The High Price of Arcane Magic in The Implied AD&D Setting (and other thoughts)

It would be quite cringe of me to not make at least one blogpost this year, so here it is. Skip down past the images for the AD&D discussion.

I'm currently playing in a 1.5+ year-old, rotating DM (not by design) OSE campaign. It's fun, but I've noticed that whenever I DM sessions the players are as paranoid as level 1s despite being the majority of the party being level 7-9 and having access to Raise Dead from two PC clerics. While I've been known to throw some meta-fucking curveballs (a lich that was a pseudo-lich; a white dragon that was an albino red dragon), the group sometimes looks for twists were there are none: Perhaps I'm too good at being unexpected.

In real life, I had an opportunity to run a DCC funnel for two MTG friends, and now sure that I have at least one potential player, I've been contemplating setting up a real life OSR table. My brain says OSE Advanced but my heart says AD&D 1e. We shall see.

Excerpted and slightly edited from the 1e DMG (Premium Edition), p. 13 & 15

Wish, the ur-spell of AD&D, ages the caster 3 years per cast. Humans can die as early as age 62, and the starting age for Human Magic-Users is 26-40. 12 Wishes (or Golems to put it in perspective), places the 26-year old human m-u in the "death by old age" zone.  Meanwhile, Elf Magic-Users with 18 Int are limited to level 11, barring some of the Dragon Magazine and/or Unearthed Arcana additions (which are not universally accepted despite how kickass an elf ranger/druid/magic-user sounds). As an aside this also resolves the "why don't clerics just revive everybody?" question: A powerful mortal servant of a god shaving 3 years off his lifespan to cast a spell that requires a system shock roll is reserved for heroes (as seen in the 1e Dragon Magazine write-up of Wee Jas).

How then, do human magic-users get around such a huge hurdle? The simplest way is to either never cast Wish or save it for emergencies. Potions of Longevity can stretch your life, but a cumulative 1% chance per potion drunk to immediately re-age is very risky. Direct divine intervention is possible but hard to get. Ultimately the best two options are lichdom or forcing monsters and items to do the work for you. 

Lichdom technically removes the downside of aging, although I would argue that the skeletal/decaying form of the Lich and later Demilich actually betrays that it does take a toll on the undead body. It's easy to see a "fresh" Lich being relatively corpse-like but not rotting until the pedal hits the floor and 10, 50, 100 Wishes put the stress of 30, 150, 300 years on the body. Maybe ol' Acererak got cozy in his Tomb of Horrors and then spammed so many Wishes that the weight of 3000+ years turned his body to dust except his skull.

The other way is by hunting down magic items, sites, substances, and artifacts that can grant Wishes, or enslaving, tricking, or forcing creatures that grant Wishes to give them to you. That means a lot of traffic with demons and devils, particularly their higher-ups. This opens up a whole other can of worms, as there's definitely an indistinct but existent line where continued dealings with Evil spirits is definitely not morally Neutral and is clearly Evil, which may draw the attention of Good to an overly ambitious magic-user.

But what does this matter for THE GAME? Well, if you establish patterns early on, you show players how they can use those patterns, in addition to creating logic for dungeons. Dozens of Golems in a dungeon means Lich or Extraplanar, likely Evil involvement somewhere, which will be borne out by more Undead or Extraplanars, respectively. It also makes things like methods of golem construction without Wish use (as it was OD&D via The Strategic Review) both a hook and something valuable in its own right.

The Doom That Came To OGL, or The Dagger At The Throat Of OSR

I'd read about the new leaked Open Game License 1.1 from WOTC for D&DOne on Bat in the Attic but the discussion surrounding it has recently exploded as non-publishers and the legally-inclined start to notice it.

Is the OGL 1.0 getting revoked?

We have no idea until WOTC tells us. It should be noted that there was a change in OGL from 3rd edition to 3.5 edition that added in more product identity and tightened the legalese (that's why you can find beholder or mind flayers in very early OGL stuff); after the update, such content was "grandfathered in" but there was no option to continue use the older license. It should be noted that the first OGL was issued as a "test model" and an olive branch to creators burned by interactions with Lorraine Williams' T$R. When WOTC introduced the GSL for 4e, they did not attempt to revoke or alter the OGL. With 5e and the Dungeon Master's Guild, WOTC began a big push to devalue the OGL. Thus, at the moment, if WOTC were to revoke the license, all current content would be "grandfathered in" but no new content could be made under OGL 1.0

How does this affect publishers?

An added notice that the license can be revoked for badwrongthink has its most obvious bullseyes in James Desborough, Venger, Raggi, and the Skrotched 'Urf studio, but consider this: If there's a female slave or noncombatant in a module, is that misogyny? If a tomboyish lass or sensitive lad are ostracized from the village for their ways but are otherwise presented as potentially helpful NPCs, is that transphobic? Some of the most vocal anti-discrimination advocates argue that showing discrimination empowers and supports it, a position that got noted liberal writer and artist Howard Chaykin into hot water a few years ago. Semantics are a game with few winners.

There's another clause about how if you make $X in a year you must pay your tithes to WOTC, which I doubt affects the OSR publishers much but is a tremendous deterrent to anyone in 5e publishing at the moment. Most retroclones are free, with their profits in 1st party splats or POD products. This can be potentially disastrous to print-at-cost retroclones like BFRPG if POD is classifed as revenue by WOTC.

How does this affect others?

Production of new OGL content will exhibit unusual and variable waves, as publishers either panic and try to rush out anything almost complete to make $ before the hammer drops or slow down and wait for things to shake out. A glut of shit and a drought of quality.

Publishing without the OGL

I refuse to count Lamentations of The Flame Princess as OSR because of its mechanical and tonal breaks from TSR D&D, but it's the canary in the coal mine for me because:

1. it has "problematic content"

2. the grindhouse version was published under OGL but the current version isn't

3. it's very obviously B/X -derived

4. it's a "brand name" 

5. it is/was profitable

If WOTC doesn't sue Raggi then I'd wager the door is open for non-OGL retroclone. The caveat here is that LotFP doesn't have a bestiary, which is where WOTC claims most of its product identity. Sine Nomine also has a slew of profitable B/X-based games.

What should I do?

Download or buy all OGL content you've had wishlisted. Pirate or buy secondhand TSR D&D (WOTC doesn't deserve your money). Finish that content that's almost done or put it in the freezer. And wait. And fight on! 

What I did for Gygax Day: B1 Stocking Notes

July 27th is recognized as Gygax Day in some circles so I figured I'd run a session of D&D using B1 to celebrate. It just took me a while to get around to writing a post about it.

The deadliest encounter of the session

Stocking the Dungeon: Instead of the normal B1 lists I used the 1e DMG and Fiend Folio, checking for room contents while altering and ignoring results that seemed whack. The stocking process took me about 4 non-continuous hours. The results are found below:

1. 1 Bullywug with a sword

Notes: The deadliest encounter of the whole night, the high AC + surprise chance + hopping is a lot stronger than you would think

 

3. 8 Giant rats

 

4. 1 Cerebral Parasite

Notes: Since there were no psionic chracters in the party, the parasite would have drained 1 point of Charisma per turn if it had been encountered.

 

7. 1 Anhkeg

Silver ring with 6 opals worth 6000 gp

825 gp

Notes: The DMG has a fairly robust jewelry generator, the only problem is that its separated into three or four section fair from each other.

