OSR News from the Underdark Gazette - Sunday, November 28, 2010

It's Going to be a White Christmas!

The Third Printing of the Swords & Wizardry Whitebox Boxed Sets from Brave Halfling Publishing are in stock and will begin shipping on November 29, 2010. $25.00. Shipping to the US is $5.00 for any number of sets. (The post on the Brave Halfling site lists this as a 2010 Christmas Special. I'm not sure if the price will hold once January rolls around.)

Prepare to be introduced to the old style of free form gaming! Swords & Wizardry: WhiteBox is inspired by the original 1974 fantasy role-playing game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. These rules are flexible and open to interpretation – designed not to cover all conceivable situations, but to allow good Referees and Players the freedom to create and play games of their own design.

This Boxed Set Contains everything you need to play:

• 6″ x 9″ Game Box (This is an actual game box manufactured for just this purpose)
• Four Rule Booklets (Characters, Spells, Monsters, & Treasures)
• A digest-sized copy of Matt Finch’s, “Quick Primer for Old-School Gaming”
• Ten digest-sized Character Sheets
• Set of Polyhedral Dice
• Pencil

The First 50 orders will also receive two complementary modules – “The Vile Worm of the Eldritch Oak” & “The Ruins of Ramat!”

See the comments to John's original post, for a list of updates made to this printing.

New Releases

GT1 Path of the Delver by Jim Baney, John Feldman. Art by Katy "kovah" Grierson, Robert Flowers, Martin Siesto, Patrick Adams. Knightvision Games. Available in PDF format for $6.99. 48 pages.

Knightvision Games is proud to release our first adventure module called "GT1 Path of the Delver".

"Secrets to all things lie in the heart of Bitter Root Mountain...and the only thing between you and its secrets is an army of Orcs, a horde of undead creatures, and a secret cult that will turn your blood cold...Dare ye enter?" Path of the Delver is a Labyrinth Lord and AEC compatible adventure designed for 1st and 2nd level characters. Set in the upcoming Ebonyr campaign setting, it can also fit into any generic RPG world. The adventure combines urban, wilderness and a classic dungeon crawl. Inside the PDF you'll find:

• Over 9 new monsters including the Lessor Demenos and Mogren
• Over 9 new magic items including the Delver's Spectacles and Tears of Palandria

Written by Jim "knightvision" Baney and John "jcftao" Feldman

Oubliette Issues 1 - 4 Compilation by Peter Regan. Gold Piece Publications. Available in Paperback for $12.07. 148 pages. 

OUBLIETTE - A magazine for old school fantasy roleplayers. Written for Labyrinth Lord, but also ideal for use with any Basic/Expert/Advanced original or clone, with little or no adjustment required. This compilation brings together the first four issues of Oubliette in one volume. Each issue is also available individually from Lulu. The preview pages give the full contents of each issue. In PDF form every issue of Oubliette comes with a bundle of supplemental materials. Print customers can get hold of these by E-mailing oubliettemagazine@yahoo.co.uk with your LULU order number and I will send you a voucher for a free PDF download of all the supplemental material for the magazines.

Individual Print issues of Oubliette numbers 1 - 4 are now available for $4.52 each.  You can check out the Grognardia reviews of Oubliette, here. PDF issues are still available, here. 

A2 Lost Treasure of Actzimotal by Roderic Waibel. Sacrosanct Games. Available in PDF for $5.00.  Page-count not given.

You have stumbled upon an ancient map to a lost island. The script is like none you've ever seen, but hand written on the map is the word, "gold".

Lost Treasure of Actzimotal is an Adventure Module designed for 5-8 characters of level 3-5 or of Adventurer experience title level, depending on system used. What make this product unique is that there are two versions included in this PDF. One version is for OSRIC, AD&D, LL, etc, and the other version is designed for Altus Adventum 2nd edition. Essentially you get two versions for the price of one! So use your favorite system and enjoy the adventure.

Free Stuff!

A Paladin in Citadel turned us on to Imaginary Places, a site with a ton of Castle Maps.

Visit Greyhawk Grognard for the Ultimate City of Greyhawk Map!

Zachary of RPG Blog II turned us on to some Wilderness Maps.

Pat from Henchmen Abuse has been posting some dungeon level CC2  maps.

JDJarvis of Aeons & Augauries has been posting some dungeon geomorphs.

Geordie Racer of Geordie Goes Gaming!  has the Algolian Apocrypha, a work in progress, available.

Podcasts and Videos

Save or Die Podcast # 13: The Lost City of…Men?!

