Minotaurs, the horned headed herd humanoids

 

Minotaurs
Abhuman beast folk 

Young Minotaur
AC+4 HD 4d12 (26hp) Att Axe d8+2 or Javelin d6+2 or unarmed d4+2 Mov 12 Morale 9
Veteran Minotaur

AC+5 HD 8d12 (52hp) Att x2 Axe d10+3 or Javelin d8+3 or unarmed d6+3 Mov 15 Morale 10

Avatar Champion Minotaur
AC+8 HD 16d12 (104hp) Att x3 Axe d12+4 or Javelin d10+4 or unarmed 84+4 Mov 24 Morale 11

❤The unarmed attack can be used to punch, gore with horns, grapple or hoof kick and get a bonus attack every battle (2 for veteran and 3 for an avatar)
❤ Can move at full movement rate and attack in a round
❤ Can leap +3m easily, climb and swim 
❤ Uncanny navigation making mazes even the maze spell easier to solve
❤ Alignments can vary, but many have waged war with humans since early times and have grudges
❤ Can eat plant or animal matter, including food humans find inedible, some are carnivores by choice, and a few are human eaters specifically. Vegetarian ones are still dangerous and aggressive near their families

1in4 Gain +2 hit and double damage with one charge attack per round (move 6m+)
1in4 Doubles damage dice on a hit with natural 19 or 20 roll
1in4 Track as a bloodhound, smell of blood stands out 
1in6 Bronze plate armour +2 AC

1in6 Cleave skill, any remaining damage after downing a foe can attack another enemy in 3m with a hit roll (maximum one attack 2HD)

1in6 Large round shield +2 AC +4 vs missiles if doesn't move
1in8 Berserker +2 hit and damage once lost half HP, fight until -10hp, fight to the death
1in8 Hellfire Breath as burning hands 3x per day d3+HD damage in 90-degree 3m cone
1in8 Immune to petrification magic
1in10 Eating human flesh and an hour's rest healed 2d6 damage
1in10 Thrown missile weapon returns to hand at end of the round
1in10 Random mutations minor per 2HD and major per 4HD
1in12 Stinking cloud effect from rotting flesh to all in 3m radius
1in12 Swarm of vermin living in flesh
1in20 Cast a maze spell once per battle
1in20 Regenerate a d6hp per round except acid or fire damage
1in20 Command cattle once per round

d12 Minotaur Adventures
1 An underground catacomb complex where locals bury the dead has a minotaur moved in. The sanctity protects graves from the undead, but the minotaur is searching for the sacred sigils at each corner of the graveyard 
2 A mountain cave is known to be the home of a minotaur that steals goats from locals every few years. Shepherds say it must guard a fabulous treasure in hopes that adventurers hunt it

3 A weirdo wants to open a minotaur dairy and has offended a minotaur tribe, go make peace. The weirdo offers a reward if he faces no consequences

4 Children tell tales of underground tunnels that are home to a devil and sing creepy rhymes. They hear its hooves and bellowing on cobblestones. An ancient minotaur maze is under the people's homes

5 Minotaurs claim all local cattle are their kin and tribe members. They want easy, free cows or a fight and free cows

6 An Amazonian lady minotaur has been preaching for human women to throw off the yoke of patriarchy. She is also teaching them knife and staff combat with a warrior ethos. A vocal minority want her gone and will spend money or lie to get rid of her and need some violent thugs

7 A minotaur cult seeks to make one of their herd an avatar champion to embody the spirit and powers of the tribal spirit. Many are ancestors but others are elemental or demonic

8 Lawful minotaurs require food and rest after a bloody battle against a chaos cult. They will be shocked by humanity's corruption and lack of devotion to killing chaos. Some feel the wrath of law is required to purge the wicked

9 A young minotaur is being chased by angry locals who think it is a monster

10 A slavemaster has minotaur gladiators for sale, great for dungeons, funerary blood fight rites or anything really. The minotaurs fear they will be made eunuchs soon  

11 A noble built a nice hedgemaze for his estate taking years but a bloody great minotaur moved in and has been shitting everywhere

12 A demon avatar minotaur leads a band of putrid mutated minotaurs on a rampage in the name of chaos and may come this way

d12 Minotaur Tribes (battle cattle folk)
1 Blood Suns, dark russet bulls with caked bloody handprints and white ochre designs, famous for berserkers who eat raw human flesh

2 Medow Lords are B&W and more peaceful, more interested in grazing in fields and growing crops than hunting and killing. They trade produce to other minotaurs and giants

3 Night Herd Lords who are black and hunt in the dark with red eyes, they worship the gods and spirits of darkness

4 Highlanders have red shaggy hair and are more willing to graze on grass and trade. They like to live in turf cottages in villages or occupy old ruins on the moors

5 Putrid Plague Kings who worship gods of slime, decay and undeath and use rotting minotaur corpses for undead. Many have parasites and bloated guts, some even leaking intestines, their hair falls off, and their skin is stinking and green

6 Duncow Herd Lords are brown minotaurs who have clans in wild wastes and woodlands, and they have a druidic priesthood. Some tribes sacrifice humans tp appease ancestors but others cohabit with wild forest folk and tribes of humans  

7 The Grey Ones, minotaurs with ash grey-blue fur, servants of the underworld who guard caves and wells to the deeps. Many paint soot around their eyes and bodies to look more skeletal. The priests made undead minotaur guardians

8 Great Buffalo are huge woolly brown and black buffalo minotaurs who enjoy wastelands. They often use ancient ruins and are peaceful unless their families are threatened by strangers. They rapidly unite under a war chief to destroy threats on their wasteland

9 Marsh Buffalo Tribe dwell in marshes and wetlands and are used for farm labour in some lands by the marsh folk. They prefer to be left alone but are aggressive to strangers near family or community

10 Sea bulls, white bulls, experts at sailing and piracy. Very calm about it all and bear enemies no malice. They sing-along drinking songs when celebrating a victorious sea voyage

11 Auroch tribe, gigantic black furred and long-horned, who hate hated humans since ancient times and the whole tribe will hunt and kill humans on their lands or path

12 Long Horn Hell Raisers with light brown spots, prefer wasteland life and meat and strong drink if they can get it. They notoriously kill centaurs and satyrs

d12 Magic Library Pests

My Patreon will be showing updates for the Labyrinth bit by bit. It will end up as a megadungeon. I still need to do a sub-level with a maze. All will be added to the Ethyria book eventually.

Magic libraries are a hazard and even have a secret portal to hell's libraries. Magic books attract trouble like strange life. Some students work in the library as vermin hunters, and a few go on to be adventurers. Desperate adventurers might get some coins or research for some pests destroyed.

