Loot!

This weekend arrived a pretty cool haul. Just in time for Christmas.

I got the "Zogonia: Slice of Death" comic book (64 pages of strips collected from Dragon magazine) and the AD&D 2e Forgotten Realms "Menzoberranzan Boxed Set", used but in great shape and complete with booklets, maps and cards, both from eBay. Also the "BDKR1: The Unofficial Living Greyhawk Bandit Kingdoms Summary" from Amazon and, last but not least, the "Holmes & Clark" rules set by my friend Aron Clark from DriveThruRPG.

I am planning on using Menzoberranzan in my Greyhawk game, but still don't know how exactly. Maybe by making it a rival city of Erelhei-Cinlu, where the majority of the drow worship the Elder Elemental God instead of Lolth? Also I need to decide where to put it. Maybe beneath the Jotens Mts. near Sterich? That would be a good place if I want to run the city of Istvin trilogy in the future.

About the "Bandit Kingdoms Summary" I've read many good reviews as a "must have" source of documentation and inspiration for developing adventures in the area. Looking forward to pair it with Ravensrook: A Grimdark Urban Fantasy Setting running as the city of Rookroost.

Also thinking of using "Holmes & Clark" as the rule set for my next Greyhawk campaign set in the Lands of Cantona on the Wild Coast, initially though to be run under Labyrinth Lord. 

Rionna

This character was created for another of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. This time he ran the adventure "The Black Tower" (1981) by Midkemia Press. Rionna is a thief and the rest of the party members are:

Ademor the Minotaur (Justin)

Bel-Shaar, cleric of Set (Nick)

Chet the Wizard (Brian)

Balthos (Peter)

Melisar (Aaron)

S 10, I 15, W 9, D 17, C 17, Ch 8

Ekhard the Faceless

This character was created for one of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. He has been exploring the mega dungeon of  "Morthimion" by Gabor Lux. Ekhart is a  human cleric of Phieran the Broken (god of suffering) and henchmen of Shawn. The rest of the party members are:

Shawn, male human magic-user 

Rakol, male human fighter

Crystal, female human magic-user (Rakol's henchmen)

Kolbrand, male human thief (Rakol's henchmen)

Tark, dwarf fighter

Chunn, male fighter/thief (Tark's henchmen)

Modicum, male elf

Boraks, male human fighter (Modicum's henchmen)

He has been disfigured by fire and was saved by Shawn.

S 10, I 7, W 15, D 9, C 15, Ch 3 

Shawn Guardian of the Black Flame

 

This character was created for one of Aron Clark's D&D Holmes games. He has been exploring the mega dungeon of  "Morthimion" by Gabor Lux. Shawn is a young human magic-user and the rest of the party members are:

Ekhart the Faceless, male human cleric of Phieran (Shawn's henchmen) 

Rakol, male human fighter (Peter)

Crystal, female human magic-user (Rakol's henchmen)

Kolbrand, male human thief (Rakol's henchmen)

Tark, dwarf fighter (Stu)

Chunn, male fighter/thief (Tark's henchmen)

Modicum, male elf (Randall)

Boraks, male human fighter (Modicum's henchmen)

He carries a staff with a magical black candle found in Morthimion's dungeons. Its flame never extinguishes and within its light he can se the aura of magical objects.

S 8, I 15, W 6, D 8, C 9, Ch 8

We also went through "Fane of the Poisoned Prophesies" by Guy Fullerton and "The Hyqueous Vaults" also by Fullerton and others like Allan T. Grohe, Jr.

Hobbs & Friends of the OSR zines

This week, after a long wait,  I finally received from Goodman Games the three Hobbs & Friends of the OSR zines by fellow gamer and friend Jason Hobbs.

#1 Excavation of the Tomb of Lorninane - a mini-dungeon location centered around an excavation site.

#2 Bettlebee Ridge - a starting town surrounding the Ridge with buildings, detailing their content and the various people living there.

#3 Halfmen of Hirsute Hollow - DCC adventure to be played between Sailors of the StarlessSea and Well of Souls.

In the first two you can takea glimpse at Jason's homebrew game world called the Emergent Empires.

All of them have cool art by Craig Brasco and Hawk.

You can get them from DriveThruRPG too.

Aylen the Black & Fress

Aylen the magic-user and Fress the thief were created for a D&D Holmes game run by Aron Clark. Fist, we played The Lichway (1978) by Abie Fiore taht was published in White Dwarf magazine #9. The rest of the party were:

Tark (dwarf)

Balzon (fighter)

Franz (fighter)

Caspian (magic-user)

Later, after exploring The Lichway we delved into The Halls of Tizun Thane (1980), also by Abie Fiore, from White Dwarf magazine #18. This time the party had some new members:

Rollo (thief)

Chad (fighter)

What follows is a summary I put together after the fall of Aylen & Fress.

