OSR News From The Underdark Gazette – Saturday, April 17, 2010

New Releases

Knockspell #4 has been released! Woo-hoo!

“Knockspell Issue #4 contains a veritable cornucopia of gaming content for your   retro-clone or out-of-print fantasy campaign! Here's a preview of the table of contents:

From Kuroth’s Quill Allan T. Grohe, Jr.
Beneath the Crossroads: an Adventure Joshua James Gervias
Artist Interview: Christopher Burdett
Megadungeon Adventuring Tactics Matt Finch
Isles on an Emerald Sea 3: An Adventure Gabor Lux
Random Tavern Generator Robert Lionheart
Artifact Type & Attributes Scot Hoover
Spell Interval System John Stater
Online Roleplaying: A Quick Overview Marcelo Frossard Paschoalin
Rats in the Walls: an Adventure by Jeffrey P. Talanian
Stealing the Histories Michael Curtis
Free-Form Rules as a Referee’s Toolbox Al Krombach
Rolling Along: Wheeled Magic Items James Bobb
Weird Weather and other Unexplanable Phenomena J Shoultis, J Larrey, J Hartleb
Review: The Dungeon Alphabet Allan T. Grohe, Jr.
Weapon Generator J.R. Cone
New Magic Items James Bobb “

Available in Print for $10.00 and in pdf for $5.00. 64 pages. From Black Blade Publishing.

The Print edition of Advanced Adventures #13: White Dragon Run from Expeditious Retreat Press has been released. $12.00. The PDF is still available from RPGNOW for $6.00. By James C. Boney, with art by Peter Mullen, John Bingham, Jason Walton. The PDF version runs to 16 pages.

“The little village of White Dragon Run is at the edge of civilization - the place where monsters are a constant threat and adventurers thrive. It is here that reputations are made or broken, and deeds are performed only to be set in verse decades after the real story is long lost. On this thin line between country and chaos lies White Dragon Run. The last stop for the civilized before the well-trodden road becomes the weed-infested trail leading to creatures that would rather fight than herd, fish or farm. There’s a fortune to be made for the up and coming adventurer with the strength, the wile, and the cunning to strike out against dangers both natural and unnatural. White Dragon Run is the final stop before meeting one’s destiny behind the sword, stave, dagger, or holy symbol.”

I haven’t purchased any of the Advanced Adventures, yet. It’s something I plan to rectify in the coming months. The preview of this module, on RPGNOW, has piqued my interest, so I think I’ll start with this one. Also, a Peter Mullen cover is always a plus!

Charnel Crypt Of The Sightless Serpent from North Wind Adventures is now available!

“A millennium has passed since the Green Death swept across Hyperborea.  In that bygone age of pestilence, a noble family fled the City-State of Khromarium. Far beyond the walls of the city, they entombed themselves in order to elude the inescapable plague. Their necromancer placed them in a deep slumber from which they never wakened. Also he summoned a mythical serpent to guard the vault, a beast reputed to shed gems for tears from eyeless sockets. Tales speak of this beast as the Sightless Serpent. Now, a knave of Khromarium claims to have witnessed the legendary beast. For a pittance he will lead your party to its trail…”

“Author: Jeffrey Talanian
Art: Ian Baggley
Editing: Matt Finch
Cartography: Andreas Claren”

“Rules: For use with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea and other traditional fantasy role-playing games, including modern simulacra or “retro-clone” games.
Product Type: Adventure Module.
Product Format: 16-page, 7 x 10 inch, black & white booklet; saddle stitched, with a cardstock, matte finish cover; maps printed on inside cover.
Product Code: NWA102
Product Price: $5.00”

This is an expanded and revised version of the adventure, which originally appeared in Knockspell #1. We're still awaiting the release of Astonishing Swordsment & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Here's a snippet from the publisher's site, for those who haven't heard of the game:

“Our core product is Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, a role-playing game of swords, sorcery, and weird-fantasy, whose rules are inspired by the creations of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Essentially, AS&SH presents an alternative rules set for traditional gaming, this made possible by the Open Gaming License (OGL).”

According to the author's comments in a recent forum discussion, the plans are to release the rules as a boxset, probably by this summer.

Exquisite Corpses by Stefan Poag was released, this week! The print copy is $10.00 in  paperback and runs 91 pages. You can also download a free pdf.

“A source book for Old School Renaissance Role playing games; compatible (with a little work) with most role playing games. Also works as a great source book for woolgathering, wondering, whimsy and flights of fancy. Color cover with black & white interior illustrations by the author. WARNING: Contains mature content. Not suitable for all audiences.”

Here’s a quote from the author’s blog:

“The book has a total of 91 pages in black and white and is spiral bound. The book is intended to serve as a bestiary / monster book for role playing gamers and weirdos of every stripe. Twenty six monsters (including humans, a robot, a minotaur, a cyclops, etc.) are presented. By cutting the pages into thirds (dotted lines and full instructions provided), each of the 26 'basic' monsters is made into 3 tabs (head, torso and feet/tail/psuedopod). The user can then flip the tabs to swap heads, torsos, etc., and come up with all sorts of crazt combinations. By my calculation, there are over 17,000 possible combinations availible!”