d12 Basic Library Pests
1 Book Mites - eat the glue in books, damaging them and bite readers
2 Book Worms - eat paper and vellum and make silk nests, become book moths when adult
3 Skull spiders - eat bookworms and book beetles and leave webs everywhere, can live a long time. Librarians use their venom in traps and poison books
4 Shelf Rats - rodents that nest in shelves and eat books and other book vermin. They like to steal shiny things, lamps, candles, spectacles and other interesting things and hide them in their nest. Some say rat colonies actually write new works 
5 Book Borer Beetles - eat books and are attracted to other book pests, which they also eat
6 Wise Worm - larger sapient worms live for centuries on books, and they read as they eat. Thankfully, they may help librarians and shoot sleep gas in defence. They are sleepy but wise and learned. Some are wizards
7 Baby Mimic in the form of a popular book, will snatch a hand and flee
8 Stirge Owl - often sneaky loners attack weak book nerds and just leave victims unconscious
9 Paper Grubs - chew on books, and if you eat them alive, you may glean some weird random facts from books they eat. Some wizards consider them delicacies
10 Shelf Toads - eat bugs and worms and can spit d3 acid if surprised. They squeeze into shelves to hide between hunts and are poisonous if eaten 
11 Book Centipedes - are giant centipedes that hide in books, they hollow out and attack if surprised
12 Eyeballs - floating eyeball spies operated by wizards checking if books are in

d12 Advanced Library Pests
1 Gremlins - are mischievous and also favour rats over cats so unwelcome in libraries. A colony can ruin an operating library
2 Book Troll - 1-3 foot tall, small, hairy trolls like to help librarians and keep away pests like rats or cats or musicians. Some come to conflict over catalogue systems with librarians and can bee labelled pests
3 Book Brownie - a small benevolent protector of books who chases away imps
4 Walking Worms - steal books by eating them. A colony can form a humanoid mass that will fool people until close or in good lighting. They often serve evil cults
5 Vapour Rats - like magic books and can bypass barriers and traps. Nests of them spread damp and mould but they fear fire
6 Crawling Hand - scuttling around causing trouble with a malicious spirit, 1in6 have an eyeball which is used by more powerful library beings
7 Poltergeists - move books and might even throw them or knock over shelves, often spirits of former teenage students and troubled youths
8 Whispering Spirits - spirits that whisper strange things into the ears of people looking for books or reading. Some say vile things or forgotten secrets
9 Spectral Lenders - lost or never returned a book or stole from the library now a spirit trapped here. Most are harmless but might scare people. 1in6 dorm a ectoplasmic material like form and will fight if provoked and carry a weapon if they did when alive. They vary in strength depending on their level in life
10 Book Imps - plant forbidden lore in libraries and offer terrible advice while invisible to prey on students. They also offer free wizard school with unbeatable deals with no tuition fees. If a student is willing to sign a soul contract, the imp will open a secret portal to the library of hell
11 Hellcat - a large black cat that offers the same services as an imp but will offer to serve a powerful master for a year in hope of turning them to becoming a great evil.The cats may even walk like a person and wear clothes and use weapons after a time in service. They can become invisible in the darkness and have strange powers. Other supernatural cats might be found depending on the library, some hunt ghosts or are spies for good  
12 Librarian Spirits - protect books and shush noise makers, become hideous banshees when angered

d12 Library Patrons
1 Student looking for a book

2 Cleaner dusting, sweeping and mopping

3 Students doing vice d4 1=flirting 2=drugs 3=buying essays 4=talking to imp

4 Guards looking for thieves or troublemakers

5 Apprentices d4 doing research for master's

6 Cultists seeking forbidden lore

7 Librarian with a trolley reshelving books

8 Librarians on patrol looking for troublemakers

9 Scholars arguing or playing chess

10 Old scholar and assistant

11 Young wizard

12 Old wizard and d4 apprentices

d12 Library Most Wanted
1 Serial book thief or possibly a small gang

2 Religious arsonists caught trying to start a fire

3 Two cults are seeking something and fighting for it

4 A cult has infiltrated the library and has a secret room

5 Crime guild using the library for meetings 

6 An old scholar is stealing from speciality stacks and needs to be found

7 A thing from the sewer came in and has eaten people, and something from the special collection

8 Librarians in the library have gone missing in the catacombs

9 Someone is bringing in library vermin deliberately

10 A pervert in the library is exposing themselves and claims they are having sex with ghosts. Please stop them

11 A mummy wizard has been coming from the sewers by night to read, and is a bit scary

12 A portal to the library of hell is hidden, awaiting new students. An Imp will be its guardian and must be found

emo vs d&d5

For some reason, the new D&D books turned out to be good value, cheaper than the 2014 books. And then all local postal service retailers here had some amazing stock dumping sales of old stuff at better than second-hand prices so I thought I would recap my thoughts on this stuff. I hadn't grabbed lots of adventures before, but I've been nabbing them. It's good timing as I'm learning to DM 5th ed and manage risk. Also, going back and looking at my older books, now I finally get mechanics well enough to minmax and do weird stuff.   

My normal homebrew is sorta streamlined 1985 1st ed & cyclopaedia inspired. I found it faster than 4th ed and have been playing it since about 2012. Most of my content was for this. Philosophically, it differs more with old-school design but I do like some modern features and took some weird sidequests.

Weirdly, I find lots of ppl spent less time fighting (I still seem to fit in lots of fights in my D&D5 games).

I don't believe any dnd game or retroclone or new indie story game is the one and only authentic way to game. I will be reviewing these books as having useful content to plunder from for homebrewers, like ideas, maps etc and as modern D&D.

Lots of 5th ed gear is mostly good for mechanics of 5th ed. The new Psion class online being playtested now is even more like my own. I'm fine, my dnd book has happy monsters and twinks in preposterous outfits for murdering goblins.  

I played D&D5 from about 2020 but I did not exactly take in rules that well and taken me until the 2024 version I felt the book was usefully organised enough I would play. 

My order I'm presenting these is based on when I got them mostly. 

Possibly I'm a bit generous but they all have mostly nice art and are nice books. I don't think I'm the target audience but my students loved it/ I did have them see BX was faster for club quick games. After the book comments I dunk on the whole game a bit.

Mythic Odysseys of Theros
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀😀

I got this as I was running my Babylon d&d games and was working on bronze age stuff. To be clear I disliked lots of Wizards art (some overly new age for me) and zero interest in psuedo gambling card games. Id had a low opinion of official anything D&D since early 2nd edition (necromancy book was final thing I saw made me quit for RQ3. So something in this book sparked my interest. An attempt to make a pseudo greek fantasy made it interesting. You could still plunder myth as much as you like bit not worry about mythology experts being dicks to your game greeksplaining everything. I liked the Dyson mapped temples and the detail of religion. D&D 5 needs a cleric domain splatbook and the detail of Theros. I'm finally running this game now. I don't always like the alt mythology or monsters but it also does better than most of D&D. Harpies and Chimera and even some of the mods on monsters are good. I look forward to this being my default D&D5 for a while.

Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage 
D&D 😀😀💥💥 Homebrew😀💥💥💥
So I saw what I thought was a book, cheap and got the map compilation instead. So I got the book. Its a worse product to even read without separate prints of maps. It's a megadungeon Ive reviewed before. It's kinda not a great megadungeon or like the old box set of undermountain. On the plus you could just take levels out and relocate them without much effort. A funhouse dungeon of a mad wizard it isn't as fun as it should be. No new lore or monsters to get excited by either. I prefer these minimal maps to the full colour video game looking ones, which had put me off.

Out of the Abyss
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀💥💥💥
A sale item and another kinda railroad with some sandbox areas. It has lots of demon lords and interesting locations to steal and some lore to expand play. Prison breakouts can be a pain but it can also be a break from meeting in a tavern. I thought it a better read with better ideas than Mad Mage,

Wild Beyond the Witchlight
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥
I got this out of interest for the idea of a faerie book that you could play without violence. I see people avoiding conflict often in modern games because fights are so slow and tedious or they feel obligated. If you want that fine and you can try and murder hobo through this. It reminds me a but of Dungeonland/Magic Missor modules of Gygax but probably more charming and fun. I like the rabbitfolk and how Bullywugs went from vain CE thugs to dandy nobility and good goblins as faerie folk. If you wanted to run a less violent game and let people stockpile pets it could be fun. I could also steal encounters from it. Maybe you could run something less combat oriented and simpler might be good.

Ghosts of Saltmarsh
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥
I waited for a goodman games original adventures version of this and I think they had dome so well Wizards tried to do it as a cockblock (I have no proof just my fantasy speculation LOL). Some stuff on boat battles might help (Theros too). People wanted something like the battlecar rules in the Avernus adventure. I also liked it was more Greyhawk and the starting setups. Has good ship maps, weather, monsters and other stuff usable in other games. Ships have stats but not lots of guidance to use them or any special player abilities to help.  

