Tag Archives: OSR

RPGs

Monster Manual PDF Updated

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I just got the email that the Monster Manual PDF was updated. Based on last week’s email about the Player’s Handbook, I assume that means that the Monster Manual PDF with the Gygax Memorial cover will be available for sale tomorrow. It is not currently available for sale at the moment, just like last week.

So my guess is that next week will be the DMG.

I read a post last week on OSR Today thatsuggested WOTC might release one PDF to market each week in the build up to GenCon. I’m hoping this is a sign that is right.

Can the PDF’s for OD&D and Chainmail be far behind?  I would also like other manuals that I have a hard copy, but not a PDF, like Unearthed Arcana. I like some of the spells and weapons.

Well, my download finished, and just like the Player’s Handbook last week, it is the one with the Gygax Memorial cover. The artwork and text is crisp. The multi-creature stat blocks copy and stay in columns, for example, Beetles. There is only a single space between each column, but this is good. The table of contents and index do not have clickable links, but it is searchable. A welcome textual replacement at about 1/3 the size of the original Monster Manual PDF,

Here are what should be the valid [affiliate] links when they release the PDF for sale.

RPGNow

DriveThruRPG

DNDClassics

[UPDATE: Collected Errata for all AD&D 1st Edition Re-Prints at Dragonsfoot.}

RPGs

The Conquereor – 1956

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The medievalist.net has an article calling The Conqueror, starring John Wayne as the worst movie ever made.

It depends on what qualities you are judging this movie. John Wayne as Timojin, AKA Genghis Khan is a stretch. The acting and script may not be the best, but the action scenes, as I recall them from 30+ years ago were a lot of fun. I only saw the movie once.

I watched the trailer and the cavalry charges and other fighting scenes are cool. The clip with the dancers wasn’t bad either. Of course, my judgement is as a 1950’s action movie. There is action and adventure and challenges to the hero. There is also a love interest.

I don’t think this is the worst movie I have ever seen. I think it is one that I will track down and watch again. It fits a lot of the stereotypes of the fantasy adventure genre of RPG’s. If you play D&D or a similar FRPG, this movie should be a fun little diversion.

RPGs

Adventure Idea/Locale – Isle of Wights

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The way my mind works, I see or read something and it triggers an idea.

A year or two ago, I came up with an idea for an adventure setting/locale/module, The Isle of Wights. Quite obviously appropriated from the Isle of Wight. I haven’t done more than think about this, but it’s on my list of future projects.  If you think about it, use the name of any monster and pair it with Isle, Tower, Pit, or other noun and you have a module name.

Plenty of barrows, tombs, and catacombs would be needed, and shipwreck survivors, or the unwitting making landfall for provisions, would add to the supply of wights.

In addition, who says that the only undead on the island are wights? All many of undead and creeping and slimy things that are at home in a tomb or cemetery would be found there.

As per the AD&D Monster Manual, liches look like wights or mummies, and wraiths resemble wights.

Any adventurers who end up on this island without silver or magic weapons, holy water, and at least one cleric (of sufficiently high level), would not last long. Of course a few powerful wizards would come in handy.

RPGs

The Growing List

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As with much else in life, I find that the things I want to do related to RPGs and the new ideas that come into my head keep growing, and the available time to focus on those ideas is shrinking.

I have found that my summer “TV” watching is much less than the rest of the year. I don’t have regular TV, and only watch shows that I can get on the free version of Hulu, NetFlix, and YouTube. This is good, since I also spend more time outside, when Michigan finally thaws.

Coming to a focus on an article for today seemed harder than usual. I persist in writing a daily article for this blog, because I made a commitment to do so at the end of January. So far, I have not missed a day, since I decided to blog every day.

Some days and article seems like a stretch, and other days, I am able to write multiple articles in one go and schedule them out.

It has been chaotic around here the last few weeks, and traveling for work, trying to keep up with mowing my yard and weeding my garden, and recovering from a summer cold seem to have tapped out my creative reserves. I managed to build up enough posts to get me through last week when I had to go out of town for work, but for the last few days, I have been getting in a blog on the day it’s due. A few times it has been minutes before midnight when I post the final draft.

I won’t stress it, if I don’t have something to write about. I want to add value to my readers, not just drone on and one with no real point.

I have some half formed ideas for some tables and other ideas, but nothing worthy of sharing. For some reason, distilling tables down to their essence and making them a quick and easy to use tool, I struggle. Sometimes the struggle is coming up with multiple pieces. Sometimes the struggle is completing the idea. I have some all the dice style tables that need more polish before I share them. My ideas are to help me focus and plan out my own campaign(s), I hope others can getsome use out fo them also.

