Chagrinspire Forts of the Line Generation pt1

Step One - basic lines and hills
Place 3-8 crosses on a piece of paper - drop a d6+2 four or six-sided dice for locations
This marks the top of a hill - use the die score for the height of the hill
The highest 2 hills or hills are connected by lines first
Then connect the next lowest hills to the nearest point on the line

Lines are tunnels underground
If the fort is a line or one of a series, it may be connected by underground rail
You might draw a rail line through the whole map under the tallest hill

Place N for the north on your map
Choose an orientation towards the enemy or roll below
Mark the "Front Line"  the fort faces towards enemies
and "Behind Lines" if not a star or hill fort is the other side of the line of hill forts
large star or hill forts vave "Behind Lines" contained inside and obviously more limited in space and might lack such tertiary features.

Hillforts
Hill forts are 360 enclosed areas between hills filled in with earthworks. They may enclose a behind lines area. Draw a circle around the outermost hills. This line is raised to average height of all the hills with earthworks. There will be one or two main roads entering the fort by a road covered by the fort to a controlled gate house through the earthworks.   

Hillforts are more organic in shape growing over time and often used as a shared defence and sacred area over centuries. These were built by barbarian tribes and humanoids over centuries of labour in ancient times. They start with adding earth ramparts and low stone walls connecting the gaps between hills enclosing the area. Over time these grow to using earth to fill in the innermost space to average hill height for the behind lines area. These prehistoric forts may have a modern fort built into them.  A lone fort or linked to a longer line of forts connected by underground rail. Something important might be in the middle. They might accidentally interact with the remains of the older buried ruins and barrows. 

Star forts
Star forts are 360 facing outwards with earthworks for maximum firing arcs.
Mark a line connecting the outermost hills for the tunnels 
You can extend angles of pentagons, hexagon or octagon or other polygon for points of the star earthworks and defensive trenches facing front lines. You can put extra star points in between the first set, Behind lines will be enclosed inside 

Star forts are made by highly lawful people usually having used gunpowder for centuries. A small fort or enclosed town can fend of a vaster army with its overlapping arcs of gunfire and artillery. Magical societies might also prefer them and include defences with heights to deal with flying enemies.

d12 Orientation
1 North
2 South
3 East 
4 West
5 NE
6 NW
7 SE
8 SW
9-10 Hill Fort
11-12 Star Fort

Feel free to add some roads or a rail line or train tunnels to other sections of the defence line or allied towns and production

Step Two - Emplacements
Place primary, secondary and tertiary surface emplacements

Primary will be on the highest hill or any hills the same height 
Secondary are lesser defensive hills on the front lines
Tertiary are behind lines + roll a d4 extra tertiary features

d12 Primary Emplacement
1 Gatehouse entrance into the mountain
2 Bunker entrance into the mountain
3 Fire control turret with four 5 inch guns 
4 10-inch gun turret with 1 gun
5 10-inch gun turret with 2 guns
6 10-inch gun turret with 4 guns
7 16-inch gun turret with 1 gun
8 16-inch gun turret with 2 guns
9 16-inch gun turret with 4 guns
10 20-inch gun turret with 1 gun
11 20-inch gun turret with 2 guns
12 20-inch gun turret with 4 guns

d12 Secondary Emplacement
1 Gatehouse entrance into the mountain
2 Bunker entrance into the mountain
3 Metal dome observation emplacement with snipers
4 Metal dome machine gun pillboxes
5 Machinegun nests with sandbags
6 Mortar emplacement  
7 Rocket battery launch site 
8 Metal domed 2d4x 5-inch gun turrets 

9 5-inch gun turret with 2 guns
10 5-inch gun turret with 4 guns
11 Arc defence towers - 4d6 lightning per round targets any medium animal in 16 range
12 Fire projector turret with deceptive cover in front is really a deathtrap

d12 Tertiary Emplacement
1 Gatehouse entrance into the mountain
2 Bunker entrance into the mountain
3 Portal station or huge summoning circle
4 10-inch gun turret with 2 guns
5 Machinegun nests with sandbags 

6 Metal domed 2d4x 5-inch gun turrets 

7 Watch tower with snipers and observers
8 Sunken road entrance into hill
9 Rail station or canal entrance into hills 
10 Radio tower and telegraph station
11 Anti-aircraft guns 
12 Anti-aircraft ray towers or spotlights

d12 Extra Tertiary Features
1 Graveyard
2 Patch of woodlands with secret bunker entrance and machinegun nests
3 Airfield or airship mast or barrage balloons
4 Cottages and a small lake
5 Village
6 Walled town
7 Parade ground and barracks
8 Firing range 
9 Fields, vegetable gardens and animal pens 
10 Garbage dump
11 Excavation site for construction, mine or future tunnel
12 Building with plant room for fort air or sewerage or water

Step Three - trenches & defences
Draw a hill outline at average ground zero level or even mark the contours of each height level
Draw a trench line along your front line then two more outward lines
Connect trench lines with some diagonal lines

Use trench features to decorate your local trenches
Add d4-1 fortifications within the innermost trench for defences inside the 1st trench
These defences cover a d4 inches or 2d6cm on your map and can overlap
Consider placing to benefit geography and the fort design
Weird finds in trenches and monster encounters provided also

d12 Trench Features
1 Machinegun nest
2 Barbed wire
3 Land mines
4 Collapsed or heavily shelled
5 Dugout shelter
6 Unexploded bomb
7 Craters
8 Boobytraps
9 Corpses or skeletal remains of soldiers
10 Flooded with water or mud
11 Rat swarms or d4 1=flies 2=fleas 3=weevils (eat rations) 4=moths (eat cloth)
12 Supply dugout with d4 1=ammo 2=rations 3=trap 4=medical 

d12 Fortifications
1 Earth mound ramparts 
2 Tank trap section with crude log pits or concrete structures 
3 Water-filled moat with spiked steaks
4 Defensive wall with low trench
5 Barbed or razor wire fence (sometimes electrified)
6 Wall with castellations and walkway
7 Concrete bunkers or fortified cliff wall
8 Concrete pillboxes with machineguns
9 Land minefield
10 Spiked pit traps partly flooded
11 Underground vehichle garage entrance

12 Area rigged with explosives that can be set off from observation

d12 Weird Defences
1 Fenced-off area with angry and hungry undead 
2 Monster pens for guards or released in desperation
3 Resting place of undead soldiers 
4 Haunted by old battlefield spirits and poltergeists
5 Magical defences d4 1=wards 2=runes 3=sigils 4=symbols, 
6 Magical sickly miasma fog causes flesh rotting

