Some Recent Sessions

Got to do a playtest with druids + followers vs the Dismal Ruined Hamlet Hexcrawl and my regular group had some absentees and a guest player so we did characters for my Auldwood Game. So I got out my maps and decided they include only a tip of the mid eastern part of the great wilderness at the heart of the continent. The empire has had outposts and colonies here which came and went also. Humanoids and demihumans have recovered and taken the space left as humanity abandons the frontier. 

So out druid hexcrawl they finished off wolves and local bandits and bugs and accidentally released a wight at a distant tomb by removing a cool magic sword from a temple. Met some more locals and the local outpost and helped hunt undead destroying 3 recently created wights. They also raided some tombs and got some nice loot but used up all the local level restoring scrolls recovering. Finally, they hunted and killed the original weight in its tomb. Gave the local constables a huge cash donation then headed off to a distant city to be healed from that last wight fight. The local law were surprised and all cheered the druids as they left. Plan to return next season with pet wolves.

Our regular game cursed with attendees the moment we ran a lock in dungeon vs my usual open sandbox. It happens. The benefits of this adventure or chance of death would be unfair to miss so we played Audwood instead of Exilon.

Also on theme characters trying to favour druid spell list magic to playtest my recent rewrite of my home game spells. 

Dallas played a Druid with a bodyguard fighter and his magic Stoat Familiar
Hugh played a Wood Elf with druidic spell list and various woodsy skills
JB played Fighter with ranger type skills

I started them as having come from the tribes of the inland wilds in Ironton an industrial hellhole making arms and training men for war. Areas had been depopulated by war and changes to the economy have sucked workers from the frontierot/ Many of the old traditional estates declared a return to serfdom where peasants were owned by their nobles and could not leave the domains without permission. In the cities those that came to ironton ended up in sweatshops or the millitary. The party not so impressed so chose to head south along the lakes districts having heard of ruined Monncastle and a swamp of monsters.

Found Lake Castle trading post in the middle of three lakes to stay at and did some exploring. FOund a strange tree bridge over a wet creek crevice and went close to see. It was an evil tree monster laying in ambush and its eyes opened and it attacked. Everyone was awfully unimpressed and while the tree got up they hung around for free attacks, Then wham the fighter was down. Got lots of arrows before picking up the elf to torment but it shot the tree in the face who dropped the pssky elf and fled. Several dying party members were saved from death and all was ok. Back to Lake castle. After healing on magic berries went out again and met a swamp hag in a tree house and they did a hit on a snakeman wizard for her. Ended up killing lizard men guards and driving the snake away and told the hag who gave them a potion. decided this swamp had a hellish reputation for evil while Auldwood beyond was full of supernatural peril but not always malicious. Was a bit of a fight over what to do with a surrendered monster. So they went on to Marsh Castle and made it known they were heading south. The Elf recruited a sneaky guy and a warrior as followers I the tavern. In the morning the local watch captain offered them a report if they could report on the ruins of Castle Black and asked if they would investigate a ruined monastery on the way. The players accepted this call to adventure and ended up being dropped off in a humanoid-infested area. At this point Im using the classic BX Horror on the Hill. 

Climbed up a hill and around some hills. At one point as squeezing through a muddy path up a cliff an ogre ambushed them and they killed the brute. The gold on it had everyone keen. Avoided a camp of possible goblinoids and found a house of two kind old ladies who wanted to trade magic items. They made a few deals with the suspicious old ladies but the party said no to some of their pleadings. They did accept a hot job on an Ogre down the road. They killed the ogre and his wife and his two sons and robbed his house. The old bags were impressed and let it slip out about the wild cave folk would approve of the ogres leaving.

All in all was a good little side treck we may continue one day or not. 

d100 Ye Olde Zombee Job Tables

I've gone zombie mad apparently and thought I need a similar fantasy table for those rando zombies on the street or in the graveyard or sewer or swamp or forest or basement. Got to insert some weird lore too. You can roll d10 or d40 or d80 on tables for more boring zombies or just pick one of the the "quick types" categories for the "tens" digit on dth d100 and roll a d10 for the "ones" digit.

Let me know if I fluffed numbers or dropped off a line or anything weird I can fix

d10 Quick Zombie Former Occupation Types
01 Bottom Barrel Worker
02 Rural Worker
03 Urban Worker
04 Trades Worker
05 Criminal Worker
06 Towns Folk
07 Mercantile
08 Military
09 Magical
10 Weird

