The AD&D 2nd Edition Revised Player's Handbook just went up.
The Monster Manual and DMG should follow in the next couple of weeks.
Showing posts with label 2nd ed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2nd ed. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
AD&D 2nd Edition Player's Handbook now at DriveThruRPG
It looks like will be getting all the reprints in PDF format afteral.
The AD&D 2nd Edition Revised Player's Handbook just went up.
The Monster Manual and DMG should follow in the next couple of weeks.
The AD&D 2nd Edition Revised Player's Handbook just went up.
The Monster Manual and DMG should follow in the next couple of weeks.
Monday, August 17, 2015
RPG a Day 2015, Day 17
Day 17: Favorite Fantasy RPG
No question. Dungeons and Dragons.
Hail to the King baby.
No question. Dungeons and Dragons.
Hail to the King baby.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Class Struggles: The Mystic
No. Not the fight between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, but something far more important.
"Class Struggle" is a new feature where I take a class from a D&D, OSR or related product and do a deep dive into it. I am going to focus on unique classes to each product, sometimes going back to the same product even to look at other classes. In some cases I am going to look into a class and different representations in different products. I am also going to mostly focus on classes that interest me. So heavy on the magic using classes.
I also want to start this feature with the Mystic, found in +Joseph Bloch's Adventures Dark & Deep.
Back in October of 2013 I spent some time doing a deep dive into Bloch's magnum opus and dedication to a game that never was. If you have not had a chance to read over Adventures Dark & Deep I suggest that check it out. It really is something interesting, even beyond the purely academic question of what would a 2nd Edition AD&D look like if Gygax had never left TSR. It is also a very playable game and a fun one in it's own right. It captures the feel of AD&D better than say OSRIC does.
If you want to just check out the new classes then BRW's first product, A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore has the new classes and few other rules.
The Mystic is one of those new classes featured in the book that was also talked about by Gygax in the pages of Dragon magazine.
Here is what Gygax said about the Mystic in Dragon #65 (from Bloch's own Greyhawk Grognard blog):
The Bloch Mystic (for simplicity) is described as:
I think it is fair to say from the start that the Bloch Mystic is at least close to spirit, if not the letter of intent, of the Gygax Mystic.
Looking into the Mystic there are some "clerical" like powers and spells here, much in the same matter the druid has some too. Interestingly, as noted above, they can't make magic items. They can scribe scrolls which makes sense. They also have pain management and meditations as skills/powers.
The mystic learns spells due to their "inner awareness". They have some spells they share with clerics and some new ones that really feature their differences. "Awaken First Chakra" is one such spell, Besides being able to glow under a blacklight, kidding...you radiate ultra violet light, you can also reduce falling damage and improve your dex score, at least temporarily with this spell. There are seven chakras in total. Also it is nice to see that for the mystic at least Astral Spell is 6th level.
Level progression is slightly greater than the cleric in most cases, but not up to the level of a wizard/magic-user.
As the mystic levels up their minds become stronger so that powers like ESP no longer work on them. They also focus their attention on more planar issues. This gives a party with a mystic a good hook to the outer planes.
The mystic has a certain "monk" feel about it to be certain, but only the asceticism and divine aspects; not the fighting.
Speaking of asceticism the mystic can also take a Vow of Silence. He can cast his spells where speech is impossible and gain a 10% bonus to xp earned, but the PLAYER also needs to keep their speech to a minimum.
There are plenty of uses for a mystic in a party especially a party that plans to hit the outer planes at any point. Also if the idea of playing a cleric is not appealing the mystic makes for a good change up. Though to be honest the things people normally dislike about clerics and paladins is amplified in the mystic.
Other Mystics
The Mystic of the D&D Master's Set or the Rules Cyclopedia is nothing more than the AD&D Monk for the BECMI system. Though the connection between the mystic and the cleric is made more overt.
There is also a Mystic in Fantastic Heroes and Witchery. This mystic is somewhere between the monk/mystic of BECMI and the Bloch Mystic. They do not gain spells, but rather a Prayer ability introduced in this game.
Finally there is a mystic in the 3.x Dragonlance Campaign Setting book. This mystic is more like a cleric without gods. The mystic gains their divine power from within. In many ways it shares the same relationship with the cleric as does the sorcerer to the wizard. This mystic is also very tied up in the myths and history of Krynn.
Final Thoughts
The mystic as presented by BRW is a solid class and one with enough flavor to make playing one an interesting challenge. I would like to try one out to be honest, maybe using 1st Edition rules or one of the many clones. Of course it shines the best under Adventures Dark & Deep.
The class is interesting enough that I also think it would work well for Castles & Crusades or even D&D 5. I think some more spells might be in order to give it a little more flavor. If I were building one for just a home game I would also borrow some idea from Mage's Akashic Brotherhood.
Also if I were going to add mystics to a game I would remove monks, or more to the point, return monks to the pseudo-Eastern parts of the world. There are traditions of both Eastern and Western mysticism, but for ease I might use the Monk and Mystic as each respective traditions mystics.
"Class Struggle" is a new feature where I take a class from a D&D, OSR or related product and do a deep dive into it. I am going to focus on unique classes to each product, sometimes going back to the same product even to look at other classes. In some cases I am going to look into a class and different representations in different products. I am also going to mostly focus on classes that interest me. So heavy on the magic using classes.
I also want to start this feature with the Mystic, found in +Joseph Bloch's Adventures Dark & Deep.
Back in October of 2013 I spent some time doing a deep dive into Bloch's magnum opus and dedication to a game that never was. If you have not had a chance to read over Adventures Dark & Deep I suggest that check it out. It really is something interesting, even beyond the purely academic question of what would a 2nd Edition AD&D look like if Gygax had never left TSR. It is also a very playable game and a fun one in it's own right. It captures the feel of AD&D better than say OSRIC does.
If you want to just check out the new classes then BRW's first product, A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore has the new classes and few other rules.
Here is what Gygax said about the Mystic in Dragon #65 (from Bloch's own Greyhawk Grognard blog):
Mystic: This subclass of clerics is concerned more with prediction and detection than are other sorts of clerics. All mystics are of Good alignment, although they can be chaotic, neutral, or lawful within the Good alignment. As with other sorts of clerics, mystics would have seven levels of spells, but most would be of the sort to divine or detect. However, some new spells, and some very powerful upper-level spells, are planned.I read this commentary from Grognardia on the same issue which got me thinking about the Mentzer BECMI sets and how they might have influenced the Gygax 2nd Edition. To this end I will briefly mention the D&D Master Set / Rules Cyclopedia mystics.
The Bloch Mystic (for simplicity) is described as:
The mystic is a sub-class of cleric, and an initiate of an inner mystery tradition that seeks direct communion with the multiverse in order to achieve enlightenment. Insight, awareness, and a deep connection with ultimate reality are the hallmarks and ultimate goals of the mystic. Most good-aligned faiths have such mystery traditions within them, even if they are not enthusiastically promoted by the hierarchy or followed by masses of people.This seems more inline with what is described as Mysticism. I am currently reading "The Terror of History: On the Uncertainties of Life in Western Civilization" by Teofilo "Teo" F. Ruiz and this description is very much inline with Prof. Ruiz's description of Christian Mystics.
The spells available to the mystic are centered on knowledge and defense, and his connection with the multiverse gives him special insights into the workings of the planes. He cannot craft magical items, but objects particularly associated with him in life, and even parts of his body, often become relics after his death.
I think it is fair to say from the start that the Bloch Mystic is at least close to spirit, if not the letter of intent, of the Gygax Mystic.
Looking into the Mystic there are some "clerical" like powers and spells here, much in the same matter the druid has some too. Interestingly, as noted above, they can't make magic items. They can scribe scrolls which makes sense. They also have pain management and meditations as skills/powers.
The mystic learns spells due to their "inner awareness". They have some spells they share with clerics and some new ones that really feature their differences. "Awaken First Chakra" is one such spell, Besides being able to glow under a blacklight, kidding...you radiate ultra violet light, you can also reduce falling damage and improve your dex score, at least temporarily with this spell. There are seven chakras in total. Also it is nice to see that for the mystic at least Astral Spell is 6th level.
Level progression is slightly greater than the cleric in most cases, but not up to the level of a wizard/magic-user.
As the mystic levels up their minds become stronger so that powers like ESP no longer work on them. They also focus their attention on more planar issues. This gives a party with a mystic a good hook to the outer planes.
The mystic has a certain "monk" feel about it to be certain, but only the asceticism and divine aspects; not the fighting.
Speaking of asceticism the mystic can also take a Vow of Silence. He can cast his spells where speech is impossible and gain a 10% bonus to xp earned, but the PLAYER also needs to keep their speech to a minimum.
There are plenty of uses for a mystic in a party especially a party that plans to hit the outer planes at any point. Also if the idea of playing a cleric is not appealing the mystic makes for a good change up. Though to be honest the things people normally dislike about clerics and paladins is amplified in the mystic.
