https://www.thebluebard.com/blog daily 0.75 2025-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0ad12bed-4507-48e7-aae6-2b4f2620a3fe/discord.png https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/nessus-is-available monthly 0.5 2025-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/66deaf64-7123-4078-b006-ece960169325/09Nessus.png Blog - Nessus is Available - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5ad28f53-37cf-46cd-bc67-8253c06eb89c/09NessusCoversmall.jpg Blog - Nessus is Available - HU8i Into the Pit IX Nessus There is no happiness here, either. But the announcement may stir you to action. You can get the enormous 9th Hell on Gumroad now. Peace, and happy gaming… https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/nessus-pdf-release monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7628495a-3e00-45d0-9932-cd8e2cf69bc0/ITP09Nessus.jpg Blog - Nessus Pre-Release Blurb - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b5c0c63f-66b1-4c72-9208-022823068b23/Nessus01.png Blog - Nessus Pre-Release Blurb - Make it stand out p90-91 of ITP: ix Nessus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/250e3138-3509-4f72-9f77-e8a52c5ff3a5/the+fiald+Afleiyect.png Blog - Nessus Pre-Release Blurb You get two adventures in the main PDF, both designed for characters of 13th level or higher. The first is Worrisome Cave, where Tiamat has gotten a secret foothold in Nessus. The second is the prisons of Pulchra Mönstrum, which I’ve already touched on. Now, shifting gears a little. As some of you may know, life has taken me on a dirt road over the past couple years. There have been periods where I’ve either sat in a beanbag staring out a window night after night, or mindlessly played a video game over and over, not for the enjoyment, but to make everything else go away. Nessus was a stub back when all this started. And Maladomini (though I’m still proud of it) was kind of cut short. There were many months were Nessus sat untouched and no writing was done. I didn’t worry about it. I knew I couldn’t write unless I had to write. But then, suddenly, about a month ago, the angst of my life needed expression and I started writing again—ferociously. The subject matter is fraught. On the one hand, Hell is the perfect lens through which to express myself. I know all about Hell. And yet… https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/secret-sauce monthly 0.5 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0931c6b0-511c-4d04-b87b-92fac5a157bc/dragonscroll.png Blog - Secret Sauce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/maladomini-pdf-release monthly 0.5 2025-01-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/07a4548d-b558-420e-87a1-2388fd315c89/ITP07Maladomini.jpg Blog - Maladomini PDF Release - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0f4c7eb2-4135-49ee-b49b-a33d6cda3917/Nessus+CPage.png Blog - Maladomini PDF Release - There’s already an inDesign doc for Nessus. So being at or over the half-way mark is mentally beneficial, both in terms of personal satisfaction, relief and additionally in terms of visualizing the remaining work ahead. I can almost imagine finishing all nine Hells, which I’ve had doubts about from the very beginning. I’ve been told I shouldn’t air such concerns, but it’s part of my process. My track record has been good so far, but life throws us all curve balls. I’m not new to ambitious projects, but every ambitious project is still ambitious. Ambitious is synonymous with precarious. We cannot know the future. Therefore, I will continue as I can until I can’t. That’s the only promise I can make. With regards to Maladomini, my initial upload of the materials included a referencing error, wherein page number references were still in “XX” format. This is typically the very last thing I do before publication (search and replace all instances of XX with correct page numbers). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/690a98d7-ac74-408b-992e-2bb7747a81da/09NessusCover.jpg Blog - Maladomini PDF Release - to be continued… https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/a-plethora-of-paladins monthly 0.5 2024-11-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ecc085eb-166a-4bac-b365-ad83fd314e9f/Dragon03.PNG Blog - A Plurisy? of Paladins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/digital-bundle-sale monthly 0.5 2024-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0e713b2b-c2d0-4e04-89ec-e3350884782c/sale.jpg Blog - Digital Bundle Sale - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/22yxdr7rv9bfm4lumvz4esu6qbeck1 monthly 0.5 2024-08-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cc52e741-5a4f-4253-92fd-7554e23c0e22/PXL_20240809_125409243.jpg Blog - Unwinnable Situations - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e770cea9-6a0e-4571-86b7-e32a1e52daa9/The+Dead.jpg Blog - Unwinnable Situations - Make it stand out Xanth Lorrent did not fit on the screen grab. He died too. He was a 1st level fighter killed by Asmodeus. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/sek6b0hzgidnu0m9t327a4bi9mczi6 monthly 0.5 2024-08-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/301a5328-0a70-485a-90cf-c9d3f68fb316/bloghellsdigitalannounce.jpg Blog - Physical Copies of Hell - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/arch-devils monthly 0.5 2024-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b5dc0412-76e5-4dbb-b05c-9f5f175b33ab/PXL_20240611_133850845.jpg Blog - The Fiends - Make it stand out All 3 books. You can see my VTT in the back. That’s a TV there under the table! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cc5b03e3-a1da-4ab6-b90b-f02094798fc4/Arch+Devil+Banner.jpg Blog - The Fiends - Make it stand out Asmodeus, Baalzebul, Dispater, Geryon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6fb891e0-a423-44f2-aa88-ea56b9e17ad2/Arch+Devil+Banner+2.jpg Blog - The Fiends - Make it stand out Belial, Mammon, Mephistopheles, and in a class of her own, Tiamat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/78a72643-937d-467a-8587-7cd1e2fd3e7f/Moloch.jpg Blog - The Fiends - Make it stand out Moloch https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/down-come-the-claws monthly 0.5 2024-06-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f80209c8-b8f4-4297-a8b2-6bcc493090c7/ITP01Avernus.jpg Blog - Down Come the Claws - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6b4983a5-8cee-4f02-b736-38dd31516643/ITP03Minauros.jpg Blog - Down Come the Claws - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4228a300-6cbb-4754-8f64-9126229acd53/ITP05Stygia.jpg Blog - Down Come the Claws - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6fa0b778-525a-4029-a3f2-3291b8e8ffa9/AllCoversSmall.jpg Blog - Down Come the Claws - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1716552502948-K1YR4J3K29TJTPFV5SQT/devil+emoji.png Blog - Down Come the Claws https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/oduxl1ev9meudgoi6rczly7yayx2uo monthly 0.5 2024-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4f063206-27a0-4ea1-aaea-6c79ed413024/Gumroad+Preview.jpg Blog - The Cisrym Ta - Make it stand out Available at Gumroad https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/opi2cqyq36q6bzdnd0excn0dgnxs4d monthly 0.5 2024-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f019e644-4a64-4251-9680-1efc7d3c81fe/DarleneLColor.jpg Blog - 26 Years Later - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/we-lived monthly 0.5 2024-04-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f716cd90-1a8a-402e-a277-8c6a60090f2e/samwise.png Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out …but it wasn’t fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9d06fc08-3a5e-41fb-bed2-ac910113dd82/Sample01.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0da55b30-f851-4ee2-8c01-0874db2526c6/Sample02.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ac51ddbf-d2b5-4788-b686-b04ed240c5bd/Sample03.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/42e7cdb5-6d67-4a21-b1a8-5f038533f3a9/Sample04.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fcf26257-3ff8-4d04-9b69-c4715670d10c/Sample05.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/89ef2e12-0926-4399-925e-116d3b9724de/Sample06.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c58bf6db-8692-4c14-9b22-13f9048ad628/Sample_tt.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2b139f36-75ac-49fc-b064-be26973e6301/Sample08.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0617d662-eab5-4c4c-a928-39e143f465c1/Sample10.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/eeed3014-2148-4af5-9ca1-5e7c429da958/Sample09.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0b595fac-72c7-4612-b693-b9f41413c614/the+burninator.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/21eccff2-68f5-4f63-9b47-dbce7425dac0/AllCoversSmall.jpg Blog - We Lived… - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/add-a-counter-to-the-stack monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c27d0d20-d013-41e5-9a14-9c1a7f442a5f/add-a-counter-to-the-stack_1.png Blog - Add a Counter to the Stack - Make it stand out Force of Will by Terese Nielsen https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-sorcerer-a-5th-ed-conversion monthly 0.5 2024-04-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/efd9e106-0eee-487c-a71b-b69a89d641d1/the-sorcerer-a-5th-ed-conversion_1.jpg Blog - The Sorcerer: a 5th-ed Conversion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/we-had-a-good-run monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/pdfs-versus-physical-books monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9b9645e5-e312-4356-b495-1d69c9e25ec7/digital-banner.png Blog - PDFs versus Physical Books - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b5012658-8f9c-47e7-8cfe-d6b380c7b575/pdfs-versus-physical-books_2.jpg Blog - PDFs versus Physical Books - So. Nothing super new except the digital access to the Silver Castle. I continue work on the Hells, but there's no clear date yet for an offering. When I'm ready, I'll likely release the new material in physical form on Lulu and on gumroad at the same time. Prior to that, I'll do a proper blog post explaining what's in there so you know what you're getting. All for now. Peace, and happy gaming. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/how-much-treasure monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fa6bb07d-7329-4e3e-b534-7e94a0a97b74/how-much-treasure_1.png Blog - How Much Treasure? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/im-insane monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/10fa6b6e-bafc-4302-add5-9b23062af465/insane_1.jpg Blog - I'm Insane - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bc95424d-7728-43a9-a366-724a540bc7bb/insane_2.jpg Blog - I'm Insane - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/merry-christmas monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/99e10d9e-68b5-4321-b81a-1129ad73e87f/merry-christmas_1.png Blog - Merry Christmas - Make it stand out "Forgive us father. We've been snorting lines of D&D all night." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b5cc4be1-5c83-4aee-8647-52f8e0b3b2cc/merry-christmas_2.png Blog - Merry Christmas - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/adampd-unarmed-combat monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e5f6f458-60ea-4a83-bfb7-80180f077b42/add-unarmed-combat_1.png Blog - AD&D Unarmed Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9384c545-20d8-4191-b4ff-edfda2e29a5a/add-unarmed-combat_2.png Blog - AD&D Unarmed Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1051968e-4b62-45ae-9b6b-99d5d5b305a1/add-unarmed-combat_3.png Blog - AD&D Unarmed Combat - Look what happens if you do that: Initiative is rolled: Blinky rolls a 5 and Peedlebum rolls a 2. This means Blinky goes first and gets 4 segments to act. He uses two segments to close and attacks Peedlebum on segment 3. He hits and deals 4 dmg. At the end of segment 3 Blinky Blinks. Roll 1d8 to determine direction. If Blinky blinks 5' AWAY from Peedlebum, Peedlebum will NOT meet the criteria for being able to attack Blinky at BOTH locations. Therefore, with one die roll you quickly assess whether Blink protects the Blinker or not. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/primal-order-conversions-for-adampd-andother-news monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/14669e01-56d7-438c-a6b6-690f0d694927/primal-order-conversions_1.jpg Blog - Primal Order Conversions for AD&D and..."Other" News - Make it stand out dang it https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/72fbac23-82e3-42c8-8a00-a8076c971467/primal-order-conversions_2.png Blog - Primal Order Conversions for AD&D and..."Other" News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d580fd45-a056-4cf9-ae99-93ee164cadf6/primal-order-conversions_3.png Blog - Primal Order Conversions for AD&D and..."Other" News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/10d40eb8-f763-4d1a-a19f-f0e6fe142916/primal-order-conversions_4.png Blog - Primal Order Conversions for AD&D and..."Other" News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/30a443c4-c7e3-4457-9124-10cc36f15f07/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_1.gif Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5d7a56f5-05b5-4e1a-bbf6-ae515b7b0ba2/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_2.jpg Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out sample content https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/56cea61f-15e1-45d6-82ef-62324ce3a80e/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_3.jpg Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Limited Edition Orange | "Milk and Blood" Main Module | Appendix and Compendium | Tables and Handouts | Maps & Extras https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/282770cd-5bc2-41d3-9778-49df1a52692e/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_4.