Champions of Zorb

This is seriously demented. Having said that, I would have played with something like this as a kid. ;-)  The little gem is from the ABCs of Death 2, a horror film which although I had no interest in seeing, seems to have at least one redeeming quality.  Thanks to +James MacGeorge for posting a link to this originally.

Off the cuff map

My friends Willie and Laura are moving out of the country, so four of us got together to hang out one more time before they leave,.  Part of that hanging out involved an impromptu basic D&D game.  Above is the map that I whipped up for the Skull Tower of Mygnos, complete with illustrations, some of which were done by the five year old twins of my friend Tim.  I think the owl monster and the skull to the right of the walled tower gardens are my favorites.

R.I.P. Admiral Ackbar

Actor Erik Bauersfeld, who was the voice of Admiral "It's a Trap!" Ackbar has died at the age of 93. :-(

Miniatures Monday

For this week's Miniatures Monday we have an enchanter using mystical gestures to harness arcane forces.  The miniature is from Reaper Miniatures.

Kickstarter: Mystery at Port Greely (Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea): Only 10 hours to go!

The Kickstarter for Mystery at Port Greely has only 10 hours remaining.  If you're a fan of Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea (or if you just like Swords and Sorcery), don't miss this opportunity.  For only $20 you can get the print and PDF copies, which I think is a fantastic deal.

Weird Adventure Wednesday

This week's weird adventure idea:

On a cool afternoon you are surprised by an overbearing apprentice hiding in the bushes.  
The apprentice recounts an ancient legend that 5 days journey to the southwest, in the Woeful Mire of Delirium, can be found the Bloody Cesspool of the Spectral Eye.  It is believed that hidden there is the Expanding Magnesium Blade of Misadventure.  But beware, for the apprentice warns you that Bleeding Leviathan of Corpses prowls that site!

If you enjoy Weird Adventure Idea Wednesday, be sure to stop back each week, and check out some of the other free resources in this blog.

Miniatures Monday

After a short hiatus (mostly for drawing barbarians), Miniatures Monday returns with a wandering wizard.  The miniatures is from Reaper Miniatures and is Number: 02491: Lucius Panderwagon.  It retails for $4.99.  I was pleased at how the shading in his beard turned out, and with the silver runes on his robe.

Gortrüd the Goblin Slayer

A female friend of mine recently asked my why I never drew any barbarian ladies.  Honestly, I didn't have a good answer beyond, "I have very limited range with my drawings."  But it did get me thinking that I need to branch out even if just a little bit.  So here is an attempt at a barbarian lady, Gortrüd the Goblin Slayer.  I clearly need to do some more work on this one.  The dead goblin's head is the only part that I'm really happy with.

The Ultimate Grimtooth's Trap Collection has finally arrived! (First Impressions)

I've been excitedly awaiting the arrival of my copy of Grimtooth's Traps from the Goodman Games Kickstarter, and yesterday, it was waiting for me on the porch!  Sadly, the condition of the shipping box did not bode well...

This looks Grim...Get it?  :-)

I could see the contents through the hole in the box, and there looked to be at least some damage to the contents.  My excitement quickly turned to dread.  Thankfully, I had ordered the slipcover edition and upon opening the box discovered that the damage was limited to one corner of the slipcover case.

Not too badly damaged after all.

Not too bad really, but still a bit disappointing.  Of course it's not Goodman Games' fault that the postal service dropped the box out of a tree or something.  :-)  They've shipped me dozens of things of the years that showed up without issue, so I suppose I was overdue for something like this.  The damage is only cosmetic, and probably not worse than what would have happened over years of use.  I do hope though that my leather-bound edition of DCC 4th edition comes wrapped in bubblewrap or something.  :-)
The good news is that the book itself is in great shape and the binding feels fantastic.  I was a bit concerned about such a large book (620 pages), but the binding is solid, it opens nicely, and it lays surprisingly flat for its size.  The pages are heavy and will probably stand up to a lot of flipping, which you will no doubt be doing in order to find the perfect death trap.  Plain and simple, it's a quality book.
For those of you who may not be familiar with Grimtooth, the book is a book of traps.  Mainly death traps.  Nasty, tricky traps, the kind that make you late for dinner...forever.  The book compiles all five of the original Grimtooth's Traps books as well as new material.  If you need a trap for your dungeon, this is a great place to look.

Honestly, this might be the thing that I'm most excited about...

The accompanying Module Grimtooth's Museum of Death,(a module done specifically for Dungeon Crawl Classics) looks to be a fun little romp through the notorious Grimtooth's base of operations.  The module is for first level characters but the introduction amusingly states that:

"This adventure is designed for 20 to 30 Twenty-seventh level characters accompanied by a host of 50 seasoned mercenaries, 200 hirelings, 3 ox-drawn carts loaded with chickens, wooden poles cut to varying lengths, and several siege weapons" 

It's quite a beefy book!

