Another Ongoing Game!?!?

Tonight I will be starting up YET ANOTHER weekly D&D 5e game! In person, no less! I'm still not 100% on what I'll be running. It probably won't be another megadungeon game, since this isn't going to be an open table, and I'm not going to run Hoard of the Dragon Queen or The Lost Mines of Phandelver. I want something... more DCCish. A little more gonzo and weirder than what standard Forgotten Realms can offer.

The temptation to drop them just south of the Shudder Mountains, along a swampy coast is really strong. Something like what Wrath of Zombie posted about yesterday is almost exactly what I had in mind... minus the Sinister Secrets of Saltmarsh, since I don't own it.

I do have this though...

Dyson's Challenge of the Frog Idol is in itself a campaign setting. There's also the Secret Santicore random encounter table I did last year - The Haunted Swampland Random Encounter Table which I apparently never linked to before...No biggie. It was in the Secret Santicore 2013 PDF anyway.

I'm not sure how much playing we'll do tomorrow. It might just be character creation, but I'll probably toss a few re-skinned kobolds at them so they get an idea of how 5e works.

For those keeping track, this makes 3 meatspace D&D games I'm in, and I'm only running 2 of them! Plus my weekly online Castles and Crusades game! I haven't gamed this much since High School!

Also, is anyone else still calling it 5e? Next? Or is it just D&D now?

The Archmage's Octavo #2 Keroth's Bridge

Well, here it is... issue #2, and my entry for Tenkar's So You Want to be an OSR Superstar contest. Honestly, I didn't expect to make it to the final round, but I'm glad I did, and I think you will be too when you check it out.

Download here

This issue  contains a Swords and Wizardry Adventure with some hints of DCC, several new monsters, magic items, and 28+ keyed locations and a couple of random encounter charts, and a never before seen map collaboration between Matt Jackson and me!

I hope you enjoy it!

The Nest of Ferar Etmek

I drew this map a while ago, and it looks like I never shared it.

I also went and keyed it up. I call it the Nest of Ferar Etmek for the blue dragon that lives in the lowest level. If you click on the link, you can download the PDF. I figure it'd be good for characters level 4-6 but it might be a bit tougher than that.

When I started working on it I was thinking it'd be good for the 1 page dungeon contest, but 53 keyed locations is a bit much for just one page.

Anyway, take a look, and let me know what you think!

Captain's Logs from the Sandbox 001

Captain's Logs from the Sandbox is a new series from Occult Moon, the publishers of the Toys from the Sandbox. It is an 8 page PDF that provides quite a bit of info for the price ($1.99).

The basic premise is that a virus has broken out on a remote colony in sparsely populated star system. The PCs are tasked with delivering a cure.

Included in CLftS 001 are the following:
Star system map and data files on the primary planetary bodies
Map of the colony on the nearly inhabitable planet
1 major plot hook
6 plot complications, each with 3 twists
5 NPC data files

The implied setting is a fairly generic space opera, complete with alien civilizations and FTL, but it could work equally well with Star Trek, Star Wars, or Traveller, and it wouldn't take much to make it work with a setting like Firefly. The fact that it is so generic makes it eminently useful, even to the point of using it in a completely different genre. Much of it would work in a Wild West or fantasy setting.

Overall I think this is a pretty good product. My only issues are relatively minor ones. I generally prefer printing things, rather than reading them on the computer, so I'd have preferred to see a more printer friendly option. Additionally I also like to print things out using the booklet setting. It saves ink, paper, and space. However I can't fault the guys at Occult Moon for their style choice. I have no idea if my preferences are anywhere close to those of their customer base. Aside from that I would have liked the planetary data files to indicate if the atmosphere is breathable and how many satellites each planet has. Also, seeing how bad I am with coming up with original names I'd have liked it if the 5 NPCs had been given names, rather than just their titles.

The best part about the Captain's Logs series is that issue 002 just came out, and issue 003 will be out next week. The Toys for the Sandbox is on issue 21 of their weekly release schedule. Granted at $1.99 it can add up quickly, but you do get some good stuff for your dollars.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from Occult Moon.

Pearly Spiral of the Endless Hunger

In spite of everything else I've had going on for the last month, I opted to join in on the whole One Page Dungeon Contest. Jim of Carjacked Seraphim suggested that a group of dungeon designers work together to make a whole series of entries that taken together would form a megadungeon. I foolishly signed up. The original plan was to use the dungeonmorph dice to create the level, but the more i worked on it, the less it fit.

You can download the adventure here, or on my download page.

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In other news, I'm taking the rest of the week off of blogging. April was nuts, and I need a little recharge time. Between school, the A to Z challenge, the One Page Dungeon Contest, work, and everything else, I'm wiped out!

