not that Vault is easier, just not as deadly as this one. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/320509/moving-maze-of-the-mad-master?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank"></a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUay133hYQT01I8JvQETdKsMYnstRFjZh8uVBw255l9ez0widolJbkINxsExuTOzgpLf80mr5VF4mbrgv8ycACETL60t-QA3bneVc2ZWjMlb_jb4w6lGbWDp5sDLR9bo_QP22Dml6WhuPQJF48LQhwS5WY2TOkf-yS59Hs9Jcf_V1E1GwldE8MSJ8WmA/s869/Moving%20Maze%20of%20the%20Mad%20Master%201e.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #6: Moving Maze of the Mad Master" border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUay133hYQT01I8JvQETdKsMYnstRFjZh8uVBw255l9ez0widolJbkINxsExuTOzgpLf80mr5VF4mbrgv8ycACETL60t-QA3bneVc2ZWjMlb_jb4w6lGbWDp5sDLR9bo_QP22Dml6WhuPQJF48LQhwS5WY2TOkf-yS59Hs9Jcf_V1E1GwldE8MSJ8WmA/w245-h320/Moving%20Maze%20of%20the%20Mad%20Master%201e.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #6: Moving Maze of the Mad Master" width="245" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/320509/moving-maze-of-the-mad-master?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #6: Moving Maze of the Mad Master</a></span></b><p></p><p>by Alan Chamberlain, 40 pages. For levels 6-10. Art by Jacob Blackmon, Alan Chamberlain, Ed Lacabanne, Mark Lyons, Brian McCranie, and Phil Stone.</p><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/320509/moving-maze-of-the-mad-master?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG)</a>. <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/mad_master-book-pdf/" target="_blank">First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store</a>.<br /></p><p>This one is by Alan Chamberlain, who was also on The Dread Swamp of the Banshee and Vault of the Dwarven King. So the feel is right. In fact, until Mark <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/maximum-mayhem-dungeons-8-funhouse-of-the-puppet-jester" target="_blank">kickstarted</a> his <a href="https://www.darkwizardgames.com/store/product/funhouse-dungeon-of-the-puppet-jester-1e-softcover-book-pdf/" target="_blank">Maximum Mayhem #8: Funhouse Dungeon of the Puppet Jester</a>, THIS was the funhouse dungeon. </p><p>The premise is simple but very effective. A bunch of metal monsters are attacking small towns and villages, and the PCs decide to help. What we get is an honest-to-Gary, Mad Scientist building all sorts of clockwork and autonomous horrors. To get to him, you need to get through his maze of deadly traps and clockwork terrors. </p><p>If the other adventure is a meat grinder, then this one is a food processor. It's brutal, but of course, the fun is just as great.</p><p>You could get this one for the circular maze map and all the stats of the clockwork creatures alone (6) for a total of 11 new monsters. </p><p>It's insane, really.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzet2UTsZAGblOVpway8qOOWpAzK9aZs9eFqAMviSgpH8CvLm2UXEobQDrRmhvRBRFf1pqHyM1IM6N2ASmi2d_lxv7xJIXcIPNpeA5xPhDfLqRBWougiXqSEZdXs3LhOdj8IQ-W-9BHvqmrEJAA3c556voiwsXp7DytytqtWBjWcc3Y0WpuboMLykx6E/s4080/PXL_20240313_193626563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons" border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzet2UTsZAGblOVpway8qOOWpAzK9aZs9eFqAMviSgpH8CvLm2UXEobQDrRmhvRBRFf1pqHyM1IM6N2ASmi2d_lxv7xJIXcIPNpeA5xPhDfLqRBWougiXqSEZdXs3LhOdj8IQ-W-9BHvqmrEJAA3c556voiwsXp7DytytqtWBjWcc3Y0WpuboMLykx6E/w640-h240/PXL_20240313_193626563.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw48sZYythOvJY_eWy7ELf-2__ZoKIh4LIOq_Lw05vP1vurD22PKA9VgXO1Zm-3VOvFCCoo5mA_rdjVyLYKcPPZZtgZ70lXNznUU3taTT9X_kJQxN9w1iAsUeweq-v9w8Eri3ILQnGqh_tc2v3Ke6MMzbBKQEbJMUwmj8TTwi2MLvO5D_41Uqya_XlhU/s4042/PXL_20240313_194126827.MP~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons - Nearly complete" border="0" data-original-height="1819" data-original-width="4042" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw48sZYythOvJY_eWy7ELf-2__ZoKIh4LIOq_Lw05vP1vurD22PKA9VgXO1Zm-3VOvFCCoo5mA_rdjVyLYKcPPZZtgZ70lXNznUU3taTT9X_kJQxN9w1iAsUeweq-v9w8Eri3ILQnGqh_tc2v3Ke6MMzbBKQEbJMUwmj8TTwi2MLvO5D_41Uqya_XlhU/w640-h288/PXL_20240313_194126827.MP~2.jpg" title="Maximum Mayhem Dungeons - Nearly complete" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I am not sure any character can survive this campaign.</p><p>Don't forget Mark has two more of these adventures on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Kickstarter now</a>: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch both for 1st Edition and 5th Edition rules</a>.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-64647984220539698852024-03-12T08:28:00.001-05:002024-03-12T08:28:32.218-05:00New Release: Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - The Black Forest Mythos<p> I am finally releasing my latest project based on the <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2021/11/one-mans-god-special-syncretism-part-3.html" target="_blank">Roman-Norse Myths</a> I was playing around with last year. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473864/myths-monsters-vol-1-the-black-forest-mythos?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - The Black Forest Mythos</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473864/myths-monsters-vol-1-the-black-forest-mythos?affiliate_id=10748" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - Black Forest Mythos" border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhZKO-O-9KSbeJvrnA_0q6lLjh-oxPVWk1ekCrqdwHircl6CQMIXc_V8iI-J2Oq54G814a3kycCvaxBVdS1E6cOpJVzf3vz4hCE8EfaTVQDBzDLqwg7jYV6u7-BjXt2pOusI6OIlK99Y8RAlbRXlo6lCmVbbR0XQeGmxUgkX7YXDlAE73jVHGFg_3CWI/w496-h640/Myths%20and%20Monsters%20Vol%201%20-%20The%20Black%20Forest%20Mythos.jpg" title="Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - Black Forest Mythos" width="496" /></a></div><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473864/myths-monsters-vol-1-the-black-forest-mythos?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473864/myths-monsters-vol-1-the-black-forest-mythos?affiliate_id=10748</a></p><p>This is the first of a series of myths and legends that began as a thought experiment about gods, monsters, and syncretism of beliefs. These gods did not exist, at least not in the classical sense. They are, however, great for a fantasy adventure game where elves, dragons, and magic are real. They are also based on some of the most well-known myths in the world.</p><p>This product is the start of a new series of smaller publications aimed at covering the Gods, Demigods, Heroes, Demons, and Monsters of various mythologies. Some will be thought experiments like this one, a set of syncretized Roman and Norse/Germanic myths. Others will be reconstructions of some ancient and less well-known myths.</p><p>These aim to provide your Advanced-era game with new gods and goddesses, as well as new monsters, demons, and other adversaries. </p><p><b>Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - Black Forest Mythos</b> covers the myths, gods, and monsters of the people of the Black Forest. This began as an idea; what if Roman pagans and Norse/Germanic peoples met up somewhere in the Black Forest region of Germany circa 600 CE and combined their gods into one pantheon? And what if I had created this pantheon based on what I knew of both groups back in 1986?<br /></p>
<blockquote><b>Roman-Norse (Black Forest) Pantheon </b>
<br /><br />Imagine, if you will, some Roman Pagans, say circa 300-900 CE. While Christianity is becoming the Empire’s official religion, not everyone is taking up the Christian Gods. There is still a mix of Pagan Roman gods, Greek Gods, local gods and spirits, house gods, and more. The further you are from Rome (and later, Constantinople), the more likely you will still hold on to your local gods.
<br /><br />Now, far to the North, there are the Nordic-Germanic tribes. They are the “barbarians” of Roman lore; they want Rome’s treasures and power. But most of these people just want to find new lands to grow food on. While the Viking raids to England and Ireland are so stamped into our collective subconscious there were other forays into other lands. Some we know went South. But most of these did not happen till the 800s CE when most of Europe was firmly Christianized. We know that the Romans interacted with the Norse and made connections between their respective sets of Gods. Romans were rather practical when it came to religion.
<br /><br />Imagine a time between 300 CE and 900 CE when not all Northmen were Viking raiders, and not all Romans were Christians. Let’s say that a group of Roman pagans and Northmen headed south and north, respectively, but ended up in the Black Forest region of Southern Germany, moving slightly westward. Instead of going to war, they decided to build a community together by finding common ground in their beliefs. Since both groups were polytheistic, they could accept each other’s gods. As time passed, the gods merged, just like the people. For the purposes of this story, let’s assume it was around 600 CE.</blockquote>
<p>This is that project. Now, it is updated and edited, and the art is all from Larry Elmore (used with permission). This first volume has 24 Gods and Goddesses and 17 monsters. </p>
<p>This volume features art from Larry Elmore, but future volumes will feature new art from other artists. I just have to make enough from this one to pay them. </p><p>So get your copy. Any and all feedback is welcome. I want to make this series something people will find helpful. </p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-67968104011159131072024-03-11T08:38:00.000-05:002024-03-11T08:38:48.777-05:00Blogging A to Z 2024 Theme Reveal<p> It is that time of year again. Time to reveal my theme for the annual Blogging A to Z challenge.</p><p>This is the year I have known what I would do for a long time. Since it is the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons and I am spending the year celebrating, for April, I am doing the <b>A to Z of Dungeons & Dragons</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3jtx8CI5DJVm-KdujsqTNOi5dRhr5dZ7KzoGeWBJ8DFT5BVuZhiaQzOLJ85DPCyd0FVbZSuVe6D_xIRWDMH6ZOl7qbDnPIjt-ckKbVvANDRC_TAm6EJtZDjjkECSF9uynR_wjklX7QES7kwP6MrQ_NfCmHmiXxakPrYvDtcvS0fTRdWuuvHQ_S_TVZA/s1100/Blogging%20A%20to%20Z%202024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="April A to Z blogging challenge 2024: A to Z of D&D" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1100" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3jtx8CI5DJVm-KdujsqTNOi5dRhr5dZ7KzoGeWBJ8DFT5BVuZhiaQzOLJ85DPCyd0FVbZSuVe6D_xIRWDMH6ZOl7qbDnPIjt-ckKbVvANDRC_TAm6EJtZDjjkECSF9uynR_wjklX7QES7kwP6MrQ_NfCmHmiXxakPrYvDtcvS0fTRdWuuvHQ_S_TVZA/w400-h364/Blogging%20A%20to%20Z%202024.jpg" title="April A to Z blogging challenge 2024: A to Z of D&D" width="400" /></a></div><p>Granted, this might not really be much of a "challenge" for me, but I hope to inform and maybe even get some people into this weird little hobby of ours.</p><p>Who knows. Maybe I'll learn something new myself.</p><p>Catch all the other A-to-Z-ers doing theme reveals this week here: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/mv4nhbmj " target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/mv4nhbmj </a></p><p>The main Blogging A to Z website is here: <a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" target="_blank">http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/</a> </p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><img alt="AtoZChallenge theme reveal 2024 #atozchallenge" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCCyRxgpSQnVJaLOokIXDPjr8RwuSkXl8JB8j74ECAzZzWRy61oyEzHU4HijXCspw_5fd8auT2vox_8SAJyixoIwX_R86-vS-0OJkjrNvq3fNEqheXjilGvCM9nVKs4lwxxxM4fYSJGTahwVNucXC_W5pspHrRSDmyqoALu4OPrPvVZaAsPI1EDIB6aD/s320/theme%20reveal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="#AtoZChallenge 2024" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gX7o5nTgGXb2mk-4LhtTh4n21Mzt4EamkSoz9YXsUjwIGAxClxlzXzPjqxSKVBX9qj5Pd61sm3kZlvB8CcRFLKGAvikvQLfPSujsBj9UcmKlj9Nkp8XeKgQjyOyEdeVRVv9rSKErmBod951cUJVW6z3YTCdpx4eg4fVSEPU0eA4eigkRbyIl9xbRT2Ja/s320/avatar.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-9507547395356340332024-03-08T11:09:00.001-06:002024-03-08T11:09:15.630-06:00#FollowFriday AND Kickstart Your Weekend<p> A special double feature today because I have a bunch I want to share. Lets get to it.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/Oneiropolis/posts" target="_blank">#FollowFriday Oneiropolis</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.patreon.com/Oneiropolis/posts" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Oneiropolis" border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zbWCTBBGJD1uunJSkHM3IkTP-QKiPspu6qaBOpDWxwUHWixtY3Zwim6OGlw0rc9r6OehhBKVeQs5yMIZcxkQEBt1gPKxantczjzIDmf60_ZCUULDaP5keXxa8aSIVVBSrgf8_lUVpuaLvN4UCyXWKXvTm-qfBzaS49C-oXt0AT8mMzq8H0WJEz5jkBk/w640-h264/Oneiropolis.jpg" title="Oneiropolis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I mentioned <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/03/reviews-cities-of-forgotten-realms.html" target="_blank">this one yesterday</a>, but I wanted to make it special today. Oneiropolis is the new Patreon from game designer Joseph D. Carriker. I worked with Joseph on <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/401442/Six-of-Cups?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Six of Cups</a> for Green Ronin Publishing's Blue Rose. He was in charge of a product featuring various cities in Blue Rose's World of Aldea. I got the wonderful chance to put my little mark on Garnet. </p><p>So yeah, Joseph knows his cities. He is now on Patreon and detailing cities in FRPGS. He posts about every two days so far, and he certainly doesn't lack inspirational material. I am coming back to this one for any and all Waterdeep lore.</p><p>I have always wanted to do a pure urban campaign. This is giving me more material to work with and use to make that real.</p><p>So, absolutely check it out. While you are at it check out his <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Joseph%20Carriker" target="_blank">DMsGuild offerings</a>.</p><p>Friday is settled, let's talk weekends and Kickstarters. I have one on both ends of their funding calendars.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legitamine/metanthropes-introductory-zine?ref=86o0n7" target="_blank">Metanthropes: Introductory Zine</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legitamine/metanthropes-introductory-zine?ref=86o0n7" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Metanthropes" border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="680" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8ul0b34rpVmQr7UFVtGn5coSD3_ERlJxznzijTLw4oY_cxPFmbkJolzBQMxu4otPlY4Ez4QLV3dW1kkaXblEkM8khEnHkaD2n6UKgj0-Txr8OK7jGy2yBIw-krzl14RlHEJWl1_JdKA-iuZzvXieUTdpdiPHGTrah74Sw0hetMUZWHC0SOMKJYPxcO0/w640-h360/metanthropes.png" title="Metanthropes" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legitamine/metanthropes-introductory-zine?ref=86o0n7" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legitamine/metanthropes-introductory-zine?ref=86o0n7</a></p><p>This is a zine-sized TTRPG where the characters are Metanthropes or "Beyond Human." The author is building Foundry support and the mock-ups of the books look great. It has a super-hero vibe, but also something more akin to Exalted. The rules are easier though.</p><p>The PDF is only 10€ and the physical book is 20€. So, not a bad price, really.</p><p>It looks interesting and I think I'll give it a try.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="832" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPY3ISMLGV6oh5SIjdOPlBluua0HXTJdHMh_fjhOBqw0SgRnkLeJxET-TBRdgvxzMD-JisQwZuRs9xxtOJlrYb9-H0hleL56_BGZKpW4ODYtCnkqN_rYBQJSIZagYcxZdH94TC0L3tLhxX-ZM5NtyW0rR8nOxVIi1APbsbNSyn_akqXrVMhclgggLqR7A/w640-h416/Dark%20Wizard%201.jpg" title="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="838" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF66xbQz6jGD14yBY0SU-akgrFPjHtMwAx8_8DXB4Ys8dvp_5yhFhpwIPjkrLlraA0zW0-vMEjNhrqvl3G8mmXuFxymnSXIp52TGlqZvSKrXJxn8bHiy4Dz34zaU_j8KrG_aj75LNBf_eNRUjqzcWzncHXIRSu0FKYIUzYCjfHvxrVN5CNvKBlX-IMFNk/w640-h412/Dark%20Wizard%205.jpg" title="Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/legend-of-seven-golden-demons-and-slime-pits-of-sewer-witch?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Does this guy or his adventures even need an introduction here anymore? Mark is back with FOUR adventures. Ok, two...one and a mini adventure, but both for 1st Edition and 5th Edition. Which is perfect for me. One Kickstarter, an adventure for me (1st Ed) and one for my kids (5e).</p><p>Now he FINALLY is giving me a witch adventure AND it takes place in the sewers, so it ties into this week's mini-theme of urban adventures.</p><p>Mark's adventures are crazy, fun and rock solid. The only thing that runs better are his Kickstarters for them. He is a model of how to do Kickstarter right. Grab these.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-22480179667274958702024-03-07T14:45:00.004-06:002024-03-07T14:50:45.757-06:00Reviews: Cities of the Forgotten Realms<p> I am going a little out of order today with my Forgotten Realms reviews. I still have one (or two) 1st Edition products to review, but I wanted to cluster these three together—all three, not my originally planned two—since I am opting to add in a PDF when my original plan was only to review items on my shelf. So, I am breaking all my rules in one post. It does tie into the mini-city adventure I did with them this weekend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeg5MwJxUbxXBtOWrAnHu04a6arZ0dyfudc9Amn7ok_oY7bnzi1qUT6ehmGYnGBxixWkOhU6GEOY0wxZf09X6PYPl-0lAI2yuZF2zUI2i_cbX0Ee4BMUV0FjsqNxgbVJv42tC1ZGm3VXUlCTSk-v1opAI0MceTPmkj4E7W1p8TYsBoIG9Xmm71gfSJoM/s4080/PXL_20240307_191352025.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forgotten Realms City books" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeg5MwJxUbxXBtOWrAnHu04a6arZ0dyfudc9Amn7ok_oY7bnzi1qUT6ehmGYnGBxixWkOhU6GEOY0wxZf09X6PYPl-0lAI2yuZF2zUI2i_cbX0Ee4BMUV0FjsqNxgbVJv42tC1ZGm3VXUlCTSk-v1opAI0MceTPmkj4E7W1p8TYsBoIG9Xmm71gfSJoM/w640-h482/PXL_20240307_191352025.MP.jpg" title="Forgotten Realms City books" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Given some recent movie announcements, I could not help but popping in my well-worn soundtrack to "The Crow." Every city in the 90s was dark and rainy. </p><p>I also want to state that NONE of these products were what I once thought they were and I often mixed them up.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16802/fr1-waterdeep-and-the-north-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank"></a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiAES-DEk-fpQ4-FwGfqn406mQFPRvpQ4RwadYrCBKbUcFAOpksOaANVC-8oeTWHQoupJjkFYBFw-6Mteiz2FHz8OOTW54jgRMyTNkdOl75yd_M-t4UF0g2vepJiJ0FpX_evXyTjnz4kNkUAsr8pK4zpNyR54ylv9SYkqz4zK-LOhB9E5k6xHzGwFe4E/s756/waterdeep%20and%20the%20north.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="FR1 Waterdeep and the North" border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="562" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiAES-DEk-fpQ4-FwGfqn406mQFPRvpQ4RwadYrCBKbUcFAOpksOaANVC-8oeTWHQoupJjkFYBFw-6Mteiz2FHz8OOTW54jgRMyTNkdOl75yd_M-t4UF0g2vepJiJ0FpX_evXyTjnz4kNkUAsr8pK4zpNyR54ylv9SYkqz4zK-LOhB9E5k6xHzGwFe4E/w298-h400/waterdeep%20and%20the%20north.jpg" title="FR1 Waterdeep and the North" width="298" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16802/fr1-waterdeep-and-the-north-1e?affiliate_id=10748">FR1 Waterdeep and the North</a></span></b><p></p><p>Design and Development: Ed Greenwood, Product Coordination: Jeff Grubb, Editing: Karen S. Martin, Cover Art: Keith Parkinson, Interior Art: Chris Miller. Maps: Frey Graphics and David Sutherland, Heraldic Escutcheons: David E. Martin, Typography: Kim Janke, Keylining: Stephanie Tabat.</p><p>1987. PDF, Full-color covers, and maps. 78 pages.</p><p>I am basing this review on the PDF from DriveThruRPG only. If I can find a good copy (game store auction tomorrow night!) then I will grab it. And this is one where the boxed set would be nice to have.</p><p>This is the first proper Forgotten Realm reference, with <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/01/review-fr2-moonshae.html" target="_blank">the Moonshaes the second</a>. </p><p>You might have noticed that I listed everyone involved with this product above. The Realms, in this iteration, has become a joint effort. Yes, Ed Greenwood is the father to this brain child of the Realms. He has suitably impressed me here and in the pages of Dragon Magazine. Ed's position here is solid and secure. But if "it takes a village," it takes much more for a city like Waterdeep. Even *I* know about Waterdeep, I still call myself a novice here.</p><p>This book introduces us to Waterdeep, the "City of Splendors", and the surrounding countryside of "The North."</p><p>It is a good introduction really, starting with <b>Chapter 1: An Introduction to the North</b>. The surrounding lands are detailed. While I knew of some of these, this put them into better relationship with each other. For me? I like having a map open to see where I am while reading. There are no maps of this area in this product. Not a huge deal, really, since they are with the Forgotten Realms boxed set. But a small one might have been nice, at least of the area in question. Thankfully there are also plenty of good maps for this area online.</p><p><b>Chapter 2: An Introduction to the City of Waterdeep, </b>takes us to the City of Splendors. We get some history, some names of important people, and (most importantly to me right now) the city's legal code. </p><p><b>Chapter 3: The City Wards </b>divides the city up into various wards. As a Chicagoan, this makes a lot of sense, and I am sure to anyone that has ever lived in a good-sized city, it will as well. I will point that while this is all about Waterdeep there is an assumption here that you can use this information to also build your own cities. Each ward has a name (Castle Ward, Sea Ward...) and various locales are mentioned. Some are just a name and what they are ("The Blue Jack," Tavern) so it leaves a lot of room to expand on what you can do with own Waterdeep. There are over 280 named locations, not counting the sewers, here. There is a lot of life here and almost none of it is detailed. YES, I mean this as a GOOD thing. I don't want the names and detailed back stories of every magistrate down to beggar orphan here. I want room to discover and grow. Give me enough and then back off. </p><p><b>Chapter 4: Life in the City.</b> (Yes...Despite listening to the Crow Soundtrack, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UXnulANF8g" target="_blank">this is the song going through my head</a> as I type this. Any resemblance between my Sinéad and <a href="https://www.katestjohn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kate St John</a> of Dream Academy is purely coincidental, I am sure.) Everything that makes a city work. Religion, money, goods and services. This is the life blood of any city and Waterdeep is livelier than most. There are notes about spending the winter in Waterdeep as well. The Forgotten Realms always says the quiet part out loud, and this is a world full of adventurers. To paraphrase the old saying, "All roads lead to Waterdeep." And while you are there, behave yourself. There is even a section on the going out at night, manners and dress. Now I want all my characters to go out an buy some nice part clothes for an after-hours party.</p><p><b>Chapter 5: The Guild and Factions of the City</b> covers exactly that. Ever since Fritz Leiber (and of course WAY before) and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, FRPG Cities have had thousands of thieves' guilds, merchant's guilds, secret guilds, and, in a Forgotten Realms trademark, Adventuring Guilds. The guilds of Waterdeep are listed in three columns and then detailed in the next 7-8 pages. Again, there is the tacit notion here that you can lift these and use them in your own Forgotten Realms city. This becomes more implicit in future products.