Monster Monday - Chimera

Today I will be spotlighting the chimera. The chimera, as a D&D monster originally appeared in Monsters & Treasure (Book II of the OD&D rules set.) Gary Gygax described them as: "Combining the worst of many creatures, a Chimera has the forebody of a great cat, the hind quarters of a goat, dragon wings, and three heads. The goat's head can gore with its long and sharp horns, the lion's head can tear with its great fangs, and the dragon's head can either bite or breath fire (but with a range of only 5" and but three dice damage)." - taken from page 10 of the WotC reprint.

Picture taken from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chimera_Picture.jpg

But, the chimera has much deeper roots than 1974. The chimera was originally a Greek myth, with a snake head (as its tail) instead of a dragon. It was killed by Bellerophon and Pegasus.
The chimera has been in every edition of D&D, always appearing in the earliest versions. But, from what I can tell, they almost never show up in adventures. They only appeared in Bloodstone Pass (1E) and Rise of Tiamat (5E.) I am sure that they show up in other publishers' works, but I don't have a list.
(EDIT: A chimera was also in Hall of the Fire Giant King, and Queen of the Demonweb Pits.)
(2nd EDIT: Mark Hughes was nice enough to do some further research and found the chimera in B4, CM6, X3, and X4.)

Using the S&W version, the chimera has one special attack, its fire breath. It deals 3d8, up to 50' and 3 times per day. The dragon head can alternately bite (3d4.) Coupling that with 2 claws (1d3), 2 goat horns (1d4), and a lion bite (2d4), you have a hit point grinder.

Chimera, being part dragon, lust and horde treasure. Particularly, gold. They are alpha-level predators, and solitary in their actions. Some describe them as nomadic (specifically in Cormanthor, a forest somewhere in the Forgotten Realms.) Most are territorial. Having examples of both nomadic and territorial chimeras makes them very versatile opponents.

I actually haven't placed a chimera in Mord Mar. Yet. Silver Bulette placed one in our last release, The Orb of Undying Discord. We had a statue that would become a chimera when the artifact was placed in its mouth. Designed for 1-3rd level characters, we set it up so the party would have several rounds to damage the creature before it could respond.

Three goats in a small village have died giving birth. This in itself is a bad omen, but the kids were malformed. One was still-borne with a lion's head, one with a dragon's head, and one with a snake's head. The villagers rely on the goats for milk, cheese, and meat. They want the curse lifted, and are willing to trade the Earth Crystal in exchange for the curse being broken.

A single survivor of the king's patrol to the south of his lands swears that a "three-headed monstrosity that dove from the sky, and breathes death in fire." Knowing that his guards are not enough to handle a creature of legend, the king offers something every brigand and ne'er-do-well dreams of, a personal, royal favor.

A known chimera lives in the Copse Forest. The king hires the party to destroy the foul beast. But, upon encountering the three-headed monstrosity, it is found to be good, as evidenced by the silver dragon head. Do the adventurers kill the unique beast for its and the king's treasure, or do they become enemies of the exposed evil king?

As the last hook brings up, the chimera is ripe for mutation. You can connect them thematically to almost any place or group or location. A white dragon for a frozen tundra, a bronze dragon as an ancient guardian of the dead. Even reverting to the mythological chimera for a Lord of Lies adventure would work. The possibilities are endless.

Monster Monday - Aboleth

It's Monster Monday time, again! Today, I am looking closely at the aboleth. They have long been a favorite monster of mine. One first showed up in the module "The Dwellers of the Forbidden City," by David "Zeb" Cook. Aboleths are highly intelligent, and have several special abilities that lend them to being a "mastermind" monster.

Creighton Broadhurst's aboleth, licensed from Rogue Genius

Using the S&W version, they have Charm Monster 3x daily, and Phantasmal Force 3x a day. They have a mucous cloud that makes people in contact with it unable to breathe air. (It is not noted in S&W that they breathe water instead, but that's typically the case.) They have 4 tentacles that strike for d6 damage each, and can cause disease.
Most versions of the aboleth note they have a very high intelligence level. However, what most early descriptions of the aboleth lack is how they communicate. 2E remedied this with the addition of telepathy (specifically Mind Link). Pathfinder moved this bar a bit further, giving them the languages: aboleth, aklo, aquan, and undercommon. 5E gave aboleths the ability to learn a creature's greatest desires if the aboloth can see it and communicate telepathically.

All of this adds up to a creature that is formidable in combat (disease, 4 attacks, force creatures into foreign environment,) able to Charm/Dominate/control other creatures, and with an intelligence to move plans forward. Aboleths are under-used.

In Mord Mar, the best known aboleth is in a fountain somewhere inside the shops district. This particular aboleth, whose name is unpronounceable with a human tongue, is not like its kin. It is content to rule over a small kingdom of orcs, gnolls, goblins, and other humanoids. It often buys and sells information with adventurers. Often it will ask for a share of a treasure horde for this information. Only twice have adventurers double crossed the aboleth.

There is another aboleth, deeper in the dungeons. In the "Grotto and Caverns" area there is an aboleth in a subterranean pond. Above her is a Mind Flayer squidhead, in an open hole in the ceiling. Ludos (the squidhead) has come to an agreement with the aboleth. In return for guarding Ludos' lair, the aboleth receives magical training. The aboleth's current enslaved roster is a cyclops, 2 ogres and a doppleganger.

An aboleth also resides somewhere to the north of Stonemire. This aboleth acts more like an aboleth "should." This aboleth delights in torturing and destroying all creatures that make their home on land. It decorates its lair with bones from its victims, including goblins, catoblepas, dwarves, humans, lizardmen and other creatures. It is rumored that a great paladin fell to this foul creature and a Holy Avenger sword is within its treasures.

 Aboleths are great creatures to throw against a thinking party. With their illusions, and charm abilities, they can make for a great encounter. They make for an even better long-term villain, pulling the strings from the darkness of the caverns below. Here are some more ideas on how I haven't used aboleths. Yet.

A dwarven king ran across an aboleth years ago. Now, his kingdom slides slowly into ruin. The king insists his decisions are for the people, but can the party prove the truth?

An elven druid found a strange egg long ago. The hatching aboleth quickly gained control of the druid, and he has been systematically destroying the land-based life in the area. Now the aboleth is hatching a plan to have the nearest village dam up the river. Even the druid is speaking for it! When the reservoir is full, the aboleth plans to destroy the dam, washing away the village, and all of the people in one easy step.

An aboleth has taken control of an orc chieftan in the hills not far from the Keep. The orcs have become more brazen, and the constabulary hires the party to find out why.

Treasure Maps

I was listening to Tavern Chat last night, and someone mentioned treasure maps. Then, while looking through OSGR, I found a podcast called Dungeon Master's Handbook. He also mentioned, in passing, treasure maps. I figured that two instances in one night deserved a blog post.

Treasure maps are an area where I greatly lack as a GM. I rarely use them, but intend to remedy that moving forward. They are way too much fun not to. Let's look at why treasure maps are so great in play:

1. They are a great visual aid. It's easy to make a treasure map: just Google and print. You can enhance the look by using different paper, or tea bags, or a lighter (with parent's help, of course).
2. They add a layer of mystery to the game. What's the treasure map depict? Who drew it? Why is it in our possession? Is it a trap?
3. Treasure maps allow the GM to plot the course of a sandbox more clearly. Once a visual is in hand, most players cannot resist hunting it down.

Treasure maps take on an extra importance in a megadungeon:

1. They can bring the party back to a place that has been "cleared out." A missed secret door, or a door that they forgot about can be the location of the treasure map.
2. It allows the players to have an idea of the theme, and design of a particular area of a megadungeon. Notes on the maps often let them know what they are facing.  "medusa here," and "fallen statue head" let them know how to plan for the area.
3. Treasure maps can foreshadow and give historical information that the party may not otherwise have. The maps can, for example, show a lost temple to Marshield that not even the clerics know about. Treasure maps can mention historical figures "King Trebor's Tomb" or "Axaclese's Stash."
4. Treasure maps have the ability to give a scope to an area, level, or the megadungeon as a whole. They can be a side-view, showing a treasure on level 6. They can be top-down, showing a particular lair on level 3. A treasure map showing the whole of a megadungeon would be a valuable thing indeed.