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out SPOILER: Full Color Spread from the Limited Edition https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bff9d7fa-219c-4307-bed2-119324ffacc2/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_5.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/059a3ac3-6fcf-427f-b364-1f9066e41871/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_6.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/23853ebc-1102-43b1-957b-1ada13d9c652/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_7.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c81a0241-7f2e-436b-862a-15ea25842028/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_8.jpg Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/61b8fdde-c3c7-494d-9453-03f18d22a6b2/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_9.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8326136a-d036-4ac4-a116-708cf21b656a/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_10.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8e445710-0279-4a71-ada5-ebce3ee75da8/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_11.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Woonsocket is the mid-size town and one potential starting location for the campaign https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5bf782ec-5c5e-40e8-8a09-06434cffa10e/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_12.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Orenmir, Dragon Slayer, in short-sword form https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/80bd0132-684c-4003-b5e8-ae795e2f82b6/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_13.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out At the Silver Castle 8/28/23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/beb3497c-1dd2-4c92-9df8-b24921027ffa/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_14.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out At the Silver Castle 9/4/23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/efde8e1c-0bd9-462d-98ba-2d9ff05d6aef/castle-of-the-silver-prince-release-day_15.gif Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Release Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/castle-of-the-silver-prince-sept-1st monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/eb77f18a-759a-4125-a6c5-8d282e9d66e0/castle-of-the-silver-prince-sept_1.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Sept 1st - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/castle-of-the-silver-prince-proofs-ordered monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/72c55f4d-25f4-4c8b-af27-e1c439939fb8/castle-of-the-silver-prince-proofs_1.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Proofs Ordered - Make it stand out Yes, I weighed it. It's nearly 5 lbs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/50a3bfbc-3150-463c-a50c-af8f548e7275/castle-of-the-silver-prince-proofs_2.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Proofs Ordered - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c8fe13b4-5ca8-4fb4-a3fb-35b5ef207823/castle-of-the-silver-prince-proofs_3.png Blog - Castle of the Silver Prince Proofs Ordered - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/give-it-to-me-straight monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4e62326f-8ec6-4dc1-aa02-b26ff3e92eba/give-it-to-me-straight_1.jpg Blog - Give it to Me Straight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bd9a3777-028d-49ce-b5f7-a54df7473328/give-it-to-me-straight_2.png Blog - Give it to Me Straight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/marmoreal-tomb-not-a-review monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ed697b52-60d8-42d9-a135-6c5aeec4aef6/marmoreal-tomb_1.png Blog - Marmoreal Tomb: Not a Review - Make it stand out The Marmoreal Tomb by E. Gygax and B. Poire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/88a906e2-7409-44e9-b977-e4d9d0767fd8/marmoreal-tomb_2.jpg Blog - Marmoreal Tomb: Not a Review - Make it stand out Risking life and limb https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c78f0b60-07e6-4711-90d4-59d191c6f078/marmoreal-tomb_3.png Blog - Marmoreal Tomb: Not a Review - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/running-your-first-ad-d-campaign monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/13b2a675-2598-425d-a761-aa47d76f689c/running-your-first-campaign_1.jpg Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/57e4a046-1f3c-440b-921d-05bf0d853877/running-your-first-campaign_2.png Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/675ad8b9-c57b-4eb6-b492-62a555c671e0/running-your-first-campaign_3.jpg Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b3104d89-5400-47c2-87e1-28f162f823f4/running-your-first-campaign_4.png Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/edd12cec-5c60-401d-a410-2985cfc71db2/running-your-first-campaign_5.png Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d4ea7ae1-2581-4aae-a002-780a9ff1d775/running-your-first-campaign_6.jpg Blog - Running Your First AD&D Campaign - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/murder-hobos-amp-xp-driving-behavior monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/dbe2843f-5566-4584-9dd1-b2571eebb163/murder-hobos_1.jpg Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/32d7709a-99b5-4ee2-8be4-4d40901fdbca/murder-hobos_2.png Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - Could there be some meta-morality to Paladins' wealth restrictions? An answer to why accumulation doesn't pay them the same dividends as it does thieves? No. Pointless and probably not. Especially when you realize how lax those restrictions really are (extolling paladinic altruism in one breath while nullifying it the next): https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6d721794-61c0-429c-9eb9-1aecd55d1f1b/murder-hobos_3.png Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5831adf1-ed97-4f06-8f7e-d86e1e470cc5/murder-hobos_4.png Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - E.g.: Give me1,000 GP for whatever is in this mystery box. Oh and by the way, whatever is in the box is probably nearly as valuable [or] possibly more valuable than 1,000 GP. Extrapolation: If you keep this artifact, which is super powerful, you know all its powers. But you could also give it to NPC A----because you think he'll do X with it [or] you could destroy it because you think NPC A will then (fill in the blank). The fallout from either choice could include a host of non-trivial benefits and compensations, none of which are in perfect focus at the onset, but IMPLY a deep impact on both PCs and the game world for many years to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/06cca3cb-de2a-4ed1-a362-1718b6e7ec33/murder-hobos_5.png Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - Players who renege more than once or otherwise seek to game your system should be obvious as the squirrels raiding your birdfeeders. You can decide whether you want to play with them regularly. "I don't get it, Anthony, this seems like much ado about nothing. What's the advantage here? What are you talking about?" Alas, subtlety often exists at the center of a Ven diagram where the confluence of many factors create a goldilocks zone, the benefits of which might go unnoticed until suddenly, someone somewhere does the TED Talk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/38dd4d1a-700d-4ae5-b275-cd7a63e2b462/murder-hobos_6.png Blog - Murder Hobos & XP: Driving Behavior - And this where I've been steering this blog post all along. Experience Points should not fall into player's laps à la gravity. They should be awarded with precision. And sometimes the opportunity should be taken to award them with additional intrigue. The tension that connects all systems in AD&D is sometimes dismissed as punitive and unimportant. I have learned that is seldom the case. Things that at first SEEM punitive are often just impulses, a sudden lull in the wind on a hot day for example that finally prods you out of your chair on the patio and toward the choice of a lemonade or a margarita. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ogl-time-is-a-flat-circle monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/99c5bc91-85fc-4db1-8196-6963b2ad2132/ogl-time-is-a-flat-circle_1.png Blog - OGL: Time is a Flat Circle - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/what-would-gary-do monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5a0eaefc-4c0a-4b66-9e9e-31bb8ebb5fd6/what-would-gary-do_1.png Blog - What Would Gary Do? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a03b608c-3abc-42e7-a703-16a611a3933c/what-would-gary-do_2.png Blog - What Would Gary Do? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/zjelwyin-fall-ai-art monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d1a703be-062c-420a-8c51-43e4abcb4830/zjelwyin-fall-ai-art_1.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall AI Art - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6fdd2ce5-6771-4b92-9050-1c5bac99bc54/zjelwyin-fall-ai-art_2.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall AI Art - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0d95f2e2-03a1-4aac-8960-7b82006c7887/zjelwyin-fall-ai-art_3.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall AI Art - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/sell-them-a-bee-deliver-a-butterfly monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f8385d30-ec15-4d66-877d-bd60ae1c4ca7/sell-them-a-bee_1.png Blog - Sell Them a Bee, Deliver a Butterfly - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b7817ea7-8bf8-4740-9d7b-18e8f7e97c9a/sell-them-a-bee_2.jpg Blog - Sell Them a Bee, Deliver a Butterfly - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1bc8457a-ffbf-4db9-b116-cbcb6877f31b/sell-them-a-bee_3.png Blog - Sell Them a Bee, Deliver a Butterfly - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/madness monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ff6c9474-a24d-4cb8-a535-b0f067689654/madness.png Blog - Madness - Make it stand out My Statue of the One True God https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ed1fa9bd-2777-4712-bbea-d1aa93c6c13c/madness_2.png Blog - Madness - Both groups' initial session consisted of rolling up characters. Some of the players are novices, some are veterans. Almost half have never played 1st Edition AD&D before. The others immediately noticed the addition of a peculiar stat on the character sheet. Sanity. I detailed this new mechanic here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/36877704-428f-4c93-b70a-9b568aea6fd3/madness_3.png Blog - Madness - Make it stand out The PC Stable for Both Cohorts Arranged by Sanity https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/site-membership-requests monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6e3878c2-84a0-428d-9eb7-834942b3a010/site-membership-requests_1.png Blog - Site Membership Requests - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/decapuses-and-ruby-blades monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/55b3ff59-beed-4a8d-b154-6c8b40356680/decapuses-and-ruby-blades_1.jpg Blog - Decapuses and Ruby Blades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/designing-big monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/af93146a-ca10-47d7-b935-58afeed308dd/designing-big_1.png Blog - Designing Big - Make it stand out Tabletop Kingdoms https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/513fad0b-b010-498f-a450-03b34489dbd8/designing-big_2.png Blog - Designing Big - Make it stand out Unmarked Regional Map (made w/ Inkarnate) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c5a3f8c2-d023-49bd-9da4-dc7b88f81dff/designing-big_3.png Blog - Designing Big - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/dee92e74-30e2-40dc-8434-25b5f3629a43/designing-big_4.jpg Blog - Designing Big - Make it stand out Example of NPC entry in the excel spreadsheet, sortable by each category https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9d02b0fd-2e16-4d01-ae30-d6974793bf0e/designing-big_5.png Blog - Designing Big - Random tables additionally point to trailhead clues, further helping ensure reasonable odds of Player exposure to the spiderweb of relationships. I have rumor tables, yes, but I've also sprinkled the encounter tables with NPCs who know specific information. These instructional-card style [or] bread crumbing methods (combined with my big-picture document) I presumed would be sufficient to see me through. And yet, I was still overwhelmed. I needed to know things I didn't yet know about the dungeon, which required me to step back and look at it holistically once again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d346daba-eb4f-4ed7-aad0-eb8d42f7f2d1/designing-big_6.png Blog - Designing Big - Thus, my location keys contain almost NO stat blocks and instead simply reference the number and type of monster. All text then pertains to the whats and whys of the monster as well as its tactics. The goal is to have the Key open and then have the Compendium open next to it. The Key will remind me of all the critical details of the location and setting and point me to the compendium for specifics of monster stat-blocks and new treasures. I feel like this has been useful, for example, since both S4 (and GDQ 1-7's booklet that specifically condenses all the monsters). Point of trivia, it's Queen of the Spiders that provides me with my rule for Giant Slug spit damage! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d93266cb-223e-4932-aa42-6ca41aae7f01/designing-big_7.png Blog - Designing Big - Make it stand out One of the City Maps (made w/ Inkarnate) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2c0efef4-c6c6-4f38-8ceb-e8de81b3e08b/designing-big_8.jpg Blog - Designing Big - Once I had my map keyed, I then created a document that provided entries for all the keys. By doing this, I can now search the document quickly and drop in references as I go. So, for example, if there is a tower that overlooks a battlement and I think it likely that arrows will be fired from the tower onto the battlement, I note this in the key for the battlement and reference the key for the tower. Then I quickly search for the key to the tower and drop in a single sentence that there must be some archers here that might fire on PCs at (ref the key to the battlement). I don't flesh out the tower key yet because I am busy with the battlement and with all the details and cataloging thereof. But later, when I get around to the tower, I will have a sketch there waiting to remind me. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ravens-fell-heraldry monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c08c50a8-9ff4-4064-be8e-635335ffb7ee/00.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/af3342a7-5cbf-4ed0-93b0-2ceaaa3792e3/01.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/96c3fa13-e06d-4357-b2e7-c894b8b52531/02.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b4093161-24f5-4ab0-8474-b7ed78036fbd/03.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/88682135-7fe4-4490-93d3-f366867ce5eb/04.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/708907cb-2c24-4a2c-adc5-36104bb14eeb/05.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/98ea35d8-f5fd-41ab-86ed-2e2f223ed292/06.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6511bd06-b06c-4910-8d5b-2093d32ce79a/07.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/718524cd-5021-42d3-b442-59f5a08f369d/08.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9caf8dd8-0c8c-4f3a-b03c-9686aee9a001/09.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/734c05fa-a0dc-455b-8aec-d377d739fb71/10.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b7b93565-dc43-48a1-8a45-9a3fff9b7795/11.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d8317fb6-130e-4316-b1b0-6ef6639681d6/12.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d9b5a9f0-6b66-47fc-8afd-0cfdfca309b0/13.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e9671253-ad43-4378-abd2-12ec1e11e6db/14.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/af6d4868-c8a5-4057-9163-2da4e9d78e55/15.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f4fc7522-2fa0-4582-a07e-003080d28f6f/16.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6839b329-caec-424f-92fb-4737595f01f9/17.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6853dd4e-fa99-49a1-8ec5-e733d63186d3/18.png Blog - Ravens Fell Heraldry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/content-is-overrated monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/167e2842-4e6b-43c5-8a9b-63b98a49f11a/content-is-overrated_1.png Blog - Content is Overrated - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/589a49f8-11b8-4514-aea7-40152358147c/content-is-overrated_2.png Blog - Content is Overrated - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b762d706-d6bb-4ea1-a9e0-e6bbf5b5833b/content-is-overrated_3.png Blog - Content is Overrated - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4baede8d-d54a-4656-a850-19781970d595/content-is-overrated_4.png Blog - Content is Overrated - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/what-happens-in-the-abyss monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a59fa783-10fa-4388-b171-ff3c2d8a351a/what-happens-in-the-abyss_1.jpg Blog - What Happens in the Abyss... - Make it stand out you hope it stays in the Abyss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fa98d26e-153c-487a-8f84-7b20a09af109/what-happens-in-the-abyss_2.png Blog - What Happens in the Abyss... - Make it stand out thanks, steve, for this capture https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/41ec5e64-442c-42c3-9459-9a6d79b38dec/what-happens-in-the-abyss_3.jpg Blog - What Happens in the Abyss... - Epic. What comes next? Four months off for me. The new campaign will be called "Ravens Fell" and we'll kick it off on July 27th (of course) after I've done a lot more work. It's been a blast to play with Wishes, and Time Stops. It's been epic to see AD&D hold up at that very high level of play against the nay-sayer's, and witness just how lethal the game is even to characters of 17th level and up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9f073e63-640b-48f6-84b6-6ef31615cfd7/what-happens-in-the-abyss_4.png Blog - What Happens in the Abyss... - For her devotion (and excellent roleplaying) the cleric, Evanore, was ascended to godling status: 100 points of base, using the Primal Order rules. She will certainly become a major persona in the world. Speaking of Evanore, Steve kept a detailed journal of the adventures beginning at the time the group departed the Prime Material in the Sepulcher of Isartes, chronicling the City of Brass and the descent to the Abyss. It is a large body of text and a feat of player dedication in its own right. He gave me the journal at the end of the night and I will cherish it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/aad57472-d054-48eb-9884-9038caa9def5/what-happens-in-the-abyss_5.jpg Blog - What Happens in the Abyss... - Just look at that meticulous handwriting: But now, we will begin again. At level zero. On Gary's birthday. And we will see where it goes from there. As always, peace and happy gaming https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-journey-is-all-you-have monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/37ae2c5f-9f81-41ca-9851-98a89d93725c/the-journey-is-all-you-have_1.png Blog - The Journey is All You Have - Make it stand out Environs of the Silver Castle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c19e0caa-6fc8-4919-9e86-0baf8de2ba36/the-journey-is-all-you-have_2.png Blog - The Journey is All You Have - Our love of maps, I think, is based on our love of journeys. Yes, you sat on the Throne of the Gods. But that was not your destination after all. It was, strangely, just a place to rest your legs. The dungeon master's responsibility is enormous and serious, because he or she is at the helm of forging memories that players will ever after remember for good or ill. Sometimes that is easy to forget during discrete, often intense moments of play. But the journey is the only memory that will last and that is true for the dungeon master as well. And this is why I always say that if you are having fun, you are doing it right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b2fbf2f6-f769-4fed-8c24-18d52bf9872b/the-journey-is-all-you-have_3.png Blog - The Journey is All You Have - I plan to give a recap of how the adventure ends and who, if anyone, survives. After that, I will, at some point, release the PDF version of the adventure...but I make no promises on when that will be. But aside from this, I have no plans for blog posts. So, between now and then and whenever... take care of your players. Be kind. And remember the journey is what matters most. Peace. And happy gaming. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/design-principles monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/393e3c37-ca47-4bba-bd09-ad4d77fc8f27/design-principles_1.png Blog - Design Principles - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0fa1b0b0-7bdf-4018-88a6-cd9413fa31c2/design-principles_2.png Blog - Design Principles - The disparity, or perhaps I should say the haphazard way, in which Monster Level was assigned in AD&D can be experienced viscerally, for example, when you cast Monster Summoning I and prepare to roll on the list of available monsters (DMG p222). Your stomach immediately wrenches and you want to fudge your roll for a Manes Demon (which has 3 attacks per round, spell immunities and requires +1 or better weapons to-hit) vs uh....yeah...that giant rat you just rolled. But hey, we're not here to discuss what doesn't work----nor are we here to modify the Monster Summoning tables in the DMG. We're here for solutions to one of the toughest parts of being a DM (probably for ANY edition): how do you design encounters at the right level of challenge? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/751a7dba-87a5-4792-9f21-74f4eb04b281/design-principles_3.png Blog - Design Principles - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/zero-level monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5234abf5-810d-4837-a2c6-aab0ae99e006/zero-level_1.png Blog - Zero Level - Make it stand out You are NOT the one with the knife https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6afa739b-193e-4ec1-bba5-5cdb884a86af/zero-level_2.png Blog - Zero Level - Without skill checks (which I personally loathe) use DM fiat to magnify the sorts of things a Trade Background might allow. A vestal, for example, might know deep religious lore, the schedules of the local church, which doors are locked, where the keys are located and where the valuables are kept. Sounds like this vestal turned over a naughty leaf... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/be9347ac-ed8a-4252-a87a-33548e2d2980/zero-level_3.jpg Blog - Zero Level - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/unearthing-a-colossus monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/16d902f6-661e-4db4-bca4-01c6a26a8c5b/unearthing-a-colossus_1.png Blog - Unearthing a Colossus - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ad-d-aerial-combat monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4103612b-91ca-4545-b367-35ff6cf8ff70/aeriel-combat_1.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Keith Parkinson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7ee99a24-070e-4fb2-ae98-86af92ff3c2d/aeriel-combat_2.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Here are the essentials. Short version: No one should attempt aerial combat; but hey, if you are riding a griffon you are probably OK until it gets charmed or paralyzed. Long version starts here with Maneuverability. The gist is that all fliers can climb 1 hex in elevation per 3 hexes traveled [or] dive 1 hex in elevation per 1 hex traveled. Maneuverability Class A is excluded from this and can ascend or dive vertically if they so choose. For simplicity sake, the way to run this system during an actual game is as follows: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/595562f7-0244-4bae-9b9e-e6435410ec2a/aeriel-combat_3.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Initiative: Dragon rolls 3 | Couatl rolls 5; Couatl chooses for Dragon to move first https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/97c8537f-d04d-4f37-b08a-49ba880ce4e6/aeriel-combat_4.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out After the dragon moves 3 hexes, the couatl moves 3 hexes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/eb10eff9-f36f-4249-8da3-fe4e4e168bc8/aeriel-combat_5.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out The dragon moves 3 hexes and climbs 1 hex to match the couatl https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/922547da-e4a1-49f1-9f1f-e0fcf4f05bd4/aeriel-combat_6.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out The couatl moves another 3 hexes, then the dragon finishes its move https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/05b97954-5939-4c19-b96d-a3c51b9e0ae5/aeriel-combat_7.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Couatl wins and decides to move first; it ascends vertically https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b41482c7-3792-4ac4-8e74-d39d57d542c9/aeriel-combat_8.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Boring! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/90a124bc-2e28-4b4b-8867-6fc558595386/aeriel-combat_8_1.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2f23efbc-756d-4296-ad73-c9d6058d0932/aeriel-combat_9.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Clearly Dragon vs Couatl is the worst sort of match-up but it illustrates HOW to plot AD&D's aerial system in a way that won't turn your brain to jelly. I believe there is a very sound argument that goes like this: If all participants are airborne, do not roll dice for initiative. Give it instead to the flier with the HIGHEST MV SPEED. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/863a108e-9a56-4acc-ac33-187daefa9f82/aeriel-combat_10.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cbccba84-48f3-4937-845d-24f936f91385/aeriel-combat_11.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b4ef37b1-4514-45d4-ae0d-d96c514fb075/aeriel-combat_12.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Most charts prove that evasion is highly likely! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/28400b90-1f22-495a-bd0e-8750510592af/aeriel-combat_13.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c36f94d9-201c-47e8-82f3-a52ae04a3430/aeriel-combat_14.jpg Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - Make it stand out Gold Dragon vs Pit Fiend! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c8f29648-4270-4bf7-8d2a-5811fa969fcd/aeriel-combat_15.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - A battle with an Air Elemental whilst standing on a Flying Carpet is almost certain to end badly. The elemental will track directly to the carpet and, I would rule, attempt to shred it. (I'd likely fiat a Cloth vs Acid save b/c I think the Elemental can shred cloth with about the same power. Applying a +2 (because the carpet is magical) means the carpet would need a 10 or higher to avoid destruction). Thus, once again, Player Characters with an ounce of sanity will try to land immediately or possibly even jump off if they have access to feather fall and the like. The short of it, is that aerial combat is, well... short indeed and does not fit into the standard combat round. It is rather about movement and position and, as I run it, simultaneous exchanges of missiles, magic or blows when range allows. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8b26b884-23c7-4f8a-890e-1292efc7cadd/aeriel-combat_16.png Blog - AD&D Aerial Combat - My guess is that I adhere FAR more rigorously to "holy writ" than they ever saw reason to. I'm intentionally doing something different. My whole shtick is finding a way to adhere to the books while also keeping the pace fast and simple. Still, poor magic-users. The rules hate them. Even with my lenient method of counting casting time from beginning of round, they get interrupted quite frequently. Which is why I propose (for aerial combat) the 1 segment spell allowance. Allowing them to squeeze off only the simplest of spells during flight gives them a modicum of self-reliance outside of magical devices. In AD&D, fighters are KING by default. In my opinion, you have to throw casters a bone now and again, sometimes through encounter design; sometimes with fiat or house rulings. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/say-yes-to-the-players monthly 0.5 2024-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/43f520a1-1d82-4805-bf90-690b10238588/say-yes-to-the-players_1.jpg Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Make it stand out Players Want to Do Crazy Things https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/145e5cb6-ca8f-4273-abd6-20e14e8ca85a/say-yes-to-the-players_2.jpg Blog - Say Yes to the Players - It's easy. But as a DM you have to master this before you can move on to harder stuff. Novice DM: "Buy hey man, this dungeon is all traps! The cleric is only 5th level but with her WIS bonus she memorized FIVE Find Trap Spells! This is going to ruin the adventure!" Me: "Why will it ruin the adventure? It sounds to me like if the dungeon is truly 100% traps, the best thing to do is mop it up quick. Something like: 'You bypass trap after trap and finally reach the treasure. How are you planning to carry it all out?'" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/94d102fe-a00a-4032-8106-760462ff7474/say-yes-to-the-players_3.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Number A) You were the brain that opted for a mono-dimensional threat, right? Number B) When a student (player) is exceptionally bright they pass out of Algebra 1 and 2...but then go straight on to harder maths, right? I.e. The players mop up your failed trap dungeon in 10 to 15 minutes and return to town with the treasure. You dole out XP, and folks level up. But while training, word has spread of the great haul and the prowess of the party that bypassed all those traps. Count Kownt has sent for them and now requires (instead of assessing a treasure tax on their recent spoils) to delve a distant ruin in the Salt Wastes of Yen and bring back the Diamond Skull of Kosh. Rumor has it, the ruins are rife with hideous traps----which should be of little consequence to the party (says the Count). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/25d304c2-87c4-493b-b946-4c5f688ac33d/say-yes-to-the-players_4.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Break it down: The players feel cool because they think they cheated. They got the credits for the dungeon and whooped it up when they leveled. But now...what's this? Count Kownt is ORDERING them to tackle more traps? Hm. Why do we have a bad feeling about this? And well the players should suspect the worst, for that is what is coming. Your campaign is https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a47722de-5441-4d0c-aa74-e53856ccccaf/say-yes-to-the-players_5.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - not one dungeon. At least I hope not. When players bypass a monster, a trap or a dungeon let them revel. The honeymoon is short. And there are rivers of tears ahead. You will spend a good deal of the session leveling, re-outfitting, gathering some details about the Salt Wastes of Yen and then the party might set out. You are a proficient Dungeon Master, so the journey to the Ruins will take time. Fill the rest of the session with overland adventures as they trek across the wastes. When the night is done, focus your energies on prepping for the next session. Grab a random map off the internet and bullet point the dungeon. The ruins will be thin on actual traps but thick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f152f87b-8db9-4b24-b6a4-6e0a943b5c80/say-yes-to-the-players_6.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - with illusions of traps or other obstacles. The cleric will dismay at first that her Find Trap spell is much less useful here. But she will adjust. There are always harder maths. And because there are always harder maths, saying yes to the players costs you nothing. Allow them to capitalize on every spell and https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bb9419e0-59c6-468a-86de-7f84d7c6ca94/say-yes-to-the-players_7.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - device and special ability. You MUST head into your career as a DM so-steeled, knowing that this will transpire. And that is why your dungeon must be worse than you think they can bear. You want them to cast Prot from Evil! You want them to NEED Prot from Evil in order to survive. When Protection from Evil, ESP, Locate Object, Clairvoyance, Find Trap and Invisibility only achieve incremental gains, your dungeon is diabolical in the right ways. Let me tell you a story from a game session that happened very recently. Stone Tell. PHB p52. This 6th level bad boy states, "The stones will relate complete descriptions as required." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/696deed8-f1bd-4d53-afa4-bd640b8ab4d5/say-yes-to-the-players_8.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - The cleric, before she was killed by devils, cast this on a section of wall very near the treasury in the City of Brass that contained Queen Ehlissa's Marvelous Nightingale. Like literally just the other side of the wall. It was the first time Evanore, the cleric, had ever cast the spell. I laid it out for them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b070cc14-416f-4b32-848c-c9d8ce57c2f8/say-yes-to-the-players_9.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - The stones revealed the false treasury, the secret door, the method of opening it, what was behind it, the trap there, how to defuse it, the real treasury underneath and the contents thereof. I think the players were a little blown away at the level of detail I poured out for them. But they had cast a SIXTH LEVEL SPELL at just the right location. Did they not deserve the win? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d3fc09eb-3ca0-4839-9e8e-c2ea19463e28/say-yes-to-the-players_10.jpg Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/274ca7c1-5088-40b0-8e00-bcc4740ee88d/say-yes-to-the-players_11.jpg Blog - Say Yes to the Players - When you nerf----when you say no----the thing you are nerfing is interest in your own game. Every no carries enormous weight. With every no you are teaching your players that being actively engaged with what is happening is unimportant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8156cac7-0394-432c-84f1-0a4a779a392f/say-yes-to-the-players_12.png Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Say yes. You are not setting the stage for degenerate play that crutches on the same tired solutions time and again, UNLESS you do nothing to change the rhythm. If your players have a system for bypassing pit traps 100% of the time, why are you still throwing pit traps at them? Why are you playing the same note time and again? Heat Metal worked great on the recalcitrant palace guards...much less so on the comely enchantress and her trained jaguars. I throw an occasional pit trap not to actually kill the party (though if it does, it serves them right) but to remind them of the hazardous profile of the place they are in. I don't expect PCs to die on pit traps. I expect them, especially at high level, to breeze over them. The pit trap shifts from hazard to scenery in this manner. Much like orcs (even 100 of them) switch from hazard to scenery for a party of 10th level fighters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/551d1760-dd10-45fc-9e72-7827242d9563/say-yes-to-the-players_13.jpg Blog - Say Yes to the Players - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/dont-everyone-rush-at-once monthly 0.5 2024-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/27c609f6-d1d2-4e49-91af-8a99962c388c/dont-everyone-rush-in_1.png Blog - Don't Everyone Rush At Once - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/76753855-575e-4f28-ad6e-e96f39b17130/dont-everyone-rush-in_2.png Blog - Don't Everyone Rush At Once - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e578266a-059c-4874-b2bb-de56a33d87e3/dont-everyone-rush-in_3.png Blog - Don't Everyone Rush At Once - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/44016e0a-001c-4774-b3ee-fdc393abee2c/dont-everyone-rush-in_4.png Blog - Don't Everyone Rush At Once - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/world-of-adummim-the-silver-temple monthly 0.5 2024-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/605f6e9a-a6e3-4601-b2f7-8fc20738bb4c/silver-temple_1.png Blog - World of Adummim: The Silver Temple - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1a72bcc0-ebd0-4c39-bdb5-e36f70ce9b60/silver-temple_2.png Blog - World of Adummim: The Silver Temple - Make it stand out The Sultanate's Southern (Wealthy) Region https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1b4a23b1-1b9f-4bea-b79c-47adfdca025f/silver-temple_3.png Blog - World of Adummim: The Silver Temple - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6c873571-30af-44c8-aaa3-c2f7e9815562/silver-temple_4.png Blog - World of Adummim: The Silver Temple - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/world-of-adummim-ormolu-amp-dreaming-tower monthly 0.5 2024-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fdeffd6e-6990-4982-8871-10d7defdecb6/ormolu-kickoff_1.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out one hex = 24 miles https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/df1f94e7-8ddd-4931-86d3-b8010a10d61e/ormolu-kickoff_2.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out note the kooky direction of true north https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e3800fa6-9745-4cb1-9ec1-4bcb20d12de4/ormolu-kickoff_3.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/85f1046d-559b-4190-982e-220dab21b4bc/ormolu-kickoff_4.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Ever since, the Buxom Moon has remained a fixture for the players, even after the campaign moved 20 years into the future and Ruby Stone had long died at Jacobugoth in the Marches on the obsidian axe of Etalnoch, the Ghnall King. So the Kingdom of Ormolu is the place where it all started and Sanctuary became home base, with player choices helping flesh out the establishments and NPCs. I'll now dive into the setting a little bit for the sake of showcasing both the world and what sort of premise I used to kick off my campaign in 2014: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f311a89c-4c36-44fa-bcea-a8ec86f44b02/ormolu-kickoff_5.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - The City of Sanctuary rests at the southern edge of Ormolu. Pale domes and spires throng with bird shapes.. The city stands on rocky outcrops at the intersection of three different terrain types. To the west rise the mountains, where the ruins of a mining town called Copper Grove slowly fall apart. To the north and east the bronze leaf trees spread their enormous shadows over meadows and lakes. To the South and west the vast expanse of the March land opens up: an undulant expanse of wind-tossed grass and wild flowers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/74aabd16-8696-43f3-9007-2b4a912ae40b/ormolu-kickoff_6.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/349bb986-4784-4fa9-958e-e5ca323c9a47/ormolu-kickoff_7.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cb9525ca-0157-4515-b26c-cd53b227224c/ormolu-kickoff_8.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/11787174-a89a-4e57-a856-f265e543270b/ormolu-kickoff_9.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1a791e62-2e7a-4d3a-b341-4c06319f7662/ormolu-kickoff_10.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/81dc6955-a4a7-4eed-87ca-2b41cb588d39/ormolu-kickoff_11.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2d1617be-93d3-4bf4-8e8d-7b5420334ebf/ormolu-kickoff_12.png Blog - World of Adummim: Ormolu & Dreaming Tower - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/qiov83i7peigftrn23hl1rw46qwmgm monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8af82c70-3e12-40c2-8569-0dbf7b916b4b/characters-in-third-person_1.png Blog - Characters in Third Person - Make it stand out image by Virgil Finlay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2a31a993-0eee-4f91-b3dc-514d1058d62b/characters-in-third-person_2.jpg Blog - Characters in Third Person - When a character is possessed or replaced by a doppelganger, it is often in the DM's interest to continue as if nothing is out of the ordinary, allowing the player to continue role-playing and therefore supporting the "disguise" until camp is made and the changeling's turn for watch comes up. Only then is the horrible truth known. Fairness is of course paramount in all such considerations with occasional checks made to discover the ruse before it is too late. The fact remains that what a player knows and what her character knows are analogous but often not equal. Likewise what a character feels and what a player feels are in no way the same, nor should they be. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ccc71166-c21f-4dfc-8ab6-1dcf221a81f5/characters-in-third-person_3.png Blog - Characters in Third Person - Example: "When you enter the foyer, the graying but svelte and impeccably dressed man behind the desk hurriedly returns his boots to the floor and brushes a few crumbs of dirt from the desktop. His demeanor is warm and genuine and he smiles charmingly...though you do notice him glance at [character name] with a trace of what might be described as animal interest. His words are perfectly silver as he welcomes you to the inn and insists that he is completely at your service." Certainly there's nothing about the interaction above that should be off-putting even if delivered in first person----unless the DM wants to clarify that while Jeeves' may have amorous interest in one character, nothing of the sort exists between the DM and the player running that character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/408082cc-98a4-4049-a21f-74bd5cb66d44/characters-in-third-person_4.jpg Blog - Characters in Third Person - Strict adherence to first person can bring about misunderstanding. If you say what you do and hide the reason you do it...you can come across as a douche. Other players may wonder whether you are role playing or just causing problems. But if you make sure to qualify your actions (even when you believe the character would not feel comfortable explaining) by giving clues to the emotions behind the action, other players will be able to pick up on these and thereby might be more willing to engage with the mystery. All of this is pretty basic, common sense stuff. But for the novice DM trying to manage a group of people for the first time, maybe it can help keep your game from straying into the weeds. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/dreams-of-darkness monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1db7c2e0-9b89-45d7-b0de-533b6dc6f8d7/dreams-of-darkness_1.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Final Cover Spread: extra space is for wrap, since it's going to be 8½ x 11 Hard Cover. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cbd59712-61a3-45e4-ac9b-fff353f3ad1f/dreams-of-darkness_2.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - I hope you like it as much as I do. Valin Mattheis is responsible for the cover and 90% of the interior illustrations. (if you care: major spoilers ahead) Tackling a project like this is such a challenge because of the weight of a personality like the Prince of the Undead. As a kid, I stared at those images Dave Sutherland III churned out and even now, they have such gravity. I wonder if he ever realized how those simple drawings came to form the bedrock of a legendary pantheon of nightmares. Nightmares with a very particular feel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6c83efde-5f25-48ae-84a2-d0c34373ab02/dreams-of-darkness_3.png Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/befa3acb-4b71-4ad4-a7e2-29333e5efb1a/dreams-of-darkness_4.png Blog - Dreams of Darkness - What's Inside? A Demonic Treatise covering demons in general from a 1st edition perspective How mortals get to the Abyss Demonic status How demons are made and unmade How demons die and how demonic amulets get used Rules for demonic abduction Demonic treasure and barter advice Abyssal weather, hazards and "plants" Rules for role playing in the Abyss A Demonic Perspective on the Multiverse Warrens of the Prince (key for map one) Court of Orcus (key for map two) High Temple Prisons (key for map three) Spires of Damnation (key for map four) The Prince's Duel (detailing Orcus' potential fight w/ Demogorgon) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b725f2a5-03d4-4399-84fa-b170d5a2dd9b/dreams-of-darkness_5.png Blog - Dreams of Darkness - NPC sheets for Orcus & Demogorgon Support for The Primal Order variant (by Peter Adkison) if you want to make the battle more epic 65 ??? new objects, spells and monsters in the appendix Random Undead Table that collates nearly all 1st Edition AD&D undead in one place w/ their sources Gated Demon table List of all True Names for demons in the adventure. All four maps in both DM and Player version The book is 142 pages long, FULL COLOR and HARD COVER. But you will still be able to get the pdf for cheap----eventually----and honestly, i know you can get it for free if you think I suck and want to do me harm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cbff004c-b8c0-438c-b94e-ac99bf09926b/dreams-of-darkness_6.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cdfb62e6-1c4f-4f02-ba0d-5b00e897b6fc/dreams-of-darkness_7.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5063d6dd-f0f2-404e-9eaf-80d32ef14ebb/dreams-of-darkness_8.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/51612a96-dc7c-444d-9771-902c48f108e2/dreams-of-darkness_9.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4d66e677-af39-4562-a50b-72d5c0532c92/dreams-of-darkness_10.jpg Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/623db3c5-bca9-47e8-aeee-d6621c4519de/dreams-of-darkness_11.png Blog - Dreams of Darkness - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwnd monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/39138e5d-b35d-4403-a0a6-f955a2027873/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_1.png Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c8020e82-c0bb-4636-bb47-278fc6ec9219/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_2.jpg Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Needless to say, combat didn't go well for us. These were misguided, often adolescent-charged forays into strangeness I was completely unprepared for. Yet, there was this nugget of mystery. This ineluctable seed of power and creativity and vast cosmic design that went hand in hand with the back woods landscape of rural Minnesota in which I lived (where we, my friends and I, routinely explored and got lost in seemingly endless woods and hills and supposed that everything from angels to aliens was probably real). This in turn fed our imaginations, stoked by the cover of the Player's Handbook and nurtured by the vague perception that nearly every D&D module had a perverse altar or cult that needed crushing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/530cdb86-6027-4c32-874a-fee3c60c6e19/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_3.png Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/3cfecd3d-e0be-4999-b055-d6d5f8365334/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_4.png Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/666b7195-c9c0-420e-9e69-956d50fd096a/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_5.png Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ea86cc48-36fd-4036-b766-ee6edf0f5c5f/why-your-atheist-is-getting-pwned_6.png Blog - Why Your Atheist Is Getting Pwnd - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/lulu-pod-is-working monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d523e106-6b8f-445a-bcee-bc44f4ca5a65/lulu-pod-is-working_1.png Blog - Lulu POD is Working - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/short-story-long monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/177b7db9-1d63-4eb5-99d0-00c4cda48910/short-story-long_1.png Blog - Short Story Long - Make it stand out All hail Cone of Negative Energy's Map Tools! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b96c3f36-bc34-42d8-a091-b8e0e10731da/short-story-long_2.png Blog - Short Story Long - Make it stand out Endless Praise to Anna Meyer https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/what-do-you-think-of-this monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/042d2a98-c3f5-4db5-8f12-9f954138e1ec/what-do-you-think_1.png Blog - What Do You Think of This? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/moments-we-have monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f16bf502-583f-4885-98fa-79591e148c60/moments-we-have_1.png Blog - Moments We Have - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/adampd-demonic-treatise monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/331fa6aa-41a9-4a5b-ba38-f2995e61cd13/demonic-treatise_1.jpg Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Art by Zdzislaw Beksinski https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bc9c0f13-28ab-4f99-a67b-f96ddbeffbd9/demonic-treatise_2.jpg Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/200b7769-e2d1-4f52-a45d-e620a01ba9a7/demonic-treatise_3.jpg Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Art by Zdzislaw Beksinski https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a63477b4-adc5-4816-8bb9-a3599c1834fd/demonic-treatise_4.png Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - One might say there is a seventh category: High Princes. But only three demons might classify for this distinction: Pazuzu, Demogorgon, and Fraz-Urb’luu. Pazuzu is at the top of the demonic dogpile for he controls the skies over every layer of the Abyss. He is also seemingly the most ascended of the Princes (and the least demonic considering his sense of humor when dealt a defeat). This cannot be said of any other demon, high or low. They say in the Abyss, all flesh is interchangeable. This is because demons are routinely transformed into other sorts of demons as rewards, punishment, out of necessity for troops, or simply for fun. Regardless of form, nearly all demons (above larva status) share the following traits/abilities: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/df348ea4-896f-4635-ac0d-ac841f618fb5/demonic-treatise_5.png Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d0c22a08-859d-452a-b8a5-7afe8428601f/demonic-treatise_6.png Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7a8cc1ef-d58c-4e27-850d-a61f00e35b56/demonic-treatise_7.jpg Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1fc004a0-b0ef-4f55-b1c6-f2dccba5998a/demonic-treatise_8.png Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7e2416c5-4844-4c0d-8116-6e2b3fe0fd37/demonic-treatise_9.png Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Example: A Vrock is unmade by a Succubus into a Dretch. She allows the Dretch to go on its way. The Dretch is enraged by this demotion but still has its amulet (a nondescript pebble). It considers suicide, but this would imprison it in the amulet—who knows what might happen while trapped there? Some days later the Dretch is ambushed by Quasits who steal everything it has, torture it for several days and then let it go. They do not know the Dretch was once a Vrock and think little of the pebble. It is discarded randomly in the wastes. The Dretch cannot find it and curses its life. A few days later, the Dretch is murdered by Hordlings who roast it on a spit and devour even its bones. The Dretch’s essence, however, returns unerringly to the lost pebble and gestates for one year. At the end of this period the pebble shatters and the Demon re-emerges—as a Vrock, who will likely seek out the quasits and eat them whole before deliberating on whether to track down the Hordlings as well! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8480bb51-914d-4383-a1a2-22c80ae4cccf/demonic-treatise_10.jpg Blog - AD&D Demonic Treatise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/making-what-you-need-amp-planning-for-after-the-campaign-ends monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/38c20b50-8c94-4d42-9b7a-08630495cb7c/making-what-you-need-1.png Blog - Making What You Need & Planning for AFTER the Campaign Ends - Make it stand out Table, Tower, Screen, Dice box, Module, Props, Character Sheets...you want it, you make it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bfd1615f-b7fb-4e4f-9863-4dca82c93737/making-what-you-need-2.png Blog - Making What You Need & Planning for AFTER the Campaign Ends - Make it stand out Love that this mug uses a d12 instead of a stereotypical d20! https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/adampd-belabored-bards monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e07fe033-3cc7-4dfb-b1de-2940a1f542e0/belabored-bards_1.jpg Blog - AD&D: Belabored Bards - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/57fe5c78-879c-41e2-a317-435909528fb6/belabored-bards_2.png Blog - AD&D: Belabored Bards - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f99be6e7-088b-4b44-b7b4-54772ed0381b/belabored-bards_3.png Blog - AD&D: Belabored Bards - Make it stand out Illitran's 800 mile Journey from Dreaming Tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bd679c42-3f39-423e-96b6-3df06d34b781/belabored-bards_4.png Blog - AD&D: Belabored Bards - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/death-by-illusionpart-2 monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/3925e53a-985b-4ec7-843f-d53d3ae34fa1/death-by-illusion-2_1.png Blog - Death by Illusion...Part 2 - Make it stand out "Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor..." ----Poe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8cd5fff7-be04-4584-b9ea-70a5ec5173b2/death-by-illusion-2_2.jpg Blog - Death by Illusion...Part 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7f41b497-eb00-424f-a389-02c6b70b9d89/death-by-illusion-2_3.png Blog - Death by Illusion...Part 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0ba1927d-ec31-4323-a19c-2b584dba7d03/death-by-illusion-2_4.jpg Blog - Death by Illusion...Part 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/must-it-always-be-violence monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9bef82c5-d5b4-4998-a390-b8f667a6dee4/must-it-always-be-violence_1.png Blog - Must It Always Be Violence? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b8bf5268-729b-4649-a86a-21f819aa0471/must-it-always-be-violence_2.jpg Blog - Must It Always Be Violence? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d27a651e-a038-45c7-a48b-003f5dfb96d2/must-it-always-be-violence_3.png Blog - Must It Always Be Violence? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ad-d-magic-system-part-3-spell-research monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f0d8670e-c190-4793-9f31-9478d3bebccb/magic-system-part-3_1.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6143b7ec-6189-4dcc-ba92-363f5784f93d/magic-system-part-3_2.