Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen The Vampire Queen has assembled a team of her worst prisoners for a little game! Together you strangers face a simple choice...death or freedom? She has challenged your daring band of adventurers to run the gauntlet of her wicked dungeon lair using all of your original weapons, magic items and possessions! You must survive terrible traps, beastly monsters, even each other as you outwit and fight your way through all the horrific surprises she has arranged. Fortune and glory await those brave souls who can escape from the Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen!Old School Role Playing By: Joseph A. Mohr Role playing the way it was meant to be Old School Role Playing produces OSRIC material and other old school products for Drive Thru RPG. It also offers a blog with weekly articles on old school topics.
New rules for clerical strongholds By: EOTB It's a game of chicken when the DM is the crazy one When a cleric reaches 8th level, the place of worship described must be built within the civilized realms of The Classic Adventure Gaming Podcast - Dungeon Design Episode (#2) News Story By: Administrator If you've wondered why the 1E core books seem to hold very different presumptions of the players and DM than later editions, and noticed they don't address aspects of play now considered critical to the RPG experience - the new Classic Adventure Gaming Podcast might be for you.
There are multiple styles of play in our hobby, and OSRIC/1E doesn't require the use of any particular style. Back when it was the biggest game in town everyone used it as best they could to produce the style of play they enjoyed the most. That still works today. Everyone can use the 1E rules as they wish.
But it was the last edition produced intending to create an experience distinct from that predominant in the hobby today: an Adventure Game, as opposed to the experience most people today would think of when they hear the term "Roleplaying Game". Many of the eternally-running arguments in the hobby today result from people using the single term "RPG" as shorthand for two distinctly different ways to play using the same books. And, while the majority of people in the hobby want the play experience current editions succeed at delivering, there is a minority looking for advice on how to make, run, and play what this podcast differentiates as an Adventure Game: player over character, skill over dialog, challenge over drama.
If you wish to learn more about this style of play we humbly suggest giving the podcast a listen; if you like what you hear, please share it to those you may know who're also looking for battle-tested advice that runs against the grain of most hobby conventional wisdom offered today where games are discussed. Episode #2 on dungeon design concepts is newly released, and more episodes will follow every few weeks on topics ranging from hex crawls, to running adventure games on VTT, looking for good fits at the table for this style of play, and more.
Enjoy!
Site Admin
Free City of Holting By: Douglas Scot Price I have some art, work OSRIC is welcome to use as it deems fit. Undead In AD&D By: Larry Hamilton I was reading up on the various undead in the Monster Manual, and noted which ones in their descriptions specifically mentioned throwing holy water on them would hurt them.
Extraordinary Delving and Cartography Co. (Part 1 & 2) Article By: Rachel The Icemaiden I've been playing in my brothers 1e (with houserules) adventure along with my sister-in-law and a couple of friends since the Christmas holidays. During sessions I doodle some of the action and I've started to develop these into a strip charting the party's progress. I shall be sharing these in this thread - updates will be when I get the time to put pen to paper. Should be noted that these are "cartoons" and I'll be using some artistic license but the spirit of what happens at the table will always be there...
Party:
Byon of Athfort
Human Fighter - Level 3
Aeife Green-oak
Halfing Druid - Level 3
Ellodin Afoncoed
High Elf Fighter/MU - Level 2/2
Arilith Dorchabas
Drow Fighter/MU - Level 2/2
Gorimm (NPC)
Dwarf Cleric - Level 3
Part 1 - Hollow Hills
Background:
The party have been hired by a Whitehaven noble family to rescue their son whom they believe has been kidnapped by a rival family and taken to the port town of Finwyrm to be sold into slavery and taken overseas.
The party have left the town of Whitehaven and to reach Finwyrm they would either have to cross a mountain range or take a very long route around them. At the foot of the mountains they came across a settlement of gnomes who had been troubled by bands of goblins and hobgoblins who had taken up residence in an old deserted hillfort. During the clearing of the hillfort the party found an old map which showed a series of tunnels and passages leading through the mountains themselves. They have been in these passages for some days now their progress being dogged by increasing numbers of Duergar. They have lost the cleric Gorimm during one fierce melee and although not finding his body believe him to be dead. We join them as they reach a junction in the passage. An open pit is evident in the secondary passage and further down it are fallen boulders where some of the walls have collapsed.....
Arilith on point Ellodin guarding the rear.
Note: During the course of the action Arilith, standing right at the lip of the pit, had to make a dexterity save or loose her footing. A roll on d20 of her dex score or under was required to be successful. She has a dexterity of 17... I rolled an 18.OSRIC By: Stuart Marshall OSRIC: Twelve years, and still no kickstarter. Helping you to publish original material for use with the game Gary Gygax wrote.
"YAR to "The End of the OSR" By: EOTB It's a game of chicken when the DM is the crazy one Melan's post discussing the end of the OSR, and Anthony Huso's response, offered a chance to have -if for a small moment shared by only a few people - that sort of chained conversation that kicked the whole mess off and running.
I say "mess" with mixed feelings ranging from fondness to good riddance...(click above for more!)
