More Maximum Mayhem adventures from Dark Wizard Games!
Fantastic Quest of Whimsical One & Lost Tomb of Mummy Lich
I mean by now you should know what these are all about.
The Fantastic Quest of Whimsical One features art from Erol Otus, so that is a nice added feature.
Both of these fit well with my idea of a long campaign for B/X or OSE. And they look like a lot of fun!
No 5e versions this time around though.
Nice little surprise in the mail today. Two new adventures from Mark Taormino's Maximum Mayhem adventures from Dark Wizard Games.
Again there are 5e versions (for my kids) and classic OSR versions for me.
The OSR maps are in classic blue and the 5e are in full color.
Legend of the Seven Golden Demons is his highest-level adventure to date at levels 14-18. This will stretch my ability to use these for OSE-Advanced, but I am sure I can do it.
Slime Pits of the Sewer Witch is a low-level mini-adventure that honestly looks like a lot of fun. Normally I would put this one in with the others in my Maximum Mayhem box to run as a gonzo campaign. But my box is getting full, and I can add it to my War of the Witch Queens adventures instead.
Right now I have WAY too many adventures to run, so I should maybe be more selective on what I get.
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 Maximum Mayhem adventures from Dark Wizard Games. 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.
The obvious solution to this was to run some sort of mutant B/X-Advanced hybrid. The ruleset that won out was Old School Essentials-Advanced Fantasy Edition. 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.
But I do have the characters.
A while back, I introduced a lovely druid couple, Maryah and Asabalom. 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 "Beastmaster" 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.
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, Áedán Aamadu, will go through the 5e versions.
The biggest issue has been finding the time to do these. With his new Kickstarter now live, I figured I needed to get caught up.
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.
Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #0: Village on the Borderlands
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?)
First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
Fifth Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). Fifth Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
The first edition has "blue" maps, and the fifth edition has full-color maps.
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.
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.
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.
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, Moon Unit Zappa.
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.
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 Duchess and Candella.
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.
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.
There are hooks here to other Maximum Mayhem adventures, too.
The plot and organization of the first and fifth editions are the same. The Fifth edition version features color maps.
Maximum Mayhem Dungeons Mini Adventure #1: Shadow of the Necromancer
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.
First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
Fifth Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). Fifth Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
The first edition has "blue" maps, and the fifth edition has full-color maps.
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!!
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.
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.
The plot and organization of the first and fifth editions are the same. The Fifth edition version features color maps.
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.
First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
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?
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.
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.
In the series, I would run this one after Vault of the Dwarven King and have the characters between the 5th and 8th levels. Not that Vault is easier, just not as deadly as this one.
by Alan Chamberlain, 40 pages. For levels 6-10. Art by Jacob Blackmon, Alan Chamberlain, Ed Lacabanne, Mark Lyons, Brian McCranie, and Phil Stone.
First Edition PDF (DriveThruRPG). First Edition PDF and Print Dark Wizard Games Store.
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 kickstarted his Maximum Mayhem #8: Funhouse Dungeon of the Puppet Jester, THIS was the funhouse dungeon.
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.
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.
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.
It's insane, really.
I am not sure any character can survive this campaign.
Don't forget Mark has two more of these adventures on Kickstarter now: Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch both for 1st Edition and 5th Edition rules.
A special double feature today because I have a bunch I want to share. Lets get to it.
I mentioned this one yesterday, but I wanted to make it special today. Oneiropolis is the new Patreon from game designer Joseph D. Carriker. I worked with Joseph on Six of Cups 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.
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.
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.
So, absolutely check it out. While you are at it check out his DMsGuild offerings.
Friday is settled, let's talk weekends and Kickstarters. I have one on both ends of their funding calendars.
Metanthropes: Introductory Zine
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legitamine/metanthropes-introductory-zine?ref=86o0n7
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.
The PDF is only 10€ and the physical book is 20€. So, not a bad price, really.
It looks interesting and I think I'll give it a try.
Legend of Seven Golden Demons & Slime Pits of Sewer Witch
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).
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.
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.
Mad genius Mark Taormino is back with another Maximum Mayhem Dungeon!
Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #8: Funhouse of the Puppet Jester
What can I say here? Mark does great work, and these adventures are always fun.
Click, check it out and pledge!
Mark: I am going to need a bigger box for the adventures now!
Today I normally like to post some sort of Boxed Set thing I have going on. But instead, I'll just talk about my D&D-related fun from the last couple of days. BTW I sliced my finger open on a mandolin making sliced potatoes, so this post is taking a lot longer.
Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen
Up first I got my copies of Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen from Mark Taomino. Both the 10th Anniversary OSR and the new 5th Edition versions.
I signed on early for these adventures. No shock given my love for the original Wee Warriors Vampire Queen. So now I have three different printings of this Vampire Queen.