Treasure maps are the ultimate trick-or-treat:

1. They are not always accurate. A treasure depicted on a map may be long gone. Or, there may have never been a treasure.
2. Some groups may use them to lure the group into an ambush. The villain that the PCs keep thwarting gets mad. When he is defeated this time, he leaves a map, where he has set up the PC's "Ultimate Destruction."
3. The treasure map may lead to that Staff that the wizard has looked for since level 5.
4. The treasure map may lead to the dwarf's lost homestead/clan/religious shrine.

Treasure maps are diverse, and a lot of bang for the buck. Don't just throw that roll away the next time it comes up. Let the map and the players have a turn in the driver's seat.

Monster Monday - Monster Theme

The boss of a dungeon is an important thing. If you don't know what the boss of the dungeon is, you often end up with a "monster hotel." Today, for a change of pace, I thought I would go through a thought experiment. I am going to take a theme, and build an adventure outline based on that. Because it is Monster Monday, I will stay away from puzzles and traps.

An orcish shaman, recently uncovered an ancient tablet. This tablet pulses in the space between the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Prime Material Plane, bringing creatures to the shaman. He hopes to unlock its secrets, allowing him greater control over the creatures that keep showing up. The monsters travelling through the nearby farmlands should be enough of a plot hook to get adventurers moving.

The adventure is initially easy to populate. Orcs and worgs can be the main enemies approaching the lair. Staying thematically appropriate on the approach is easy, and mutable, depending on where the lair is. In a forest, ankhegs, ants, bear, boar (any real world creature appropriate to the terrain, really), goblins, ogre or owlbear all make thematically appropriate encounters. Adjust accordingly for swamps, mountains, or desert.
While flipping through my monster books, two creatures stood out as particularly interesting to place on the journey to the tablet: brownie (yup, the fairy) and a giant rock weasel. The brownie could be a helpful NPC to guide the party in the correct direction. And the giant rock weasel (Monstrosities, 398) is an excellent foreshadow monster. "Rock Weasels are Giant Weasels that have come into contact with potent transitive magic, becoming attuned to the elemental earths." (Monstrosities, 398,  Andrew Trent, Author)

The mythic underworld of the orc shaman appears straightforward. The elements are so thoroughly covered in D&D (and clones) that it's pretty easy to find monsters and ideas for the dungeon. Breaking into the cavern, the PCs find a fairly normal tribe of orcs. Dealing with them leads to a broken wall, which a few rust monsters live inside. The rust monsters were some of the latest creatures to answer the call of the tablet. Moving a bit deeper, we find a few hill giants, who are displeased to be answering a call from an orc, but are loyal to the master of the tablet. Deeper still, we can add any of the following: bulette, gorgon, medusa, roper, piercer, stone golem, and eventually coming face to face with the orc shaman, and the newly formed earth elemental.

Edible Monsters?

I'm working on my next release for Silver Bulette (Desktop Link), and find myself wondering what types of fantastical monsters are edible?

licensed from Fat Goblin Games

There are pretty much two criteria for "edible" things. One, it needs to be digestible. Two, it needs to not be poisonous. These rules probably hold true in a fantasy world as well. Fetid meat becomes poisonous, so undead flesh is probably out as a delicacy. Intangible things like aerial servants probably don't hold much caloric value. Something like a gelatinous cube probably has too much acid to be a viable food source. A third criteria that I am using for this project is "socially acceptable." What's edible to a starving man is completely different than what is edible to a comfortable person.

But, there are lots of things that might be edible. Take the cockatrice. Is that edible? It's basically a chicken. That can turn things to stone. Can an expert chef prepare a dish from it? How about their eggs? Gorgons are similar, with a breath weapon instead. As long as the person preparing the meal stays away from the lungs and maybe a weird gland, could it be beef stew? What about bulette? Is there soft, yummy meat under their rock-like plating?

Then there is the myriad of plants and plant-like creatures. Tangle-kelp sushi? Shrieker salad?

And the largest question that my third criterion poses is "what about intelligent creatures?" This, by far and large, makes up the bulk of "monsters" in the game: orcs, ogres, trolls, goblins (and their kin), mushroom-men, aboleth, fairies and fey, kobolds, dragons, and so on. The minotaur poses a real question, yummy beef or intelligent cow?

Is it believable to have people refuse to eat intelligent species in a fantasy setting? Would they only be opposed to eating humanoids? Would they believe that eating a superior being gives them a bit of power, and therefore pay extra for dragon meat? Would a ruthless ruler deem a particular species food because of a particular hatred for the race?

Anyone have any thoughts?

As of now, these are the creatures that I have deemed "edible"
Catoblepas
Cockatrice eggs
Dragons
Gorgons
Shriekers
Tangle Kelp

Secret Doors!

Earlier this week, Tenkar posted about secret doors. I put my 2 coppers in there, but since, Peter Dell'Orto also spent some time on the subject. So, I guess I will add to the blog chatter for the week.

I think secret doors are a good thing in D&D (and clones). I do think they are used far too much. It's my opinion that they cannot bar a quest. Nor can they hide something important to the PC's goals. It just turns into a slog of dice rolling at that point, and sucks the fun completely out of the game for a while.

Great treasure, or treasonous secrets should be hidden behind secret doors. I used the example of a shrine to a dark cult in a mansion over at Tenkar's place. A wizard may have a secret study where he keeps a copy of all of his spellbooks, in case his enemies loot his tower.

Now, this being D&D, rules are always broken. A powerful enemy like Strahd will be the exception to the rule about barring quests. There is no reason why a powerful, rich person like Strahd would not hide his coffin behind a difficult to find door. Or a lich might hide a phalacrity behind a secret door.  But, when discussing enemies of that caliber, the heroes should have magics available to help.

So, in Mord Mar, my rules for secret doors are as follows:
1. It needs an original purpose. The secret door in Pickles and Potatoes was to hide the money-counting room.
2. The current resident needs to have the intelligence to use/find/access the secret door. A single ogre will probably not know about the secret door behind his lair, but 200 goblins would eventually stumble across a secret door in their area.
3. Almost everything behind a secret door will be "gravy." That demon's hoard of treasure seem light? Might want to search for secret doors.
4. Intelligent and powerful creatures will use secret doors to their fullest advantage. The party is beating up on the powerful mage a bit to quickly? His iron golem may just pop out of the secret door, and cover his escape.
5. Often ancient things lie behind secret doors. Maybe a long-sleeping undead, or maybe a forgotten relic?
6. The lower in the dungeon you are, the more likely there will be secret doors. The "pre-dungeon" has one secret door on level 1, two on level 2, and three on level 3. The deeper you go, the more likely that a secret door is around.

Monster Monday - Guest Post - Bulette

When I included the bulette on my Facebook poll, I had forgotten that I had done an early Monster Monday about it, here. Ian McGarty stepped in and said he wanted a turn. So, here is his Monster Monday, bulette:

The Bulette

This creature has been around since the early days of Dungeons & Dragons. Tim Kask created this monster after being handed a cheap plastic toy representing Japanese monsters. This creature was first featured in The Dragon in 1976 and has subsequently been included in every version of D&D. In its introduction, it couldn’t even leap! I love the possibilities of this creature burrowing through your campaign setting and frightening your players.  In most versions, this creature is formidable (Pathfinder removed its claws) and can wipe out an unwary party. I particularly enjoy the early edition use of a variable armor class and weak underbelly for this burrowing tank. This weak underbelly was originally a weak spot behind its armor plates on its head. This creature always loves to eat halflings and horses but will only kill dwarves and elves rather than eating them (too chewy and stringy respectively I imagine). The longevity of this monster speaks to its potential. In my own campaigns, I have used numerous versions of this creature. I have made them chromatic and given them breath weapons, I have adapted them for multiple environments like snow/ice.
Many players know of my love of this creature and its fearsome attacks. I recently ran a large group of 12 players against a pair of these monstrosities. They knew they were in a large sandy area. They made a plan to lure them out and a vicious battle followed with 4 players and both creatures dead at the end. I emphasized the weak underbellies and allowed players to use their creativity and ingenuity to cause the bulette to rise up and become vulnerable for their prepared archers.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy this monster. When faced with near dire outcomes, players surprise me with their ideas and overcome what seemed to be an impossible fight.