The Icemaiden By: Rachel During AD&D sessions I doodle some of the action and I've started to develop these into a strip charting the party's progress. Updates will be when I get the time to put pen to paper. It should be noted that these are 'cartoons' and I'll be using some artistic license but the spirit of what happens at the table will always be there.
MontiDots Ltd By: Simon Todd We are about writing, illustrating and publishing table top role-playing games. MontiDots is a collaborative venture between three friends incorporating passions, skills, ideas, creativity and fun. Through OSRIC we have published a series of adventures for various levels of play from low level exploratory dungeons to grim survival adventures in upper layers of hell. My Personal Rules as a Player By: EOTB It's a game of chicken when the DM is the crazy one 1) I do not hoard my wow-bangs. If I die with a sheet full of magical items or spells, then I played in vain. I am not here to advance a character, I am here to make fun memories with people I enjoy spending time with...(click above for more!)
Dread Swamp of the Banshee The beautiful and wealthy noblewoman Astoria Pardition needs your help. Returning home after many years of traveling adventures, she has discovered that her family lands have now become a cursed swamp! Many treasures were lost and now lay buried in the evil and water soaked muck. In addition, a sinister banshee has arisen who lurks in the darkness of the bogs, moaning and howling throughout the night, frightening the locals! Smugglers and criminals have invaded as well to hide their felonious activities here, but there is more to fear in the mist than the designs of wicked and evil men. A brave group of adventurers is needed to set things right again for the hefty reward she is offering! Find your courage, sharpen your blade, trust no one and you may just solve the mystery, get the booty and survive the Dread Swamp of the Banshee!Magical Protections In AD&D By: Larry Hamilton This is the third part in a three part series of articles spawned by my research into undead in AD&D.
Villains of the Undercity Danger lurks in every corner of the small coastal city of Los Farport. The locals insist people are being abducted in the night and taken into the bowels of the rumored "Undercity Dungeon" below. A lone survivor managed to escape and give some information before dying in your arms: "Secret door...Tavern of the Wiley Wench...Ugh!" You and your brave team of adventurers have decided to investigate these rumors, plunder the dungeon and destroy the dreaded "Villains of the Undercity!"...right after you loot his still warm body, of course.Secret Machines of the Star Spawn Locals have been hearing whispers of strange happenings around the Ancient Volcano. Rumors over the last several years of an unspeakable evil that has risen up inside. An evil that "fell from the stars." There is something wicked and devilish going on inside. Highwaymen report of strange creatures, mechanical monsters, horrible beasts and "little green men" that are roaming the land. You and your stalwart adventurers have decided to take on the challenge of plundering the mountain for the treasure within!
The Clerics in Groat's End By: EOTB It's a game of chicken when the DM is the crazy one Comonoc the Spry
Cleric of Xan Yae, 11th level
S 4, I 15, W 18, D 3, CH 15, AC 10, HP 39, AL N
Psionic Ability 150 (75 att/75 def)
attack modes: psionic blast, mind thrust
defense modes: mind blank, mental barrier
Disciplines: (minor) domination, ESP, object reading, precognition; (major) energy control
Spells normally memorized: (7/6/5/4/2/1) command, CLWx2, light, remove fear, sanctuary, augury, hold person, messenger, slow poison, withdraw, wyvern watch, cure disease, dispel magic, magical vestment, meld into stone, speak with dead, implore, CSW, divination, PFE 10' rad, commune (if unable to memorize commune then golem or insect plague instead), true seeing.
old, sane, precise, violent, diplomatic, cheerful, active intellect, hard-hearted, intellectualist, scrupulously honest, interested in husbandry and athletics
Comonoc is an emaciated, legless whisp. He's well-regarded by the poorer masses because of his frequent assistance to sick or injured children and his financial support of the soup kitchen. Although the town isn't particularly fervent, Comonoc is influential while working quietly towards his own ends, which are invested in the status quo. He often changes the course of events small and large without anyone being the wiser...(click above for more!)Palace of the Dragon's Princess Once upon a time, the beautiful lakeside realm of Thorin Vale was suffering from the death of its benevolent King. All hope now lay with his only daughter, Princess Francesca who was set to marry her fathers bravest knight and that union would restore the empire. However, on the wedding day, the evil Dragon Maelfesto attacked the castle by surprise and took control! The serpent drove everyone out and took the woman captive in the caverns below, wickedly enchanting the place and was never seen again. Riches, honor and glory will be gained for those who can save the fair maiden, defeat the beast and return alive from the Palace of the Dragon's Princess!
Free Town of Groat's End - Twisting Stair Dungeon By: EOTB It's a game of chicken when the DM is the crazy one Since the party is going back to town, I needed to put one together. Here's a map for it, and I'll finish detailing out the town over the next few days in blog posts...
Undead In AD&D Part 2 By: Larry Hamilton Yesterday, I wrote a bit about Undead in AD&D, with a focus on the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide.
I got a lot of likes and comments on it, some wanting to see what I had to say about the Fiend Folio.
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PRODUCTMundane MagicaPRODUCTTOWR1: Secret of the Sinister SectPRODUCTAerie of the Cloud Giant StrategosPRODUCTZA3: Garden Of EvilPRODUCTThe Beast of Geshtein
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