Save or Die Podcast # 14: Big Bad… Medusa!

Review Round-up


Visit the OD&D Discussion Boards, where Coffee has a play report of Tower of the Stargazer. 


Geordie Racer of Geordie Goes Gaming! has a review of Pars Fortuna. And a review of Splinters of Faith parts 1 and 2.

Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern has a mini-review of Path of the Delver.

Andreas Davour of The Omnipotent Eye continues his reading of Dragons at Dawn: Part II, then Part III and then Part IV.

Rob Conley of Bat in the Attic runs the upcoming Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. Part I here, then Part II and lastly, Part III.

In Other News

Zak has some new regarding I Hit With My Axe, which you'll want to check out if you're a fan of the show or Zak's blog, Playing D&D With Porn Stars.

bliss_infinte from The Warlock's Home Brew is accepting fiction submissions for Tales of High Adventure.

The Posters at the Goblinoid Games forums are working on some Deities for Labyrinth Lord.

What I'm Pimping This Week

The Phoenix Barony by David Bezio. Available in Print for $8.00 and in PDF for $2.50. 32 pages.

"The Phoenix Barony™ is a high fantasy adventure setting for the Labyrinth Lord™ RPG or any Basic/Expert Fantasy Role Playing Game. It is a concise lighthearted setting covering an area 100 x 100 miles. In this book you will find details on the world the Phoenix Barony is set in, descriptions of all the major locations in the Barony, history, Religion, organizations, and NPCs that make the setting unique. If that isn’t enough you will also find the details of a smaller adventure area within the Phoenix Barony, hints of further adventures that take place there, and a complete 1st level adventure to get you started.(OSRIC friendly)"

About The News

"Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files, unless that is the only link available. The OSR News is produced as a service to the community and is entirely a non-commercial endeavor on my part. I have received no remuneration for advertising, reviewing or reporting on any of the items appearing herein. Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest, which you would like to see mentioned.

"As always, the What I’m Pimping This Week section of the OSR News and its accompanying blog widget, feature products which I have purchased (or items which are available for free download) and wish to support. No one has asked me to spotlight their material in this section and I have received no payment of any kind for doing so."

The Holidays Are Upon Us! - And some movement on the Gaming Front.

I hope everyone had a nice day, yesterday. We usually start the first round of feasting around noon and I crashed hard afterwards, so never got around to wishing everyone a Happy American Thanksgiving.

The dunkel I picked up for the weekend may have had something to do with that. I rarely drink anymore, but I do enjoy a good beer on occasion. It hits me a lot harder now, though.

Our Holiday season really starts the second week of November. My son's birthday is the week of Thanksgiving and traditionally, he gets a birthday party with friends and classmates the week before and a second one the day after Thanksgiving, as family comes up to Montevallo to celebrate Turkey Day and Brisco's day. We're also blessed with the company of our friends, Lee and Noel and their family on Thanksgiving. So, we have a house full of family this week. Christmas is much quieter, with just Jillena, Brisco, my dad and myself. We can usually look forward to Lee and Noel dropping by on Christmas as well.

Once we get my father past the chemo/radiation round, coming up, I hope to finally get my game going. Lee and I had a really good gaming conversation before the Eat & Crash session. I showed him my latest OSR acquisitions, he told me about the WoD game he's playing in and we discussed my upcoming campaign. Lee wants to play a Paladin and seems rather psyched about it. Cool!

So, I've got Jillena and Lee, I'm planning on skyping in Darren, then there's about three other possible players, who I'll set about confirming once I have a definite date of some kind.

I hope everyone has a great holiday! I plan on being extremely lazy this morning.

Combat Maneuvers and Modifiers

Mostly traditional, with a few tweaks and additions. Along with a borrowing or three from 3e. The following list is geared toward my LL/AEC Houserules. 

The Following is declared Open Game Content.

Combat Maneuvers and Modifiers

Attacking Invisible Enemies: Attacks against invisible opponents are -4 to hit and they will receive a +4 bonus to any saving throws. The attacker must have an approximate idea of where the invisible creature may be, to even attempt an attack. More experienced/powerful PC’s, NPC’s and Monsters, have a chance, based upon Intelligence and/or other abilities, to approximately locate an invisible opponent.