 

9. 1000 cp

 

10. 100 pp

 

12. 3 Bullywugs

2 aquamarines worth 550 gp each

1100cp

13. 5 kobolds

1100 cp

825 sp

14. 4 fire beetles

20. 250 gp

26. 750 cp

28. 1 Tween

Notes: Fiend Folio is based.

30. 250 gp

31. 1000 sp

32. 1000 sp

36. 3 Troglodytes

275 gp

825 ep

Notes: A randomly generated encounter supported by the pre-written rumor table? More likely than you think.

38. 500 gp

39. 3 Gnolls

42. 2000 sp

46. 4 giant centipedes

47. 2000 cp

48. 1 Forlarren

49. 2 giant frogs

53. 4 volts

Notes: I could not see this encounter ending any way other than a TPK.

 

55. 200 pp

Here ends my key for B1 - In Search of The Unknown

 

The party ended up TPKing after 3 real life hours/55 in-game minutes.

 

Writing an OSR(?) game from memory, The End: Admitting defeat and post-mortem

I'm throwing in the towel here. Not the first time (nor the last) for me, but at least this time I can articulate my reasons.
1. The muse has left me.
2. I work full-time.
3. Because of my self-imposed don't "reference any material" handicap I have a lot of stuff I want to read that I couldn't.

That said, I think this challenge works best for those with a lot of free time or still quarantine. And even with my failure, I did learn what parts of the rules I need to brush up on.

Time for analysis. 

Part 1

Despite my intent to channel LBB, it looks like most of my ability score mechanics are based on Labyrinth Lord. The exception is Dex which is exactly as the LBB. The HP modifiers for Con are a little different (perhaps, the LBB are ambiguous). My XP modifier curve is somewhere between that of the LBB (+/- 10-20%) and LL (+/- 5-10%). The loyalty numbers would later cause some issues.

My alignment chart is based on the LBB's, even down to underlined creatures being chaotic or neutral. Halflings were made Neutral/Lawful because I wanted to fill the "small underground guy" niche for all three alignments (which Gygax made no effort to do, looking over the LBB). Orcs and Ogres being Chaotic/Neutral is one of my favorite parts of the LBB since it justifies a non-confrontational approach with them. Cavemen being Lawful are because of an old idea of them being the Lawful equivalent of the modern Orc - loyal to their alignment but brutal and not very bright. The Judicator is my off-brand version of the Justicar. The Balor replaces the Balrog. Dragons appear in all three columns because I had planned on adding a Neutral breed: Probably a half-remembered version of the Cloud or new versions of Brown or Gray.

Part 2

My Dwarves getting to advance up to level 7 as fighters is 1 level more than permitted by the LBB. Dwarf clerics and Gnome M-Us are consciously backported AD&Disms. The Gnomes are a little different here because they're based on the LBB versions (hill-dwelling Dwarves).

To quote EGG: "Zounds!" I totally screwed up the F-M/M-U ratios of Elf level limits. The Anti-cleric being available to them is inspired by Three Hearts & Three Lions, Morrowind, and Warhammer's Dark Elves.

I gave Halflings 2 fighter levels over the LBB max. The Shaman is just because the other two races have a divine option so why not hobbits?

Although I got the XP requirements for 2nd level right, my fighter advances much faster, reaching level 9 at 16000 xp as opposed to the LBB's 24000 xp. I also cap HD at 9+6 (another LLism) whereas the a 12th-level Lord in LBB has 11+1 HD. My THAC0 progression is oddly sluggish. Saves are a lot harsher than both LBB and LL.

My M-Us progress almost half as fast for levels 2-3 then suddenly rush forward compared to the LBB. I seem to have been inspired by a mix of LL and 3e for the numbers of spells, although mine gives more than either. Saves and THAC0 are wrong (again).

Clerics (and their variants) all progress slower than their LBB counterparts. The Shaman exists because I like the concept of Neutral nature clerics but loath D&D Druids ever since I started with 3e.

The spell progression is mostly the same as LBB and LL but I hand out more spells, including a 6th-level  one. Saves and THAC0 are wrong (again). My turning tables combine my recurring problem of slower initial growth followed by runaway inflation.

Part 3

I somehow got the price of daggers dead-on for both LL and LBB. The special abilities of axes, daggers, and spears (treated as polearms) are from the LBB. The leather-chain-plate model is from the LBB. I can't believe I forgot the costs for armor.

Part 4

The four categories of encumbrance/movement is from LL and 2e. The monster spotting rules for encounters are hazily lifted from 1e. The reaction tables are either my own homebrew or taken from some anonymous homebrew. The structure of combat rounds is from LL. Now, morale/loyalty is a funny story: When I wrote the loyalty numbers in Part 1 I wasn't really thinking clearly so I gave out numbers which exceed LBB/B/X/1e morale but fit perfectly with 2e morale. Why? I don't know.

Writing an OSR(?) game from memory, Part 4: Encumbrance, exploration, encounters, combat, morale

This is a lot harder than I thought it would be and, as usual, I'm losing interest. Perhaps I shall make one last valiant effort to complete the Men & Magic portion of the rules.

Encumbrance

Encumbrance represents the effect of weight carried. In general, the starting tools, sundries, and worn armor carried into the dungeon or wilderness are not weighed and tallied but weapons, additional armor, and any items acquired during expeditions ARE tallied.

Weights cause characters to move more slowly: For characters wearing armor, use the worst of the two movement values below (for example, a character wearing plate but carrying less than 50 lbs has a combat speed of 30')
Weight Carried | Combat Speed | Exploration Speed
less than 50 lbs | 40' | 120'
50-100 lbs | 30' | 90'
101-150 lbs | 20' | 60'
151-200 lbs | 10' | 30'
more than 200 lb* | 5' | 15'
*The referee may rule that certain weights or unwieldy masses allow no movement whatsoever.

Encounters & Exploration

Time is the essential factor of the game. The referee should obtain a calendar of some sort to track days, weeks, and months accurately. Smaller, but no less important, units of time include the round (1 minute) and the turn (10 minutes). Rounds are mostly used to track time in combat while turns are used to track exploration. It is assumed that a party will move as fast as its slowest member in order to maintain formation and defense; if a full retreat is being enacted then no such compulsion exists.

Encounters (Wandering Monsters)
For every two turns spent exploring, there is a 1-in-6 chance that a random encounter will occur. These encounters may be native monsters, invaders, or other adventurers. The monster will be up to 2d6x10 feet away in dungeons or yards in the wilderness; randomly determine its point of entry, ignoring illogical routes such as the empty room the party just left. Note that more encounters can occur during combats due to either third parties or reinforcements.

Surprise
If the party does not have lights in the dungeon or is in the wilderness during active hours, both sides have a 2-in-6 chance of being surprised.
If the party does have lights  in the dungeon or is in the wilderness during resting hours, the encounter only has a 1-in-6 chance to be surprised while the party has the normal 2-in-6 chance of being surprised.
The referee may rule that particularly large, reckless, or conspicuous groups have no chance of surprising opponents. Surprised opponents are essentially helpless for one round. Note that some enemies will have reduced or increased chances of being surprised based on other factors: If the Knights of The Fang know the party is the west wing of Castle Carmine, they only have a 1-in-6 chance of being surprised upon finding the party; if the know the party is trapped in the Anti-Temple, the Knights will not be surprised; and if the party some manages to out with the Knights and encounters the neophytes performing cursory duties in the East Wing they have a 3-in-6 chance of being surprised.