d100 Zombie Former Occupation Types
01 Gongfarmer with spade and bucket of sewerage and shit-covered clothes
02 Gravedigger with a shovel
03 Muckraker with rake stinks of compost
04 Gleaner with sack or old turnips and wool scraps
05 Dyer with oddly coloured skin waist down from trampling cloth in toxic vats
06 Chamber pot servant emptying human waste
07 Rag and bone trader with sacks of scraps and shabby clothes
08 Glowing green melted flesh from handling phosphorous in sweatshop
09 Urchin child selling d4 1=matches 2=flowers 3=dead rats 4=lucky charm medalions
10 Slave or convict labourer in chains
11 Herder with crook and rain cloak
12 Hay gatherer with a pitchfork
13 Sheep shearer with shears and handful of bloody hair
14 Drover with zombie horse or ox and whip
15 Hunter with spear, club and shortbow, possibly d4 dogs
16 Woodcutter with axe
17 Wool baler with hook, gloves and apron
18 Reaper with scythe orsickle and wide-brimmed hat
19 Agrarian with apron with seeds in pockets and a d4 1=rake 2=hoe 3=spade 4=grain flail
20 Miner with candle on helmet and filthy clothes and pick
21 Crier with big fancy coat and hat and a brass hand bell
22 Street stall seller
23 Canivalesque performer d4 1=juggler 2=acrobat 3=fire eater 4=jester
24 Brewer in apron smelling of yeast with d4 1=stiring rod 2=wooden tankard 3=large spoon 4=wooden bucket
25 Coach or wagon driver with whip possibly with pony or horse
26 House servant in uniform  d4 1=nanny with babys 2=maid with broom 3=footman with rod 4=cook with large cleaver
27 Sailor with d6 1=club 2=dagger 3=boathook 4=baling hook 5=harpoon 6=hatchet
28 Dig workers in work apron, gloves and d4 1=mallet 2=staff 2=rod 4=spade
29 Fisher folk with d4 1=spear 2=net 3=sack of old fish 4=dagger
30 Gate keeper with big coat, hat and club 
31 Mason with d4 1=mallet 2=iron crowbar 3=pole 4=pick
32 Builder with d4 1=iron crowbar 2=load of bricks 3=saw 4=shovel
33 Smith with hammer and apron and d4 1=tongs 2=filthy rag 3=iron bar 4=sword
34 Carpenter with d4 1=hammer 2=saw 3=wooden beam or log 4=hatchet
35 Jeweler with apron, good clothes and several rings
36 Baker with hat, apron and d4 1=rolling pin 2=knife 3=dough hook 4=huge spoon
37 Butcher with bloody apron and d4 1=hatchet 2=knife 3=cleaver 4=hook on chain
38 Textile worker with bony hands and apron with d4 1=needle & thread 3=knitting needles and wool 3=tape measure 4=shears
39 Miller with apron 
40 Guild worker in meeting robes with badges of office d4 1=apron 2=pewter beerstien 3=rod of office 4=ceremonial blade
41 Hustler in trenchcoat with d4 1=drugs 2=stolen rind and bracelets 3=betting book and cash 4=crude knives and shanks
42 Robber with club and a sack and a hood, 20 foot of rope
43 Burglar in hooded cloak with sack, knife and thief tools
44 Assasin with hooded cloak, disguise kit and dagger
45 Bandit with shortbow and club
46 Con artist in colourful coat and d4 1=shell game kit 2=playing cards 3=dice 4=2d4 fake potions
47 Sex worker d4 1=tough with gang tattoos 2=nervous & still followed by pimp 3=fabulous glamour outfit 4=desperate wreck wants flesh and more drugs
48 Street gang member in stylised costume and hair with knife or stick
49 Gang bruiser in common clothes and d4 1=dog 2=club 3=knife 4=chain
50 Robberknight in battered armour with sword or mace
51 Posh child in a sailor suit or lacy dress with d6 1=candy apple 2=lollypop 3=plush doll 4=wooden duck with wheels on string 5=cup and ball 6=china doll 
52 Sea captain with hat and d4 1=parrot 2=monkey 3=d6 gold coins 4=pipe and tin
53 Healer with bloody apron and d6 1=surgical saw 2=knife 3=razor 4=anasthesia mallet 5=bottle of rum 6=staff
54 Bard with a musical instrument and nice leggings and cap
55 Poet in nice outfit and book of poems and quill and a crushed velvet floppy hat with a feather
56 Artist in smock d4 1=paint palette and brush 2=chisel and mallet 3=clay covered 4=carving knife
57 Student or teacher with book and scribal set
58 Witchunter in religious robes with whip and holy book, mutters lots
59 Pilgrim in robe with religious jewellery and staff
60 Disabled veteran beggar with medals and cup and staff
61 Banker in robes with a huge floppy hat and d4 1=book of ledgers 2=bottle of wine 3=abacus 4=rod
62 Clerk in good clothes with an apron and quill knife and pen
63 Tailor in an apron with thread, shears and rod
64 Apothecary in elaborate robes and hat with staff and alchemist test kit
65 Merchant in robes with shiny jewellery
66 Council or guild official in robes with silver chain and big posh floppy hat
67 Trader in good robe with a sack of old goods
68 Foreign merchant in exotic clothes and jewellery
69 Scribal eunuch with scribe kit, robes and staff or rod
70 Trader in loud shirt with item of merch mumbling about bargains
71 Hangman wearing a hood with a noose
72 Executioner in hood with sword or axe
73 Militiaman with spear and danger and sheild
74 Guardsman in medium armour with shield, poleaxe and crossbow
75 Archer with shortbow and arrows 
76 Warrior with shield and sword
77 Bailiff with club and keys
78 Mercenary in colourful rich clothes with sword (& possibly a flintlock pistol)
79 Knight in good armour with sword, axe or mace
80 Crusader or templar in armour with religious order tabbard and a mace or sword
81 Brown robed druid with sickle or staff and possibly a pet
82 Priest in robes with holy insignia removed or replaced
83 Wizard in robes with staff or dagger
84 Sage with a book and staff
85 Fortune teller with colourful costume and d6 1=crystal ball 2=runestones 3=cards 4=astrology chart 5=pendulum 6=live frogs
86 Alchemist in colourful robes and fancy hat and staff, d4 potions
87 Robed cultist with wavy sacrificial dagger
88 Witch in black with broom and possibly a pet
89 Flashy robed master of illusions with staff
90 Black robed necromancy student
91 Ancient  axe weilding barbarian with ornate deast decorated helmet 
92 Abhuman beast folk of some specific species or long-lost hybrid. Usually local types but often d6 1=rat 2=goat 3=ox 4=raven 5=lion 6=jackal 
93 Wearing ancient armour with spear and shield of bronze
94 Crumbling ancient dress and tattoos from some far earlier time period
95 Senior priests in ceremonial robes with gilded staff and huge hat
96 Prehistoric barbarian with  furs and tattoos and d4 1=copper hatchet 2=club 3=stone tools and woven hair bag 4=stone tip javelin
97 Demihuman d4 1=halfling 2=gnome 3=elf 4=dwarf or other faerie or spirit folk or humanoids 
98 Humanoid creature d4 1=goblin 2=hobgoblin 3=orc 4=kobold or other night folk
99 Animals, farm or wild beast d4 1=pet 2=farmed 3=working animal 4=wild 
100 Strange abhuman throwback to past d4 1=ape folk with club 2=fish folk with trident 3=lizard folk with club 4=frog folk with spear 5=tree folk with club 6=snake folk with strange dagger