RPGs

AD&D Player’s Handbook PDF Updated

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I just got an email that the 1st Edition AD&D Player’s Handbook has been updated. It is not 5 MB instead of about 25 MB, but it uses the new Gygax Memorial Fund Cover instead of the original cover by Dave Trampier.

The interior text quality is excellent, and all the interior artwork appears to be the same on a quick glance. Copy and paste, if you need some information appears to be smoother, but tables are still jumbled if copied to either a text editor or word processor.

The Table of Contents are not clickable links. I am good with that. I just wish I had the option of the original cover with the cleaned up pages. I suppose that I could make my own with various PDF editing tools and swap the covers.

However, the PDF is only available to those who have already purchased the PDF before it was removed from sale. I hope that this signals that the three core manuals for AD&D will soon be for sale again!

[UPDATE: The PDF is now for sale! – Affiliate Links]

RPGNow

DriveThruRPG

DNDClassics

[UPDATE 2: Thanks to the heads up from OSR Today, the new PHB does not contain all of the errata. See the Acaeum for the full list.]

[UPDATE 3: Collected Errata for all AD&D 1st Edition Re-Prints at Dragonsfoot.}

RPGs

New Monster – Felt Golem

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I was trying to come up with an idea for a new monster. I looked next to where the dogs sleep, and saw how much they shed. I made a comment that there was enough hair to knit a couple of new dogs and cats. One dog is “mine” – actually my youngest son’s. The other dog and the cats belong to my oldest son and his girlfriend.

Instead of knitting, I thought of making felt and then filling a felt body with loose hair.

I know that the Mongolian nomads make felt from horse hair for their tents and clothes. Felt can be made of any kind of hair.

Such a golem would be susceptible to fire, but would otherwise have the characteristics of the animal from which it is made. If made from the hair of multiple animals/sources, it would have multiple characteristics.

For example, plant fiber fabric, such as cotton, or linen, also can be felted. Bits of fabric separate when washing. How about a dryer lint golem? It would be made of cotton, and artificial fibers.

If the hair of a dog, a felt golem of larger than normal size could be constructed. Add hit dice and damage capabilities based on your rule set of choice.

Gather the hides from slain animals with fur to make any manner of felt golem.

They would move silently, being made of a soft fabric.

If combined with amber for the eyes, they could have an additional attack similar to shocking grasp, say once per turn.

Can you imagine a woolly mammoth golem with a trampling and goring attack, plus a shock attack?

If attacked with electrical attacks, it would allow them to be re-charged and make an extra shock attack.

That cute life size grizzly teddy bear will rip your arms off!

How about a room full of the things?

Lions, tigers, and bears! Oh yeah!!

How about a hell hound felt golem! The possibilities are endless!

RPGs

Celebrations

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Today is Independence Day in the United States. We celebrate with parades, picnics/barbecues, festivals, carnivals, and fireworks.

How does the town that is home base for your players celebrate its founding, or other secular or religious days?

Are there any nationwide celebrations? Are their similar yet different celebrations and traditions in neighboring nations?

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

RPGs

The Journey Home

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I traveled home yesterday by car, about 8 hours of driving from south central Illinois to south of Kalamazoo. It was interstate and highway all the way. I took a couple US and state highways for a bit to go around/avoid construction. I got to thinking about a journey of that distance in D&D.

I think it was like 350 miles or so, maybe closer to 400. At ten miles a day, walking would take 40 days! If you have ever walked 10 plus miles in a day you know how sore your feet are, if you are not used to it. If you carry a pack or any gear, you know how tired you are. Imaging doing that all the time.

When characters are walking for miles on end, we need to keep in mind the need for them to stop and rest, to avoid exhaustion. We should also keep in mind that a character with a lower constitution might have trouble staying awake for a watch. Lack of enough food and water can make one weak and more prone to dozing off as the body conserves energy.

I’m not arguing for complicated rules and tables to track this, just keep in mind if there is an encounter while traveling and it happens before they can take their next rest during their daily travel, they might be exhausted sooner. Of course, if they have enough food and water and are not injured, sick, or exhausted for some reason, such as running, they will have a natural resistance to being worn out. However, any characters with a low constitution would be hard pressed to maintain a normal/standard pace.

Age also has an effect. When I was a teenager I used to mow lawns in the high heat and humidity of Missouri summers. I would mow on days it wasn’t really safe to do so, and as long as I drank enough water, I was fine. Now, 30+ years later, I mow my yard and on hot days, I am spent if I don’t take it slow and stop to get plenty of water and a snack to keep me going.

Again I think these don’t need complicated mechanics. Just keep these in mind, for those times it makes sense. If the party has no random encounters and plenty of food and water, and gets enough rest, it won’t be an issue. Just apply the effects if they are short or out of supplies, injured, running for their lives, or short on rest.