</p><p><b>Chapter 6: Noble Families of Waterdeep</b> gives us some names and crests, the most "Greyhawk" like chapter so far. </p><p><b>Chapter 7: Selected Non-Player Characters of Waterdeep</b> covers some notable NPCs in greater detail. It would not be a Forgotten Realms product without some notable NPCs.</p><p>Next are adventure hook chapters.</p><p><b>Chapter 8: Beginning a Campaign in Waterdeep </b>covers exactly that. And there are some great ideas here too for such a short chapter. Though to be honest if you get to this chapter and don't already have ideas then this one won't help you.</p><p><b>Chapter 9: Adventures in Waterdeep</b> is the one chapter I wanted to read the most. Chapters 1-7 are great and full of ideas, but I want to discover this city as an adventurer, not as a scholar. Back when I lived in Southern Illinois, right before I moved to Chicago, I had a map of the city on my wall. I would go over that map for hours on end just fascinated by it. When I moved to the near West Side (just a notch north of Little Italy and west of the Loop) I was surprised for how little that prepared me for all of it. The City is a living place. Chicago is. New York is. And so should Waterdeep.</p><p>There are seven "mini" adventures here. I ended up using none of them!</p><p>After this (what would have been the inside covers), there are maps of the major wards and a large piecemeal map of the city for the next 10 pages. Yes, I could print them out, but I am holding out for now.</p><p>This is not the final nor most authoritative word on Waterdeep by any stretch. It is a start though and a good one. </p><p>The next two products should have probably swapped names. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiactwJfBPd458wPUJaVyKng3Qj0zMhiwhf2QgcRtzvTOdL4qIeagTW40iZejn-YVaxT3bjiZAzIuqje1Qac505b1JFPG_dYkmPQvZ-lNBjB5wGHbE-oF6haFEQ_-kdE3UKTOE0lBjeDqMzaTTAnpjMHdUt-UWA7o-t3IXeW-a7q4o5x05ybIo9LVxMRAk/s915/City%20System.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiactwJfBPd458wPUJaVyKng3Qj0zMhiwhf2QgcRtzvTOdL4qIeagTW40iZejn-YVaxT3bjiZAzIuqje1Qac505b1JFPG_dYkmPQvZ-lNBjB5wGHbE-oF6haFEQ_-kdE3UKTOE0lBjeDqMzaTTAnpjMHdUt-UWA7o-t3IXeW-a7q4o5x05ybIo9LVxMRAk/s320/City%20System.jpg" width="262" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16783/city-system-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">City System</a></span></b><p></p><p>by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb, Editing: Karen Boomgarden, Typography: Betty Elmore, Cover Art: Larry Elmore, Keylining: Stephanie Tabat, Cartography: Dennis Kauth and Frey Graphics.</p><p>1988. PDF and Print on Demand. Full color covers and maps. </p><p>Again this one takes a lot of work from a lot of people. This book follows quickly on the heels of FR1 Waterdeep and the North. It was a boxed set, but for this review I am considering my PDF and Print on Demand versions from DriveThruRPG.</p><p>There is some repeated information in this set from the Waterdeep set. For example the entire legal code on Page 7 of this product is the same to the one in FR1 Waterdeep and the North starting on page 18. I am not 100% sure if I mind this though. I mean in truth back in 1988 this might have bothered me, but now? Well, I have the PDFs I could print them out and put them into a big binder called "Waterdeep" and organize how I see fit. I might do that in fact.</p><p>This book is more like a tourist directory to Waterdeep. The laws are discussed, the buildings are numbered and given a name. The BIG attraction to this set are the maps (which are printed here and given as a separate ZIP file.) Well, the Larry Elmore cover is striking as all hell to be honest. </p><p>If you like random tables then this is your book. Lots of tables on encounters, goods, items gained from pick-pocketing, and more. </p><p>Ignoring the use of this as an independent product it makes for a great addition to FR1 Waterdeep and the North. The two together would be a perfect product really. Looking ahead to my other Forgotten Realms books I see I don't actually have a giant map of Waterdeep. Should I rectify this? The maps in this product are gorgeous, and it would be worth my time, effort, and money to get them combined and professionally printed. Or burn through my printer ink to do it on my own and mount them to some cardboard with Scotch tape. Depends on how much I end up playing here. If I don't, it certainly will not be for lack of options!</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16815/fr8-cities-of-mystery-2e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank"></a></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1K39N7oH8SX0Nw9Jx_T5qLqHbXEH_wQ6aDlvBkUhpdha3uhD47zE_jeAnALJ0r-tp5uE6MXIMjI0RsDY6IgjbFxvJgTSvJYxM7Su5lf0ayJ850egiYFiCY2ZO_EqjCJnDyxvMjtx_XTSw3ixJYcxo90K5L9ICFI6nqvJd4Xeg69SuChsbwSg-spROmY/s3500/1709840114030-43b0a49d-d461-409c-9e40-0ea777e3806c.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2763" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1K39N7oH8SX0Nw9Jx_T5qLqHbXEH_wQ6aDlvBkUhpdha3uhD47zE_jeAnALJ0r-tp5uE6MXIMjI0RsDY6IgjbFxvJgTSvJYxM7Su5lf0ayJ850egiYFiCY2ZO_EqjCJnDyxvMjtx_XTSw3ixJYcxo90K5L9ICFI6nqvJd4Xeg69SuChsbwSg-spROmY/s320/1709840114030-43b0a49d-d461-409c-9e40-0ea777e3806c.jpg" width="253" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16815/fr8-cities-of-mystery-2e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">FR8 Cities of Mystery</a></b></span><p></p><p>by Jean Rabe. Art Larry Elmore (cover), Dennis Kauth (buildings), Christopher T. Miller (interior art). Editing Kim Mohan. Product Manager Bruce Heard. </p><p>1989. Boxed Set and PDF. 64 page book, 2 large 25mm compatible maps, 4 6-page card stock buildings.</p><p>This is a fascinating product, and there is a lot going on here. I am reviewing my boxed set for this. There is a PDF and a softcover Print on Demand from DriveThruRPG as well. </p><p>What do I love about it? Well, for starters, that Larry Elmore cover is one of my favorite covers of all time. Really. I love how if looks and while the old adage is true, this cover made want to buy this product. When my old DM and I talked about our "Urban Survival Guide," this was the cover we thought about. </p><p>Also it came out in the liminal time between 1st Ed and 2nd Ed with a note on the cover that is was compatible with both. That is not entirely true. It is broad enough to be compatible with ANY fantasy RPG that has a city. There are almost no game stats here save for the adventures at the end. </p><p>In truth this product should have been called "City System" since that is what it is. This not about Waterdeep except in the most broad of terms. </p><p>The first part is a 64-page book that covers all sorts of details on building your city. This includes details like where it is (and how that changes the city), how big is it, taxes, defences, the government. Everything that was laid out for you in the Waterdeep and the North and City System sets are now up to you to figure out. </p><p>There is also a section how make Characters work in a city based adventure. Honestly that would have been the gold right there. </p><p>The rules are put to use in Sauter, City by the Sea, and there are five mini-adventures to help the DM and Players along. Honestly I want to run the Maltese Roc based on the name alone.</p><p>If that were all then yes, this would be a fine product. Not great, but added to the Waterdeep and the North and City System books it would make a great trilogy of playing in the city (sounds like a Stevie Wonder album). But that is not all there is. </p><p>There are two large double-sided maps for 25mm scale minis and four packages of 6-page cardstock building to build.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ7bHyiTCpti_aDLNsLsyv5DZ6IbARqToA_z7BgiqWgPL4B1L-awqZdEvlXkZ_QLoHl9wBJ98AgSqPx8pBXehmY6nao_Y8VhohyphenhyphentdCudtYKP1pPVD_1FrlV8q3EW2WG-cFhApZKzAIYjr4hfYjICocHQbYT7SIDpTD04VWBzpFnKuEUbeIeJ05PFI0As/s4080/PXL_20240307_195238276.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cities of Mystery set" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ7bHyiTCpti_aDLNsLsyv5DZ6IbARqToA_z7BgiqWgPL4B1L-awqZdEvlXkZ_QLoHl9wBJ98AgSqPx8pBXehmY6nao_Y8VhohyphenhyphentdCudtYKP1pPVD_1FrlV8q3EW2WG-cFhApZKzAIYjr4hfYjICocHQbYT7SIDpTD04VWBzpFnKuEUbeIeJ05PFI0As/w640-h482/PXL_20240307_195238276.jpg" title="Cities of Mystery set" width="640" /></a></div><p>Since it is a boxed set, I am also keeping duplicates of old Dragon magazine articles about cities in it. </p><p>This is from 1989. D&D would not get this mini-focused for another 11 years. And it all still works with any edition you care to play with it. I read that this was going to be the first of some similar products to expand the cities even further. But honestly I am not surprised that there were not more. This looks like an expensive thing to make. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd9KofU6nIaZ5X62tfDvk8uxvARWSJvB6TBDVCh0QRFADnMd7CWBqwD23pC2UzTTrzeOEXH7OYE6XH-R_Yb7JAY58jftzzh__PtpizWf6tUAnA86S8wdI_z6V4G3AhJ0fToh7D_9O7tJ7ZKSBTQ7hb-ejvJUAZkk-9yNtatrV3im6MUI6km0IJOoVUA8/s4080/PXL_20240307_195754229.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sinéad encountering two desperate thieves" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd9KofU6nIaZ5X62tfDvk8uxvARWSJvB6TBDVCh0QRFADnMd7CWBqwD23pC2UzTTrzeOEXH7OYE6XH-R_Yb7JAY58jftzzh__PtpizWf6tUAnA86S8wdI_z6V4G3AhJ0fToh7D_9O7tJ7ZKSBTQ7hb-ejvJUAZkk-9yNtatrV3im6MUI6km0IJOoVUA8/w640-h482/PXL_20240307_195754229.MP.jpg" title="Sinéad encountering two desperate thieves" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/Sin%C3%A9ad" target="_blank">Sinéad</a> encounters <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/03/mail-call-tuesday-mini-duchess-candella.html" target="_blank">two desperate thieves</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />For the PDFs you would need to print out the maps and buildings to build them. I would glue them to some cardstock or print them on cardstock if your printer can do that. The advantage of the PDF and this system? As long as you can print, you can have as many of these buildings as you need.<br /><p><b>Looking at All Three City Sets</b></p><p>FR1 Waterdeep and the North, City System, and FR8 Cities of Mystery are all great for that late 80s feel of the Forgotten Realms AD&D.</p><p>While each product is good individually and does what it sets out to do, one of the others points out its minimal shortcomings. Combined, they work fantastically together. So well, it makes me wonder whether I even need to leave the city! </p><div>Regardless of what city in the Realms becomes my home base (I am still partial to Baldur's Gate, but Waterdeep might win me over) I have the tools and the means to expand on it all.</div><div><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ill Met in Waterdeep</span></b></p><p>So, for my first foray into Waterdeep, the characters were all arrested. No "we met in a bar." It is "we met in jail." Sinéad, Arnell, and Rhiannon meet up with Nida (I wanted her introduction to be memorable), Jaromir, and Argyle. Who are these characters? Well, <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/Nida" target="_blank">Nida</a>, I have talked about already. Argylle is my experiment on having a character from another world end up in the Forgotten Realms. In this case a Dwarf from Rockhome, aka Mystara and the D&D B/X set. In his world his class and race is Dwarf. Here he is now a Dwarf Fighter, but I started him off as a BX Dwarf. My oldest loved that since he is playing an alternate game with his groups using D&D Basic. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIR8NxUG8GrFmo81ozVztuAYkzUEoC5w6mspoIsqrt3GeFFMovEhq-HWsnx4WI42GFtnLgLra_ucxhJdMIkeoOz-FNQHY9KIv0awZjQAwgQXdNCabX7CFKPsunVoFoR14PIJiELK3qr_qNsfHrs8GlnmsoXs_ZTLY44lN1AEo65-GMkFnxPEu84dHBrA/s4080/PXL_20240307_201245662.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ill met in Waterdeep" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIR8NxUG8GrFmo81ozVztuAYkzUEoC5w6mspoIsqrt3GeFFMovEhq-HWsnx4WI42GFtnLgLra_ucxhJdMIkeoOz-FNQHY9KIv0awZjQAwgQXdNCabX7CFKPsunVoFoR14PIJiELK3qr_qNsfHrs8GlnmsoXs_ZTLY44lN1AEo65-GMkFnxPEu84dHBrA/w640-h482/PXL_20240307_201245662.jpg" title="Ill met in Waterdeep" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Jaromir is my first real barbarian character ever. I will full admit I am playing him like I played Minsc in Baldur's Gate 3. In the video game Minsc is a Ranger, but I always gave him levels in Barbarian. Jaromir is my Minsc stand-in. Big, dumb, blonde, but a heart of fucking gold. He is so very different than anything I have ever played before. Well...he is Rashemi (like Minsc) and he is on his <a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Rashemen#Culture" target="_blank">Dajemma</a>. But he set out without a witch (I have no idea why yet; I only recently learned about Dajemma), so he has decided that Rhiannon MUST be his witch. Which gets him fighting with Arnell, who turns into a wolf. Nida is there picking pockets in the ensuing chaos (gotta use those tables!) and the lot of them get thrown into jail.</p><p>Since I am moving ahead in time with my reviews I also opted to use the revised AD&D 1st Ed sheets here. Except for Argyll's he has a Basic Sheet.</p><p>I wanted to get a bit further than that, but this is where I am now. I know that the characters are bailed out by a minor magistrate named Eldrith Dunslaughter, a rather pompous and unpleasant human with designs of his own. I also know the characters need to work together to find a minor stolen item called the "Stargazer's Compass," which he claims was stolen from his own collection. I have my doubts it was his. (note: no idea if this is related to the MTG item of the same name. No one here plays.)</p><p>Find the compass, and their debt to society is paid. Fail? Well, there is always community service. </p><p>Hope to learn more soon!</p><p>If you like cities and the Waterdeep in particular I highly recommend checking out <a href="https://www.patreon.com/Oneiropolis/posts" target="_blank"><b>Oneiropolis</b></a>, the new Patreon site from game designer Joseph D. Carriker. He was the one who helped <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/384543/adventures-in-aldea-witching-weather?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">me bring Garnet to life in Blue Rose</a>, and now he is taking his skills to a wider audience. Well worth checking out.</p></div>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-11111035592046607362024-03-05T09:45:00.002-06:002024-03-05T09:45:54.038-06:00Mail Call Tuesday: Mini Duchess & Candella, Spanish WitchCraft<p> Got some things to support two of my new on-going obsessions. </p><p>Up first, some new <a href="https://www.heroforge.com/" target="_blank">HeroForge</a> "standee" minis of <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/Duchess%20%26%20Candella" target="_blank">Duchess & Candella</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuG2F_FwHD4923fu6XoeC4eqjsDUt42TKxVeRMiEbIl9jU5aTyya9tGzkcyyPn-PGOToY_x5pa4nH31Ft98bMgPA-znvhUBcgeItcEtKRW17uBaZOHf_UljcWW9uayXeK7np5hxYBUCT6fggCQ24gs1N8MqEZpC4yrGCy31TPchNsOqc4keFE9K2XX14/s4080/PXL_20240304_170138249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuG2F_FwHD4923fu6XoeC4eqjsDUt42TKxVeRMiEbIl9jU5aTyya9tGzkcyyPn-PGOToY_x5pa4nH31Ft98bMgPA-znvhUBcgeItcEtKRW17uBaZOHf_UljcWW9uayXeK7np5hxYBUCT6fggCQ24gs1N8MqEZpC4yrGCy31TPchNsOqc4keFE9K2XX14/w640-h482/PXL_20240304_170138249.jpg" title="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KMX8b1nAyK9GjzVUSDtFX-L5ZX5mM655KfZHmSrGp49eaGUsE1w-QrZGM6YXwwH9Ul_gkVtccZufdI6OS9oNcdd_c8qJRBhcGLG4GEDqdZQgdgw9JUt4ofWkDodcIt_-iNZqAtd0WQQ3yjKwB99DRI4Z3fqHPNadV2KUq20Nm1itoVcMBdYQY9kcTTM/s4080/PXL_20240304_170200225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KMX8b1nAyK9GjzVUSDtFX-L5ZX5mM655KfZHmSrGp49eaGUsE1w-QrZGM6YXwwH9Ul_gkVtccZufdI6OS9oNcdd_c8qJRBhcGLG4GEDqdZQgdgw9JUt4ofWkDodcIt_-iNZqAtd0WQQ3yjKwB99DRI4Z3fqHPNadV2KUq20Nm1itoVcMBdYQY9kcTTM/w640-h482/PXL_20240304_170200225.jpg" title="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajLsqNSuZyQxoIgI0fx2krk5VigvZJIHuzojgVqHZjkCHKdMfrRVghvwD26moyYaf4ljl4jtGIjyoqTnSSj2ZZ3Q1gTeyVASF3WGIV1x5DYSSCbJPMAmlZY86q2txTkPiUA1W_2laVQs2SYAOGKNqEfR2M4dtE13yNPpF1snx9c2_m7qze5A8LNOYePA/s4080/PXL_20240304_170155097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajLsqNSuZyQxoIgI0fx2krk5VigvZJIHuzojgVqHZjkCHKdMfrRVghvwD26moyYaf4ljl4jtGIjyoqTnSSj2ZZ3Q1gTeyVASF3WGIV1x5DYSSCbJPMAmlZY86q2txTkPiUA1W_2laVQs2SYAOGKNqEfR2M4dtE13yNPpF1snx9c2_m7qze5A8LNOYePA/w640-h482/PXL_20240304_170155097.jpg" title="Candella & Duchess Standee minis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>They are flat, made of plastic about 3 mm thick. Their colors and design perfectly match those I used on HeroForge. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CDfR_m0Za4MqyT_1K-AWoOzqsn6XkiGXZNJR5YsexLtEamDI-cLASUcqmVd-q-Ft1tcFJmHX7z1Mzmdv1unDqudUAZn8mXrXLkfpd4vaOq7PpFpfI2dRxzYsZjDiJaTVG-xlTkZIftBaYNyXYCU3GsQUSSZ3lCGG0jd6OnuNSFtF3WTw9djEpn09AdM/s2048/Candella%20and%20Duchess-portrait.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella and Duchess" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CDfR_m0Za4MqyT_1K-AWoOzqsn6XkiGXZNJR5YsexLtEamDI-cLASUcqmVd-q-Ft1tcFJmHX7z1Mzmdv1unDqudUAZn8mXrXLkfpd4vaOq7PpFpfI2dRxzYsZjDiJaTVG-xlTkZIftBaYNyXYCU3GsQUSSZ3lCGG0jd6OnuNSFtF3WTw9djEpn09AdM/w640-h640/Candella%20and%20Duchess-portrait.png" title="Candella and Duchess" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<p>They got here rather quick to be honest. Much faster than the 3D-printed color minis. And cheaper too.</p><p>I always wanted to try these, and since I needed these minis in a hurry I opted to go this route for these two. I am happy with them, but I do prefer the 3D color minis. But they do come with nice little bags to store the mini or dice in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRZjAoGqKMB-LwGGWvPF3IYRN5K4a8xaVKCUZV-LEnYRgbq7DJU9cMZ4wXO6n31T-Rw27A6b-82woa9BylJrFzPDE679aGmkCHeQQBFYu7FfGn51O_HJIId1wpCf5ZFYbnNL5IYkw5VDckY62q6c2ojKUgH3PBMOsnkFadDUHrlBFpILy0VQFh21KY6o/s4080/PXL_20240305_151037202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hero Forge minis and standees" border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="4080" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRZjAoGqKMB-LwGGWvPF3IYRN5K4a8xaVKCUZV-LEnYRgbq7DJU9cMZ4wXO6n31T-Rw27A6b-82woa9BylJrFzPDE679aGmkCHeQQBFYu7FfGn51O_HJIId1wpCf5ZFYbnNL5IYkw5VDckY62q6c2ojKUgH3PBMOsnkFadDUHrlBFpILy0VQFh21KY6o/w640-h318/PXL_20240305_151037202.jpg" title="Hero Forge minis and standees" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Next up a "new to me" version of one of my all-time favorite games. The Spanish Language version of CJ Carella's WitchCraft RPG.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg6NhPz0jdIShbVAXHv2irHXrC9kkXhhg9n_19n77Eag-qEhDPQ-Hh4scCCYKNbA148oPvRWmD27MRNrfGjgn4081rCPZLrq4vToTdD2qhOcUMlCiIDr86_0sAftFU2yXPPNfaXmLqzT5DhjRCcZ2TEwvfRkr-VLfkns22uhUPCrUCyEwQtCQ8k1J5UE/s4080/PXL_20240304_205437771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="WitchCraft RPG" border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="4080" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg6NhPz0jdIShbVAXHv2irHXrC9kkXhhg9n_19n77Eag-qEhDPQ-Hh4scCCYKNbA148oPvRWmD27MRNrfGjgn4081rCPZLrq4vToTdD2qhOcUMlCiIDr86_0sAftFU2yXPPNfaXmLqzT5DhjRCcZ2TEwvfRkr-VLfkns22uhUPCrUCyEwQtCQ8k1J5UE/w640-h406/PXL_20240304_205437771.jpg" title="WitchCraft RPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The Spanish Language version from Edge most resembles the Eden Studios 2nd Edition. The text is the same and the art is the same.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygUIFgIhtXz4Zsf2JRSDC83dzh4o2GQ-xXB18PuV4dZx2USXDHAFAxh0a7EYXnIL-907DWp05Jqnbn_dQLr4DGRDIbIs2XSJOt8zDZzbo6hWNeIpyFbGOdoCLMvPw9xn1aF0NrfjBYs7ddNYeJcYadagXMK5J8rGIJXhSL6Tpw2RpqR6XSSD4nPboDfg/s4080/PXL_20240304_205655248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wicce in Spanish" border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="4080" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygUIFgIhtXz4Zsf2JRSDC83dzh4o2GQ-xXB18PuV4dZx2USXDHAFAxh0a7EYXnIL-907DWp05Jqnbn_dQLr4DGRDIbIs2XSJOt8zDZzbo6hWNeIpyFbGOdoCLMvPw9xn1aF0NrfjBYs7ddNYeJcYadagXMK5J8rGIJXhSL6Tpw2RpqR6XSSD4nPboDfg/w640-h270/PXL_20240304_205655248.jpg" title="Wicce in Spanish" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The difference of course is this new Edge version is in Spanish.</p><p>I am happy to have this as this was one of the other "Holy Grail" items for my Spanish collection of RPGs. It was also the last CJ Carella WitchCraft book I am likely able to buy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYY10iS_ija5l4IMuEPZklpAvqQ5Bkqpq73jyp1kpdxLtcoTOpY7QSFH-NgLMMg4cgeIUKWGfnHORoBtmG3cSwMYKmvpw-KDPp7mbJxfIkul2wlQDm8PsgMQ34He5kU8r5cm2zQfyTF-5QpTmw51_J5ePAnah5JO90_4C8g0Bw5zvZnekCEiuIBJVY2A/s3054/PXL_20240304_205425695.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CJ Carella's WitchCraft RPG" border="0" data-original-height="3054" data-original-width="2657" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYY10iS_ija5l4IMuEPZklpAvqQ5Bkqpq73jyp1kpdxLtcoTOpY7QSFH-NgLMMg4cgeIUKWGfnHORoBtmG3cSwMYKmvpw-KDPp7mbJxfIkul2wlQDm8PsgMQ34He5kU8r5cm2zQfyTF-5QpTmw51_J5ePAnah5JO90_4C8g0Bw5zvZnekCEiuIBJVY2A/w556-h640/PXL_20240304_205425695.MP.jpg" title="CJ Carella's WitchCraft RPG" width="556" /></a></div><br /><p>I am pleased that I was able to read a lot of it. Granted, my Spanish is still very limited, but I know this book very, very well. </p><p>My collection of Spanish Language RPGs is not huge, but it covers my favorite games and about 85-90% of the games I like to play.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnANERQoWeWzWrM3ODNPnxnwjtsgbzljRfIuSsMRRxFjYRATgmX_GUz6BEmroy8J8VXQC51qbVPkJI0__BwikqsYSUMWGEd-7Ip1U4_MlKEk-J5BEdQW5TToeNKF3yGtyeo2hhXmyUAyZ1BNTYjYo_UIfm-jJieWZYCqDyS9y-wGNZjVE1WFjdjYvqoc/s4080/PXL_20240305_152720351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spanish Language RPGs" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnANERQoWeWzWrM3ODNPnxnwjtsgbzljRfIuSsMRRxFjYRATgmX_GUz6BEmroy8J8VXQC51qbVPkJI0__BwikqsYSUMWGEd-7Ip1U4_MlKEk-J5BEdQW5TToeNKF3yGtyeo2hhXmyUAyZ1BNTYjYo_UIfm-jJieWZYCqDyS9y-wGNZjVE1WFjdjYvqoc/w640-h482/PXL_20240305_152720351.jpg" title="Spanish Language RPGs" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Not a lot, but enough to keep me busy for a while.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-15387624880766159242024-03-04T09:58:00.001-06:002024-03-06T08:22:10.835-06:00Monstrous Mondays: Giants Apes and Progress on Basic Bestiary 1<p> Editing continues to Basic Bestiary 1. Right now, I am working under the assumption that is will be one very large book for Vol. 1, currently subtitled: "Monstrous Maleficarum."</p><p>How big?</p><p>Well. Right now, it is at 340 pages and 138,000 words. That is not counting art or introductory text. Or problems like what I have today.</p><p>As I am editing and sending stuff out of peer review and editing, I am also seeing more gaps. Not gaps in content per se, but gaps in things I wanted but forgot to add. This next monster is a pretty obvious one to me. </p><p>One of the biggest reasons I wanted to do my own monster book was largely due to a love affair with monsters since I was a child. My mom always had great horror stories to tell us while growing up, and more than a few monsters in BB1 were her ideas. But my dad and I watched all sorts of horror movies together. In particular, we loved what I called "Monster Movies," which featured a monster or creature. Among these were of course a lot of "Dracula movies," Godzilla, and one of the first movies I can ever remember watching with my dad. The 1933 King Kong. I have seen every Kong movie since then and the always remind me of sitting down when I was little and watching them with my dad.