Reactions
Not all encounters, even those between Lawfuls and Chaotics, need be combat. In some cases, a reaction will be obvious; Retainers of the Baronet who sponsors the party should have no reason to attack unless they or the party are traitors; Hobgoblins have no reason to be friendly and every reason to attack a party who has penetrated their warrens. When the referee has no strong idea of how an encountered character will react, he should roll below, applying the reaction modifier of the party member with the highest Charisma (unless the party wishes to nominate someone else as their "face").

2d6 | Reaction | Possible Actions
2-3| Hostile | Attack, offer horrible deal
4-5| Unfriendly | Insult, draw weapons, offer bad deal
6-7| Indifferent | Ignore, offer normal deal
8-9 | Unsure | Observe, retreat, hide
10-11| Friendly | Non-combat aid, offer good deal
12| Helpful | Combat aid, offer great deal

The referee may wish to make adjustments to the reaction roll based on biases: An anti-cleric may not immediately attack a cleric but it will sour his demeanor, while a judicator may put a whole party to the sword due the presence of an anti-cleric.

Combat

Combat Structure
Combat is joined when the party attacks or is attacked. The order of combat is as follows:
S1. Determine surprise
S2. Unsurprised sides declare actions
S2a. Roll initiative (1d6) for each unsurprised side if there are multiple; the highest scoring side acts first
S3. Unsurprised movement occurs
S4. Unsurprised ranged attacks occur
S5. Unsurprised spells occur
S6. Unsurprised melee attacks occur
S7. Once all unsurprised sides have acted, normal combat begins
1. All sides declare actions
2. Roll initiative (1d6) for each side; the highest scoring side acts first
3. Movement occurs
4. Ranged attacks occur
5. Spells occur
6. Melee attacks occur
7. Repeat until slaughter, surrender, ceasefire, or retreat

Morale & Loyalty
Even among monsters, few will fight to the death. Monsters have morale while henchmen have loyalty: Both are fundamentally the same.
Monsters check morale when 30% or more of their group are dead or if they only have 30% or less hp remaining; they will flee if possible or surrender if unable.
Henchmen check loyalty when 30% or more of their party are dead, if they only have 30% or less hp remaining, or if their leader is reduced to 25% or less hp; they will flee if possible or surrender if unable. Henchmen automatically fall loyalty checks if their leader dies.
To check morale or loyalty, roll 2d10: If the result is equal or lower then the character acts normally.
As always, the referee may modify morale scores to reflect circumstances: A group who knows there is no escape and that they will be killed even if they surrender is likely to fight to the last.

Writing an OSR(?) game from memory, Part 3: Equipment

A much shorter post this time. I'll probably break spells into two posts.

Equipment

Characters start with 3d6x10 gold pieces (gp). 10 gp weigh 1 lb.
1 gold piece = 10 silver pieces (sp) = 100 copper pieces (cp)

Melee Weapons
Weapon | Cost | Weight |Special
Axe  | 10 gp | 8 lb | Can be thrown up to 10'
Club | 2 gp | 6 lb | Made of wood
Dagger | 3 gp | 1 lb | Can be thrown up to 10', easily concealed, short reach
Greatsword | 20 gp | 15 lb | +2 damage, must be wielded with both hands
Mace | 8 gp | 8 lb | -
Spear | 9 gp | 8 lb | Double damage if hitting a charging target, can be used to attack from the second rank
Staff | 2 gp | 5 lb | Made of wood
Sword | 8 gp | 7 lb | -

Ranged Weapons
Weapon | Cost | Weight | Range | Special
Bow | 10 gp | 7 lb | 100' | Requires two hands to nock and shoot
-10 arrows | 1 gp | 1 lb
Crossbow | 15 gp | 12 lb  | 50' | +2 to damage, takes one round to reload
-10 bolts | 1 gp | 1 lb
Sling | 5 sp | 0.5 lb | 50' | Can be "fired" with one hand
-10 stones | 1sp* | 0.5 lb
*Cost to hire someone else to find stones. A character may instead spend 1 turn searching for stones, which will find 1d4-1 (0-3) usable stones.

Armor
Armor type | AC | Weight | Movement
None | 9 | - | 40' per round / 120' per turn
Leather | 7 | 10 lb | 40' per round / 120' per turn
Chain | 5 | 25 lb | 30' per round / 90' per turn
Plate | 3 | 60 lb | 30' per round / 90' per turn
Shield | * | 5 lb | - |  -
*Shields improve AC by 1 point; no armor + shield = AC 8, leather + shield = AC 6, etc.

Other equipment and tools
Item | Cost | Weight | Notes
Backpack | 5 gp | 2 lb | Can hold about 40 lb/400 coins Candle | 1 cp | - | Illuminates 10' radius, 5-in-6 chance to be blown out by strong wind, etc.
Hammer | 1 sp | 1 lb | -2 to hit and damage
Holy symbol | 1 sp | 0.5 lb | Used by clerics, shamans, and anti-clerics
Holy water | 10 gp | 0.5 lb | Deals 2d6 to undead and demons, delays onset of regular diseases for 1d6 days and supernatural diseases for 1d6 turns Iron spike | 1 sp | 1 lb | -2 to hit and damage
Lantern | 1 gp | 2 lb | Illuminates 30' radius, 1-in-6  chance to be blown out by strong wind, etc.
Manacles | 10 gp | 5 lb | Includes keyPole, 10' | | 10 lb | Can be used as a weapon with -2 to hit and damage
Rations, iron | 3 sp | 2 lb | Enough cured food to last 1 day, 1-in-6 chance to distract intelligent monsters if dropped
Rations, trail | 3 sp| 2 lb | Enough fresh food to last 1 day, 1-in-6 chance to distract unintelligent monsters if dropped
Rope, 50'  | 1 gp | - | Can hold up to 300 lb if properly secured
Sack, large | 1 gp | 1 lb | Can hold about 20 lb/200 coins
Sack, small | 2 sp | 0.5 lb | Can hold about 10 lb/100 coins
Torch | 1 sp | 1 lb | Illuminates 30' radius, 3-in-6 chance  to be blown out by strong wind, etc.
Wheelbarrow | 10 gp | 20 lb | Can hold about 200 lb/2000 coins, requires two hands to push

Writing an OSR(?) game from memory, Part 2: Races, classes

The project continues. Aplogies for the terrible blogger formatting. I'm noticing this is a bit stream-of-consciousness. I can't really remember the specifics of XP, saves, and spell tables so expect a lot of discrepancies to pop up.

Races:
Races are somewhat akin to species. Races are broadly categorized into humans (us), demi-humans (dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings), and humanoids (goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs)

Man
Men (and women) are typical examples of humankind.

Racial languages: Common
Extra languages: Dragon, dwarven, elven, goblin, kobold, giant, orcish, sylvan
Powers: None
Typical alignment: Neutral (with notable outliers)
Classes & level limits: All classes, no level limits

Dwarf/Gnome
Short, human-like creatures with great beards (for males) or great manes (for females). Dwarves are stocky, live in mountains, and hate goblins; gnomes are thin , live in hills, and hate kobolds.

Racial languages: Dwarven and common
Extra languages: Giant, goblin, kobold
Powers: Infravision 30' range (they can see in grayscale but only in total darkness), 1-in-6 chance of automatically detecting hidden stonework features, dips, rises, or other details in rock, +1 to hit and damage against goblins (dwarves)/kobolds (gnomes).
Typical alignment: Lawful
Classes & level limits: Fighting-man 7; cleric 5 (dwarves only); magic-user 5 (gnomes only)

Elf
Lithe, human-like creatures with pointed ears. Elves usually live in or near forests.