Charging: A creature who is more than 10’ away from their target, may Charge one time per Turn, moving at double their normal movement rate and attacking in the same round. They receive a +2 bonus to hit, but suffer a -1 penalty to their AC and lose any Dexterity bonus to AC when charging. If the defender has a weapon which is longer than that of the attacker’s, then the defender will attack first. Certain weapons (spears, lances and halberds) may be “set” against a charge, and will inflict double damage if a hit is scored upon a charging attacker. A rider upon a warhorse and wielding a lance, will do double damage for the weapon, on a charge. A creature may not charge if they are at their maximum amount of encumbrance, unless they are on a warhorse which is not at its maximum encumbrance. When Charging while on a mount, the Character must be at least 60’ away at the beginning of the Charge.

Close To Attack: Unless charging, a Character may close to within melee range (10’) and then attack on the next round.

Defensive Fighting: A Fighting-man, Paladin or Ranger may opt to fight defensively, lowering their AC by -2 but sacrificing a -2 to hit. Attack rate is halved, when fighting defensively.

Firing Missile Weapons into Melee: If a ranged weapon is fired into a melee in which an ally is involved, the attacker will be at a -4 penalty to hit as his ally is providing cover for his enemy. If he misses his target by 1 - 4, he will hit the ally instead. The attacker may reduce this penalty to -2, by taking the time to carefully study the situation and wait for an opportune moment. This will reduce his rate of fire by half. He will then only hit an ally if he misses by 1 - 2.

Flanking: If two attackers manage to flank a single opponent, the attackers receive a +1 bonus to hit.

Mounted Attack: A mounted Fighter, Paladin or Ranger, attacking enemies on foot, receives a +1 bonus to their to hit rolls and to their AC. If attacking while riding a trained Warhorse, or similar creature, the bonuses are at +2.

Prone Defenders: Attacks made against a prone defender are at +3 to hit and the defender loses any Dexterity bonus to AC. Attacks made from a prone position are at -2 to hit.

Frenzied Attack*: A Fighter or Ranger may launch an all-out attack during a round, putting themselves in harm’s way in an attempt to damage their opponent. They will attack at +2 to hit, but will suffer an AC penalty of 3. A Critical Hit or Miss, made during a Reckless Attack, might be truly awesome or utterly disastrous.

*At the LL's discretion, the first time a Fighter or Ranger uses this combat option, he may be required (or allowed) to roll a percentile check. On a result of 05% or lower, the Character is a Berserker! 

Retreat: If a creature is moving away at greater than one third his movement rate, opponents will get a free attack at +2 to hit and no AC adjustment from Dexterity or a shield may be used by the defender. A character may perform a Fighting-retreat at one-third his movement rate, but his rate of attack will be halved. This may be combined with Defensive Fighting, with no further penalty to the rate of attack.

Rear Attacks: Attacks from the rear are at +2. The defender loses any Dexterity bonus to AC and no protection from a shield is possible.

Spears and Halberds: These weapons, wielded by attackers in the second rank of a battle formation, can attack past the first rank.

Stunned Opponents: A Stunned opponent is at +4 to hit and loses any Dexterity or shield adjustments to AC. His rate of attack will be halved.

Terrain and Cover: Some terrain, such as high and low ground can give a bonus or penalty to attacks. (Usually +/- 1.) Cover will provide a bonus to AC of 2 to 10, depending upon the amount of cover.

Two-weapon Fighting: A Fighting-man, Ranger, Paladin, Thief or Halfling Hero with a Dexterity of 13+ may fight using two one handed weapons, the secondary weapon being no larger than a shortsword. Fighting with two weapons does not grant an extra attack, due to the abstract nature of combat rolls in D&D. Instead, a +1 to hit, or a -1 bonus to AC is given. The Player may choose which bonus he wishes and it will be assumed to go towards his attacking abilities, unless he states otherwise. In two-weapon fighting, the off-hand weapon is used as a parrying device, more often than to make attacks. When a hit is scored, the player rolls a d6. On a 1 or 2, the off-hand weapon scored the damage.

Weaponless Defenders: A character being attacked by an enemy wielding a melee weapon, who is not wielding one himself, or otherwise equipped, such as in the case of natural weaponry is at +2 to hit.

OSR News from the Underdark Gazette - Saturday, November 21, 2010

I Now Have What I Need To Run Planet Algol   


I usually refrain from linking blog posts and series, simply because that would require turning this endeavor into a full time job. With that being said, for those who missed White Dwarf #13, Dangerous Brian has posted a Houri Class, for Osric. Part 1 here, followed by Part 2.


New Releases 


Pars Fortuna Complete Rules by John Stater. Available in Print for $15.00 and in PDF for $7.00. 120 pages.