PHB 2014
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀💥💥💥

DMG 2014
D&D 😀😀💥💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥

I eventually got these as I was playing and I was often starved for any RPG gear in local shops and I was getting better value by post. So I nabbed these from shops. I think as a version of game with interesting stuff it was good. I had issues with half species and problems in player culture and the stereotype of being lost between two worlds stuff which made some of my students cry. Ive found in this edition most games I had were all furry characters. More recently, more have at least looked human (halfling, assamir) and one player likes reptilians (good taste really). I dislike the index pages I cant read even with glasses now I'm 55. I need good light to see nowadays. Im liking big fonts in old books more now than when I was  kid. I used to want everything dense like Mutant Epoch RPG but now I think 92 era box sets and other books big print is ok. Even with both books being obsolete the PHB can be used to fill in gaps for subclasses and old content not in current version. DMG is wildly different. I liked it was full of tables and rule mods and evil subclasses for villains. In a few years from now, this DMG might be the more useful book. Its an OK DMG but a bit thin and not really required reading.

MM 2014
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥

Its ok. I was a bit surprised by the changes having not really seen 3rd or 4th ed much. I appreciate the 2025 one but its only marginally better. It has fixed some things but made new problems. I found newer version easier to find stuff in. I like the Sphynxes and Lamia more in 2014 book. Mostly more HP monsters mean slower fights. Lower AC monsters can make missing so unlikely that rolling is tedious. Overall, both versions are fine for their time I will keep both versions for a while. In my old-school game I use D&D5 monsters for extra hard versions of things but with old-school saving throws and conditions like death. 

Xanathars Guide To Anything
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀💥💥

As a teen when I thought beholders were so cool I would have loved this. Early character subclasses, forge domain, grave domain, druid shapeshift details, race feats, stuff that shoulda been in DMG or PH and is in 2024, tools, balancing encounters (I ignore this), encounters,  traps, downtime, magic items, spells and a name section I'm using in other games. As a early splatbook its revisions were welcome and it had something for everyone despite being a bit thin vs some other similar books.

Volo's Guide to Monsters

D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥

Lots of lore on monsters that lean into what I thought would have been cool at 15. Over specific monster lore and monsters being interrelated or made by specific demons, I think diminishes the wonder. I don't love the maps but the lair concepts are good and you as a DM get a mini game of building monsters and a lair for a cinematic battle. Gnolls to me are one type of beast folk and they could all be the same stats. I think D&D gnolls are cool but a bit overdeveloped. We need a book of fey like the giant and dragon books with goblins and faerie. Hags are cool. I do think a lower rank one like a chaos had from BX with 4HD and some powers for local witch things. I blinked and kobolds had become draconic minions. I like a variety of kobolds but D&D has made own distinctive thing. Lots of cook kobold art. Mindflayers are cool I guess and detail is good but to me too much about a weird outer alien being kinda doesn't help. Some monsters should be enigmatic. Yuan-Ti are fine but making them players in later books with advantage vs all magic was a problem. I like lots of variety of strength with types. All these monsters have a lair map and let the DM minigame a monster boss its interesting. My lack of fan devotion probably minimises how cool they are. I like races but Goliath a bit too biblical for me. Loved Kenku except the annoying roleplaying rule making them seem non sentient. I loved these lizard folk. The extensive bestiary is great. Some welcome returns of classics. A giant with 2 sheilds is a bit edgelord for me, but I like various monster types for low and high level play. Lizard folk 2025 you were done wrong. Lots of big headed little people in older books I disliked for some weird reason. Stats for human foes is great and easy to mod species. I still find it weird the game doesn't worry about human levels for NPCs only with wizards do they cast as a specific level. Having given up on this these sort of blocks are needed. I can imagine a new splatbook with more specialists for humanoids and player species. Its another solid splatbook of ideas. i enjoy statblocks more than the lore but liked random stuff. A good rainy day DM prep n play book.

Mordenkainen's Book of Foes
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀😀💥
Another mega splat book with monster and race stuff! Lore dumps  on bloodwar and tiefling mods. Elves section which I liked the gods but would rather a faerie world sourcebook. Eladrin were awesome and I use as Dryads in Theros.  Dwarves which are now dwarfy. Dueregr seem to have better variety. Gith lore I find the vaguer the better. Then into monsters which it has lots of. The bronze constructs are nice. Demons and devils are good but some from other books and art. Nagpa are awesome and frost salamanders. Lots of horrific monsters id have to work at finding right uses for. Some give my 80s horror film vibes. However shortly after this came out a "new" book Monsters of The Multiverse came out 

Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of The Multiverse
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥
A recap of races/species with more detail and revised in samoe cases already ecept Yuan Ti and Satyrs still get improved magic saves. The rest is all bestiary compiling stuff from previous books to accompany the Monster Manual and often re uses art. The splatbook thing with many many choices and spells and books to carry and revisions are making the game harder to play at this stage but choices are cool. Bloody whole page on dolphins. Its reasonably fat and as a monster book has most of previous two books monsters. This all happened quickly.

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀💥💥
Sorta compiling player options splatbook and some DM stuff grab bag. Artificers are cool and hope to play one this year. New subclasses, and lots of psionics as a major type of stuff now. Patrons and tables are nice, make your own background stuff and get closer to the current edition. Loytsa spells with stat blocks for summoning. Magic items, DM tools, sidekicks, parley, environment tables, which are the best thing in the book, puzzles and other oddments. Im quite fond of it, but it's possibly another wild grab bag of stuff we dreamed up this season. I think they could have made it more clear which books made older books obsolete. Im glad I just realised two dragon adventures now in one book before getting older version.

Curse of Strahd
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥
I grabbed this and didn't get too deep. Ive been in a campaign for a year in it now. I can see amateur acting style gamers would enjoy this and you can minimise violence. And you can have Strahd kick your arse. I hate him. I did play the original one and broke it with random luck and I'm a horrible player (reforming now). I had the 1st box set and a few books for it then went full BRP and TSR Marvel for 10 years. Actually, I quit reading Marvel comics same period. I wont go on about it here much. Its a classic Hammer Horror action drama.

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥
This one is a nice guide to d&d horror and subgenres. A bit of character stuff. They have changed a few things but I'm fine. Lots of mini settings for short campaigns or extended Ravenloft adventures.  A few monsters but lots of great advice, tropes and ideas and not as many mechanics as other books.

Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀😀💥

Lots of dragons, dragon lairs and lore with table minigames for the DM  to make dragons of all types. The lairs are really good. Lots you can drop in a campaign with maps. Some character rules, gem psionic dragons and lots of monsters. It's pretty fun. 

From here on I got at recent market sales and price probably helped their rankings here. Post costs are also a factor here, but mostly 20-50% off and good post rates. I have read most of these less deeply than older ones; I have read possibly twice or more.

Icewind Dale

D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥
It's a big, impressive d&d frozen wilderness sandbox with a plot and lots to do and see. I played it and saw about 2/3 content. It has lots of nice frozen villages and monsters and I've seriously considered jacking content from it into Forbidden North or Black City. We enjoyed playing it and reading it after made my party look like impatient. We aggressively targeted the dark dwarves, then the snowmaiden goddess, and then called quits. Lots of good scenes and ideas to use. It's probably my favourite adventure all round. It's fat with lots of extra monsters in the back. 

Eberron Rising from the Last War
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀💥

It's a setting I shunned for years, and now I come to see echoes in my own projects. I might mash it with Trey Causey's Weird Adventures and my own recent work. I like lots of the effort. Now grimecore is so big maybe they will revise it soon with current filth and grot. Probably for many games, this would have some problems stealing ideas from. If you do run a post-industrial fantasy, this has lots of stuff. I like the news clippings throughout the book. Lots of automatons and war forged, and artificers too. Other weird species are also on show. I'm certainly more interested in playing this setting.