Short Adventures PDF

I've collected the 25 short adventures into a 16 page PDF.

Click on the mustached dragon to download, or visit the downloads page.

Fat Frog Challenge: Madness of the Frogmen!

Over at B/X Blackrazor, JB issued a challenge to create and adventure based on a creepy statue that Tim of  Gothridge Manor posted.

Madness of the Frogmen! 

A Side-Quest Adventure for a Party of Old School PCs, Levels 4-6

Designed for use with the BECMI/RC edition of D&D

Within this 4 page adventure you will find 3 new monsters, a map, and a description of the idol of Whisk!

The adventure can also be found under the download link at the top of the page.

Poll and PDF

There is a new poll asking what PDFs you would like to see first. Monsters? Dog related posts? Magic Items? Vote off to the right!

Also, the PDF of the complete Sample Dungeon has now been uploaded. It's purely the adventure, not any of my commentary. Let me know if you check it out! You can either click here, or on the downloads page.

A to Z Challenge Review

What a month! A hearty Congratulations!! to those who made it all the way through. I thought I had a decent mix of topics, and while some were clearly better posts than others, that can be said for any month. I do feel like I cheated a little bit with R, but that was a really rough week, school-wise, plus I think it ended up being a little funny.

Below is the list of the posts, and a description of what actual content can be found within.
A is for Adventurers
B is for Bards
C is for Chaotic Neutrals
D is for Derring-do
E is for Elevators
F is for Flotsam and jetsam - Chart of random flotsam and jetsam
G is for Games Workshop - Pictures of my GW minis
H is for High-level campaigns
I is for Immolation - Chart - results of attacking with flaming object
J is for Jinn
K is for Khorne - pictures of my Khorne 40k army
L is for Loot - Treasure Rumors chart
M is for Maps - Scans of some new maps!
N is for Necropolis
O is for Orphan - What type of orphan are you chart
P is for Portals - Random portal appearance chart
Q is for Quest Giver
R is for Rest
S is for Shadows
T is for Thuol - Reimagined monster Hoq-Goblin
U is for Underdark - New Magic Lantern
V is for Virginia's Style
W is for Walking Cactus - New Monster
X is for X marks the spot! - Map appearance
Y is for Ygg - New Magic Item - Eye of Odin
Z is for Zombie - Random Zombie Variants

Looking back, these the ones I feel were the 5 strongest posts of the challenge (in no particular order).
T is for Thoul
Y is for Ygg
Z is for Zombie
F is for Flotsam and jetsam
O is for Orphan

And these were the weakest (also in no particular order).
J is for Jinn - I meant to do a chart for bottle styles and just couldn’t get to it.
K is for Khorne - Picture post
G is for GW - Picture post
Q is for Quest Giver - Meant to add some examples or a random chart
C is for Chaotic Neutral - Ah, naval gazing...

R was going to be Rakasta, but I ran out of time, and actually, really, needed the day off. I plan on revisiting that topic later, but who knows when.

My general feeling is that I’m not such a hot Dungeon Master or Blogger that I can get away with advice/editorial posts frequently. Besides that, I don’t really enjoy them as much. I’d much rather create new dungeons, monster, and treasures.

I’ve created a PDF file of all 26 entries, and you can download it here! I think it's my best looking PDF to date! If you check it out, let me know!

Bits and Bobs III

I read the various blogs that I follow via Google Reader. I don’t know how many of you do the same, but there is one minor annoyance I’ve found and it’s blogs where only the first couple lines of each entry are shown. Well, now there is a solution that doesn’t involve skipping past or clicking through.

http://fulltextrssfeed.com/

I’ve been using it for a couple of days now, and it’s great! You just enter the blog into the link above, and then subscribe to the link it gives you. Definitely worth doing!

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Sandbox debate

There’s been some great posts on this subject, and it seems that unlike previous cross-blog debates, this one isn’t spinning itself into one of those dreaded teapot tempests!

I get JB’s line of thought, and the Old Guy’s too, and between them and the other commenters there has been some great and lively discussion. I don’t really have anything to add to it except to say that my games have tended to stand somewhere between both ends of the spectrum.

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I’ve adjusted the design of my blog somewhat. There is now an option to follow the blog via e-mail, should anyone be interested.

There is also a new poll! I’m considering putting together PDFs of my blog posts, as sorted by themes. For instance all my dog related posts, or the various magic keys, or the monsters, etc. They wont be particularly pretty, but I’ll try to do some formatting beyond simple copy/paste, and they will of course be free.

I get  -C’s thoughts on PDF pricing. I really do. I sympathize. For all that I put out, I really get very few hits, and pitifully few comments. I’m ok with that. Sure, I’d love more followers who all leave lots of comments on every post, but I don’t do all that I do here that. I do it because I enjoy it, and you get the benefit! Besides, I'm not sure I'd pay for my own PDFs, such as they are, so why would anyone else?