PARS FORTUNA combines the old school, rules-lite rules you love with 12 new races, 120 spells new to the old school, 120 new magic items, 140 new monsters, new magic rules, alternate rules for combat, equipment and encumbrance, rules for skills and knacks (i.e. a very simple skill system), a sample sandbox setting, a sample 1st level dungeon and general conversion notes for other old school rules. 120 pages.

Visit the author at The Land of Nod, for more info on Pars Fortuna and a free copy of the Basic Rules PDF.

 OS1 - Something Unholy Stirs by Roderic Waibel. Sacrosanct Games. Available in PDF for $5.00. 28 pages.

For the people of the border town of Aldin, danger was part of life. Savage beasts, extreme winters--these were things the people were prepared to deal with. What they weren't expecting to face was something so unholy that it was forbidden to speak of.

Now a young group of would-be adventurers on their way to potential riches are forced to take refuge in Aldin due to a severe storm. Will they manage to escape...

Creatures Below the Shattered Moon - Volume 3 by by Joseph Browning. Art by David Esbri, Joan Guardiet, Rich Hershey. Expeditious Retreat Press. 5 pages. Available in PDF for $3.00.

After the cracking of the moon and before the rise of Atlantis the world was a place strange to the thoughts of honest men. The death throes of science amid the birth of magic sculpted new generations of conquerors who strode the lands forging civilizations of steel, sinew, and sorcery from the decrepit hulks of the ones that fell before. Tyrannical wizards, amoral super-scientists, charismatic catalysts, and multifarious mutants battled for wealth, power, and honor. It was ten thousand years of barbarity; ten thousand years spent in the shadowy shells of past glories, hiding from horrible creatures that scratched and skittered for blood; ten thousand years of tyranny and injustice, ten thousand years of Sorcery & Super Science!

This short PDF provides a harried GM with 19 new creatures, suitable for various power levels and certain to bring additional life to the world under the shattered moon.

Free Downloads

Dragonsfoot brings us The Adventurer's Ordinance Part 2 by Jessie Muir. 

ze bulette of Dungeons and Digressions has some more B2 index card maps. Here and then here.

Randall of RetroRoleplaying: The Blog has Microlite 75 Playtest Version 0.90 available.

Evan of In Places Deep has some more maps!

Media Releases

I Hit It With My Axe: Episode 36: Why Are You Covered In Blood, May I Ask?

Save or Die Podcast # 12: Adventures at Sea!

Reviews from around the Blogoverse

Andreas of The Omnipotent Eye has posted Reading Dragons at Dawn Part 1.

Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern has a Mini-review of Something Unholy Stirs.

Though it's a Preview, rather than a Review, Akrasia of Akratic Wizardry has brought us a rather informative first glance of the upcoming Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea.

Dangerous Brian has been doing some reviews lately, with an eye towards how the modules will fit his upcoming campaign. Here's reviews of Dark Riders of Misty Ridge and the Sarcophagus Legion. Then, In Search of the Unknown. Lastly, The Jade Hare, Temple of the Ape and Idol of the Orcs.

Roleplaying Tips has a review of Sorcery & Superscience.

Al of Beyond the Black Gate has playtested Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Zachary of RPG Blog II has a review of Mini-Six: Bare Bones Edition. 

In Other News

Zak of Playing D&D With Porn Stars fame is looking for some Playtesters!

Alexis of The Tao of D&D has launched The Same Universe Wiki. 


What I'm Pimping this Week!

Stonehell Dungeon Supplement Two: Buried Secrets by Michael Curtis. 3 Headed Monster Games. Available in PDF format for $2.99. 20 pages.

The second in a series of supplemental material for STONEHELL DUNGEON, this twenty-page PDF is an anthology of three adventuring sites located in and around the ancient prison suitable for exploration by low-level characters. Included are “Modnar’s Cellar,” the undercroft of a ruined tower owned by a magic-user with a strange agenda, “The Nest of Otrogg,” a cave system once occupied by a loathsome cult, and “The Sanctuary of Chthonia,” a secret sub-level located inside Stonehell Dungeon and overseen by an undead witch. It also introduces two new spells, eight new monsters, two new magical items, and a pair of minor deities for your Labyrinth Lord™ game. This supplement contains three maps but no other interior illustrations.

Ah! More Stonehell! Just what I wanted for Christmas!

About The News

"Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files, unless that is the only link available. The OSR News is produced as a service to the community and is entirely a non-commercial endeavor on my part. I have received no remuneration for advertising, reviewing or reporting on any of the items appearing herein. Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest, which you would like to see mentioned.