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - It's also important to compare the new spell to the power of other spells in the game. Quick litmus tests for power are: Does my spell allow a saving throw? If it does, is the spell negated or halved? What is the range? Reduced range is meaningful! Does the caster have to hit/touch the target? How narrow or broad is the spell's utility? Is this a spell you'd ALWAYS want to memorize vs a spell with a specific use case? How expensive are the material components? Increase to mitigate abuse! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8d36a46b-d991-4386-b756-4396d37b1a5e/magic-system-part-3_3.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - NEUTRALS who set foot on either consecrated or desecrated ground have a 55% chance of being forced back due to deep cosmic unease. NEUTRALS who enter suffer –2 on ALL ROLLS (or 10% on percentile rolls) for as long as they remain. GOODS entering desecrated ground have a base 0% chance of being forced back, which INCREASES by 10% for each level below 11th, so that a 1 HD good creature has a 100% chance of being barred. GOODS who enter suffer –1 on ALL ROLLS (or 5% on percentile rolls) for as long as they remain. EVILS entering consecrated ground have a base 100% chance of being forced back, which DECREASES by 5% for each level below 11th, so that a 1 HD evil creature has a 50% chance of being barred. EVILS who enter suffer -3 on ALL ROLLS (or 15% on percentile rolls) for as long as they remain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d62fe1c1-b0f6-4def-a2e3-697c4ea0c91b/magic-system-part-3_4.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a22c8591-2013-4728-aa0a-6a28b8c517c3/magic-system-part-3_5.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - The progression of minimum values (from 1st thru 9th level) is shown in this screen grab from my XLS sheet. If the value of the library or temple does not meet this requirement, the researcher is treated as NOT having a temple or library for all cost and success calculations. Note: the BASE cost of the research is ADDED to the library/temple value at end of research, so even if the attempt fails, future attempts have a greater chance of success. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/694eb0d1-6af7-4190-8ac3-3b16e28817d9/magic-system-part-3_6.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 3: Spell Research - Lastly, I wanted to talk about spell languages. My game runs on mostly unique languages (which you can read about here). As part of this system of languages, I've abolished the concept of Read Magic / Write Magic. When you bring a cleric you assume he can turn undead. When you bring a magic-user you assume he can read magic. Reading and (especially) writing magic "usually" happen more in downtime threads than they do in dungeons. Nevertheless, the dungeon is hard enough that I don't expect magic-users to sacrifice a spell slot just to read a language they've arguably been studying every day for 16 hours a day for decades. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ad-d-magic-system-part-2-mfg monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/baca1bcc-0d37-4133-8641-98865523dddb/magic-system-part-2_1.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/dcc2dbce-4866-410b-a7df-4441c7c6f19f/magic-system-part-2_2.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG Here is my spreadsheet calculator for potion brewing (made in excel). Notice: Initial Lab Setup Cost Monthly Cost of Lab Supplies Hiring bonus to secure the Alchemist The Alchemist's salary per month thereafter In this example, the magic-user is 10th level and is trying to brew a potion with an XP value of 400. Therefore the cost of brewing is 400 GP, will take 4 days to brew, and has a success rate of 50%. If the brew fails, the potion becomes a cursed potion by random roll. If you want to make your own calculator it's very easy. Regard DMG p116. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/335673e0-3846-4521-804d-d64e59777a11/magic-system-part-2_3.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/34271511-c8d4-46a0-a755-bc796ed655e8/magic-system-part-2_4.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - In this example, the spreadsheet allows (as with potions above) for me to plug in the spell level, the magic-user level, and the material used (vellum/parchment/papyrus). A percentage of success is then spit out. Chance of Failure is BTB: 20% + 5% (because in this example the spell level is 5) - 10% (caster's level from example) -5% (because vellum) = 10% chance of failure (aka 90% chance of success). Again, you may refer to DMG p117 if you got lost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9e67e954-cf99-4bc3-800e-1fb9808c4418/magic-system-part-2_5.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Moving on to protection scrolls, you'll notice on p117 that the domains of protection are split between magic-users and clerics. Study-for-it casters cannot craft scrolls from the pray-for-it list and vice versa. At least that's the general idea and I stick to it. I have expanded the list considerably to account for other types of protection scrolls. In addition, since protection scrolls are extremely powerful, I wanted a much higher chance of failure (more akin to making a potion) so in order to be able to use the same calculator, I simply put the number 50 into the Spell Level field. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/746950e8-33b2-4531-a026-dcce410799cf/magic-system-part-2_6.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1b5c0f22-bdd5-4e18-89a7-c14f5ec6884b/magic-system-part-2_7.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/28cd2929-cffc-4e25-8eb7-8d27240ab504/magic-system-part-2_8.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 2: MFG - Such time sinks, I find, are of critical importance because if YOU care about them, so too will your players. They will hear you tell them about the changing seasons, the threat of an early snow or looming conflict between kingdoms. They will be surprised the first time you wish their character a happy birthday on the day of the month that their sheet claims they were born. Then, when you check the age categories (DMG p13) and apply any applicable adjustments they will begin to understand. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/ad-d-magic-system-part-1-gods monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e0723ff5-7e72-49eb-81c3-d84e82bc1a21/magic-system-part-1_1.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods - Make it stand out art by Valin Mattheis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c3c2f5f6-ff57-4421-a6bb-9b67d0c63744/magic-system-part-1_2.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods Now, speaking strictly about mechanics (let's reference p38 even more closely) spells of third, fourth and fifth level are bestowed by a sending (typically from the planes of power). Whether this emissary is a minor devil, sylph, or flying pig depends on the deity being worshiped. Spells of sixth and seventh level are bestowed by the Deity itself! Take that one down and let it marinate. How many DMs out there actually take advantage of this mechanical value? I don't understand, Anthony. What mechanical value? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ca565def-03c9-4ecf-bc22-8e78348fc04d/magic-system-part-1_3.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8271a2aa-5432-4cfc-be3c-eb1b959da4b3/magic-system-part-1_4.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/36d5ff55-f11a-44a3-b8aa-8faa29b2e409/magic-system-part-1_5.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods Because the system for fabrication is a little fuzzy and somewhat left to DM fiat, I actually allow clerics to fabricate items at level 9. Reason being is that I've judged the Commune spell to be the requisite spell for clerical fabrication...just as Enchant an Item is the linchpin for magic-user fabrication. For druids I use Commune With Nature and so on. These are small and subtle deviations from DMG p116 (Illusionists are able to fabricate at level 10 rather than 11 for example). But the benefit of this tweak is that the spell names act as mnemonic devices for remembering when characters of different classes can begin such work. So to sum up, my spells for item fabrication run thus: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ad74263f-be7e-44c3-9d38-8cbc2c1c8ce3/magic-system-part-1_6.png Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods Ergo the LEVELS for Item Fabrication which are expendable vs permanent run thus: Magic-User: 12/16 Illusionist: 11/14 Cleric: 9/16 Druid: 9/12 Keep in mind that this is NOT exactly BTB. But I've called out where I've deviated and my deviations are small. Okay Anthony, but now it seems like you are screwing magic-users. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c67c4d49-0895-43a3-b424-8a536c191e42/magic-system-part-1_7.jpg Blog - AD&D Magic System Part 1: Gods - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/adampd-why-we-train monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8505d89b-74cc-4bdc-a7f1-fe31ebbf4fe3/why-we-train_1.jpg Blog - AD&D: Why We Train - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/62af613a-7950-400c-b5b6-140be5b56fcc/why-we-train_2.jpg Blog - AD&D: Why We Train "Hold on, Anthony, are you still advocating for this system, or burning it to the ground?" I'm acknowledging there are dandelions. Be patient. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/000e2aee-90af-47bc-aba2-86a0f4ee77ed/why-we-train_3.jpg Blog - AD&D: Why We Train - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-polymorph-problem-aka-brontosaurus-ant monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/52a6000b-ba0e-45b1-9617-8ca9fcc06a4d/polymorph-problem_1.jpg Blog - The Polymorph Problem aka: Brontosaurus-Ant - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cca23144-1d0d-4f50-809d-0b99bde2ea3e/polymorph-problem_2.png Blog - The Polymorph Problem aka: Brontosaurus-Ant The party, having raised a Green Dragon from egg to Adult, has finally been able to hail said dragon and secure flight for a portion of the 10-character party. They are tired of traveling on foot (which has occupied 4 game sessions). But with a party so large they need additional means of flight. The bard-in-training volunteers to be polymorphed into a red dragon for this purpose, but the cunning Green Dragon dissuades him by inquiring why they would not simply polymorph the Ettin and thereby avoid risk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/22205045-ea74-47a0-a755-d355553b8d21/polymorph-problem_3.png Blog - The Polymorph Problem aka: Brontosaurus-Ant - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/world-of-adummim-palace-vulre monthly 0.5 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5993feaa-c987-40e3-b790-3c9c410644ec/palace-vulre_1.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Palace Vulre - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5f53bbc2-d285-4a5b-b4dd-a8a86c3d724f/palace-vulre_2.png Blog - World of Adummim: Palace Vulre - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a7fce0ca-5c1f-497b-987f-2f1f31b07427/PALACE+VULRE+KEY.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Palace Vulre - Make it stand out Note: the puzzle rooms A, B, C are a variation of the Wolf, Goat, Cabbage puzzle found on the internet. Touching the walls with the images on them commits to ferrying the chosen object across the river. Also note there is only 1 dracolisk in the dungeon (which is not otherwise clear) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4e88f7c3-fb36-4055-8d8d-2f278d3c6a34/palace-vulre_4.png Blog - World of Adummim: Palace Vulre - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1612cb00-62b1-43bb-9005-de2074e8be98/palace-vulre_5.png Blog - World of Adummim: Palace Vulre - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/world-of-adummim-intro-part-1 monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b4171795-0bb8-457a-89cc-f3986df7a962/world-of-adummim-1_1.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f8f011c6-f012-4c3b-b074-2cae5fa98450/world-of-adummim-1_2.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out World of Adummim: the Atlath Continent https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f10c23d3-7aeb-448e-b74d-9a9bd0dc751e/world-of-adummim-1_3.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6816772b-a5e1-45fe-b2d8-e02939fd8206/world-of-adummim-1_4.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out 30 yr old sketch of Adummim showing Atlath Continent, High Horn, Rauch, Prevailing Weather Systems and another continent named "Lacaj". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/474ac597-8716-45c0-b6a8-893bcd135f1f/world-of-adummim-1_5.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Another 30 yr old drawing of the planet with some youthful and whimsical notes about temperature at various latitudes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d521bf0b-50d8-4407-82cf-fc1861160369/world-of-adummim-1_6.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 Pplarian: white skinned, very tall and lean. Eyes of pink, violet or blue. Highly intelligent. Most have two vestigial caterpillar-sized arms hanging below their pectorals (though surgical removal is becoming common). They are descended from ancient extra-terrestrials mixed w/ human and elfin stock. Veyden: green skinned jungle people with black or red hair. Extremely muscular. Universally feared. Most have integrated into southern cities and become suave business owners but some isolated jungle tribes remain. Worian: the mongrel race. A mixture of the others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/94f79a63-cd2b-4b09-bc3e-a6f2caf316f1/world-of-adummim-1_7.jpg Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1d4541ee-373b-4b4b-ae42-e3a8e694b649/world-of-adummim-1_8.