Ian McGarty

Happy New Year!

I have been absent from cyberspace for the past few weeks. And, wow, a lot has happened! As I type this, I am listening to the inaugural video of Oldschoolgamerradio.com. It seems like a great thing has been born there. I know that my blog was linked. I know some of the blogs I read haven't been linked yet. (Looking at Castle Triskelion . . . )
The OSR Christmas happened. I don't even know who was gifted the Silver Bulette stuff. Hopefully everyone received something they enjoy. Finally, Castle of the Mad Archmage released a new Kickstarter: Musicland. It's limited to 100 in-print copies. Get on it while they are still there.

I actually was able to game! The game pictured above was run by my brother-in-law, Jason. He had 9 (!) kids under 12 years old playing in a Lite 5E Guardians of the Galaxy game! Drax, Starlord and crew defeated Krampus and freed Father Christmas and the Reindeer in time to deliver presents. I didn't play in that game, but did run one later in the night.

I ran the S&W module "It Started With a Chicken" the first module in the Splinters of Faith series, by Frog God Games. We had about 12 players, including a couple of the kids from Jason's game. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Next time we go camping, we will play part 2.

Next Monday will see the return of Monster Monday. Ian should have his entry for bulette finished. (He begged to do it when I put it on the list over at the Silver Bulette Facebook Group.)

That about covers my Happy New Year, and wrap up of 2017.

Monster Monday - Troll

Troll Image from http://www.lomion.de/cmm/troll.php

My best guess is its a DiTerlizzi from 2E

Over at the "Silver Bulette Group" on Facebook (hopefully the link works), I put up a poll to see what monster I should do this week. Troll was the only one that received any votes. Trolls are a great mid-level creature. The biggest problem with them is everyone knows their weakness - fire. Frog God Games (Kickstarter link, not their website) might be fixing this problem with Tome of Horrors V. They are adding 6(!) trolls to the 5E lineup. Somehow, my Tomes of Horrors are all AWOL. So, I can't check to see if any are all new. Maybe one of the Frogs will stop by and let us know.

Deadly and common, trolls permeate D&D culture. They are in the earliest printings of every D&D game, from 0E, BECMI, all the way up to 5E. And in almost every clone and knockoff out there. Here is the Troll from S&W Complete:

Troll
Hit Dice: 6+3
Armor Class: 4 [15]
Attacks: 2 claws (1d4), 1 bite (1d8)
Save: 11
Special: Regenerate (3 hp/rd)
Move: 12
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 8/800
Special: Does not regenerate from acid or fire

Standard trolls in Mord Mar are similar. They are all "male." Trolls reproduce only asexually. When a troll needs help, it removes part of itself, and waits for a new troll to spring from the discarded body part. Fortunately, the trolls feel the pangs of hunger, and do not reproduce lightly.

In the fallen city of Mord Mar was a laboratory called Octana's Boilerworks. She was experimenting with using steam and heat to move things in a similar fashion to a windmill or watermill. Nobody knows how far along she was when Mord Mar was overrun. What is known is a troll named Gasbelly moved into her laboratory. The members from the Order of Lost Cups followed standard protocol in attacking the troll. They threw the oil and lit it with fire. This seemed to only make Gasbelly laugh. After this excursion, the Order disbanded, understanding they knew too little to continue in the darkness.

Near the city of Redstone resides a forest troll. Unlike his kin, he studies the arts of magic and nature, and has even been accepted into a druidic enclave. Unfortunately, he sees the city as a blight on his beautiful forest, and is attempting to learn how to summon fire elementals. If he accomplishes this goal, it is feared that he will burn everything inside the walls. What's worse, some of the elvish druids agree with his ideals and will thwart anyone looking for him. 

Deep within the Mausoleum of Lost Hope resides the medusa, Coberra. Several years ago, a troll wandered too close to her lair. A weird thing happened when she use her petrifying gaze on him. He turned to stone, but was still able to move. Sages think it was the troll's regenerative properties that caused this, but no-one has been close enough to test the hypothesis and live. What is known: Coberra and troll are inseparable now. And the troll no longer fears fire. 

The following encounter comes from my adventure, The Oracle of Stone and Flame (desktop link):
Encounter 4: Top Troll
The passageway spills through a wall into a room, with marble walls and a dug out, uneven floor. The room is probably 30 square, with a 15 foot high ceiling. In the corners are piles of rubble. There is a closed door in the far wall, about 5 feet above the current floor.
As the party searches, a 10 foot tall troll will burst out of one of the piles of rubble and attack.
Giant Troll
Hit Dice: 8+5
Armor Class: 4[15]
Attacks: 2 Claws (1d6), 1 Bite (1d8+1)
Save: 11
Special: Regenerates (3hp/round)
Move: 12
Alignment: Chaos
Challenge Level/XP: 10/1,400
Treasure: Some of the marble in the piles is still large and intact enough to sell. The party can find 400 pounds of salvageable marble, worth 8000 gp to a builder or stonemason in town.

List of trolls to appear in D&D is here. There are many ways to spice up trolls to be an exciting challenge for your players. You can try using the Tolkien troll on them (they can only be destroyed by sunlight turning them to stone.) A unique troll might only be killed by submerging it in the running water of a river (Billy Goats Gruff, anyone?) Some trolls might not even be traditional trolls. An artifact allows them to regenerate within 100 yards may be an exciting adventure hook for your group. 

I hope you all enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. Trolls, like their regeneration ability, can be reintroduced in countless ways that stay true to the collective idea of a troll.

Eleventh Hour Monster Monday - Shrieker

As usual, the holidays are screwing up my routine. It's going continue to happen until after the new year. That said, let us talk about shriekers.

Image found on Wikicommons.

Shriekers are a fascinating creature. They are not dangerous at all. Instead they attract other monsters when they are disturbed. They are a staple of megadungeons. Almost organic traps. Sometimes creatures use them as warning systems. Other use them as a dinner bell.

The shriekers near the Fallow Well are the only living creatures that the wraiths do not touch. The wraiths love the feeling of panic from adventurers and orcs as the shriekers scream.

Some myconids have bred shriekers in several colors. They do this trying to find a harmonic that will summon their demon queen, Zuggtomy. They have succeeded. Red, Red, Green, Blue, Blue and she will appear.

The orcs who now control the Finnius Brewery in Mord Mar have struck a deal with Acidander, the green dragon. Shriekers have been planted in the north alley of the brewery. When the shriekers sound, Acidander comes to their aid. For the grissly price of three warriors. He doesn't eat them, but is instead building his own army.

There is only one passage across the underground river in the Devil's Decision. A sea monster inhabits the waters.  It is attracted by the patch of shriekers on the far side. Chances are not everyone will be across when Dark Nessie shows up.

Megadungeon resources

Rhinegold and the Valkyries

licensed from Fat Goblin Games

I missed Monster Monday again. The holidays suck for schedules. What can I say. I'll try again next week. In the meantime, here's a few of the books and magazines that I look at when working on my megadungeon, Mord Mar. I am not including the books I listed here (my 5 important GM books.)

The Twisting Stair: I picked up copies of both volumes of this zine at North Texas, and they are both full of good ideas if you are building a megadungeon. They are well worth the price of admission.