7 Dangerous crops 1=monster mould 2=sleep poppies 3=explodind toadstools 4=shrieking fungus
8 Lightning rod platforms - once a round zap 3d6 to medium or bigger target moving within 60
9 Underground golem or automaton bunker 
10 Summoning station often guarded by planar thrall
11 Black Arcane Science Bunker d4 1=shoggoths 2=elementals 3=mutant infantry 4=surgical composite corpse zombies
12 Alchemy Science Bunker d4 1=golems 2=potions 3=poison gas 4=incendiary squads with flamers

d12 Post Apocalypse war encounters
1 Undead often with solid rusty guns and helmets stabbing with bayonets d4 1=skeletons 2=zombies 3=ghouls 4=wight riding skeleton horses and a d4-1 half strength thralls on foot  
2 Huge beast d4 1=mutant boars 2= 3= 4=
3 Crawling giant things d4 1=lizard 2=frog or toad 2=newt or salamander 3=snake
4 Something slimy d4 1=worm 2=slug 3=snail 4=ooze or jelly
5 Giant invertebrates d4 1=spider 2=scorpion 3=beetle 4=crab or lobster
6 Swarm d6 1=flies 2=beetles 3=bats 4=frogs 5=rats 6=
7 Canines d4 1=wild dogs 2=mutant dogs 3=wolves 4=dire wolves 5=hellhound 6=winter wolf
8 Chimeric d4 1=manticore 2=sphynx 3=lamia 4=vulturebear 5=griffons 6=chimera
9 Humanoids d8 1=kobolds 2=goblinoids 3=orcs 4=dwarves 5=gnomes 6=elves 7=abhumans 8=halflings
10 Monsterous humanoids d4 1=ogres 2=trolls 3=formatian giant 4=hill giants
11 Humans d4 1=scavengers in bandages 2=mutant cult 3=miserable knight and entourage on a quest 4=surly adventurers
12 Magicians d4 1=snake folk wizards with lizard folk warriors and dinosaurs 2=cultists with master searching  3=witches on a mission 4=weird alien wizard being

Step Four underground 
Consider starting a side-view drawing.

Under the upper levels there are elevators for crew and ammo with ladders in emergencies

Levels close to the same level of the main underground use ramps and stairs or escalators

Show elevator and stair shafts and tunnels connecting emplacements and the sub-levels

You may have put a train line through the map and can use this to connect the main underground it goes through the 2nd to bottom level

The main ammo stockpile is at the bottom but others exist

Sketch out roughly what each sub-level holds and roll a d4 sub-level section  

Use the tallest hill height position to place  rectangular 1st sub-level
If you have more than one tallest level make the rectangle fit both, elongate it if needed
Decide how many levels or roll 2+2d4
Each floor is 20 foot/6m tall with 10 foot/3m wide passages
1-2m tall service sub-level is in between each level for pipes and wires and monsters

Apply condition to the whole complex or by floor or by section
Roll a few factions as needed d3

d12 Sub-level Sections 
1 Barracks & Shower block
2 Officer Quarters or clerks or planning department
3 Armoury & Ammo store with shooting range
4 Plant for water, sewerage and air
6 Food stores or mess hall
7 Hospital or medical stores
8 Parade ground/gymnasium
9 Workshop & supply stores
10 Power plant or telephone exchange or post office
11 Recreational areas: library, bars, food hall
12 Garage 

d12 Condition
1 Flooded lower section
2 Burned sectio
3 Rusted out sections
4 Battered and looted
5 Graffiti
6 Plant overgrown
7 Fungus overgrown
8 No power or lights, many doors sealed
9 Cultist infested
10 Mutant infested

11 Undead infested
10 Automaton infested

d12 Post Apocalypse war inhabitants 
1 Undead defenders with greater undead officers sworn to defend

2 Cultists have founded a temple here, 1in6 are mutants

3 Scavenger gang claim this ruin, 1in6 are mutants

4 Kobold colony related to a famous clan of region

5 Goblinoid colony infested by creatures and fungus gardens

6 Orc clan either barbarians or deserters from a wizard or the black sphere

7 Abhuman clan colony and temple, many species 

8 Reptilians occupied and try to keep some pet dinosaurs. Some serve serpent folk wizards 

9 Draconic templar cult with draconian humans and at least one dragon-related pet

10 Dungeon creatures, vermin and dangerous guant animals

11 Black sphere outpost with sapper gnomes and various automatons

12 Spirits and non-coporeal undead, poltergeists and   

Step Five finishing
Consider adding any more levels, chambers, tunnels or train lines as you wish to finish

Will have some d100 for this too

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My first effort - used a d6 for height but d4 is better i think
On the Flatspur to Shankheim map, where hex 4 meets the top of hex 1

East from here the line has underground canals into the river
West of here the fort line continues for 12 miles

This is the hill forts of the Allies overlooking the front line
You can hear explosions and see flashes by night in no mans land
It is very haunted and full of dangers and ancient armaments

This section of the line was pretty ordinary
For centuries this fort was maintained by automatons
The shambling undead soldiers kept up their duties peacefully
Then new undead came to cause trouble 

A serpant folk mummy necromancer and her reptilian undead have taken over command and rail sections and plant to expand. The seek to dig up more reptilians and steal lives to resurrect their civilisation from the monster kings era. Queen Karkhassa the mummy has a restriction staff that drains a life of equal power to use. The victim could be sacrificed or can resist with a will save one per round. It must be held on the victim. She is studying human machines, automatons and human cult and planning how to absorb them into her reptilian bussom. 

More recently the demon-goat prince of death cult has moved in and built a temple. They plan t take over the local undead. Include wizards and priests who dream of a new necromancer city state like in Ancient Exilon. They dont realise how bad the reptilians are. The can make 1 to 2 HD undead but struggle with better ones. The can charm stronger ones but lock them up when not in use so they don't go to their own path.

The old undead soldiers are planning to take back the fort. The have been bringing in more support from undead in other hillforts. Spirits and hauntings dislike the newcomers. The old forts are so vast they develop own land spirits. The officers are keeping their troops in reserve but send out patrol sorties. The fort undead might make a deal with adventurers and offer them uniforms and soldier's kits.

The undead don't care about automatons. The automatons only care for the fort but living allied officers might be able to get the automatons to help. The automatons live fine with the old guard undead but not the new ones. Each automaton is worth money so they defend each other from scavengers, Some automatons chatter in fear thinking of human scrappers looting their bodies. Scavengers coming down here are the freshest zombies and ghouls. The undead could blow up the fort also.

d12 Lv 1 Automaton Area Encounters

1 Scuttling spider automaton repair bot with a tool kit
2 Sphere automaton repair bot on tracks with six tool arms 1.2m tall
3 Humanoid automaton in overalls with tool kit
4 Skeletal soldiers d6+6 on patrol with rusted guns with bayonets and helmets
5 Zombie recruits d4+2, dead only a d4 months, under uniforms are signs they were scavengers by their tattoos and trinkets with fire axes or cheap sabres
6 Scavengers d6, if only one they are desperate to get out
7 Ghoul sergeant leading 4+d4 skeleton soldiers
8 Demon cultist 4th Lv priest with 4+d4 robed zombies hunting skeletons
9 Undead pack lizard AC+3 HD 3 Bite d6 Morale 12 Mv 6 Slow

