One Page Dungeon Contest 2018

I have sent my submission for this year's One Page Dungeon Contest. It is called 'Long Before the Sands Came' and it's inspired on the early World of Greyhawk long before the cataclysm that created the Bright Desert. I want to thank +Jarrett Crader for the suggested edits.

“Sodattahs the Sorcerer Emperor has cemented his grasp over the land after defeating the remaining rebellious lesser kingdoms. Only the Kingdom of Rati, to the far South, has been strong enough to face the Zulmish Empire onslaught so far..”

You can click on the Downloads button above to get it.

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.

Seraphim Caligari

+Adam Muszkiewicz set up a new game on Tuesdays, 'Murder Gangs of Ur-Hadad, games of skullduggery and filth on the streets of Ur-Hadad', using the Blades in the Dark set of rules with his own characteristic approach.

The crew is a [Cult] -- the Last Adherents of the Sensate -- devoted to an alluring but sinister demon (the Sensate) that occasionally manifests itself in the real world. They are assisted by a gang of Elite Adepts, cultists of a scholarly and scientific (occult?) bent. The cult operates out of a perfumerie and aromatics shop (secretly an alchemical shop) in a middle-class neighborhood in Ur-Hadad, where they operate a workshop as well as a secret ritual sanctum. 

The cult operates in territory that belongs to the Swaggernauts, but their strongest relationship is with the Bloody Successors, who helped the cult set up their shop (and attendant workshop and sanctum) after the cult's shipments of teleaphrodisiacs were interrupted by adventurers. In the process, the cult ended up attracting some followers away from the Cult of the Gloaming Deeps. Due to their connections with the Swaggernauts, the pawns of the Faceless Vizier openly distrust the cult.

Seraphim Caligari grew in the pirate city of Port Scourge where his family ran an apothecary shop. It was there he met a woman named Caixalla when she entered the business seeking certain off-the-list substance. Seraphim discovered she was in fact "as much a prophet as a purveyor of fleshly delights" in the words of his elders, but sought to learn about the occult from her anyway. She refused at first, but Seraphim took the risk and played the blackmail card. After an attempt on the life of a notorious pirate captain took place, and the victim showed the unique effects of the drug used, Seraphim knew who was behind the attack. She then agreed but made an obscure augury about Seraphim’s future in Ur-Hadad. Years passed and he became in charge of the family business. During that time he learned all he could from Caixalla, until she uttered a bleak prophecy about an impending doom on Port Scourge. Scared by her prediction Seraphim he closed the shop and took a ship out of Port Scourge to never return. Once in Ur-Hadad he and others founded the Last Adherents of the Sensate cult, became acquainted with certain figures (Bloody Successors) and managed to open a perfumes and aromatics shop...

My son's first D&D game

My first adventure

Last weekend Ivan, my 6 years old son, asked me if he could play with me what I had played the previous weekend with his cousin Mat. "I want to explore a labyrinth too!" he said. Of course I obliged and brought out the 1983 D&D Players Manual to run the solo adventure. I printed a character sheet for him and then he rolled some 3d6 for the stats. He added the numbers (with little a help) and wrote down the results. Since he wanted a miniature, I took out a box with some 3.x era plastic ones and he spend some time choosing one. He finally selected an orc raider. "Now you have to give it a name and write it down on the character sheet. What's his name?" I asked him. "It's Monster, his name is Monster." he said. OK, it was character after all.

Monster

I let him choose a d20 and a d6 from the die coffer and let him know one was to roll attacks and the other to roll for damage. "How many lives does Monster has?" he asked. "Well, he has only one." I replied. "Only one!?" he complained and looked a bit dismayed. "But he has 8 hit points!" I added quickly and that seemed to be alright for him so we carried on. 

Dungeon entrance

Monster was ready to investigate a labyrinth that was near the town where he lived. I showed him the Elmore drawing of the entrance. "This is the way of the dungeon. Do you dare to explore it?" I asked him in a theatrical voice. "YES!" he said excitedly.

I described him the room with the statue and three exits, and then gave him three choices (listen carefully, explore the room or go through one of the exits). He decided to go down one of the exits...and found two goblins! Combat unfolded with various hits and misses, near tears when Monster got hit and loud cheers when Monster hit the goblins, until he decided to flee back to town. "Because his health bar was too low." he explained. 

Monster didn't find any treasure on his first foray into the dungeon, but he was alive to go adventuring another day! 

Drawing my first dungeon!

After that, he decided that he wanted to run and adventure for me. So, while he drew his dungeon and chose miniatures to populate it, I rolled my character. Then I chose a miniature, named it Marshal and was ready to play. The first room of his labyrinth also had a statue in the center and several exits. I stopped to listen and he told me I could hear a conversation in hushed tones. When I decided to investigate, two statues (that weren't there in the initial room description!) lowered their swords blocking the passage, and a couple of orcs appeared and attacked! I was lucky to defeat both of them. I asked him if they had any treasure on them but there was none, so I took their weapons and went back to town to heal and sell the loot. 

Soon I was ready for another delve into his dungeon. This time I found a room with a "yeti monkey and a dread guard guarding a big chest" that attacked immediately. I lost initiative and the monkey went first. He rolled a natural 20 and grabbed a d10+d4 for damage! 

He TPK'd me on his first game as a DM. I couldn't be more proud.