Candlekeep Mysteries

D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥

It's full of mysteries about books and mostly short scenarios, maybe longer with lots of talking. While I'm not ready for non evil lamia from what Ive read its quite fun and I will use some of these. Maybe I will run a wizard school game with this. more fun and fast than I expected and could be reused with work elsewhere. Good for urban investigation games even though Im for magic nerfing investigations. 

Tomb of Anihilation

D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀😀💥

The Isle of Dread, Tomb of Horrors and Dwellers in the Forbidden City had a baby and this is it. Using the interest in Tomb of Horror and a return of a popular villain, I guess, seemed like good marketing. A colonialist lost world fantasy of lost jungle cities and curses. Lots of good episodes, maps, encounters and backgrounds. Im less into the plot of the Death curse. I like the hexcrawl elements and the nice city maps, but I'd happily fill in more detail. I like the Yuan-Ti dungeon but less interested in the trap-filled funhouse section and not sure If my players would do it. I think Id just run Tomb of Horrors with lots of pregens as a beer and pretzels game. Mant elements like sets of keys and puzzle parts are awesome. Id probably give them checklists when they found items part of a set. Even though colour maps I like these more than many earlier products. I got this in part for resemblance to the Forbidden City adventure of the 80s not for its tomb of horrors. For what it is I quite like it. Stuff in here I'd consider transplanting to the Isle of Dread if I do run a sea exploration game. It does have some dips into pulp exotica, colonialist and orientalism, like having Anthropology and Archaeology background. I can see they tried to do better than past.

Glory of the Giants
D&D 😀😀😀😀 Homebrew😀😀😀😀

After Theros this book is my favourite in many ways. Lots of lore. locations, maps and monsters ready to drop into a setting, and I will be using lots as part of my Theros game at higher levels. Ready for a sandbox adventure anytime. Lots of tables for DM to generate giants and fancy rune magic and rune items. The implied giant technology is sometimes quite amazing and almost godlike. Lots of big, solid lore dumps and ideas. It's a bit thin with no map, and was the highest-priced book in the series I have got yet. I really like the faerie lore overlapping. The formarians and Fensirs and trolls. D&D needs more troll lore. I'm a stinge sometimes and do consider it a factor, still probably why I got so late. Pleasantly more engaging than I imagined. I prefer this to the Dragon book.

Descent to Avernus
D&D 😀😀😀💥 Homebrew😀😀💥💥

Lots of cool hell stuff and a map, but half the book is Baldur's Gate yet again. Its detailed enough to use as a sourcebook on that city, but I feel the hell stuff is more interesting and the map. I've worked on and off on a hell setting for years, and the map is inspiring. And how distance is more like faerie time flow. The giant hellish Mad Max vehicles seem like lots of fun. I do feel you'd come back a bit tainted by the setting. I'm not into current cosmology and who rules what plane and Id probably change stuff and have Tiamat meddling more.

----------------------------

That's it - I've considered the combined dragon adventure book but I'm open to recommendations. Any you liked?

I still think mostly d&d5 is a bunch of clever gimmick mechanics and fanboy service, making it overly complex and combat-focused. More and more I see games and podcasts play with very little combat, and often its the most boring. Sometimes you see a great gotcha moment when a character pulls a combo. In my experience as a player, we do everything to avoid fights. D&D shorts on YouTube prove the game is prone to minmaxing abuse, and it's a main feature of the game.

Reasons I didn't want to DM older version of d&d5:

Unreadable index and layouts for me made it hard to find stuff.
I find 2024 is easier to find stuff even without glasses.
I learned white spaces shapes were how I found stuff in old early 80s books. 

The huge variety of player options makes it harder for the DM to cope.

NPC playable species as monsters no longer let the DM say I need a 5th lv cleric npc and run with it. Most modern MM statblocks don't even give a level for npc's unless related to spell casting level. So this removes lots of options for DM to just say F4 or W6 or T4 and know their abilities on the fly. The DM was using the same language as the players and even with the stuff added 85 to D&D like specialisation, non-weapon skills and the brown class splatbooks with lots of interesting combat options. It was easier to counter player abilities in older D&D while in modern books you can overwhelm DM easily.

Maybe the English or FB are not the best, but their utility is in part derived from success and user base. In Adelaide, I've played more D&D5 - in Sydney I always had more choices and editions to play. I found it faster to start a new D&D5 game here. There is a big age group divide. I've played with lots of ppl in 20s I've known for 5 years now but plenty of younger ppl will run a million miles from older games and having been in old gaming clubs I can see why. Ive seen sketch show gags about older gamers barging into young ppls games and destroy them and I had this happen early 80s. Plenty of older gamers didn't. Some treated younger gamers as younger siblings to torment. 

D&D5 has increasingly moved away from mythology. Monsters are detached from origins and nature. Orcs as a player species I'm fine with. I like D&D has outgrown race ideas and women don't have worse attributes with mansplaining why in the text or all female characters have sharm/seduction powers, which we were suspicious of by 85. Lami are supernatural baby killers with vampiric or evil spell powers. Old D&D their appearance varied from a mash-up of lion or deer or snake. In latest MM they are more set in stone and not really presented as very evil. In one of the Candlekeep Mysteries, there are non-evil wolf-were who turn out to be ok but they want to resurrect a lamia who is a neutral jerk but not evil. Im glad to see lots of alignment shift of sentient species but alignment seems to me to be more significant in supernatural monsters, especially planar ones. Im fine with such creatures having less free will than mortals. Sphynxes now just cuddly, benevolent guys who look like they could be in My Little Pony or a line of plush dolls. They are completely separated from greek myth as maneaters. Or Egyptian myth as serving specific gods like Cyrosphynx goat headed servants of Amon, The hawkheaded ones guarded sites of Sekemnet or Horus. Andro sphynx is European from 1700s as a male version of greek gynosphynx for use in architecture. Im fine with the silly horny sphynx lore to die its not part of any old myths. I like eutruscan versions of monsters that all look more demonic vs horny neoclassical or prerapaelite painters.

Imagine class design for a less combat-oriented d&d game like witchlight setting. Id be fine if a combat-lite lite simpler version of the game with lots of fabulous twinks, furries and cute versions of monsters existed with crystals and new-age vibe art. I'd also be happy with a full combat-focused grimcore horror game. Variety is good. One set of rules is bad. Its a poor system for investigation so nerfing all divination just makes it worse. Maybe the metalkids are a big part of gaming too and should be able to have sick edgelord game full of gore and criminal misadventures.

Ive played Shadowdark too and quite like it. It seems cobbled from ideas from G+. I think lots of ppl could write something similar in a few hours. Its well resolved. My DM is a bit too kind to kill anyone. It's bringing back resource-based horror exploration and risk which are good. I think my players enjoy a game featuring more domain and faction play with adventures to fund their ambitions in statehood or business. We also played RQ for 20 years and no d&d which a few people can see in my writing. When I want grittier games I usually go for BRP/RQ/Cthulhu. If I wanted more loosely superheroes, I used TSR Marvel. D&D has swung more to superheroes. A 1st level character has so many abilities and resources and background stuff its hard to play humble nobodies like older editions. To be fair power creep in modern RQ positions everyone as almost a Rune Lord, while RQ2 you had no starting points on your skills and were useless teenagers who adventured to get money to get an apprenticeship to slowly learn some skills. It worked well with an adventure per year and some other events and Pendragon year turn play worked quite well. 

Shadowdark on the bright side, would be easy to design for. I find it very pricey here. I could get both old-school essentials, core books and adventures for the same price of one book. It seems built to be pricey and I fully respect their business skills.