10 Invisible petty demon-ling spy checking cult progress
11 Poltergiests warn away intruders
12 Roaming flesh golem kills zombies with ease then sits and eats them like a content messy baby (only one unless more are released from a freezer - after this roll 2d10 in this table and pit them against each other)

d12 Lv 2-3 Cult Area Encounters

1 Humanoid automaton in overalls with a tool kit fixing stuff (or other automaton)
2 Animated skulls d4+1 AC 3 HD d6 Bite d3 Fly 15 undead properties
3 Poltergiest warn away intruders
4 Shadow strikes by ambush and strikes the weak to make more shadows
5 Demon cultists 2nd lv priest teaching d4 zero level initiates with daggers
6 Demon cultists 1st lv priests each with an animated skull
7 Demon cultist 4th Lv priest with 4+d4 robed zombies 
8 Wizard 4th lv with zombie manservant and two goat folk bodyguards
9 Ghoul command raiders from lower levels here to snatch humans 
10 Spectral soldiers 2d6 manifest to arrest intruders and put in a cell
11 Invisible petty demon-ling spy checking cult progress
12 Shadow hounds x3 of ancient warhounds who make all the humanoid shadows (only once so after stage an encounter from here vs another level creatures

d12 Lv 4-5 Reptilan Dead Area Encounters

1 Sphere automaton repair bot on tracks with six tool arms 1.2m tall
2 Undead snakes d4+2 AC+3 HDd6 Bite d3+slow poison Morale 12 Mov 6
3 Undead pack lizard AC+3 HD 3 Bite d6 Morale 12 Mov 6 Slow
4 Undead lizard warriors x2 AC+3 HD 3 Sword or axe d8 or javelin d6 Morale 12 Mov 12
5 Skeletal soldiers d6+6 on patrol with rusted guns, bayonets and helmets
5 Zombie recruits d4+2, dead only a d4 months, under uniforms are signs they were
6 Ghoul sergeant leading 4+d4 skeleton soldiers
7 Spectral Military Police 2d6 manifest to take you to a ghost train for deployment
8 Spectral lieutenant runs towards intruders to give them an ancient report
9 Spectral soldiers 2d6 manifest to arrest intruders and put in a cell
10 Rats d4 1=swarm 2=giant rats 2d4 3=bear size mutant rat 4=were-rats
11 Carrion worm or giant leeches came through train lines and pipes
12 Serpent mummy with 4 undead lizard warriors (only one without her rest will be vulnerable to domination - use the table for those factions

d12 Lv 6 Old Guard Redoubt Encounters

1 Humanoid automaton in overalls with the tool kit
2 Poltergiest wards away intruders d4 angrily hurl garbage
3 Ghoul sergeant leading 4+d4 skeleton soldiers
4 Skeletal soldiers d6+6 on patrol with rusted guns with bayonets and helmets
5 Zombie recruits d4+2, dead only a d4 months, under uniforms are signs they were scavengers by their tattoos and trinkets with fire axes or cheap sabres
6 Spectral wounded and shell-shocked soldiers limp down corridors to the hospital
7 Spectral soldiers marching will attack any in the black sphere or demon goat or necromancer regalia
8 Coffer corpses with toe tags and horrible wounds lay on the ground in rows, d4+2 will leap to their feet to strangle and terrify intruders
9 Huecuva spirit manifests a bandaged skeletal body to ambush with diseased touch
10 Wight Captain with pistol and d3 half-strength thralls (lieutenants), all in gasmasks, cloaks with swords and spiked metal helmets reminiscent of old knights
11 Revenant sergeant with pistol and a trench club +2, the last to die here and still remembers and is aware of undeath. Feels sorry for and helps undead soldier peers. Will negotiate with the spirits and dead here. As long as dies in the fort the fort spirit will bring the revenant back
12 Wraith Colonel (if killed the fort spirit revives in a d4 days unless remains found and destroyed. Only once after this is gone the spirit will confront and communicate with intruders to find their purpose and pass judgment. Normally an awful spirit of darkness this one willing to fight with enemies of the black sphere and repel or assimilate these outsider undead. It hates its condition but might be tempted sometimes to sip a few levels "come on you have so much life to spare I only need a bit"

Update: We played this and it went very well
3 players awol but ones here went to scout

Party
Nebo the sky giant (now 7'6) with his jester sidekick
Priest with two acolyte assistants 
Scavenger guide npc 2nd lv thief

Been doing divination online between games on fb

on way found a small flesh golem and it seemed not hostlie
mutant dogs attack and party killed them and baby golem henceforth Balzac crushed two and started eating them. He followed party and they left the soad to he southern part of the hillfort.

Marched to rear defences of the hillfort through mud, past lines of sharpened stakes. Saw a building on the southernmost hill and oops priest set off a mine and everybody badly hurt. The 3rd and 2nd level characters were mostly half damaged, the followers all unconscious. All given spells and first aid to get mobile so they rushed up the hill to the building.

Entered the ancient telecommunication building by front doors and found some interesting posters and books. Found a cafeteria to hole up in and argued with a vending machine. They tilted it open and robbed its 19 cans of gruel 4 cans of fermented herring-flavoured gruel and a rare gold can of VIP gruel. The golem machine yelled lots for help and giant beetles attacked. Party searched the building and left most wounded to rest while the 3rd and 2nd lv folk finished sweeping the building.

Found cobwebbed passage and saw top of door move. As got closer heard "heeelp meee!" and were a bit suspicious. Burned through the web to the door and saw a goblin tied topillar which threw them. But was also a spider behind door and the goblin lunged at them and changed into its goblin faced spider form. Was toughest supernatural being they faced yet. Top of the building had a hatch they locked and bolted to keep out spiders and nest on the roof in the antenna. Spent 2 days healing and looting telecommunications equipment, reading ancient books and comics and instruction manuals. Considered they might be able to send a line to the party fort only a few miles away. The baby golem happily ate more monster corpses and the whole gang marched home then to the Flatspur to sell loot with the scavengers guild and get divination from church.

All are keen to return and set up a base with the support of the scavenger guild who will bring in a few gangs to help. Divination revealed how the golem was made in a vast factory only months ago and that raising it away from its conditioning can alter its behaviour. Currently, it needs +1 weapon to be harmed and has grown inches from its eating. It doesn't seem to excrete and its features are waxy and smooth. It does wrinkle its minimal face, seems excited by animal noises and seems imprinted on the party. It also seems to want to be washed. Divination showed a stranger came and gave it a wooden dummy after it's jar fell off a boat and broke washing the golem up by river.  

Using my new 4x d12 encounter/reaction/morale/initiative system. Mostly initiative rolls for ties but mostly my initiative checklist determined stuff.  

More fort exploration coming

d12 Goblinoid Clans For Chagrinspire

Goblins are faerie race often a sort of working class for other more haughty elves and faeries. Many born on earth have changed wildly since they first appeared forming many strange bloodlines. Some earthborn elf kingdoms use goblins with varying degrees of kindness. Some elves plant goblin kingdoms as buffer states around them. People still bring otherworldly goblins to earth sometimes and in a generation they lose many of their faerie qualities of the otherworld.

