OSR News From The Underdark Gazette – Saturday, March 27, 2010

I’m taking a Chaotic approach, this morning

 Od&dities # 14 is Out!

“The second issue of the OD&DITIES relaunch, number 14! Containing 25 pages of old-school material, including an in-depth look at the old stalwart of many a campaign, the Thief. Learn why you can't turn your back on him! Also a new class, the nefarious Puppeteer, and much more!”

Available as a pdf download for $2.00. Congratulations, it’s good to see Od&dities back. And while we’re on the subject, Richard has posted a call for submissions.  He’s also given us a glimpse at upcoming issues:

“Issue 15 will cover 'Magic-Users'.
Issue 16 will cover 'Lost Worlds'.
Issue 17 will cover 'Immortals'.”

 

 

Sniderman of The Savage Afterworld, has released an update of his World of Thundarr sourcebook for Mutant Future! Thanks Sniderman. I never saw the show, back when it was on TV, but as soon as I have some free time I’m heading to youtube, for a marathon. 

 

 

 

 

There are two new free pdf releases from the Dragonsfoot Community! First, we have an  updated version of G4 – Sanctum of the Stone Giant Lord by R C Pinnel: 

“This is a special 1st Anniversary re-issue of this excellent adventure, with updated cover art and encounters. This Special Edition is from an early draft, providing you a look into the early stages of the items development, but that it is essentially the same adventure as the GS1/G4B.”

Next, The Adventurer’s Ordinance by Jesse Muir:

“110 New Magical Items for any Setting”

Thanks to everyone at the Dragonsfoot community, for all the free gaming material, they’re sharing!

 

Mr. Jason Vey, has uploaded an updated version of his Age of Conan supplement,  for OD&D. While you’re there, snag his Age of Conan II and DM’s screen, for the series. A Very big thanks to Jason, for all the Conan goodness!

 

Want to track the development of another retro=clone? Check out Dark Dungeons!

 

 

 

The Venomous Pao of Strange Stones has made a pdf GM’s screen for Barbarians of Lemuria! Thanks!

There’s been some buzz, regarding Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG.   If you missed Jeff’s report on his playtest experience at Gary Con II, here’s the link.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The advert definitely has my attention.

Robertson Games has an interview with Peter Mullen, online.

 

Episode 2 of “I Hit It With My Axe,” is out.

I think Christian said it best, when he commented on this post:

“I see people having a great time and that makes me smile. That's all I've got, but I think it's enough. :)”

It is. Thanks folks, for making us smile. :)

The Swords & Wizardry Whitebox text document has been released. Many thanks, to Verhaden who typed his ass off, producing it.

Paul Elkmann from Spellbook Games sent me some info on his company. Judges Guild fans, take note! I’m gonna be lazy and pass it along, verbatim:

“Spellbook Games, a publisher of game aids and new adventures for classic fantasy RPG games, opened for business on March 5, 2010.  We provide printer-friendly PDF adventure modules and helpful aids for the DM, at a great value.  We currently have 5 free products available including a short adventure location, and five purchase products, including two short adventure locations, the fantastic one-hundred page Master List of everything an adventurer will ever need, and Seer Delight, a guide to all things fortune telling. We also have an Art Page, featuring the artists and fantastic artwork that will appear soon in our Inferno line of products.

Spellbook Games is the place to find the Inferno line of adventure products, based on Dante's Inferno, and the classic 1980 Judges Guild adventure module set in Hell.  Our first Inferno product, Codicil of Maladies is now available, providing information on the many diseases of Hell, with rules for diagnosing and treating diseases. Our next major product, Inferno 1980, available June 2010, makes the original Judges Guild module available again for the first time since 1983!  Then, in July 2010 we release two more huge products,Inferno Treasury and Inferno Bestiary, guides to all the splendiferous treasures and vile Devils found in Hell.  Judges Guild Inferno only described the outer sections of Hell, and the companion module was never published...this fall we extend and complete the description of Hell with Inferno: Journey through Malebolge, which takes high-level Adventurers across a fiendish Pit more than 200 miles in radius, more than a mile deep, down to Lucifer Himself.  Journey through Malebolge is an Adventurer's ultimate endurance test. And that's not all - we have at least three more Inferno products coming in 2011!”

Sounds Groovy! Inferno is one of those hard to find items, that a lot of people will be happy to see available. Thanks to Paul for letting us know what’s up!