Oh, and if you haven’t checked out -C’s awesome PDFs, you need to. I haven’t checked out all of them yet, but the Tricks and Traps PDF should be required downloading.

Now.

Go.

And while you’re there, remember to say “thanks!”

Megadungeon Level 2C pdf

This section of the megadungeon has a number of potentially interesting encounters, especially with the kobolds and the orcs.

Megadungeon Level 2C Download

As always feedback is greatly appreciated!

Happy 300th Post & Megadungeon PDF!

This post marks a big anniversary for The Tower of the Archmage, and because of that, I wanted to give all of you a gift on this occasion.

Level 2A AND Level 2B of my megadungeon! These are draft versions, so please let me know if you find anything wonky.

Oh, and for the moment it's being called the Ruins of Zeteh Zandana!

Starter Traveller - Subsector & Spreadsheet

I thought that after putting together the whole subsector, writing it up, mapping it out, and even putting it on a spreadsheet, that others might be interested in it.  So I put cleaned up versions of all my descriptions, and the map into a PDF for you to download.  The spreadsheet, which is useful for sorting the planets by any of their coded features is available too!


Subsector PDF

Subsector Spreadsheet

In putting together my subsector I did use a few resources that didn't come from the starter books.  First off, I'm bad at names, and with 49 systems (slightly more than the 50% that I would have rolled statistically) I found a useful name generator - Amaranth Traces and Thraesja SG-1 name generator that helped me fill in my map.  I also occasionally used Kinkret Web Dice Roller rather than rolling my own dice.

I also want to thank Alex Schroeder specifically for his subsector mapping program.   After I posted my hand drawn map he linked in his comments to it, and I decided to give it a try.  It took a few tries to get my data formatted correctly, and Alex had to make a few tweaks to his program to make allowances for some differences between Starter Traveler and Mongoose's edition. 

Subsector Map PDF - Check out how much nicer this is than my hand drawn map!  There are different trade routes, but I'm totally ok with that, as I was kind of making it up anyway.

I hope that these downloads and links are helpful for anyone interested in Traveller.

Grim Travelers of the Red Dawn

Recently I was playing around with Meatshields! Classic Fantasy Hireling Generator and on the first click I generated an interesting collection of characters. They seemed ready made to drop into a low level game, and their background seemed to write itself, with a little help from Bruce Cockburn.

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Brother Lartag leads this band of pilgrims to bring the light of the Red Dawn to the masses. He is a brooding figure in his brown and scarlet robes, skinny and bald, with dark circles around his eyes. He is quick to anger, and even quicker to launch into a dawnfire and brimstone sermon. He is protected by 2 elves – Dalis and Kerlon who he freed from enslavement. They have pledged themselves to him (but not his god) for 5 years. Dalis, a failed magic user, had his teeth and tongue removed to prevent him from using his magic to cause trouble.

Drogos and Gargar, deserters from a local duke’s forces, were Brother Lartag’s first converts. Drogos was a member of the Dukes crossbow corp. Gargar was a cook, and is slow of thought. Both were drawn to the message of redemption though the fire of the Red Dawn.

Gillo is a streetwise thug, but in spite of all he’s seen, he can’t tell a convincing lie. Lerdo, his younger scrawnier brother worked as a stable boy before being found with the innkeeper’s youngest daughter and a sizable skimming of the contents of the cashbox. Gillo is a whole hearted convert to the teachings of Brother Lartag, while Lerdo is merely biding his time till the Brother accumulates enough gold to make it worth stealing.

When encountered, Brother Lartag will be in the lead, flanked closely by the elves. Drogos and Gillo will cover the rear, and Lerdo and Gargar will be carrying the bulk of the group’s supplies. If combat begins Lerdo and Gargar will drop back and Gillo will counterattack anyone who closes with Brother Lartag. Otherwise, the Grim Travelers will pepper their opponents with missile fire.

Those more receptive to a little sermonizing may find rough but generally friendly company.

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The chart from Meatshields didn't format well for posting here, so I put it, and a copy of this post onto a PDF for download.

Grim Travellers Download

The Witch of the Deep PDF

Thaumiel Nerub mentioned that he would be interested in my Witch of the Deep posts as a PDF.  

Matthew W. Schmeer begged for it.  

I am happy to oblige!  Please turn your attention to the side bar on the right, the section labeled "Downloads" and click on "Witch of the Deep PDF" or click below:


The Witch of the Deep PDF

This PDF includes all three posts - The Witch, The Personal Charms, The Area Charms.  I hope you enjoy!