Other Mystics
The Mystic of the D&D Master's Set or the Rules Cyclopedia is nothing more than the AD&D Monk for the BECMI system. Though the connection between the mystic and the cleric is made more overt.
There is also a Mystic in Fantastic Heroes and Witchery. This mystic is somewhere between the monk/mystic of BECMI and the Bloch Mystic. They do not gain spells, but rather a Prayer ability introduced in this game.
Finally there is a mystic in the 3.x Dragonlance Campaign Setting book. This mystic is more like a cleric without gods. The mystic gains their divine power from within. In many ways it shares the same relationship with the cleric as does the sorcerer to the wizard. This mystic is also very tied up in the myths and history of Krynn.
Final Thoughts
The mystic as presented by BRW is a solid class and one with enough flavor to make playing one an interesting challenge. I would like to try one out to be honest, maybe using 1st Edition rules or one of the many clones. Of course it shines the best under Adventures Dark & Deep.
The class is interesting enough that I also think it would work well for Castles & Crusades or even D&D 5. I think some more spells might be in order to give it a little more flavor. If I were building one for just a home game I would also borrow some idea from Mage's Akashic Brotherhood.
Also if I were going to add mystics to a game I would remove monks, or more to the point, return monks to the pseudo-Eastern parts of the world. There are traditions of both Eastern and Western mysticism, but for ease I might use the Monk and Mystic as each respective traditions mystics.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time
Been kinda of obsessed with lists lately. But this one does have a point for me. A while back (2004 in fact) the Pazio run of Dungeon Magazine listed their top 30 adventures of all time.
I have been going through what I call the "Classical Canon" of D&D. Not just so I have the experience of running them all, but so my kids can also enjoy these great adventures. I also am looking for what makes a truly great D&D adventure; something that people still talk about years later.
Anyway here is the list with my thoughts.
30. The Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980 (C2)
This is great one, but an odd one to run with a party in an ongoing campaign. So I used it in my Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space playtest and ran it as "The Ghost Tower of Inverness, Illinois". I used this as the location of the "Ghost Tower" which is actually a malfunctioning Time Beacon.
29. The Assassin’s Knot, 1983 (L2)
Personally I prefer L1, Secret of Bone Hill, but this is a great sequel and I can see why many people like it more than Bone Hill. Assassin's Knot works well as a murder mystery, but not great if your players are wanting to go in a bust skulls.
28. The Lost City, 1982 (B4)
I played this one in 8th Grade when it was new and had a blast. I ran it again for my kids a few years back and still had a blast. There were so many things in it I had forgotten and I spent most of the module smiling to myself in memory. It is a Moldvay classic really and really has the feel of early 80s Basic D&D.
27. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, 1981 (U1)
This was one I played back in the day but I have yet to run. I have it all ready to go with my 3rd Ed. conversion notes. Of course at the time I thought this was great because I was deep into my Anglophilia and I thought ANYTHING from England was perfect. Given that it was written (in part) by Don Turnbull then it was bound to be good. If I remember right I played this one after Lost City. I loved the tenor and mood of the module. It inspired an adventure I wrote in 88 called "Home by the Sea". Parts of that adventure were then later used in my Ghosts of Albion adventure Blight, which took place in Ireland. So it all came full circle.
26. City of Skulls, 1993 (WGR6)
This is an odd one. I never played it, never ran it and never really heard anything about it. This was near the end of my Ravenloft games and very, very close to the time where I took a huge break from D&D. I will check it out sometime, but doubt if I'll ever run it.
25. Dragons of Despair, 1984 (DL1)
I never played or ran any of the Dragonlance modules. I enjoyed the books when they came out and I liked the idea that everyone playing was going through it all at the same time. Hey, maybe someone should revive this for the next D&D Encounters! I loved the idea and I loved the new design of the modules, but even then it felt a little railroady to me. Plus I wanted to use my own characters.
24. City of the Spider Queen, 2002
I am not a good judge of this one. I don't like Drizzt. I don't like R.A. Salvatore. I never really cared for the Forgotten Realms till about 4th Edition. I don't really know anything about this module. I suspect it was added to the list because there was a dearth of "modern" adventures and most of the others were "Greyhawk" related.
23. The Forgotten Temple of Tharzidun, 1982 (WG4)
Now this adventure...This one I can get behind. I never played this one, but I have run it twice. It's a death dealer and a peak into what might have been coming as a narrative arc if Gygax had been into such things. This module is one of out first peeks into the horror that is Tharzidun, a god that is part Cthulhu and part Satan in my game. I am weaving material from this module into my larger campaign.
22. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982 (S4)
The same is true for this module. I remember buying it as soon as it came out and I begged my DM to run me through it. I have run it myself twice since, the most recent time with my Dragonslayers group. This is one of my most favorite modules. It has a vampire, Iggwilv, tons of new demons (many that later became part of the Monster Manual II) and just enough puzzles to keep the players on their toes. Running it this last time was a lot of fun.
21. Dark Tower, 1979 from Judge’s Guild (JG 0088)
While I would argue that this is an obligatory JG entry, this one is actually a lot of fun. I never played it myself and it is so rare on eBay that it has been cost prohibative. Thankfully we have PDFs of the Original and of the 3.5 update.
20. Scourge of the Slave Lords, 1986 (A1-4)
Another classic getting the reprint treatment. I remember playing this one in 8th grade as well. My DM at the time folded the Lost City into the A series to make a campaign out of them. Also he had a copy of Grimtooth's Traps which made everything deadlier. Or as he said "better". I still have a thief stuck somewhere in a pit trap.
19. Against the Cult of the Reptile God, 1982 (N1)
I have never played or run this one. I have though always wanted to use it as a start of a "Second" campaign, After running the Classical Canon, I would start with a new campaign focusing on reptiles as the enemy. Work in some modern "Reptoids" and have a go at it. Maybe someday I will still do this. But this is a fun adventure to read.
18. The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
Another great old module I never played, but read many times. Like N1 I always hoped that I could use this one as part of a second campaign. Though given some of the elements I would not be amiss using it in my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. I already have too many modules/adventures for the 5-7 level range.
17. Ruins of Undermountain, 1991
Ah. This is one that I have always known about but never really bothered with. It was Forgotten Realms so I never gave it much thought. Though I always thought this was more of a campaign expansion, ie part of the the whole Underdark deal so I never considered it an adventure.
16. Isle of Dread, 1980 (X1)
Oh the hours I spent pouring over this map. This was Tom Moldvay's love letter to the pulp era and to such classic horror movies as King Kong. This also included the first full map of the Known World. I ran it many times as a kid and it was one of the first modules I ran for my son. He wanted to go an island of monsters, "like in Godzilla". This did not disappoint him or me. More so than any other adventure, the Dragonslayers were born here.
15. Castle Amber, 1981 (X2)
Another great. Again Moldvay's pulp horror influences are showing here, in particular his love for the works of Clark Ashton Smith. This time we enter an old house full of crazy characters and plenty of dangers. This could have come off as a "fun house" dungeon, but something in the presentation is different. Maybe it is the undertones of horror and dread. My players in our 5e game are going through this one now. I have dropped the first hints of the "coming darkness" to them here.
This is one of my personal favorites. Certainly part of my top 5.
14. Dead Gods, 1997
Dead Gods is not an adventure I have ever run or been in, but it is one I have used quite a bit. There are a number of elements in it that I use for my "Rise of Orcus" plot. Especially back in the 4e days and the rise of Orcus adventures. Honestly there are enough adventures out there that you could build a universe (and edition) spanning mega campaign on nothing more than stopping the machinations of Orcus. One day I should give that a try.
13. Dwellers of the Forbidden City, 1981 (I1)
This is a great adventure and part of my "Second Campaign" (AGGHHH too many adventures to play!) it is also at the 4th-7th level sweet spot. This one is a key part of that idea since it introduced the Yuan-ti, a monster I have used repeatedly; often calling them Ophidians. It has elements that would fit in nicely with my 5th edition group, but I have too many adventures for this level.
12. The Forge of Fury, 2000
So this is our obligatory 3e adventure I think. I never played it or ran it, thought I have read it. Personally I think The Sunless Citadel was better and should have been on this list. It was the first and introduced a generation to Meepo. Sure he was no Aleena, but you could also say that Aleena was no Meepo!
11. The Gates of Firestorm Peak, 1996
Ugh. Sorry, but there is a lot about this module I just don't like. I don't care for the shoehorn plot for starters and I hated the Skills & Powers books. Som much that it threw me off of D&D till 3e came out. It was "Lovecraftian" and I did like that. I suspect that is why it is on this list to be honest. Though many of the ideas in this module came into sharper focus during the 3e years.
10. Return to the Tomb of Horrors, 1998
You have to admit. This is a total cheat. I have it, I enjoyed it and I like the idea that the Tomb is something that people can keep going back too (whatever the edition). As a sequel there is a lot to like. As a stand alone and on it's own merits though it might be passable.