Party Like It's 1979!
For Christmas, my oldest son decided to go all out for everyone. This is what he got me.
The Atari 2600 plugs into any HCMI TV/Monitor and even has an aspect ratio switch. But the coolest part is it will run old 2600 cartridges. So time to start cruising the Half-Price Books and second-hand stores!
The Monster Manual minis are from set G-J. Though really, G-I.
D&D en Español
My son also ran some D&D for us. We played the "Witchlight Carnival" adventure.
I made a character, but to help with my Spanish, I opted to only use my new Spanish language Players Handbook.
El es Brujo y Elfo. For play, I limited myself to what I could read and understand in this book.
Hope everyone is having a great holiday.
Now, HERE is a treat and a perfect time of year for it. Friend of the Other Side Mark "The Mad Wizard" Taormino is back with another Kickstarter to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his first, and maybe my favorite adventure of his, Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen.
Vampire Queen 5E and 10 Year Anniversary 1E Softcovers
At this point, do I need to tell you all about my love for all things Vampire Queen? No. I don't think so.
Do I need to tell you about how great Mark's Maximum Mayhem Adventures are? No. But just in case, they are great. Plus he runs a tight Kickstarter and ALWAYS gets his books out in time if not early. I have not even gone too deep into his newest one and now this? Sign me up!
Ok so what do we have here?
There is the original OSR, overtly OSRIC, version of Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen with some new art. Additionally, there is now a 5e version as well. Which is great really. The first time I ran this was under 5e.
So am I getting this? I think I was one of the first to pledge, to be honest. Given his usual track record I'll get this in a month or so. I can plan on running it next year for Halloween 10 years after I ran the first one. Perfect!
I am going to need a bigger box though.
It's Tuesday, and that means time to see what the postman delivered to me. This week it is a Kickstarter delivery from Mark Taormino and Dark Wizard Games.
An introductory adventure to his Maximum Mayhem series of over-the-top AD&D 1st Ed/OSRIC adventures. This one is an homage to both the Village of Hommelt and the Keep on the Borderlands.
Mark knows how to write a fun adventure and he runs a great Kickstarter too.
I have run many of his adventures over the years. Sometimes with AD&D, often with D&D 5e and once with Castles & Crusades. But what I really want to do is run them all as a campaign using the Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy rules.
The adventures run from 1st to 14th level, just like OSE-Advanced and I think it would be a lot of fun.
And there is more on the way! Mark is going to bring us the 10th Anniversary of Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen for both 1st Ed and 5e! Really looking forward to it.
A couple of weeks ago I posted about getting my 7th adventure from Mark Taormino's Dark Wizard Games, Dread Swamp of the Banshee. It is a great bit of fun and I can't wait to run it.
I also know exactly what I want to do with them.
The World of Mayhem Campaign and I am going to run it using B/X rules, likely OSE Advanced Rules.
OSE Advanced gives me the B/X rules I adore along with some of the rules from the Advanced era I want AND some additional options that were not available to me in either.
Organizing the adventures from the lowest level to the highest you get a great spread from levels 1 to 14, perfect B/X and OSE levels.
I have talked about this in the past with the first five adventures, but the newer three only support this plan even more.
Arranged like this:
It makes solid coverage of levels 1 to 14. If anything an adventure for levels 2 to 5 might be good.
With the addition of their Monsters of Mayhem #1, it makes for a full campaign.
I know the feel of these adventures is very much in the spirit of 1st Edition AD&D as well as the OSRIC rule set. But for me, my "gonzo" gaming years were with B/X. The rules of B/X were much looser than Advanced and these adventures really need a lighter hand on the rules.
I am thinking of also adding some material from Pacesetter's B/X RPG rules, in particular some of the classes. Plus the B/X RPG rules play well with OSE, so that is reason enough to use them. Plus I enjoy combining Palace of the Vampire Queen: Castle Blood from Pacesetter with Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen for a full saga of the Vampire Queen.
I have now run Vampire Queen for Basic, 1st Edition, and 5th Edition versions of D&D. I think Basic was my favorite experience.
Mark Taormino has done it again (8 times the charm!) and I got my new adventure in the mail today.
Maximum Mayhem Dungeons #7 Dread Swamp of the Banshee came in the mail today. I have had the PDF for a little bit now and I am really looking forward to running this one!
If you enjoyed the previous adventures in this series, like I have, then you know what to expect here.
If you love the old-school style modules but want something that is just "a little more" then I highly recommend these.
One day my plan is to run these all with some flavor of B/X since the adventures top out at 14th level. Though the adventures are very much in the 1st Ed D&D vein and not really "Basic", it's what I want to do with them.
Maybe when the Advanced books for Old-School Essentials come in I'll revisit this idea.