It feels like D&D now takes you from an extraordinary freak to a demigod in a few months. I like starting people as wretched urchins or the bottom of society. If you want to be a prince, it will make the whole party suffer from being near you and the problems that come with it.

I think the idea of a distinct and authentic way to play D&D genre play is not a real thing. 

I overall prefer 5th to 2nd 3rd, and 4th. I do feel writing for it as would involve more drama for mechanics. Id possibly feel obligated to spend thousands on full colour art.

Some things I'd like to see for D&D5.

A new setting for 5th ed rather than just a multiverse of old stuff with whirlwind tours, everything. At best, this is a taste test fest; at worst, it feels like marketing of IP.

Less world/universe-shaking stakes. Maybe get to know locals and become a member of the community.. Ravenloft and Frost Maiden do this a bit but something with one town and built for players to bond with, not just another fetchquest.

I'd rather see old-school ppl re-create old adventures than the Wizards guys. Saltmarsh was one of the better ones, and you more clearly don't just massacre lizard fold and discover you should make peace. It's much clearer in the new one. Mostly, I prefer works like Tomb of Annihilation being inspired by the past rather than ported from an old product (it does have other issues).

A re-creation of the Desert of Desolation series and faux Egyptian mythos and cleric stuff and character options in one book, and don't use ideas from Khemetism or other modern cults - Hollow Earth Egypt book was ok. Faux Egypt has been in D&D for a long time.

A more gritty, spooky, dark age setting that's adult without anything from Game of Thrones and devoid of new age ideas of magic. Something more tasteless, spikey, possibly like a whole hell campaign with no worrying about the mortal plane, you could slap on any setting for 12- 20th Lv. 

A simpler, less combat dnd for ppl who prefer to talk and don't want to play tactical card games of conditional abilities. Witchlight book style stuff might be nice like this. As long as you get pets and maybe giant glowing crystals and unicorns. Or maybe a combat-stripped investigation variant with more social interaction mechanics (which might be in some of those books) or something that leans into LARP RPG games like Edwardian faerie folk or something.
 
--------------------------------------------

Ill be back to writing a more in-depth piece for Gods of the Forbidden North vol 1 & 2 and northern theme games in general. i could possibly mash it up with Frostmaiden and my Stone Age Sorcery setting and even that giants book. Will be a long way off though.

Ethyria & Chagrinspire Game Logs

Ethyria book up on Patreon now a 40 page comp of tables for ancient Greek-inspired gaming. I am using D&D2024 Theros myself, but this is written to be system/edition agnostic mostly. I will update this book but im working on another one and considering finishing my hell project. I will update this in lots of 4 pages at a time. 

Chagrinspire Session - EMO homebrew
Players debated what to do next after defeating the vampire orcs and the outsider god tree troubles. Worked to occupy the middle gatehouse door with followers and faction allies. Scavengers guild, Dwarf cleric a prince offered to build a dwarf embassy here and help control the area. The heroes' base was also keeping orcs and kobolds apart as both were both traumatised by their war and happy to no longer share a border. Heroes know the kobolds have a secret prison holding various hostages for factions and breeding dungeon monsters to release into Chagrinspire.

The party decided that going back to the tunnels under the plateau to a gigantic cavern around a lake, with ruins, a train station and a gnome trade town connected to the gnome city in the deep where many Black Sphere gnomes came from. The frog king sent one of his sons and some marine commandos to aid the party.

They entered the gates and some knew guard hobgoblins at the barbed wire undead-proof fence. They met the desperate hermit of the cleric's faith, and they had gone up a level from improved zealous inspiration. Hermit hadn't seen fellows of the church of light for 4 decades since half party last visit. Met a few gnome traders and the party worked on claiming embassy space. While relaxing, they were discussing using the magic frog mask to dredge up loot from the lake full of chagrinspire trash. It was a bit of a lark, but they found an air bubble entrance to a huge pipe into a complex. 

Whole party drank water-breathing potions, grabbed some frog commandoes buddies with the prince then went as a gang to the aqua dungeon. Inside found some ghouls and goblins and cultists and some loot. In a cave half buried in much was a metal slab with a control altar studded with glowing gems. A crystal section in the middle altar made visible a large growing piece of stat crystal which they knew was trouble and was a power source. There was also a holographic ghost so the worked out a guy wanted help. Identify told them it was a time machine. Priest and followers did some divination and gave option a go to pull guy from the time vortex so they buttonmashed away. He appeared on the platform and looked pleased then liquified horribly. Priest scooped up a flask of time traveller juice and cast speak with the dead. Finished off the dungeon and found 2 secret entries from ruins near the subterranean lake.

The party dragged it into their embassy and set to work doing divination. I'm now throwing in some time travel scenarios. Once in a while, the tower was the capital of the world, sending airships everywhere, and it was a decopunk colonialist paradise. The other in the apocalypse war as planar invaders and gods fell to automatons and death rays, and flesh golem troops went berserk, scouring the trenchlands of life. Decided to halt due to mindboggling choices now open to the party, including visiting two past eras. Real heroes don't just liquify from a wrong time console setting.

The party now has more bases than any faction and actually helps people.

Ethyia Session 5th ed 2024v
Heroes had returned from the cursed labyrinth and were invited to a slap-up feast at the temple. Aias the sailor and Xi the satyr warlock noted the family of Aias had many absences which was odd as so many were involved in temple festivities. They learned some rumours and had a late night befriending the Mayor of the harbour village, a wine seller.

In morning they heard the truth. Aias had jealous family upset he returned with glory and they took some sailors who had been with party to raid the Labyrinth for treasure and glory. 

Two cousins and a brother of Aias were missing ashore, and then the ship fled from a harpy attack. The whole port was exited. Aias had weeping grandparents, and Aias offered to lead a new expedition as he had prepaid the ship and crew of the temple, ready to go. The parents of Xi told both lads luck and mentioned written records and anything about why the king is somehow alive in the ruin. The ship crew sacrificed money to the sea goddess overboard and set away for an adventure. The one decent cousin of Aias, Palas was second in command.

They arrived at the cliffs below the higher citadel, seeing sunken ruins and reefs. There were many sharks about which didn't seem like a blessing. Harpies came. The party hired a dozen archers and were prepared. Despite this many men panicked in fear the first few roundss. Most harpy were the weaker berserk ones, several were the more powerful fear fear-inducing kind. 300 feet away was another larger more hidous harpy singing something horrible. Undead from the sea began to climb the oars onto the boat. Once men rallied against the fear and harpy leaders dies the mop up went well and sharks attacked the zombies. Only a few skeletons got on deck and were defeated. All harpies except the undead controlling distant one were killed and it flew away (it has a name and everything).

They went ashore with six archers and quickly got to the surface. With sound tracking they found an ogre chopping up Aias' older jerk brother. Aias sneaked up to untie the cousins while the warlock owl distracted the monster. Once clear the archers fired and the ogre charged them and didn't cross land fast enough to hurt anyone. Aisa shot the beast in the back while Xi blasted the ogre supporting the wizard.

They took free cousins back to the ship, including the dead. They even had to gut the ogre to recover ll the body in parts. One wanted to join the expedition further but the party aside nope. With their archers they did some more exploring, evading a Medusan horror and using an illusion to distract it so they fled opposite way. Considered trying to get the Siren on the roof into a fight with the medusa but it was too risky. They killed the Siren though and decided to return to their ship and then the home mission was achieved. Xi and his family let Aias stay with them at the polis and despite hie improved status doesn't trust his family. His rotten brother was interred in the family tomb. Other family members tried to give him new responsibilities with reluctance. 