9. White Plume Mountain, 1979 (S2)
I am inordinately fond of the S series of modules. This one is no different. It of course makes 0 sense, but works great as an epic D&D adventure. Plus it gave us Wave, Whelm and Blackrazor.
8. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, 2001
In many ways I like this one better than the original. I like the idea of returning to the Temple I also like the idea of talking in game about adventures that came before. Gives me a sense of continuity. This is one of my favorite 3.x era modules to be honest.
7. The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
What can I honestly say about this one? The Cave of Chaos were as well traveled as a local Mall in the 1980s. When I think "Classic Canon" this is the first thing that comes to mind.
6. The Desert of Desolation, 1987 (I3-5)
Another total cheat this "super" module is made up of Pharoah (I3), Oasis of the White Palm (I4) and Lost Tomb of Martek (I5). Though to be totally fair they are linked together. Another really great set of adventures I would LOVE to play or run (read them many times) but not likely to. Maybe if I do my "Second Campaign". There is a lot in these I have used elsewhere though.
5. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
"You know what AD&D needs? Freaking laser guns! Lasers and killer robots!" Seriously. Has there ever been a module to encapsulate everything the late 70s and early 80s was all about more than this one? It even has a karate instructor robot. I am going to add in a break-dancing robot that moves to a funky Herbie Hancock beat when I run this next. Which should be soon. I am going totally gonzo with it too. I am grabbing bits of Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha too. In fact since the characters are higher level than the module requires I am doing a sort of "Return to the Barrier Peaks" spin on it. I am going to add some material from The Illithiad as well.
4. The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985 (T1-4)
Another of the classic canon. If you didn't start your adventure in the keep, then chances are you started it here. I have always wanted to run this one and never have. I have used pieces of it before.
I suppose if I do my "second campaign" I will start with this and change the temple a bit.
3. Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1)
We just finished this one and it was every bit the meat grinder it was rumored to be. I had gone through back in the day, but running it was a completely different experience. Now I might be branded as a heretic here but it is not really that good of an adventure. Really it isn't. There are lot things in the adventure that don't make sense except in a D&D world. That being said it is a rite of passage and everyone should try it at least once under their favorite edition or at least once under 1st ed as Gary intended it to be.
2. Ravenloft, 1983 (I6)
Here we go. This is my favorite module on the list. I just love it; warts and all. Yeah there are some real leaps in logic in this one and there are plenty of reasons NOT to like it, but I don't care. I think it is great. It's a Hammer Horror film in D&D form right down to the small "Hammer Hamlet" village with terrified peasants. There are vampires, gypsies, werewolves, really strong zombies, gargoyles. Even a huge pipe organ played by the vampire. You can almost hear Toccata and Fugue in D minor while running it. I have played through this once and I have ran it three or four times. I would love to try it sometime under the Ghosts of Albion rules. I am going to take my 5e group through it when they complete Castle Amber.
1. Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
The first AD&D campaign arc. We talk alot about being "plot free" in our adventures but when it get right down to it we love a good story arc and the GDQ was that. I am not 100% sure that Q1 lived up the promise of the G and D series, but damn was it fun.
This super module was made up of:
Back in the day EVERYONE was going through this. It was the D&D Encounters of it's time. The only problem was no one was doing it at exactly the same time or way. So I know dozens of stories about how these turned out. I have dozens of my own. Plus that Bill Willingham cover of the Giants is one of the most iconic covers of the age I think.
There you are. The 30 greatest adventures as ranked by Dungeon Magazine.
Do you agree or disagree? What is missing?
Here are my honorable mentions.
In Search of the Unknown, 1978 (B1)
Every adventure starts somewhere. Mine usually start here. This is my go to module for a quick a easy sandbox style dungeon crawl. I have run it half a dozen times or more with new groups and it is always a thrill.
Palace of the Silver Princess, 1981 (B3)
Yes it is a rather silly adventure, but I really enjoy it. Plus the backstory on it makes it a lot more fun.
Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1976 from WeeWarriors (V2)
The first ever published adventure or "DM's Kit" as it was called then. What it lacks detail it makes up for in style. I have ran this one twice now under various systems. It works with everything to be honest; it is that sandboxy.
I have been going through what I call the "Classical Canon" of D&D. Not just so I have the experience of running them all, but so my kids can also enjoy these great adventures. I also am looking for what makes a truly great D&D adventure; something that people still talk about years later.
Anyway here is the list with my thoughts.
This is great one, but an odd one to run with a party in an ongoing campaign. So I used it in my Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space playtest and ran it as "The Ghost Tower of Inverness, Illinois". I used this as the location of the "Ghost Tower" which is actually a malfunctioning Time Beacon.
29. The Assassin’s Knot, 1983 (L2)
Personally I prefer L1, Secret of Bone Hill, but this is a great sequel and I can see why many people like it more than Bone Hill. Assassin's Knot works well as a murder mystery, but not great if your players are wanting to go in a bust skulls.
28. The Lost City, 1982 (B4)
I played this one in 8th Grade when it was new and had a blast. I ran it again for my kids a few years back and still had a blast. There were so many things in it I had forgotten and I spent most of the module smiling to myself in memory. It is a Moldvay classic really and really has the feel of early 80s Basic D&D.
This was one I played back in the day but I have yet to run. I have it all ready to go with my 3rd Ed. conversion notes. Of course at the time I thought this was great because I was deep into my Anglophilia and I thought ANYTHING from England was perfect. Given that it was written (in part) by Don Turnbull then it was bound to be good. If I remember right I played this one after Lost City. I loved the tenor and mood of the module. It inspired an adventure I wrote in 88 called "Home by the Sea". Parts of that adventure were then later used in my Ghosts of Albion adventure Blight, which took place in Ireland. So it all came full circle.
26. City of Skulls, 1993 (WGR6)
This is an odd one. I never played it, never ran it and never really heard anything about it. This was near the end of my Ravenloft games and very, very close to the time where I took a huge break from D&D. I will check it out sometime, but doubt if I'll ever run it.
25. Dragons of Despair, 1984 (DL1)
I never played or ran any of the Dragonlance modules. I enjoyed the books when they came out and I liked the idea that everyone playing was going through it all at the same time. Hey, maybe someone should revive this for the next D&D Encounters! I loved the idea and I loved the new design of the modules, but even then it felt a little railroady to me. Plus I wanted to use my own characters.
24. City of the Spider Queen, 2002
I am not a good judge of this one. I don't like Drizzt. I don't like R.A. Salvatore. I never really cared for the Forgotten Realms till about 4th Edition. I don't really know anything about this module. I suspect it was added to the list because there was a dearth of "modern" adventures and most of the others were "Greyhawk" related.
Now this adventure...This one I can get behind. I never played this one, but I have run it twice. It's a death dealer and a peak into what might have been coming as a narrative arc if Gygax had been into such things. This module is one of out first peeks into the horror that is Tharzidun, a god that is part Cthulhu and part Satan in my game. I am weaving material from this module into my larger campaign.
22. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982 (S4)
The same is true for this module. I remember buying it as soon as it came out and I begged my DM to run me through it. I have run it myself twice since, the most recent time with my Dragonslayers group. This is one of my most favorite modules. It has a vampire, Iggwilv, tons of new demons (many that later became part of the Monster Manual II) and just enough puzzles to keep the players on their toes. Running it this last time was a lot of fun.
21. Dark Tower, 1979 from Judge’s Guild (JG 0088)
While I would argue that this is an obligatory JG entry, this one is actually a lot of fun. I never played it myself and it is so rare on eBay that it has been cost prohibative. Thankfully we have PDFs of the Original and of the 3.5 update.
20. Scourge of the Slave Lords, 1986 (A1-4)
Another classic getting the reprint treatment. I remember playing this one in 8th grade as well. My DM at the time folded the Lost City into the A series to make a campaign out of them. Also he had a copy of Grimtooth's Traps which made everything deadlier. Or as he said "better". I still have a thief stuck somewhere in a pit trap.
I have never played or run this one. I have though always wanted to use it as a start of a "Second" campaign, After running the Classical Canon, I would start with a new campaign focusing on reptiles as the enemy. Work in some modern "Reptoids" and have a go at it. Maybe someday I will still do this. But this is a fun adventure to read.
18. The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
Another great old module I never played, but read many times. Like N1 I always hoped that I could use this one as part of a second campaign. Though given some of the elements I would not be amiss using it in my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. I already have too many modules/adventures for the 5-7 level range.
17. Ruins of Undermountain, 1991
Ah. This is one that I have always known about but never really bothered with. It was Forgotten Realms so I never gave it much thought. Though I always thought this was more of a campaign expansion, ie part of the the whole Underdark deal so I never considered it an adventure.
16. Isle of Dread, 1980 (X1)
Oh the hours I spent pouring over this map. This was Tom Moldvay's love letter to the pulp era and to such classic horror movies as King Kong. This also included the first full map of the Known World. I ran it many times as a kid and it was one of the first modules I ran for my son. He wanted to go an island of monsters, "like in Godzilla". This did not disappoint him or me. More so than any other adventure, the Dragonslayers were born here.