Racial languages: Elven and common
Extra languages: Orcish, sylvan
Powers: Infravision 30' range (they can see in grayscale but only in total darkness), 1-in-6 chance of automatically detecting hidden doors or other entrances, may advance as both fighting-men AND magic-users simultaneously, allotting XP earned to one class per session, using the best values for HAC0, saves, and total hit dice. Elf fighting-men/magic-users may use any weapons but not shields or plate armor. 
Typical alignment: Chaotic with Neutral minority
Classes & level limits: Fighting-man 8; magic-user 6; anti-cleric 7

Halfling
Halflings are about 3-1/2' tall human-like creatures with hairy/furry hands and feet. The possess keen eyesight.

Racial languages: Common
Extra languages: Goblin, kobold
Powers: Infravision 30' range (they can see in grayscale but only in total darkness), +1 to hit and damage with ranged weapons.
Typical alignment: Neutral with Lawful minority
Classes & level limits: Fighting-man 6; shaman 5

Classes:
Explanation of some terms:
] Level: Relative measure of power.
] Hit dice: Abbreviated HD, the number of six-sided dice rolled to generate hit points (hp). Pluses are added and minuses are subtracted but a minimum of 1 hp is gained per each hit die.
] XP needed: Experience required to obtain this level.
] HAC0: The unmodified roll needed to Hit Armor Class (AC) 0 (zero). To hit AC 9 subtract 9, to hit AC -9 add 9, etc.
] Save vs. _____: Roll 1d20 against certain effects or at referee's discretion, if the number equals or exceeds this number then the effect will either be lessened or negated.
] Spells per day: The maximum number of spells that can be stored for use within the caster's mind.

Fighting-man
Fighting-men (and fighting-women, fighting-elves, etc.) are masters of martial arts. They can use any weapon or armor.

Level | Hit Dice | XP needed | HAC0 | Save vs death | poison/paralysis | breath | spell | wand
1   | 1 | 0 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16| 14
2   | 2 | 2000 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14
3   | 3 | 4000 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14
4   | 4 | 6000 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14
5   | 5 | 8000 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13
6   | 6 | 10000 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13
7   | 7 | 12000 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13
8   | 8 | 14000 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12
9   | 9 | 16000 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12
10 | 9+2 | 18000 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12
11 | 9+4 | 20000 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11
12 | 9+6 | 22000 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11

 
Magic-User
The magic-user uses esoteric knowledge to cast spells. A magic-user starts with a spellbook containing 1 randomly determined spell (see the Spells section for details), a gift from his master(s). =EDIT= Magic-users may only use daggers, staves, and slings and may not wear any armor.        

Level | Hit Dice | XP needed | HAC0 | Save vs death | poison/paralysis | breath | spell | wand
1  | 1 | 0 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14| 12
2  | 2 | 4000 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12
3  | 2 | 6000 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12
4  | 3 | 8000 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11
5  | 4 | 10000 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11
6  | 5 | 12000 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11
7  | 5 | 14000 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10
8  | 6 | 16000 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10
9  | 7 | 18000 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10
10 | 8 | 20000 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9
11 | 8 | 22000 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9
12 | 9 | 24000 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8

Magic-user spells per day
Character level | # of 1st-level spells | # 2nd | # 3rd | # 4th | # 5th | # 6th
1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - |
6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - |
7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - |
10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - |
11 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1
12  | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2

Cleric/Shaman/Anti-cleric
The servants of the gods, most obvious soldiers in the Cosmic Struggle.

Clerics are Lawful. Their holy symbols are the ankh or sun. They cannot use bladed or piercing weapons. If they cast reversed spells they have a 30% chance of their god(s) taking away their spellcasting abilities for 1d6 days. They have the power to turn (repel) or destroy undead.

Shamans are Neutral. Their holy symbols (carved from bone or wood) are animals, plants, and elements. They may only use weapons and armor made from "living" materials (leather, wood, bone, etc.). They may cast reversed and unreversed spells freely.

Anti-Clerics are Chaotic. Their holy symbols are the skull, inhuman eye, or savage maw. They cannot use bladed or piercing weapons. If they cast unreversed spells they have a 30% chance of their god(s) taking away their spellcasting abilities for 1d6 days. Anti-clerics who obviously display their allegiance will never receive a "hostile" reaction from Chaotic creatures or a "helpful" reaction from Lawful creatures (this does not allow them to act without consequence).

Level | Hit Dice | XP needed | HAC0 | Save vs death | poison/paralysis | breath | spell | wand
1     | 1 | 0        | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15| 13
2     | 2 | 3000  | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13
3     | 2 | 5000  | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13
4     | 3 | 7000  | 18 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12
5     | 4 | 9000  | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12
6     | 5 | 11000 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12
7     | 6 | 13000 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11
8     | 6 | 15000 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11
9     | 7 | 17000 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11
10   | 8 | 19000 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10
11   | 9 | 21000 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10
12 | 9+2 | 23000 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10

Cleric/shaman/anti-cleric spells per day
Character level | # of 1st-level spells | # 2nd | # 3rd | # 4th | # 5th | # 6th
1* | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
5 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - |
7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - |
8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - |
11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | - |
12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1
*1st-level clerics/shamans/anti-clerics cannot cast spells

Turning/repelling/destroying undead
Cleric level | Undead 1 HD | 2 HD | 3 HD | 4 HD | 5 HD | 6 HD | 7 HD | 8 HD | 9 HD | 10 HD | 11+ HD
1   | 7 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - |  - | - | - | - |
2   | 5 | 8 | 11 | - | - | - | - |  - | - | - | - |
3   | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | - | - | - |  - | - | - | - |
4   | A | 4 | 7 | 9 | 12 | - | - |  - | - | - | - |
5   | A | A | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | - |  - | - | - | - |
6   | D | A | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 |  - | - | - | - |
7   | D | D | A | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | - | - | - |
8   | D | D | A| A | 3 | 5 | 7 |  9 | 12| - | - |
9   | D | D | D | A | A | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | - |
10 | D | D | D | D | A | A | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 |
11 | D | D | D | D | D | A | A | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9|
12 | D | D | D | D | D | D | A | A | 3 | 3 | 7 |

To turn undead a cleric must present his holy symbol with a free hand. The player then rolls 2d6 and if the result equals or exceeds any number shown then the undead are turn away and cannot approach or attack the cleric or his party for 10 minutes (1 turn). All of the closest and weakest undead are affected first. An "A" indicates automatic turning and a "D" indicates that turned undead are instead destroyed.

Writing an OSR(?) game from memory, Part 1: Goals, ability scores, alignment

Somewhat inspired by the Gygax 75 challenge, I've decided to write an OSR(-compatible) game from memory. I won't be referencing any rulebooks, modules, or SRDs. I expect the result to look a bit like LBB with weird bits of B/X, 1e, 2e, and some homebrew. I will gather my end results and throw them up as a formatted PDF on Drivethrurpg.

Goals:
] all character creation information
] at least 3 races
] at least 3 classes, at least one of which is a spell caster
] full spell list for casters
] equipment list
] full exploration rules
] full combat rules 
] full treasure and magic items
] enough monsters to populate 3 dungeon levels' worth of encounters
] enough monsters to populate 3 biomes' worth of encounters


Character Creation
To create a character one must generate abilities, select a race, select a class, determine spells, and purchase equipment.