</p><p>The fact that my first pass of the Basic Bestiary didn't have a Giant Ape in it is criminal. </p><p>Now in my defense I was sure that Giant Ape had already been done in the classic monster books. But it turns out it wasn't. Well, today, I will change that. </p><p>This is also the format I plan to use for the Basic Bestiaries. Some "Advanced" information here is helpful and Descending and Ascending AC. I added a "To Hit AC 0" line and a line for Languages. Also, each monster will get ability scores. AC, hp, and damage adjustments have all already been added.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-USPyrjN_sk6ZzXShGfiTBrdyoU3wN7kqKGCW_np-zBdkjWln_Yg6orQZ56mGnNHHgsOWi4H8OX2zEtYuZogW8wDqcCWD9FqBW7ggd-mU8HV_RgzoRuc57c7wVltJsXDcz5bv2fvM0hfxq1Fwt1UdEc8AOj4gYGn6KrahCyDP4C2n8aSrHQBBbrh46EY/s800/ape.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Ape" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="687" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-USPyrjN_sk6ZzXShGfiTBrdyoU3wN7kqKGCW_np-zBdkjWln_Yg6orQZ56mGnNHHgsOWi4H8OX2zEtYuZogW8wDqcCWD9FqBW7ggd-mU8HV_RgzoRuc57c7wVltJsXDcz5bv2fvM0hfxq1Fwt1UdEc8AOj4gYGn6KrahCyDP4C2n8aSrHQBBbrh46EY/w344-h400/ape.png" title="Ape" width="344" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ape, Gargantuan<br /></b></span><i>Gargantuan Beast (Primate), Very Rare</i><p></p><p><b>Armor Class:</b> 0 [19]<br /><b>Hit Dice: </b>14d8+56 (119)<br /><b>Move:</b> 360' (120')<br /><b>Attacks:</b> 2 fist (bash), 1 bite<br /><b>Damage: </b>3d6+5 x2, 1d10+5<br /><b>Special: </b>Gargantuan size<br /><b>To Hit AC 0:</b> 4<br /><b>No. Appearing:</b> 1 (1)<br /><b>Save As: </b>Monster 14<br /><b>Morale: </b>10 (NA)<br /><b>Treasure Type:</b> None<br /><b>Alignment:</b> Neutral (Unaligned)<br /><b>XP Value:</b> 2,300<br /></p><p><b>Languages: </b>Own</p><p><b>S: </b>24<b> I:</b> 9 <b>W:</b> 8<b> D:</b> 10 <b>C:</b> 20 <b>Ch:</b> 8 </p><p>The gargantuan ape is a rare and awe-inspiring creature to behold. It appears as an ordinary ape, though it makes more use of bipedal movement than a typical low-land gorilla, which also uses its forearms. There is also more than just a hint of intelligence in its eyes. The overall effect is one that this could have been, if not for its great size, some lost link between humanity and apes. Its most distinguishing feature, though, completely rules out this possibility. The gargantuan ape towers over ordinary apes and humans at an astonishing 25' tall. Thankfully, such creatures are rare and often only found in remote parts of the world.</p><p>The gargantuan ape's behaviors are similar to that of its smaller cousins. It eats prodigious amounts of plant food and lives in isolated plant-rich areas like rainforests and jungles. This creature is also known to add various animal life to its diet, likely resulting in their slimmer frames, like that of a carnivorous ape, and keener intellect. They are not hunters per se; their massive size prevents sneaking or ambush hunting, and they can typically pick up and eat any smaller animal. They are more opportunistic hunters. Culling herds of their weakest members. They typically eat giant-sized insects, large birds, or the occasional large lizard. </p><p>These creatures are often found in "lost world" locations where explorers have also found great lizards of an ancient and bygone age (dinosaurs). Their battles with dinosaurs are awesome and terrifying to behold. Sometimes, they are even worshiped as gods by local primitive human populations. </p><p>Gargantuan apes have no treasure. They have no concept of it and have no use for it. However, the land they live in is often filled with items collectors find valuable. In addition, and perhaps the most troubling, are their graveyards. Not only does this mean these creatures are intelligent enough to have a concept of death and rituals around them, but also what some of these remains imply. There have been skulls located in these burials that suggest that some of these creatures grew to 150' or more in height. Some of the largest skulls have even been decorated to honor the dead. Others still have damage to them, suggesting an even larger predator with large, sharp teeth.</p><p>--</p><p>Currently, I do not have a solid publication date for Basic Bestiary 1 save for sometime this year.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-1155344774046604012024-02-29T10:01:00.001-06:002024-02-29T10:01:10.100-06:00Review: N5 Under Illefarn<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN43Ehf6G7KmHUg7Tr4p0H5MqPSVKstlpbryQW2Ex8_pHv8iK_6J6YwGZ8-pnY8bQY49teGzmbH2Iqa3VTRmsIxmBKZCwL_DsoYG7mGk3CoA6Z5dPLIL-ZFPOfIw76jKvlGeS5DP-xxofnM2kl42vOBrzLrgaX6MH0q7HLeFgZudLnIhqr8Zo4rZmZqk/s792/under%20illfarn.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="N5 Under Illefarn" border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="611" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN43Ehf6G7KmHUg7Tr4p0H5MqPSVKstlpbryQW2Ex8_pHv8iK_6J6YwGZ8-pnY8bQY49teGzmbH2Iqa3VTRmsIxmBKZCwL_DsoYG7mGk3CoA6Z5dPLIL-ZFPOfIw76jKvlGeS5DP-xxofnM2kl42vOBrzLrgaX6MH0q7HLeFgZudLnIhqr8Zo4rZmZqk/w309-h400/under%20illfarn.jpg" title="N5 Under Illefarn" width="309" /></a></div> My exploration of the Forgotten Realms continues with the next adventure on my list, N5 Under Illefarn by Steve Perrin. I actually <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2017/03/the-second-campaign-has-begun-enter.html" target="_blank">ran this adventure</a> a while back at the start of my <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/Second%20Campaign" target="_blank">5e Second Campaign</a> long ago. My first real attempt at getting a Realms game going. While that game would end up <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2023/02/converting-d-5-to-castles-crusades.html" target="_blank">in different directions</a>, the adventure is still a solid one. <p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16801/n5-under-illefarn-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">N5 Under Illefarn</a></span></b></p><p>by Steve Perin. 1987. 50 pages, color covers (Jeff Easley) and maps (Stephen Sullivan), black & white art (Luise Perenne). </p><p>I am reviewing the PDF and Print on Demand versions from DriveThruRPG. </p><p>This is a "Novice Level" adventure and, likely due to timing, became connected to the Forgotten Realms. It is also the first of the N series to feature the Forgotten Realms banner. Something similar happened to the H series on the other end of the level spectrum.</p><p>When I talked about Module N4 Treasure Hunt, I mentioned that it was a great starting adventure that missed a little of what also made B2 Keep on the Borderland so great. This is fine since we already had Keep on the Borderlands. N5 strikes a middle ground. There is a base of operations, plenty of "wild" areas to explore, and a hook. It also works as a direct sequel to N4. You can play it stand-alone (as I did in 2017) or as a follow-up. Both have advantages.</p><p>Like N4, we are given an overview of the AD&D 1st Ed game, in particular the races and classes. Now, back in 2017, I said: <i>"I am going to run it through like an AD&D game. So no tieflings or dragonborn. More gnomes, though, never have enough of those."</i> That was a mistake in retrospect. If anywhere is open to Dragonborn, Tieflings, and all the new post-AD&D 1st-ed races (remember, tieflings are AD&D 2nd-ed), then it will be Faerûn. There is a bit on how you all get to Daggerford and what happens once you are there. I admit I did not like the idea of the characters needing to be in the Town Militia until I started thinking of this adventure as akin to an episode of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cops_(TV_program)" target="_blank">Cops</a>" or, more to the point, the parody "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troops_(film)" target="_blank">Troops.</a>"</p><p>The base of operations for the characters is the small frontier town of Daggerford. So, like the Keep. From here the characters can go on quick adventures and then come back. An idea implicit for B2 KotBL, but here it is baked in. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy93iRWxlgHvCKrSoQoYjW_FRoax2-vd9YTlwGBUrj-s_PyZ8c7PfJlk-YjByz4ESSSkvKDelYDliPBgLtfnhJDrQf6n7mgG_ZFBbSmmC2OmWCgvD5nAnBwxKK2mitQ4-hV00pL0MBcvM/s1600/IMG_20170305_124323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forgotten Realms, Starter Sets" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy93iRWxlgHvCKrSoQoYjW_FRoax2-vd9YTlwGBUrj-s_PyZ8c7PfJlk-YjByz4ESSSkvKDelYDliPBgLtfnhJDrQf6n7mgG_ZFBbSmmC2OmWCgvD5nAnBwxKK2mitQ4-hV00pL0MBcvM/w640-h480/IMG_20170305_124323.jpg" title="Forgotten Realms, Starter Sets" width="640" /></a></div>
<p>The DM's section gives some background on the village of about 300 people and some 1,000 total living in the surrounding area. Sounds like where my wife grew up. The area and the city make are given. This includes many of the shops and building and what surrounds the village. There is even a bit on the "Big City" <s>Chicago,</s> I mean Waterdeep. </p><p>The main personalities of the town are also detailed. One of the things I had to used to (and get over) was that the Realms is about people. I can choose to use who I want. In 1987 this annoyed me, but in truth I was already switching my point of view then. Now? Now it is great. I mean, do I <i>need</i> to use Duke Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford? No. But why would I not want to? </p><p>This covers about the first half of the book. After this are adventures.</p><p>What kind of adventures? Lots! The first page has the AD&D staple, the Random Encounter Tables. One of the outcomes is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratosauria" target="_blank">Ceratosaur</a>! Imagine this. You are a still a newbie adventurer. You just recently learned which is the pointy end of the spear and which is the end you hold. Now you are on milita duty, and someone finds dinosaur tracks on your very first day on what you were told was going to be dull work making sure kids don't steal apples in the marketplace.</p><p>Kudos to Steve Perrin for getting going. And that is just one random encounter. I mean there is also a hermit. Yes, I said he is the same one from the KotBL. Why not. There are also werewolves, which I am using later on. </p><p>Among the detailed adventurers are a raid by Lizard Men (why I grabbed this in 2017 to be honest), basic Caravan duty, a kidnapped daughter of the Duke, and the titular Illefarn in the Laughing Hallow. The adventures range from a couple of pages to several. </p><p>The best thing about this adventure. Well, one of the best things. You can run it in many short adventures to get new players into the game. Need to spend an extra hour explaining rules? No worries, do that and send them on Militia duty to guard a caravan against orc raiders. That's a solid session.</p><p><b>Note About the Pring on Demand Print</b></p><p>The PDF from DriveThruRPG looks great and served me well in 2017. Recently I also grabbed the Print on Demand copy from DriveThru. There is some dithering from lower resolution art being brought up to print quality, but the text looks like it has been redone so it is nice and sharp and easy to read. I should note that it is not all the art. Some look rather crisp and clear as well. They may have had some of the higher resolution versions still on hand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbEE4m95YBZMTfomBOtbLFNhG20MlkXNnPS_rGJVscMlqpg3umGyUPrdYHkvkakMJkCkI8rTimOh1u1-J66CbRA2FZvNFmdZ6VT1weMKFORA0iLPgmJ_KgmzXawzVjn4V657XOYNXugrrtIjSGWQgfJtFSxiAJELxRQ3bsWs1FXRK9iS6ZB1Yt2zb5L8/s4080/PXL_20240229_144515604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Under Illefarn text" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbEE4m95YBZMTfomBOtbLFNhG20MlkXNnPS_rGJVscMlqpg3umGyUPrdYHkvkakMJkCkI8rTimOh1u1-J66CbRA2FZvNFmdZ6VT1weMKFORA0iLPgmJ_KgmzXawzVjn4V657XOYNXugrrtIjSGWQgfJtFSxiAJELxRQ3bsWs1FXRK9iS6ZB1Yt2zb5L8/w640-h482/PXL_20240229_144515604.jpg" title="Under Illefarn text" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTub92QvWTPavdOFTtwX5D5yEChSBcGm6bhvghlfOcyRpn468DsqVBGVQEKU9tFj_w6A5CvtrYK_ywhiwEwFqcVhDEvYzJHG4cvmy1OYCy5GQuDLu_eWtiIU-2h3i68aP4SW0y16zEXisLAFBxaFO-0EnZRs_MbyyD-15zzTRy5RS2FGy3N65UJtr7AxA/s4080/PXL_20240229_144453728.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Under Illfarn, Print on Demand cover" border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTub92QvWTPavdOFTtwX5D5yEChSBcGm6bhvghlfOcyRpn468DsqVBGVQEKU9tFj_w6A5CvtrYK_ywhiwEwFqcVhDEvYzJHG4cvmy1OYCy5GQuDLu_eWtiIU-2h3i68aP4SW0y16zEXisLAFBxaFO-0EnZRs_MbyyD-15zzTRy5RS2FGy3N65UJtr7AxA/w482-h640/PXL_20240229_144453728.MP.jpg" title="Under Illfarn, Print on Demand cover" width="482" /></a></div><br /><p><span>Again, we have a great introductory adventure. Not just good to introduce people to the AD&D 1st Edition game but also a great way to ease into the Forgotten Realms. Waterdeep is too big of a bite for new players (and characters) and many of the "big names" are still too big. This is nice little village with some fun problems to solve. A taste of adventure. An appetizer in small portions OR more akin to Tapas or Dim Sum. Small plates that can add up to a nice full meal.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sinéad's Perspective</span></b></p><p><i>"Just a small-town girl. Livin' in a lonely world..."</i></p><p>At the outset of these reviews, I said I wanted to explore the Realms through the eyes of a native, but one that was just as naïve as me. Sinéad is that character. </p><p>She finally made it to the main land after surviving her own kidnapping and adventures in the Moonshaes and the Korrin Archipelago. And was absolutely broke. Like I said, at first I balked at the idea of forcing the characters into the Daggerford Militia, but in truth it works very well. Sinéad, given she knows how to play an instrument was given the job of trumpeter. She at least gets a spear too. </p><p>This actually works. I went back to look over her Baldur's Gate 3 setup and her background there was Militia as well. This was before I knew I could change it. So, yeah. I guess that is what I am doing.</p><p>When my oldest son gets off of work from his bakery job (he is a pastry chef and a damn good one) we work out what these characters are doing and roll some dice. It has been great really.</p><p>So. Sinéad is in the Militia. She has a shiny new trumpet, a not-as-shiny new spear, and a blue tabard proclaiming she is part of the militia. If she is going to survive the Realms, she will need some friends.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ97Jer2dQFLpq2DTV9nCF0E3ro4xyiM9NHJuGTRvp_Pc84H25IqKf0eC8_SwtkxnCqUfm21eLzOjFiTjTZzYMfnZxXX7rvd0dmnA9eSjoEHZvSrjHwNcYsbRJ-weJ70IDvSFoU3zBZTR97ZX0RAgrykrcfWKeov2UYGgf0-BXUgxD5zYAhkyOOnKREw8/s3418/PXL_20240229_144121311.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My Realms Crew" border="0" data-original-height="2515" data-original-width="3418" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ97Jer2dQFLpq2DTV9nCF0E3ro4xyiM9NHJuGTRvp_Pc84H25IqKf0eC8_SwtkxnCqUfm21eLzOjFiTjTZzYMfnZxXX7rvd0dmnA9eSjoEHZvSrjHwNcYsbRJ-weJ70IDvSFoU3zBZTR97ZX0RAgrykrcfWKeov2UYGgf0-BXUgxD5zYAhkyOOnKREw8/w640-h470/PXL_20240229_144121311.jpg" title="My Realms Crew" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>So, who do we have here?</p><p><b>Nothing Like the Sun...</b></p><p>Up first is <b>Rhiannon</b>. Yeah, I am embracing the clichés here. But in my defense, <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2021/01/character-creation-challenge-advanced.html" target="_blank">I did start her up</a> with that in mind. She is a Dragon Magazine #114 witch. There <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2021/09/one-mans-god-special-syncretism-part-1.html" target="_blank">is some evidence</a> that Ed used the Dragon Magazine witches in his own game. She is a member of the "<a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2012/07/nothing-like-sun.html" target="_blank">Sisters of the Moon</a>" coven, something that will become important later on. If Sinéad is my Realms exploration character, and Larina is my witch exploration character, then Rhiannon is where they meet. Again. Expect clichés here. This my chance to go all out. </p><p>I already decided that Sinéad honors Sehanine Moonbow as her personal Goddess, even above that of The Earthmother of the Moonshaes. Maybe this is one of the reasons she wanted to leave. Rhiannon knows about Sehanine. She also knows about Selûne and, oddly enough, Shar. At this point, Sinéad doesn't know enough about Shar to find this odd. </p><p>Rhiannon is not in the militia, but she is the friend of someone who is. </p><p><b>Bad Moon Rising</b></p><p>The next character is an in-joke with my son and me, but I really liked where the character is going. <b><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Arnell_Hallowleaf" target="_blank">Arnell Hallowleaf</a></b> is a male moon elf cleric of Selûne. He is in the militia as a healer. There are obvious reasons why Sinéad would seek him out. He is a cleric for starters, also he is the first full-blooded moon elf she has met other than her own mother. So, this has given her a chance to find out more about the moon elves. Players of Baldur's Gate 3 might recognize this name. He is the father of Jenevelle Hallowleaf, aka Shadowheart, in the game. But that is not until DR 1492. Jenevelle is not born until DR 1447 and this is still DR 1358. Arnell is a young elf. His future human wife, Emmeline, has not even been born yet. So maybe (taking a page from <a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sarek#Wives" target="_blank">Sarek of Vulcan's book</a>) Rhiannon (a human) is his current girlfriend/wife. Which? I don't know, I have not gotten there yet. </p><p>I do know that at some point in this adventure, he is bitten by a werewolf and becomes one. His devotion to Selûne is what keeps his lycanthropy in check. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TGtPDLnSPMgMzCqDBfBpB2wS-BgbKS_k17Jh_GHKXzvyTcoeT39mlGlHWakGmWblvogPmFLUms09pMrNNyqF1pzZLFsvlbp4S4n5UnKsoQ5jUZWi0sFxMGam5InZXfVPpeQ4qx13udfbyBoe1Hzrjf3TgUBivkG3K9dkORM1PsY14Fp_3TEKcCTNQGM/s1456/Arnell%20Hallowleaf.png" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.25em;"><img alt="Arnell Hallowleaf" border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="816" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TGtPDLnSPMgMzCqDBfBpB2wS-BgbKS_k17Jh_GHKXzvyTcoeT39mlGlHWakGmWblvogPmFLUms09pMrNNyqF1pzZLFsvlbp4S4n5UnKsoQ5jUZWi0sFxMGam5InZXfVPpeQ4qx13udfbyBoe1Hzrjf3TgUBivkG3K9dkORM1PsY14Fp_3TEKcCTNQGM/w224-h400/Arnell%20Hallowleaf.png" title="Arnell Hallowleaf" width="224" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMplcOyaexzPiG-M4abxVtvHDmSNOv-VGhYBAb2xV5snFijXV3y-X-mCIJIHtoCTIA796KiKxIC_FhCx4RpYNwOtmdmzuNVzQNmUWIEk3h6f6TItZctvCLDN6aLLBu2v_tBhSbLSnW4YK7-KigUBfnoTeGCjkEZ-TOOb1H6L_Kwh5hXwVVKCaQZTxYcw/s2912/Rhiannon.png" style="margin-left: 0.25em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img alt="Rhiannon" border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="1632" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMplcOyaexzPiG-M4abxVtvHDmSNOv-VGhYBAb2xV5snFijXV3y-X-mCIJIHtoCTIA796KiKxIC_FhCx4RpYNwOtmdmzuNVzQNmUWIEk3h6f6TItZctvCLDN6aLLBu2v_tBhSbLSnW4YK7-KigUBfnoTeGCjkEZ-TOOb1H6L_Kwh5hXwVVKCaQZTxYcw/w224-h400/Rhiannon.png" title="Rhiannon" width="224" /></a></div><p>Both characters are here to let me explore some different ideas. Talking it over with my oldest, he suggested that if Johan were from the Realms, he would have been a cleric of Selûne. Arnell is not a Johan stand-in, but he will let me explore playing a cleric in the Realms. Rhiannon is my "don't just embrace the cliché, live it character." I'd love to see how far I can get with her as a "Dragon #114" witch. </p><p>Sinéad and Arnell finish their tour of duty and, along with Rhiannon, venture out into the wide world.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-5317962447013886262024-02-27T11:01:00.000-06:002024-02-27T11:01:04.382-06:00Mail Call Tuesday - Frightshow Classics Adventures<p> Got a a nice little treat in the mail yesterday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo37Vp5vUr3qqFccUEnuEvRT6ZrNJbOkvEhZHbj-KeFFEnq8uBefO8Tm-XFrQRK6fi2dNZBpQMHyIBAwIzMM5TVLItuxIXNlpnsY6kzGaYpDxEU1PIlK9ge7Dbv7l2cHJW8-Hyg8yyEzoiOGHc6Q7xHxc0vhVCc11-536ue3lSSJPzCwjn-ulR7_mu7hU/s4080/PXL_20240227_141153537.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frightshow Classics Adventures" border="0" data-original-height="1989" data-original-width="4080" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo37Vp5vUr3qqFccUEnuEvRT6ZrNJbOkvEhZHbj-KeFFEnq8uBefO8Tm-XFrQRK6fi2dNZBpQMHyIBAwIzMM5TVLItuxIXNlpnsY6kzGaYpDxEU1PIlK9ge7Dbv7l2cHJW8-Hyg8yyEzoiOGHc6Q7xHxc0vhVCc11-536ue3lSSJPzCwjn-ulR7_mu7hU/w640-h312/PXL_20240227_141153537.MP.jpg" title="Frightshow Classics Adventures" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The latest print versions of the Frightshow (formerly Fright Night) Classics Adventures designed for Chill.</p><p>Included was a 2nd printing of my own <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/435118/the-nightmare?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">The Nightmare</a>!</p><p>This completes my print editions (so far) of all the Frighshow Classics Adventures from Yeti Spaghetti & Friends. I know a couple more are in progress now, including my <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/471322/golem?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Golem adventure</a>, though they won't be out until the spring or later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGe0AcwTQ9Hf3c9ivcOG7ktT-cZaXcbLvHmdCyJ5tcIFJAjJCuc-P2uq8OcvwjCL7qeMqkuMZkkXX-y25Uzm3o0FrwmUtjn0uGsOFb3AAyDJJsLRjbFJ-sAShmE1zoD2jLSoO4hwDZeIUykG3Mwz-UKwvDQL8UpYpVKgqyoaLoDAozTYVrL5ScvF5cxQ/s3753/PXL_20240227_155922396.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frightshow Classics Adventures" border="0" data-original-height="1642" data-original-width="3753" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGe0AcwTQ9Hf3c9ivcOG7ktT-cZaXcbLvHmdCyJ5tcIFJAjJCuc-P2uq8OcvwjCL7qeMqkuMZkkXX-y25Uzm3o0FrwmUtjn0uGsOFb3AAyDJJsLRjbFJ-sAShmE1zoD2jLSoO4hwDZeIUykG3Mwz-UKwvDQL8UpYpVKgqyoaLoDAozTYVrL5ScvF5cxQ/w640-h280/PXL_20240227_155922396.MP.jpg" title="Frightshow Classics Adventures" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/23052/yeti-spaghetti-and-friends?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">PDFs are available at DriveThruRPG</a>.</p><p>If you want a print version, send an email directly to Frightshow Classics at <a href="mailto:cryptworldrpg@gmail.com">cryptworldrpg@gmail.com</a>.</p><p>They are all quite fun and really great for any sort of Horror RPG.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-38061259266953842832024-02-26T08:59:00.000-06:002024-02-26T08:59:52.614-06:00Monstrous Mondays: Trollkönig (Troll King)<p> Playing around with different layouts for Basic Bestiary. I did a few, and I didn't like most of them. Not a big deal, I have time.</p><p>Right now, I am trying to figure out if I want to break up BB1 into smaller 64-page volumes or one larger one. I like the idea of smaller volumes. To round that out, I might need to develop a couple more monsters here and there. Again, not a big deal.</p><p>If I did break up BB1 into say three volumes, they would have about 120-130 monsters each. Do I break them up by themes or alphabetically? I guess I need to see how big it is when I am done.</p><p>The "theme" of Basic Bestiary 1 is "Monstrous Maleficarum," or monsters I have read about, used, or developed while working on my various witch books. There are also more than a few here from various monster books I loved reading as a child and spent some time hunting down as an adult. </p><p>In any case here is a new one I worked on when I was supposed to be doing editing and layouts.</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8yb52tSPKSkW6zhvCT6Y2t8umskAJbRKNqIUduvch1GQOLFN6O7fhQaDJd0W0LfT30SrQhjRK9l-qYZUZil-Iy8PMnnCCgyMi0asSVWqieqHgFJdC2NeU_qV01RBXdxyzO_JbjqvNOWZRBCd6sAF-O6ihl6a0zCR5sippUACpKpm-g-8Tb_KMVGBlk8/s974/003%20Peer%20before%20the%20King%20of%20Trolls.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Troll King Arthur Rackman" border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="674" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8yb52tSPKSkW6zhvCT6Y2t8umskAJbRKNqIUduvch1GQOLFN6O7fhQaDJd0W0LfT30SrQhjRK9l-qYZUZil-Iy8PMnnCCgyMi0asSVWqieqHgFJdC2NeU_qV01RBXdxyzO_JbjqvNOWZRBCd6sAF-O6ihl6a0zCR5sippUACpKpm-g-8Tb_KMVGBlk8/w276-h400/003%20Peer%20before%20the%20King%20of%20Trolls.jpg" title="Troll King Arthur Rackman" width="276" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Trollkönig (Troll King)