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 You need an economy. In the chart to the right you can imagine that a Silver Crown has the same buying power as one US dollar. So a Gold Scythe pays for a decent lunch. But why do you need so many different kinds of money, Anthony? Economies make treasure interesting and add intrigue. Crossing borders and treasure-hunting in a neighboring kingdom could cause all sorts of complications. Is X's money also accepted in Y's kingdom? Perhaps. But the reverse might not be true. On the Atlath Continent, the history of money tells the history of civilization. Before the north was settled, there were only six human kingdoms. Therefore nearly all very old coins were minted in the south and carried north as the Hinterlands were explored. These old Six Kingdom coins have higher precious metal content than newer coins are are also more rare. Thus their value is higher. To make things a little less onerous for players, "Standard Pandragor" is the modern currency for all six of the Six Kingdoms, while Barbarian and Humanoid money is its own separate thing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e20b6cff-30ad-48d3-9813-28ed2feda13d/world-of-adummim-1_9.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 The party currently resides in Ormolu, which is why I have this kingdom's system at the top. Ormolu uses paper fiat in addition to accepting Standard Pandragor currency. Though not suitable for strictly medieval settings, paper money is fun. I've enjoyed sticking a fat roll of Blue Jabbers in a backpack and listening to the players shout "Yay!" (for it is weightless compared to coins) only to cry out in dismay later when the wad of cash fails to save throw vs Fireball. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/039d17ce-fcc3-43cd-b948-b0767cb3b2f8/world-of-adummim-1_10.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5bc05807-b30e-436c-86ff-27da611651ba/world-of-adummim-1_2.png Blog - World of Adummim: Intro Part 1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/high-level-play-part-2-mechanics monthly 0.5 2024-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c78117f1-c815-43f6-b8f1-5e23fa92c58b/high-level-play-part-2-mechanics_1.jpg Blog - High Level Play Part 2: Mechanics - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/87518ea7-50fc-4827-accb-97cb15fc9ba8/high-level-play-part-2-mechanics_2.png Blog - High Level Play Part 2: Mechanics - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/68d83370-4cda-40bd-9478-0034451d8dc5/high-level-play-part-2-mechanics_3.png Blog - High Level Play Part 2: Mechanics - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/new-game-room-nick-of-time monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f36e2632-12eb-4a87-bc30-fb072aeb5f0b/new-game-room_1.png Blog - New Game Room: Nick of Time - Make it stand out View as you walk into the house. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/81ad5aa6-01d4-435e-a1b5-56cfa3530e29/new-game-room_2.png Blog - New Game Room: Nick of Time - Make it stand out View from the sword. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/19bdac99-f532-4669-8381-f2c3cbae8cff/new-game-room_3.png Blog - New Game Room: Nick of Time - Make it stand out View from the lovesac. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/15c159d1-10f7-4b5a-bdbb-b4dcf1dbfd1f/new-game-room_4.png Blog - New Game Room: Nick of Time - Make it stand out View from the miniature case. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5deb4144-30db-42c7-8e69-efeeb4769ecf/new-game-room_5.png Blog - New Game Room: Nick of Time - Make it stand out Ella's handmade frog. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/response-to-melans-end-of-the-osr monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1ec11e7a-413a-4687-b39a-dc363dd1340c/response-to-end-of-osr_1.png Blog - Response to Melan's "End of the OSR" - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/geir-loe-cyn-crul-available monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b6bbd9d9-1162-4404-9d3d-a3efe3f7f1e2/final-dhoga-maps_1.png Blog - Geir Loe Cyn-crul Available - Make it stand out DHOGA Player Illusions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/73cd28af-f40a-4198-a4e6-eac704eb2127/final-dhoga-maps_1.png Blog - Geir Loe Cyn-crul Available - Make it stand out DHOGA Player NO Illusions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/aaa7c5d0-d376-4b79-a3c2-85ef5b959cc3/final-dhoga-maps_3.png Blog - Geir Loe Cyn-crul Available - Make it stand out DHOGA DM Map https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/088a60ac-04bf-4093-bab2-9815f6445f8b/final-dhoga-maps_4.png Blog - Geir Loe Cyn-crul Available - Make it stand out DM Poster 24" x 36" PDF suitable for Printing at Vista Print et al https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/final-stages-now monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/28e3c72d-65da-4e7b-a27b-44ea733232f3/final-stages-now_1.png Blog - Final Stages Now - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b93c54bb-6775-486b-99cf-99c173733718/final-stages-now_2.png Blog - Final Stages Now - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/work-on-dhoga-continues monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/af024d03-572b-48b0-b0a9-c5d1d9198ec5/dhoga_1.png Blog - Work on DHOGA Continues - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/afcob-poster-size-maps monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6df3d2e6-06aa-411f-8edc-bbd7f52969bb/afcob_1.png Blog - AFCOB Poster Size Maps - Make it stand out A Fabled City of Brass 36" x 48" Keyed version https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/0a90cccd-08d5-4a3d-9ec4-ceb02072e21a/Players+Poster+Small.jpg Blog - AFCOB Poster Size Maps - Make it stand out A Fabled City of Brass Player Map https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/a-night-in-the-abyss monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/99a2e5fb-cc0a-4e51-94bc-67035ffc75c3/night-in-abyss_1.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Ghouls...and Dretch! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/3ad57c12-fd89-474b-b6d0-afd7564884b7/night-in-abyss_2.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Albin, (Psionically aware Fighter) charges the Dretch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7845dfa8-2af2-46b0-b3b6-531c9fe344d3/night-in-abyss_3.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Evanore, Cleric of Hale, still unpainted b/c of my damn arthritis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b9861a00-2586-493b-afd1-3b8a1b243323/night-in-abyss_4.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out You go, Rich. Sing that song...but you're not a bard yet! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cd52a427-4b4a-4cdd-bdf5-90e3eeb4b6e7/night-in-abyss_5.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Centien, the Ranger, faces the mouth of madness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/c66a86cf-c082-4992-81ac-559ab0d2c8d3/night-in-abyss_6.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Assault on the final chamber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8a9b49df-9a11-4647-8bd4-fe374c5ee549/night-in-abyss_7.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Mortimer: Surrounded! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/66a4456c-9330-4055-9875-b81a6b97a11c/night-in-abyss_8.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Cassiatta, killing demons she used to command. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/058d8d38-ddba-4b16-afd2-13e2c1f6fe19/night-in-abyss_9.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Nofgûl the Doomed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/46e9a985-bac3-4b9f-9e8c-e3801f12b15f/night-in-abyss_10.png Blog - A Night in the Abyss - Make it stand out Illitran, fearing for his life, and singing about it. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/final-piece-of-the-puzzle monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/50c5d961-2311-4b2c-98ef-a028e0eb4438/final-piece-of-puzzle_1.png Blog - Final Piece of the Puzzle? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bfbfc8a1-1871-4cc9-90bc-dc9c9210c944/final-piece-of-puzzle_2.png Blog - Final Piece of the Puzzle? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/438fee75-aa43-45a9-a44b-fe49288ac07d/final-piece-of-puzzle_3.png Blog - Final Piece of the Puzzle? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/64578c07-22a1-4e36-8cbe-3cfc9ad36bd6/final-piece-of-puzzle_4.png Blog - Final Piece of the Puzzle? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/9ac5adb9-2864-442b-a9cc-345b1fbae4d7/final-piece-of-puzzle_5.png Blog - Final Piece of the Puzzle? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/high-level-play-part-1-theory monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/436ba6fb-f18e-4c34-9146-3862effe35e8/high-level-play-part-1-theory_1.png Blog - High Level Play Part 1: Theory - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/41c2de5a-4386-4c96-800a-acf8fa9697ec/high-level-play-part-1-theory_2.jpg Blog - High Level Play Part 1: Theory First, WG 4 doesn't nerf the party. It doesn't impose a set of special rules that disallow certain spells or items. Instead, WG 4 says, "Bring it," and then serves the ball hard. Wave after wave of enemy emerges from the depths of the black temple, each more difficult than the last and each intent on destroying the Player Characters. If the party burns their fireballs on the gnolls and norkers, they are sure to be dismayed when the ogres and trolls arrive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ab2f4b7f-9730-43f5-b42f-d6a689b6c831/high-level-play-part-1-theory_3.png Blog - High Level Play Part 1: Theory An excellent combat round tracker and note-taking will be essential in High-Level games, a habit that you've hopefully developed during many sessions of lower level play. You'll have your own shorthand to rely on and the notes you make will impress Players who no-doubt will not have quite as good a grasp on the round's order of operations. Just make sure you're fair in how you plan your round. Typically I plan the monster round before the Players declare actions unless the baddies have ESP or the like. I note monster intentions on the round tracker and then insert the Player Character actions after initiative is rolled. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/i-will-not-relent monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f89ba89e-2d29-4d7c-b234-5a8c000de989/i-will-not-relent_1.png Blog - I Will Not Relent - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7f5ff8ab-87a2-4394-b311-ea6de654f0d6/World+Without+End+Potion.png Blog - I Will Not Relent But in AD&D the twisting avenues of possibility lead into fractals of problem/solution without end. For every immunity there is an Achilles heel. For nearly every tragic end there is a lantern in the dark. And for every game session there are good friends to share these things. I may never write another novel. But if I remain under the radar, I might get to keep making adventures for this nostalgic relic of a game. Therefore, if you have wondered how easy it is to convert one my supplements to another system, I’m sorry. I don’t know the answer, but I wish you well. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/chainmail-for-adampd-event monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/eef6d71d-8b21-40f0-9e15-5dd7bdceedbe/chainmail-for-add-event_1.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/86809330-705c-4f22-b8b1-f0d2f40866b4/chainmail-for-add-event_2.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b242e051-5a5e-475c-9382-f0c610bc1f57/chainmail-for-add-event_3.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e809b599-cdfe-42ac-a12c-9f9c47a87177/chainmail-for-add-event_4.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fd49698f-b927-4678-87f8-d0696fb825be/chainmail-for-add-event_5.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fee0fa1c-1481-4fc8-815f-08e6a6461422/chainmail-for-add-event_6.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/eaa74687-f96d-461b-83e4-ca92d4192ba2/chainmail-for-add-event_7.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D Event - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/zf-physical-copies-now-available monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2bd249aa-3e15-495e-85cb-54894f98528a/zf-physical-copies-now-available_1.png Blog - Z.F. 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PHB p. 26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/81d0a7e3-6cd3-4d57-87db-df5703477900/death-by-illusion_2.png Blog - Death by Illusion... - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/night-wolf-inn-guild-service monthly 0.5 2024-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a55294cb-f1f2-4c6e-af22-261d3a03db24/XVII+Veil+of+Visions.png Blog - Night Wolf Inn Guild Service - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/2d92c370-8ee2-4565-bbdf-eb59980ea6ba/night-wolf-inn-guild-service_1.png Blog - Night Wolf Inn Guild Service - Teira had some choice in the matter: Black Wolf, Welcome and Thank You for heeding your summons! The Master appreciates your dedication and hopes your guild service will be swift and safe. Awh’Gnuyk Vet will be your Steward and Oversee your service. Service is scheduled to occupy two uninterrupted weeks from the time you sign this document. Please plan ahead to meet this obligation. Itinerary and Instructions: Basic Orientation Question & Answer session Service Begins: Select One of the following Two Quests: 1. Rent Room VIII and enter the wilds. First, deliver a letter to Kaldt Mjod and then, Strike for the great cave two miles down the ridge. Retrieve an egg from within for the Inn Master. 