Another great. Again Moldvay's pulp horror influences are showing here, in particular his love for the works of Clark Ashton Smith. This time we enter an old house full of crazy characters and plenty of dangers. This could have come off as a "fun house" dungeon, but something in the presentation is different. Maybe it is the undertones of horror and dread. My players in our 5e game are going through this one now. I have dropped the first hints of the "coming darkness" to them here.
This is one of my personal favorites. Certainly part of my top 5.
14. Dead Gods, 1997
Dead Gods is not an adventure I have ever run or been in, but it is one I have used quite a bit. There are a number of elements in it that I use for my "Rise of Orcus" plot. Especially back in the 4e days and the rise of Orcus adventures. Honestly there are enough adventures out there that you could build a universe (and edition) spanning mega campaign on nothing more than stopping the machinations of Orcus. One day I should give that a try.
This is a great adventure and part of my "Second Campaign" (AGGHHH too many adventures to play!) it is also at the 4th-7th level sweet spot. This one is a key part of that idea since it introduced the Yuan-ti, a monster I have used repeatedly; often calling them Ophidians. It has elements that would fit in nicely with my 5th edition group, but I have too many adventures for this level.
12. The Forge of Fury, 2000
So this is our obligatory 3e adventure I think. I never played it or ran it, thought I have read it. Personally I think The Sunless Citadel was better and should have been on this list. It was the first and introduced a generation to Meepo. Sure he was no Aleena, but you could also say that Aleena was no Meepo!
11. The Gates of Firestorm Peak, 1996
Ugh. Sorry, but there is a lot about this module I just don't like. I don't care for the shoehorn plot for starters and I hated the Skills & Powers books. Som much that it threw me off of D&D till 3e came out. It was "Lovecraftian" and I did like that. I suspect that is why it is on this list to be honest. Though many of the ideas in this module came into sharper focus during the 3e years.
10. Return to the Tomb of Horrors, 1998
You have to admit. This is a total cheat. I have it, I enjoyed it and I like the idea that the Tomb is something that people can keep going back too (whatever the edition). As a sequel there is a lot to like. As a stand alone and on it's own merits though it might be passable.
9. White Plume Mountain, 1979 (S2)
I am inordinately fond of the S series of modules. This one is no different. It of course makes 0 sense, but works great as an epic D&D adventure. Plus it gave us Wave, Whelm and Blackrazor.
In many ways I like this one better than the original. I like the idea of returning to the Temple I also like the idea of talking in game about adventures that came before. Gives me a sense of continuity. This is one of my favorite 3.x era modules to be honest.
7. The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
What can I honestly say about this one? The Cave of Chaos were as well traveled as a local Mall in the 1980s. When I think "Classic Canon" this is the first thing that comes to mind.
6. The Desert of Desolation, 1987 (I3-5)
Another total cheat this "super" module is made up of Pharoah (I3), Oasis of the White Palm (I4) and Lost Tomb of Martek (I5). Though to be totally fair they are linked together. Another really great set of adventures I would LOVE to play or run (read them many times) but not likely to. Maybe if I do my "Second Campaign". There is a lot in these I have used elsewhere though.
5. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
"You know what AD&D needs? Freaking laser guns! Lasers and killer robots!" Seriously. Has there ever been a module to encapsulate everything the late 70s and early 80s was all about more than this one? It even has a karate instructor robot. I am going to add in a break-dancing robot that moves to a funky Herbie Hancock beat when I run this next. Which should be soon. I am going totally gonzo with it too. I am grabbing bits of Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha too. In fact since the characters are higher level than the module requires I am doing a sort of "Return to the Barrier Peaks" spin on it. I am going to add some material from The Illithiad as well.
Another of the classic canon. If you didn't start your adventure in the keep, then chances are you started it here. I have always wanted to run this one and never have. I have used pieces of it before.
I suppose if I do my "second campaign" I will start with this and change the temple a bit.
3. Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1)
We just finished this one and it was every bit the meat grinder it was rumored to be. I had gone through back in the day, but running it was a completely different experience. Now I might be branded as a heretic here but it is not really that good of an adventure. Really it isn't. There are lot things in the adventure that don't make sense except in a D&D world. That being said it is a rite of passage and everyone should try it at least once under their favorite edition or at least once under 1st ed as Gary intended it to be.
Here we go. This is my favorite module on the list. I just love it; warts and all. Yeah there are some real leaps in logic in this one and there are plenty of reasons NOT to like it, but I don't care. I think it is great. It's a Hammer Horror film in D&D form right down to the small "Hammer Hamlet" village with terrified peasants. There are vampires, gypsies, werewolves, really strong zombies, gargoyles. Even a huge pipe organ played by the vampire. You can almost hear Toccata and Fugue in D minor while running it. I have played through this once and I have ran it three or four times. I would love to try it sometime under the Ghosts of Albion rules. I am going to take my 5e group through it when they complete Castle Amber.
1. Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
The first AD&D campaign arc. We talk alot about being "plot free" in our adventures but when it get right down to it we love a good story arc and the GDQ was that. I am not 100% sure that Q1 lived up the promise of the G and D series, but damn was it fun.
This super module was made up of:
- Against the Giants (G1-3)
- Descent into the Depths of the Earth (D1-2)
- Vault of the Drow (D3)
- Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Q1)
Back in the day EVERYONE was going through this. It was the D&D Encounters of it's time. The only problem was no one was doing it at exactly the same time or way. So I know dozens of stories about how these turned out. I have dozens of my own. Plus that Bill Willingham cover of the Giants is one of the most iconic covers of the age I think.
There you are. The 30 greatest adventures as ranked by Dungeon Magazine.
Do you agree or disagree? What is missing?
Here are my honorable mentions.
Every adventure starts somewhere. Mine usually start here. This is my go to module for a quick a easy sandbox style dungeon crawl. I have run it half a dozen times or more with new groups and it is always a thrill.
Palace of the Silver Princess, 1981 (B3)
Yes it is a rather silly adventure, but I really enjoy it. Plus the backstory on it makes it a lot more fun.
Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1976 from WeeWarriors (V2)
The first ever published adventure or "DM's Kit" as it was called then. What it lacks detail it makes up for in style. I have ran this one twice now under various systems. It works with everything to be honest; it is that sandboxy.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Gog and Magog for Advanced Era Games
I was doing research on the the original Balor/Type VI demons in 1st Ed AD&D and how there are only six of them. The DMG lists them as Balor (their leader and the largest), Errtu, Ndulu, Ter-Soth, Alzoll, and Wendonai. Wendonai. Doesn't exactly fill you with fear does it. Since I am using the OGC Balor as the basis of my own Baalor in my games I wanted to expand them a bit. So these names are purely off limits (save for Balor).
That tied in with all the myths I have been reading (well, since forever) of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales (er Walesland?). There was a Balor there too. Only he was a giant with one eye on his forehead and another on the back of his head. I was reading about all these giants when I came across Gogmagog.
I had been familiar with Gog and Magog and Gogmagog because of an off-hand reference on Doctor Who years and years before. I had scribbled down that Gog and Magog were akin to Ogres, but divine. I choose ogres because of something the Doctor said "Gog, Magog and Ogre", pronounced 'O-gree'. In the book of Revelations Gog and Magog were the ultimate enemies of God's people. Though to be fair Gog and Magog hopscotch all over the Bible and one is never really sure if they are individuals, peoples, or lands. Gog and Magog also appear in the Qur'an as a monster (the monster of Gog and Magog) or again as a land.
Recently I reread the Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. The chief of the Balrogs was a being known as Gothmog. I knew I was on to something. Obviously Tolkien, a professor of English literature and languages (especially Old English) knew of Gogmagog. In some early versions of Tolkien's work Gothmog is even described as a "son of Melkor and the ogress Fuithluin", Later a "Gothmog" was also the orc in charge of Mordor's army in the Return of the King. Obviously named after the Balrog (and less confusing than Glorfindel of Rivendell vs. Glorfindel of Gondolin).
All of this though has given me some ideas.
Here they are using OSRIC and LL Advanced Edition Companion. All text below is considered Open for use under the OGL.
Section 15: OSRIC Chapter V copyright 2007-08 by Stuart Marshall, Chris Hopkins, James Boney, Robert Ross, Jeremy Goehring, Mike Davison, Daniel Proctor, B. Scot Hoover, Chris Cain, Bill Silvey, Floyd Canaday, Vincent Frugé and Matthew James Stanham.
Advanced Edition Companion, Copyright 2009-2010, Daniel Proctor. Author Daniel Proctor.
Adventures Dark and DeepTM Bestiary, Copyright 2011-2013 BRW Games, LLC.
Gog and Magog for Advanced Era Games, Copyright 2015 Timothy S. Brannan.