Zombies Need Jobs Too!

Zombies in a hurry for post apoc gamma games. Roll each one or for a gaggle of this type. Perhaps some types fight each other. Also handy for corpses, people trapped in pattern buffer of a teleporter or a holo-room or clone printer. Also good for copses you find or skeletons in shelters. Obviously as labour was obsolete most people worked for therapy and was recommended for 12 hours a week. Also robots and androids were needed for war and industry and were a security risk from enemy hacking AI so work made a comeback in the final end times.

So a plague killed million then some arose as undead later. Some of the people who survived the plague reanimated as zombies when dead and were given medication available in vending machines to suppress reanimation. Lots of people popped the pills in infected areas. The rich had their bodies frozen if infected or so they could be one day healed. So Necro tech corporation made vast mausoleums. You can see these in my next Patreon zine...No11 one map away from completion.

Quick Sub Types 
01 City workers
02 Recreational
03 Scenes and fashion tribes
04 Trauma victims
05 Young, Old and Lame
06 Post Apocalyptic 
07 Uniformed Personel
08 Cults & Factions
09 Grime time
10 Weird

d100 Modern Zombies
01 Office worker in suit with briefcase or bag and subway token
02 Repair worker in overalls with tool kit or a wrench and hardhat or cap
03 Cleaner in uniform with d4 1=vacuum pack 2=window washer kit & climbing harness 3=spray bottle and rag 4=mop and bucket
04 Trash collector or street sweeper in fluro vest and overalls with d4 1=bin 2=garbage bag 3=broom 4=trash claw pole
05 Delivery driver in uniform with ID pass
06 Cafe waiter in uniform
07 Shop clerk in uniform
08 Postal worker or courier in uniform with hat and parcels
09 Rail worker in uniform with flag and whistle 
10 Bus or taxi driver with a wireless credit transfer device and hat
11 Jogger in sports tracksuit with music player, sunglasses & hat 
12 Roller blades or rollerskates or sk8board and fashion clothes
13 Breakdancer in tracksuit and boombox
14 Casual dressed shopper with trolly or bags
15 Wealthy playboy/playgirl party machine on the town with d4 1=jewellery 2=drugs 3=money 4=id card for armoured robot limo
16  Sportsball player team uniform and hat with a ball and/or bat
17 Tourist in loud shirts with camera and bag
18 Social media influencer filming self with phone and camera drones 
19 Busker d4 1=mime 2=musician 3=magician 4=living statue 

20 DJ with cool hair, t-shirt, some jewellery and tattoos, holodisc bag and headphones
21 Punk with d4 1=chain 2=vegan dinners 3=bat 4=cool jacket
22 Goth in black with white makeup, skulls and spiders decor and black hair
23 Rainbow raver with colourful clothing, beads and glowing jewellery
24 Death metal fan with long hair, demon shirt, denim jacket with band patches 
25 Slacker in flannel checkered shirt, jeans and long hair
26 Hippie in tattered flares, woven vest, long hair and beads
27 Rockers in leathers, with stylish greased big hair and pointy shoes

28 Beatnics in black skivies, beret and leathers, smoking, possibly mumbling poetry
29 Mod in suit or dress in 60s retro style 
30 Surgery gang made to look like a famous celebrity in each gang
31 Torn clothing and missing hair, affected by psychotronic weapons and was rioting at time of apocalypse. Still strange and screaming brainwashed political faction slogans 
32 Hospital patient dragging some medical equipment or filled with tubes and sensor wires
33 Headless in casual clothing stumbling for head or victims
34 Burned all over scarred and blackened flesh
35 Cancerous mutant tumours and growths and small tentacles 
36 Undressed d4 1=tan lines 2=underwear and socks 3=naked 4=swimsuit 
37 Flesh melted from acid or industrial waste wearing tattered hazmat suit
38 Wearing a torn body bag
39 Wearing an old sack or plastic bag limping
40 In casual or work clothes but massive trauma wounds d4 1=fist size hole in chest or head 2=missing limb 3=torn off face and shredded skin 4=impaled bu object
41 Persons in casual sportswear with an undead dog on a leash and a few bags of dog poop
42 Person with cyborg eyes and companion cyberlinked guide dog