</span></b><br /><i>Large Humanoid (Fey, Faerie Lord)</i><p></p><p></p><p>Armor Class: -5 [24]<br />Hit Dice: 18d8+108 (189 hp)<br /><i> Large: 18d10+108 (207 hp)</i><br />Move: 120' (40')<br />Attacks: 2 fist slams, 1 bite or 1 weapon (x2) or thrown rock, or roar<br />Damage: 1d12+5 x2, 1d8+5 or by weapon (x2) or thrown rock 2d12, roar for fear<br />Special: Magic resistance (45%), immune to poison; half damage to cold, can communicate telepathically, Magic +2 weapons to hit, regenerate, roar, summon trolls, sunlight sensitivity<br />No. Appearing: 1 (unique)<br />Save As: Monster 18<br />Morale: 10 (NA)<br />Treasure Type: C x20<br />Alignment: Chaotic (Chaotic Evil)<br />XP: 8,900</p><p>Languages: Elven, Sylvan, Telepathic, Trollspeak</p><p>The King of Trolls may not be the most eloquent or attractive of the faerie lords, but he is one of the most physically impressive. He appears as a 13' tall troll of massive build. His skin appears to be a dense rock-like hide with patchy bits of hair and numerous scars from his many battles. His eyes, though, betray a keen and malign intelligence not seen in lesser trolls.</p><p>Like his subjects, the trolls, he attacks with fist slams and a bite. Though, unlike the lesser trolls, he is also intelligent enough to use weapons. He often chooses to use a giant battle axe doing 1d10+5 hp of damage per attack. Like a giant, he can throw rocks. The Trollkönig can roar 3 times per day. This roar can cause fear (as per the spell) in any creature of 7 HD or lower, save vs. Petrification to ignore. Creatures less than 1 HD are not allowed a saving throw. </p><p>As their king the Troll King can summon 3d8 trolls to his side. The trolls must be nearby, and they arrive in one turn. </p><p>The King of Trolls also has 45% magic resistance, can only be hit by +2 or better weapons, and is immune to poison and only half damage from cold. This creature also regenerates like lesser trolls, but at an alarming rate of 10 hp per round; starting on the first round, he takes damage. Unlike common trolls, the Trollkönig can regenerate even from fire and acid damage. He can't regenerate if exposed to sunlight.</p><p>The Troll King is a powerful individual who has risen above the typical troll, ruling over a vast network of tunnels and caves with utter brutality. Driven by a twisted sense of hierarchy and ambition, the Troll King seeks to assert its dominance over anything smaller or weaker. It hoards treasures stolen from those unfortunate enough to cross its path. The Faerie Lords tolerate the Troll King, not due to any sense of loyalty or familial ties, but because they often employ him to take care of their enemies and the physical fighting they can't be bothered to do themselves. </p><p>There is a heated rivalry between the Troll King and the Goblin King, largely due to their respective subjects' own rivalries.</p><p></p><p></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-33517842772930098832024-02-23T10:33:00.000-06:002024-02-23T10:33:32.824-06:00#FollowFriday: Ed Greenwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Greenwood" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ed Greenwood" border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1410" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs4RrwkaNCoflEORPDNdwde47_aTiHHEj6bi-NpBt0ERKqUh3DV52Kz2bQVd_iU7kAvipQIDuo_ml9o88RoE1vh79TUfu-JYUeBydlejTMmVydfKTWWDStsL66iuRQA1eRrGO0jlwJo3XbT033-UVT8Rd-HOg-baOR30-bKJ8uIhy6wDtJvkSXbWyKz0/w230-h400/Ed-Greenwood-at-Gen-Con.jpg" title="Ed Greenwood" width="230" /></a></div>In my efforts to expand my knowledge of the Forgotten Realms, I am going to Master Sage himself, Ed Greenwood.<p></p><p><b>Official YouTube Channel<br /></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@edgreenwoodofficial" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@edgreenwoodofficial</a></p><p><b>Patreon Page<br /></b><a href="https://www.patreon.com/EdGreenwood" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/EdGreenwood</a></p><p><b>X/Twitter<br /></b><a href="https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse</a></p><p><b>Facebook</b><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ed.greenwood.142" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ed.greenwood.142</a></p><p>I am not a subscriber to his Patreon page, but I hear wonderful things about it. It sounds like a great forum for his ideas and of course exclusives. I'm a fan, but not at the level I need exclusives before everyone else.</p><p>The real treasure trove for me in my explorations of the Realms has been his YouTube page.</p><p>Now, typically, I really hate videos. I don't have the time to listen or watch, and frankly, most of the people doing video neither have the voice nor the presence to do them. This is not so for Ed. Ed, among everything else, is a natural storyteller. The Realms are his canvas.</p><p>He has had a few I have found really interesting too. </p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MQBgqdEArYE?si=AxOMSfNwQ1_fBlLA" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p>This one because I a. remembered the picture, and b. loved the idea that Ed could use this channel to talk about things he could not before. Plus he says "Drau" like Cow. Actually one of the best things about his videos is knowing how he pronounces some of the names he comes up with!</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z_WR16Zg3Us?si=FB2e3j6OHk7i-oCr" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></p>
<p>This one because I loved the background on this character and was a fan of <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2017/02/witch-witchcraft-reading-challenge_24.html" target="_blank">Symgharyl Maruel, aka The Shadowsil</a>. But this one is also fun because Ed has such a love for all these characters. </p><p>That was always obvious to me reading his books and Dragon articles. And he extended that love to characters he was borrowing.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gary loved my portrayal of Mordenkainen, which was a great relief to me at the time. Dalamar vanished because of publishing timing: we didn't know his fate in Margaret and Tracy's DL novels at the time, so had to sidestep. (And the series was an editorial assignment.)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Realmslore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Realmslore</a></p>— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1304206489926750208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p></p>
<p>And extends to others who treat his characters with the same love.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I LOVE these portraits!!!!! Spot on!!!!</p>— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1586010045849825281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<p>So give the Father of the Realms a follow. I hope you find him as entertaining and as educational as I find him.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-79203099421860706202024-02-22T09:18:00.003-06:002024-02-22T20:42:17.914-06:00Review: Forgotten Realms Campaign Set<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIkqMuc06nu9DMn1_HVcXl9McSwX3FE4M3ASA6SJcWR6RXlKSi90fN4G1wjrTkuLLwBp5A0XWar51ougD81tQTqYofqzutf5_CHSwaU2jo16SM3mlbZRrtQjvLnSstTB3OPDzCK5zMTkhbF-0c-rPvPJtGGAybQY94SMCB7-ObgYzDJMhGRduRZVj5Lo/s3500/1707363533431-2e4c40fe-23e3-4d80-9b68-efa4b24c1536_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Forgotten Realms Campaign Set" border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2811" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIkqMuc06nu9DMn1_HVcXl9McSwX3FE4M3ASA6SJcWR6RXlKSi90fN4G1wjrTkuLLwBp5A0XWar51ougD81tQTqYofqzutf5_CHSwaU2jo16SM3mlbZRrtQjvLnSstTB3OPDzCK5zMTkhbF-0c-rPvPJtGGAybQY94SMCB7-ObgYzDJMhGRduRZVj5Lo/w321-h400/1707363533431-2e4c40fe-23e3-4d80-9b68-efa4b24c1536_.jpg" title="The Forgotten Realms Campaign Set" width="321" /></a></div> I have asked this before, but it bears repeating here and now. How does one review a classic? Better question. How does one review a genre-defining classic? Because that is what I have sitting in front of me now. A genre-defining classic. Eighteen-year-old me back in 1987, ready for his first year at university, would not have thought so at the time, but that is what much older me thinks now. <p></p><p>The Forgotten Realms was the foundation of the "new" TSR, the one without Gary Gygax and many of the other founders on which they would build their new home. We can debate the merits of this and financials <i>ad nauseam</i>, but by any stretch of the imagination, the Forgotten Realms were very successful. So successful that the biggest video game of 2023 is set there.</p><p>This review will cover the <b>Forgotten Realms Campaign Set</b>, the Boxed set from 1987. Written by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb and edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. But any insight to this product knows that the genesis was with Ed, and he first brought it all to life in the pages of Dragon magazine. At least that is alive to us. Many other authors have contributed to Realms over the decades, but here is where it begins. </p><p>How do we begin? Let's take Ed's own words, which he scribbled into my Cyclopedia of the Realms as our opening.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI18PgmNB9TCPfSHW3cYWRIQcLgXAfhbxiJZDt29lDGWdimJPLkkMrn_6Ao3yKhyYta8pP1R6XM2uccIoLf2H7HEP7DDdFePB_e3D_8RNnFNjjnRL1R2uMal6lqceS0sTanWKk8tRi0673u_SPxv07EDvra2_l1p-5Je7X-8G0h77lgeLwhCOfBNAzAHk/s4080/PXL_20240208_035140949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Welcome to the Forgotten Realms" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI18PgmNB9TCPfSHW3cYWRIQcLgXAfhbxiJZDt29lDGWdimJPLkkMrn_6Ao3yKhyYta8pP1R6XM2uccIoLf2H7HEP7DDdFePB_e3D_8RNnFNjjnRL1R2uMal6lqceS0sTanWKk8tRi0673u_SPxv07EDvra2_l1p-5Je7X-8G0h77lgeLwhCOfBNAzAHk/w640-h482/PXL_20240208_035140949.jpg" title="Welcome to the Forgotten Realms" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>"Welcome to the Forgotten Realms!" - Ed Greenwood</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16782/forgotten-realms-campaign-set-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Forgotten Realms Campaign Set</a></span></b></p><p>by Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb and edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. 1987. Boxed set. Full-color covers and maps. Cyclopedia of the Realms 96 pages. DMs Sourcebook of the Realms 96 pages. Maps and clear hex overlays.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NSCiWqHc1I94zxDMR2L6lLfxjHO64rGYEnbSi6VbqypZD-cphPmaGuClKgxlwH6K1z29d90wohuh3Owtm2cIHqOB1cAmAEgIIyidIhwHXbe6kQ2pVuKyamyFUz2xdxLywUWR33O0IqszgdqsUKE9qFBTrgT4LEor4mGqOqvbyFX2xC-w4qgNNCieu9s/s4080/PXL_20240208_034023199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Forgotten Realms box contents" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NSCiWqHc1I94zxDMR2L6lLfxjHO64rGYEnbSi6VbqypZD-cphPmaGuClKgxlwH6K1z29d90wohuh3Owtm2cIHqOB1cAmAEgIIyidIhwHXbe6kQ2pVuKyamyFUz2xdxLywUWR33O0IqszgdqsUKE9qFBTrgT4LEor4mGqOqvbyFX2xC-w4qgNNCieu9s/w640-h482/PXL_20240208_034023199.jpg" title="Forgotten Realms box contents" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>For this review, I am considering the physical boxed set from 1987 and the PDFs from DriveThruRPG. There has yet to be a Print on Demand version.<div><br /></div><div>The DriveThruRPG PDF combines all this information into a 230-page book. Maps are broken up and scanned in at letter size.<br /><div><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB10Kdd4ibCMs9XY6Tjfn1M1_qAIrn7YC5xc0pFD1NqTLnJJkoByhXKQ0Z87hpPoVkw7vezG81MaS0RjkkgRKCC06160OwfJFSrzkWzqhsolak6Ff63v2vcludvC3ud9TwihFJX3195HzPXcJw4t12HJb0uld0s4JQ1KHneUWFp1WwJO6NR30TJdjvmak/s3500/1708530638630-db5fdc14-58df-419a-ab4a-5aa6d3d21bee_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cyclopedia of the Realms" border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2625" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB10Kdd4ibCMs9XY6Tjfn1M1_qAIrn7YC5xc0pFD1NqTLnJJkoByhXKQ0Z87hpPoVkw7vezG81MaS0RjkkgRKCC06160OwfJFSrzkWzqhsolak6Ff63v2vcludvC3ud9TwihFJX3195HzPXcJw4t12HJb0uld0s4JQ1KHneUWFp1WwJO6NR30TJdjvmak/w300-h400/1708530638630-db5fdc14-58df-419a-ab4a-5aa6d3d21bee_.jpg" title="Cyclopedia of the Realms" width="300" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Cyclopedia of the Realms</span></b><p></p><p>96 pages. Color covers. Sepia-tone pages and art.</p><p><i>"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start."</i> - Maria von Trapp nee Kuczera, Bard/Cleric</p><p>This book is an introduction to the Forgotten Realms, and maybe the most important bit here is the introduction by Ed Greenwood/Elminster and the About this Product. We start immediately with the "voice" of the Realms, Elminster. He is no ersatz Gandalf, nor is he a more approachable Mordenkainen, and certainly, he is more interesting than Ringlerun. He is our guide, but sometimes I still like to think of him as an unreliable narrator. These are the Realms in his eyes. More (if the not the most) knowledgable, but there are still "small stories" to tell that are beneath his notice. Those are the stories (aka games) I want to know about.</p><p>This book covers the timeline (I do love timelines!) and ways of keeping time in the Realms. The date for this set is the end of 1357 DR (that's Dale Reckoning or Dalereckoning). For full context, the Baldur's Gate III video game takes place in 1494 DR, with the current year of the D&D 5e titles at 1496 DR. There is a bit of discussion about holidays and how the "weeks" are grouped as Tendays (3 a month). It feels different and I like it. The money system is rather AD&D standard, with some proper names to the coins. This is fine because this IS supposed to be an AD&D world, and the authors want people to feel familiar with it all, if not right at home.</p><p>Languages and scripts are up. Some of these are still being used in current versions of D&D. </p><p>The Gods are next. These were already familiar to me, not just because this is an old product, but because Ed talked about them in Dragon magazine back in 1985. See "The Dragon Connection" below. While these gods have "Earthly" sources, it actually works out great and ties into the mythology of the Realms as one being connected to Earth. Something it shares with Greyhawk's Oerth. The connection between Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms is strong. They share almost all the same demi-human gods. By extension of the rule-set they also share all the same demons and devils. This makes moving between worlds a little smoother. The gods and their relationships are detailed well here and there is just enough unknow to keep them interesting.</p><p>Next section is about Adventuring Companies. So here is one thing that the Realms does better than Greyhawk (well there are more, but the first thing in this book). Adventurers are baked into the system. The world doesn't just need adventuring parties, it demands them. These parties can be used as models for your own adventuring parties. All these parties have names as well. I'll have to think about how Sinéad and Co would fit this format. Plus, the back cover of this book has a grid for the adventuring party! Room for 10 characters even.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzfpNLolPLIyKIYTS4nfhmphpGF-4OEpF9herGOhQV0Uuiw16Q3A1UcQuT7OOHgLKpETcljJF-7NfSQ4TepxlllDuywmMSSgfKgtvu6NS3aNHWaKPQa9tv9I7Y4pH45zJRU0LAlsBJYagFyfybOeSbwixiW3e0hacuNpk16Ihw02Q61xFQ-v5BYD7ZMA/s4080/PXL_20240221_172802765.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Adventuring Party Roster" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzfpNLolPLIyKIYTS4nfhmphpGF-4OEpF9herGOhQV0Uuiw16Q3A1UcQuT7OOHgLKpETcljJF-7NfSQ4TepxlllDuywmMSSgfKgtvu6NS3aNHWaKPQa9tv9I7Y4pH45zJRU0LAlsBJYagFyfybOeSbwixiW3e0hacuNpk16Ihw02Q61xFQ-v5BYD7ZMA/w640-h482/PXL_20240221_172802765.jpg" title="Adventuring Party Roster" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We get into the "Cyclopedia" part of the book now. This is an alphabetical listing of major topics within the Realms. These include things like the various character classes, races, countries, towns, areas of interest and other topics. There is a narrative piece describing it, Elminster's Notes for the point of view of the most knowledgeable native (even when he admits to not knowing much), and Game Information.</p><p>I rather like it, to be honest. Hit me with facts, and let me build some adventures around it!</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHOh0apO7G7C8m22agDetzD89Ncfz3sWM7vmiH6aaLyIPN1uwQ6ktdXUr8vVuigDzzcZpvKEwk0XuNntSEzFV8vAiWDxWKb2MBts7XWCDi9ie4e6kAUfZK05rtS5XwnpZIb-J1Vi4bYrnuSvhiHFMiiM9wOKBnf4cs8gBkW-BdpyQT3ykyNjdAdc3_X0/s3500/1708530696730-96d7257a-7013-43a4-9a44-931679b8c2a8_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="DMs Sourcebook of the Realms" border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2625" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHOh0apO7G7C8m22agDetzD89Ncfz3sWM7vmiH6aaLyIPN1uwQ6ktdXUr8vVuigDzzcZpvKEwk0XuNntSEzFV8vAiWDxWKb2MBts7XWCDi9ie4e6kAUfZK05rtS5XwnpZIb-J1Vi4bYrnuSvhiHFMiiM9wOKBnf4cs8gBkW-BdpyQT3ykyNjdAdc3_X0/w300-h400/1708530696730-96d7257a-7013-43a4-9a44-931679b8c2a8_.jpg" title="DMs Sourcebook of the Realms" width="300" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">DMs Sourcebook of the Realms</span></b><p></p><p>96 pages. Color covers. Sepia-tone pages and art.</p><p>One of the best things in this book is the Introduction. We get words from Ed (as Ed) talking about the World of the Forgotten Realms and how it is now <i>our</i> world too. Yeah it is trademarked by TSR and now WotC/Hasbro, but this is an open invitation to do what you want with this world now. This is a foreshadowing to all the great Ed Greenwood content we would get over the next almost 4 decades. Honestly reading Ed's own words make me excited for all the exploration ahead of me. This is followed by words from Jeff Grubb, who also had a hand in shaping the AD&D version of the Realms. And more by editor Karen S. Martin who adds her experience and excitement to this world.</p><p>So much better than any puff-piece bit of gamer fiction!</p><p>We get right into it. Information on how to use this as an AD&D campaign world is started from the word go. Overview again of the boxed set. How to set up campaigns for new players, new campaigns for experienced players, and bringing in characters from other campaigns. Hmm...I should try all of these to be honest. Maybe a character from one of my Greyhawk or Mystara campaigns could come on over. I DO like the idea that Elvish and Dwarvish and some others are mostly the same languages. Would really help bring the worlds closer together. </p><p>A bit of coverage on the maps and how to use them. Nice comparison of the map of Faerûn compared to the continental United States. And a section of various wandering monsters. The Forgotten Realms may be Forgotten, but they are very much alive!</p><p>The next 20 pages detail NPCs of note. Any to drop in as background, enemy, or ally. </p><p>Speaking of living. A really nice section on recent news and various rumors starting in DR 1356 to 1357 are presented. With or without your characters, the Relams live on. </p><p>Another plus for this boxed set is the ready-run adventures for low-level characters. The first, The Halls of the Beast Tamers, is a nice dungeon crawl. Next is Lashan's Fall, which appeared in Dragon #95 as "Into the Forgotten Realms," and even the maps are the same! Mind you I think this is a bonus since that is the adventure I always wanted to use as an intro to the Realms. I still can come to think of it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDa-aKV7URRBL_lvkNG3pRol04cTGbV7qcP6qHBzS-s1Y52pcTlwGRWE82udpnldteZ3FVIFhEJyEINI_G408A0QJIuinKd15SJ235mAnbk-mUU_Ty1UVFE4W5AjQ6B8EOe5P-5LGUqNBYuMJFjTq1TwdqCG9g6cSM_eI30ANcIdUJvqyNhj3bJdeMEE/s4080/PXL_20240222_033401718.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Into the Forgotten Realms" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDa-aKV7URRBL_lvkNG3pRol04cTGbV7qcP6qHBzS-s1Y52pcTlwGRWE82udpnldteZ3FVIFhEJyEINI_G408A0QJIuinKd15SJ235mAnbk-mUU_Ty1UVFE4W5AjQ6B8EOe5P-5LGUqNBYuMJFjTq1TwdqCG9g6cSM_eI30ANcIdUJvqyNhj3bJdeMEE/w640-h482/PXL_20240222_033401718.jpg" title="Into the Forgotten Realms" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The next section is a "Pages from the Mages" style entry. Lots of spells books to be found with plenty of new spells. I think some of these were in "Pages form the Mages" to be honest. That's fine, they work well here.</p><p>Honestly, the ONLY thing missing here are some new monsters, and this would be complete.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Maps & Plastic Hex Overlays</span></b></p><p>There are four gorgeous maps of the content of Faerûn. While it doesn't quite live up to the artistry of the Darlene World of Greyhawk maps, they are more practical. The plastic hex overlays also make it easier to read the maps and then do your hex crawls in whatever area you like.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Dragon Connection</span></b></p><p>One of the great things about doing my <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search/label/This%20Old%20Dragon" target="_blank">This Old Dragon feature</a> and concentrating on the period between 1980 and 1987 is watching the Forgotten Realms develop and grow as an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons world. From Ed's musings on gods in <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2017/10/this-old-dragon-issue-54.html" target="_blank">Down to Earth Divinity</a> to magical tomes and spells of the <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2020/09/this-old-dragon-retrospective-pages.html" target="_blank">Pages from the Mages</a> and <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2018/12/this-old-dragon-retrospective-wizards.html" target="_blank">The Wizards Three</a> features to adventure <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2018/01/this-old-dragon-issue-95.html" target="_blank">Into the Forgotten Realms</a>, all of which would find homes in an official Forgotten Realms product in some shape or form.</p><p>I mentioned already that Dragon #95's Into the Forgotten Realms makes an appearance here as an introductory adventure.</p><p>As I mentioned, all we were missing were monsters. Well, Ed penned enough monsters in the pages of Dragon Magazine that were explicitly for the Realms, so collecting them all is worthwhile. In addition to monsters, there are magic items, more spells, blades, shields, and even musical instruments, and I know I am nowhere near collecting it all. I do know I will run out of room in my box for them all.