"Pressed by the fact that Fress wouldn't be able to control Lokota the demon much longer, Rollo and Aylen agreed to move forward into Thaark's four-story tower. Chad followed with his lantern. The bottom room was a richly furnished dining room with a long table fully dressed with china and glassware occupying the center. On one end of the table, a fireplace big enough to roast a boar with a 12-inch tall figurine of a casting magic user on the mantle and a dragon skull on the wall above it. On the other end he table a big mirror. Rollo checked the fireplace but found nothing. While Lokota waited here the rest went through a door and up a spiral staircase. The room was relaxing lounge with rugs and comfortable chairs, and also a fireplace. Upon inspection the group discovered the fireplaces were connected, so Fress and Rollo decided to climb the chimney while Aylen and Chad went up the spiral stairs. Lokota waited in this room after laboriously navigating the staircase. The thieves, Rollo carrying just his sword and Fress a dagger, a torch and his waterskin, nimbly ascended the sooty shaft into a dark room smelling of wool and parchment. Strange snores and mumbling could be heard from the room above. Rollo opened the heavy door to let Aylen and Chad in, the torchbearer's lantern revealing a library with countless tomes, some opened in wooden stands, with the floor covered by a thick woolen rug. Fress called Lokota to get there too. Aylen cast Detect Magic hoping to find something of interest here but only perceived a strong dweomer emanating from the room above. Lokota started to make a strange keening noise that was reciprocated from above and a thunderous voice could be heard through the fireplace. 'Who dares to enter my dominions unannounced!?'

The sound of heavy footsteps lumbering down the stairs set everyone but Lokota, that stood its ground, into motion. Rollo hid around a corner, Aylen behind a bookstand, while Chad and Fress tied a rope to a metal ring and threw a rope down the chimney. Thaark, an apeish fur-covered brute clad in a purple robe and wizard hat, both too small for its frame, bursted into the room. The group was slow to react but the demon looked confused by what he saw. Rollo and Fress tried to sweet talk the fiend but things didn't turned as expected and the demon started to cast! Rollo swung his sword but missed. Fress emptied his waterskin on Thaark. The demon cast Charm Person on Fress but the thief resisted. Lokota moved in and launched a barrage of attacks (claws, talons and beak). Aylen cast Frost Shroud on the demons, freezing the water and dealing more damage. Rollo took a step back and reached for his bow but with his frostbitten fingers couldn't take a shot. Fress moved next to Aylen, that was casting again, to retrieve some holy water from her back pack. Thaark used his magic again, this time a blast of fire engulfed the room. Aylen, Fress and Chad fell burned to the ground. Rollo dived away just in time avoiding the flames. The room started to burn, wood, parchment and wool feeding the blaze. Lokota, apparently unaffected by the fire, lounged forward and teared Thaark's flesh with claws and talons, killing the demon, but also grazing Rollo with its beak in its charge. The surviving thief, ignoring Lokota now free from its master, grabbed some potion from the shelves and urged the demon to help him. Lokota agreed and rushed to help Aylen and Fress; poor Chad was a charred corpse beyond all hope. Sadly, despite Rollo's bravery and efforts none of them made it through.

There he stood, face to face with a masterless demon that longed for a heart to be free. He offered the hearts of his fallen companions, that the demon gladly accepted. As Rollo escaped, Lokota feasted on the corpses Aylen and Fress before flying away from the inferno of what once were Tizun's Halls.

Hundolfr Æsbiornsson

 

Following the steps of his Nordborn brethren Haf Skappson, just like many others before him, he came to explore the mythic jungles of Kalmatta and plunder whatever treasures there might be among the overgrown ruins.

A Purple Caecilian worm smashed him like a dog rolling in poop.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

Raznaur

 

Wholesome, clever, prudent, nimble and likeable. Nobody could say anything bad about the young Raznaur. He had a promising career in the Guild, maybe too promising for some. And so, those who felt threatened began plotting against and finally framed him. The choices were banishment or death.

He chose banishment to Sindanore, but it was death in the end... (electric trap).

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

(Drawing by Jeff Easley)

Aneela

 

Aneela, priestess of Ninkasi, landed in Sindanore after learning that, after eons of being lost, the famous Chalice of Ninkasi had been found in the dangerous jungles of Kalmatta.

Got blood-boiled by a call lightning from the Horned King.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

(Drawing by Larry Elmore)

The Spaniard

 

A dwarf from the continent came to explore the dangerous jungles of Kalmatta in search of the Demon Stones. He paints his shields red and yellow. 

Still alive in Sindanore after 8 expeditions.

Check the Kalmatta sessions here!

Bonus issue of the Hobbs & Freinds of the OSR zine

Now you can find my entry to the contest run on 'Hobbs & Friends of the OSR' and 'Gaming & BS' on the bonus issue of the 'Hobbs & Freinds of the OSR' zine. The PDF compiles the six entries that participated, along with some grat art.

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/217531/Hobbs--Friends-of-the-OSR-Bonus-Issue-1

It's a PWYW and all proceeds will go to get art for future zines. 

I want to thank contest organizers +Jason Hobbs and +Brett B for the awesome prizes. I have already received by mail the PDF version of the 5e game supplement 'The Book of the Tarrasque' from Encoded Designs. 