43 Child  or youth in school uniform

44 Child or youth in sports wear
45 Child  or youth in colourful outfit with a cool small backpack and tshirt
46 Child or youth in paramilitary youth uniform like boy scouts or girl guides
47 Old person with stick or walking frame 
48 Old person with shopping and solar-powered wheelchair controlled with joystick
49 Doctor with bag or stethoscope and glasses, suit or clinical scrubs
50 Teacher in a suit with spectacles and bag
51 Screaming in suit has no idea whats happening and in pain, violent and even smashes stuff if it cant find people to eat or kill
52 Gang raider with a d4 1=spiked club 2=knuckleduster 3=knife 4=empty pistol 
53 Local militiaman with d4 1=plastic printed 5.56mm assault rifle 2=musket and bayonet 3=wooden bat 4=spear and sheild
54 Wandering trader with bags and layers of clothes
55 Hunter with musket or spear
56 Farmer with a bag of beans or rotten vegetables from the market
57 Slaver with a set of manacles and keys on the belt and a whip or club
58 Gang dealer in a trenchcoat d4 1=drugs 2=stolen ID 3=zombie virus control meds 4=antimutagen doses
59 Scavenger in baggy coat with bags and bundles it wont let go of, possibly a trolley
60 Digger in mining overalls, gloves and boots and helmet with a lamp, carry a d4 1=shovel 2=pick 3=lamp 4=sack of junk artifacts and scrap
61 Soldier with weapon in uniform d4 1=pistol 2=rifle 3=dagger 4=grenaide
62 Street cop in uniform with handgun, cuffs and truncheon (variants common)
63 Naval sailor in uniform with hat and d4 1=boathook 2=chain 3=wrench 4=iron bar
64 Biker cop with helmet, leathers, boots, sunglasses, helmet and truncheon
65 Riot cop with armour, shield, truncheon and helmet
66 Fireman with helmet and coat and d4 1=axe 2=crowbar 3=end of hose 4=burning torch
67 Construction worker with d4 1=lunchox 2=toolbox 3=tool 4=cofee cup 
68 Bomb warden with civil defence hat and uniform and a megphone
69 Bus or rail staff in uniform with set of universal keys and ID
70 Medic in uniform with gloves and apron and blood
71 Radiation cultist in glowing dusty clothes and radiation insignia
72 Cultist in hooded robe and d4 1=wavy dagger 2=beast mask 3=sword 4=weird old book
73 Species supremist cultist 1=knights of humans first in hoods 2=brotherhood of the beasts 3=mutant alliance 4=AI cyberlinked happy human drones serve the computer gods
74 Computer technician with wrist phone and camera in ID badge acts as an eye and mouth for an AI entity
75 Undead healer in cult robes with a staff and possibly some bandages and herbal treatments
76 Freshly printed clone in new jumpsuit with evidence of trauma damage from some mutant animal, carries a camera d4 1=for hidden bunker 2=secret lab 3=secret colony 4=Local AI god
77 Priest of one of the many strange unfathomable religions of the ancients 
78 Cyborg in a uniform with a new colourful plastic printed 5.56mm carbine, helmet and vest, acts as eyepiece with an AI or the AI has been jacked through the link by undead hivemind
79 Furryfan cultists has been modified into a beast abhumanoid with surgery
80 Abhuman beast folk in millitary uniform with strange insignia
81 Sex worker in flamboyant sexy costume d4 1=fetish 2=glam 3=furry 4=celebrity look alike facejob
82 Religious preacher with a warning sign
83 Uniformed goose-stepping political cultists looking for trouble
84 Black clad masked anarchist with bag of weed and cool tshirt
85 Gang member in gang uniform looking to fight rival gang
86 Road ganger in leathers with d4 1=empty sawn off shotgun made from scrap 2=machete 3=chain 4=wrench
87 Drug addict in worn clothes looking for more drugs not flesh
88 Man in a suit with d4 1=no pants 2=gimp harness 3=mutant worm colony 3=contract and phone  
89 Politician in suit with big badge and d4 1=megaphone 2=rifle 3=campagn poster 4=bag of drugs and weird porno
90 Beggar with sign around neck and holding hat or cup d4 1=war vet 2=bomb survivor 3=victim of sonic attack 4=need meds to stop me turning undead
91 Flightsuit & helmet d4 1=nuclear bomber 2=fighter 3=passenger hypersonic 4=astronaut 
92 Superhero cosplay costume d4 1=persuing nemesis 2=patroling for living criminals to punish 3=looking for teammates 4=brooding over the ruins
93 ABC hazmat suit and glowing with clicking giger counter
94 Faction political agitator in party uniform 
95 Historical costume d4 1=history cosplayers 2=android theme theme park staff staff 3=film extras 4=in a parade
96 Marching band or dance costume 
97 Park ranger or zookeeper d4 1=protecting animals 2=chasing animals 3=trying to give pills to mutant creature 4=mumbling about natural history, gesturing wildly and followed by a camera drone
98 Troubled person had facejob and dressed to resemble famous religious figure and believes they are this person and mumble unwanted advice. Possible tech or mutations could enhance this effect
99 Crazy old media pundit with broadcasting cyborg eyes mutters about conspiracies and man supplements. Has boner pills and phone linked to a sexy chat AI
100 Space explorer returned from the stars and couldn't survive in present conditions, modified humanoid from generations in space

Ooh my aching PODs

EMO Zine #10 and Druidrry book on Patreon currently and Zine 11 coming soon.
Big changes to zine as of #13 in size and scale.