Gog and Magog
Class F Standard Order (true) Demons
Frequency: Very Rare (Unique Demons)
No. Encountered: 2
Size: Large, 13' (Gog), 13' 5" (Magog)
Move: 60 ft; 150 ft flying (AA:III)
Armor Class: -3 (Gog) / -4 (Magog)
Hit Dice*: 10d8+10 (Gog), 10d8+21 (Magog)
Attacks: 1 bite or by special attack
Damage: 1d12+4
Special Attacks: Flaming great sword (2d8) (Gog) or Flaming great axe (2d8) (Magog) + 3d6 fire
Special Defenses: +2 or better magic weapon to hit
Magic Resistance: 75%
Lair Probability: 0%
Intelligence: High
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Level/XP: 9/3,750 + 13/hp**
Gog and Magog are two unique demons of the same sort of Balor. While they are larger and more aggressive than their kin, their natures preclude them from ruling large numbers of lower demons as their brethren might. Gog and Magog are described as "brothers" and this has never been proven by any occult scholar. They share a physical similarity to each other. Gog is large, predominantly red in color with black hair and beard. He wields a large flaming sword in battle. Magog is larger, predominantly black in color with red hair and beard. He wields a large flaming great axe. Either causes an extra 3d6 points of fire damage per hit.
Gog and Magog can also use the following powers at will: detect invisibility, detect magic, dispel magic, fear (as the wand), pyrotechnics, read languages, read magic, suggestion, telekinesis (600 lbs.), and symbol (despair, fear, sleep, and stunning). A +2 or better magical weapon to hit.
Unlike other demons, Gog and Magog cannot gate in lesser true demons. Instead they may summon 2d6 demonic Ogres each. These creatures appear as normal ogres save that their skin is red and they are immune to fire, poison, sleep and charm spells. They also need a +1 or better magical weapon to hit. Demonic ogres always have the maximum hitpoints for ogres.
Much like other demons, these two will bicker and fight and even plot against each other. However when confronted with a common foe the will work together to defeat them. They are completely loyal only to each other. They are often found in each other's company.
They are most often found on the Material Plane, the summoning ritual for one will also summon the other and only rarely in the Abyss.
They are violent, aggressive and constantly angry. Neither is much for planning, but when pressed they are good strategists and have been used as generals by stronger Demon Lords and Princes. They have even been known to serve the Baalseraph Ahriman, also known as Angra Mainyu. A common tactic among the Demon Lords that engage their services are to choose a location and let the brothers go.
*Many "Advanced Era Games" use a d8 for monster HD. I prefer to use a d10 myself.
** Adjust according to your preferred system.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Dungeon Master's Guide 5th Edition
I got my copy of the 5th Edition of the Dungeon Master's Guide the other day. I have not read through the entire book in detail yet but I have read a good deal of it.
I am prepared at this point to make the claim that this is one of the best editions of the DMG ever.
It stands up extremely well to the classic 1st Edition DMG. It is hard to match the 1st Ed DMG in terms of content, but this new book does an extremely good job of coming close.
It is certainly better than the 2nd and 4th Ed versions. It has an edge over the 3rd Ed version as well, but that is only because at the moment I know the 3rd ed one better and the 5th ed one seems to have more material.
Of so far it seems that 1e, 3e, and 5e are the stand outs.
What strikes me the most about the new 5th ed DMG is that it is full of options, not rules. It gives DMs ideas on how to make rulings, much like old-school games but leaves the details up to the DM.
Honestly if you are an old-school DM and you can't find something of use in this book then you are being unnecessarily obstinate.
This book continues the trend of reading like a "Greatest Hits" of D&D. Everything from the earliest supplements to 4th edition is here in one form or another. Sure you won't find the table of Harlots here, but the sample dungeon (also reprinted in 3e) is here.
The Great Wheel cosmology is here along with Sigil (covering 1st and 2nd Ed) the define your own multiverse is here (3rd Ed) and places like the Feywild and Shadowfell (4e) are here. In fact this book makes all my 4e fluff books usable again. Yeah the mechanics will need to be altered in some cases, but so fare things like DC still line up real nice.
I am looking forward to spending more time with this book. I am also looking forward to going back to my 1st Ed DMG to compare and contrast.
I am prepared at this point to make the claim that this is one of the best editions of the DMG ever.
It stands up extremely well to the classic 1st Edition DMG. It is hard to match the 1st Ed DMG in terms of content, but this new book does an extremely good job of coming close.
It is certainly better than the 2nd and 4th Ed versions. It has an edge over the 3rd Ed version as well, but that is only because at the moment I know the 3rd ed one better and the 5th ed one seems to have more material.
Of so far it seems that 1e, 3e, and 5e are the stand outs.
What strikes me the most about the new 5th ed DMG is that it is full of options, not rules. It gives DMs ideas on how to make rulings, much like old-school games but leaves the details up to the DM.
Honestly if you are an old-school DM and you can't find something of use in this book then you are being unnecessarily obstinate.
This book continues the trend of reading like a "Greatest Hits" of D&D. Everything from the earliest supplements to 4th edition is here in one form or another. Sure you won't find the table of Harlots here, but the sample dungeon (also reprinted in 3e) is here.
The Great Wheel cosmology is here along with Sigil (covering 1st and 2nd Ed) the define your own multiverse is here (3rd Ed) and places like the Feywild and Shadowfell (4e) are here. In fact this book makes all my 4e fluff books usable again. Yeah the mechanics will need to be altered in some cases, but so fare things like DC still line up real nice.
I am looking forward to spending more time with this book. I am also looking forward to going back to my 1st Ed DMG to compare and contrast.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Healers in Old School D&D
That got me thinking and I dug up my 1st Ed AD&D characters and found my character Celene (enspired by this bit of Elmore art). She was a Healer. Not a Cleric. Also she was my first 2nd character. Stuffed into the wrong folder I guess.
The healer I used back then was an odd mix of materials I had written for the witch, a necromancer class that no one has seen and the Sun Priest.
They all related in a weird way.
I tended to use Clerics more as the Occult Researchers of D&D. If it was an evil monster then they knew about it.
So healers, even pacifist ones, had more to do in my games.
Did any of you use Healers as a seperate class? If so how did it work out for you? Did they have awesome 80s hair?
Friday, June 20, 2014
Skylla: Adventures Dark & Deep witch
I had planned on doing a Skylla write-up today, but for a different system. But given that +Joseph Bloch is running a sale this weekend, I think it would be better to use his witch.
I reviewed his witch a while back and I enjoyed it even if there are couple things I didn't like about it. But it is still a fun class and I have enjoyed it.
So here is Skylla using The Darker Paths 2: The Witch and the Adventures Dark and Deep RPG.
Skylla
CE Female Human
Witch 7
Abilities
STR: 9
INT: 11
WIS: 15
DEX: 11
CON: 10
CHA: 12* (initial)/5 current
Saving Throws
Paralyzation, Poison, Death: 7
Petrification, Polymorph: 10
Rod, Staff, Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 13
Spells: 12
+1 to Magical attack saves
Special Abilities (class)
Spell casting
Create Magic Items
Bell, Book & Candle
Brew Poison
Call Familiar (Quasit)
Charisma degradation
Limited to 13th level
Wisdom Bonus Spells (2 1st, 1 2nd)
Secondary Skills
Alchemy
HP: 13
AC: 6 (Bracers)
Spells
1st: Charm Person or Mammal, Detect Magic, Infravision, Protection from Good, Witch Shot, Wither
2nd: Blight Field, Command, Magic Broom, Misfortune, Wizard Lock
3rd: Bestow Curse, Hand of Glory, Magic Missile
4th: Polymorph Self, Sleep
5th: Season of the Witch
Skylla is a good fit for his style of witch i think. I would have to play more to be sure. Limiting her to 13th level might the fit the narrative I have for her. She would later go on to take more mage classes.
I reviewed his witch a while back and I enjoyed it even if there are couple things I didn't like about it. But it is still a fun class and I have enjoyed it.
So here is Skylla using The Darker Paths 2: The Witch and the Adventures Dark and Deep RPG.
CE Female Human
Witch 7
Abilities
STR: 9
INT: 11
WIS: 15
DEX: 11
CON: 10
CHA: 12* (initial)/5 current
Saving Throws
Paralyzation, Poison, Death: 7
Petrification, Polymorph: 10
Rod, Staff, Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 13
Spells: 12
+1 to Magical attack saves
Special Abilities (class)
Spell casting
Create Magic Items
Bell, Book & Candle
Brew Poison
Call Familiar (Quasit)
Charisma degradation
Limited to 13th level
Wisdom Bonus Spells (2 1st, 1 2nd)
Secondary Skills
Alchemy
HP: 13
AC: 6 (Bracers)
Spells
1st: Charm Person or Mammal, Detect Magic, Infravision, Protection from Good, Witch Shot, Wither
2nd: Blight Field, Command, Magic Broom, Misfortune, Wizard Lock
3rd: Bestow Curse, Hand of Glory, Magic Missile
4th: Polymorph Self, Sleep
5th: Season of the Witch
Skylla is a good fit for his style of witch i think. I would have to play more to be sure. Limiting her to 13th level might the fit the narrative I have for her. She would later go on to take more mage classes.