Traps & Treachery: I'm not good at traps. It's a fact of my DMing life. I often use this book as a springboard for other ideas. You can find it cheaper than in that link, too. I think I found it for $5 at a FLGS somewhere in my state.

Dungeon Fantastic Megadungeon Design: Peter Dell'Orto has a great series of articles in that link. He also regularly posts dungeon play reports. He has a lot of great resources for free there.

Advice on building a megadungeon: Before the Marmorial Tomb, Benoist Poire wrote an extensive advice column for building a megadungeon on The RPG Site. It is worth the read. And probably taking notes.

Creighton Broadhurst's Dungeon Design: It is a short and sweet article that covers the basic design elements before hitting pen to paper.

Megadungeon search on RPG Now: I haven't read most of these. I looked at Megadungeon #1 today, and wasn't impressed. Too much not-megadungeon stuff. The best part, you can see which megadungeons are available on PDF today! (Those I HAVE read).

What other resources do you guys use that I didn't mention? Let me know in the comments or the S&W G+ page or the Silver Bulette FB page.

Tuesday's Monster Monday - Dryad

I missed yesterday's blog, because we were finalizing the Orb of Undying Discord (the link is a desktop version. RPGNow is weird about mobile/desktop.) Ian wrote a pretty good adventure, and it is a nice addition to the series. We've got it on sale for $3.99 for the holidays. January we will set the price at $4.99.

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art (c) Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

Enough of my sales pitch, though. We're here to talk about monsters. I've chosen dryad today because one is prominent in Orb of Undying Discord. Dryads are nature spirits, tied to a specific tree. In Greek mythology, they were tied specifically to oak trees, but the D&Dverse has mutated that to any tree.
Dryad's goals are usually pretty straightforward. They want to protect their trees, and themselves. In S&W, they have the ability to Charm Person to help accomplish their goals. Because of this, and their natural physical weakness, dryads are best used as oracles, or keepers of secrets.

Celania is a dryad deep in the forest around Redstone. She bonded to her oak almost 500 years ago. Through its roots she feels changes deep in the earth. She fears that something awful is moving up to the surface that will threaten both her tree and the city. In truth, three bulette have moved into the area, but have not yet reached the surface.

Almoris is a dryad very near the town of Stonemire. She often tells stories to the children of the area about nature and the land. Last week, while telling one of these stories she collapsed. Some villagers helped her back to her tree, where they found a new swamp rot infesting it. Without intervention from adventurers Almoris' tree will surely die. And worse, the rot will continue to spread toward Stonemire.

Barberea's tree is very unique. It is made of living stone, and grows and flourishes deep in the megadungeon. She knows where and how most creatures move in the deep passages, and can be persuaded to share this information for things that entertain her. Maybe a poem about earth would do the trick?

Ferne also has a tree near Redstone. But, she has been tasked by a powerful magic-user to guard the entrance to the Orb of Undying Discord's resting place. She was instructed to open the way only for powerful goodly people. But, she wants something in return. If you can find her grove, you are welcome to ask her the cost yourself.

No Monster Monday

Monster Monday didn't happen today. We were busy at Silver Bulette pushing out our newest module. You can find it here:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/227564/The-Orb-of-Undying-Discord

Silver Bulette has released their newest module, The Orb of Undying Discord! We've discounted it for the holidays, so it's only $3.99 for a limited time!

Written in S&W, it is the third in a series. The other two were written in SWL. (link above is a desktop link. RPGNow is weird about those.)

That's the post from some G+ sites. I will try to get my Monster Monday done tomorrow.

Monster Monday - Vrock

From Wikipedia, originally found in Monster Manual

It's amazing how little time there is between Halloween and Thanksgiving. It looks like we are only getting two birds for Monster Monday. I talked about doing roc, griffon, owlbear, harpy or hippogriff. And someday, I will probably do the majority of them.
Instead, I decided to do the vrock. The vrock is an instantly recognized demon that "somewhat resemble a cross between a human and a vulture. (Monster Manual)" Swords and Wizardry describes Vrock (First-Category Demon) as "vulture-headed with feathered humanoid bodies, and huge dark-feathered wings." Yup, demon-turkey-vulture.

As D&D has moved forward, the vrock has changed too. In AD&D, the vrock had 5' darkness, Detect Invisibility, Telekinesis, and 10% Gate chance. They had 8 HD, 0 AC and 5 attacks per round. Their magic resistance was 50%
In 2E, vrocks gain a spore attack that deals some damage, and eventually encases the recipient in vines. They also now have a 'screech' that will stun everyone within 30' for a round (save applicable.) In 2E, they cannot be hit without a +2 weapon enchantment bonus and their AC improved to -5. Vrocks MR changed to 70%. They also gain Detect Magic, Mass Charm, and Mirror Image. Second Edition also gave the vrock the Dance of Ruin ability. Their Gate becomes much more powerful, with a 50% chance of success, and more possible creatures to summon.

3rd Edition saw the vrock change a bit more. Their AC went to 25, which is not surprising due to the massive changes to the game. Their spell list expands to include Desecrate, and Detect Good. Their Gate ability drops to a 35% chance (and is renamed Summon Tanar'ri.) The vrock's darkness ability becomes the spell, with a 30' radius.

I don't have the 4E and 5E stats nearby, so maybe someone will fill us in.

In Mord Mar, I have a few vrock running around. Any of these vrock can be a foil for one or several sessions. Remember, I use 1E/Swords & Wizardry for the majority of my sessions.
Cul'cha free roams the halls, and has created a small force of chaos. Among his forces are an ettin (his lieutenant), a pack of gnolls (last counted at 10), a group of orcs (25-75 depending on circumstances) and a cockatrice (his pet). He is strong and dumb. He often simply throws resources at whatever his target is, relying on his reputation to soften his enemy's resolve. Cul'cha prefers to capture enemies alive and convert them to his cause, almost exclusively through intimidation.
Ean is a vrock who was summoned by Percy Vanswift. Percy did not bargain well and lost his life and holdings to Ean. Ean has gained control of a small subsection in the sewers of Mord Mar, and defends his holdings with oozes, slimes and jellies. Like cranberry sauce, but deadly.
Ezz was a vrock once, but through a bargaining with a night hag ascended to an altroloth. His gain in power was not without cost. Summoners do not need to know Ezz's true name. He generally resides on his home plane, because he is so easy to summon. Although he has ascended forms, Ezz is still of low intelligence. He is easily manipulated and often bargains poorly.

Monster Monday - Cockatrice

I've missed a couple of weeks of Monster Monday because of Gamehole. It was an awesome time, and the Silver Bulette crew made a plan for the rest of the year. Expect to see Ian finish his Undying Orb series and then I will make it into a full blown adventure! But, that's not why you are here today. You are here to see cockatrices and how they can be an interesting encounter.

Image found on Wikimedia Commons

Cockatrices (cockatri?) trace their roots back to at least Roman times. They were said to be the result of a chicken egg incubated by a snake. Modern D&D mythology sees them as an amalgamation of the two. The description in the 1E Monster Manual reads "The serpentine tail of the cockatrice is yellow green, its feet and beak yellow, its wings are gray, its feathers are golden brown, and its wattles, comb, eyes, and tongue are red." Swords & Wizardry has the following description "A cockatrice resembles a bat-winged monster with a long, serpentine tail." The S&W stats (Monstrosities pg 70) are:

Cockatrice
Hit Dice: 5
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Attack: Bite (1d6 + turn to stone)
Save: 12
Special: Bite turns to stone
Move: 6/18 (flying)
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge Rating/XP: 8/800

According to D&D (1E) cockatrices are found in temperate to tropical regions, both above and below ground. S&W lists them in the dungeon, forest, grassland, and hills terrain tables. They aren't listed in the jungle table, surprisingly.

With that all said, here's a few ways that I have used or seen cockatrices.

A nest of cockatrices beds at a major crossroads between cities, preventing caravans from going through. The city guard hires adventurers to clean up the nest, but they find the mayor (or king) has already been there, and has been stoned. 