Im reading more than writing of late. Maybe ill do my quarterly dummy spit where I ask for some attention and comments again soon. Im currently a vampire in elder scrolls so made life so hard I'm only playing a dungeon a day looking for cure but this has made me write more than compurter gaming. I had a 2 week patch of not writing much before I was a vampire.

So i got Queens Festival and had it sitting around waiting for the the prequel to arrive and wellit wasn't worth the wait. Thankfully I'm running out of old TSR stuff I ever want and my shopping will diminish. Will strat reviewing dungeon mags I have also and I have made a dent in reading them. Been reading lots more of late and also have a big pile of DC & Marvel next to my bed. 70s avengers comics are very strange and I didn't realise Hawkeye went through a wearing a super short miniskirt and sexual harassment of Wanda phase. Quite a bit later when she returns to team she checks that Hawkey not around before rejoining. 

Kings Festival B11 💓💣💣💣
So I know Basic set adventures were created to have new content for new players which is fine, Unfortunatley some of these spend lots of space revising rules. Several even describe wilderness procedure found in the Expert set.  This one has lots of content repeated pages 2-9 and in the centrefold pull outs. It is some good advice but I'm not sure adventures needed to do this. It does have a players reference sheet reminding me I do combat sequence wrong (I have spells before missiles and morale In start doh). Maybe i did need refreshers. The pregens have long backgrounds plus a new character sheet and a time tracker that should have been in basic rulebook. Maybe dm could even preroll encounters here too? Page 10-11 has setting and DM info. Page 12 has the windy players into then past the centrfold stuff to page 21 of 32 to start the adventure sigh. It does note you get no xp killing orc civilians and describes killing them as chaotic suggesting you take them prisoner, An exil cleric NPC has detailed stats and no AC. The art is pretty good and illustrates some key moments and adventurers. New monsters include Red Worms and giant hunting spiders (non web and non venomous) both 2HD and good low level critters. The last page is a checklist of treasure and monster XPs which is handy if you believe in XP and love accounting phase of the game. The adventure is a pretty basic complex of about 20 rooms. If this was the first module you ran as a training wheel product its fine. It is pretty piss poor value and Im glad I got as a POD. Id rate 2 star as a first adventure to run.

Queens Harvest B12 💓💓💣💣
Dollowing the above adventure bam adventure starts on page 4. Has a refreshingly short box text for adventure offer instead of making me zone out (kill baddies got it). The first quest is in a surprisingly large wizards dungeon with a gargoyle as the top monster (actually this is a tough threat for the level but of course there is a weapon in its treasure pile the players seek that can hurt it). Most critters are non intelligent threats. I still think green slime is nasty for 1st Lv but the pregens are 2nd to 3rd so I guess ok. Minimal centrefolds of pregens, a simple map and npcs. The second adventure is finding a throne claimant who is nasty in a small keep. I like it skims wilderness rules for Basic unlike some others spend pages on basics. Has good notes on factions and tactics if you head on assault the gate but id rather claim to want join up and use flattery to get in. I has some above average mean villains it would be satisfying to finish off and a better array of classic monsters. There is a weretiger lady in a cage that can be fun to rescue. I think this is quite a bit better and using the prequel makes that product better. Nice art and basic maps. Defiantley more solid than the Kings Festival but you don't need that product.

Baltrons Beacon I7 💓💓💓💣
FOr levels 4-8 this is an interesting adventure. There is quite a backstory but a cheeky wizard wants to make a potion and need some seeds cooked in a magic flame to make a potion to extinguish an evil flame of a cult forever. This has smaller text than the above two products. You have a swamp to navigate to get to a ruined fort famed for its eerie green light some are worshipping. From a mostly dead cult and there are remnants of this among the ruins. The wizard Baltron lived here and tried a magic experiment which ended him. Now an evil aprentice has taken over the gatehouse. Lots of the ruin is inhabited by monsters and has some magic puzzles (which I hate but these are well done with artwork). It is possible that a angry lizard men army pursue characters and besiege the ruin. The current wizard and minions control the gatehouse and its defence is well detailed and prepared. Then the adventurers can mop up the ruins. There is a players version of the keep map and 6 illustrations for puzzles in the centre. There are some great petrified people you could free so I would ad some stone to flesh scrolls or potions. ARt is good and a great pic of adventurers underwater fighting lizard folk skeletons. There is a collection of magic books which are kinda trapped and some bad demons. No great exit suggested for the army of lizard people and their pets and dragon. Maybe you can buy them off. There is a lot to this, the background informs the exploration and there is a good archeology vibe of uncovering the location history. An above average product dense in content. The end with the wizard is cute surprise too - some aristotelian reversal at last moment. Good player handouts too.

Under Illefarn N5 💓💓💓💣
For level 0-3 and suggests is a sequel to Treasure Hunt (reviewed before). By one of my faves Steve Perrin so I expected lots. Its a good setup as players are part of a village militia being sent on various missions that escalate and help you learn about the detailed area and its people (forgotten realms). So lots of episodes and easy to add more like fight some bandits, Youll get to know the locals and people in power too. 48 pages so more too it than most, You get a town and a swamp (with more lizard people that you can possibly improve relations with and I always appreciate this). Nasty swamp random encounters I would flee from some of. First adventure deals with a naughty faction of lizards and meeting the possibly ok local king of the major tribe. Then some caravan duty, then a rescue where three parties sent out and players get to meet a polite villain you possibly don't want to kill but bring to justice and let nobility sort out. WIle dealing with him goblins attack and you get a chase and to rescue an elf leader making future elf encounters better. The main adventure Is a large dungeon with several fueding factions including dwarfs you can work with. Mostly its good but i get a bit confused by the maps and reference to rooms and sections. Most maps are a good size but the 1st section is printed much smaller and a bit hard. Thats my only complaint really. The sideways dungeon view is handy and there are good player handouts. An above average adventure and start for the forgotten realms before the real estate was over developed. Once again the history isn't just fluff you find remnants of the past civilisation and peoples throughout.