Ability Scores
Ability scores represent general physical and mental aptitudes in numerical fashion. Roll 3d6 6 times, assigning each number in order to the following abilities:

Strength: Represents muscle power. It is most important to fighting-men.

Scores | Fighting-manXP | Force doors/objects
3-6 | -10% | 1-in-6
7-14 | - | 2-in-6
15-18 | +10% | 4-in-6

Intelligence: Represents intellect, logic, and memory. It is most important to magic-users.

Scores | Magic-User XP | Languages | Literacy | Chance to learn spell (Magic-Users)
3-6 | -10% | Alignment and racial | Illiterate* | 60**
7-14 | - | Alignment and racial | Literate | 70**
15-18 | +10% | Alignment, racial, plus one extra language | Literate | 80%**
*illiterate magic-user require the aid of a literate magic-user to teach them spells
**modified by spell level

Wisdom: Represents insight, senses, and reflection. It is most important to clerics, shamans, and anti-clerics. 

Scores | Cleric XP | Modifier on saves vs mental/emotional/spiritual effects
3-6 | -10% | -2
7-14 | - | -

15-18 | +10% | +2

Constitution: Represents endurance and general health. It is important for all characters.

Scores | Hit point modifier per hit die | System shock survival chance
3-4 | -1 | 45%
5-14 | - | 70%

17-18 | +1 | 95%

Dexterity: Represents reflexes and coordination.

Scores | Modifier on ranged attacks
3-8 | -1
9-12 | -

13-18 | +1

Charisma: Represents personal magnetism and self-confidence.

Scores | Reaction modifier | Maximum henchmen | Base loyalty

3-4 | -2 | 2 | 8
6-8 | -1 | 2 | 10
9-12 | - | 3 | 12
13-16 | +1 | 4 | 14
17-18 | +2 | 4 | 16

Alignment
All of creation is involved in the cosmic struggle between Law and Chaos; even those who refrain from the battle unknowingly side with Neutrality. Mortals (and many immortals) are not perfect representations of their alignments but their attitudes and actions convey their allegiances. All characters must select an alignment, and some alignments cannot pursue certain classes. All characters know their alignment language (Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic); a character whose alignment changes lose access to the alignment language until his alignment reverts or someone from his new alignment teaches him the new language.

Law can be roughly equated to "Good"; Even at their worst, Lawful people act with noble intentions and try to help others.

Chaos can be roughly equated to "Evil"; Even at their best, Chaotic people act with corrupt intentions and try to hinder others.

Neutrality often represents a lack of commitment or a desire to avoid trouble but for some it is a philosophy of "Balance" in the cosmos.

Selected creatures' typical alignments
LAW========NEUTRALITY========CHAOS
Men                    Men                                    Men
Dwarves             Halflings                            Goblins
Cavemen            Orcs                                   Hobgoblins
Treants               Ogres                                 Trolls
Judicators           Elementals                        Balors
Dragons             Dragons                            Dragons

Underlined creatures are equally likely to be Neutral or Chaotic
Italic creatures are equally likely to be Lawful or Neutral

Give me a fish-man and I will explain the monsters of my setting

Inspired by this post by Joseph Manola I read years ago and late-night sleepy thoughts. 

While Ye Olde Snake-Men Empire isn't a bad idea, I feel it's been suffering a bit of overexposure in the OSR, a critcism which extends to my own WIP setting. Until yesterday, I was riffing heavily on McKinney's Carcosa with the Serpentine (snake-men) being the creators of Mankind for the purposes of occult science. The Kuo-Toa (or their off-brand OGL equivalents) popped into my head as something cool to add to the bestiary. I had originally thought of them as enemies of the Serpentine, Men, and Elves but then I realized they fit the role I wanted the Sepentine to play.

You may ask, "Buzzclaw, what's so special about fish-dudes?" You're right to ask that. My first foray into the Kuo-Toa (and the D&D brand) was 3e; I wasn't impressed. They seemed like generic fishmen. Then recently (this year, I believe), I got a chance to read D2 - Shrine of The Kuo-Toa. That won me over. Horrible, amphibious fish-men ruling and rampaging throughout sea, land, and underworld, kidnapping (fishing? manning?) people for dark rituals. Then the land and sea groups went extinct, leaving only the underworld-dwellers. But they still remember those upstart Men and they're dreaming up schemes of revenge. That's some good shit right there.

Legacies of the Kuo-Toa

Assuming then, that the man-fishes had a stereotypical empire like the classic snake-men, what did they leave behind?

1) Magic! In my own setting, the (off-brand) Kuo-Toa created occult science (less icky Carcosa rituals) then Elves used some of their notes + demonic consultations to create classic D&D magic.

2) Magic Items! In their monster entry, Kuo-Toa really like to use daggers and spears; embellish that dagger +1 with aquatic motifs!

3) Monsters! Land lampreys. Land Urchins. Mantari. Behemoths from the Lankhmar sets. Cloakers too. What's a Roper but a weird-ass land-squid? Are Koalinths and Scrags aquatic versions of Hobgoblins and Trolls OR did the Kuo-Toa take aquatic creatures and create terrestrial versions? Are Mermen and Tritons prototypes or alternative research for Project: Man?

4) Dungeons! All those ruins and tombs are the handiwork of the vanished man-fishes. Are you a bad enough party to dive into ancient, pre-human ruins in search of loot?

More on McKinney's Carcosa, the Lovecraftian Pantheon, and D&D

 I noted in my previous semi-review of Carcosa that McKinney's take on the Lovecraft mythos was a bit odd. Only much later (or much recently) did I realize that his takes are derived from AD&D Deities & Demigods. I didn't notice it despite having read D&DG before because I read it during a different phase of my roleplaying days when the idea of PCs actually fighting gods seemed to be atrocious Munchkinry (I've since changed my attitudes). But that just raises more questions: Are the quirks of the D&D Lovecraft mythos examples of temporary fan theories, corporate obfuscation, or something else?

2 Warps to Neptune catalogs two sets of scans: the OD&D version of the Lovecraft mythos solely by Kuntz and the AD&D D&DG version by Ward and Kuntz. Note that Kuntz's version mentions the Ubbo-Shatla/Abhoth aspects of D&D Shub-Niggurath like I did. The OD&D Shub-Niggurath also does not spawn Elder Things, Deep Ones, or Mi-Go. Kuntz's OD&D Cthuga and Ithaqua also match the descriptions I've seen in Chaosium products unlike the fiery amoeboid and evil humanoid cloud of D&DG. It's unclear why Kuntz/Ward altered the (relatively) faithful OD&D adaptations into the more divergent D&DG versions.

Carcosan Ravenloft Cluster part 1: Darklords

I've been having thoughts about a Carcosa-based cluster for Ravenloft. I've already got a rough map done:

Queen Mora, Lady-in-iron, Slayer of Old Ones

Lawful Evil Blue woman Fighter 12

Darklord of (the realm with crater lake)

Appearance: Mora is middle-aged, attractive but with stern demeanor. She keeps her hair cropped short and has a scar that runs along the right side of her jaw. She usually wears her armor or simple robes; if she is somehow glimpsed nude there will be many more scars, wounds, and acid burns visible.