The ranking member of the church in the party's village was ambushed by a medusa. Now, the party needs to find cockatrice feathers to make the Stone to Flesh potion to turn him back.

An unkillable monster resides deep in a cavern. Sages say he can be defeated, though. All that is needed is to have him turn to stone. Capturing a few live cockatrices and sneaking them into the monster's lair can't be that hard, right?

Monster Monday - Rats

As Halloween season pushes to a close, I feel it important to discuss another ubiquitous "monster." Rats are often found as beginning level creatures to battle. They are rampant in early levels of dungeons, in cellars of taverns, and sometimes found in the thrall of vampires.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/58331/Clipart-Critters-84--Giant-Rats

purchase rights to publish from that link (I have)

Why aren't rats found later in deep dungeons? Why do they always camp in the basement of taverns? Well, because they really are a "training" monster. Vampires offer  a glimpse on using them at later levels. They can be a creative opponent, if done correctly.

Because rats are so ubiquitous, we should see them everywhere. Why don't goblins ride trained rats? Paizo gave us "goblin dogs" in Pathfinder. But they're not really rats. Why don't orcs have cages of rats (of all sizes) in their torture chambers? Being restrained on a table with 4 or 5 starving rats climbing on me sounds like true torture. Lizard-men and Yuan-Ti should carry cages of rats around, and randomly grab out one to snack on during conversation. Even orcs, goblins, ogres or trolls may do the same. That type of detail gives a whole new inhuman aspect to a negotiation.

Rats in combat are boring. They are ho-hum compared to fighting green skinned slimy humanoids. They are a little too here, and not enough fantasy. We deal with them as enemies because they are a trope. But, they don't have to be.

Imagine a colony of rats that have developed a rudimentary hive mind. Not just a "rat swarm" but something that uses position and numbers to their advantage. Over the centuries, in Mord Mar, a colony of rats has made holes throughout a well traveled room. They have about 75 rat-holes in the ceiling, walls and floor. All of them are interconnected behind the walls. The hive mind has developed a tactic. When the colony is hungry, they attack from all four walls, pushing the prey to the center of the room. Then rats pour from the ceiling attacking those with "soft skin" (no metal armor) relentlessly. Good luck casting a fireball with 200 rats biting at you, Wizard. When a victim falls, the rats open wide enough to let the others retreat, and feast upon the hapless adventurer.

An evil and powerful fighter was polymorphed into a giant rat some time ago by a goodly wizard. Recognizing the battle lost, he fled and began to form a colony of rats of his own. Maybe the evil fighter marks his rats by biting the left ear. Those rats in the cellar have a hook behind them now. This colony has come to the sewers of the city where the goodly wizard lives, and begun to reek havoc. The rats never stay in one place long, using the sewers to search for a way into the wizard's tower. The mayor asks the party for help removing the rat problem. A mystery for the party to sink their teeth into.

Monster Monday - Zombie

Undead have always been my "DM thing." I love them, as you can probably tell from the blog. Today, I present a zombie that I love. They aren't typical, and are barely a threat to anyone.

In the world of Mord Mar exists a book, the Book of Eyes. The demonic text contains rituals to pull power from others into the caster. One such ritual involves removing their eyes and turning them into zombies.
The caster cannot control the zombies. The zombies wander aimlessly, and only attack if struck. They are often found facing corners in out-of-the-way rooms. The eyeless zombies seem to have a replacement for sight. Demonologists speculate that using the "sight" causes the zombies pain, and that's why they are often found in dark corners. Any person bitten by an eyeless zombie can also become an eyeless zombie. When a person transforms, they attempt to travel to where the zombification ritual was most recently completed. If they arrive there, they remove their own eyes and depart.
The caster gains the power to look through any eye disembodied by the ritual (or placed on the altar after). The caster becomes disoriented, and it takes a measure of control to see through whichever eye they want. Most casters give their followers a necklace with one or more eyes from the ritual on it.
Other dark secrets reside within the Book of Eyes, but no adventurer in Mord Mar had the fortitude to delve too deep into the book.

As a bonus, here's the Walking Death disease. Originally written for Mord Mar in Pathfinder by Adam Brown, I have adapted it to S&W.
Walking Death Disease: When a person is struck or bitten by a zombie infected with walking death disease, they must make a save. Failure of this save indicates the character has contracted walking death. Over the next 24 hours, they will spike a high fever and feel chilled. Within 24 hours of the onset, they become unable to walk due to weakness and vomiting. Within 24 hours of vomiting, the victim dies and rises as a zombie about an hour later. From infection to death never takes more than 3 days, and cases of less than 15 hours have been observed.

Monster Monday - Bog Hag

I have been trying to get the Haunted House module done. I really have. But, it's not my style. As much as I enjoy horror, I don't think it will be finished. I don't know how to write it well enough. But, October is still Halloween month, and we still need creepy creatures, right? Well, here's one that has been floating around in the marshes outside of Stonemire that has never been found. (As usual, presented in S&W stats.)

Bog Hag
Hit Dice: 8
Armor Class: 1 [18]
Attacks: 2 claws (2d8), 1 bite (1d8)
Special: Breathe underwater, death gaze, spell use
Move: 12, swim 24
Save: 8
Alignment: Chaotic
Number Encountered: 1
Challenge Level/XP: 13/2300

A bog hag's death gaze is usable 1/day. Commonly it is used as a group rounds a corner to get as many as possible in the gaze. Bog hags may use the following spells 1/day each: Charm Person, Sleep, Darkness 15' Radius, Invisibility, and Speak With Animals.
Speak With Animals allows a bog hag to communicate with any animal, but most animals flee from their presence. Only carrion eaters and alpha predators will respond.

Greta, the hag near Stonemire, is a very intelligent adversary. She uses charm person to separate a member from a group, and takes them far away. She never takes living prey to her lair. Greta often uses speak with animals to communicate with crocodiles and gators, who are glad to send her after prey they cannot handle.

Currently,  Greta is looking for a young girl to mother in the ways of being a hag. She will target a young girl with charm person if she gets the opportunity. When she finds one, the parents will contact the party, hoping to locate their missing child. Unknown to the party, the ritual to turn the child into a hag must happen on the new moon, so an invisible clock is ticking. . .

Spiders Part 2

Since I missed last week's Monster Monday, I decided to do a part 2 to this week's! Here's some more ways to make your players hate the arachnids.

How about a bridge made of spiderwebs crossing a chasm (lava pool, lake, acid pool)? As the first character gets half way across, a spider lowers itself from the ceiling, telepathically demanding payment. Add more fun by having the spider remove a humanoid's head, and fill the resulting cavity with its thorax.

Do your characters just grab loot like armor and helmets, and just throw them on? Put a poisonous spider in one, and have it bite. They may look a bit closer next time.

Ever seen a zombie spider? Seems more nightmarish than a normal one.

Speaking of undead spiders, I once had an evil wizard put nests of spiders inside of his skeleton army's armor. A rib cage makes a great place to put a tangled spider web.

Matt Finch includes a giant invisible spider in Monstrosities. Invisible webs are a hazard you don't want to run into. To make them more fun, put them in a pit trap.

You know the tale of Sleeping Beauty? What if a spider made its home in her mouth while she was "asleep." That's a kiss that would never be forgotten, I promise.

Tired of your 4 minute adventuring days? Have some spiders infest the trail rations of the party. That should keep them moving.


Spider symbolism is a bit more difficult than encounters. But, there are some things that most groups should be able to understand.

Two spiders have been carved into the ceiling above a door. Both are spinning the same web. In Mord Mar, I may use this to denote a fateful moment. What happens beyond that door weaves part of the fate of the entire mountain.

A statue of a spider, sits in the center of a room. Does it mean that everyone will be trapped inside, as if in a spider's web?

Have a particularly confusing or difficult area to map in your dungeon? Mark the entrance with spider webs. This allows for two things. First, it gives decided boundaries to the difficult area. Secondly, it warns the players that something is going to be sticky, or hard to escape.