The Labyrinths of the Ancients

All my Greek-inspired stuff in a Ethyria compilation on Patreon up now (40 pages).
It wasn't planned but I needed it for my campaign and the other project needs editing as it was written over a much longer period.

Labyrinths of the Ancients were pleasure palaces of the ancients who were destroyed by the gods for hubris. Many were buried in rock slides, others drowned in the sea or were destroyed by quakes. Some became monsters like tritons, minotaurs, ghouls and medusans.

I recommend looking up Cretan ruins & palaces to use these with.
Dyson has lots of cave maps with stairs, good for cliff cave entrances.
A coastal cliff to the west has some cave entrances and signs of drowned and collapsed buildings. North is a necropolis of tombs with a large harpy nest.

About a third of the labyrinth has roofing, and most is open to the sky. Enclosed areas are often dark and homes for monsters. You can climb onto the tops of ceilingless walls, but flying monsters will rapidly target humans. I recommend planting some nests of harpies and other creatures.

The current Ethyrian colonies are 200 years old, and the other wild folk arrived after the destruction of the ancients. The ancient arms and armour are more like archaic Greek, Mycenaean and Cretan. Giant civilisation predates the labyrinth and the tower builders, then wild folk came later.

d12 Labyrinths Quests
1 Find out what the ancients did to deserve destruction at the hands of the gods
2 Divination says the king is somehow alive still, possibly they are a monster 
3 Recover rare written records of the ancients, mostly on fired clay tablets
4 Recover urns, vases and pottery in the ancient style for collectors
5 Recover statues and idols of the gods in the ancient style
6 Destroy a colony of monsters d4 1=harpies 2=chimera 3=minotaur 4=ogres
7 Make contact with some of the strange humanoid peoples and see if they are open to peace and trade
8 Plunder the famous royal treasures of the labyrinth, like the crown or sceptre of King Mikos
9 Explore for secret underground and hidden levels 
10 The ancients hoarded plunder and treasure from across the world, and it must be hidden in the complex still
11 The labyrinth dwellers are never depicted with weapons in art, were they really peaceful pleasure seekers? Other ruins, like ancient towers, do depict warriors, weapons and monsters
12 Contact the tritons off the coastal cliffs, they might be descended from pirates and merchants of the ancients and may know hidden underwater ruins

d12 Courtyard Decor
1 Statue of a bull or standing youths
2 Pool or fountain d4 1=water weirds 2=subtereanean pipes to a grotto 3=mud 4=heals d4 per person per day
4 Red painted broad columns
5 Red and blue circle patterns on walls
6 Mural of bull leapers 
7 Mural of the sea with fish and ships
8 Mural of dolphins 
9 Mural of feasters with servants
10 Pole with tattered red and blue banners, sometimes adorned with skulls of man or beast
11 Stone altar with stylised bull horns
12 Depictions of double-bladed ritual axes

d12 Interior Decor
1 Stone seats and tables
2 Tattered wall hangings
3 Trees overgrown in a huge pot, may be long dead
4 Idol of nude youth
5 Decorative clay bull's head on the wall
6 Stairs most often going to upper or lower floor or possibly underground
7 Statue of children riding a dolphin or young athlete
8 Statue of sea gods with sea beasts and tridents
9 Rows of huge decorated amphora jars that could fit a person
10 Mural of feasting ancients with servants bringing food and drink
11 Mural of priestesses sacrificing bulls
12 Basin of water d4 1=muddy 2=spring fed and clean 3=sewerage 4=d4 coins 

d12 Small Chambers
1 Ancient toilet, 1in6 still flushing 
2 Rubble, mostly broken pottery
3 Piles of bones 
4 Shrine of god, spirit or ancestors
5 Servants quarters
6 Stores with some intact amphora jars
7 Bath and well
8 Clay tablets scattered among broken shelves 
9 Guard Post
10 Laundry with basins and buckets
11 Small kitchen
12 Scribe office

d12 Large Chambers
1 Dining hall
2 Lounge area with stone benches
3 Seating and stage
4 Noble private bedrooms
5 Bath house
6 Court with a noble throne 
7 Temple with a large statue
8 Gallery with benches, murals and a feature statue
9 Gymnasium
10 Large scribe hall with desks and seats of stone, possibly a school
11 Wrecked looms and spinning workshop
12 Large kitchen for feasts

d12 Courtyards
1 Overgrown garden
2 Sportsfield (smaller ones for boxing or wrestling)
3 Memorial statue garden
4 Rubble from collapsed structure or walls
5 Olive trees or vineyards maintained by monsters
6 Plaza with mosaic floor for public events
7 Remains of terraced garden mounds

8 Drill field for soldiers

9 Ornamental pool now overgrown and inhabited by waterfowl

10 Fields or barley grown by monsters?

11 Dump for garbage and rubble

12 Noble tombs

d12 Roof & Wall Top Encounters
1 Bellowing minotaur on the lower level tries the closest route to menace explorers

2 Giant crows or vultures follow explorers looking for weakness

3 Winged Snakes chasing rodents disturbed by explorers

4 Giant goats eating grass growing on rooftops, males attack intruders near the herd

5 Kallikantzaros goblins with slings and yell abuse, avoid melee

6 Cyclopean orc archers use terrain to avoid melee

7 Giant eagle or owl at night

8 Stymphalian Birds or were-owl witches by night

9 Sphynx looking for explorers to riddle or eat or manticore

10 Harpy colony is desperate for food

11 Singing Sirens call victims into dangerous areas

12 Winged Medusa gorgon on patrol

d12 Open Courtyards & Roofless Chambers Encounters
1 Group of young minotaurs on the prowl
2 Veteran minotaur warriors hunting prey
3 Giant goats grazing, several males protect the herd, or they stampede or leap up to the wall tops

4 Cyclops Orcs hunting for loot and shunning monsters, prefer to skirmish 

5 Kallikantzaros goblins looting stuff, prefer to skirmish and live

6 Hunting ogre with a sack of loot from humanoid victims and body parts

7 Stirge owl nest (long beaked owls that drink blood)

8 Manticore or peryton hunting human flesh

9 Two-Headed sons of cerebus or death dogs or hellhounds

10 Luecrotta or giant lion hunting

11 Gorgon bull or cateblas hostile to all life

12 Demon-fueled minotaur looking to kill anything it can catch

d12 Closed Chambers With Ceilings Encounters
1 Minotaur family relaxing
2 Veteran minotaur warriors stalking prey
3 Minataur hero alone hunting

4 Shadows from the underworld  

5 Skeleton or zombie ancient warriors 

6 Bronze automaton warrior

7 Ogre hunting meat or treasure

8 Giant snake guarding a shrine

9 Human prisoners in cage or chains 

10 Human treasure hunters d4 1=bandits 2=cultists 3=adventurers 4=sailors

11 Medusa

12 Bronze golem in shape of a minotaur

-----------------------------

Underground Levels

d12 Underground Decor
1 Stairs or a trapdoor up or down
2 Pit or trapdoor up or down
3 Piles of bones or blood splatter
4 Broken statues, human and animal parts 
5 Bull or snake bones
6 Chest or coffer often trapped or guarded
7 Decorative brass cups, urns or dishes
8 Broken amphora and clay pots
9 Monster sewerage
10 Nest of vermin d4 1=rats 2=snakes 3=bats 4=scorpions
11 Remains of a tortured and eaten adventurer or rural labourer
12 Writing in ancient script in blood on walls d4 1=abuse 2=curses 3=warnings 4=tragic lamentations

d12 Underground Encounters (also for graveyard tombs)