Goblin castes are products of certain population pressures like war, room, food
They can breed true with own caste otherwise the weakest type is born.
This is encouraged as needed by shamen but some casts might take over
Cannibalism is one way for a goblinoid to grow to the next biggest size but impolite cheat

As your players fight goblins many survivors will become hobgoblins or bugbears
If the population is scattered and almost exterminated you get more norkers and 

All have nightvision
Use a variety of weapons and all good at archery, javelins and darts

Gremlin (Chaotic)
HD D4 AC +3 (small, fast) Attack d3 weapon Morale 4 Mov 12 
-small pesky skulking pests (1foot/30cm), use sabotage and traps,
-leaders with d6 HD cause bad luck -1 hit and save to non-gremlins
-hard to understand even for goblins, many think they are only animal vermin
-Litters of gremlins are born in hard times and care for themselves in feral gangs

Goblin (Chaotic)
HD D6 AC +4 (leather and shield) Attack d6 weapon, Morale 7 Mov 12
-standard goblin (3-4 foot 90-120cm), often has 3 speciality skills

Hobgoblin (Lawful)
HD D8+1 AC +6 (chain, shield) Attack d8 weapon Morale 8 Mov 12 
-taller stronger goblins (5-6 foot 150-180cm) bred for war and labour
-more disciplined and love formations, hard workers
-hate being insulted +2 Morale if angered by swearing or insults

Bugbear (Chaotic or Lawful)
HD 3d8+3 AC +6 (chain, shield) Attack d8+1 weapon Morale 9 Mov 12 
-huge goblins (7 foot 210cm) a terror on the battlefield but also experts at stealth
-can squeeze through spaces as if only a regular goblin
-love scaring children and collecting and shrinking heads
-some warriors are also berserks and use 2-H weapons instead of a shield

Nilbog (Chaotic)
HD D6 AC +4 (leather and shield) Attack d6 weapon, Morale 7 Mov 12
-like a standard goblin (3-4 foot 90-120cm) but insane chaos worshippers and jesters 
-damage heals them healing causes them damage
-contrary and do things backwards or opposite to normal goblins, some speak backwards
-leaders with 2d6 HD cause bad luck -1 hit and save to non-goblinoids
-freak born often adopted to noble courts and priest entourage as holy fools

Dark Creeper/Stalker (Chaotic)
HD D8+1 AC +3 (leather) Attack d4 dagger, Morale 7 Mov 12
-scrawny dark-robed goblinoid (3-4 foot 90-120cm), crave magi items and hate light
-secretive assassins, spies and thieves (x2 back stab, sneak and hide) 
-cast snuff cantrip at will as a bonus action per round vs hated lamps and torches
-sonar vision 6 range works in absolute darkness 
-body combusts on death, all in 3m circle save or blinded d6 ten minute turns
HD 2D8+1 AC +3 (leather) Attack d6 dagger, Morale 9 Mov 15
-mysterious taller leaders of Dark Creepers (5-6 foot 150cm-180cm)
-secretive assassin, spy and thief masters (x2 back stab, sneak and hide) 
-cast darkness spell once per round as a bonus action
-create wall of fog once per ten-minute turn 
-body combusts on death, all in 6m circle 3d6 fire damage save halves
-worship spirits of darkness who made them distinct from other goblins

Gibberlings (Chaotic)
HD D8 AC +0 (naked) Attack d8 sword or rock d3 Morale 10 Mov 9

-loping hopping gibbering naked simian-like goblinoids (4-5 foot 120-150cm)
-berserk frenzy +1 hit and damage once blood spilt, charge pelting rocks
-gibber constantly if awake incomprehensible even to spells, only quietly asleep
-track blood trails and wounded, half-blind penalties vs wounded
-group mind vs charm or fear spells, affect the whole group at once but single unaffected
-breed and grow rapidly for war but hard to control and hate fire and sunlight  

Maezel (Chaotic Evil)
HD 4D8 AC +3 (leather) Attack d8 sword or 2x d4 unarmed Morale 9 Mov 12

-Tall, scrawny, solitary killers who hunt orcs and kobolds (5-6 foot 150cm-180cm)
-Climb, Hide, Sleight, Sneak, Swim, track skills
-Garrote attack from behind +4 t hit grapples choke and d4 damage until break free
-bred to protect from rival humanoids on tribal frontiers   

Norker (Chaotic)
HD D8+2 AC +4 (leather and skin) Attack d6 club & d3 unarmed, Morale 9 Mov 12
-like a larger squat squatter goblin (4-5 foot 90-120cm) with an extra thick skull
-thick, skull, huge fists, large fanged teeth all good for unarmed attacks
-good trackers and wilderness survivors, shun use of metal preferring wood, stone and bone
-a throwback able to survive in harsh environments other species wouldn't bother with 

d12 Goblinoid Clans For Chagrinspire

1 Yellow Bones Clan CE - Yellow crossbones X symbol or crossed arms
Bitter and sour-faced, with lemon-coloured hairless skin, pointy heads and ears. Famous jerks here to mine buried loot and bully anyone they can into paying tributes. They excel in mining and smithing and sell weapons to other humanoids and yell vile abuse at enemies and collect dwarf beards as trophies and love to torment dwarves. Priests and wizard specialists are common and many breed hairless goblin dogs with nightvision. They think everyone is as spiteful and deceitful as they are and easily insulted by any words

2 Gloomspore Clan CN - Violet Mushroom symbol
Underland violet-grey skinned gloomy goblins who are famed for tending great mushroom gardens in the world tree's roots and creating many of the rich living ecologies of the deep. They prefer natural caves but modify them to be harmonious with nature. Mostly protect their own and hunt giant bugs and lizards they eat and domesticate. Sell food, shroom wine, spore beer, meat and magic fungus. Some are druids or may have been forced to worship by some stronger outsiders. Use simple tech or trade for better. They don't respond to taunts as they are all self-loathing and better at it than you, They often trade with faerie folk and may serve them

3 Black Root Clan CE - Black tree stump with roots symbol
Ivory or Jet skinned goblins who like to live in tunnels under tree roots and worship darkness and the dragon Nidhog who gnaws on the roods of the world tree. Raid by night and kidnap sacrifices they make to appear the local dragons and draconic monsters to appease them. Sometimes they call on these monsters for help. Many keep snakes or riding lizards. The pale ones guard the tunnels and the shadowy kind are raiders and hunters. They raise bats, giant badgers, vicious moles and weasels to live in their tunnels with them. Dark druidry and priesthood are their preferred magicians. They enjoy mischief and pestering other people and take what they need. They surveil many with secret tunnels, pets and magic and they often sell this information to other goblins for weapons. They hate the worm god and are insulted if called maggots or worms

4 Demon Idol Clan - horned demon face symbol
These blue-purple skinned demons worship ancient demon idols they find in ruins and their priests interpret the demon gods will. Any demon idol will do and the more idols the more glory. Enemy idols will be ransomed and placed in the dungeon of their demon god. Some change preferred idol every generation with a new priesthood. These demons demand blood sacrifices and vile deeds be performed in their name and these goblins are enthusiastic devotees. Stealing and murder are virtues but they only trade with other demon idol goblins and cults. Wolves are their preferred beast ridden by goblin archers and for milk. They often demand tributes from other peoples including sacrifices. Insulting or defiling their idol or symbols or shrines enrages them