Well, that's enough for now. Talk to you all on Monday!

Working on Stonemire

A grizzled man in his mid-thirties, sporting the strong, even physique of a former builder has walked through the doors and finds the nearest seat at the bar. A young half-elf boy follows the man, carrying a weighty backpack and glancing around nervously. The boy sets the bag down with an audible *THUNK* and sits next to him.
“Barkeep! A strong ale for the lad. He’ll need it for his nerves. Today is his first day as an adventurer! And one for me, too!” The man stacks payment on the bar.
“Well, then, if it be yer ferst day adventurin’ yer needen somein better’n ale!” The dark haired dwarf pulls 2 earthenware tumblers from behind the bar and produces a dark bottle from under it. He fills the tumblers halfway, and grabs a second bottle and tops them off.
“That’ll be 4 Silver Fangs from ye. None of dem downlunder coins’ll do ‘ere.”
As he finishes, “ . . . and that’s when we ran from the crocogator. Those lizardfolk are nuts to have them around.” is heard coming from one of the other tables.

-An unedited intro to Stonemire

Monster Monday - Spiders

I began to write this last week, but have been sick. I'm trying again this week. Spiders are ubiquitous to dungeon delving. Even outdoor adventures run into the eight-legged monstrosities. They may pop up in cities.
Spiders come in sizes ranging from fingernail-sized, up to (and maybe beyond) the size of a pony. Some are poisonous, and some are merely environmental hazards.
Spiders are essential to megadungeons. They are more important than goblins, trolls, dragons or any other fantastic beast. They lend an air of realism to the dark places. They can tap into dark fears of players.
But, it's what they do inside of the game that makes them shine as monsters.
Want a section of dungeon to look undisturbed for a long period? Cover the hallway in cobwebs.
Want to remove the orcs from an area and replace them with something else?
Leave their web-wrapped, desiccated corpses in corners, and out of the way places.
Need a magical component for Leather Armor? Send the PCs to the lair of Kk'eez, the Spider Demon. His webbing is said to be of great strength, and light weight. He will not give it in an easy bargain, though.
Speaking of Kk'eez, he can be a phenomenal long term villain. His plans spiral out like a spider's web. They touch things that don't seem connected, until the investigators are in the middle. . .

Artwork: © Jack Badashski, 2016 (bought rights on RPGNow)

Monster Monday - Gibbering Eyes

As I continue to slog through my "haunted house," I am looking deep inside more soul for twisted things. One such creature that has spewed from the depths is the Gibbering Eyes. Take a look for yourself:

© Jack Badashski, 2016 

find him on RPGNow

Gibbering Eyes

HD: 4 + 4

AC: 1 (18)
Attacks: Bite (1 hp)

Save: 13

Special: Eye rays, gibbering, spit

Move: 3

CL/XP: 8/800
In addition to using gibbering or spit, the gibbering eyes can use 1d4 eye rays per round:
1. Darkness 15-Foot Radius, as the spell, it targets one person, who gets a save to negate the ability

2. Obscuring Mist, as the spell

3. Telekinesis as the spell 

4. Sleep as the spell, except one target, who gets a save

5. Feeblemind as the spell

6. Heat Metal as the spell

7. Hold Person as the cleric spell

8. Lightning Bolt as the spell

All eye rays are cast at 4th level proficiency (so a Lightning Bolt would do 4d6 damage)

Gibbering: All creatures within 60' of the sound of a gibbering eyes must make a save or be confused (per the spell).

Spit: A gibbering eyes can spit up to 30' a glob of acid for 2d6 damage.

The stuff of nightmares. 

Monster Monday - Old Crawler!

(From Monstrosities): An "old crawler" is a withered human hand severed at the wrist, black and mummified in appearance.

I am still working on my "haunted house" module. And it is still Halloween season, so a creepy monster is mandatory.

http://assets.atlasobscura.com/article_images/7719/image

Old Crawler (Monstrosities pg 361) fits so well into the "haunted house," that I can't help use it. I intend to have them create an ambiance. "The party hears a scratching skitch-skitch-skitch sound." But they never see the crawlers following them in the walls. They are minions of whatever is "The Evil" of the house. They attack stragglers or loners, and retreat before the group arrives. They will ratchet up paranoia throughout the house.

I really like this creature. The remind me of Crawling Claws from 2e, with a bit more punch. Gangrenous rotting? Disgustingly fun. But, I think it can be more than that. . .

How about a mummy version? A hand jumps out of the darkness and contaminates an adventurer with Mummy Rot? Adventurers won't even suspect mummy rot for hours if they aren't in a pyramid.

Maybe there was a forgetful mage that programmed Old Crawlers to show him the way to his lab. These crawlers now show anyone that isn't aggressive the path. Would your players attack on sight and lose the guide? I know mine would.

There was once a lich who removed his own hands. He needed them separate from his body to complete a profane ritual. Adventurers destroyed his body, but not phylactery or crawlers. Now he has the ability to cast spells through his old hands and his new body.

A wight had his hands removed by a very skilled warrior, and died soon after. Now his old crawlers search for living beings to destroy without an intelligence behind them. So far, they have created three new wights, and the number will grow if adventurers can't find the source of the infestation.

Over 1000!

Silver Bulette had its 1000th download earlier today! Thank you to everyone who has checked out our work so far!

What's Up With Mord Mar pt 2 (GAMEHOLE!!!)

Yesterday, I teased that something cool is happening at Gamehole Con with Mord Mar. I am running a game at 10 am on Friday, in S&WL. GHC has horrible data entry skills, so here's what they actually have as the event description:

Welcome to the megadungeon, Mord Mar. This players choose where the adventure goes! Everyone will roll 1st level characters and they will be allowed in other Mord Mar games!

I promise that's not what I sent in . . . But, here's the deal with GHC Mord Mar. I have been working on 1-page adventures in and around Mord Mar. We are calling them "Bounty Board Adventures" for now. Several of these will be available to be chosen for the adventure(s) at GHC. I am hoping to have at least four done, and really pushing for five. Which adventure do the players want? I don't know. Go looking for the lost shield of a dwarven clan? Or hunt down a thief? Maybe rescue a lost person? We'll see where they go . . . Here's the "cover" of the first that I have been working on.

Monster Monday - Flowershroud

In my quest to write a horror module before Halloween, I have been searching high and low for monsters that can instill dread. In S&W Monstrosities, page 173, I found such a thing, the Flowershroud. "A flowershroud is a carpet-like floral growth . . . move slowly from place to place when it is seeking new food . . . carnivorous plants that hunt down their prey." (excerpt by Matt Finch.)

This fits well into my horror theme. Flowershrouds look like any other garden, but can hunt you down. The normal is the strange. I can't wait to utter the words "it's probably just your imagination, but the flowers look closer to you than they were."

I know that I said a Ghost Ship module was my next project. But, I have found the setting too limiting. I haven't exactly decided where the horror/suspense will take place, but I know that it needs to be on land. I will probably do a castle or mansion (how original, right?). The flowershroud will be a great garden or greenhouse surprise. Don't even be shocked if they show up as potted plants in some fair maiden's bedroom.

Looking at their use for a wider campaign, I can see flowershrouds having a symbiotic relationship with a dryad. The dryad wants her tree protected, and has planted a flowershroud to make sure that nothing gets too close.
Imagine an ancient flowershroud that has a giant bee hive embedded in it. The flowershroud roams the land, carrying the bees to new pollens, and in return the bees help slow down prey for the flowershroud.
Another option to pair the flowershroud is with an undead. A particularly deranged necromancer may have planted a flowershroud on the back of a giant crab exoskeleton. He entwines the dark energies of necromancy with the strange nature of the flowershroud, making them a singular force. These hybrids are what guard the entrance to his home.

I'm expecting the follow-up to What's Up With Mord Mar to come today as well. Stay tuned!

What's up with Mord Mar?