"As always, the What I’m Pimping This Week section of the OSR News and its accompanying blog widget, feature products which I have purchased (or items which are available for free download) and wish to support. No one has asked me to spotlight their material in this section and I have received no payment of any kind for doing so."

Some Combat Options and Going Berserk!

Defensive Fighting: A Fighter, Paladin or Ranger may opt to fight defensively, lowering their AC by -2 but sacrificing a -2 to hit. Attack rate is halved, when fighting defensively.

Frenzied Attack: A Fighter or Ranger may launch an all-out attack during a round, giving in to their battle lust and putting themselves in harm’s way in an attempt to damage their opponent. They will attack at +2 to hit, but will suffer an AC penalty of +3. A Critical Hit or Miss, made during a Reckless Attack, might be truly awesome or utterly disastrous.

At the DM's discretion, the first time a Fighter or Ranger uses this combat option, he may be required (or allowed) to roll a percentile check. On a result of 05% or lower, the Character is a Berserker!

Berserker – Any time the Fighter or Ranger enters into melee, there is a 20% chance he will give in to his bloodlust, entering a berserker frenzy. If he does not enter his Berserker state at the beginning of an encounter, there is a 70% chance he will do so if he is reduced to 1/3 of his Hit Points or less. When in this state, he will receive a -2 bonus to initiative, a +2 bonus to hit and damage, but suffer an AC penalty of +2. When his foes have been vanquished, the Berserker must make a Saving Throw vs. Petrification to regain enough control, to avoid attacking his allies or innocent bystanders.

After coming out of a Berserk state, the Fighting-man will be shaken and ill, necessitating complete rest, for 3d4 Turns. At 9th level, the Fighting-man, of his own will, may push his initial chance to go Berserk up to 40% during any particular encounter and his recovery time will drop to 1d4 Turns.

The Berserker may not utilize the Frenzied Attack combat option, as for him, trying to enter such a state of battle-lust is tantamount to trying to go Berserk and this fight to hold or lose control is handled by the percentile checks, given above.

Whoops! Missed this, somehow.

From Deities & Demigods - The entry for King Arthur.

He wields the sword Excalibur, a +5 lawful good sword of sharpness, that has a scabbard that prevents him from being cut by any attack.

Are there any traditional sources, which gives Excalibur such a power? Or does this qualify as a definite Monty Python reference?

OSR News from the Underdark Gazette - Saturday, November 14, 2010

John Stater releases Pars Fortuna Basic

Pars Fortuna Basic Rules, Available as a free download, the complete rules version is coming soon! If you're not familiar with what John's been doing with this, here's a quote from one of his earlier blog posts on The Land of Nod:

As I've mentioned before, I'm working on creating a set of rules based on Swords & Wizardry called PARS FORTUNATM. The gimmick is that the races, monsters and magic items are all based on things generated using a variety of online random generators. I'm also including a host of alternate rules - a different magic system, loads of spells adapted from non-traditional sources, etc. The idea is that the game will be playable as is, or could serve as a toolkit for those wishing to spice up their existing old school games. In the end, it may come to nothing, but its a fun experiment for me.

I've only had a chance to glance through the PDF, but it looks cool and I'm looking forward to reading the Basic Rules.

New Releases

Stonehell Dungeon Supplement Two: Buried Secrets by Michael Curtis. 3 Headed Monster Games. Available in PDF format for $2.99. 20 pages.

The second in a series of supplemental material for STONEHELL DUNGEON, this twenty-page PDF is an anthology of three adventuring sites located in and around the ancient prison suitable for exploration by low-level characters. Included are “Modnar’s Cellar,” the undercroft of a ruined tower owned by a magic-user with a strange agenda, “The Nest of Otrogg,” a cave system once occupied by a loathsome cult, and “The Sanctuary of Chthonia,” a secret sub-level located inside Stonehell Dungeon and overseen by an undead witch. It also introduces two new spells, eight new monsters, two new magical items, and a pair of minor deities for your Labyrinth Lord™ game. This supplement contains three maps but no other interior illustrations.

Book of Races by Jason Kemp. Samardan Press. $3.99 for the PDF. $8.99 for the print. 22 pages.

The Book of Races is a character race supplement for Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, and other Old School or retro-clone rules systems. The Book of Races provides details on twelve different races in two different formats: as character races separate from classes, and as racial classes. Whatever your gaming preferences may be, the Book of Races provides twelve new character races to enhance your gaming experience. This supplement details the Artathi, the Duar, the Elde, the Eldeblooded, the Feytouched, the Giantkin, the Goblin, the Hyrknoff, the Kelshan, the Ordath, the Vaelan and the Wyrmblooded. As a bonus, an appendix also introduces the Simple D6 Check System.