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgpBkB7SUT2p6Ncq5kWkL4InCMlU3GZoANTJKSeyc09nmiew088mdyakJyBAt7bbBCjxz717g-7zGg7erlkbN_RMNYOUaq4Adm4_Ngq6p1p1TKo8FlenaSeE3fv4FabQe-vFj_kjGQ-VoN9bQQ3FrPHYfZnQ7ggsVKM8Jj0KR3r5GjgjpS93OWWS3gi0/s4080/PXL_20240222_034423646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Realms in Dragon Magazine" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgpBkB7SUT2p6Ncq5kWkL4InCMlU3GZoANTJKSeyc09nmiew088mdyakJyBAt7bbBCjxz717g-7zGg7erlkbN_RMNYOUaq4Adm4_Ngq6p1p1TKo8FlenaSeE3fv4FabQe-vFj_kjGQ-VoN9bQQ3FrPHYfZnQ7ggsVKM8Jj0KR3r5GjgjpS93OWWS3gi0/w640-h482/PXL_20240222_034423646.jpg" title="Realms in Dragon Magazine" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My Thoughts</span></b></p><p>There is a lot packed in this box. It's like a TARDIS really; bigger on the inside. In truth, nothing of what I thought was going to be here was here. Yes, there are NPCs, but they are background, and your characters may never ever run into them. They are the background noise of the Realms until the characters are the big noise. I certainly unfairly judged the Forgotten Realms. </p><p>A lot of this stemmed from me thinking that Gygax had been done wrong. Yes, that was true, but the Realms really had nothing to do with that. The New TSR was working to relgate Gygx to the past and Ed was just the guy in the right place in the right time with the right idea. I was also unfair of me to judge the Realms on that. If reading Ed's "The Wizard's Three" has taught me anything that Abier-Toril and Oerth have more in common than not.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZCuIOkjH5SEHmml0pYIi9qz25Gz7WSAiRggbebxmvX-1khu7nxeQ77G4LpTbZL0MgjFeF9PXcZKOwR6t3EpdZGklr2UA8LLbwvSQ818z6QfB-l5n2SOLgatB5Y9XOvkzJNc3hIcrZ3qvBttH5hF8RUhQyYiNyaIjEpJs-iCcOL1lErd94cKSUoweJ7k/s4080/PXL_20240222_040245841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms" border="0" data-original-height="2417" data-original-width="4080" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZCuIOkjH5SEHmml0pYIi9qz25Gz7WSAiRggbebxmvX-1khu7nxeQ77G4LpTbZL0MgjFeF9PXcZKOwR6t3EpdZGklr2UA8LLbwvSQ818z6QfB-l5n2SOLgatB5Y9XOvkzJNc3hIcrZ3qvBttH5hF8RUhQyYiNyaIjEpJs-iCcOL1lErd94cKSUoweJ7k/w640-h380/PXL_20240222_040245841.jpg" title="Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This is, of course, just the start. A big start, to be sure, but a start all the same. This is a canvas to paint on. This is a great set, not just for its time but also for now. Minus some of the stat blocks and spells, everything here can be used with any version of D&D or similar game with little or no effort. </p><p>While I am somewhat overwhelmed by the task before me, I am also excited about it.</p><p>Honestly, I am going to pull out some dice and roll up some characters now.</p></div></div>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-42133373644954899712024-02-21T14:31:00.001-06:002024-02-21T14:31:38.590-06:00New Witch Sheet<p> I am not exactly sure why I didn't do this one already.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFHGqrMzr1EyPzSjc6uebhTeIz1ly1ER723Ye7N1n9pBwZh_ButNe5aLNwFneROsr7458YpGNdTA3XODLCrcKfSMhezIjmhy9nWJwz3PfhX5GxgWCIgSD1dqvMTu1xU8h4VT3QnB9-hbYnp71hJtF3Sqfu5QxWEj3z1XfRbdSMq3oYi6otcYa5Z7CFX0/s4080/PXL_20240221_191850503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Witch Character Sheet" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFHGqrMzr1EyPzSjc6uebhTeIz1ly1ER723Ye7N1n9pBwZh_ButNe5aLNwFneROsr7458YpGNdTA3XODLCrcKfSMhezIjmhy9nWJwz3PfhX5GxgWCIgSD1dqvMTu1xU8h4VT3QnB9-hbYnp71hJtF3Sqfu5QxWEj3z1XfRbdSMq3oYi6otcYa5Z7CFX0/w640-h482/PXL_20240221_191850503.jpg" title="Witch Character Sheet" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I was working on something else and needed an AD&D (Dragon #114) witch for it. It then dawned on me that I didn't have a proper AD&D character sheet for a witch. Well. I fixed that today.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9J1bXDsasZbdfa6kU7o56LgKbJnzwb8qDDzx91PIPdUF06-_aB3DMIKodqXfSpdmZQuKJ-r7mIEIz8XJmvegKkYOR-7kyjqpc_uxf-Gf3IZllvFeGjDgzC_mlzZpVzksh2LGspC5nnyNIL1tCBwsWoBduW5fQJ8KO6e2HLKzaUJkgGsb0T81dxJVRrY/s4080/PXL_20240221_194213374.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Witch Character Sheet" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9J1bXDsasZbdfa6kU7o56LgKbJnzwb8qDDzx91PIPdUF06-_aB3DMIKodqXfSpdmZQuKJ-r7mIEIz8XJmvegKkYOR-7kyjqpc_uxf-Gf3IZllvFeGjDgzC_mlzZpVzksh2LGspC5nnyNIL1tCBwsWoBduW5fQJ8KO6e2HLKzaUJkgGsb0T81dxJVRrY/w640-h482/PXL_20240221_194213374.MP.jpg" title="Witch Character Sheet" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I edited an existing PDF and ran some off on my printer. Proper Goldenrod, of course, but also salmon and blue since they came in those colors as well (NPC and permanent character records, respectively) and because I can come in purple. All my important witches have sheets in purple!</p><p>They are not perfect by any means. Just a quick edit job in Affinity Publisher, but I really like them. </p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-48014060977313311802024-02-20T08:43:00.001-06:002024-02-20T08:43:01.933-06:00New Releases Tuesday: Adventure Time!<p> Normally, Tuesday is a great time to talk about the sort of RPG goodies I got in the mail. But nothing new this week (or last), and I am waiting for the local Games Plus RPG auction before buying anything else. So, imagine my delight when one of my recent adventures got published over the weekend. Then, my delight doubled when another adventure I wrote got its own stand-alone treatment!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/471322/golem?affiliate_id=10748" style="margin-left: 0.25em; margin-right: 0.25em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Frightshow Classics: Golem" border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IJv3lPMbZtYVAb9lAcQ_sFtyKcY6GK14xlucXwTR7P5KtCMA6d2DpDmX3RNbKOE437SILgHkLLWrEL_2jciE_ixmC-WSrtrmTJxnddj4-LTkWwweNAzfEbPs6vVhKBVM2btVYpcXt14h24EGnqs1pU5hyphenhyphenHJuYtmdXWO7dlrVMxx5mtuFzj5FizIVspA/w309-h400/Golem%20Frightshow%20Classics.png" title="Frightshow Classics: Golem" width="309" /></a><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/384543/adventures-in-aldea-witching-weather?affiliate_id=10748" style="margin-left: 0.25em; margin-right: 0.25em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Adventures in Aldea: Witching Weather" border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVSCtEyk44GEhonyyONKS-jE8KgojMyRaKbjI8RObrUFAPExFPlwyr2ZTwIiRsJjZpW1ikaI-yYxl8zAD8OFU4RmoghR87MMsOr-FSR2Fec268Ga4N3dragaqdBRCiVEnT1Egd4C3oX4uoeAjj7BfN1PYGKBWfRDBhiCxOEwmdsvO-1eGybapoCeMiP8/w308-h400/Witching%20Weather.jpg" title="Adventures in Aldea: Witching Weather" width="308" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/471322/golem?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank"><b>Frightshow Classics: Golem</b> </a>is published by Yeti Spaghetti & Friends and is for the Chill 1st Edition RPG. It also works with Chill 2nd Edition, Chill 3rd Edition (with some mods), and Cryptworld and can even be used as a rules lite adventure. </p><p>A rabbi and a neo-nazi have been found murdered in Queens, NY. Is there a connection? People have spotted a large figure near the synagogue and a former professional wrestler is being held for questioning. But is something stranger going on?</p><p>I really loved writing this one and it made really appreciate all the great things about New York. As a Chicagoan, I don't give New York enough credit. But I approached this with the frame of mind of "write this with the same love as I would if this were Chicago." Cause one thing I know for sure. New Yorkers LOVE their city, and I wanted that to show.</p><p><b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/384543/adventures-in-aldea-witching-weather?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Adventures in Aldea: Witching Weather</a></b> from Green Ronin is older, but I discovered it while working on my <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/02/character-exploration-with-blue-rose.html" target="_blank">Blue Rose characters</a> last week. This adventure appears in the collection <i><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/401442/six-of-cups?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Six of Cups</a></i>. But here, you can buy it as a stand-alone adventure for Blue Rose AGE 2nd Edition. </p><p>A group of orphans have turned up in Garnet, and now the weather is out of control, and the forces of darkness want them. One believes they are his children, and another wants to eat them to gain even more power. You have to stop them both. </p><p>This one was so much fun to work on. Blue Rose is sometimes described (somewhat unfairly) as a "Fantasy Seattle," but my Garnet here is "Fantasy Alton, IL," a blue-collar river town (now sea town) with a deep history and pride. And maybe a monster or two hiding in the bluffs. In addition to the adventure, there is a gazetteer for the City of Garnet with some history and background on some major NPCs.</p><p>Grab both if you can! I already got paid, so I don't get anything more from the publishers, but if the sales are good, they can hire me back! </p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-74665879633268375142024-02-19T09:00:00.015-06:002024-02-19T09:00:00.131-06:00Monstrous Mondays: Thunderbird (and Basic Bestiary updates)<p>Work on Basic Bestiary has picked back up. I have 360 completed monsters for it now. I still have my next pass at editing and mechanics tweaking to complete. What I really need is art. I don't have any, and while I am happy to use some PD art for it (and it fits the look I want), I will need more. A lot more. While I don't mind AI art (and appreciate the computer science that went into it), I can't in good conscience use any in this. </p><p>Still playing around with stat block ideas. Since this is a "Basic" Bestiary, I figure I should get closer to the Basic-era stat block details as I can. I am adding some "modern" ideas like creature size and type (something we see in BECMI and RC, but not BX), and Ascending AC (Basic Fantasy, OSE and LL). I need to decide if I want to include other details like Advanced era alignments (I am leaning towards yes), Languages (also yes), and Frequency. I am also still considering hp adjustment due to size. I like it a lot, and it makes creatures a lot tougher.</p><p>I believe I have settled on using BX/OSE style XP awards and having a table in the back for all the other games I think people might want to use this for, as long as they are OGC. Edited: I noticed my math might be off on some higher HD monsters. </p><p>The stat block below is what I am thinking so far. Love to hear some feedback on it.</p><p>Yes. I am still going to use the OGL for this one. I have gone too far down that road to go back.</p><p>Here is one of the last monsters I worked on for the book. As always, the final version might be different.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/illustrations/battling-bird/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Giant Bird" border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="679" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGpjVNzlDlv31adIkTZwVTqp9FgvUwhMpdAQsPy4RTqljd0dm2tR99gURZSQD6sDimxP6h48h3E6cpL2o0TThE07vH5nZVJhVJ_0kSatKKN_ce1emWGAtd8_sVFe7C8L3ji2DJ5oKvRt3xZxT5wTmhJTIV76VFjqizkJUnQVdvVdiaT7rxf4jw9xNlPg/w304-h400/Giant%20Bird.jpg" title="Giant Bird" width="304" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thunder Bird</span></b><br /><i>Gargantuan Beast (Magical)</i><p></p><p>Armor Class: -5 [24]<br />Hit Dice: 17d8+68 (145 hp)<br /><i> Gargantuan: 17d20+68 (264 hp)</i><br />Move: 90' (30')<br /> Flying: 360' (120')<br />Attacks: 2 claws, 1 bite, special<br />Damage: 1d12+5 x2, 2d8+5, special<br />Special: Lighting bolt, thunder, wing buffet<br />No. Appearing: 1 (1, or 1d4+1, mated pair with chicks)<br />Save As: Monster 17<br />Morale: 10 (12)<br />Treasure Type: None, See below<br />Alignment: Neutral (True Neutral)<br />XP: 6,600</p><p>Languages: Avian</p><p>Thunderbirds are gargantuan birds that appear as storm gray-colored eagles. They have a 70' wing span that can blot out the sun and talons that can carry off livestock, usually one or two cattle each. Their eyes flash with electrical light and can shoot lightning bolts. When their wings flap, they can cause storms and thunder. Natives of the lands the thunderbird calls home to revere the bird as a messenger of the forces of good and liken it to a spirit. It is a mortal animal, albeit a very powerful one. </p><p>The thunderbird can attack with its massive beak and talons. It swoops down from their mountain homes, which can be hundreds of miles away, to attack its prey. It prefers large cattle, like horses, cows, and bison, and can carry off up to 2,000 pounds worth at a time. Thunderbirds that live near oceans will even make a dinner out of whales when they can catch them. They do not attack humans if they can avoid it. They do not like the taste and attack humans since humans often return in greater numbers and with weapons. If attacked by humans on the ground, the thunderbird will often just opt to fly away. Thunderbirds and Rocs do not get along as they tend to go after the same prey. Their relationship is similar to that of eagles and hawks. </p><p>The thunderbird gets its name from the magical storm-creation powers it has. By flapping its wings and remaining stationary, it can create a thunderclap that does 10d6 hp of damage; Breath Weapon saves for half the damage. Which will also define anyone within a 120' long cone, 60' at its widest. Targets outside of the 120' are unaffected by either the damage or the deafness. It can also 3 times per day cast a 10d6 lighting bolt from its eyes. The range on this is 100', save vs. Breath Weapon for half damage. Ranges outside of 100' to 300' are at half-damage or save for no damage. The thunderbird will not use this attack against food prey but rather to defend itself from humanoids or other large creatures it finds itself engaging with. A thunderbird can also summon storms as per the <i>Summon Weather</i> spell. </p><p>Thunderbirds have no need nor interest in treasure. The feathers of the thunderbird are highly prized as a main ingredient for a staff of lightning bolts and other magical staffs. Their feathers are also used in other magic item creations, typically Wings of Flying. Any item that requires a roc feather can use a thunderbird feather instead for a 50% increase in either speed or duration. The feathers of a thunderbird usually can bring in 1,000 gp on the right markets (usually only 2d6 are viable for arcane use). The eggs of thunderbirds are so rare to discover that bounties of 12,000 gp and more are sometimes offered. The lairs of the thunderbird are usually at the tops of mountains so high they are very nearly impossible to reach. </p><p>Tales tell of a great thunderbird so large that when it flies, the land below is thrust into night. This could be a single unique specimen or an undiscovered variety. </p><p><br /></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-17780590679004183872024-02-15T12:53:00.001-06:002024-02-20T09:09:03.754-06:00Character Exploration with Blue Rose 2nd Edition: Duchess and Candella<p> A side-step today. I have been working on my reviews of the Forgotten Realms products, but my next one is not yet ready. I was reading over my material for this week, and I thought maybe I should put my money where my mouth is and explore <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/02/the-enchanted-world-lore-of-love.html" target="_blank">some more relationships</a> within my own games. </p><p>I don't have that ready yet, either! But I did go through my goto game for all things romance, Blue Rose. Since I have a few characters I currently use for various explorations, I thought I would try starting them up in Blue Rose AGE 2nd Edition. This is also good since last year I was doing some D&D 5e conversions to other systems as D&D replacements. Blue Rose 2nd Edition is a wonderful replacement for D&D. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Duchess and Candella for Blue Rose</span></b></p><p>My two current fun characters are <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/02/in-search-of-duchess-and-candella.html" target="_blank">Duchess and Candella</a>. I wanted to explore some more about their characters, especially since I already had plans to run module <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2016/12/blue-rose-and-palace-of-silver-princess.html" target="_blank">B3 Palace of the Silver Princess</a> as a Blue Rose game. Back then I mentioned that they were <i>caria daunen</i>, or lovers, but I am not getting that vibe from them now. I mean, yeah, they could be certainly, but I think for these builds, they are not. Or at least not yet. Let's see where they end up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CDfR_m0Za4MqyT_1K-AWoOzqsn6XkiGXZNJR5YsexLtEamDI-cLASUcqmVd-q-Ft1tcFJmHX7z1Mzmdv1unDqudUAZn8mXrXLkfpd4vaOq7PpFpfI2dRxzYsZjDiJaTVG-xlTkZIftBaYNyXYCU3GsQUSSZ3lCGG0jd6OnuNSFtF3WTw9djEpn09AdM/s2048/Candella%20and%20Duchess-portrait.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella and Duchess" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CDfR_m0Za4MqyT_1K-AWoOzqsn6XkiGXZNJR5YsexLtEamDI-cLASUcqmVd-q-Ft1tcFJmHX7z1Mzmdv1unDqudUAZn8mXrXLkfpd4vaOq7PpFpfI2dRxzYsZjDiJaTVG-xlTkZIftBaYNyXYCU3GsQUSSZ3lCGG0jd6OnuNSFtF3WTw9djEpn09AdM/w640-h640/Candella%20and%20Duchess-portrait.png" title="Candella and Duchess" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Blue Rose only has three classes. Adept, Expert, and Warrior. Fantasy Age 2nd Edition adds a new one, the Envoy, but I am sticking with these three. The great thing, though, is even with only three classes, there are lots of ways to customize characters. In D&D Basic (which only had four human classes) they are thieves and their stats are fairly interchangeable. Here I can start them both out as Experts and then through Backgrounds, Powers, Talents, and Focuses (Foci?) they can become very different. I abuse that in my second batch of characters later on.</p><p>Concept-wise, some things came up while doing my research the other day.</p><p>Candella is:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The older one</li><li>The smarter one (but plays dumb)</li><li>More acrobatic / higher dexterity</li></ul><p></p><p>Duchess is:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The younger one</li><li>Has a better constitution</li><li>Higher wisdom (so acts older)</li></ul><p></p><p>Their weapons are more or less the same. They are not averse to using poison. Also an interesting note. While done to save space, they have the exact same treasure, save for a pearl necklace Candella has. What is the implications of this for the game? They steal things, but with each other, they are fair; the treasure is split 50/50. The pearl necklace can be explained by having it be something Candella had before they teamed up.</p><p>Blue Rose, in addition to what I consider "class" customization, there is a lot of interpersonal customization as well. This is in the form of Blue Rose's Callings, Destiny, and Fate. The relationship mechanics are also great to use. All of these can be ported over to another game. For the example of D&D 5, anything you do to gain Conviction in Blue Rose can be used to grant Inspiration in D&D.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZdCNnXKw4YGbnz4aqAO0_POuVJ18MUzmj4D9uVhwpqI6k0IJFGUgUPXg6bjMgb0U6T1M7LAhuXFt9_2CSdJ333_3pzqGa0BiqdSzcgSly0Vvktj4ujyHSl_DgJ8rlSa_B-u0iw4bVLa2YuKH5wJ0I8rK3kBh-vBq24p3EgK-lzYeaTDoqLLE6yw5vo4/s1024/Duchess-portrait.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Duchess" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZdCNnXKw4YGbnz4aqAO0_POuVJ18MUzmj4D9uVhwpqI6k0IJFGUgUPXg6bjMgb0U6T1M7LAhuXFt9_2CSdJ333_3pzqGa0BiqdSzcgSly0Vvktj4ujyHSl_DgJ8rlSa_B-u0iw4bVLa2YuKH5wJ0I8rK3kBh-vBq24p3EgK-lzYeaTDoqLLE6yw5vo4/w320-h320/Duchess-portrait.png" title="Duchess" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Duchess<br /></span></b>Female Human Expert, Level 3 (Age 19)<p></p><p>Accuracy: 2 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Light Blades</span><br />Communication: 3 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Deception, Gambling</span><br />Constitution: 4 <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Drinking</span><br />Dexterity: 3 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Stealth</span><br />Fighting: 2 <br />Intelligence: 2<br />Perception: 3 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Searching</span><br />Strength: 1<br />Willpower: 3 </p><p>Speed: 13<br />Defense: 13<br />Armor: 3<br />Penalty: 0</p><p>Health: 42<br />Conviction: 4</p><p><b>Powers, Talents, and Specializations</b></p><p>- Pinpoint Attack (+1d6 damage)<br />- Light Armor training<br />- Starting Talents: Thievery (Novice), Carousing (Novice)</p><p><b>Arms and Armor</b></p><p>Sword (Fighting) 2d6<br />Dagger, Melee (Accuracy) 1d6+1</p><p>Crossbow (Accuracy) 2d6 30/60 Major<br />Dagger, Ranged (Accuracy) 1d6 6/12 Minor</p><p>Leather (Light Armor)</p><p><b>Persona</b></p><p>Calling: The Wheel, Wealth<br />Destiny: Knight of Chalices, Charismatic<br />Fate: Manipulative<br />Corruption: 0 (but likely to be 1 soon enough)</p><p><b>Relationships</b></p><p>Candella (3), "We are sisters in crime. I am closer to her than my own kin."</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-x1_g3_RPf45FWrQEwegLcLg6xFRUH7EXuUcm2KGQGY_EBPYzcbwGCTFxdT67t8smD6-he3C-YjYT7WTzaxrL8nSkg6Rp12qYRlxh4_vzUIj0fNlMTS6nV06MQ_F3_t9RgU23NcJFNWnUZT-FfXZnPFgOnH8yJ92JWVStWUoQh_RimxTqxii1-awUVw/s1024/Candella-portrait.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Candella" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-x1_g3_RPf45FWrQEwegLcLg6xFRUH7EXuUcm2KGQGY_EBPYzcbwGCTFxdT67t8smD6-he3C-YjYT7WTzaxrL8nSkg6Rp12qYRlxh4_vzUIj0fNlMTS6nV06MQ_F3_t9RgU23NcJFNWnUZT-FfXZnPFgOnH8yJ92JWVStWUoQh_RimxTqxii1-awUVw/w320-h320/Candella-portrait.png" title="Candella" width="320" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Candella<br /></span></b>Female Human Expert, Level 3 (Age 21)<p></p><p>Accuracy: 3 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Brawling, Light Blades</span><br />Communication: 2 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Persuasion</span><br />Constitution: 3<br />Dexterity: 3 (Primary) <span style="font-size: x-small;">Focus: Acrobatics, Stealth</span><br />Fighting: 2 <br />Intelligence: 3 <span style="font-size: small;">Focus: Evaluation</span><br />Perception: 2 (Primary) <br />Strength: 2<br />Willpower: 2</p><p>Speed: 13<br />Defense: 13<br />Armor: 3<br />Penalty: 0</p><p>Health: 40<br />Conviction: 4</p><p><b>Powers, Talents, and Specializations</b></p><p>- Pinpoint Attack (+1d6 damage)<br />- Light Armor training<br />- Starting Talents: Thievery (Journeyman)</p><p><b>Arms and Armor</b></p><p>Sword (Fighting) 2d6<br />Dagger, Melee (Accuracy) 1d6+1</p><p>Crossbow (Accuracy) 2d6 30/60 Major<br />Dagger, Ranged (Accuracy) 1d6 6/12 Minor</p><p>Leather (Light Armor)</p><p><b>Persona</b></p><p>Calling: The Fool, Adventure and Excitement<br />Destiny: Eight of Swords, Free Spirit<br />Fate: Stagnant<br />Corruption: 0 (but likely to be 1 soon enough)</p><p><b>Relationships</b></p><p>Duchess (3), "We are sisters in crime. I am closer to her than my own kin."</p><p>--</p><p>Ok, this is fun. It also helps me think about who these characters are a little better. I have always gotten a Harley and Ivy vibe from these two, with Candella being Harly Quinn and Duchess as Poison Ivy. Or maybe even a Fire and Ice (from DC) vibe. Duchess certainly looks more like Fire, but Candella has her personality. I can see a common tactic where Duchess gets a bunch of adventurers drunk, Candella distracts them with a strip tease, and then Duchess robs them all blind. The two run off laughing with all their ill-gotten gains. </p><p>I made them a year older and a level higher. While they are both 3rd level Experts with a Talent for thievery, they have enough differences to set them apart.</p><p>At 4th level, they both will take a Specialization. There are many great ones in the Blue Rose book and more in the new Second Editon Fantasy AGE book. But none feel quite right to me.