5 Green Briar Clan CE - circle of thorn vines with eye in middle
These green-skinned goblins at one stage interbred with orcs and served as their slaves. Now they hate everyone except ogres and trolls who they unleash in battle. Wild boars with malicious natures are their main beasts of war and farming. They also plant horrible thorny briar mazes and barriers around their outdoor villages. Many like swamps and wastelands and worship the wicked spirits of fell places and demons who promise them revenge on everybody. Some are still dominated by orcs who favour these goblins as slaves. They often plunder and occupy dungeons and may build a village on top of an entrance. While in service to the Dark lords of old they created Thouls with their necromancy and evil priests. Black druids grow the hedges and make breeding experiments for new monsters for their mazes. Calling the free ones orcs or thralls will enrage them 

6 Iron Fist Clan CN - clenched fist or gauntlet symbol

These grey-russet skinned dour beared goblins were once pioneers in iron the first outside of dwarves to master it. In decline the last gathered in castles or ancient ruins they claim as their own. They are the most technological goblins and have returned in force by the use of gunpowder. Knowledge is more valuable to them than gold. They don't have any pets or exotic animals or crops preferring to use what local humans do. They especially hate dwarves whose secrets they crave. Goblin dandies with strange foreign dress and weapons have been seen so they have colonies across the world or wander widely to learn. Every spearman also carries a few rocket arrows fixed to the shaft. Elites use muskets pistols and cannons. They often are hired by other goblins for siege and sapper works. They look down on modern human craft as inferior and backwards. They are quite serious mostly but explosions and smoke exite them into frenzies. They often hold prisoners for ransom even charging other goblins to keep their high-value hostages. The best way to insult them is to say they are dwarfs or insult their equipment or fashion. Some will demand a duel.

7 Scarlet Hoof Clan CE - bloody dripping goat hoof symbol
These furred or scaly skinned goblins worship ancient forest spirits and beast cults and now they have hybrid animal features. They may look different and make different animal noises but are all the same clan. They keep many animals and steal them for their druids to make future goblinibeast hybrids. They are notoriously lazy, greedy and easy to anger or fight each other. Some are berserks and many more are Norkers than other clans. Many other goblins have a few of these guys around for extra willing brutish muscle but not too many. They also make able cooks, baggage handlers and labourers. They are easily offendable and prone to squealing if exited. They like to repurpose armour and make bizarre helmets for bestial features. They like to leave bloody footprints. They are easily offended especially by their vanity or by mocking their boasts    

8 Ghost Wood Clan CE - white skull symbol sometimes on a web field
These palid goblins are infamous for their creepy silence and use of undead, spiders and other horrors of their native forest. They have also colonised various other woods or been placed by elves as a barrier. Cunning and use many types of magic they creep out other goblins. They truck with spirits of the ancient dead and their true beliefs and purpose are unknown. Long ago they brought undead armies here from their distant forests through undersea secret tunnels to wage war here. They like to occupy ruins and tainted forests or swamps. They dont respond to insults even their hobgoblin kin. They are sometimes seen robbing graves and collecting bones which they eat and make undead with

9 Scalefoot Clan CN - Webbed foot symbol
These fishy featured goblins have webbed feet and hands with some having fins or fish tails. They bred with fish folk cults long ago. They are good swimmers and can hold their breath for ten minutes while some heroes and magicians may breathe water. They have priests to their fish gods (and some fish demons) but also marine dragon cults. Through their fish folk allies, they also practice ancient aquatic elemental wizardry. They are able with boats and sailing and sell fish to other tribes for wood and metal. In some places they are outright vassals of fish folk and used as slaves. Some of the beings they worship have come to their aid or avenged their deaths

10 Polestar Clan CN - black, white star or silver spear symbol
These strange bald swollen-headed grey goblins come from the sky and are aloof to grubby earth dweller affairs. They have unfamiliar magical crystal machines they may travel in but most fell to earth in crystal palaces or their silver balloons of the star people and survived. They worship the polestar the axis of the cosmos who fixes destinies to mortals. The new rivals wear strange metal shiny cloth suits and use wands and other magic casually and sometimes crystal dome helmets, Those stranded longer will have scraps of this magic remaining and may breed with local goblins and are more rough. They will use silver daggers and spear heads and the silver spear is a common symbol. Some have strange mentalist powers and are the sacred elders of these goblins. They can survive at higher altitudes than humans (or birds even) and resist UV light. Mountain peaks are their preferred bases and they may employ white snow apes to keep intruders away. They are insulted by lesser beings getting in their way otherwise they avoid or ignore people. Sometimes they will paralyse people to examine them and their property. They especially hate Derro and Morlocks underground for some reason

11 Braken Broch Clan CN - fern frond symbol
A clan of woodland marsh dwellers formerly servants of elves and wary of them still. Some are batrachian and have a hopping gait from cross-breeding with frog folk who they trade with.  They like misty woodlands where ferns thrive. Many keep pet amphibians and breed insects and worms as meat. They trade with other goblins food for weapons as they mostly use poor bog iron. At their festivals, they have faerie and amphibian folk guests and music of trained insects. Defend their own and help allies but generally not very spiteful or hateful. Some clans worship evil frog gods or dark fey and should be avoided. Some maintain faerie standards of decorum and their knights ride giant frogs or toads or newts. Not easily insulted as they don't really care what strangers think. Their allies will help them and avenge them due to their extraordinary ties

12 Blight Moon Clan CN - 3 crescent moon symbols
A clan of chaos goblins who carry mutations and mutated beasts. Other goblins hate them. Tribes specialise in one mutation type which affects who each clan will serve or ally with. Large colonies with different mutations will mix strains and stockpile local mutagens and trade for exotic ones. They are semi nomadic but thrive best where nobody else will live like the toxic salt flats and polluted swamps. They love the moon for her protection by night and for her influence over change and cycles. They also worship a hairy star behind the moon, a chaos jester of the gods who brings plagues and monsters and mutations every century or so. They open portals to primal chaos and release primordial slimes and oozes and elementals. Some form warbands of the most horrible and violent sort who raid the weak and helpless. Demon cults seek to subvert these to their more evil cults. Many more nilbogs and gremlins among them and many are wizards and sorcerers or primal chaos druids or priests. Magic is considered the next greatest art after consuming mutagens. Many are jesters, mimes and harlequins. Many of the slimes and protoplasmic horrors around their villages are failed mutants who were not gifted by luck but perhaps they are happier now

RPG shopping down under rant

Grabbing some indy zines and books
please drop me recommendations in comments
im checking out itch.io now

this is a rant of possible interest to game marketing and reaching the world I try to live within my partial pension so price and post are barriers to me reading stuff.

I do RPG to get away from computers a bit so I like books I can actually read too. Some books i loved 5 years ago are harder to read even with glasses. Im trying more old style weird zine products many veering into art books. One system I'm interested with one a5 book vs 4 from the rival publisher that I've seen older free pdf of - including a post for $130 here

A 20-page RPG hardback 60 euros for me to buy - looks great but I will get a pdf

Indy games I've written for are mostly not in Australian stores and I printed my own. I struggle to keep up printing my own gear and its not really a great saving for big books. For A5 zines or 3folds printing myself is ok. I find some second-hand from someone who did pay high prices to import.

Four game shops in my city all with poor choice and not great pricing - it's random if I see something I want and some always have worse pricing.