Project Updates + Pulp Dungeon vol 4

 

Zine number 10 out on Patreon now and Druid spell book still around
11 will be out within a week I hope to get the schedule back on. After issue 12 my zine will be overhauled into a very different format and will feature specials reprinting collected old tables I can later compile into books. Also other stuff. 

Got a pile of old TSR POD stuff I will review and possibly my last pile ever. Will probably purge about 30% once I have extracted their useful ideas. If I could run ideas from a napkin I probably don't need a book. I'm finding certain series and years content is worse and more wasteful and less wild. My shopping will be dropping now as lots of my collections done and Im not even hearing about gaming KS in time or seeing much stuff of interest to me in my feed.

Im playing DnD5 Frostmaiden and my Exilon game and going for a third as I have 2 possible players interested so worth trying for one or two more players. Hoping to do some Kosmosaurs to help me write for it and then some playtesting of my 80s britpunk dnd setting or my post apoc. 

Pulp Dungeons Volume 3
By James M Ward. More I read the harder work to read. I think they have interesting inspiring room entries, some ok stories and ideas but it came to be a slog. Id be interested in the SF series and the format is interesting. Im not sure many of these as would be useful but lots of ideas. The weird dnd clone rules they use are sometimes interesting..

The Amazons Gold
Amazons in a wilderness setting under attack from goblinoids. You get to fight orcs and convince amazons of the peril and hopefully cooperate with them. Hopefully you can avoid fighting people your trying to help. Amazons ride sabretooths and goblins on wargs.

The Zombies Curse
Lots of weird rooms with various undead types. Actually might influence my monster manual when I have a go at it again. The dungeon oddities table is like what most of my work is. 

 The Shaman's Totem
Has some interesting rooms but I think is 3rd vol in series set in a dwarf ruin. Has quite a few traps and puzzles and bits of dwarf lore to use. The evil shaman has been torturing people and ripping out hearts yet they remain alive. This is quite a nasty and interesting feature. 

The Executioners Challenge
Players for being naughty or murder hobos can at anytime find selves here. The executioner seems to be a dekigod who abuses and exploits adventures. He gives them various warnings and sets them off vs the dungeon. Mostl round rooms. Turns out the Exectioner (an interesting guy) tests adventurers but also because he cannot do parts of the quest. Id work on it but some good ideas.   

Some KS arrivals and other PDFs

So I got two KS products arrive and a few other items I picked up. 

Rackham Vale - paintbox edition 💓💓💓💓
Based on art of Arthur Rackham's famous fairy tale illustrations with a healthy dose of creepy faerie stuff.  I did see a preview PDF and I'm glad to say the real book is quite a bit better (I thing the type was tightened a bit). Its top shell rtro gaming classic. Fit fine with Dolemwood and Midderlands and my next campaign Auldwood. The art is of course amazing and the writing and usability and amazing characters are fascinating. I look forward to using this. It turned out to surpass my expectations which is pretty rare.

Swords of Cthulhu 💓💓💓💣
Yet another Cthulhu for the DnD book. The main difference is it is more an ad&d feel 85 era dnd style in layouts. I have the deities and demigods versions, the Sandy Petersen Mythos for 5th ed and Crawling Chaos so do I need another one? Well the races and classes didn't really do it for me but it has lots of interesting spells and monster details. Its didnt add much to my mythos knowledge but I think it works better than a few attempts. It has a simple charm vs some attempts. Some interesting tables and astrological stuff. There is some amusing art referring to old dnd art. Has a sanity save system and huge tables for madness. Lots of tables in the back. As far as old-school aesthetics it rates high. I have PDF now and book on the way.

Seekers of the Unknown 💓💓💣💣
A 1st Lv post apoc adventure for Mutant Crawl Classics. I was somewhat disappointed by MCC when it came out as it had no real setting even less than the fantasy version of the game which I prefer. I do like the art team on products but the Tone isn't really me. So in many ways this is a breath of fresh air. I like Umerica and and plenty of gonzo apocalypse but the tone can be quite different. So Im not in love with a few things about this. The typography often uses to many fonts per page and the cover title is a bit wonky to me. Other products in series are similar coverwise so it isn't especially this product. It has lots of good art, and full colour maps that would look good on a screen or printed up large. The full colour maps have lots of detail. They remind me of some of the game magazine battlemaps of decades ago. Possibly almost video game like. Id still like a simple map also sometimes but it has more effort put into it than anything Ive made probably. The scenario is a Parody of classic d&d adventure B1 though they don't say which module its my guess. The writing is good, it has lots of interesting encounters, technology and strange situations. The adventure includes a nice colour hexcrawl map also. It is mostly in a high tech bunker commanding Earth vs Aliens so expect extra weird secret technology. I might tweak a few elements for my setting like aliens and some of the dimensional tech but if your setting is full gonzo this would be good. Its refreshing to see different production for a MCC product and they have several other products I might check. This was POD but others in series mostly PDF as far as I can see. It does have lots of content and ideas and will look forwards to more.