1  Kallikantzaros goblin clan

2 Skeleton or zombie ancient warriors

3 Shadows from the underworld 

4 Zombie minotaur

5 Wight warrior

6 Spirit will talk about the past and the great monsters of the maze, who must die

7 Ghoul resting area to avoid sunlightt, often have treasure

8 Mummy of an ancient noble

9 Bone Naga

10 Lamia with thralls and treasure

11 Winged Medusan in a chamber of statues

12 Demon-tainted minotaur looking to kill anything it can catch

-----------------------------

Flooded Ruins

d12 Underwater Decor
1 Ship wreckage
2 Coral growths
3 Piles of ancient bones some giant sea creatures
4 Seashells (possibly live giant snails or clams)
5 Ancient pillars
6 Ancient statues
7 Corroded weapons, armour or clumps of coins
8 Kelp forest
9 Ancient anchor or anchor stone
10 Amphora jars partly encrusted in coral
11 Stairs going underground
12 Intact mural of dolphins and sailors

d12 Water Encounters
1 Sharks
2 Dolphins

3 Tritonian fish folk warriors led by hero

4 Tritonian fish folk led by a priest

5 Skeletons or zombie sailors

6 Carnivorous mermaids

7 Giant crabs or lobsters

8 Carnivorous kelp beds

9 Giant clam or snail or slug

10 Giant octopus

11 Giant sea serpent

12 Pirate Ship
 

How the local church became evil

d12 Reasons why the local church is corrupt
1 The local community was taken over by a cult already who helped replace true clergy
2 New clergy were replaced by cult agents on way here, the real ones might be in a cell
3 Evil spirits control local senior church leaders and have cursed others with evil
4 Cultists in disguise as a priest, then spent years killing off former leaders
5 Evil priests took over and murdered the original priests in a single night
6 Church operated by a wicked sect of heretics, corrupting the faithful

7 A demon has deceived the clergy into the path of darkness and corrupted books

8 A false anti-saint has been turning good priests to an evil cult

9 A lich or vampire or a lycanthrope has tainted clergy

10 An evil relic in storage leaked a wicked elder spirit, who has corrupted the dreams of clergy

11 Clergy replaced by evil shapeshifters who kill and eat troublemakers
12 Clergy tainted by a dark lord, believing they could do good with an evil lyric

Hexcrawling for Ethyria pt 5 - d100 Magic Loot

 

d10 Magic Loot Types
1 Ceramic Jars

2 Jewellery

3 Clothing

4 Armour

5 Weapons

6 Scrolls

7 Curses

8 Amphora 

9 Magic Implements

10 Holy items

d100 Magic Loot
01 Potion of Succour will heal 2d4 hp and will remove paralysis 

02 Potion of Vision causes dreams of the gods and how to please them

03 Flask of Oil each day fills with olive oil, good for lamps or cooking

04 Wine of Wilds save or drinker gets carried away with celebration & carousing

05 Wine of the Olympians gives the drinker +1 all saving throws for an hour

06 Wine of the Satyr save or dance wildly for a d4 hours

07 Cider of the Boar d4+1 temporary hp for a d3 hours

08 Ale of the Stag -1int +2con for d4 hours
09 Mead of Glory +d3 CHA for hour

10 Ambrosia of Youth restores d3 years of age

11 Ring or Second Sight, can cast Detect Magic three times a day

12 Armband of the Buckler can become a medium shield at will while worn

13 Torc of the Sages d3 1=Bronze +1 con 2= Silver +1 int 3= Gold +1 wis

14 Skullcap of the Master, can glow as a candle for reading or summon a rod into the wearer's hand at will, acts as a club or measure, vanishes if dropped 

15 Crown of the monarch wearer can cast Command, three times a day, gaudy and gold

16 Cloak pin +1 CHA if worn on cloak, silver intertwined snakes
17 Ring of Health with a caduceus design +3 save vs poison and disease

18 Seers Circlet, a gold band can detect magic of touched items
19 Necklace of Eyes with 2d6+6 eye like semiprecious stones, the wearer can sacrifice stone to get +3 initiative in one battle. If worn while asleep warns the wearer of hostile attackers 
20 Braclet of the Underworld protects the wearer from ghoul paralysis
21 Cloak of the Mighty, a billowing scarlet cloak, can cast growth three times per day  
22 Cloak of the Owl, a feathered mask wearer can turn into an owl for one hour each night

23 Sandals of Swiftness +4 Mov

24 Chiton of Protection, a fine cloth tunic with bare arms and flowing down to feet, as strong as leather armour that repairs any damage each dawn

25 Scarlet Cap allows wearer to turn invisible one round per hour 

26 Strophion of the Moon, a band of cloth to support chests of women, heals 1hp each evening and a d6 under a full moon

27 Strophion of the Sun a shorter tunic with one bare shoulder, under sunlight user has +1 to hit with any grapple attack, +1 Mov and +1 on how far the wearer may leap 

28 Himation of Glory an outer garment goes over left shoulder and under the right, at will may glow as a lantern and +1 CHA to the wearer 

29 Cap of the Orator amplifies wearer's voice

30 Potasos a wide-brimmed hat with a chin strap keeps the wearer protected from all natural weather
31 Boar Helm made of boar tusks, and the wearer is immune to fear
32 Brazen Sun Helm a glimmering full helm that can glow as a lantern at will and gives +1 protection (AC & saves), has a stunning ornate red brush crest 
33 Equestrian Helm a golden helm looks like a beautiful youth's face +1CHA
34 Heroes Shield is an eight-shaped shield of wood with piebald cow hide, +2AC but +4AC vs missiles if standing still
35 Shield of the Sea, a round bronze shield +1 with a trident symbol, and gives the wielder the property of free action
36 Solar shield, a small +1 shield that can be used by an archer while firing a bow, it also has a dagger scabbard inside for quick deployment
37 Gorgon Shield with a tusked Medusa face design +1, twice a day projects a 3m/10f ft 90-degree cone of fear
38 Armour of the Ancients a suit of bronze plate as used by ancient heroes, it is only as encumbering as scale and once a day can heal 2d4 HP damage, this acts automatically if wearer reaches zero or less HP. Such heavy suits used to be carried into battle on chariots 
39 Curias of the Serpant a bronze chest plate with fighting snakes depicted, providing +2 save vs poison and +1 CHA to snake beings and creatures
40 Bracers of the Storm +2 save vs electrical attacks and -1hp per dice damage
41 Returning Javelin +1 javelin flies back to hand at the end of the round if thrown
42 Defenders Dagger +1, but once a day, does +d6 damage as long as the wielder did not start the fight

43 Xiphos of Splendour +1 short sword +2 vs evil and glows as lamp at will
44 Kopis of Glory +1 curved short sword +2 tp Mov rate to wielder or their mount if held in rider's hand
46 Lion Sword +1 shortsword allows the wielder to speak to lions and gains +2 to save vs fear, blade depicts lions killing warriors
47 Epsilon Axe +1 +2 vs giants, can activate +d4 strength once a day for ten minutes 
48 Solar Spear +1 burns vs evil beings for +d3 fire damage
49 Berserkers Battle Axe, +1 cursed, makes the wielder berserk in any violent confrontation
50 Duelists Sword +2, but can allocate to AC or to hit +1 each or +2 on each, long thin blade 
51 Scroll of the Underworld if read, reveals a nearby cave with a route to the underworld, when reading stops the scroll crumbles
52 Scroll of Revelation details the resting place of a demigod with a secret word to open the gates when read for an hour ritual while burning 100gp incense
53 Scroll of Iron Will while held and read aloud prevents charm spells affecting anyone in 10m when reading stops the scroll crumbles