Lost Man's Trail by Bob Bledsaw. Art by Bob Bledsaw II, Ken Simpson, Ed Perry, Erin McKee. Judges Guild. Available in  Print for $16.00 and in PDF for $8.00. 43 pages.

Lost Man's Trail (2010) JG1290 Bob Bledsaw's final contribution to the fantasy world he created, the Wilderlands. This adventure module runs some 24 pages, with 12 maps covering the areas of encounters, in addition to detailed Campaign Maps for Wilderlands Hexes 3615, 3715, 3814 and 3914 of the Roglaroon and Gasconfold Plains Regions, between Modron and Tegel. The trail east from Modron to the Coast, known as Lost Man's Trail, has been a source of mystery for some time. Adventurers have a habit of disappearing from the trail. Are they lured away by some enticement, or waylayed by the legendary Skandic Raiders? The only safe place to stay, The Fat Deer Inn, offers good ale, soft bedding, and an assortment of characters; each having their own reason for being there. This product was written by Bob Bledsaw for use with the Judges Guild Universal System, and contains the latest version of charts to date. Happy Gaming!

The Legend of Jub Jub Lake by David Bezio. Grey Area Games. Available in PDF for $2.50. 9 pages.

This Labyrinth Lord adventure takes place in the area detailed in The Phoenix Barony Setting and the Tathor Gazetteer. When a giant fish, the Black Leviathan, starts swallowing all the men who dare to fish on Jub Jub Lake, the village is in dire peril. If this wasn’t bad enough, Goblins are attacking the village simultaneously! This small fishing village is in desperate need of heroes to save them, and uncover the mystery of what is going on. A level 3rd-5th adventure.

Free Downloads

ckutalik of Hill Cantons has a White Wizard for you to download.

Al of Beyond the Black Gate has some Old School Feats.

Lost Daughter by David Bezio. Grey Area Games. Available as a free PDF download. 5 pages.

This short introductory adventure for Labyrinth Lord RPG takes place in the area detailed in The Phoenix Barony setting and the Tathor Gazetteer. The PCs want only to travel peacefully through the dark Fenwood to get to Tathor, but, the pleas of a dying man take them on an adventure to rescue his kidnapped daughter. A 1st level adventure.

Jim Pacek of Carjacked Seraphim has scanned one of his old adventures and PDF'd it! The Barrow of King Grothegarka’an.

ze bulette of Dungeons and Digressions has posted a couple of B2 related mini-dungeon maps.

Evan of In Places Deep has recently posted a couple of hexmaps, you might find useful.

Dave of The Library has a 7 page Spaghetti Western supplement - Pay for your Coffins... Django and Sartana are Coming!

Simone Neri has made a Mystara supplement - History of Dragonkind. A 26 page PDF with a snazzy cover! Thanks to Havard of Havard's Blackmoor Blog for turning us on to this sourcebook.

Joe Bloch from Greyhawk Grognard has another preview from his upcoming Adventures Dark & Deep: The Mystic.

Media Releases

Samwise7 has a 2 part video review of AD&D 2nd Edition. Here, and then here. 

Save or Die Podcast #11: The Gold Dragon.


Reviews from around the Blogoverse.

Alex Schroeder has part 2 of his review of Fight On! # 9.

James Maliszewski of Grognardia has a review of Fight On! # 10.


JDJarvis of Aeons & Auguries has a review up of Pars Fortuna: Basic.


In Other News

James Maliszewski brings us the latest news on Petty Gods. 


Scott of Huge Ruined Pile has started a discussion forum, focused on the kind of literature I would imagine, most of my readers enjoy.

Tavis of The Mule Abides has posted several videos from the Dungeons & Dragons in Contemporary Art panel, recently held in NY.


What I'm Pimping this Week


Philotomy's Musings by Jason Cone. Edited by Jason Vey. Available as a free download. 49 pages in PDF format.

You're probably familiar with Philotomy's OD&D Musings, and if you aren't, you should be. It's a seminal work, in the current resurgence of  TSR era gaming. But, I want to make sure you're aware of Jason Vey's production, where he's taken Philotomy's work and turned it into an OD&D style booklet. Very, very cool, like all of Mr. Vey's work!

About the News

"Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files, unless that is the only link available. The OSR News is produced as a service to the community and is entirely a non-commercial endeavor on my part. I have received no remuneration for advertising, reviewing or reporting on any of the items appearing herein. Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest, which you would like to see mentioned.