Probably one of my taste things with gonzo is I like to keep it Judge Dredd straight faced and like to rationalise things in a more limited way. Im ok with teleporters but not so into aliens and dimensions. Id probably make the aliens a Bioweapon instead and tweak tech a littlebit but its just my taste. 

Mystery Pie Ingredients in Shadelport

EMO homebrew rules druid spells book out on Patreon now

This table also handy for stews and other mystery dishes.
You could roll a d50 a few times for a combination pie or roll a pie type with d50 and a d50+50 for whats wrong with it. Roll for the daily special and what surprise a rude customer gets.

d100 Quick Pie Ingredient Types
01 Popular Beasts
02 Exotic Beast
03 Fish
04 Vegetables
05 Deserts
06 Vermin
07 Lost property
08 Medical waste
09 Cannibals delight
10 Horror

d100 Mystery Pie Ingredients in Shadelport
01 Pork 2cp
02 Beef mince 2cp or steak 4cp
03 Mutton 1cp or lamb 2cp
04 Kidney 1cp
05 Rabbit 1cp
06 Goat 2cp
07 Spiced Mince 4cp
08 Boar 8cp
09 Venison 1sp
10 Ham & Egg 3cp
11 Pigeon 1cp
12 Pheasant 1sp
13 Partridge 10cp
14 Chicken 4cp
15 Quail 2cp
16 Duck 2cp
17 Goose 6cp
18 Marsh Hen 1cp
19 Swan 1gp
20 Peacock 2sp
21 Bean 1cp
22 Potato 1cp
23 Carrot 1cp
24 Turnip 1cp
25 Mushroom 1cp 
26 Cabbage 1cp
27 Pickle 2cp
28 Beetroot 1cp
29 Swede 1cp
30 Spinich 1cp
31 Fish 1cp
32 Eel 3cp
33 Turtle 1sp
34 Frog 1cp
35 Oyster 4cp
36 Crayfish 1cp
37 Crab 1cp
38 Dolphin 8cp
39 Manatee 6cp
40 Seal 4cp
41 Cream 1cp
42 Fig 2cp
43 Blackberry 1cp
44 Strawberry 3cp
45 Gooseberry 2cp
46 Spiced Raisin 1sp
47 Rhubarb 1cp
48 Apple 1cp
49 Plum 3cp
50 Custard 5cp
51 Crow 1cp
52 Rat or mouse 1cp
53 Dog 2cp
54 Donkey 2cp
55 Horse 3cp
56 Cat 1cp
57 Gull 1cp
58 Monkey 8cp
59 Snake 2cp
60 Lizard 1cp
61 Copper piece
62 Copper ring worth a d4 sp
63 Lockpick
64 Pieces of wire
65 Sawdust
66 Nail
67 Arrowhead
68 Tiny rocks
69 All liquid gravy 
70 Silver necklace 3d4sp
71 Human hair
72 Toenail clippings
73 Used bandage
74 Tooth
75 Huge Chunk of gristle
76 Blood or bile
77 Rat or mouth faeces
78 Parasitic worm eggs
79 Tiny bones
80 Straw
81 Humanoid finger
82 Humanoid nose
83 Humanoid ear
84 Human Tripe
85 Part of a Penis
86 Humanoid Eyeball
87 Humanoid Toungue
88 Humanoid brain
89 Humanoid toe
90 Finger with a gold signet ring worth d4 x10gp
91 Cult holy medalion 30gp
92 Sleep or narcotic drug (your being followed?)
93 Twitching zombie finger
94 Rot grub or another dungeon worm type
95 Mutant flesh may cause mutation
96 Huge vicious biting fly looks like its from hell
97 Dead gremlin or piece of a homunculi or imp
98 Secret note (help?) or map 
99 Carved gem with demon name 30gp
100 Explosive mushroom d4 damage

Fill in playtesting using The Ruined Hamlet

We had a few absentees and so JB and I did some playtest of my druid spell booklet and made some 1stLv druids. Rapidly I discovered a duplication in book of a similar spell so will be rewriting a new 3rd lv spell. Had some nice feedback from some readers which helps me make more stuff.

Using a LuLU.com adventure Adventure Module BL1-2 The Ruined Hamlet/Terror on the Gloaming which I recently reviewed and kept thinking about. It ran quite nicely. I kind of wish map numbers a bit differently ordered and entry numbers had a memorable name but it can quite nicely. I was looking for a good hexcrawl for Druids and I had kept remembering this adventure which is a good sign vs other modules I rapidly forgot as I read them. 

The simple setup of your on a road heading into a new area is mostly depopulated and overrun by bandits. You start on a road near a ruined village which is quite novel vs in a tavern and lets players get right into exploring.  Lots of rats and centipedes abut a few wolves and bandits and spiders.

So two young druids Thatar and Kalex were investigating if druids should try to return to this wilderness. Thatar had his pet raven and was more scholarly. Kalex with his dog was more of a healing and fighting type who hoped to aid chieftains in war and after the battle.