2. Rent Room XVII and enter the wilds. Find the Jeweled Dragon that dwells in the vast Caldera of the cooling mountains. Steal the silver horseshoe from its hoard. Take this to the Fey and treat with their oracle. She will explain how to use the silver horseshoe to tame the Niabuel. Bring the Niabuel to the Inn Master. Awh’Gnuyk will check your work, after which you must perform a final task: Somewhere beneath the Inn is the Temple of the Moon. There you will find the formula for a drug by the name of World Without End. Once you have obtained this recipe, it is yours to keep. Good Luck! I understand this quest is perilous and am ready to begin, _________________________ https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/chainmail-for-adampd monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/4daf38c3-abe0-41be-bcbd-65adc92d93e7/Chainmail+for+AD%26D.jpg Blog - Chainmail for AD&D - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8f8a9203-57c0-4075-abff-8afa7a512aae/Chainmail+Troop+Tracker.jpg Blog - Chainmail for AD&D - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/7ba5488d-dfde-4636-ba5e-7a98d2091dca/learning-chainmail_4.png Blog - Chainmail for AD&D - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/zjelwyin-fall-playtest-2 monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/20887be0-0535-4d71-8eab-3b8fae16cf22/zjelwyin-fall-playtest-2_1.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall Playtest #2 - Make it stand out Jeremy moving his incantrix, "I really like this character. Please don't kill it." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/adefc119-1b03-4b43-a37c-b551df83a407/zjelwyin-fall-playtest-2_2.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall Playtest #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/a030e53b-2b89-473d-a426-94b4cef99221/zjelwyin-fall-playtest-2_3.png Blog - Zjelwyin Fall Playtest #2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/learning-chainmail monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ed2b41d0-93ee-4106-a60a-c6c31f88b652/learning-chainmail_1.png Blog - Learning Chainmail - Make it stand out Ella, shortly after she destroyed me https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5d8e68cc-1d6e-4fb1-a503-344c3665f8f6/learning-chainmail_2.png Blog - Learning Chainmail - 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Zjelwyin Fall Playtest #1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/mortuary-temple-of-esma-beaten monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6b4434fc-4dfa-40a2-a746-64b7719597b8/mortuary-temple-of-esma_1.jpg Blog - Mortuary Temple of Esma Beaten! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1448fa11-25db-4b63-981a-89e329dcfdfd/mortuary-temple-of-esma_2.png Blog - Mortuary Temple of Esma Beaten! - Make it stand out Edgar, sadly had not yet been painted during this encounter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/8d77bf91-0a73-4752-8c73-637c5893dc7a/mortuary-temple-of-esma_3.jpg Blog - Mortuary Temple of Esma Beaten! - Make it stand out Paladin and Lyan in front, MU and Cleric behind, and Edgar the MU/Thf (painted this time!) bringing up the rear. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/267cb742-79da-423a-972d-f666acd9836e/mortuary-temple-of-esma_4.png Blog - 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Make it stand out Through Ultan’s Door: Issue No. 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/bbdda12f-3cb0-4a63-af84-55ddfee2212a/through-ultans-door-2.png Blog - Review: Through Ultan's Door - Make it stand out Detached Cover Map/Screen | Beautiful Booklet | Encounter Ref. Card https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-blue-bard monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/030d302e-afb6-4618-a272-f6e0c99a006f/rain.png Blog - The Blue Bard - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-table monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676406198-M35HW7B5J6UDLLOJ2AHS/IMG_20180819_132415.jpg Blog - The Table - Excel Blueprint https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676526985-5XBM4YZPSMLIO9CHZ92U/image-20181006_122154.jpg Blog - The Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676527145-3O8YI2ELZ5T81BPBT1HL/IMG_20180819_132455.jpg Blog - The Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676528078-1CL0GD0HKWDV4RNDXZ48/IMG_20181002_101326.jpg Blog - The Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676711519-71AK202PFU83MHJ7XUV9/IMG_20180825_121903.jpg Blog - 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The Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711678413286-ZIF6HHKM9W8IOYN1GBKF/IMG_20181014_204853.jpg Blog - The Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b20fc191-70bb-441c-abcd-3595e756ab8e/IMG_20181015_174658.jpg Blog - The Table - Make it stand out Notice Scorpadillo! https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-black-journal-of-dream-company monthly 0.5 2024-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676094661-YZB7Z00XS1K9FQOBBQ0G/IMG_20170109_185410.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676094650-11SNWIST2RVI5XFUJ5JV/IMG_20170109_185426.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676096175-WKN0ERA4MW4J62LVD2IP/IMG_20170109_185447.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676096186-7WY24IKX1GPY9A9T7ZBB/IMG_20170109_185511.jpg Blog - 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The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676113063-FS0JFFSBCFK3QUYALRC8/IMG_20170109_190123.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676113453-IFWWWKD1N86GEKXBVEAM/IMG_20170109_190132.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676114285-7DBD7BSDONKGTNFXRWLL/IMG_20170109_190139.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676114502-B33YUIBZ16HZSTSVKCRR/IMG_20170109_190150.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711676115363-UY11YESZS2CZ8XQK77JO/IMG_20170109_190233.jpg Blog - The Black Journal of Dream Company https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/the-astral-plane-multi-tier-build monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d4b2d76e-30d1-4f1b-a182-9ae5e02061bf/astral-plane-multitier-build-1.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d370b6f3-b362-4239-a0ed-98642a9aa318/astral-plane-multitier-build-2.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Though too terse to communicate full intent, these charts remind me of more extensive mechanics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/cfc738e6-5d2a-43e7-b554-a4fbd696960f/astral-plane-multitier-build-3.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506171541-KIGSAXXO74JMBQRGEII0/astral-plane-multitier-build-4_1.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506190801-6CVHP48EROT3T61J4SUX/astral-plane-multitier-build-4_2.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/84d0ee3b-ecee-4eca-ab62-97a339b235d5/astral-plane-multitier-build-5.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506327122-LCKM4ES1NCHE0VDHL5ED/astral-plane-multitier-build-6_1.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506336876-R4SLDV3I05A2050ASF6X/astral-plane-multitier-build-6_2.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506389813-CIWEQVEYL3HUX2P7Q2SR/astral-plane-multitier-build-7_1.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/1711506396718-TYV3R82Y5V249DDPW91K/astral-plane-multitier-build-7_2.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/3a1213c5-8018-4270-b565-c715a7f2162a/astral-plane-multitier-build-8.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/ec98cdd3-58bc-44ed-a951-37159915491c/astral-plane-multitier-build-9.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/e9b21913-85ed-4a43-b9ff-7e15d7500460/astral-plane-multitier-build-10.png Blog - The Astral Plane Multi-Tier Build - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/learning-to-dm-by-playing-a-character-right monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/50030426-369c-4c1c-9db4-cf5a91c4df79/learning-to-dm-1.png Blog - Learning to DM by Playing a Character RIGHT. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/zargon-is-osr-the-hard-to-come-by-art-of-old-school-dming monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b39d86fe-6cda-44eb-8be6-68dbde2d8c09/zargon_1.jpg Blog - Zargon is OSR & the Hard-to-Come-By Art of Old School DMing - Make it stand out A recent G+ post got me thinking about why this guy is so iconic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/b70549c5-1f74-496c-86c3-5c3c543536ab/zargon_2.jpg Blog - Zargon is OSR & the Hard-to-Come-By Art of Old School DMing When the magic-user in the group finally slipped to chaotic-neutral after many, many questionable acts I replaced his pseudo-dragon with a quasit. At first he was elated. He regenerated from damage! And was able to commune with the lower planes in order to ask for guidance. "This is great!" he said. But I continually baited him with this new familiar, offering knowledge of where a powerful magical coat was located if only he would kill that white cat hanging around the pub. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5adb86f7-3582-484d-bff8-7c469f79ea00/zargon_3.png Blog - Zargon is OSR & the Hard-to-Come-By Art of Old School DMing - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/psionics-the-way-no-one-ever-played-them monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/5be1a88b-3e8e-4808-86d8-54e0b6a4a4ff/psionics.png Blog - Psionics: The Way No One Ever Played Them - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/6ce2aa90-162a-4058-bbac-a1894e93f1dc/psionics_1.png Blog - Psionics: The Way No One Ever Played Them - Make it stand out I enjoy how the adventurers (led by Gary himself) are all chillin', pointing at the boring ship on the back cover and unconcerned with the rampaging dragon. Also, is that Rob Kuntz? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/f621f260-149e-4ba3-a3fa-55ba72f7b1cb/psionics_2.jpg Blog - Psionics: The Way No One Ever Played Them - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/fa8aa53b-1058-47ef-a3de-2e8319eda126/psionics_3.png Blog - Psionics: The Way No One Ever Played Them Segment 1: we've already talked about, but let's assume your PC (Albin) is also using Psionic ESP. Psionic ESP requires concentration so would I really allow this? Maybe not, but who cares? For the purpose of this example, we'll assume the PC uses ESP to always know what attack and defense mode the flayer will use, while this mentally-challenged flayer forgets to use ESP in return. Segment 2: Flayer blasts (cost 20) and defends with Thought Shield (cost 2). Albin knows this is going to happen so he chooses to retaliate with Id Insinuation (cost 10) and defend with Tower of Iron Will (cost 10). Color coding on my table reveals that these are smart choices to minimize point loss. As a result, Albin takes only a 7 point loss to his DEF point pool while the flayer loses 15. Note that Albin just fell into a new bracket because his ATT pool is now between 51 & 75 so the damage he inflicts will be reduced. Segment 3: The flayer tries to switch to a new DEF mode to compensate, using Mental Barrier (cost 3) and pounds away with another Psionic Blast (cost 20). Albin's ESP allows him to know this is coming so he selects Tower of Iron Will Again (cost 10) and Id Insinuation again (cost 10). Because the flayer also dropped into a new bracket (101 to 125) Albin takes only 4 dmg to his DEF pool this segment (instead of 7). Albin's dmg to the flayer is likewise reduced from 15 to only 13. Segment 4: The flayer knows he's being read like a book so he does DEF on the cheap with Mind Blank (cost 1) but pounds again with Mind Blast. This time, Albin chooses Mind Thrust (cost 4) but even in his reduced power bracket this attack is devastating vs the cheap Mind Blank. It deals 18 dmg to the flayer's DEF pool. In the same instant, Albin suffers only 2 dmg from the flayer's blast because the flayer dropped yet another bracket at the end of last segment's exchange. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/72b23aae-1903-403e-bba3-8bc09876e38c/psionics_4.jpg Blog - Psionics: The Way No One Ever Played Them I'm not gonna lie. I LOVE the possibility of psionic exchanges in my modules and always try to support at least one or two instances of it. Gray Ooze suddenly becomes a horror (but since it lacks any DEF modes is also easily dealt with because it is treated as Defenseless Psionic on p. 77 DMG. Probably the ooze gets one (two at most) chances to Psychic Crush before dying outright. Psionics add a fear factor to the game that's hard to overstate because they allow monsters to do extra stuff each round and that stuff is often a serious threat. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/a-deck-of-many-things-using-ad-d-s-mixed-bag-of-rules-and-loving-them monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d8b47b17-f455-472b-9616-5fcf3d7c7ce8/deck-of-many-things.jpg Blog - A Deck of Many Things: Using AD&D's Mixed Bag of Rules and Loving Them - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/combat-part-iii-weapon-speed-factor-sucks-and-other-myths monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/d4935726-4fce-4cbd-91b6-e987fe92113b/combat-part-3_1.jpg Blog - Combat Part III: Weapon Speed Factor Sucks and Other Myths. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/17a3838b-58a0-4291-8cb7-7ba4e57c15b4/combat-part-3_2.png Blog - Combat Part III: Weapon Speed Factor Sucks and Other Myths. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thebluebard.com/blog/combat-part-ii-surprise-youre-dead monthly 0.5 2024-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65f307a45e62ac3e61d52e8b/92ad22db-2daa-4b70-93b4-9709ad19441c/surprise_you_are_dead.jpg Blog - Combat Part II: Surprise! 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