 Mostly I use Amazon as I get free posts from us items worth 30-40 off the post price per item. Occasionally there is a sale and I discover something new. Occasionally I find a local store sale item but often post is terrible (I know the local rates) and some stores free or free with high purchases.

Midderlands and The Monster Overhaul I did pay for from indy sellers but I was possibly cashed up briefly and the only way to buy at all.

I use Noble Knight and Drivethrough who have good prices for bulk.
Books on drive-through I got fine. It made lots of KS easier.

Kickstarters I have done to help make it affordable but I only do one or two at a time and the best ones are mostly done.

2 sucked the most
-MCC was very disappointing for time and lack of setting and lore - slow and early draft had complaints but was improved. The art is fantastic and why i keep it. Less lore than DCC
-Dungeoneers survivor guide clone was physically nice with good art but full of mechanics i would never use and tables i have my own

Second hand sourced a huge amount of stuff or started me on certain writers and publishers - cheap on FB marketplace and never a problem. Since covid the scene dropped a bit and I have most of my old game want list and a pile not moving like it did in covid.

LuLu prints and posts locally and fast so affordable. Reminds me I must buy an older copy of "Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed" on LuLu as it is a different system older version but closer to an old Dn&D clone with innovative ideas for old-school gaming i would like to reference. Drivethrough has a newer edition which has a more historically detailed setting but the older one has rules you could port into dnd - I love god spell lists in the older version and like both versions for different reasons.

I was into Zine culture since 1980 with a gestetner machine. I was in indy zine scenes and used to travel interstate for them. Was a weird point scene boomed and older creators became excluded and dropped out. Ive always seen expensive art zines 400 for handmade books with photos and complex folding that were in galleries and collections. The bulk of zines are handmade and cheap and bought from creators. The self published books stuff was more commercial and pricey accordingly. I preferred weird handmade stuff mostly or small indy magazines. Zines and self-published books were sold side by side for decades but distinct. I think calling some works as zines is questionable but my take isnt important and this isnt a big deal. Zines are part of punk to me so overly slick isn't punk. Lots of punk rock art in some though but mostly games for a few sessions. Its fine I like stiff I can steal ideas from.

I managed a youth and a graffiti newspaper and have 100s old zines from the 90s i made not digital. I used to have the nous to publish. Im sorting out my IT dramas currently and looking for xmas work.

I've been told I must drop x companies and must use Indy Zines-type publishers by ppl online. The price, post and availability options are gatekeepers for your work. It might be cooler and ethical to buy weird art but it can be very expensive and you shouldn't abuse ppl for choosing cheaper fatter works for a limited reading book budget. I'd like to get a discount on prices if I had pdf first and then want the print later. When I was a nomad I got lots of PDFs. Some with a cheap pdf price so it doesn't matter - a 30-dollar pdf then a 60-dollar book sucks if I could have got a 60 bundle at once. Plenty of good publishers have cheap pdf, especially for core stuff. I tried many lines from a single PDF so it pretty much takes a convincing review or video to see what it's like and invest.

I'm considering using an Indy distro zine distro despite finding print from them difficult for me. I can't afford prints of my own books which is stupid and I need to fix. I guess buying and selling second-hand or in zine fairs is cash and no problem but making noticeably more money online will have paperwork and other consequences I'm possibly not willing to be bothered to deal with or well enough to do. I did hustle art for decades and was still burned out and silent running mostly.

Thanks for reading this far 

Obviously, I'm ignoring the publisher and artist creator's views on this just a buyer in my hemisphere.

People have leased my tables for works and publications and I have written d100 for people and it's much appreciated. Patreon currently ok but im unsure about sustainability. I might be better-off overdesigning small works than books. 

Digging through splatbooks 85-92 skills and kits

Rewriting my home brew

also check out this collage architecture
https://socks-studio.com/2012/10/07/atemporality-at-work/

I'm making lots of first-level characters with various builds to partly test my system and for a quick start. This has also been good for followers and NPCs on the fly. So looking in the kit era of D&D has some interesting ideas.

Im also looking through skills of 85 to 92 2nd ed and late becmi skills too

I have found some odd stuff

A dowsing skill lets you use a stick to find minerals 100 foot deep

Thaumaturgey skill +5% to learn a new spell you find and some lore fluff

Body Manipulation - give ppl super powers like flight and extra stats -5Charisma per go with surgery. Spelljammer has some odd stuff.

Skill to work a crows for bards seems like performance basic 

Anatomy skill at least +2 all your healing skills and i guess for autopsies and this

"Secondly, the wizard can use this skill to repair corpses that have been badly damaged. With a successful proficiency check, the wizard can strengthen and reinforce a body, making it more suitable for animation as a mindless undead. This provides a hit point bonus of +1 per die for skeletal remains, or a bonus of +2 hp per die for a creature to be animated as a zombie."

I added morticians can first aid undead and make undead tougher its cool fluff.

Light sleeping (a second sleeping skill) full benefit of 8 hours sleep in 1 hour once per week (i thought it might help you sense danger asleep but that's probably just trauma). Orcs of Thay book the sleep skill lets magicians sleep undisturbed while violence around you or possibly while being tortured. I kinda like both these in one skill is acceptable as 8 hours sleep and 8 hours spell prep are different to me and you need to be rested to start recovering spells. 

Feign sleep skill to pretend to be asleep or detect ppl faking it.
Im trying to think of when id ever have used it in 40 years of games

A skill to sense strong emotions on the astral plane. Another skill that you draw nutrition from other plane which seems OP for a slot. There are some other skills for the astral plane. Maybe when i write up shamans.

Nutriment (Proficiency)
A body with this proficiency can draw sustenance and nourishment from ethereal mists with a successful proficiency check.

So some ppl hate skills.
They don't have to replace roleplaying or good ideas.

I played brp for 20 years and no dnd im fine with skills.
They can be shortcuts when I don't want to roleplay smelting some ore. 
I don't punch my dm or wave a sword around to simulate combat.
I don't french kiss the dm for seduction attempts (not yet anyway).
In my game unskilled people get a reduced chance but can try at least once.
Thieves are the skill class in my game and they get the most
Weird skills that make later edition ideas like feats and other abilities obsolete.
Synchronous bonuses for similar skills combined 

CGR3 The Complete Sha'ir's Handbook was a surprise 
possibly best product of that line and usable in lots of desert settings
sand wind sea and fire elemental spells are quite good
it would work with the old empires forgotten realms book desert spells 
a wizard kit that can spend spell slots to buff stats and some other magic ideas I'm interested in.

Sadly the system broke down as later kids seemed more unbalanced vs others. Some were fluff or reaction bonuses and some had penalties that were not balanced.  I like the sea ranger could ask a parliament of fish for aid and the fish would vote on aiding the ranger. Thats A-grade weird fluff. 

Id like to recreate this kind of kit vibe but less rigid and just suggestions and built in the skill system. The species race powers I especially like varients to have different abilities. Id like the Halfling to be reskinned as small animal folk, goblins and other small folk. For more magical ones Id reskin a gnome. I once wrote a thing to reskin most of my demihuman non human classes as various species of trolls (more like fairy tale variety of trolls less d&d trolls).