54 Scroll of Victory while held and read aloud prevents fear affecting any ally in 10m when reading stops the scroll crumbles
55 Scroll of The Healer while held and read aloud, heals 1hp per minute to anyone in 10m. When reading stops the scroll crumbles
56 Scroll of Treasures, while held and read aloud reveals a treasure map. When the loot is found, the scroll can be read again to reveal a new map (3d6 charges), after charges finished it crumbles to dust 
57 Scroll of Peace, while held and read aloud, makes all in 10m radius unable to be violent (unless a demigod or greater), when reading stops the scroll crumbles
58 Scroll of Spirits, while held and read aloud makes invisible or planar spirits visible to mortals. Spirits may be unfriendly or desire offerings. When reading stops the scroll vanishes
59 Scroll of the Heavens, while held and read aloud stops rain and parts clouds, sending a shaft of sunlight or moonlight to where the reader desires. When finished the scroll disintegrates and normal weather conditions resume in a d10 rounds 
60 Scroll of Truth while held and read aloud any lie told in 10m makes fibber burn for a d4 rounds until they recant their lie or leave the area, when reading stops the scroll crumbles to ash
61 Cursed Coffer releases 3d4 shadows if opened, gold box with a complex lock

62 Cursed Scroll looks like a useful magic scroll when read the reader must save or forgets how to read as a curse
64 Curse Tablets are usually hidden under floor or inside a wall, thieves of the room save or CHA is halved until the goods are returned or the curse is removed
65 Curse Stick when struck a victim they save or are cursed; each stick has one curse, d8 1=attack rolls -4 2=one attribute -4 3=healing magic wont work on this person 4=infected with a disease 5=sterile and impotent, 6=deaf 7=mute 8=blind 
66 Gem of the Strange Gaze seems worth at least 1000gp, any who carry it gain the maximum encounters possible for the area they are in
67 Sword of Slaying appears to be a +2 sword but on a roll of 1 to hit it inflicts maximum damage on the wielder or ally in reach, whoever has the least HP. The sword reveals then it can speak and is LE. It from then on cheers murder and slaughter and delights in blood
68 Spear of Death appears as a +1 spear but any killing blow on a living beast or person raises them as a zombie that wants revenge on who killed them
69 Blight Sickle appears as a +1 +2 vs plant weapons, but it kills plants and seeds in an area with random intensity. An evil spirit in the weapon delights in killing crops and spreading famine
70 Curses Eye Ring seems to be able to detect magic at will but is linked to three hags who delight in sending torments against the weiulder. The like to keep the item in circulation or have many such rings
71 Amphora of Healing holds 4 litres of healing wine, each litre heals a d4 once a day on one person. The empty vessel is worth 100gp but 1in6 will refill one dose per day
72 Amphora of Might holds 4 litres of strength enhancing beer, each litre adds d4 once a day on one persons strength for 3 hours. The empty vessel is worth 100gp but 1in6 will refill one dose per day
73 Amphora of Courage holds 4 litres of invigorating wine, each protects one person from fear for 3 hours. The empty vessel is worth 100gp but 1in6 will refill one dose per day
74 Amphora of Dead holds 4 litres of wine, each litre can be used to speak with the dead as spell by pouring libation before the dead's remains. The empty vessel is worth 100gp but 1in6 will refill one dose per day
75 Amphora of Plenty stores 38 litres in size of 4 litre jar and preserves from perishing, usually holds d4 1=barley, 2=wine, 3=olive oil, 4=water
76 Amphora of Fire if opened, mouth burns like a torch, holds 4 litres of burning oil, each litre can cover a 3m circle and burns 2d4 damage (save half) to anyone who crosses, burns for d4+1 rounds and makes smoke 
76 Amphora of Destruction, if dropped or struck, explodes as a 6m wide circle fireball, 6d6 damage
77 Amphora of the Feast supplies 38 litres of wine and a feast of cooked meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese, olives and more for a dozen feasters or double that with more modest sharing. Most work once but 1in6 work once a week
78 Amphora of Shades, when opened, releases an obedient shade, has 2d6 charges, can activate another when the previous one destroyed. Requires some shadows or carkness to call 
79 Amphora of Darkness, each round open uses a charge and creates a 3m circle of magical darkness, 3d6 charges, if extra uses are poured on the same initial 3m area it expands by a extra metre, darkness lasts for 10 minutes  
80 Amphora of Snakes, releases a swarm of snakes to command for ten minutes or until killed. As long as some snakes survive and return to the urn it can make a new swarm every day
81 Adamantium Sickle, this +1 weapon is used by priests and druids in rituals which operate as one level higher. The original +5 version offends gods but is liked by titans who remember how it crippled demi-gods 
82 Rod of Authority, cast command 3x a day and +1 club, also 50cm measure
83 Healers wand +1hp on any healing spells cast
84 Lyre of the Serpent can cast Charm Reptile 3x a day and +1 CHA with reptilians
85 Hammer of the Forge, conducts no heat and strikes as +1, any magic construct made with this gets +1 on any one attribute
86 Plough of the Heroes is 20% faster than mere mortal ploughs, 1in6 are 50% faster
87 Staff of Light, tip lights like a lantern at will, and once a day casts light spell
88 Medalion of Power can add +1 to a spellcaster's level on one spell per day, 1in6 work three times a day
89 Medalion of Life if the wearer is reduced to 0hp, thrice per day they will gain 1hp, stabilising any wounds and awakening
90 Sceptre of the Sun as a +1 mace, +d3 damage vs chaotic evil enemies or beings weakened by sunlight, if held while making it glisten and sparkle impressively
91 Rod of giantkind can grow from a d4 stick or d6 club to a staff or maul or larger in hands of a giant humanoid and is +1 to hit +2 vs dragons. Weilder hears songs of ancient giants and learns ancient lore. Each month they must save or develop unreasonable love and trust of giant kind even more than most goiants do. Giants all recognise it and many want it, others prefer human rulers get it
92 Caduceus Staff +2 and can cast three spells per day from this list: light, cure light wounds, aid, bless, and Augry. The staff glows with energy snakes wrapped around it when casting. If held by a 10th-level character, the snakes can be called for advice three times a day, one gives terrible tips other gives the most moral advice. It is intended to guide neutral healers
93 Cloak of the Underworld, +1 cloak of protection, wearer has night vision and can cast invisibility once per day. If taken to the borders of the underworld wearer gains extra benefits lost if another wears the cloak. A fully empowered cloak lets wearer see in magical darkness, and cast darkness three times a day and curses once per day
94 Box of Fear, release a shadow to command by night, if killed, call another the next night. If the shadow kills anyone, instead of creating a shadow, the box gains a charge (3 max) to cast darkness or fear spells 
95 Aegis of Chaos, a +1 shield +3 vs law, will absorb 1st-level spells from a lawful caster, and the wielder gains a minor mutation. Most wielders devolved into slime from too many mutations
96 Bull Crown wearer can turn into a minotaur at will while wearing it, once a month, save when using or changing, is permanent and channels divine power into the new demon-infused minotaur. When killed, the crown falls off, and the true form of the minotaur is revealed
97 Holy Silver Urn, turns water into holy water if left under moonlight overnight, also works on wine or oil. The touch of a unicorn makes the water holy instantly. The wielder must respect the moon for the holy relic to work, and never harm a unicorn
98 Discus of the Sun, a d6+1 thrown blunt missile weapon, and returns to the user's hand, emits magical light as a lamp. If it hits an undead extra d6 holy damage. It has the range of a javelin. It is light and shiny bronze with motifs of the sun god on his chariot. An evil user will be struck by the disc when it returns, then it will fall to the ground
99 Medalion of the Pegasai can be used three times to summon a winged horse for an hour. After the medallion is used, up it flies away to aid others in need far away
100 Arrow of Separation, hits any creature seemingly made of various creatures split into several beings, including 2-headed giants, chimaeras, sphynxes, and harpies. The former parts may even attack each other. After a use its magic is depleted, but multiple were made and used by the gods for heroes to depower monsters