BRW Games Summer Solstice Sale
I make no secret of my enjoyment of Joseph Bloch's, aka The Greyhawk Grognard's, work.
I enjoy his blog, his games and frankly he has helped tremendously in improving the perception that OSR-based Kickstarters are always late.
So it is my pleasure then to let you all know about his first, and maybe only sale.
All his products (and there is a lot there for a one-man shop) are on sale.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.php?manufacturers_id=3728&affiliate_id=10748
Everything from Castle of the Mad Archmage to Adventures Dark & Deep his "what if" 2nd edition game.
Stop by and pick something up. Honestly I say grab something, anything, if for no other reason than to tell Joseph that he is doing a good job and sales are appreciated.
Here are some of the books I have reviewed here and really enjoy:
A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore
Adventures Dark and Deep Players Manual
Adventures Dark and Deep Game Masters Toolkit
Adventures Dark and Deep Bestiary
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer
Darker Paths 2: The Witch
I enjoy his blog, his games and frankly he has helped tremendously in improving the perception that OSR-based Kickstarters are always late.
So it is my pleasure then to let you all know about his first, and maybe only sale.
All his products (and there is a lot there for a one-man shop) are on sale.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.php?manufacturers_id=3728&affiliate_id=10748
Everything from Castle of the Mad Archmage to Adventures Dark & Deep his "what if" 2nd edition game.
Stop by and pick something up. Honestly I say grab something, anything, if for no other reason than to tell Joseph that he is doing a good job and sales are appreciated.
A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore
Adventures Dark and Deep Players Manual
Adventures Dark and Deep Game Masters Toolkit
Adventures Dark and Deep Bestiary
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer
Darker Paths 2: The Witch
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Great Gaming Weekend!
What a great weekend for gaming!
Friday Night I went to my regular 2nd Ed game. We were missing some players so I got to bring along my oldest son. We got there and more players were missing. So we created some new characters living in the same world with the idea that they could be alternates for anyone that drops into the game or we could even switch from our primary characters to these. Some hiccups, but all in all a good night and a great bunch of characters.
Sunday Morning I registered for my GenCon games. I didn't get everything I wanted, but I still got plenty. Going to be playing some Ubiquity and Mage the Ascension for the first time in years.
Sunday Afternoon. Again, missing characters. This time my youngest son crashed on the couch from his night of playing paintball. So my oldest wanted to play our 1st Ed game and finish up the Caves of Chaos. Instead I had him take one of his alternate characters, an assassin, and discover that Mendel the Merchant was part of the Slave trade to and from the Caves. This will play nicely when they hit the A series later.
Merchant killed, plot discovered. All in a good day's work. Now they just need to clear out caves A, B and C and they can move on to the next adventure.
Friday Night I went to my regular 2nd Ed game. We were missing some players so I got to bring along my oldest son. We got there and more players were missing. So we created some new characters living in the same world with the idea that they could be alternates for anyone that drops into the game or we could even switch from our primary characters to these. Some hiccups, but all in all a good night and a great bunch of characters.
Sunday Morning I registered for my GenCon games. I didn't get everything I wanted, but I still got plenty. Going to be playing some Ubiquity and Mage the Ascension for the first time in years.
Sunday Afternoon. Again, missing characters. This time my youngest son crashed on the couch from his night of playing paintball. So my oldest wanted to play our 1st Ed game and finish up the Caves of Chaos. Instead I had him take one of his alternate characters, an assassin, and discover that Mendel the Merchant was part of the Slave trade to and from the Caves. This will play nicely when they hit the A series later.
Merchant killed, plot discovered. All in a good day's work. Now they just need to clear out caves A, B and C and they can move on to the next adventure.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Review: Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales (AD&D 2nd)
Wizards of the Coast and their partner DNDClassics.com has released the latest PDF from the TSR/WotC back catalog, this time a product I know very, very well.
Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales is nominally released under the Ravenloft line and you will need one of the Ravenloft core books to be able to play this along with the AD&D 2nd Edition rules. However if you know the AD&D rules well enough you might be able to get by. The premise of the game it rather a simple one. What if the Dark Powers from Ravenloft found their way to Earth? Well...I should state out and out that they never actually say that, but imply it rather heavily. The is a dark, malignant force controlling things on Earth, known here as The Red Death, and this Earth of the 1890s certainly has a lot more in common with Ravenloft.
Pretty much from the time it was published to the onset of the new 3rd Edition rules, Masque of the Red Death was my campaign world of choice. I still played AD&D2 in Ravenloft, or rather, I ran AD&D2 in Ravenloft, but the lines between Ravenloft proper and "Gothic Earth" became very, very blurry.
For this review I am going to talk specifically about the PDF and only discussing the original boxed set format when appropriate.
To begin with we get five PDFs in this package. These correspond to the four books and the DM's screen.
Book I is the main Masque of the Red Death book. It is 130 pages of a high quality, OCR scan. Some the images are fuzzy, but I feel that is more due to the source images rather than the scan itself. The scan comes in at just over 35 meg.
We begin with an overview of what this campaign guide is about. I might be mistaken, but this is the first official AD&D product to take place on Earth. This followed up with a history of Gothic Earth. Things began to go downhill for everything around 2700 BC when Imhoptep (yes, same as the Mummy movies) began experimenting with darker magics. The next dozen or so pages bring us to the present day (1890s). The history is a fast read and I would not ignore it. It sets the tone for the entire game.
Chapter II details character creation. There are different methods used than the PHB to reflect that characters are not your sword wielding barbarians of a bygone age. So characters are more average.
There are rough parallels to all the classic AD&D classes, Soldiers, Adepts, Mystics, and Tradesmen. The AD&D Proficiency system is used here as well. Interestingly the system seems make more sense here (since skills are really what sets characters apart) but also shows its wear and tear.
Money and Equipment is also detailed in Chapter IV. Interestingly this one of the few Victorian era games where the default currency is listed as American Dollars rather than Pounds Sterling.
It should be of note that this also the book that adds guns to AD&D2. Quite a number of guns are detailed here as well.
Chapter V covers magic and you really need the Player's Handbook for this section.
Chapter VI covers the changes to combat.
Getting back to what really makes this special is Chapter VII An Atlas of Gothic Earth. I should point out at this point that the large poster sized map that came with the boxed set is not included here. It gives a brief overview of the world. This section is done much better in the full fledged product that shares it's name.
The first Appendix covers various character kits. If you remember 2e at all, you remember kits. Quite a few interesting ideas are detailed, but you could also do these with the base four classes and good roleplaying.
Appendix II covers some villains of Gothic Earth. There are plenty of old favorite here and some new takes on old characters. Though I will admit the one thing that still gets on my nerves is Moriarty re-done as a Rakshasa. In my games he was human. And yes, Dracula is there as well.
And finally Appendix III covers adventuring in Gothic Earth.
Book II is an adventure in 3 parts by future Pinnacle Entertainment head honcho Shane Hensley and featuring the rock star of Gothic fiction, Dracula. The advantage of this PDF over my boxed set copy? I can print this out and make changes to it. Yeah it is a good adventure, but I can't help but feel it is a pastiche of Hammer and Stoker's original work.
Book III is a Jack the Ripper adventure, Red Jack. Unlike Moriarty's change into a supernatural creature, this adventure make "Jack" into something more mundane. Normally I would be fine this, but the name of the adventure itself and some of the elements BEGS it to be tied to the old Star Trek episode The Wolf in The Fold and Redjac.
Book IV is the Red Death, an adventure based around elements of the Edgar Allen Poe story. Some details have been changed and added, but the spirit is the same. Again, I am tempted to make the main antagonist, Prospero, the Prospero.
Book V is the DM's screen.
Again I'll point out that the large poster sized map is missing.
Once upon a time this boxed captured my imagination like no other game. This PDF makes me want to crack open some 2e.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Dungeons.. AND Dragons.
So week end wrap up.
Wow. What a busy week really.
Tonight is 2nd Ed. AD&D, a continuation of our Basic game from two-weeks ago. But I am dead tired.
So here is a size comparison of some Dragons. Happy Friday!
Wow. What a busy week really.
Tonight is 2nd Ed. AD&D, a continuation of our Basic game from two-weeks ago. But I am dead tired.
So here is a size comparison of some Dragons. Happy Friday!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Playing Some Old School Basic D&D Tonight, Part 2
So my old school Basic game last Friday went great!
I got to play a witch from my own book that I didn't roll up myself. It was so great.
Yes we were all 1st level characters. At one point we were attacked by giant rats, but since my familiar is a rat I managed to talk our way out wit no bloodshed and we even got the heads up on some of the monsters.