I have been doing a lot of posts lately that have little or nothing to do with Mord Mar. I feel like an explanation is in order.
As many of you know, I have co-founded a digital (and hopefully someday print) RPG products company. This will someday be the instrument that brings Mord Mar into the wider world. But, recently this has driven me to push away from Mord Mar.
A couple of contests have been completed. It wasn't best to set the pre-determined monsters inside of Mord Mar. Besides this, the word limit imposed in the contests limited the ability to expand lore inside of the modules.
My next (solo) project is a Halloween module. I hope to have it done by October 1-10. Again, the setting precludes the use of the megadungeon. I could evoke the suspense and creepiness. But, that's not the flavor of Mord Mar. At least not where I am at in development and writing. . .

There is good news for those of you looking for more Mord Mar. The writing experience of this summer has drastically improved my abilities. When you finally get to see Blood Pharaoh, you will agree. Pulling away from Mord Mar has helped me to rediscover myths and legends that will be incorporated in different places of the megadungeon. The world around Mord Mar is expanding. Instead of just Var Nae and Stonemire, we now have Redstone, Gilramore, a temple of Hephestus and other cities and ruins to explore.

Having these other places allows me to give Mord Mar a lore and history outside of the dungeon itself. Over time, they will influence each other.

For those of you travelling to Gamehole Con, I am running a Mord Mar game Friday at 10 am. Come check it out if you are interested. Expect another blog on the subject soon. (There will be an exciting reveal IMO)

Why I got away from New School

It's early Sunday morning, and I can't sleep. I'm not aware enough to work on one of the 4 projects I have going, so a new blog post it is!

I played Pathfinder for a long time, and D&D 3.X for a while before that. But, I became tired of it. Here's a list of reasons why I moved away from 3.X as my primary game:

1. I don't have 10 hours to make a character anymore. I can paint some minis, or work on a module, or hang out with the kids. Those hours are just too precious now.
2. I want to get through more than one combat in a session. Tactics are fun, don't get me wrong. One combat, two at the most in a four hour session just doesn't move the game forward.
3. There are too many options. Although this is the reason for #1 and #2, it must be stated separately. 3.5 died from it. Pathfinder is in the death throws from it. Starfinder will suffer the same fate - sooner or later. 
4. I was tired of buying books. There are at least 25 PF hardcover books. And probably double that in softcover. There are somewhere around 60 hardcover 3.5 books. Don't get me wrong, I probably have 20 S&W hardcovers. But only one of them is a rule book.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but, like I said, I'm tired. But, the positives of switching to an OSR system outweigh the negatives of staying in the PF era:

1. Five minute character creation rules! I have made 15 characters at conventions in the past year or so. None of them took from playing time! 
2. Combats only take up as much time as character creation. It's quick and deadly. I don't have to count out squares, or worry about attacks of opportunity. I can just roll some dice and let luck happen. There is still strategy in the OSR; it is much more abstract. 
3. There are plenty of options without being overwhelming. A lot of the OSR rules sets are comparable (if not directly compatible.) In S&W there are 9 classes in the Core Rulebook. Doing a quick "OSR class" search on RPGNow brought up another 2200+ items. I'm sure that they aren't all actual player classes, but even if 10% of them are, there are way more classes than for PF and 3.5 combined.
4. I can buy exactly 0 books and play. Seriously, Frog God Games is amazing at giving out their rules set. Core Rules;  Complete Rule Book; Swords and Wizardry Light (all of those are links to the FREE downloads of the rules, directly from FGG.)
5. I can easily convert 1e to S&W. They are essentially the same system. S&W doesn't have gnomes, and the XP chart is a bit different. There are a few other small changes, but nothing that stops me from using Keep on the Borderlands or Temple of Elemental Evil in S&W.
6. Megadungeons are easier to run in OSR. 
7. I can play with 2 people or 20. The rules don't care at all. Can you image a 20 player Pathfinder combat?
8. The OSR conventions are better. NTRPG and GaryCon are the best conventions in the country. 
9. I don't have to look up a rule or feat every 20 minutes.
10. (Comment if you get the joke!) Everything! Everything, Everything!

Monster Monday: Ghost

I have finished the project for Lee's contest. Done with the desert for now. The judging has begun. It ended up being named "The Blood Pharaoh."
I have begun to turn my eye to Halloween. In that vein, I am "editing" (read: rewriting) my cousin-nephew-son's (CNS) module. Once that is done, I am moving on to a Ghost Ship. . .
But, how does this all get me to ghosts? My CNS has a benevolent spirit in his. I don't want to say too much, but a ghost fits best. But, what are ghosts in S&W?
Monstrosities page 190 states: "There are innumerable types of ghosts with varying qualities, often depending on the nature and circumstances under which the person died." The Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook tells us to pretty much make up our own.
Ghosts will probably feature prominently in our next couple of modules, and here are some of the ideas that we have had thus far:

A corporeal undead (probably a ghoul) that when killed releases its spirit. Maybe it will be friendly, or maybe it will be another combat.

A ghostly guide is a possibility in the Ghost Ship.

A child's ghost that just wants to play.

A ghost that takes control of people's bodies. Similar to Magic Jar.

An ettin's ghost. One head realizes it's dead, and the other doesn't.

Mord Mar has a ghost that is infused into the stone. It's a deus ex machina device that can infuriate and help PCs through the entire mega-dungeon.

I'm looking for really creepy ideas for ghosts. Got one? Tell me about it. You can leave a comment here or on the Mord Mar Facebook page. . .

Monster Monday: Dessicator Demon

Still working on the Lee Autry contest this week. I found I needed to create a new monster for a plot driven encounter. This was the mini it is inspired by:

Stolen from Lee's Facebook post

This is how it got stated up:

Demon, Desiccator (Ammit)

Hit Dice: 8 (35 hp)

Armor Class: 2 [17]

Attacks: Punch (1d4), bite (1d6)

Save: 8

Special: Immune to fire, lightning; magic resistance 25%, +1 weapon required to hit, all who die bitten by a desiccator demon rise as a zombie 1d4 rounds later.

Move: 12, 6 (flying)

Alignment: Chaos 

Challenge Level: 11/1700

Ammit carries a Devouring Rod. Any creature it is pointed at must make a save or their soul is sucked out of their body and destroyed. Bonuses to magical saves apply to this.

How did she get her name? The following is from wikipedia

Ammit (/ˈæmᵻt/; "devourer" or "soul-eater"; also called Ammut or Ahemait) was a female goddess in ancient Egyptian religion with a body that was part lion, hippopotamus and crocodile—the three largest "man-eating" animals known to ancient Egyptians. A funerary deity, her titles included "Devourer of the Dead", "Eater of Hearts", and "Great of Death".^[2]

This project has been a lot of fun. I've had to do a lot of research, as I am not that familiar with desert mythology. Ammit is a result of the research. On a side note, the module should be done tomorrow or Wednesday!

Monster Monday: Otyugh

Lee Autry is doing another module contest for his minis. The last time he had this contest, The Oracle Of Stone And Flame was born. This time I will focus on a monster from his new contest, the otyugh.

The otyugh has always been a favorite monster of mine. They are dumb, but can speak, at least in D&D lore. They have a reason to exist. They are garbage eaters! Cities, sewers, and dungeons will all welcome an otyugh.

 Jacob E. Blackmon

from Rogue Genius Games

The Otyugh appears in Swords and Wizardry's Monstrosities (page 367)

Hit Dice: 7
Armor Class: 3 [16]
Attacks: 2 tentacles (1d8), bite (1d4+1)
Save: 9
Special: Disease
Move: 6
Alignment: Neutral
CL/XP: 8/800


I love using an otyugh to be an intelligence hub. They are smart enough to listen, and dumb enough to speak. For little more than last night's stew, adventurers often get valuable information on the location of things in Mord Mar.
In the upcoming adventure, how I will use otyughs is still a secret. I would expect to see that adventure on our publisher page in November. ;)

Silver Bulette "sales" update

As of earlier today, Silver Bulette had 672 downloads! We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, but this is just the beginning. What a beginning it is!