</p><p>I think, and I am not 100% sold on this idea yet, but I might go with Assassin for Duchess, though Hunter might be a better choice. Candella could take the Razor from FAGE2, but in reality, I want something more akin to an Acrobat. </p><p>Still. A lot of things I can still do with these two.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeHtMwdXxOsrrfMMhlK2pGDwBQcXROy6_u5k2-zDg9QI-y06KICPCW3us7gJimHeFaAzNdS9kS7suXlpflvPivT2G7IEOMWsuuFNu4FsMiSKbwWVrxiKVo6BZgJwg4w5iSf1xakghTFzsCU343c1riS_TE5LztemveFR350GjMa5hW5fQ6n1mBHoyAcI/s2538/PXL_20240215_184756967.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella & Duchess for Blue Rose" border="0" data-original-height="2538" data-original-width="2480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeHtMwdXxOsrrfMMhlK2pGDwBQcXROy6_u5k2-zDg9QI-y06KICPCW3us7gJimHeFaAzNdS9kS7suXlpflvPivT2G7IEOMWsuuFNu4FsMiSKbwWVrxiKVo6BZgJwg4w5iSf1xakghTFzsCU343c1riS_TE5LztemveFR350GjMa5hW5fQ6n1mBHoyAcI/w626-h640/PXL_20240215_184756967.MP.jpg" title="Candella & Duchess for Blue Rose" width="626" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-1635442762129902352024-02-14T09:24:00.001-06:002024-02-14T09:24:17.239-06:00The Enchanted World: The Lore of Love<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl8mlJ1gUjHYXO54upA7imMyN-4u0A40c3rql3WJCBxegb9Kib3u7melU1sSUgkCOwhlwt7K77GSFVx6CUiEXusZYOdDS3nWlvIsQL9o1GN9tiXPp_ZmCAthtMhtELKAgZsdV14SOLV6rtk5lvSoX9RSC43RpWQqizqd29h_jKIqlwicH5urpPdUtRAw/s3500/The%20Lore%20of%20Love.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Enchanted World: The Lore of Love" border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2625" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl8mlJ1gUjHYXO54upA7imMyN-4u0A40c3rql3WJCBxegb9Kib3u7melU1sSUgkCOwhlwt7K77GSFVx6CUiEXusZYOdDS3nWlvIsQL9o1GN9tiXPp_ZmCAthtMhtELKAgZsdV14SOLV6rtk5lvSoX9RSC43RpWQqizqd29h_jKIqlwicH5urpPdUtRAw/w300-h400/The%20Lore%20of%20Love.jpg" title="The Enchanted World: The Lore of Love" width="300" /></a></div> I saw an online conversation in an old-school RPG group a bit ago. This guy was boasting that his games never had romance, sexuality, or anything at all like that. My first thought was, "How sad," and my next immediate thought was, "How boring his games must be!"<p></p><p>Without the stories and contributions of love and romance or just plain good old-fashioned sex, we would loose most of the works of Shakespeare, many of the Greek myths, and practically all of modern music. Ancient Greeks to Motzart's <i>Le nozze di Figaro</i> and <i>Così fan tutte</i>, to "Silly love songs" by Paul McCartney to most of Taylor Swift's catalog. Love just might make the world go 'round.</p><p>That is the topic of today's The Enchanted World. I mentioned before that I am not going in publication order, save for the first, and instead going to post the titles that have some connection with when I post them. Today is February 14th, Valentine's Day, so let's look at Love...Enchanted World style. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Lore of Love</span></b> </p><p>by Editors of Time-LIFE Books, 1987 (144 pages)<br />ISBN 0809452812, 0809452820 (US Editions)</p><p>This is a later one and does not have a single author. Tony Allen is listed as "text editor" and Ellen Dupont is listed as "staff writer." Of note, in the US, the cover is purple. In the UK, this book had a green cloth cover. </p><p>Like the others in this series the art is a mix of newer pieces with a lot of classical ones. There are for example a lot of John William Waterhouse. The bibliography for this one is also rather impressive. I imagine that as they went on there were a lot more texts collected that they could reference.</p><p>Like <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/02/the-enchanted-world-wizards-and-witches.html" target="_blank">Wizards and Witches</a>, this one is divided into three larger sections. These can be roughly described as "Finding Love," "Love Gone Wrong" and "Keeping Love." That's not a perfect match, but it will do.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIQEhHGxuH_FT-gq3QJD8VE4l1hQrOHnAVwwafWBIehLdjG3UXxZcm5b_-wG2E3KCXagVqHSjSDRSO4qzyqxA6XjtTBhcjyr34a3XsvEArWjcST3IwWf_xEusvLuZUmFBmjHjaxusHam4Ri1GUl0kz2qgQQIhv7NOLpB3O0gTiGC5rpSLjTqpOMYOz3E/s4080/PXL_20240211_053508747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chapter One: Destiny's Playthings" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIQEhHGxuH_FT-gq3QJD8VE4l1hQrOHnAVwwafWBIehLdjG3UXxZcm5b_-wG2E3KCXagVqHSjSDRSO4qzyqxA6XjtTBhcjyr34a3XsvEArWjcST3IwWf_xEusvLuZUmFBmjHjaxusHam4Ri1GUl0kz2qgQQIhv7NOLpB3O0gTiGC5rpSLjTqpOMYOz3E/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_053508747.jpg" title="Chapter One: Destiny's Playthings" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Chapter One: Destiny's Playthings</b></p><p>This covers love as a shaper of destiny. The six stories here involve the gods getting involved with the love lives of mortals to some degree. "A Groom for the Sea-Lord's Daughter," for example, tells about the fairest sea nymph of all, Thetis, and how she spurred the lust of both Poseidon and then Zeus, only to be given to a mortal Peleus because it was prophesized that her son would defeat his father. As an aside I noticed that Thetis' requests of Peleus are very much the same as we see in later mermaid and selkie tales of Northern Europe. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCJSgVXNU7AwwSOZaQO-GHXcxQuU1cWT-S4UFls-xd0ZS3BAP1-GpJEY3DSzg-VOwio7OAYNrR20KpMcoP5O1SauUK8yuV0yhS5dHZ_1F8kp07SSccMImKoVdOy9ey0IR-fDkfP2rwyeiq1IokZ_AIP3VC2kGs40v8TQ8ZuY_svfL27ofxZ18petpY0c/s4080/PXL_20240211_053528232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maiden's Visions" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCJSgVXNU7AwwSOZaQO-GHXcxQuU1cWT-S4UFls-xd0ZS3BAP1-GpJEY3DSzg-VOwio7OAYNrR20KpMcoP5O1SauUK8yuV0yhS5dHZ_1F8kp07SSccMImKoVdOy9ey0IR-fDkfP2rwyeiq1IokZ_AIP3VC2kGs40v8TQ8ZuY_svfL27ofxZ18petpY0c/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_053528232.jpg" title="Maiden's Visions" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Tales of the problems when mortals try to avoid their fate abound as in "The God of Marriages" a Chinese tale of a man who sees his bride to be as a toddler and tries everything to avoid his fate, and just playing into it. Or the Indian tale of "A Love Forgotten" of two lovers reunited at last. </p><p>Sometimes, love, though meant to be, is also tragic. Such is the tale of a German knight in "The Cursed Embrace" whose betrothed is already dead.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE4lmSAaVlIcvvrXieQiqricDP39BOzsqPtK3lYBxj4ZYcLv8zjt5iYcYD4UU2HuZYWwEzDn5L8J53scN2MnQz8xZxZ9D7OiOud6R5vbspy2sUBeyaAXTvyw0gqvx6ZIgZvymEnMlfsTkjlwMtMzbUWbZ0WSiiKUhyWwL-bIwk3NlIYaZbOvWgT9UKko/s4080/PXL_20240211_053546604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chapter Two: Blighted Passions" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE4lmSAaVlIcvvrXieQiqricDP39BOzsqPtK3lYBxj4ZYcLv8zjt5iYcYD4UU2HuZYWwEzDn5L8J53scN2MnQz8xZxZ9D7OiOud6R5vbspy2sUBeyaAXTvyw0gqvx6ZIgZvymEnMlfsTkjlwMtMzbUWbZ0WSiiKUhyWwL-bIwk3NlIYaZbOvWgT9UKko/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_053546604.jpg" title="Chapter Two: Blighted Passions" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Chapter Two: Blighted Passions</b></p><p>The story of love is not always about happy endings. Romeo and Juliet aside, there was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popocat%C3%A9petl" target="_blank">Popocatepetl</a> and his love Princess <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iztaccihuatl" target="_blank">Iztaccíhuatl</a>. When an army could not stop Popocatepetl the Jaguar Knight, his own spread lies about his death so they could possibly claim his bride. When she heard her love had died she died herself. When the Jaguar Knight returned and learned of her death and why, he killed all his men.</p><p>Across the ocean in Spain we are treated to the story of Don Juan and his ill-fated affairs. Of the tragedies of Narcissus, Daphne, and Thisbe of Ancient Greece. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMXs1IOE1_JsoalpyjXmQO0Yw1fvhoz7TrMrxO-TxUrvzQ_Vi06vLWzk_61cNW3TCq-L3oYmkVZb2PhHD6DRCdtkv4ructuLTT-U7RGzhyphenhyphen2G-dUJakY6UjB3xFldbeb5GiqZubTn-gO-ucb829i2v99RkuRmdXY5YQ1Cnu0-OdZm1ScJw4z_nBSrM0HQ/s4080/PXL_20240211_053620192.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Warlock's Comeuppance" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMXs1IOE1_JsoalpyjXmQO0Yw1fvhoz7TrMrxO-TxUrvzQ_Vi06vLWzk_61cNW3TCq-L3oYmkVZb2PhHD6DRCdtkv4ructuLTT-U7RGzhyphenhyphen2G-dUJakY6UjB3xFldbeb5GiqZubTn-gO-ucb829i2v99RkuRmdXY5YQ1Cnu0-OdZm1ScJw4z_nBSrM0HQ/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_053620192.jpg" title="The Warlock's Comeuppance" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Though not was all tragedy. There were times when love went wrong and it was comical. Such is the tale of the Warlock's Comeuppance. A warlock found a young women he wished to put a spell on, so he convinced his young Latin pupil to get three hairs from her head. The girl caught her brother trying to steal the hairs and instead gave him three hairs from their young heffer. The warlock performed his dark arts spell and soon had a lovesick cow following all over the town!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsETT3KnPS2IgA2BjgHOSQ5ng682JP1hZTdy-IzAou4Q6Q9c_0PWV6f7_xKoSIUpqtP5qdMGWOhYOmg_KWNH02A7RKxxPCy3KuLLT4gyIFNbUVO9ZFWfQkl1pbsFvjMa0UG3ugabT5k1V1mZSsprIzgzC1XV7bShSxC4QcetbR8PyhX7mpLE7S8D5f38/s4080/PXL_20240211_053636526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chapter Three: True Love Triumphant" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsETT3KnPS2IgA2BjgHOSQ5ng682JP1hZTdy-IzAou4Q6Q9c_0PWV6f7_xKoSIUpqtP5qdMGWOhYOmg_KWNH02A7RKxxPCy3KuLLT4gyIFNbUVO9ZFWfQkl1pbsFvjMa0UG3ugabT5k1V1mZSsprIzgzC1XV7bShSxC4QcetbR8PyhX7mpLE7S8D5f38/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_053636526.jpg" title="Chapter Three: True Love Triumphant" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Chapter Three: True Love Triumphant</b></p><p>Of course the best tales are the ones where true love wins out over all odds. Tales like Aucassin and Nicolette the Saracen Maid. They were separated by wars, pirates, and separation of years. Or of Hiku, the Polynesian hero who was so brave he went to the underworld itself to find his lost love Kawelu. Can your characters claim that? (Yeah. Mine can.)</p><p>I am a little surprised that the tale of Cupid and Psyche is not here, but maybe that one is so well known they dropped it in favor of these other stories.</p><p>Like all the ones I have read through so far, this one is wonderfully illustrated and amazingly researched. Combining the bibliography for all of these would provide a lifetime's worth of reading. </p><p>This one might have fewer "game-related" details than others, but there is undoubtedly a treasure trove of ideas here. </p><p><b>Next time: </b><i>Here there be Dragons!</i></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-11259631276788628262024-02-13T07:25:00.003-06:002024-02-13T12:41:43.494-06:00In Search Of Duchess and Candella<p> I mentioned earlier in this year that my oldest son's group is running through ALL editions of D&D to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons. They made characters, and they are taking them through each edition. They have done OD&D, Basic and they are now ready for 1st Edition Advanced. The characters are now 2nd to 4th level, but there are only 5 of them. And they want me to run an AD&D game for them.</p><p>Last week I finally figured out what I am going to run. They will go through the Orange version of module <b>B3 Palace of the Silver Princess</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iKlYCuSMv3qZFBU9WUl5yo5SHn6dbUDgcm4MQd5FJrS8W_mw8uZRJM0Cj96OzEj0RrxIq-1hgN61By1hmBdjA9gtStfhfXp9v4xLqf4oAKwuUWLTTVHHX7ZSViuKxtiKdS3hBC_zJ3ESYcrJx8vovXMl507pqVEm-qPUQ6E_2t0SgiLcQ8bgsH4sbt4/s4020/PXL_20240209_050502991.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Palaces of the Silver Princess" border="0" data-original-height="2507" data-original-width="4020" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iKlYCuSMv3qZFBU9WUl5yo5SHn6dbUDgcm4MQd5FJrS8W_mw8uZRJM0Cj96OzEj0RrxIq-1hgN61By1hmBdjA9gtStfhfXp9v4xLqf4oAKwuUWLTTVHHX7ZSViuKxtiKdS3hBC_zJ3ESYcrJx8vovXMl507pqVEm-qPUQ6E_2t0SgiLcQ8bgsH4sbt4/w640-h400/PXL_20240209_050502991.jpg" title="Palaces of the Silver Princess" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I will explain its infamy to them and run it like it was 1981 for them. So, a mix of B/X and AD&D. Just like we did it. I'll talk more about the adventure, but for now, I want to focus on a small side matter with the adventure(s). </p><p>That is, who exactly are the thieves, Duchess and Candella?</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdSg32iP-4zqIvOOpYPXNa1p_VXM3LHr8n9IjA4wyDrQOS6rfZu-oLaPwHPghUx1gGOUo-ZQFVKj1kaRW4zFu3xJEvdsnHzg0fcuLWdqDEF9FkkZt8Uhh9xzgjceRmgT0tlSk1OeAmCgwO3JLJk0ylmykAdwCHRYwLvXY9Yz2m1Dlxi7QncxuhzDcRVY/s3125/PXL_20240209_050547242.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Duchess and Candella" border="0" data-original-height="3125" data-original-width="2790" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdSg32iP-4zqIvOOpYPXNa1p_VXM3LHr8n9IjA4wyDrQOS6rfZu-oLaPwHPghUx1gGOUo-ZQFVKj1kaRW4zFu3xJEvdsnHzg0fcuLWdqDEF9FkkZt8Uhh9xzgjceRmgT0tlSk1OeAmCgwO3JLJk0ylmykAdwCHRYwLvXY9Yz2m1Dlxi7QncxuhzDcRVY/w358-h400/PXL_20240209_050547242.jpg" title="Duchess and Candella" width="358" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">In Search of...Duchess and Candella</span></b><p></p><p>In both versions of the adventure, you encounter two thieves pretending to be Lady Maidservants. Well... not convincingly, since they know very little about what a maidservant does or where anything in the castle is. But they are earnest and "very attractive" and ask to join the party. </p><p>Now, I always thought that "Duchess" was the dark-haired one and "Candella" the light-haired one. Largely because I thought the dark-haired one looked like a Duchess and Candella is said to have a string of pearls on her. The orange version gives us their ages as 18 for Duchess and 20 for Candella. </p><p>I always liked that art. You are catching two thieves almost red-handed, and the look of surprise on Candella's face and her hair flying about was just great. </p><p>They <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search?q=candella" target="_blank">became minor recurring NPCs in my games</a>. Showing up, stealing something here and there, and then disappearing again. If the PCs were ever tossed into jail, then sure enough, Duchess and Candella were already there.</p><p>I had not thought about them much, and they certainly don't get the ink that the likes of Aleena or Morgan Ironwolf get, but they were/are fun NPCs, and I wanted to know more about them. Turns out I am not the only one.</p><p><b>What does the Web Say?</b></p><p>There are a few links worth visiting and following up on. First is <b><a href="https://davidleonard-greyhawkmusings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Greyhawk Musings</a>: <a href="https://davidleonard-greyhawkmusings.blogspot.com/2022/05/on-duchess-and-candella.html" target="_blank">On Duchess and Candella</a></b>. This is a great place to start due to its thoroughness. In fact, this blog is a treasure trove of information on them, and I respect David Leonard for that. He speculates that the dark-haired woman thief in G3, The Hall of the Fire Giant King, is Duchess now 11th level. This begs the question, what happened to Candella? Side note: I used that very same thief as a recurring character when I ran G3, but for me, it was <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/search?q=Escalla" target="_blank">Evelyn the Princess Escalla</a>. But I appreciate what he is doing here. Like me, he equates Duchess with the dark-haired woman and Candella with the light-haired one. </p><p><a href="https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51759" target="_blank">We learn from no less of a luminary himself, Frank Mentzer</a>, that these two figures were not just Jean Well's characters; they were her favorite duo of characters. She also did the art of them in <a href="https://osrgrimoire.blogspot.com/2022/04/b3-palace-of-silver-princess-original.html" target="_blank">Polyhedron #4</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUakS1w3EvOruCqFcMpPd2PVlcxOvlY8YZAEuQRtL0b-QebaDa6JfvYcaD3UmP4_h3dYQW5SlvPF2E8RpsDWXb4tOa3AOTQZ7JkiyzgxQc4BHx9haIqJG-bk1XLt96pHluTlD_f7CMoKbL1vP19tsD-ZCZWWOycK29v_TDjcehjTLK4LRTushwG3k3be0/s773/Duchess%20and%20Candella%20Polyhedron%204.png.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candella and Duchess in Polyhedron #4" border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="773" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUakS1w3EvOruCqFcMpPd2PVlcxOvlY8YZAEuQRtL0b-QebaDa6JfvYcaD3UmP4_h3dYQW5SlvPF2E8RpsDWXb4tOa3AOTQZ7JkiyzgxQc4BHx9haIqJG-bk1XLt96pHluTlD_f7CMoKbL1vP19tsD-ZCZWWOycK29v_TDjcehjTLK4LRTushwG3k3be0/w640-h416/Duchess%20and%20Candella%20Polyhedron%204.png.jpg" title="Candella and Duchess in Polyhedron #4" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Sadly, we can't ask Wells herself, as she <a href="https://blackmoormystara.blogspot.com/2012/01/jean-wells-1955-2012.html" target="_blank">passed away in 2012</a>.</p><p>Greyhawk lore master <a href="https://greyhawkonline.com/on-the-ratik-that-was-wasnt-then-was-again/#" target="_blank">Jason Zavoda</a> made some similar observations and connections for Greyhawk.</p><p>I mentioned I was not the only one to find these two fun. They have appeared in more recent products as well. Or at least homages to them.</p><p>Candella, sans Duchess, appears on the cover of Blueholme.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GrjsQoN4zNNtoXTSAbX5Uwrof7Zij6J4apbzzDhU29rglSBpqj3S-am3vT43J72lkntHVHAIAzfvtu3WGq0xBU72Lf9038qTm6Dw9HYyRKUpgz7LpsO4dfRC1MX-flAQem1jSorfVqiHp47-I4PpfGl5FG-skBaRaDEy1mj9HAyqeRPrtblhyphenhyphenEBZbYM/s4080/PXL_20240209_055237379.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blueholme" border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GrjsQoN4zNNtoXTSAbX5Uwrof7Zij6J4apbzzDhU29rglSBpqj3S-am3vT43J72lkntHVHAIAzfvtu3WGq0xBU72Lf9038qTm6Dw9HYyRKUpgz7LpsO4dfRC1MX-flAQem1jSorfVqiHp47-I4PpfGl5FG-skBaRaDEy1mj9HAyqeRPrtblhyphenhyphenEBZbYM/w482-h640/PXL_20240209_055237379.jpg" title="Blueholme" width="482" /></a></div><br /><p>She is the one getting the treasure. Wearing the same outfit as Candella at least.</p><p>In a minor cameo, but also a cover, no less, they are part of the new <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/17ycd20/art_you_had_me_at_frankensteins_dragon/" target="_blank">D&D Companion Project</a>. I hope to have more on that soon. </p><p>And as I mentioned above, the 11th-level thief from <b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/176868/g3-hall-of-the-fire-giant-king-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King</a></b> might also be Duchess, without Candella.</p><p><b>Duchess and Candella in Other Adventures</b></p><p><b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17142/b12-queen-s-harvest-basic?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">B12 Queen's Harvest</a></b> is another Basic-level adventure. This time though the "B" is from the BECMI flavor of Basic and not the BX one.</p><p>Very early on in this Carl Sargent-penned adventure from 1989, we are introduced to two thieves, Erren and Sarrah, on pages 6-7. Their ages and appearances line up with Candella and Duchess, even if their stats don't quite match, though. It is not a stretch of the imagination to assume that Candella and Duchess also have other aliases. They are presented in an <b>NPC Mini-Capsule</b>, so they are important to the adventure, though no other details are given.</p><p>The fan module by Agathokles, <a href="http://pandius.com/DymrakDread.pdf" target="_blank"><b>The Dymrak Dread</b></a>, makes this connection solid with Sarrah, now known as "the Duchess," and part of the Thieves Guild, and her friend Erren Candella. Here they are 5th and 6th level respectively. This adventure also has Orcus and witches in it, so it is worth my coming back to.</p><p>Another adventure to feature them, and this time by name, is <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/443276/palace-of-the-golden-princess-old-school-essentials?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">the<b> Palace of the Golden Princess</b></a>, an homage to the original (Orange) Palace of the Silver Princess and Jean Wells herself. There are 5e and OSE versions of the adventure, and they are tied to a <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/390501/palace-of-the-golden-princess-1-comic?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">comic series</a> taking place in a land inspired by the map in the Original B3 Palace of the Silver Princess. There are even some allusions (in an oblique way) to the Return to the Keep on the Borderlands.</p><p>They also briefly appear in <a href="https://twitter.com/Mystara9" target="_blank">Mr. Welch's</a> <b><a href="https://www.rpgmp3.com/mystara-players-guide/" target="_blank">Mystara Player's Guide for 5e</a>, notably </b>under Mystara's Most Wanted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtIiNHWBw8Ado6VqOn53Dy6AFIcN4hwUfUFGHvXSQ2cRjdvwhMpPRghfx_Y2M_mjhwWpqfdblcXNgnWZBNW5sY_kfMHFBHgQWl2z-6A6oOqRYgqsd1MnUlygw3oJVSE_Fl10H_4kLBYaZI5x0ATRzNT-CPAxyDqiqawvrO8AdBSuOPvrWbB6hGwote8Y/s774/Mystara_Players_Guide_5e%20-%20Most%20Wanted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mystara Players Guide 5e - Most Wanted" border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="774" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtIiNHWBw8Ado6VqOn53Dy6AFIcN4hwUfUFGHvXSQ2cRjdvwhMpPRghfx_Y2M_mjhwWpqfdblcXNgnWZBNW5sY_kfMHFBHgQWl2z-6A6oOqRYgqsd1MnUlygw3oJVSE_Fl10H_4kLBYaZI5x0ATRzNT-CPAxyDqiqawvrO8AdBSuOPvrWbB6hGwote8Y/w640-h198/Mystara_Players_Guide_5e%20-%20Most%20Wanted.jpg" title="Mystara Players Guide 5e - Most Wanted" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeozr5ipsQ6jJyZPBFmJ_h2DsDtwzQhKL7GqG1T4sHyb2g_xUdeQhW34CgvjrZeJkC8gz4bQ2c-GHEyn1DFJ3ZuUtcgH_JNMf2GnXuquRq9VhZ8KDnggfhtGr8rLiDr1I7U1tE6kDL0-epydRYarmNsj850hRiB8yxB2hl6Unne3Blc2ZnFNOVysJI6o/s368/Mystara_Players_Guide_5e%20-%20crimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mystara Players Guide 5e - Most Wanted" border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeozr5ipsQ6jJyZPBFmJ_h2DsDtwzQhKL7GqG1T4sHyb2g_xUdeQhW34CgvjrZeJkC8gz4bQ2c-GHEyn1DFJ3ZuUtcgH_JNMf2GnXuquRq9VhZ8KDnggfhtGr8rLiDr1I7U1tE6kDL0-epydRYarmNsj850hRiB8yxB2hl6Unne3Blc2ZnFNOVysJI6o/s16000/Mystara_Players_Guide_5e%20-%20crimes.jpg" title="Mystara Players Guide 5e - Most Wanted" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>Thought their biggest feature run has been in the various Folio Black Label adventures. Most notably in <b><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/folio-black-label-10-1e-and-5e-adventure#/" target="_blank">Folio: Black Label #10</a></b> and <b><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/460464/The-Folio-The-Complete-Black-Label?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">The Complete Folio Black Label</a>. </b></p><p>In <i>The Complete Folio Black Label </i>(covering Black Label 1-6 with extras), nearly every piece of art features our daring duo in all sorts of predicaments throughout all the adventures. They are also rendered by various artists like Brian Brinlee, Peter Bradley, and Simon Adams, among others. <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/411940/folio-black-label-4?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Folio: Black Label #4</a> and <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/411949/folio-black-label-5?