"As always, the What I’m Pimping This Week section of the OSR News and its accompanying blog widget, feature products which I have purchased, or in the case of this weeks item, which I received a reviewer copy of (or items which are available for free download) and wish to support. No one has asked me to spotlight their material in this section and I have received no payment of any kind for doing so."

Doing the Happy Dance in my Recliner

Thanks to the "Let's Get A Jump On Scarfing Everyone's Cash Pre-Black Friday Sales," I got my Christmas present early. New Laptop!!!

My old one entered its death spiral a few weeks ago, so my wife got up at 4:00 AM Saturday, braving the cold and the Wal-mart crowds, to snatch this sucker before they sold out! Now, I just have to get used to Windows 7.

Actual gaming posts are coming. For now, I'll leave you with my favorite song from Led Zeppelin's 4th album.

OSR News from the Underdark Gazette - Saturday, November 7, 2010

Open Call for Petty Gods

James Maliszewski of Grognardia posted an Open Call for Petty Gods, an homage to Judges Guild's The Unknown Gods. He reports that he's getting an outstanding response and if you wish to submit an entry or artwork, the deadline is December 31, 2010. Details in the original post. Also, updates here and here.

This is a very, very cool idea and a product I'm looking forward to seeing in print. And a perfect example, of why this is such a great time to be playing TSR era Games & Clones.

The project was inspired by a post, from Blair of Planet Algol: Another OSR Product I'd Like To See. The very next day, Blair's wish was on it's way to becoming a reality. I would suggest, he might want to post his desire for a Winning Lottery Ticket, for WotC to once again sell PDF's of TSR era products and an Economic Upturn.

Free Downloads

Jesse Walker has released Encounter #3.

Ckutalik of Hill Cantons posted a link to a Mountebank class PDF.

eggofcoot has posted a link to his Big Brown Book.


JDJarvis of Aeons & Augauries posted a very cool map, a few days ago.

Robert Conley of Bat in the Attic posted a couple of links to a PDF of Southland, as well as The Elf Lord's Temple.

Media Releases

I Hit It With My Axe: Episode 34: Performing Experiments On Your Friends.

The Uncensored version of Episode 34.

Save or Die Podcast # 10: Undead?!

The Save or Die Podcast: Side Adventure #3

Samwise7 has a new entry in his video blog: RPGs: Running A Reverse Dungeon

Echoes from the Geekcave - Episode 11: Minis and Scenery.

Reviews from around the Blogoverse

Tenkar of Tankar's Tavern has a review of Kobold Quarterly 15.

Alex Schroeder has Part 1 of his Fight On! #9 review posted.

Here's crusssdaddy's review of Fight On! #10.

Pat of Henchman Abuse has a review of Weird New World. 

Pookie of Reviews from R'lyeh, reviews the 4e Essentials Redbox.

In Other News

As you may have heard, Jim Ward is very ill. If you would like to help, see Michael Curtis' post for more info. 

What I'm Pimping This Week

Classic Dungeon Designer's Reference #2 - Old School Spells Reference edited by Kellri.

Does the idea of spellcasting  players, mangling your precious 1st Edition AD&D Player's Handbook every game session, getting Cheetos dust and pizza grease all over the pages, fill you with dread and inspire you to scarf up an extra half dozen copies off of ebay, while you still can? Fear not! Kellri has you covered! 

"A COMPREHENSIVE LISTING OF MAGIC-USER, ILLUSIONIST, CLERIC and DRUID SPELLS, PUBLISHED BY TSR FOR USE WITH 1st Edition ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS™ FEATURING COMPILED COMMENTARIES & NOTES."

Did I mention it was free? I love pimping fee stuff! And don't miss his other PDF downloads, CDD #4 in particular.

About the News

"Unless otherwise noted, all links to products and files are to the individual authors sites, pertinent posts, or sales pages. I don’t link directly to files, unless that is the only link available. The OSR News is produced as a service to the community and is entirely a non-commercial endeavor on my part. I have received no remuneration for advertising, reviewing or reporting on any of the items appearing herein. Please feel free to send me information on any new releases, events, or other items of interest, which you would like to see mentioned.

"As always, the What I’m Pimping This Week section of the OSR News and its accompanying blog widget, feature products which I have purchased, or in the case of this weeks item, which I received a reviewer copy of (or items which are available for free download) and wish to support. No one has asked me to spotlight their material in this section and I have received no payment of any kind for doing so."