Sounds fun! Blair posted a Table for use with this book, on his Planet Algol blog.

Watchtower on the Hill from Johnny Rook Games, is now available as a PDF from RPGNOW and Your Games Now! The 32 page pdf costs $9.00, or see below to save a buck.

“An entry-level adventure game module suitable for the OSRIC rpg system or  any other 1e compatible system. A shaft has been discovered below the old watchtower outside of town. Worse yet, a boy has fallen into it! Your party must race against time to save the boy and sift through the remains of the watchtower on the hill! This module contains a complete 3-level map of the watchtower ruins and a new taven for any game (includes map, menu, and staff!)!”

If you head to their Lulu Store, you can still get the Print version, in B&W for $16.00 and in color for $22.00. You can also get the PDF from Lulu, for $8.00.

Free Downloads

Ready for a new fanzine? Encounter #1 is now available as a free download. The PDF runs 28 pages.

"As you whirl around, your sword ready, the huge, red 
fire-breathing dragon swoops towards you with a ROAR!"

“Welcome to the home of Encounter, a free quarterly fanzine 
dedicated to the Classic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Game! 
This humble journal seeks to provide a new online voice for 
the grand old version of the role-playing game we know and
love. Whether you are re-living your gaming glory days or 
are new to Classic D&D® we hope you enjoy your visit! “

There’s also a call for Submissions on the site. Here’s looking to a successful run for this new magazine!

If you head over to the Oubliette Magazine blog, you can snag their free AEC Character Sheet.

Paul Fini at The Warlock's Home Brew, has given us a free Campaign Journal!  Available in standard US 5.5 8.5 and in European A4 folded sizes, the 28 page pdf may be downloaded from this post.

Usherwood Publishing has released two free products at RPGNOW. First, a First Edition Sword Creator:

“Create enchanted swords quickly and easily with this Microsoft Excel(TM) spreadsheet. Values based on the sword creation tables included in the First Edition Dungeon Masters Guide(TM) published by TSR, Inc. Includes all properties, including special purpose, ego, intelligence, and more. Recalculate the spreadsheet to generate a new sword. Compatible with Excel 2000, XP, 2007 (Windows), and MacOffice through v.2008.”

Second, a First Edition Treasure Generator:

“Create treasure hordes quickly and easily with this Microsoft Excel(TM) spreadsheet. Values based on the treasure tables included in the First Edition Monster Manual(TM) published by TSR, Inc. Includes spreadsheet for random gems creation, and random jewelry creation. Simply activate the checkmark next to the treasure category to be calculated. Recalculate the spreadsheet to generate a new treasure horde. Compatible with Excel 2000, XP, 2007 (Windows), and MacOffice through v.2008.”

From the fine folks at Dragonsfoot, The Tome of Minor Items is now available! By Todd Hughes, the 23 page pdf features low-powered magic items for your campaign.  Designed for 1e.

 

Events & Happenings

John Hershberger of Black Blade Publishing, has reported that he'll be running two Official AD&D events at Gen Con Indie. He's running Castle of the Mad Archmage on August 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. More info here.

Speaking of Castle of the Mad Archmage, Joe Bloch has some con plans as well. Dexcon in Morristown, NJ is running July 7 – 11 and my favorite Greyhawk Scholar has plans, including two sessions of Castle of the Mad Archmage and a session of Tomb of Horrors!!!! Read more here.

 

In Other News

 I Hit it With My Axe: Episode-Five-Blobs-and-Brain-Switching.

Head over to Havard's Blackmoor Blog and check out this post, linking some Dragons at Dawn reviews.

Daddy Grognard is looking for Playtesters, for an upcoming Module release! Check it out here.

Scottsz's Cold Text File WG4 - Part 4 went up last weekend. If you haven’t been following this series, head on over and soak up some Greyhawk Goodness! Armed with the knowledge and insight Scottsz is sharing, we might manage to free Tharizdun ensure that Tharizdun, never again becomes a threat to the peoples of Oerth!

What I’m Pimping This Week

Stonehell Dungeon: Down Night-Haunted Halls by Michael Curtis. Available in Print for $13.00 or PDF for $6.50.

“Stonehell Dungeon is a classic-style megadungeon, filled with enough monsters, traps, weirdness, and treasure to keep you gaming for a long, long time. Explore over 700 rooms, encounter more than 40 new monsters, and discover 18 mysterious magical items -- and that's just in the first book! Stonehell Dungeon: Down Night-Haunted Halls details the first six levels of a megadungeon intended for use with the Labyrinth Lord™ role-playing game, but is easily adaptable to most early versions of the original fantasy role-playing game and its retro-clones. Featuring art by J.A. D'Andrea, Lee Barber, Marcelo Paschoalin, and Ralph Pasucci, Stonehell Dungeon gives the game master all the necessary information to run his players through the dungeon, while offering enormous opportunities to customize and expand on the site. Suitable for characters of levels 1 through 7.”

Utterly awesome and what I’m Pimping this Week!