Good stuff.  I'd like to run my gaming group through this as a one-off, and if I do, I'll post about how it goes.  Overall, shipping issues aside, I'm very happy that it has arrived in my hands.  It is a lovely book that compiles all of the previous editions and then some into a single giant tome.  If there is a drawback to it, it might be that it is so large that I would probably get a hernia trying to take it to gaming sessions.  Of course it's really a design tool to be kept hidden from the prying eyes of players lest the surprise be lost, so that's really not a problem.  If you love traps, I would highly recommend picking up a copy when it becomes available for regular sale.

Weird Adventure Idea Wednesday

This week's weird adventure idea:

On a brisk evening you come upon a scarred gladiator near an ancient shrine.  The gladiator recounts to you a tale to you that 25 days journey to the west, beyond The Foreboding Dunes of the Gods can be found The Sanctified Cavern of Blood.  It is reputed that there is hidden The Agate Visor of Purity.  But beware, for the gladiator alerts you that it is said The Dire Mind Wrecker of Fetishes tortures all who go there!

If you enjoy Weird Adventure Idea Wednesday, be sure to stop back each week, and check out some of the other free resources in this blog.

DCC Magic Item:The Mutilating Battleaxe of the Frog

This oddly shaped battleaxe was created by the ancient frog god Umha as a reward for one of his most powerful frogman champions.  The axe is forged from a strange greenish metal which is lighter than steel and is resistant to all corrosive forces.  The axe imparts supernatural jumping abilities on the wielder, allowing them to leap a distance equal to their normal movement (30' for humans and Elves, 20' for dwarves and halflings).  In combat the axe acts as a +2 magical weapon doing 1d10+2 damage.  If the wielder scores a critical hit with the axe, the critical hit is rolled normally, but there is a chance that the axe will inflict additional mutilation to the victim.  Roll on the Additional Mutilation Table below:

Additional Mutilation Table:

d% roll    Effect
1-40         None
41-45       Right Hand Severed
46-50       Left Hand Severed
51-55       Right Foot Severed
56-60       Left Foot Severed
61-65       Right Leg Severed
66-70       Left Leg Severed
71-75       Right Arm Severed
76-80       Left Arm Severed
81-85       Right Ear Severed
86-90       Left Ear Severed
91-95       Nose Cut Off
96-00       Genitals Severed (if applicable) otherwise treat as None

As with many magic items created by the ancient gods, this one comes with a price.  Each time the axe inflicts an additional mutilation (any effect other than None), there is a chance the the frog god Umha will notice the wielder of the axe and grant him or her a "blessing".  Roll on the Blessings of Umha Table below:

Blessings of Umha Table:

d% roll    Effect*
1-95         Umha does not notice.  No effect
96            Wielder's legs are transformed into the rear legs of a frog
97            Wielder's left arm is transformed into the forearm of a frog
98            Wielder's right arm is transformed into the forearm of a frog
99            Wielder's body is transformed into the body of a frog
00            Wielder's head is transformed into the head of a frog (normal speech not possible)

* All transformations are proportional in size to the victim's original size.

Iron Kingdoms Board Game Kickstarter: Less than 5 hours to go!

Privateer Press's Kickstarter for their second Iron Kingdoms Widower's Wood board game has less than 5 hours to go.  It's fully funded, and while it's a little pricey, the 107 miniatures that come with it make it really tempting!

Conan RPG Kickstarter: Final 24 hours

The Conan RPG Kickstarter is in it's final 24 hours and has pass the half million dollar mark (~305,000 GBP).  If you've been on the fence,time is running out!

Weird Adventure Idea Wednesday

This week's weird adventure idea:

On a hazy afternoon you have a chance meeting with an evil-smelling laborer in a bustling inn.  The laborer discloses to you that 5 weeks journey to the northeast, atop The Sullied Precipices of Witchcraft stands The Whispering Mansion of the Ruinous Knight.  It is believed that there lay The Frigid Steel Stabbing Sword of the Bloodcurdling Priest.  But beware, for the laborer advises you that The Vengeful Plant Man of the Damned lurks there!

If you enjoy Weird Adventure Idea Wednesday, be sure to stop back each week, and check out these other free resources:

1,001 Weird and Wacky Adventure Ideas

and

1,001 More Weird and Wacky Adventure Ideas

Table of Magical Eye Replacements (Free PDF)

Here is a d100 table for magical eye replacements.  It might be good for those times when your players lose an eye and that cut-rate sorcerer they asked to fix it gives them a bit more than they bargained for.  There is nothing system specific here as the eyes don't have details beyond their colorful names, but I think that the names are descriptive enough to inspire creativity.  Enjoy!