The complete books are pretty interesting periods of D&D and some offer extra rules for various activities like Rangers have detailed rules on tracking rules or dwarves has mining rules and craft stuff. The first 4 really helped make 2nd ed more interesting and the cleric rules made the possibility of interesting priests. Basically, by the time the Necromancer book came out they felt rushed, more book layouts wasted space with huge logos and borders and bigger fonts so I quit pretty much until i started this blog. I think around age 21 I started preferring my own writing and BRP. I am now having a bit of a dig through this era adventures I missed and maybe appreciating stuff more. I do think 85 was peak dnd for me and i like some of the 80-83 was pretty good. The Gazetteers were awesome and had lots of odd weird rule options. Glantri especially had amazing wizard schools. I also liked 2nd ed gammaworld, star frontiers, Top Secret/SI (some great books like agent 13). Probably by late 80s and into 90s i was into RQ. Cthulhu, Ringworld, BRP, Stormbringer. Marvel and GURPS. The simple monster stat blocks of old D&D got me back vs fiddling with points and hit locations.

I sometimes find languages a bit of a time waste but last game a player spoke kobold and it totally changed the situation and helped quite a bit. Overheard kobolds yelling commands so could react and warn the party. Managed to negotiate peace and withdrawal. Otherwise would have been a risky bloody massacre.

Dungeon Defence Conditions & Initiative Revised

So, I've used doom tracks and various countdowns in some adventures. Time constraints are an obvious reason to count time, but drawing out some boxes with a token on them has good dramatic potential. Like some good ideas, it could be overused or done badly. I still pull out an hourglass when players slow and say nothing and ppl get a bit worried its magic.  This can serve a sandbox well as players can react when they see the track move. They might want to know why and even learn what terrible plot is afoot in the world slowly rather be led by the nose.

My original dungeon Defcon system can also fit into this. I am writing a total d12 based initiative-reactions-mirale-encounter system  I will have all these on a single sheet for my dm screen.

Dungeon monsters might be peacefully at home shrinking some heads and having quality family and treasure time when players first raid them. After a second raid they will be yellow. After a third raid its a state of war. When monsters are broken and know their days are doomed go to white.

In a city different districts might have different Defcon ratings
night might be worse
poorest crime district might be worse 

Some areas may for locals operate as a lower level of danger than strangers

Gated apartment courtyards of rich districts might be blue but there might be serious elite guards more like red condition

Colour - encounters frequency and morale
State of readiness
Feeling 
How ready for violence
Encounters locals expect
Reactions to strangers 
Current defence
Current action 

-----------------

Blue -1in12 per day -1 Morale
Lowest state of readiness
Feeling calm
Locals going about business with some armed
Mostly peaceful social encounters
Peaceful communities open to strangers and trade
Part-time locals act as the law
Operate militia, bailiff, sheriff or local watch

Green - 1in12 per hour
Alert for threats
Feeling secure
Locals going about business with a majority armed
Mostly social, animal or criminal encounters
Friendly but realistic about strangers 
Regular watch and occasional patrols
Dedicated defence force

Yellow - 2in12 per hour
Wary that threats are near 
Feeling anxious or wary
Enemies frequently raid or hostile
Mostly enemy scouts and patrol encounters
Expect conflict from strangers is likely
Lock main doors and extra guards and patrols
A war leader is chosen to manage the crisis 

Red - 2in12 per 10min turn +1 Morale
A state of war or martial law
Feeling hostile or paranoid
Enemies may attack at any time
Strangers may be allied to enemies or spies
Expect an attack or siege
Send away the non-combatants, call allies, barricade everything
War leaders will increase their power and influence

White - 2in12 per 10min turn +2 Morale
Mutual assured destruction in progress 
Feeling doomed facing a last battle
Enemies ready to wipe us out its us or them
Strangers are just enemies you haven't met yet
Expect a final glorious death soon
Gather all forces for a glorious final battle

I tend to roll d12 for common encounters with supplemental d100 tables

4d12 Encounter System
I am currently rolling 4d12s for encounters
Green monster die for what creature on the local d12 table appears
Red morale die to check current willingness for violence
-fail will be more likely to flee or watch or hide
-success more likely to talk, attack or ambush
-also a measure of discipline vs taunts or if distracted by loot or booze
Blue for reactions to party appearance and willingness to talk (Defcons affect this)
-roll on the reaction table for the Defcon condition 
Yellow for initiative ties but usually who  sees who first wins and other factors
-usually who detects who first gets to initiate action  
-spells first or roll d12+ mods initiative which the caster goes first
-missiles or roll d12+ mods initiative which shooter goes first
-melee with longer weapons win the first round or roll  d12+ mods initiative
-there are various skills that affect this
-some actions like an ambush or backstab happen in a "round zero" before initiative
-only roll initiative when there is actually a tie 

d12    Blue            Green            Yellow             Red             White
1        Suspicious   Hostile           Attack              Attack           Attack
2        Suspicious   Hostile           Attack              Attack           Attack
3        Indifferent    Suspicious     Hostile             Attack           Attack
4        Indifferent    Suspicious     Hostile             Attack           Attack
5        Indifferent    Suspicious    Suspicious        Hostile         Attack
6        Indifferent    Indifferent      Suspicious        Hostile         Attack
7        Indifferent    Indifferent      Suspicious        Hostile         Attack
8        Indifferent    Indifferent      Suspicious        Hostile         Hostile
9        Friendly       Indifferent      Indifferent         Suspicious    Hostile
10      Friendly       Indifferent      Indifferent         Suspicious    Hostile
11      Friendly       Friendly          Indifferent         Suspicious    Hostile
12      Friendly       Friendly          Friendly            Indifferent      Suspicious

Friendly - open to taking d4 1=hello 2=small talk 3=compliement 4=gossip
Indifferent - mind own business unless bothered
Suspicious - wary might d4 1=hide 2=observe 3=question 4=complain
Hostile - will start trouble d4 1=yell insults 2=warning shots 3=yell warnings 4=make demands
Attack - will engage in combat d4 1=missiles 2=charge 3=prepare ambush 4=march forwards methodically to attack

Mail Drop Drama

Vol 3 of chagrinspire and halloween adventures will be on Patreon this Month

I'm reviewing a couple of things not all new and also in one case someone gave me a PDF and I like it and the creators enough to want to give them a shout-out. This is most of what I've got for six months. I'm awaiting Dolemwood and Yoon Suin. Dolemwood looks amazing so far and with Rackham vale will be good for use with my Auldwook book (to be revised). Yoon Suin new edition looks good buy i still dont love layout or font bit its still one of best settings ever I will use for my Mysterious western lands. These were both KS campaigns and have had excellent updates and working PDFS.

Im a bit too incompetent to make a business out of this myself. Im spending more on synthesisers than games this year and Moon Knight had like 3 comics a month of late. I also signed up for Smork Borg which is hilarious looking and I will have to get core rules I suppose. At same time a Smurph RPG was announced. Im glad i chose the hopefully nasty version. After I buy ROM vol2 il might get 5th ed players book.

