Aventuras en la Marca del Este

I have been learning Spanish all year and discovered how wonderful the RPG "Aventuras en la Marca del Este" is. I spent the earlier part of this year reading over the rules (the best I could) and then sorta forgot about them.

Well, I want to give a shout-out to the Italian blog Castelli & Chimere (Castles & Chimeras) for reminding me about it today and that the Basic Set (Caja Roja, "Red Box") was free.

You can get yours free here as well. 

This game is a Spanish language version/edition of the great BECMI Red Box Basic using Labyrinth Lord as a base. Though it has far more style than just a simple clone.

It was translated back into English as Adventures in the East Mark - Basic Rule Set (Red Box), and it is also great, but the original has such a cool vibe and feel to it.

The site that supports the game, Codex de la Marca, has an absolute ton of free material. Enough to keep me busy reading for months on end. 

The official site even has some material, including a Castles & Crusades SIEGE Engine version of the same rules. 

In addition to the Red Box, there is a Blue Box (Expert), Green Box ("Advanced" or Companion/Masters), and a Black Box (Masters/Immortals).  Each also includes a campaign guide for the East March campaign setting.  I really wish I could find physical copies of all these sets, they would be a lot of fun. 

Libro de Brujas?

Does this mean I'll do a "Libro de brujas" (Book of Witches) sometime in the future? I am going to have to say yes. It would make for a great "final project" for a Spanish class and really test me on what I think I know. I have also been reading a lot about Basque and other Iberian peninsula area witches of late so it would be fun to try,

To keep with the same spirit of all the Aventuras en la Marca del Este releases, I would have to make it free. Maybe keep it to a tight 32 or fewer pages.

This idea is still very far away. I need to survive verb conjugation first!

In the mean time I'll keep brushing up on my skills (such as they are) and having some fun and joy of learning something new.

#RPGaDay2023 FUNNIEST game you've played

 Part two of Favourite Con MODULE / ONE-SHOT is also my FUNNIEST game you've played.

This one I was at Gen Con a few years back. The adventure was a Buffy/Charmed/Supernatural crossover using the Buffy RPG rules. So naturally, I had to play. Sam and Dean were grabbed quickly, and there was no way in hell I was playing Xander. But that was all fine, the character I really wanted was Piper from Charmed.

I had an absolute blast. Piper was, at the time, the snarkiest of all the sisters. So playing her was great. Ended up with the most Drama Points at the end of the game.  In the course of the game, I burned through about 5 drama points, but I also had earned 6 for role-playing. Of course, having seen every Charmed episode gave me an advantage.  I wish I had remembered the GMs/Director's name because I would have easily gone to one of her other games.

I still have my Piper character sheet here somewhere, and it was really fun. The GM even had taken out the Buffy logo and put the Charmed one in its place.

We all spent our whole time laughing.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 8, Room 17

 Beyond the secret door in room 14 takes the party to room 17.  A small passage leads to a large open chamber. A loud droning sound can be heard from all over.

Inside this room are two large Fly Demons.

Fly Demon

Armor Class: 1 [18]
Hit Dice: 8+8**** (44 hp)
Attacks: 4 claws (1d4+1x2), 1 bite (1d8) + disease
Special: Diseased bite, demonic abilities, fear, detect invisible, darkness, drone
THAC0: 12 [+7]
Movement: 90' (30')
  Fly: 240' (80')
Saving Throws: D8 W9 P10 B11 S12 SS 8 (8)
Morale: 8
Alignment: Chaotic evil
XP: 2,608 (OSE) 2,000 (S&W) 3,040 (LL)
Number Appearing: 1d3 (1d6)
Treasure Type: B

Fly demons are known by a variety of names, and they may all be different species or sub-species of demons, but they all have similar characteristics if different overall appearances. All fly demons appear to be a horrid combination of humanoid and fly.  Some smaller species are only 4' long, while larger ones are up to 7'. They have large insect-like wings, humanoid heads, and faces, with large multi-faceted eyes. Their bodies are like that of an insect with six limbs. Each limb ends in a horrid-looking claw.