Background: On Carcosa, Lawful people oppose the Old Ones. For some, this is a reactive position, fighting those Old Ones they happen upon; for others, it is a proactive position involving hunting down Old Ones and spawn. Some advocate that even that isn't enough, that all sorcerers must also be hunted. And a small and unsuccessful fringe advocates awakening the Old Ones to kill them, for is it not better to strike on Man's terms than wait until the stars are right? For the current generation to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their descendants? the Mora was the leader of a small cell of like-minded Lawful hunters who fooled a coven of sorcerers into summoning forth The Haunter of The Moon's Dark, a massive horror who would have not awakened for another millennia. Mora and her followers killed the sorcerers then engaged in a running battle with the eldritch thing using their arsenal of alien technology. The day-long battle ended with the Old One dead, the land irradiated, and possibly thousands dead. Mora lay sprawled on the ground, questioning whether it was all worth it. She decided it was, and that she would do it again if she had the chance. The smoke around her seemed to thicken into a fog . . .

Curse: Mora and all the domain natives are sterile. She rules over a dying stretch of land without a future. She still questions herself but always resolves that she was in the right. Her curse will be broken if she admits she was in the wrong and the evil she did outweighs the good.

Special Powers: When Mora wishes to close the borders, a disorienting, jale-colored fog suddenly appears. The fog disorients those fleeing, forcing them back into the domain. She is also immune to aging but has not realize this yet.

Stats:  S 10, D 11, C 15, I 12, W 10, Ch 16

HD 9+9, MV 9, AC 2 (battle armor), Atks: 1 astatine-pulse pistol (300', 1d8 or 2d8 vs Green Men), 1 radio-beam rifle (1000' line, 2d8), 1 infrared-beam bazooka (3000' cone, 3d8), and/or 1 two-handed sword (1d10),  AL LE

Equipment: Mora has a unique suit of Battle Armor

- provides AC 2
- Back-mounted infrared-ray bazooka (3000' cone, 3d8 damage) which can swing down over her left shoulder, 25 charges
- An integrated radio-beam rifle on her right arm (1000' line, 2d8 damage), 50 charges
- An integrated astatine-pulse pistol on her left arm (300' range, 1d8 damage or 2d8 damage against Green Men)

She also carries two power cells for each weapon in the armor's thigh storage and a two-handed sword strapped to her back.

Prince K'nath

Neutral Evil White man ex-Sorcerer (Fighter) 7

Darklord of (tiny swamp)

Appearance: K'nath is a White male in his mid-20s. His hair is unruly and he has a wild beard. His eyes are bloodshot and he has dark circles under his eyes. His robes were high quality but are stained, frayed, and damaged. He fluctuates between extremely chatty and almost non-verbal.

Background: Finally, Prince K'nath and his younger sister/apprentice Princess K'nara would have their revenge on "King" Valtan. K'nath would summon the Amphibious Ones using a horrific rite to summon an army. But the most sublime, most ironic, most delicious part of the whole affair was that Valtan's own daughter would be the sacrifice. K'nath would be sure to let Valtan know every pain his daughter suffered in excruciating detail. But disaster struck. A mixed band of adventurers took the would-be victim. K'nath was panicking: He could not stop their escape but Valtan's fury would be inescapable and implacable. Then he realized that K'nara was also a White girl, long-haired, eleven years old, and a virgin. She pleaded with him; he tried arguing then used his strength instead. She was dead a few hours later and he had an army of 100 Amphibious Ones. After a moment composing himself, he left her body on the crude altar, leading his army forth through the thick fog to claim his kingship.

Curse: Although his domain is small, K'nath has totally lost all sense of direction and all his magic powers. He thus endlessly wanders the swamp, looping on his own path and getting stranded in patch of fog. His curse will be broken if he gives up on his quest for the crown and/or properly buries K'nara.

Special Powers: All Amphibious Ones in the domain obey K'nath without question, though only up 100 will accompany him at any given time. He is immune to aging and automatically resurrects within 1-6 hours at a random point in the domain with no memory of the past 24 hours and all his possessions intact. If he ever wished to close the borders, the domain would be surround by impenetrable and impassable fog.

Stats:  S 9, D 11, C 12, I 16, W 8, Ch 11

HD 7, MV 12, AC 9, Atks: 1 gamma radiation-pulse pistol (300', 2d8) and/or 1 longsword (1d8),  AL NE

Equipment: K'nath carries a gamma radiation-pulse pistol, a gold signet ring depicting Cthulhu (worth 100-200 gp), two power cells, and a longsword.

Z'lgutheb

Lawful Evil Unique Spawn of Shub-Niggurath

Darklord of (sea/island domain)

Appearance: Z'lgutheb is a crustacean the size of a small hut with a crab-shaped, smooth purple hide, a beak, six dolm-colored eyes, and two thick, stumpy legs. Everywhere it steps it leaves puddles of purple slime. It usually behaves overly friendly the first time it encounters people, but tries to browbeat people into worshiping it, finally shifting to murderous rage

Background: On Carcosa, Law is merely the state of opposing the Old Ones. Some oppose the Old Ones because they wish to usurp their privileged status. Z'lgutheb lived on an island. Its six eyes saw the obeisance and worship men gave to its Old One brethren. It grew envious. It slew its brethren. It waited for the men to worship it with songs and offerings as they had done for its brethren. But instead they turned to other gods Z'lgutheb did not know. Furious, he rampaged, killing all the fledgling cults. The mists engulfed it and he found itself on a much smaller, unfamiliar island.

Curse: Z'lgutheb wants to be worshiped "properly" by intelligent creatures but its Big Island is populated by semi-intelligent apes who can't speak. It knows that there are men on the islands of its domain (fires are sometimes visible on other islands and it has seen boats) but they avoid the Big Island due to superstition. Z'lgutheb cannot swim so it cannot reach them. Some shipwrecked sailors and ambitious adventurers have washed ashore but every time their impertinence drove Z'lgutheb to devour them. If it were to finally give its quest for worship (which turn it Neutral on the Law-Chaos axis), its curse would be lifted.

Special Powers: Z'lgutheb cannot be harmed by common weapons, only magic and alien weapons. The mere touch of its body causes living beings to dissolve into purple slime unless a save vs death is made. If it dies and the curse has not been lifted, it will regrow with 2d12 hours from a pool of purple slime somewhere on the isle. If it wishes to close the borders (or is trying to prevent escape from the Big Island), sudden storms break out all throughout the domain.

Stats:  HD 7, MV 3, AC 6 (hit only by magic or alien weapons), Atks: 1 bite (1d8 + save vs death or turn into purple slime) or 1 touch (save vs death or turn into purple slime),  SZ L (7' tall and 8' broad), AL NE

Equipment: None

Tekeli

Chaotic Evil Bone woman ex-Sorcerer (Fighter) 3

Darklord of (plains domain)

Appearance: Because of her transparent flesh and hair, her only noticeable feature is her skeleton. She is almost always clad in her chrome reflective armor and hauling a backpack. She will always approach strangers with questions about Bone men sightings then quiet down if they do not have news. She smells of stale sweat.

Background: The Red men had finally gone to war. Only Tekeli and a dozen other Bone men had survived the attack. Only two among the group knew the ritual that could wreak vengeance: Tekeli and her lover, Xand. The rampage of the Red men made it impossible for them to retrieve the necessary dozen Bone man sacrifices from elsewhere. Xand and Tekeli acted swiftly and stealthily, disabling their fellows and dragging them to the circle of standing stones. Tekeli volunteered herself to be the 12th victim, pledging loyalty to Xand. The couple set to work of killing the eleven slowly and painfully as the rite required. Tekeli and Xand embraced one last time. Xand did not even have time to realize that he had been stabbed with a poisoned dagger before he collapsed, dead. The rite was not complete: Xand had not died within the circle, nor had his death been painful and slow. Fighting back tears, Tekeli marched off to find a 12th sacrifice, heedless the suddenly materializing fog.