Norman Harman of Troll and Flame, sent me this link to a Positive news article on D&D. It mentions the existence of us grognards, so thanks to Rene Guzman for writing this article. Here.

Speaking of Troll and Flame, Norman’s been keeping us up to date on the North Texas RPG Convention. Here’s the scoop:

“The NTRPG Con focuses on old-school Dungeons & Dragons gaming (OD&D, 1E, 2E, or Basic/Expert) as well as any pre-1999 type of RPG produced by the classic gaming companies of the 70s and 80s (TSR, Chaosium, FGU, FASA, GDW, etc). We also support retro-clone or simulacrum type gaming that copies the old style of RPGs (Swords & Wizardry, Castles & Crusades, and others).”

“This year's convention dates are: Thursday June 3 @ 1600 until Sunday June 6 @ 1800.”

“This year's guests: Robert Kuntz, Tim Kask, Paul Jaquays, Dennis Sustare, Steve Winter, Jim Ward, Jason Braun, Kyrinn S. Eis

Pre Registration through May 15, 2010 is $20.00, after May 15, the cost is $30.00.

It is also $30.00 at the door and/or $10.00 for a single day.

No refunds, if you can't attend, $$$ will be converted to raffle ticket purchases.”

Cool! And a big thanks to Norman, who has been steadily sending me news to post!

Joethelawyer will be running Castle Zagyg at the Compleat Strategist in NYC, today. Part Dave Arneson Gameday and part TARGA event. Here’s some more info on this and other games, taking place.

RPGNOW has a Bundle offer on some Usherwood Adventure Products! At $11.00, if you’ve been considering picking any of these up, now’s the time:

“Four Usherwood Adventures designed for First Edition and OSRIC™ fantasy-based roleplaying game systems.

Travel the length and breadth of the Usherwood Adventures campaign  setting with these adventures, that will take your players from beginning levels to advanced levels. Each adventure contains several detailed adventure maps (rendered in Usherwood Publishing's unique style), new creatures, detailed regional background for added roleplaying color, pre-generated player character temnplates, Game Master's Adventure Log, Player Character Reference Sheet template, and so much more!

While Yrchyn, the tyrant and The Door of Infinite Portals introduce your players to two grand campaigns, all four adventures can be played as stand-alone modules, within or without the Usherwood Adventures campaign setting.

Buy all four adventures -- Yrchyn, the tyrant, Arachnophobia!, The Door of Infinite Portals, and The Rebel Faction -- and save $9.00 off the total MSRP!”

Per RPGNOW, that’s 252 pages of gaming goodness, total. For $11.00! Also, you can find all sorts of goodies at the Publisher’s Site.

The RPGPundit reviews Robert Conley’s The Majestic Wilderlands. He seems to be quite taken with the place!

Speaking of Reviews, Pookie’s Reviews from R’lyeh has several of interest to the OSR community. Death Frost Doom, Labyrinth Lord, The Dungeon Alphabet and more!

Last week, I forgot to mention Part 2 of the Cold Text File WG4 post, by Scottsz. There is no graceful way to mention or link this today, so I’ll just request that he post part 3.

Blog Spotlight!

This week, I shine a spotlight on one of my new favorite blogs. From The Sorcerer’s Skull, where Trey posts delightful essays on Swords & Sorcery, gaming and related subjects. Trey posts kinda early (or really, really late,) so when I get to work in the morning, I pull up his blog and start the day off with something enjoyable, while waiting for my company’s Slow as Christmas system to load.

Like his piece on Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane.  Warlord Wednesday. Or, Friday’s post, Comic Book Swordswomen of the 70’s. I had forgotten all about Frank Thorne’s Ghita of Alizarr. Now, I have to go on an ebay hunt.

Articles, like Urban Decadence Made Easy, provide ideas and resources for fantasy gaming.  Other posts feature material from his Campaign World, Arn. Scum and Villainy, introduces us to some shady characters from Terminus, who are very well written, well realized and will inspire all sorts of juicy ideas for your campaign. In Wizards Three and the Apportioning of Loot, Trey riffs off a famous D&D illustration, to give us another glimpse into Arn and some of its magical history.

Trey knows his stuff and his take on shared interests, is a lot of fun to read. If you haven’t checked out From The Sorcerer’s Skull, what are you waiting for? I’m done here. Get yourself some coffee, or whatever else you like to imbibe in the morning, head on over and enjoy yourself!