These demons attack with their four forelimbs. Their back limbs are often used as humanoid legs. Each claw can do 1d4+1 hp of damage. Their bite, though, causes 1d8 points of damage and transmits a horrible wasting disease where the wound continues to eat away at the body converting it to dead flesh. A saving throw vs. Paralysis must be made. If successful, the victim takes an additional 1d8 of acid damage. On a fail, the disease progresses and does 1d8 hp of damage per hour until removed by a Cure Disease or Heal spell. When is victim reaches 0 hp, they will be eaten by any fly demon remaining. 

Fly demons also have the following powers, usable once per day. They can cast an aura of fear in a 30' radius, detect invisible, and cast a sphere of darkness 10' radius. Their favorite tactic is to cast their fear aura and, when a victim gets closer, invoke their sphere of darkness.  The fly demon can also cast the Drone spell three times per day.  These demons take only half damage from electricity, cold, fire, and poison gas. Holy water will do 1d8 hp of damage to them.

All fly demons, regardless of their origin, sub-species, or even alignment, are controlled by the devil Beelzebub, the "Lord of the Flies."  They will instantly obey his summons and will carry his orders even unto their own deaths. When Beelzebub is present, their morale is effectively 12. 

Fly demons can speak telepathically but also do so with their insect-like mouths. Their voices drone and buzz like that of an insect. Warlocks of Beelzebub are often visited by flies of all sorts, including fly demons. The demons are instructed not to harm the warlocks in Beelzebub's pact, but they see all humanoids as nothing more than potential meat.

#RPGaDay2023 Game you WISH you owned

I have been pretty lucky, I lived in an area where my access to RPGs was rather fantastic. Even when I moved my access really only got better. So there are not a lot of RPGs I actually need anymore. Sure some I want, others I might like to have, but for the most part I am good.  But there is one I would really love to have.

The UK printing of the Holmes Edition of D&D Basic. 

I was such an Anglophile that I always felt that anything British made it better. Sure I since matured a bit in my thoughts, but I still love a British print. 

Of course, I am not the only one here. This set has been discussed at Zenopus Archives, the Acaeum, and Dragonsfoot. I know I'll have to get in line behind a lot of people for one of these. 

Still. It would be a nice piece for my collection.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 8, Room 16

Beyond the webbing leads to another small room.

This room is small. There is some evidence that this could have been a treasure room, with a handful of coins here and there.

There is a large puddle of green slime in the middle of the room and dripping from the ceiling. 

This slime is larger and has 6 HD (27 hp), THAC0 13 [+6].  It is also quite hungry.

There are no other monsters or treasures here. The room is also a dead end.

#RPGaDay2023 Favourite Con MODULE / ONE-SHOT

 My favorite Con Module or One Shot? Well, there are two, but that one I'll save for later this week.

The first one was when I ran Ghosts of Albion: Blight at ENWorld's Chicago Game Day at Games Plus a few years ago. I had a player who was WAY into his role-playing the ghost of Lord Byron. He really made the adventure come alive for everyone.

I am a lot grayer but also a LOT thinner now.

We all really had a great time, and I loved how well the adventure came together and how much fun everyone seemed to have had. 

Thinking about this makes me realize how much I miss playing Ghosts of Albion and Victorian Era games. 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 8, Room 15

Going back to Room 2 and taking the las passage the party reaches a shorter but wider chamber. This room is also covered in spider webs.

 (skipping the secret door for now)

There is a pit trap in the center of the room, 5 ft in. It can be detected. The first characters stepping into will be affected. The fall is 10 ft causing 1d6 hp of damage.

Characters trapped in the pit will need aid getting out. There are two bodies down here that have decayed to skeletons. They have a total of 45 gp on them, a sword, a mace, crumpled armor, and a dagger.

There are no other treasures of creatures here.