Our DM is using some houserules and they worked out fine.
What I think I am enjoying the most is that the game is set in the Known World of Mystara!
It was mostly a younger crowd. Yes. My dice were older that everyone play save for me and the DM.
Next session we are converting over to AD&D 2nd ed. One of the player has never played 2e and most of the players there never had played Basic either.
Our DM, Greg, is going to let me use my old 2e Netbook of Witches too once we convert. We figure we will try out a few "old school" systems and then stick with what we like. I have a feeling we will land on 2e in the end. It seems to do what we want to do best. Though we are looking pretty hard at +Joseph Bloch's +Adventures Dark and Deep for some ideas.
In any case this is going to be a lot of fun.
I got to play a witch from my own book that I didn't roll up myself. It was so great.
Yes we were all 1st level characters. At one point we were attacked by giant rats, but since my familiar is a rat I managed to talk our way out wit no bloodshed and we even got the heads up on some of the monsters.
Our DM is using some houserules and they worked out fine.
What I think I am enjoying the most is that the game is set in the Known World of Mystara!
It was mostly a younger crowd. Yes. My dice were older that everyone play save for me and the DM.
Next session we are converting over to AD&D 2nd ed. One of the player has never played 2e and most of the players there never had played Basic either.
Our DM, Greg, is going to let me use my old 2e Netbook of Witches too once we convert. We figure we will try out a few "old school" systems and then stick with what we like. I have a feeling we will land on 2e in the end. It seems to do what we want to do best. Though we are looking pretty hard at +Joseph Bloch's +Adventures Dark and Deep for some ideas.
In any case this is going to be a lot of fun.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
D&D40 Bloghop: Day 16
I honestly can't recall my first Edition War. I personally find edition wars in general to be pretty stupid.
I do recall a lot of complaining when 3e first came out.
I have participated in Edition Wars in the past, to be honest, I have gone in with the intention of defending whatever edition seems to be getting the wrong end of the majority. Lately, that has usually meant 4th ed.
There is no "winning" in edition wars.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
D&D40 Bloghop: Day 15
Hmm. Generally speaking I have enjoyed every single edition. Sure for different reasons, but in truth as long as I am throwing dice with friends or family then I am happy.
Though I will admit I was getting burned out on AD&D 2nd ed by the mid 90s and when the Skills and Powers books came out I was pretty much done.
I felt the Skills & Powers books were overkill and took D&D into deep munchkin territory.
Picking up the new 3rd Ed Players Handbook in 2000 was the only thing that won me back to D&D to be honest.
Also at this point I was playing more WitchCraft RPG and branching out to other games more. The AD&D Skill system was by then horribly dated.
Friday, February 14, 2014
D&D40 Bloghop: Day 14
No. I met my significant other playing cards. She was over in our dorms because she already destroyed everyone her dorm at cards. Her game at the time was euchre, but she also played a lot of pinochle. Yeah she kicked my ass, but I am not very good at cards.
It was not till more than 10 years later that she played for the first time. It think it was 1997 or so. We played some 2nd Ed AD&D and I was running Keep on the Borderlands.
They never made it to the caves. I swear she and two of our friends spent more time buying stuff at the Keep's weaponsmith.
The other oddity of this they all wanted to play gnomes. All first time players.
Strangest session I ever ran.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Come Endless Darkness,Part 2
So yesterday I posted this great idea I had for adventures for my kids for their 1st Ed game.
I *thought* I had a cool original-ish idea. Well...not so much.
It was pointed out to me (thanks Sciamantis!) that this was already done in a series of 2nd Ed adventures.
I *thought* I had a cool original-ish idea. Well...not so much.
It was pointed out to me (thanks Sciamantis!) that this was already done in a series of 2nd Ed adventures.
I must have had some knowledge of these, at least in a broad sense. I don't own them and they date from my D&D hiatus of the late 90s. They are written by +Bruce R Cordell, so that gives me confidence but otherwise I know very little about them. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of these? I'd like to know more about them before I start cruising Half-Price Books and eBay for them. They are not up on DnDClassics.com yet.
That also brings up a larger issue. I am using modules in my game here to give my kids a shared experience with other gamers. B2 is a rite of passage, the GDQ series is equally iconic. These are things they can talk about with others. Hell I don't even need to describe them, I can just say B2 or GDQ.
But these other adventures are not the same are they? They might be great, they might even be perfect for me, but if I didn't even recall them then how much of a shared experience can they get?
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
New Poll
I have set up a new poll, the first of a few. I want to get a better idea what games everyone is playing.
This first pool is a simple D&D Editions one. Your choices are:
*D&D (B, 1, 2) or Retro-Clone (Original up to 2nd Ed, all clones fit here.)
D&D 3.x/Pathfinder
D&D 4
D&D 5/Next
You may choose multiple choices. Even that gives me some information.
You can expand on your choices here if you like. I am not interested at the moment in what you are *not* playing, but what you are playing.
The *D&D/Retro-Clone category is huge. Yes. But I am going to split that one out later.
So have it! Tell me what you are playing.
This first pool is a simple D&D Editions one. Your choices are:
*D&D (B, 1, 2) or Retro-Clone (Original up to 2nd Ed, all clones fit here.)
D&D 3.x/Pathfinder
D&D 4
D&D 5/Next
You may choose multiple choices. Even that gives me some information.
You can expand on your choices here if you like. I am not interested at the moment in what you are *not* playing, but what you are playing.
The *D&D/Retro-Clone category is huge. Yes. But I am going to split that one out later.
So have it! Tell me what you are playing.
Monday, December 16, 2013
To Stranger Skies
I have been watching, but not participating in (yet, see below) Bruce Heard's World of Calidar Kickstarter.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/world-of-calidar
I will be honest, it looks fantastic and it should be a lot of fun. But I was going to wait for the PDF since I never feared that he would get to his goals. Plus I am trying to cut back on my Kickstarter addiction.
Bruce is a great guy and I have been a fan of his work since the Glantri Gazetteer first came out. So I know this is going to be a good one. Thorfinn Tait is doing the maps. If you don't know Thorf, well he has been doing maps for Mystara's fan community for decades; going all the way back to the MYSTARA-L list on MPGN.net.
I changed my mind this past weekend. I was going through a stack of old notes and sheets for a different project that I found my old Spelljammer characters. I say Spelljammer, but we never quite got that far. The idea was loosly based on Star Trek and they characters all started on ship that would eventually get to the stars. All the characters were officers so even the 1st level wizard began as a 3rd level fighter. It was going to be something very, very different than what I had done in the past. But the realities of college life got in the way and we never got all that far with it. I have no idea if my DM at the time even did anything else with it. I think he did. The game was going to be predominantly on the shared Mystoerth world my DM and I had.
There had been games that have arisen in the past that made me think back to that old game, but this is the first that has made want to try it out again.
World of Calidar is set up to be "edition neutral" so really I could use anything with it.
So I am going to support this one. I'll look for a good edition to try it with too. I'll admit I am tempted to do this with 2nd Ed AD&D or Adventures Dark & Deep.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/world-of-calidar
I will be honest, it looks fantastic and it should be a lot of fun. But I was going to wait for the PDF since I never feared that he would get to his goals. Plus I am trying to cut back on my Kickstarter addiction.
Bruce is a great guy and I have been a fan of his work since the Glantri Gazetteer first came out. So I know this is going to be a good one. Thorfinn Tait is doing the maps. If you don't know Thorf, well he has been doing maps for Mystara's fan community for decades; going all the way back to the MYSTARA-L list on MPGN.net.
I changed my mind this past weekend. I was going through a stack of old notes and sheets for a different project that I found my old Spelljammer characters. I say Spelljammer, but we never quite got that far. The idea was loosly based on Star Trek and they characters all started on ship that would eventually get to the stars. All the characters were officers so even the 1st level wizard began as a 3rd level fighter. It was going to be something very, very different than what I had done in the past. But the realities of college life got in the way and we never got all that far with it. I have no idea if my DM at the time even did anything else with it. I think he did. The game was going to be predominantly on the shared Mystoerth world my DM and I had.
There had been games that have arisen in the past that made me think back to that old game, but this is the first that has made want to try it out again.
World of Calidar is set up to be "edition neutral" so really I could use anything with it.
So I am going to support this one. I'll look for a good edition to try it with too. I'll admit I am tempted to do this with 2nd Ed AD&D or Adventures Dark & Deep.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Review: Adventures Dark & Deep The Darker Paths
Nearing the end of my delve into Adventures Dark and Deep so here are two older products. In fact I picked them up about a two years ago and reviewed them then.
These two classes appeared under the subtitle "Darker Paths" and they are two favorite classes of mine.
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer
The Necromancer is the first in a set of alternate classes for the Adventures Dark and Deep RPG.
The Necromancer is one of the more popular "alternate classes" developed for any fantasy RPG. Almost always an alternate class and never a core one, the necromancer is the ultimate foe in many games or the ultimate PC in others. But as long as horror and undead are popular in game, then the necromancer is right there with them.