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Folio: Black Label #5</a> even feature them on the cover. Honestly, I bought a bunch of these just to see how much Candella and Duchess art there was in them.</p><p>Another artist whose work has been featured in the Folio: Black Label books is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/domenico_neziti/" target="_blank">Domenico Neziti</a>. He has done so many pieces of Duchess and Candella that I am giving him his own space below.</p><p>Here are a few of his pieces from his Instagram page.</p>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BizEkGCH_jW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Domenico Neziti (@domenico_neziti)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZHg9dHVnH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Domenico Neziti (@domenico_neziti)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhO_66nj5Dp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhO_66nj5Dp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; 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line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhO_66nj5Dp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Domenico Neziti (@domenico_neziti)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p><br /></p><p>And another I could not find on his Instagram.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABKvI5_ISGzDk__zSzm4r8Krvnw8yktLT5RPqARwTRbbfz7cVJQ__QSkdK4NYtSA0EeEYoy6XOhAOtKe4r5-sJWLiSA3GmpVxamSeAaUEvvyo2jfrBACRGQW1D-QbR21JSpAs40FpwQ-vT2BPTEbNuvGsxo_1GFICTxKvkHEPrBCYCP4uYDeciALrTnI/s1311/Duchess%20and%20Candella%20Demon%20Bait.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duchess and Candella Demon Bait" border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1311" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABKvI5_ISGzDk__zSzm4r8Krvnw8yktLT5RPqARwTRbbfz7cVJQ__QSkdK4NYtSA0EeEYoy6XOhAOtKe4r5-sJWLiSA3GmpVxamSeAaUEvvyo2jfrBACRGQW1D-QbR21JSpAs40FpwQ-vT2BPTEbNuvGsxo_1GFICTxKvkHEPrBCYCP4uYDeciALrTnI/w640-h442/Duchess%20and%20Candella%20Demon%20Bait.png" title="Duchess and Candella Demon Bait" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Domenico Neziti "Demon Bait"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>He clearly has these two down, with some more on his <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/nezart/gallery" target="_blank">DeviantArt</a> page.</p><p>With new books out like Folio: Black Label series it is easy to see how these two have had all sorts of adventures. I can see something akin to distaff versions of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, though maybe less magic. Likely a bit closer to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Queens" target="_blank">The Rat Queens</a>. When I used them in games I always made Candella closer to the Thief-Acrobat concept and Duchess maybe a little closer to a Thief-Assassin. But I don't get "evil" off of either of them, really. Plus, Duchess doesn't have the strength score to be an assassin. Maybe more fighter-thief.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Duchess and Candella in my Games</span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoED550FpI4iAdgraWWzCqfhWfF8LR9ZSYXi2yrtLONgMPqsuWQK665gWnnmzi_qY4sbqEJiiwnqiUHcevNRMLdCJ6VNW3S15aXAAXiaEG7dBdRdEsuaWXzSkHaLi71e9aied9Ol1ivjeJM_1DHOL9rRV8RsicNzXup_b01y8xESee_2csFZbC6y2iQTA/s4080/PXL_20240211_063249179.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duchess and Candella" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoED550FpI4iAdgraWWzCqfhWfF8LR9ZSYXi2yrtLONgMPqsuWQK665gWnnmzi_qY4sbqEJiiwnqiUHcevNRMLdCJ6VNW3S15aXAAXiaEG7dBdRdEsuaWXzSkHaLi71e9aied9Ol1ivjeJM_1DHOL9rRV8RsicNzXup_b01y8xESee_2csFZbC6y2iQTA/w640-h482/PXL_20240211_063249179.MP.jpg" title="Duchess and Candella" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/237351/1st-Edition-Style-Fantasy-Character-Sheets-27-Pack?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Duchess and Candella, Sheets from Dark Wizard Games</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I have used them in the past, as I mentioned, but never to the extent I have some other characters and certainly not to the level some other gamers have.</p><p>Given all the art out there, they have certainly had a lot of adventures, and some that look outright crazy. But these two seem like fun characters to have "madcap adventures." I mean, is Morgan Ironwolf going to pretend to be half-naked bait for a demon? No, I don't see it. I'd love to use these two in my Forgotten Realms adventures but honestly they are so Mystara/Oerth feeling for me I can't see moving them over any easier than I could move the B-modules over.</p><p>I have at least figured out how they met. This came up in an adventure before. They were both, independently trying to steal this ruby, from the local guild-mistress of thieves. They didn't know the other was also trying, nor did either know this was the guild mistress. They failed, and the guild mistress, Amara, impressed by their attempt or something else, took them in and made them work together. The two became good friends, and their careers began. In my mind, Candella had been a tavern wench who had become tired of watching adventurers coming in with ill-gotten gains when she could have all that gold. Duchess' background is a bit darker. She was a servant girl working for a Baron and Baroness. The Baroness had accused her of stealing a necklace, but she had not. The Baron, who was broke, had sold it to cover some of his debts and suggested she could work off her guilt in his bed chamber. When she refused, he got violent, and she ran to escape him, and he fell down the stairs to his death. Knowing she would be blamed and likely executed, she ran. She thinks she is still wanted for the Baron's murder. She isn't; no one ever looked for her. In fact, the Baron's debt was so great that the local authorities had plenty of other suspects. The Baroness died soon after in the home of a relative.</p><p>I know, according to the art above, that Candella gains some <i>Boots of Flying</i>, and Duchess gets a huge magic sword. </p><p>Since my oldest is running his group through all of the editions of D&D I'll also do versions of them for every edition. Say 2nd level for D&D Basic/Expert, 4th level for AD&D 1st, 8th level for AD&D 2nd Editon, 12th level for D&D 3.x, 16th level for D&D 4e Essentials (better Rogues), and 20th for D&D 5th Edition. That should be fun, really. Course I'll need some good prestige classes when I get to 3.x. I think I'll post them when I get around to stating them all up. </p><p>While I will keep them at the same level, at any given time, Candella is about 600 XP ahead of Duchess. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAX7RSuQehtwCtw8p03VkRbnbVcJbWNjjVLleKvmiShOW_CPp9L5DTc9Q2ROJ-gPs-HQK1186Y7YaqVKDagXMSGehgX1hMDvQRdHrClpp5o34a0O1AFROx5MXLax2Rh4fmfYZGXriRFJJrb2klQ09gn8-LuIf5RfgAsW1YwS3daOwPVBpA0WdOpokA8M/s3164/PXL_20240212_223656119~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Candella and Duchess for BX" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3164" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAX7RSuQehtwCtw8p03VkRbnbVcJbWNjjVLleKvmiShOW_CPp9L5DTc9Q2ROJ-gPs-HQK1186Y7YaqVKDagXMSGehgX1hMDvQRdHrClpp5o34a0O1AFROx5MXLax2Rh4fmfYZGXriRFJJrb2klQ09gn8-LuIf5RfgAsW1YwS3daOwPVBpA0WdOpokA8M/w640-h622/PXL_20240212_223656119~2.jpg" title="Candella and Duchess for BX" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Candella and Duchess for B/X. Art by Brian Brinlee and Domenico Neziti, <br />Vitruvian Character Sheets <a href="https://blogofexalteddeeds.blogspot.com/2014/05/vitruvian-character-sheets-for-swords.html" target="_blank">Blog of Exalted Deeds</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While reading up on them, I saw one person online refer to them as a couple of "party girls." I mean, sure, that fits. The vibe I have always had with them was they were both adventuresses out for a bit of fun and hopefully score some treasure. Ok, a lot of treasure. Though at least <a href="https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5140&context=etd">one academic dissertation</a> places them in the role of temptresses. I suppose that would work too, though not how I would play them. </p><p>Have you used these two in your games? How did it work for you? What happened with them?</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Links</span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17159/b3-palace-of-the-silver-princess-basic?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Module B3, Palace of the Silver Princess</a></li><ul><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17142/b12-queen-s-harvest-basic?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Module B12, Queen's Harvest</a></li><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/411940/folio-black-label-4?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Folio: Black Label #4</a></li><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/411949/folio-black-label-5?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Folio: Black Label #5</a></li><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/460464/The-Folio-The-Complete-Black-Label?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">The Folio: The Complete Black Label</a></li><li><a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/443276/palace-of-the-golden-princess-old-school-essentials?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">Palace of the Golden Princess: Old School Essentials</a> and <a href="https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/443276/palace-of-the-golden-princess-old-school-essentials?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">5e</a>.</li><li><a href="http://pandius.com/DymrakDread.pdf" target="_blank">The Dymrak Dread</a></li></ul><li>Zenopus Archives, <a href="https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2012/01/jean-wells-author-and-illustrator.html" target="_blank">Jean Wells, author and illustrator</a></li><li>Greyhawk Musings, an essential starting place for this topic</li><ul><li><a href="https://davidleonard-greyhawkmusings.blogspot.com/2020/05/on-theratik-that-was-wasnt-then-was.html" target="_blank">On the Ratik That Was, Wasn’t, Then Was Again</a></li><li><a href="https://davidleonard-greyhawkmusings.blogspot.com/2022/05/on-duchess-and-candella.html" target="_blank">On Duchess and Candella</a></li></ul><li>Dragonsfoot, <a href="https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51759" target="_blank">Jean Wells illustration of Duchess and Candella?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/palace-of-the-silver-princess-your-experiences.93503/" target="_blank">ENWorld, Palace of the Silver Princess - your experiences?</a></li><li>The Piazza</li><ul><li><a href="https://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=21368" target="_blank">Did Elmore's Anielle appear on the cover of this Folio adventure?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=25296" target="_blank">New illustration of Duchess and Candella</a></li></ul><li><a href="http://www.pandius.com/b3_intro.html" target="_blank">Vaults of Pandius on the Original B3</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/Mystara9" target="_blank">Mystara's own Mr. Welch</a></li><ul><li><a href="https://www.rpgmp3.com/mystara-players-guide/" target="_blank">5e Mystara Player's Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/750_things_Mr._Welch_can_no_longer_do_in_a_RPG" target="_blank">and the infamous, <i>Things Mr. Welch can no longer do in a RPG</i></a></li></ul><li>Artist Domenico Neziti</li><ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/domenico_neziti/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RPGenerations">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/nezart/gallery" target="_blank">DeviantArt</a></li></ul><li>Dungeon Fantastic, <a href="https://dungeonfantastic.blogspot.com/2017/05/review-b3-palace-of-silver-princess.html">Review: B3 Palace of the Silver Princess (Green cover)</a></li><li><a href="https://schemes-of-the-lich-king.obsidianportal.com/characters/duchess">Duchess</a> and <a href="https://schemes-of-the-lich-king.obsidianportal.com/characters/candella" target="_blank">Candella</a> as someone's NPCs on Obsidian Portal.</li><li><a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2012/01/jean-wells-1955-2012.html" target="_blank">My post marking Jean Wells passing</a>.</li></ul><p></p>
Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-54472362885021073802024-02-12T08:56:00.001-06:002024-02-12T08:56:55.790-06:00Monstrous Mondays: Dragon, Wood<p> On Saturday, February 10th we ushered in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac)" target="_blank">Chinese Year of the Dragon</a>. Since this is 2024, it is the Year of the Wood Dragon.</p><p>Reflecting on my last <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/02/this-old-dragon-issue-134.html" target="_blank">This Old Dragon</a>, I have <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2023/03/monstrous-mondays-but-what-about-dragons.html" target="_blank">always tried to balance how powerful dragons</a> need to be in an old-school game. I want to keep dragons powerful but not so powerful that they make 1st edition Tiamat and Bahamut look weak. </p><p>It is a balancing act. I also want to consider how much more powerful they get as they age. </p>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/wooden-dragon-wood-asia-statue-8470665/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Wood Dragon, by GrumpyBeere" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JFzTlQ935LxwfcRHEvf_0VAgjDQY3VuvPkCxTbI4J6mzBesWxVuZdAjQUNe5QC7AJn3YLSLxpJNXBfSG29KLZ1iJlfSnnInynEJm9m9fIz_-O6r5vOZCM7c9LWse1VWevYfo0qWeXdKK7YxVSrJwHode77dy3niyjZYxnicc43vYUYEHudisAT8hWGQ/w305-h459/wooden-8470665_1920.jpg" title="Wood Dragon, by GrumpyBeere" width="305" /></a></div>Dragon, Wood</b></span><br /><i>Huge Dragon</i><p></p><p><b>Frequency: </b>Very Rare<br />
<b>Number Appearing: </b>1 (1)<br />
<b>Alignment:</b> Neutral [Chaotic Neutral]<br />
<b>Movement: </b>120' (40') [12"]<br /><i> Fly: 180' (60') [18"]<br /></i>
<b>Armor Class:</b> 2 [17]<br />
<b>Hit Dice: </b>7d8+28** (66 hp) (6HD to 8HD)<br /><i> Huge: 7d12+28** (74 hp)<br /></i><b>THAC0: </b>8 (+11)<br /><b>Attacks:</b> 2 claws, 1 bite, + special<br />
<b>Damage: </b>1d6+3x2, 2d8+3<br />
<b>Special:</b> Breath weapons (Choking Cloud), camouflage, dragon fear, low-light vision (120’), magic use, shape change<br />
<b>Save: </b>Monster 7<br />
<b>Morale:</b> 10 (10)<br />
<b>Treasure Hoard Class: </b>Special<br /></p><p><b>Habitat: </b>Temperate Forests<br /><b>Probability Asleep:</b> 25% <br /><b>Probability of Speech:</b> 90%<br /><b>Breath Weapon:</b> Choking Cloud<br /><b>Spells:</b> First: 3, Second: 3, Third: 1</p><p>Wood dragons appear similar to green dragons in general form but lack wings. They can still fly due to their innate magic. Their coloration is usually some sort of brown that looks like polished wood, accented with bits of green and yellow. This gives them a natural camouflage ability (75% hide outdoors) in their preferred environment, temperate forests.</p><p>These dragons can attack with a claw-and-claw-and-bite routine in dragon form. In human form, they can wield a weapon. In either form, they can use magic as a magic-user of the 6th level. </p><p>Their breath weapon is a cloud of choking smoke. It requires a save vs. breath weapon or take damage equal to the dragon's current hit points. Save results in half-damage. The area of effect is 50 ft by 50 ft in front of the dragon, which has reduced vision to all but the dragon. Attacks are at -2 for the next round following the breath weapon attack.</p><p>Wood dragons are lively, dynamic creatures. They can be quite friendly, but their moods switch easily and quickly. Many pursue some artistic or academic endeavor that takes all of their time and focus. It is in this pursuit they are most likely to engage with others. Like all dragons, they hoard their treasures, which are always related to their interests. So, instead of gold and jewels, it will be art, paintings, or books. </p><p>Wood Dragon encounters both Green and Orange dragons in their home environments and finds both sorts unpleasant and distasteful.</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-47146100128380483702024-02-09T09:35:00.002-06:002024-02-09T09:35:21.120-06:00Kickstart Your Weekend: Wizards, Witches, Wonderland, and Whatever this is!<p> Some fun Kickstarters this week and quite the random selection. So let's get to it.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/wizard-van?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Wizard Van: The Roleplaying Zine Where Rock Never Dies</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/wizard-van?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Wizard Van: The Roleplaying Zine Where Rock Never Dies" border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1020" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU93kDRaWP2qZVjWGUpZ5qP8BZ2kqw9LRVn3HxrZjy3Uy68GK8nWEO_PPoF2YETooO5wru5z8gkVw3mYg0P9wpFLQitMkIK6ry_8klY4_gEzuyi8ks6bJEWC6zZ175_QntC1cLKu2uifzmmNua90ijQeNbO_FvYsKvmRCO7ftkvNPQwZ_yZearogxBhWc/w640-h360/wizard%20van.jpg" title="Wizard Van: The Roleplaying Zine Where Rock Never Dies" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/wizard-van?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/wizard-van?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>James M. Spahn is one of the good guys. He has scores of titles and has worked some of the best games of the last 10 years. This 22-page zine is rather a modest release; it takes a short time to fund and has no stretch goals, but it looks absolutely fun. Plus it is only $10 for both the print and pdf.</p><p>Looks fantastic.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geezercomics/bellatryx-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Bellatryx #1</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geezercomics/bellatryx-1?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bellatryx #1" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1023" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMCGGJDuAskT0oUqwZqw-mcoZtwblY8I8qiwvZijhwOskd7VnVahlvltJ03w0PzPoNLy9cOhZDsjDa0z5Ll-_8_iXnT1RtFOiw6wDWoYnyit7dsfsGMpWfAC9oW6r-hg4gaXXQVsGp6dWQMtuvpn_dfcB6Sk8yX1BrtGns51ee5khw1fdLe9oJB-Nmyg/w640-h356/Bellatrix%20One.jpg" title="Bellatryx #1" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geezercomics/bellatryx-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geezercomics/bellatryx-1?ref=theotherside</a><br /><p>This new indie comic is about a 300-year-old witch back to get revenge on the apprentice who betrayed her. This also looks fun and the witch makes me think of the daughter of Willow Rosenberg and Hermione Granger. Not a bad mix really.</p><p>$5 for the PDF is also a good deal.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/etherealcomics/morgana-le-fay-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Morgana Le Fay #1</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/etherealcomics/morgana-le-fay-1?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Morgana Le Fay #1" border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1016" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoIxttJyMTqqXhT2mre8f3ibBEE076XIfnIUmQQs2AzPR1cbeZr9UJk6IxuycECp3x5x1unBDemQOjhDrwgEtTE9r6IgT3grFkpay4zA8bHCcCpdW_0jDmx5efRcDy_bFAbxwQxLW4nQvZKlIHsTXJxUKqFEBynaWuh1uebuZ4AobrO5oz61FAYHGeWo/w640-h360/Morgan%20Le%20Fay.jpg" title="Morgana Le Fay #1" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/etherealcomics/morgana-le-fay-1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/etherealcomics/morgana-le-fay-1?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>There are only a few hours left on this one, and it also looks like fun. Plus it is about Morgana Le Fay, so that is always a plus in my mind. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/nightmareinwonderland1?ref=theotherside">Nightmare in Wonderland #1 - NSFW Queer Fairytale Romance</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/nightmareinwonderland1?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Nightmare in Wonderland #1 - NSFW Queer Fairytale Romance" border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1018" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuoX1SCypCCd4FN01aLz_DIS3oD6kE6voppK2qaz4jRI6KyDDUFsbhF74-GrOAfENeVlrvvn1INekbqK1HzYf4fBuAWjcB4a3NN0-g4mrlj-3JO2OxXklWlKtc01H-86kaMB-3ZxaK1A3MCiFADZpr-YcFJCoEdB-eZBhtoTN3IL3B_j3niNeLUNrKfQ/w640-h360/Nightmare%20in%20Wonderland.jpg" title="Nightmare in Wonderland #1 - NSFW Queer Fairytale Romance" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/nightmareinwonderland1?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/nightmareinwonderland1?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>Kat Calamia and Phil Falco are the creators who gave us "Beast and Snow," a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White as a werewolf and vampire. This is her next one and is part of the same universe. In fact this comic is the first of a shared universe, the <b>EverAfterVerse</b>.</p><p>If this one is half as fun as "Beast and Snow" then it will be great. </p><p>Plus, like the Kickstarter for "Beast and Snow," you get an indie comics bundle that is absolutely huge. Tons of fun comics from various creators. </p><p>And now for something completely different.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9thlevel/sentai-and-sensibility?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">Sentai & Sensibility RPG</a></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9thlevel/sentai-and-sensibility?ref=theotherside" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sentai & Sensibility RPG" border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="1011" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr2JUxRVQvybs8xN6P33HUYK9ItaJbl9W2OE11l3-D1_G_zpd8MKCy89_UolOzpXjeWn2uRq9_KILyglDuvC7n-5YlWdjMz0SKIM-B8soKlTuFw_7dJJNjQHFLEUB6suVG-MepkbQJI0Iu4xwpWGEdgAUWeBfwJDTeecy1RjX6DD7xkEgNbHjrw2FdAU/w640-h362/Sentai%20&%20Sensibility.jpg" title="Sentai & Sensibility RPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9thlevel/sentai-and-sensibility?ref=theotherside" target="_blank">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9thlevel/sentai-and-sensibility?ref=theotherside</a></p><p>This is best described as "Power Rangers in Regency England." Well, I am a sucker for any Regency or Victorian RPG, and this one looks like a lot of fun.</p><p>Replace the crazy Power Ranger tech with Steampunk and the proper society of the Regency era you come close to this game. </p><p>It looks silly and it looks like a ton of fun.</p><p>--</p><p>Enjoy the weekend!</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-27758424053323921532024-02-08T09:01:00.001-06:002024-02-08T09:01:28.340-06:00This Old Dragon: Issue #134<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe25MkvYEm6cKmXPNOzLY-_qOJvLFLbtTnJW4jJoYNlDMki3QgT0J8SXiQDrCmse7XVPCXIBqIyyK7fGPNtGTBsi0dLD4Wjwq5rCypwB79ACwT1GtpplnJEFe0FHClf5W0rIcCvYx5vgczukNfFru2eiEUsZWjJonSEGq8PXu_QsmrUFy1jg-rxPnQFY/s823/Dragon%20134.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Dragon Magazine #134" border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="633" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe25MkvYEm6cKmXPNOzLY-_qOJvLFLbtTnJW4jJoYNlDMki3QgT0J8SXiQDrCmse7XVPCXIBqIyyK7fGPNtGTBsi0dLD4Wjwq5rCypwB79ACwT1GtpplnJEFe0FHClf5W0rIcCvYx5vgczukNfFru2eiEUsZWjJonSEGq8PXu_QsmrUFy1jg-rxPnQFY/w308-h400/Dragon%20134.jpg" title="Dragon Magazine #134" width="308" /></a></div> This weekend, Saturday, February 10, is the start of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Very nice how it lines up with the 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. So I cheated a little and went digging for a Dragon Magazine that featured Dragons. Not too difficult really. So lets head to the Summer of 1988. I just finished my Freshman year of college. I spent my summer working and calling this girl I had met in the fall, piling up a HUGE bill on my Sprint card. No worries, in just seven more years I'd marry her. George Michael dominates the airwaves. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" hit the screens, and on the shelves and game tables everywhere was Issue #134 of This Old Dragon!<p></p><p>Our cover, "Sword of Dawn," is from <a href="https://greenmanpress.com/" target="_blank">Charles Vess</a>. I have seen a lot of his work since this issue and I have always liked it. </p><p><b>Letters</b> let us know that this is the 12th Anniversary issue of Dragon Magazine, so it's a nice milestone to be sure. </p><p><b>Forum</b> gives us some ideas on modifying the Magic-user to make it less prone to dying early on. Others debate the merits of the Experience system.</p><p>We get to our main feature right away. <b>Dragons!</b></p><p><b>The Dragon's Bestiary</b> gives us seven new dragons from various authors including Dragon VIP and the father of the Realms, Ed Greenwood. They are all interesting to be honest, and I'd like to see new versions of them. Had there been a Monster Manual III, they would have been it. </p><p>Ed Friedlander is up with <b>Give Dragons A Fighting Chance,</b> which aims to make dragons much scarier. Something that started with Dragonlance and continues to today. He discusses physical attacks, making better use of dragon spellcasters, and better tactics. He uses the example of Razisiz the Blue Dragon from the DMG p. 81. Both in his "regular" stats and his beefed-up version here. A few recommendations for previous articles that cover similar ground are also mentioned.</p><p>An advertisement for an AD&D computer game, Pool of Radiance, is next. Get it for the IBM-PC and Commodore 64/128.</p><p>Friend of the Other Side, Vince Garcia, is next with <b>Serpents and Sorcery</b>. This article is all about getting more out of the spell-casting powers dragons have and making good use of their spells in their local environs. Really good article that you can still use today. </p><p><b>Lords & Legend </b>was a sometimes feature with various personalities. This time it is Dragotha the Undead Dragon from module S2 White Plume Mountain. He would make an appearance again in the 3e days, but his 1st Edition AD&D stats and background are given to us here by William Simpson. </p><p>Greg Sharp gives us a good one, <b>The Ecology of the Red Dragon</b>. I am surprised that there were not more Ecology Of articles about Dragons. They are some of the biggest creatures in the game, and yet they don't feature very often. </p><p>This issue is already falling apart, so I can go ahead and do this without worry.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtWK8YwGkg_8DWqiQAttET-Oc7HVAXUYHDREOG1MmYObY_nOhIYZk47fk13P2mIe0f75yvLp4OaUtw3QtaUR1oJ9weWjCvrnqnEJzGQ48z8y2cWmGtrYSMdSjS8ycFnkku36YIIR_XgTDWyN3njj8GaEy_Djl65ylCHsYZSgmmU5TjXeh-nKALyhw1OA/s4068/PXL_20240208_055920024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ecology of the Red Dragon" border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="4068" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtWK8YwGkg_8DWqiQAttET-Oc7HVAXUYHDREOG1MmYObY_nOhIYZk47fk13P2mIe0f75yvLp4OaUtw3QtaUR1oJ9weWjCvrnqnEJzGQ48z8y2cWmGtrYSMdSjS8ycFnkku36YIIR_XgTDWyN3njj8GaEy_Djl65ylCHsYZSgmmU5TjXeh-nKALyhw1OA/w640-h398/PXL_20240208_055920024.jpg" title="Ecology of the Red Dragon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Skip Williams is dispensing wisdom again in <b>Sage Advice</b>. This time, covering a lot of character questions. </p><p><b>Bazaar of the Bizarre</b> is usually a favorite feature of mine. But this one not so much. It has a bunch of "less than serious" items, and honestly, it feels like an April feature that they could not fit in. I would have rather seen more dragon-related treasures. </p><p>Another friend of the Other Side, Bruce Heard, is up with some errata, clarifications, and more for the Orc Wars game they had back in issue #132.</p><p>Jame Brunet has our short fiction piece, "<b>Eyes of Redemption.</b>"</p><p><b>TSR Previews</b> covers Summer 1988. Lots of Marvel Super Heroes, some Dragonlance, and Top Secret. The Bullwinkle and Rocky Role-Playing Party Game is up for June. I didn't understand the fascination with Bullwinkle and Rocky then, and I still don't. Keep in mind that when this game was released, there had not been any new B&R content made for 20 years. I mean, I am not completely immune to the effects it had on pop culture, but it seems like an odd choice. Yes, I would later learn why this game was made, but back then, it made no sense to me. </p><p><b>Arcane Lore</b> from D.F. Fjellhaugen gives us some cleric spells for healing.</p><p>The official Origins Awards ballot for 1987 is next. What were your choices?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzQjeLaY6uHZxNw0Ke-XxmciRzUyMjjC6QVYOHHDB8cBA4nKxQFmYqrGwcHgYwQI7TJ1pIZbcAfbRYM8cF5QlM-gRo1StlW8OJk3TGXk8DdKpmtp3HB_4k2eHOly9rJWafBcRkiU1XJ4Q1RQscYKeRmi2H1EuRs9zRksxEIPi2QzBy3qVtGX8kRv9PrI/s4080/PXL_20240208_044527547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Best of 1987" border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzQjeLaY6uHZxNw0Ke-XxmciRzUyMjjC6QVYOHHDB8cBA4nKxQFmYqrGwcHgYwQI7TJ1pIZbcAfbRYM8cF5QlM-gRo1StlW8OJk3TGXk8DdKpmtp3HB_4k2eHOly9rJWafBcRkiU1XJ4Q1RQscYKeRmi2H1EuRs9zRksxEIPi2QzBy3qVtGX8kRv9PrI/w482-h640/PXL_20240208_044527547.jpg" title="Best of 1987" width="482" /></a></div><br /><p>This year was an odd one where Gen Con and Origins were held together in 1988. </p><p>Dennis McLaughlin has some sniper rifles for Top Secret in <b>Sighting In</b>. Likely this could all be converted to other games if needed.</p><p>Part of my The Game Wizards is cut out. Looking at my Dragon CD-ROM, I can only guess the previous owner wanted the picture of the Godzillia-like monster.</p><p>Ah. How can you tell it is the 80s? The fascination with all things Japanese. Hell, I even read <i>Shōgun</i> that summer. The <b>Role-Playing Reviews</b> from Jim Bambra covers Bushido, the AD&D Oriental Adventures, and the RuneQuest Land of the Ninja. "Oriental" is now considered to be an archaic term at best and pejorative at worst. I will not debate that here. In fact, what I am most interested in here now is how 1988 Dragon was talking about Gary Gygax. So how are they? Well, while the plainly visible cover says "Gary Gygax" right on it, his name is never mentioned in the review. Design is credited to David "Zeb" Cook, who, in all likelihood, did do the lion's share of the work on it. Again, not going to debate here and now, but maybe if I ever do review it myself. The article largely focuses on how closely the various products are linked to real feudal Japan. Bambra mentions that by making Kara-Tur a fictional land using influences from Japan, China, and Korea you can side-step some of these issues.</p><p><b>Catching Some Rays</b> by Daniel Salas deals with radiation damage in Gamma World. </p><p>The Lessers (Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk) are back in <b>The Role of Computers</b> with Dream Zone, Strike-Fleet (Naval Simulator), and The Pawn (adventure) get the most coverage. </p><p>David Edward Martin, another friend, is up with more powers for the Marvel Super Heroes game in <b>The Ultimate Addenda's Addenda</b>.</p><p>This means that outside of some reviews, every article here was about a TSR game. This is a trend that will continue and grow. </p><p><b>Gamers' Guide</b> covers some small ads. Always fun to look at these. A half-page section alone on Play By Mail games. One in particular is out of Ottawa, IL, a tiny little farm town a few miles south and west of Aurora. It was even smaller back then. My wife is from that area, I am sure I have driven by it.</p><p><b>Convention Calendar</b> gives us the best conventions for the Summer and into the Fall of 1988. One was within easy driving distance to me back then, Capitol-Con IV at the Prairie Capital Convention Center on July 9. Wonder what I was doing then? Likely working at Pizza Hut.</p><p>Dragonmirth has the usual collection of comics. Among them was Yamara, whom I caught occasionally enough to find amusing but never often enough to know what was going on with it. There is Elmore's Snarf Quest, now up to episode #58, that's close to 5 years. </p><p>I am sure this is not the first "All TSR, All the Time" issue, but I know that trend is coming. Eventually, all game magazines went this way. White Dwarf had made this switch as early as two years prior, so I guess I am not surprised. It makes sense from a financial point of view, I suppose I miss the days when a game magazine covered multiple games from a variety of publishers. Today we have the internet for all that. </p><p>So overall a fine issue with some gems; the dragon stuff is great, and I'd like to use it somewhere. </p>
<p>Happy Year of the Dragon!</p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-3818054340649598842024-02-07T09:00:00.000-06:002024-02-07T09:00:19.191-06:00Review: Module N4 Treasure Hunt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56FVrY4ylqjvy3-0jyK8oD4lAPvCCtN5zhYta2vVAxNjjXV4-dFL2kfNVuNZUmH_sVehmCVFwxqz7TrH8UCiDks3XYO7KOc2isIqvM2e2kbD3mRFGGuPE-_BocRir30-0eaOdr45ZYT0pFDrKbTKDrzBs9nnOF1POsAahiM0KRe5X_8ukwDFKlrDFTqM/s792/N4%20Treasure%20Hunt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="N4 Treasure Hunt" border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56FVrY4ylqjvy3-0jyK8oD4lAPvCCtN5zhYta2vVAxNjjXV4-dFL2kfNVuNZUmH_sVehmCVFwxqz7TrH8UCiDks3XYO7KOc2isIqvM2e2kbD3mRFGGuPE-_BocRir30-0eaOdr45ZYT0pFDrKbTKDrzBs9nnOF1POsAahiM0KRe5X_8ukwDFKlrDFTqM/w309-h400/N4%20Treasure%20Hunt.jpg" title="N4 Treasure Hunt" width="309" /></a></div>I knew my exploration of the Forgotten Realms would take me to new and unexpected places. I just didn't think it was going to be this soon.<p></p><p>In my exploration of the Forgotten Realms product <a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2024/01/review-fr2-moonshae.html" target="_blank">Moonshae</a>, I discovered an interesting bit of knowledge. In the back of that book it mentions that Adventure Module N4 Treasure Hunt can be used with the Moonshae Islands. I later discovered that the islands in N4 were moved over to the Forgotten Realms for this purpose. So I had to switch courses and check out this module. I am really happy I did.</p><p>This module is not just an introduction module, but maybe THE introduction to the game module. Where you have an honest-to-Gary Session 0 and start with 0-Level characters in 1986. Given I am new to all things Realms, I might as well start at level 0!</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/17058/N4-Treasure-Hunt-1e?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">N4 Treasure Hunt</a></span></b></p><p>by Aaron Allston, 48 pages (2 full color map pages, 36 pages of adventure, 10 pages of character profiles) black & white interiors. Art by Stephen Fabian. Cartographers: David F. "Diesel" LaForce, Stephen D. Sullivan, Bill Reuter, Stephanie Tabat. Cover art by Jeff Easley/</p><p>For this review, I am considering the PDF and Print on Demand version from DriveThruRPG/DMSGuild.</p><p>Treasure Hunt is a completely introductory adventure for players of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition game. I say "players" since I feel this adventure still requires a bit of rules savvy from the Dungeon Master, at least in terms of some of the lifts needed to work with the 0-level characters. However, reading this one nearly 40 years later, with honestly tens of thousands of hours spent on this game, there are nice gems here.</p><p>Speaking of which. I am not going to attempt to judge this adventure by the same yardstick as new Level-0 or the so-called "Funnel" adventures. That is not fair to the author nor the adventure itself. This has to judged on the merits of its time. But I will tell you this, I'd run this today, as is, with no changes to be honest.</p><p>There is a Player's Introduction and Dungeon Master's Introduction. </p><p>This is the most interesting parts for me today since they cover the rules of rolling up and playing Level-0 characters. For starters, you don't have a class yet. You are a Normal Human (or elf, or half-elf, or whatever), and you have 1d6 hit points and maybe a secondary skill. You don't even have an alignment. The plot revolves around your character, either one you make or use from the starting characters, being kidnapped by pirates, and then your pirate captors are shipwrecked and mostly all killed. Now, you are stuck in the Korinn Archipelago, later added to the north of the Moonshaes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIyh51FJkJI5bbx_zr7MuVIPf4IUHpqvFYBOOQGpBRFlC_ZoOpjwtHBPd5qaV_PYfGVM3RJws6dntlm2neO2GZYCREHCXJylguzXDV3kmSG30MSetxr6HHh0G5C6NSIOI03S_X1svoIB4cM4VgGaApMxBx7IWBd-GSCodOrendmfagVSZkLBe34mE1Rk/s4080/PXL_20240201_224554033.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Korinn Archiipelago" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIyh51FJkJI5bbx_zr7MuVIPf4IUHpqvFYBOOQGpBRFlC_ZoOpjwtHBPd5qaV_PYfGVM3RJws6dntlm2neO2GZYCREHCXJylguzXDV3kmSG30MSetxr6HHh0G5C6NSIOI03S_X1svoIB4cM4VgGaApMxBx7IWBd-GSCodOrendmfagVSZkLBe34mE1Rk/w640-h482/PXL_20240201_224554033.MP.jpg" title="Korinn Archiipelago" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>From here the new PCs work out an escape plan and defeat their first enemy, the last pirate.</p><p>As the players play through the challenges presented on these islands they can build up what their character does and earn some XP. They are all 500 xp away from level 1. The adventure explains that even 1st level characters have some training. A fighter at level 1 is called a Veteran. A 1st level Cleric is an Acolyte. Even thieves and magic-users have some skills at first level that 0-levels do not. Want to be a thief? Try picking that lock. Want to be a Cleric? What do you feel when you enter the Temple of the Goddess and how do you react? You won't know till the end (or near that) and you won't get there till you try.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9XrEk09XBPxk5J4qv2K4xREM5Meiqr7nl-_Lkaavu6IjSnEdHSCYYNqjJIKQ5j9a4PjRd5Uu3jb14Nw6diqeRChI2DtMKhOjgLjtjIVXbmuIoOSPwKZRwv4nHXrMV6x7qEScbEkw97j_R1z6i_fgM6G67coi2NcvTVv9bSIbCRXtxYBc-RPtva_iQIk/s3504/PXL_20240206_200000989.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="0-level and skills" border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="3504" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9XrEk09XBPxk5J4qv2K4xREM5Meiqr7nl-_Lkaavu6IjSnEdHSCYYNqjJIKQ5j9a4PjRd5Uu3jb14Nw6diqeRChI2DtMKhOjgLjtjIVXbmuIoOSPwKZRwv4nHXrMV6x7qEScbEkw97j_R1z6i_fgM6G67coi2NcvTVv9bSIbCRXtxYBc-RPtva_iQIk/w640-h470/PXL_20240206_200000989.MP.jpg" title="0-level and skills" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Frankly, it is great. A fantastic set of mini-mechanics to get the story going and flowing. </p><p>The adventure itself is divided into six "episodes." And <i>episode</i> is a good word here since there is a bit of cinematic feel to this. It feels like Aaron Allston watched a lot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or more to the point, <i>Romancing the Stone</i>. This is a good thing.</p><p>Each episode gives the new PCs something tangible to do. Defeat the pirate, stop the orcs and goblins, explore the Temple, explore the Sea King's Manor, and so on. While there is a great feel to all of this, add a bit of the Moonshaes to it, and thus some Celtic and Old Norse culture to it all, and it becomes a fun mix.</p><p>Even for the time, the adventure is a bit linear, but not in a terrible way. I mean, let's be honest, the plot is "I've been captured, now I am free, but how do I get out of here?" At the end of each episode, there is a debrief for the DM on handling anything that went amiss, tracking the character's class and alignment progression, and so on. There are even contingencies if certain NPCs are not encountered or die before they are supposed to do something. So, linear but with enough branches to keep it fresh. </p><p>Experience points are tracked all along the way, so there is a chance the characters will break the 500 XP threshold by the end of episode 5. </p><p>There are appendices on "What if Things Go Wrong" or "What if the Character Dies?" and all are handled pretty well. There are some clever Player's Maps and the map of the islands. </p><p>The character profiles in the back can be used as potential PCs or NPCs. A few are even worded to be male or female. Someone online would have screamed, "Woke!" at it, but it is presented here as just one of many options. I do feel more care was taken here to entice both male and female new players to the game.</p><p>This adventure is a good one for new players. The only thing missing here is some more guidance for new DMs. Something that B2 Keep on the Borderlands does rather well. Maybe the perfect starting trilogy is this adventure, then T1 the Village of Hommlet, and ending with B2 Keep on the Borderlands.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin64as9oe9AgjJwxA31mb-QQM4aV5ecYy3h0DO2ZqGUAMYj31jUdmw_kre8MXVCVWrOHCfWd8SNIps1CNNIowp27WlU3PAqNaZ99pwXJijW10eJG0ajZU2jnZ8KCEWFFPE1bokDEv-cKtd9Fnr17NCtBdXmnupCGk59crzlKFUScKfpgs2zluD33hiKfY/s4080/PXL_20240207_050453690.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="N4 Print on Demand" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin64as9oe9AgjJwxA31mb-QQM4aV5ecYy3h0DO2ZqGUAMYj31jUdmw_kre8MXVCVWrOHCfWd8SNIps1CNNIowp27WlU3PAqNaZ99pwXJijW10eJG0ajZU2jnZ8KCEWFFPE1bokDEv-cKtd9Fnr17NCtBdXmnupCGk59crzlKFUScKfpgs2zluD33hiKfY/w640-h482/PXL_20240207_050453690.jpg" title="N4 Print on Demand" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>About the Print-on-Demand Scan</b></p><p>This is a print of a scanned image. So there is some fuzziness to some of the letters. It is obviously not as sharp as, say, a direct from digital print. It is still very readable. Getting the PoD and PDF will give a book you can use and be able to print out the character cards and player maps as needed. </p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Treasure Hunt in the Forgotten Realms</span></b></p><p>I already mentioned that the location of this adventure, the Korinn Archipelago, was dropped as right into the Moonshae Isles, which were already an addition by Douglas Niles to the Forgotten Realms, supplanting Ed Greenwood's own islands that were there. Already the Realms are evolving in front of our eyes and it is not even fully 1987 yet.</p><p>As an adventure, it is also a great start for Realms-centric characters. I had already planned to make my start in the Moonshaes, this just sets characters on the path of adventure in a different way. You didn't meet in a tavern or bar. You were captured and met your companions along the way. Something we will see again in Baldur's Gate 3 or even, to a degree, Skyrim. </p><p>The Temple of the Goddess in Episode Three can easily become a Temple to the Earth Mother / Chauntea. Lots of different Goddesses are given as example, but I thought it might be fun if the Earth Mother appears as all of them. Playing into my fascination with "<a href="https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2020/05/omg-special-edition-goddess-of-magic.html" target="_blank">the Goddess is all goddesses</a>" motif.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GMuLErYTl3AqKp6tzQTC2_wZmDOWjDhvtpl9AMQ_66z1FuoVy2OYf34Dh956hmYGfPCyeXc5q0HjKTy0JOrFf0V97XcIzpfpjzAlESvbMrCHpNdh3JGPXmVDGNuH67TJs7UHKPO9qHoxOSs1si9tekoRxWg0NdBX3y07ZO-S2w2VOVZFySa3OmZzjR8/s3937/PXL_20240206_195541872.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad for Treasure Hunt" border="0" data-original-height="2734" data-original-width="3937" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GMuLErYTl3AqKp6tzQTC2_wZmDOWjDhvtpl9AMQ_66z1FuoVy2OYf34Dh956hmYGfPCyeXc5q0HjKTy0JOrFf0V97XcIzpfpjzAlESvbMrCHpNdh3JGPXmVDGNuH67TJs7UHKPO9qHoxOSs1si9tekoRxWg0NdBX3y07ZO-S2w2VOVZFySa3OmZzjR8/w640-h444/PXL_20240206_195541872.MP.jpg" title="Sinéad for Treasure Hunt" width="640" /></a></div>
<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sinéad's Perspective</span></b></p><p></p><p>At the outset of these reviews, I said I wanted to explore the Realms through the eyes of a native, but one that was just as naïve as me. Sinéad is that character. She was chosen partially because she has a pseudo-Celtic background (so starting the Moonshaes was great). She was a Forgotten Realms native already, but mostly because she was just so much damn fun in Baldur's Gate 3. </p><p>For Sinéad, I re-did her sheet as a 0-level character. The DMG suggests using Method I for rolling up characters; 4d6 drop the lowest and arrange as desired. Well. I did that with Sinéad as a first level, so I opted to use a trick I used all the time in Unisystem's point build, I just knocked a few points off. </p><p>Her "1st Level" abilities add up to 92, so I took 10 off and re-distributed the points among her six abilities. Then I added on back. My world. My rules. I also felt that since her main defining feature at this point is that she is a half-elf, I decided that was her class. So I used a Basic-D&D style sheet. The one I have above is from <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/251415/GM1a-Game-Masters-Screen?affiliate_id=10748" target="_blank">New Big Dragon Games Unlimited's GM screen</a>.</p><p>Since my concept of her is a proto-Bard at this point, and she is young, I figure she really doesn't have any secondary skills yet. At best, she can play the lute or flute. If she was captured by pirates, she likely lost whatever she had. This would be a bigger loss to her than however much gold she had. </p>
<p>At the end of the adventure, she becomes a magic-user with her one spell, Burning Hands. The same spell she accidentally burned down the barn she was in back at home, which was why she was running and how she got caught by pirates. </p><p>After this adventure, how could she possibly go home? There is an entire world out there. </p><p>Besides, she survived pirates. What can be worse than that?</p><p>Oh. And since I have had friends do this exact thing, after her adventure here, Sinéad uses the dagger she found to chop off her hair and dye some of it. Seems like a perfectly reasonable trauma reaction to me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd-5mjtg4zp0pGkcmz9EwjTxqEAU27vWNz2xN6n6wzNIewzYuaMvS6ZxlM2KwYItOftiUHrMr0FiTSPdgZzTed6qrYRK8RO2vDyfUiltTnHMRsIUBQ7kE_5WRqdvSwxX6tfopteg6CruCMlRnUP7UqUT8Y5loPmMDuUPnNzRm1czMhDFmMnAfxMPp_CU/s2048/Sin%C3%A9ad%20portrait%20N4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sinéad at the end of N4" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd-5mjtg4zp0pGkcmz9EwjTxqEAU27vWNz2xN6n6wzNIewzYuaMvS6ZxlM2KwYItOftiUHrMr0FiTSPdgZzTed6qrYRK8RO2vDyfUiltTnHMRsIUBQ7kE_5WRqdvSwxX6tfopteg6CruCMlRnUP7UqUT8Y5loPmMDuUPnNzRm1czMhDFmMnAfxMPp_CU/w400-h400/Sin%C3%A9ad%20portrait%20N4.jpg" title="Sinéad at the end of N4" width="400" /></a></div><p>She is just a kid at this point.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts</b></p><p>If I had been smarter, I would have used this first when re-creating Sinéad on paper, but as it is, this worked out fine. This is also a great new-to-me adventure for a new-to-me world. While I LOVE B2 Keep on the Borderlands, it is too closely tied to Greyhawk and the Known World for me to really adapt it over the Realms. Would it even fit in the Realms? I am sure many online users have found a home for it. Maybe one day I could as well, but for now, this is a great adventure to start with. In fact, I want to go through all the N, aka "Novice," adventures and see how they fit my needs here. But for now, I am pretty happy with this.</p><p></p>Timothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.com2