Monster Monday: Stoneflower

I may get a Monster Monday out on time (nope, it's after midnight now . . .) Today's subject is the Stoneflower, from Monstrosities (page 462).

I chose the Stoneflower because I have this cool new artwork (search for Custom Art by Smitty on Facebook). It also happens to feature prominently in the module I just released on RPGNow. When I was finishing up Denizens of the Citadel, I needed a monster that could be trapped for hundreds of years, but still be alive. It also needed to be a good encounter for low level (2-4th) parties. Digging through the Swords and Wizardry monster tomes, I came across the Stoneflower, and fell in love.

It doesn't do a lot of damage (d3). It can spread attacks around (1d6 attacks per round).It has a weird magnetic effect. A perfect monster, right when I needed it. Matt Finch does great work. Sometimes weird monsters are perfect monsters. . . 

Monster Wednesday (Skullfish)

It's been a busy week around the household. Boating on Sunday, Michigan Adventure on Monday. 3D Printer showed up on Tuesday, so I need to play catch-up. Here's another monster that shows up in the Stonemire region:

SKULLFISH
Hit Dice: 1d4
Armor Class: 3 [16] or 7 [12]
Attacks: Bite (1d6)
Saving Throw: 18
Special: None
Move: 18 (swim)
Alignment: Neutral
CL/XP: A/5

*Skullfish are difficult to hit with any weapon that isn't piercing. The better armor class is when someone is not using a piercing weapon (like a spear or trident)

Skullfish are about the size of a sunfish or crappie. They derive their name from the exposed skull bones. They have no eyes, and no holes for eyes. The skin and muscles attach at the base of the skull giving these fish a distinct, horrifying look. They travel in schools of 10 to 50, and relentlessly attack anything that moves with their tiny dagger-like teeth.

(Not) Monster Monday

I didn't have time to write a blog today. But, I got the central AC fixed! That may help moving forward. . .

Top 12 Undead (catching up on Monster Monday)

I've missed the last couple of monster Mondays. The 4th of July and life happen. I hope to make it up throughout this week and one fashion or another.
Today, I thought I would do a list as I haven't done one for a while. So without any fanfare, here is my top 12 undead creatures:

12. At the far end of The Dirty Dozen we have skeletons. These low-level undead are staple in pretty much every mega dungeon in one fashion or another. Whether it is the 111 Skeleton Trap or just a mob of bony undead, skeletons are great. They are so good, that there are dozens of variants: the common skeleton, skeletal knight, even skeletal mages.

11. Ghouls (and their stinky cousins, ghasts) are scary thing for anyone. Well, except maybe elves. They can be mistaken for zombies, they have paralyzation and usually they are accompanied by a stinky ghast.
One of my favorite tricks with a ghoul is to have them at the bottom of a pit trap or someplace where a party member can be easily separated. In this case even one or two of these foul beasts can be very dangerous to a mid-level party.

10. Ghosts are at the upper end of the top 10. They can be a great foil, piece of information, arch enemy, ghosts can be pretty much anything.
I like to use ghosts in a way to juxtapose the situation. The ghost is the only good thing in the haunted castle.  The vampire is in love with the ghostly maiden. The fallen king's ghost appears in the middle of his bastard son's court are some ways I have seen them used in the past.

9. Eye of Fear and Flame is a baddy that is under-used and under-appreciated. This image is found in the Fiend Folio and is owned by WoTC. In spite of all of its weirdness, I fiend myself drawn again and again to the FF. This guy may not be undead, but he sure looks like it. In my world, they definitely are.

The Eye is a paladin killer. They can speak in alignment tongues and convince people to do evil things. An Eye, when played properly should get the good party to do all kinds of evil things. Convince the paladin to slay the drow child. He will grow up to be a warrior who single-handedly brings down a dwarven hold. Convince the paladin that the thief needs to be killed for his role in a bank heist three years ago. The possibilities are endless with this wolf-in-sheeps-clothing.

8. Vampires are one of the best villains in all of the D&D world. Strahd is the most well known, having spawned an entire line of 2e materials. They are tough to kill. They have legions of rats, bats, and wolves to harry the outdoor adventurers. Vampires are a GM's dream and a player's nightmare. Entire campaigns (and TPKs) can be centered around the actions of a vampire, and hunting him to extinction.
One of my favorite hidden levels of Mord Mar is Lita Fuller's domain. She is an incredibly old vampire who has carved herself a nice living space near the dwarven burial grounds. She uses the death energy of the area to experiment with creating new undead creatures. Lita is always glad for company, and does her best to be a good hostess. It makes her hunting much easier.
7. Shadows are one of the creepiest undead around. They blend in perfectly with their surroundings underground. In S&W they drain strength and spawn new shadows through the stat drain.
Shadow tactics usually include attacking the squishy, weak characters like mages and thieves. Preferably when the party is already fighting something else. They follow, slinking along floors and ceilings waiting for the perfect time to strike.
6. Liches, demi-liches, and draco-liches are some of the most powerful undead. Like vampires, they are usually found at the end of a campaign, or a character killing session. Powerful magic-users who have defeated death are the worst type of magic-user.
Liches are the kings (and queens) of their domain. At NTRPG this year, we entered Mythrus Tower and found a way to destroy 2 of them. But, they had set up their domain so that the party was trapped inside, and that a giant freaking laser cut through the middle of the group. It was a gruesome experience.
5. Mummies drip with exotic flavor. Everyone immediately imagines pyramids and grave robbing when the word is used. Mummy rot is one of the most feared diseases in all of the games we play. Requiring TWO mid-level clerical spells to remove is a dastardly thing indeed.
There are no mummies in Mord Mar, yet. They are a great undead, but require a special care in use. They can't just be thrown into a dungeon like a common zombie. These were human-gods and should be treated as such. A treasure map leading to a mummy's tomb would be a special enough thing for these bandaged baddies to make an appearance. 
4. Zombies are the rank and file of the undead. They come in a huge variety: fast, slow, rotting, diseased, infectious, armed, and unarmed to name a few. Every necromancer needs a cadre of zombies.  What makes zombies particularly sweet is seeing the very person a group is searching for shambling towards them in full undead glory.
Most recently, zombies were found in Mord Mar in a horde of 20, controlled by a cult of Orcus. Although the adventurers were victorious, they burned through a lot of resources for such common undead.
3. Poltergeists push us into the top three spots. Again, a monster that began its D&D carrier in the FF. In S&W, poltergeists are pretty weak (2 hd, AC 7[12]) but they are a great tension reliever. A goblet flies through the air, and hits Sir Stuffy Shirt in the back, spilling wine all over him. 
If I were to use a poltergeist in a dangerous encounter, I would give it synergy with another nearby denizen. For example, a potion maker doesn't want to be disturbed, so he brings several flasks of acid to the room haunted by a poltergeist. The poltergeist then throws the flasks when the party disturbs its prison. . . 
2. Wraiths are some great undead.  In S&W they are really tough to deal with at range (only taking 1 point of damage from arrows). Add the level drain, and they are fearsome 4 HD critters.
In the swamps around Stonemire, there is said to be a wraith that rides an undead swamp cow (catoblepas). He hunts for the killers of his family. But, the killers are long dead.
1. Finally, we come to the favorite undead (at least this week). My #1 is Corpse Candle. They appear in the Tome of Horrors Complete (published by Frog God Games). Scott Greene is credited as the author. Here's the stat block for S&W:
Corpse Candle
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: Incorporeal Touch (1d6)
Save: 11
Special: Hypnotic Lights
Move: 6/18 (flying)
Alignment: Chaos
CL/XP: 8/800

It's those hypnotic lights that make these things amazing. I used them in a PF adventure a while back where they almost caused a TPK. The party had to work to save their drowning friends, instead of combat the monsters at hand. It was glorious.