Curse: Tekeli wanders the length and breadth of her domain looking for another Bone man to capture and sacrifice. She is so obsessed with her quest that she doesn't even notice how peaceful her domain is. The only way for her to lift her curse is to abandon her pursuit or to ritually kill herself or another Bone man to complete the ritual.

Special Powers: Tekeli will revive in 1-6 days after death with all her possessions intact unless she was killed as part of the ritual. If she wishes to close the domain's borders then impassable, regenerating, 100' walls of bone spring up around the borders. The walls actively attack, doing 2d10 damage per round to those climbing them.

Stats: S 16, D 12, C 15, I 13, W 10, Ch 6 

HD 3+3, MV 12, AC 8 (reflective armor and small shield), Atks: 1 hand axe (1d6+1) or 1 shortbow (150', 1d6), AL CE

Equipment: Backpack (food, rope, diary, miscellany), belt pouch (14 gp, 35 sp), hand axe, small shield, shortbow, 20 arrows, reflective armor (nullifies all damage from dolm laser, gamma radiation, green laser, jale laser, lanthanum, orange laser, radio, red laser, rhenium, scandium, sulfur, titanium, thorium, ulfire laser, violet laser, and white laser weapons).

What's the deal with Advanced Basic D&D?

For some reason  there seems to be a big customer base for B/X clones with elements of AD&D bolted on: Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion, B/X Advanced, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy (one of the latest attempts to cash in on this audience), and countless splats for inserting race-and-class or assassins and druids into B/X. But why is it always about piling shit onto B/X rather than trimming some fat from AD&D?

I mean, if you really want a middle ground between the two branches (Intermediate D&D, for argument's sake), it's not really that hard. Cut the races down to three or four, cut the classes down to three or four, change to three-point alignment, remove some of the weapons and armors (the LBB model of leather/chain/plate is elegant in its simplicity), and delete the subsystems you find clunky.

I've half a mind to slam something together based on this idea and sell it on drivethruRPG.

Three-Pack of New Free Stuff

Been a minute but I've got some new material for y'all. Affiliate links ahoy although I'm not sure I even know how to link them correctly.

First is Abomination Appendix Volume I which converts several D&D 3e and Pathfinder to OSR stats. I wanted to make a more elaborate Monstrous Compendium-style write-up for each monster but I got writers' block. The appendix features:

• Burrowers from Bastards & Bloodlines
• Cave giants from Bestiary 3
• Kongamoto from Nyambe
• Merrow from D&D 5e (one of the few "new" ideas the 5e SRD made OGC)
• Miasma serpent and avesa rakshasa from 101 Variant Monsters
• Tunnel brutes (lawyer-friendly umber hulks) from The Iconic Bestiary

Volume II will probably tackle Green Ronin's eye kings.

Next is one that needs explaining. A guy called Skerples wrote this thing called the Monster Menu-All with rules on what happens when you eat 1e Monster Manual creatures (unfortunately he uses some homebrew hipster trash for his rules so it's less useful than it could be). We run in similar circles and someone half-jokingly dared him to do something similar for Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-gods, and Heroes. He backed out but I seized upon the idea. Now with Gods, Demigods, & H'orderves Volume I with your PCs can get cool powers from eating the Olympian gods. Incidentally, my opening blurb is an homage to this line that prefaced the RTF download for Legends & Lore on the WOTC Previous Edition Downloads page:

"There comes a desperate moment when every hero looks skyward in search of divine favor, when he raises his arms to the heavens and calls upon the cruel fates to spare his life. Who hears him?"

Last but not least is a Human racial class for B/X and Labyrinth Lord, the fruit of a old post I made a while ago. The art in the PDF is by Luigi Castellani and it's from the Scarlet Heroes Art Pack. I recommend it and all the other Sine Nomine art packs to anyone looking for free art, although there's a lack of "traditional" medieval European subject matter. 

Free Adventures for OSR/TSR D&D

It's been a while, huh? I've uploaded some adventure modules I did a while back. If you're an /osrg/ regular then you've probably seen them but for some readers I expect this to be new. There's also other, less great stuff on the "OSR Downloads" link to your right >
People don't seem to look at those pages though. Anyway, I was going to talk a bit about the adventures, what inspired them, etc. RPGnow links contain affliate links but no one who read my blog buys anything so that doesn't matter ;_;

1. DUNGEON PLANET preview edition

As is so often the case, DUNGEON PLANET is a weird chimera born from bits and bobs. Man-centipedes were inspired by Dark Souls' Man-snakes and they've kicking around in my head for a year(s?). Zhang Zhong was just a random name I came up with while working on a spell document. A planet (moon if we want to get picky) that's also a dungeon was inspired by a random thread I found ages ago asking if Dungeon World was a setting where the world was a  planetary megadungeon (hint 1: it isn't; hint 2; DW was a mistake). It was also inspired by a module called ZH-01 An Overwhelming Sense of Loss which unlike DW I do recommend (and it's free).

Structurally, the DUNGEON PLANET (yeah, the name is in allcaps all the time) is based on traditional nerd dice in a matryoshka-style configuration: Level 1 is a d20, level 2 is d12, level 3 is a d10, etc. As for the innermost level, I haven't really thought about it.

2. HELL METRO

This is another weird frankenstein. As a kinda sorta weeb (Japanese media nerd) I've had a desire to do an anime- or manga-themed OSR thing for a while. The three biggest influences were Mugen Senshi Valis (the Genesis/MD game not what it has sadly become now), an OVA called Dragon Century (1st episode/god chapter only), and last but not least the manga Metro Survive. Although the Control Brain was inspired by Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen (which was inspired by Mazinger Z: Relic of Terror). I was also playing a lot of Battle Mania Daginjou/Trouble Shooter Vintage at the time.

Charisma gives a bonus to saves because in the context of Japanese fantasy I imagined it could also represent guts/luck. If I were running it I'd have the outcome be a National Dimensional Overlay.

3. VILE VENGEANCE OF THE BEES

Yes, this entire module was written just because I thought an old pre-Weatherlight Magic: The Gathering card was really cool. Fuck the Jacetice League btw

So there it is.
tl;dr click on this for free stuff.

Creature Catalog Review - Dragon #89

 For some reason I'm getting dozens of blog views from shady redirecting advert sites, should I be worried?

Anyway, today I’m going to do something short and sweet (or long and laborious), a review of Dragon #89’s Creature Catalog feature. My next post will probably be about Dungeon Crawl Classics, then I’ll do something for Heroes & Other Worlds. If your eye glaze over at walls of text, skip to the end where I’ll talk about the monsters that I think are worth salvaging from this.

Amitok by Roger Moore

7-foot tall Yeti-esque offshoots of Hobgoblins who live in arctic climes. They dig tunnels in snow. They hate Humans and dislike everything. Except for Quaggoths, who they dislike but work with? And local Humans will call these assholes “demons” so that the DM has an opportunity to screw over the players. I really don’t see the point of these guys. Almost anything they could add to a story could also be done by Quaggoths or Yeti instead, and probably better too. I mean, I guess they would be good minions/speedbumps in campaign building up toward a showdown with Cryonax (explicitly identified as their deity) or Frost Giants. 