The recent adventure books would be hard maybe. The endless stait versions of old adventures just not as good as the goodman revisions and they fact they would rather try and recycle old IP to get the fans then do superficial versions. Notalgia fan service tease that wont satisfy. Breaking up the classic story arcs of module series a bit soso. Dyson maps and saltmarsh books are things that got me getting any 5th ed (also was middle class lifestyle a while and wanted stuff to read). Im sure some new old-school mega adventure will creep out in future to tempt me. Most of my want list of old games is complete now. 

Also I obviously have lots of stuff and a fat reading pile next to my bed but I also write lots and cant even remember what Ive done often. Will aim to set up POD again next year and setting up a new network in my house to work smarter on working machines. Win11 wont work with my software I've used about 20 years.

💔💢💢💢 Don't Do It
💔💔💢💢 OK
💔💔💔💢 Cool
💔💔💔💔 Genius

The Halls of Arden Vul: Volume I 💔💔💔💢

I had seen people talk about this online and on some videos so I was intrigued. I saw the price and size and gagged a bit and waited and I guess prices have changed (like Gunderholfen). So I thought I'd try a volume. Go get the free map volume pdf first. Its map design is visually bare bones and its illustrations are professional. The way the maps are split in pdf and print has some people hoping for improvements still. It's probably slicker than Gundergolfen design-wise and quite different. It has a very detailed history and faction system of ancient non-humans and several civilisations and 3600+ years of history mostly with monster stats and magic items in vol IV. This could be intimidating but its at the same time skeletal enough to replace some names or make your own idea of what that the civilisation was. Mostly ancient greek gods are in the ruins and some demons. Objects and prisoners and locations all have cross threads that come up plenty but if you forget something its ok players will never soak it all in. It was surprisingly easy to navigate once used to it. 

Like the classic mega dungeons of our time like Bazzowmaze, you get a regional setting to explore some settlements to inhabit in between crawls, a ruined city with ruins and many many levels and sub levels. It also has cool stuff like a huge cliff which has various dungeon entries with degrees of being hidden or accessed. There is an inn for weirdos and a troll elevator system and several markets.   

If you want a huge megadungeon campaign for a few ideas with lots of depth and every broken statue or prisoner you find has deep cross plot threads this is awesome. Some might like a more lowbrow history but you could also not worry much about it if players not interested. It is not just exploring a site but putting together events of the past civilisations. That is part of the mystery and problem solving. The basic details of dungeon are concise and brief and good value content. So an over 300 page vol one has an index including other volumes and it has content referring to things in those later books. There are magic items and monsters in vol 4 that I have not seen but mentioned. I started with vol I then IV then II then V then III. Have a look at the free map pdf book - the main book has no maps in it and is dependent on this volume. I think everyone could learn stuff from this for a campaign even if you dont run it. A RPG classic and top 10 megadungeon.

The Nightmare 💔💔💔💢
A frightshow classic RPG adventure. These are in the style of 80s Chill RPG adventures but the art and style is also 80s video nasties that kids probably saw to young. A VHS era vibe.The art on the cover of this reminds me of an actual cult recruitment brochure id seen in my mailbox in the early 90s (or maybe it was the internet only 10 years ago - i can be sure it was not in Dragon magazine). If your sick of eldritch slop or edgelord cringe then go back to suburbia and blockbuster video and malls with these. It has the vibes for a one night halloween game. Nice map and adequate art. (i got a preview pdf copy but that was like over a year ago so apologies to creators of this fine series.)

The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford 💔💔💔💔
Has a nice mythic feel. A small region to explore and a dragon to kill. This makes me want to make dragon greed as a common greater curse that dragons put on their treasure. Lots of monsters living in area with personalities and mysteries. All the locals are ready with fetch quests all woven into the local lairs. Great mini setting sandbox with lots of flavour and stuff to do for a mini campaign where you start low level and climax with defeat of the greatest monsters. 

Crypt of the Dog Witch 💔💔💔💢

A nice simple dungeon with interesting monster stat block presentation. Simple slightly ancient Egypt theme ancient reliquary with some undead. You could stick the dungeon under something else easily and expand the wilderness and maybe add a local village predated on by dead. I will look for more in series.  

Prison of the Hated Pretender 💔💔💔💔
A great useful dungeon I may use soon. This dungeon has swarms of luminous creatures battling a undead guy who you might negotiate with rather than kill. Its sense of balance is very different. The undead is powerful but you ca avoid conflict. Its hard to kill. I nice little lowish-level dungeon puzzle. Has lots of DM philosophy tips. The villain is pathetic and awful but they don't even remember what they have done. Fantastic NPC who could be released and become a setting villain. Fantastic stuff.

The Isle of Forgotten Gods 💔💔💔💢
A nice mesomerican island pointcrawl with some dungeons for lowish levels. A few extra evenings to insert into any island sea campaign. Simple elegant exotic fun with BX stylings.

Star Spire 💔💔💔💔
A nice mini dungeon wich fits with Tomb Robbers of the Crystal Frontier by the awesome Gus L. Nice design and I might use soon. Well designed crystal complex from the sky. Its dungeon art really. 

Britannia & Beyond 💔💔💢💢
This is for the Golden Goblin Call of Cthulhu Invicticus line (there are I think 2 new cthulhu rome games and the great osprey book all independent cos its IP is history. I also have BRP rome which is earlier and fantastic. So its well-trod territory. I was more into cthulhu than dnd most of my gaming life and currently fringe history as a field has become a less fun genre due to real world problems. My last game was Cthulhu in space last year and I avoided all the colonialist vs indiginous or rural poor subhuman tropes in fact the eugenicists were the worst people in that setting. Ive followed the Rome series since monographs for Call of Cthulhu and used them. I used the frontline colour cover setting books Chaosium did and the more recent golden goblin editions. It has to date been a great line. As I did archaeology of this in my degree id rate for a pop culture product as ok and it gives good information on the setting and tribes. I did find the colour and logo of this line a bit garish but maybe Romans were that. Some of the older books had scarce or poor art and some had basic mapping software of the day. So maps here often beautiful. The cover art featuring the same party illustrated in the past books in the line are great. The other art serious harms this book and sets me off like a frog in a sock.

Then some images look like utter gibberish. The more you look the more flawed and odd it gets. Much does not represent specific things or places or what is described in text. It's inappropriate for a book based on history. These images are incongruent in style with the tone and good art in the book. Biggest art disappointment I've felt in a long time. I've seen lots of amateur art (worse than my art which I loathe) in books and some have some charm. This slop made me feel seasick, it lacks the basic compositional properties of art. Maybe its just me. I think it really hurts the good art to be mixing this stuff with it. I did message Golen Goblin and they acknowledged my question but never got back to me with an answer. As this was crowdsourced its a bit sad and I hope they can replace this stuff. Id rather old historic art and paintings than nonsense for illustration.

Usually in an art book the characters sort of give you ideas for characters in a setting. If the deeper you look the more you see indistinct blurry fractals. I do probably judge history games and I think quite a few viking games have had bad cheesecake art of comic book vikings which kinda spoil the grim vibe of ancient Norse like 19thC opera vikings. I see kids laugh at old cheesecake fantasy trying to look like historic realism. The Britania book has cheesy female monsters that look like average contemporary digital fantasy art so leans into this too.

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Sorry went off the rails a bit on last one