Pretty much the first house had giant spiders and Kalex charmed one and even healed it several times. It turned out to be quite handy and a good damage sync for the party. Eventually, Kalex let it go but planned to charm it again later and gave it extra healing berries. Mostly vermin and a few wolves they managed to find a bit of loot and wolf pelts. A couple of giant flies were a menace and one escaped with 1HP. Finally got a good camp and rest from a ruin they could watch a walled farm where brigands were based. With a night's rest and more destructive spells chosen they tried to sneak up. Got indoors and up to the window but were detected so both blasted away with elemental burst and puffball liquefied the zero-level thieves. The boss came out and was surprised and quickly fell. The guys decided to take the camp and managed to save a donkey. There is still a graveyard they feel ill-equipped for and some things they haven't found yet. As one druid patrolled at night as an owl and managed to see a ghoul.

Having one of those months with lots of cancelled games so a back up activity is always handy.

 

Druidry booklet of my homebrew nature spells

 

New book on my Patreon now...

Sorta accidentally happened this month as several characters are using this spell list and some are more interested.

The same format as my Psionics spell book though that needs an update

POD Adventure on LuLu

Thought I would browse LuLu for some adventures and found a few things. I'm still writing a few short adventure zines a month and so I'm reading lots still but as my BECMI collection grows I can see a purge in the future as some have limited lessons I can learn from some. 

Also my druid spell book same format as my mentalism/psionics book out on Patreon now

50 Fiends FX1
by Richard J LeBlanc and fits in with other products of his like psionics. His adventures are great too. This is a monster book of new demons and devils and a bunch of planar gobbledygook for BX gaming. Its pretty good and even with system differences there are not only good monsters but abilities with interesting effects Ive not seen much. If you need more low and high level weird creepy different planar nasties its a good book and good value as POD or PDF.

The Oddboxx of Zoforon 💖💖💣💣
This id for Planet Eris or any old dnd or Planet genre d&d. It is digest and made to look tike B+one spot colour modules of 70s. Art is crude but still more enjoyable than cringe. Some ok handouts. It has a puzzle code with illustrations which I loathe but I give points for commitment. The dungeon asks your consent then traps you inside. It has lots of weird rooms. Then you get imprisoned again deeper inside in a gem then inside a snowglobe. It is 24 pages and simple layout as if a 70s early adventure which it captures well. Its not using any of the conveniences or design for utility of say mid 80s. I think it could be expanded as it is very basic. Has not have lots of rooms but is fairly detailed so might work as 5th ed with some work.

The Ruined Hamlet/Terror in the Gloaming 💖💖💣💣
Barrataria games from quite a few years ago. Its a campaign starter with a wilderness area to explore a friendly traders camp, a mine that has been semi-occupied by a more crooked class of commoners and still has some monsters. There is also an abandoned village which is a refreshing change. Its a nice spooky opening piece for a first adventure exploring for signs of life. Id lead people here with a map and set them up to expect this is the regional town. There are lots of tombs, towers, bears and a few wizard camps. It is possible that players or later on NPCs to accidentally awaken a wight. Each night someone disappears and wights increase. Possibly some authorities just flee. So lots of possibilities here for exploring, lots of NPCs and some good horror. While the cover loots 1980 TSR the layout is pretty simple and a few buggy things like numbered entries don't have a title to sumarise what is in text box and text. Some boxes are broken by columns. The maps are by fairly simple software. Despite these shortcomings its pretty entertaining and has chances for lots of classes to shine. There are semi blank players maps which are nice would be handy in play and more usable than some handouts. There is talk of more sequels coming but it seems that didn't but the pdf is pay what you want of drive-through. The LuLu page has an extra print adventure I'm interested in and I might get their companion pdf too. They seem to like bears lots.

Advanced Master Adventures
Oonegames for Osric adventures which are pretty neat. Also, publish lots of map comps. Both the two I got gave good roleplaying and dungeon adventures with problem-solving and are quite admirable. Maps are good and like 80s classics are in the centre and could be removed. Covers like 85 TSR and I like 3-column layouts and hierarchy of information. Some pod books look like Word was used. Art varies but is also good. Italian apparently. (a few days later and I've thought about this setup quite a bit and might use it sooner than later)

Deadly Ice 💖💖💖💣
has a personality swap mishap in the middle of a factional fued. Players become caught up in this mess where a personality-swapped wizard fugitive gets into lots of trouble. There are lots of detailed NPCs of factions and one of the most interesting episodes where in a dungeon after someone while factions in it and it's kind of a very interesting way to make a dungeon a mystery and adventure. Has a good winter atmosphere and dwarf ruins. Lots of new ice-themed undead and that one that can encase your feet in ice. It is very good I feel id need to reread and take some notes to play smoothly and might be a good con adventure or to show how to bridge that dungeon vs plot gap some struggle with.

The Divine Alligator 💖💖💖💖
This is very good and has classic swamp and lizardfolk tropes. It also subverts them. Frontier colonialists are mining swamp peat and logging but under attack. Some locals have gone lizard killing mad and adventurers are coming to hunt them. Turns out its one faction of lizards are naughty under the thrall of a croc-dragon hybrid acting as a priest of its father a divine black dragon god. So you get to meat varieties of lizards and see their culture in flux from human encroachment. So post-colonial dungeon some of us want. It has cool pencil art, friendly NPCs and villains and a great monster. The monster's dad could have more offspring or plots and they are a great potential campaign villain and cult. As I have dragon templars in my game this will be very useful. Refreshing, very usable and good quality with plenty of episodes and content to expand. Also, a ruined city is not overpopulated so you can get to the plot. One of the better retro adventures I've seen in a while.