Killer Beetle by Ed Greenwood

Why did the 12-foot long psychic beetle with four tentacles around its mouth cross the mountain pass? To eat the party’s Halfling. This is basically the type of monster I expect to see in something like Dungeon Crawl Classics. Their entry doesn’t mention any ability to speak languages but I would give it to them anyway (magic, ain’t gotta explain shit). Imagine the classic “Troll toll bridge” scenario but instead of a Troll it’s a giant psychic beetle, instead of a bridge there’s a mountain pass, and instead of gold he wants fresh meat.

Bichir by Ed Greenwood

This is apparently a real type of real-world fish just enlarged to about four times normal size for bullshit D&D reasons? It can also use Entangle for extra screw-over-the-party moments. I mean, it does have a certain amount of charm and it would add flavor to a “weird swamp” area but it’s nothing to write home about.

Bohun Tree by Ed Greenwood

Deep in the heart of The Bullshit Woods lurks the sinister Bohun Tree. Its luscious red fruit has an 80% chance to paralyse anyone who cuts it open and a 10% chance to just kill them. And if the unfortunate manages to actually eat it then he dies within 2d4 turns unless he makes a save vs. poison with a -4 penalty. 90% of Elves are immune to this. It’s also intelligent and can shoot thorns. This thing is garbage.

Calygraunt by Ed Greenwood

This is another “just fuck your players’ shit up” monster in the vein of the Disenchanter or Rust Monster. This thing can activate any magic item it can identify (which it has 70-90% chance of doing), activating it in such way as to “cause it to harm the bearer or those nearby”. How horrifying.

Cantobele by Ed Greenwood

This is a Leucrotta with worse AC and HD but more (and shittier) attacks. For what purpose?

Corkie by Roger Moore

It’s a two-foot long gopher with horns. The only thing moderate interesting about this creature is that it’s noted that small humanoids like Kobolds, Goblins, and Halflings sometimes use their abandoned tunnels. That’s somewhat interesting, I guess?

Duleep by Ed Greenwood

It’s a swarm of things that look like cobwebs and they can Shocking Grasp people. Yeah. These monsters aren’t improving my views on Mr. Greenwood.

Explodestool by Alan Zumwalt

These are tiny mushrooms that explode for 1d2 damage and can cause chain reactions. It’s short, it’s simple, it goes well in the Underdark, and it generally only deals enough damage to annoy but not to kill. It can also be an interesting alarm or early warning system for cave-/dungeon-dwellers. Fun little idea.

Fachan by Roger Moore

Mutant Ogres with only one eye, hand, and leg. They hop around and eat people. Pretty boring stuff but the magic item you can make from them is pretty flavorful: A Gauntlet of Fachan Power gives one (and only one) arm Str 18/00 and if a character wears two the magic won’t work. Too bad the monster is so damn boring.

Flailtail by Ed Greenwood

It’s a fish thing with a big tail and a mouth. Sometimes it allies with other creatures to get more food. There could be a seed for faction play or something here but it doesn’t spark my creativity.

Ghunna by Tomas Willis

Gnoll Were-hyenadons created by Yeenoghu. They’re elitists among Gnolls. Might be of use in a Gnoll-heavy/oriented campaign.

Glasspane Horror by Rosemary and Don Webb

A moderately interesting treasure guard that would be more interesting if the authors hadn’t inserted a “can’t be bribed” clause.

Giant Horseshoe Crab by Ed Greenwood

It’s a Horseshoe Crab. It’s Giant. It can cast Shocking Grasp and Lightning Bolt for some reason. Bravo, Greenwood.

Ihagnim by Roger Moore

A giant amoeba with the consistency of plastic that makes Bags of Devouring (they’re portals to its “stomach”). Much like the Corkie, this thing apparently only exists to explain where those cursed bags come from.

Millikan by Mark Nuvier

This is one of those examples of the dark side of Gygaxian Naturalism. It’s a fire-breathing tree stump that eats precious metals and its “body is much like a giant organic electric circuit.” The author treats us to boring details that explain (i.e. remove all wonder and mystery from) the monster’s metabolism and fire-breathing apparatus. And there’s a note at the end that Millikan was a guy who did an oil drop experiment in 1909. Who cares? I certainly do not.

Dark Naga by Ed Greenwood

“. . . a naga must experiment with and modify spells involving somatic and material components to an entirely verbal form (player characters cannot do this, however).”

Peltast by Ed Greenwood

Wow, a mimic thing that doesn’t try to kill you! And by Greenwood no less! This thing looks like leather and morphs into a glove. Once put on it drains 1 HP per day from the host (which gets recovered by resting). On the plus side it basically makes the host immune to poison and capable of healing him if he gets too close to dying. A pretty solid concept.

Giant Pitcher Plant by Roger Moore

I’m really not sure what to say about these “like real life but bigger and more dangerous” monsters. At least it could fit into a weird aquatic area with the Bichir.

Seastar by Ed Greenwood

A Small starfish/octopus abomination with a 4d4 bite. Not terribly interesting but a useful filler encounter for a weird aquatic environment. I guess the bit about telepathic training is supposed to be some adventure seed? Psionicist with no sense of right and wrong makes Seastars attack merchant ships? I don’t know.

Scallion by Ed Greenwood

I don’t know why the Scallion is in between the Seastar and the Giant Shrike but it is. They’re really big fish that attack en masse and hate octopi. Adult females bite for a whopping 6d8 damage. Unfortunately this doesn’t make them interesting. 

Giant Shrike by Ed Greenwood

A 4-foot tall bird with a 9-foot wingspan. It’s Neutral Evil and kills for fun. It also can’t speak by RAW.

Sind by Ed Greenwood

Some vaguely frog-like humanoids who live near water and are friends with Lizardmen. They can all breath water and walk on it plus 30% of them can use an Imprisonment spell-like ability on targets just by touching them. Their god lives on the Prime Material and occasionally shows up to help them. They generally avoid drinking alcohol because they get drunk easily. Moderately interesting.

Star Leviathan by Roger Moore

Psychic astral whales. They don’t really do anything except chit-chat with people and play the role of comic relief.

Utukku by Roger Moore

Straight outta Sumeria comes yet another fiend. The description of how its PMP lairs are “. . . hastily made, and the defenses will not be tough” seems like another attempt to justify D&D tropes as seen with the Corkie and Ihagnim. The only good example I have ever seen of such a monster is the Zorkul from In The Wake of The Zorkul.

Giant Venus Fly-Trap by Roger Moore

Between this and the Giant Pitcher Plant I’m convinced that Moore statted these things up after watching a performance of Little Shop of Horrors. The magazine is from 1984 so it would have to be a stage performance since the movie wasn’t out til ‘85.

Vurgen by Ed Greenwood

A really big eel that swallows people whole if it hits.

Killer Whale by Roger Moore

Sapient killer whales with a 5% chance of psionics. I don’t understand the thought process behind giving crabs lightning powers and killer whales sapience.

Wind Steed by Ed Greenwood

It’s a horse. It flies. It hates hippogriffs and griffons for no apparent reason. It doesn’t do anything that a Pegasus couldn’t do.

The tl;dr:

Weird set-piece monster: Killer Beetle.

Fun Underdark gimmick: Explodestool.

A trip to Weird River Marsh: Bichir, Explodestool, Giant Pitcher Plant, Seastar, Sind, Giant Venus Fly-Trap

Basically everything else is garbage. The Dark Naga got slightly better in future publications but the same cannot be said of other creatures.