Also I'm eagerly waiting for the printed version of the Greyhawk book to arrive to the mailbox. I've been a World of Greyhawk fan since ever, so that book is doubly appreciated!

OSR Encounter Contest winner

I have just finished listening to the last episode (#13) of the Hobbs & Friends of the OSR podcast. Yes, right out of the oven exclusively for Patreon supporters. In there, my friend and Metal Gods colleague, +Jason Hobbs announced I am the winner of the 'OSR Encounter Conterst' he co-organized with Sean and Brett from Gaming and BS RPG Podcast. 

Thanks guys!

EDIT (July 5th): I have just listened to the latest episode (#147) of Gaming and BS RPG Podcast where the announcement was also made.

Also all entries will be published in a special edition of the Hobbs & Friends zine.

OSR Encounter Contest - The curse of Vagrot the Blue

Today I sent my submission to the OSR Encounter Contest, 

"Since he settled, some time ago, in the ruins of an abandoned abbey atop a nearby forested hill, Vagrot the Ogre-Mage has extracted a weekly tribute from the village of Galdorum under the threat of razing the place to the ground. "

You can get the PDF here or in the Downloads section.

(Image is Public Domain)

OSR Encounter Contest

The Gaming and BS RPG Podcast  and Hobbs & Friends of the OSR crews are organizing the 'OSR Encounter Contest'. Check it out!

https://gamingandbs.com/osr-encounter-contest/

My entry to the contest will be available soon in the Downloads section.

Xaxum Lano

After the death of Fonso the Remarkable by a gelatinous cube, I rolled another character for the Dwimmermars game. I hope it lasts more than a couple of sessions!

She's Xaxum Lano, a young Tellurian tomb robber that, having heard the news about the doors of Mount Dwimmer had opened again, decided to explore the place in search of any rich treasures of yore that might replenish her depleted finances.

Raised and trained by DontoYuul, leader of the Plunderers, after her parents death, the skinny little girl proved to be very useful and profitable since she could fit through places that other didn't. Along the way she had to endure many things, both physically and emotionally, and though being a pretty face, she's short-tempered and got a sharp tongue. She recently left the gang with a promise of revenge, after learning that Donto was responsible for raid where her parents died.

S 9, I 7, W 12, D 16, C 10, Ch 6

Fonso Barsali

Fonso Barsali is my character on DWIMMERMARS. That's where +James Maliszewski's Dwimmermount meets ERB's Barsoom and it's run by +Adam Muszkiewicz. 

Fonso is a Greco-Roman wrestler of Roma origin, but also fugitive anarchist who joined a gypsy circus as a strongman to avoid being arrested. With the intinerant troupe he travelled all over Europe and reached Paris just in time for the 1889 Exposition Universelle.

Once there, he managed to be among the first people to ascend the Eiffel Tower. As the lift went up, and everyone on board admired the exposition, that covered the Champ de Mars, the Trocadéro, the quai d'Orsay, a part of the Seine and the Invalides esplanade, it accelerated with a flash to speeds never known before. The next thing was everyone waking up, naked, on the barren lands of Tellus.

STR 16, INT 14, WIS 6, DEX 13, CON 7, CHA 5

Obituary: "RIP Fonso the Remarkable. What les gendarmes couldn't kill, a gelatinous cube could. Fonso stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his blue Tellurian men-at-arms to the very end. If only any of them had survived to praise his virtues!" - Adam Muszkiewicz

Sir Ferdinand de Monte Vidi

Sir Ferdinand is a Knight that regularly travels to the Jousting Fields of the Axe Lands to participate on the various jousting events, meet new people and compete for the chance to win OSR prizes.

"A charming young Knight from the Southern Kingdom, clad in leather armour, Sir Ferdinand stands confident by his warhorse waiting for the joust to begin. A squire, also in leather armour, looks after his lance and kite shield bearing his colours. His retinue of five men-at-arms armed with clubs, guard the camp keeping the curious at bay."

Check the rules of the game here.

STR 11, INT 8, WIS 11, DEX 7, CON 13, CHA 15, HP 4, XP 475

Knight's Station 7 (Bachelor)
Starting Armor (+2) Boiled Leather (AC 8)
Starting Shield (+1) Reinforced Kite Shield (BF# 1)
Starting Horse (+1) Light Warhorse 0/+1
STARTING SQUIRE (+1) F1 5 8 Boiled Leather, Dagger, Sword
STARTING RETINUE (+3) 5 Men-at-Arms (0 Level) Armed with clubs

Statistics:

2016 St. Valentine Tourney - 2 won, 1 lost

2016 Summer Festival of Riverjun - 1 bye, 1 lost

2017 Spring Tourney of Gulltown - 1 lost

Patreon

I support the following content creators on Patreon:

• Castle Greyhawk. An ongoing fanfiction webcomic by Scott Casper and +Mike Bridges.
• Drink Spin Run. An RPG talkshow podcast by +Adam Muszkiewicz and +Donn Stroud.
• Hobbs & Friends of the OSR. +Jason Hobbs & Friends are creating RPG podcasts, zines, and other RPG related material

Please consider supporting them too!