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer packs a lot of punch in a small book. At only 24 pages, we get a new class, a "new" race and 75 new spells. No small feat really. The material is for the Adventures Dark and Deep game, but it certainly can be used with any retro-clone, near-clone or any other game that emulate AD&D 1st ed or Basic D&D. The art is mixed, but very evocative of the era. Some new pieces and some public domain works (and it looks like the editor did his research too).
If you like Necromancers and play an older edition of the game, whether an honest older edition or a newer clone, then this is a good choice.
Darker Paths 2: The Witch
I am always a bit hesitant to review other peoples work on witch-related classes since I have products of my own out there. I fear of being too critical or too lax, each to out weigh the other. In the end I think I just need to review the product as is. Like DP1: The Necromancer this product is for the "Adventures Dark and Deep" RPG, OR any other near-clone of AD&D. Also like the first Darker Path book this presents the witch as an evil character class; not the Earth loving priestess of old faiths or even the spiritual seeking witches of modern tales. This must be recalled when reading the rest of this book. These witches are more Baba Yaga and not Circe for example. There is the obligatory disclaimer on Contemporary Witches and how this game is not that. (As an aside, as someone that has written these myself this one does seem more of a disclaimer of "don't email me" rather than a "I am not trying to offend", but that could just be me. EDITED: I did get an email clarification on this and the author was very much in the "I am not trying to offend, but these are different things" camp, which is cool by me.)
Witches in this game are all evil and their main ability is Wisdom. Their Charisma must start high, but it degrades as the witch rises in level. Interesting. I am not sure I like that since it seems here that Charisma is used as an "Appearance" proxy and not as a "Force of Personality" one. It would make it hard to make a character like Circe, who was evil, attractive and had a lot of force of personality, as a witch in these rules. That is fine, she would have to be something else, but I do want to point it out.
Witches advance to 13th level; so reminiscent of the druid. She has a nice variety of spells to choose from (more on this) and there are rules for her brewing potions and poisons. Like other witches of folklore, this witch can also have multiple familiars. A nice touch in my mind.
The spells are the real gem of this book. Nearly 50 new spells there are a lot of classics here. There are spells on Candle Magic (and done differently than my own) and nearly every base is covered (curses, storm summoning, afflicting others).
Like with DP1, the art is a mix of new and public domain art, but all of it is appropriate to the feel of the book. In the end this is a very good evil witch class.
One thing that is nice about these classes is they are sub-classes of the Mage and Cleric respectively. So you multi-class them. Well...it's not in the rules per se but you should be able to. Of course I have teh perfect test character for this. My latest acquisition, Light Core Hex!
Hex
CE Female Dark Elf
Witch 5 / Necromancer 5
Abilities
STR: 10
INT: 15
WIS: 18
DEX: 9
CON: 10
CHA: 13
Saving Throws
Paralyzation, Poison, Death: 9
Petrification, Polymorph: 12
Rod, Staff, Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 15
Spells: 12
Special Abilities (class)
Magic bonus: +6 to magical saves
Spell casting
Create Magic Items
Affect Undead
Bell, Book & Candle
Brew Poison
Call Familiar
Limited to 13th level in Witch
Charisma degradation
Special Abilities (race)
Infravision 120'
Speed 150'
Bonus Spells
Sunlight Vulnerability
HP: 13
AC: 6 (Bracers)
Experience: 38,050 (19,025 each)
Spells
Witch
Blue Flame, Ghostly Hands, Witch's Mark, Blight Field, Fascinate, Magic Broom, Fear, Hand of Glory, Spit Poison
Necromancer
Chattering Skull, Death Mask, Detect Bones, Ectenic Blast, Eyes of the Dead, Animate Dead
Bonus (race)
Faerie Fire, Dancing Lights, Darkness 5' radius, Detect Magic, Know Alignment, Levitation, Clairvoyance, Detect Lie, Suggestion, Dispel Magic
Bonus (wisdom)
Detect Good, Ears of a Bat, Charm Monster, Misfortune, Magic Missile, Sleep
That's a lot of magic!
I have done Skylander's Hex before for other systems:
So +Joseph Bloch, if I ever play Adventures Dark & Deep with you at a convention can I use this character?!
These two classes appeared under the subtitle "Darker Paths" and they are two favorite classes of mine.
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer
The Necromancer is the first in a set of alternate classes for the Adventures Dark and Deep RPG.
The Necromancer is one of the more popular "alternate classes" developed for any fantasy RPG. Almost always an alternate class and never a core one, the necromancer is the ultimate foe in many games or the ultimate PC in others. But as long as horror and undead are popular in game, then the necromancer is right there with them.
Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer packs a lot of punch in a small book. At only 24 pages, we get a new class, a "new" race and 75 new spells. No small feat really. The material is for the Adventures Dark and Deep game, but it certainly can be used with any retro-clone, near-clone or any other game that emulate AD&D 1st ed or Basic D&D. The art is mixed, but very evocative of the era. Some new pieces and some public domain works (and it looks like the editor did his research too).
If you like Necromancers and play an older edition of the game, whether an honest older edition or a newer clone, then this is a good choice.
Darker Paths 2: The Witch
I am always a bit hesitant to review other peoples work on witch-related classes since I have products of my own out there. I fear of being too critical or too lax, each to out weigh the other. In the end I think I just need to review the product as is. Like DP1: The Necromancer this product is for the "Adventures Dark and Deep" RPG, OR any other near-clone of AD&D. Also like the first Darker Path book this presents the witch as an evil character class; not the Earth loving priestess of old faiths or even the spiritual seeking witches of modern tales. This must be recalled when reading the rest of this book. These witches are more Baba Yaga and not Circe for example. There is the obligatory disclaimer on Contemporary Witches and how this game is not that. (As an aside, as someone that has written these myself this one does seem more of a disclaimer of "don't email me" rather than a "I am not trying to offend", but that could just be me. EDITED: I did get an email clarification on this and the author was very much in the "I am not trying to offend, but these are different things" camp, which is cool by me.)
Witches in this game are all evil and their main ability is Wisdom. Their Charisma must start high, but it degrades as the witch rises in level. Interesting. I am not sure I like that since it seems here that Charisma is used as an "Appearance" proxy and not as a "Force of Personality" one. It would make it hard to make a character like Circe, who was evil, attractive and had a lot of force of personality, as a witch in these rules. That is fine, she would have to be something else, but I do want to point it out.
Witches advance to 13th level; so reminiscent of the druid. She has a nice variety of spells to choose from (more on this) and there are rules for her brewing potions and poisons. Like other witches of folklore, this witch can also have multiple familiars. A nice touch in my mind.
The spells are the real gem of this book. Nearly 50 new spells there are a lot of classics here. There are spells on Candle Magic (and done differently than my own) and nearly every base is covered (curses, storm summoning, afflicting others).
Like with DP1, the art is a mix of new and public domain art, but all of it is appropriate to the feel of the book. In the end this is a very good evil witch class.
One thing that is nice about these classes is they are sub-classes of the Mage and Cleric respectively. So you multi-class them. Well...it's not in the rules per se but you should be able to. Of course I have teh perfect test character for this. My latest acquisition, Light Core Hex!
CE Female Dark Elf
Witch 5 / Necromancer 5
Abilities
STR: 10
INT: 15
WIS: 18
DEX: 9
CON: 10
CHA: 13
Saving Throws
Paralyzation, Poison, Death: 9
Petrification, Polymorph: 12
Rod, Staff, Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 15
Spells: 12
Special Abilities (class)
Magic bonus: +6 to magical saves
Spell casting
Create Magic Items
Affect Undead
Bell, Book & Candle
Brew Poison
Call Familiar
Limited to 13th level in Witch
Charisma degradation
Special Abilities (race)
Infravision 120'
Speed 150'
Bonus Spells
Sunlight Vulnerability
HP: 13
AC: 6 (Bracers)
Experience: 38,050 (19,025 each)
Spells
Witch
Blue Flame, Ghostly Hands, Witch's Mark, Blight Field, Fascinate, Magic Broom, Fear, Hand of Glory, Spit Poison
Necromancer
Chattering Skull, Death Mask, Detect Bones, Ectenic Blast, Eyes of the Dead, Animate Dead
Bonus (race)
Faerie Fire, Dancing Lights, Darkness 5' radius, Detect Magic, Know Alignment, Levitation, Clairvoyance, Detect Lie, Suggestion, Dispel Magic
Bonus (wisdom)
Detect Good, Ears of a Bat, Charm Monster, Misfortune, Magic Missile, Sleep
That's a lot of magic!
I have done Skylander's Hex before for other systems:
- 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons (witch class)
- Pathfinder (witch class)
- Spellcraft & Swordplay (warlock class)
- Basic Era, The Witch (witch class)
So +Joseph Bloch, if I ever play Adventures Dark & Deep with you at a convention can I use this character?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)