Playing Through The Pain - Hit Points in D&D

Reading through the DMG, we see that hit points, in addition to representing the amount of raw damage a character can withstand, also represent combat skill, stamina, luck, minor injuries sustained and even divine favor. I've seen a lot of arguments about non-magical healing rates, usually decrying the idea that it takes so long to regain stamina and luck. But I can't ever remember anyone talking about minor injuries and how they can add up and take their toll.

Allright, at my age and physical condition, a few hours of moving furniture will make me hurt the next day. Imagine all the minor injuries a Fighting-man would pick up in the course of a days adventuring.  Even if he suffered no major wounds, the scrapes, bruises, sprains and more serious, but non-lethal damage, would add up and take their toll. Without magical healing, he could easily be at far less than 100% for several days, or even weeks afterward.

Check out a pro-football injury report. A lot of folks with groin injuries. A back and knee injury. Head injuries, toe injuries, etc.  I see a Status listing, which I presume means whether or not the players are expected to make the next game. I see a lot of Probable listings. Some are Questionable. Pro-football players, play through the pain. But they're not at 100%. And what with all the practicing and playing during the week, I would imagine they're unlikely to get there, not without several weeks of rest or some Magical Healing.

The AD&D healing rates may be too stringent, but I don't think they're as unrealistic as some folks maintain. How many times a week can an adventurer head into the dungeon, get battered, banged, cut-up and concussed, before he's got to stop? All these non-lethal injuries add up, seriously hampering the characters' fighting ability and thus his Hit Points.

I've got this written up currently and while I think it's too generous, the Stimulationist must ultimately knuckle under to the needs of gameplay.

Healing

There are several means of acquiring magical healing, but sometimes a Character may be in a position where he must heal naturally. Applying first aid will automatically restore 1 Hit Point. A night of rest will restore 2 Hit Points. A day of uninterrupted rest will restore 2 Hit Points per level of the Character. Four weeks of rest will always restore a Character to his full Hit Point total.

Order of Combat and Spellcasting During the One-Minute Round - Take 2

1. Determination of Surprise: (Still working this out.)

2. Declaration of Spells: Any Player who is planning to cast a spell during the Round in question, must state that he is doing so and which spell he is casting.

3. Determine Initiative: All Players roll a d10, subtracting any reaction adjustment due to Dexterity. This determines upon which segment the Character may act, with low rolls going first and Dexterity breaking any ties, if necessary. The DM rolls initiative for all non-player combatants.

4. Taking Action: Upon their initiative, players may take what action they wish, including any movement and attacks. Their opponents will likewise act, upon their own initiative. A Character must be within 10’ in order to engage in melee upon any given round, otherwise he must close and then attack on the next round. He may opt instead to Charge, enabling him to close and attack in the same round. Characters with multiple attacks, will roll initiative for each separate attack.

4A. Spellcasting: Characters, who are casting spells, will begin casting upon their segment of initiative. Each spell has a Casting Time which is then added to the Characters initiative, determining when the spell goes off. If the spell takes longer to cast than there are remaining segments in the round, then the casting time will spill over into the next round. In such cases, the spellcaster will have to wait until the round after the spell ends, before he can roll initiative and take another action.

After a Player has declared what spell he is casting, he is assumed to be gathering his components and readying himself to begin the casting. The caster may not change his mind, as regards the specific spell he has chosen to cast, but he may, up until the segment of his initiative, which is when the spell-casting actually starts, decide to not cast any spell at all. In such cases, he will not lose the spell in question. If the caster is hit and takes any damage, during the segments in which the spell is actually being cast, he will lose the spell and it will fail to take effect. Likewise, if he is grappled or otherwise violently disturbed, he will not be able to complete the casting and the spell will be lost.

 A caster may not move during a round in which he is spellcasting and must remain focused upon the act of casting. He may not utilize his Dexterity bonus to AC and due to his intense concentration and not being able to focus on protecting himself, will be at an additional +3 to hit!

4B. Spellcasting Under Direct Attack: A smart party will provide as much protection as possible for their spellcasters, making sure to take the brunt of any attacks and keeping the Magic-user, especially, out of direct melee with an opponent. A spellcaster may also hire mercenaries, usually Men-at-Arms, and use these hirelings as meat-shields in instances of melee combat. Sometimes, particularly when the party is outnumbered, a caster may find himself in direct 1-on-1 melee against an opponent. 

Spellcasters who are directly engaged in melee with an opponent (meaning the opponent is 10’ or closer and is targeting the spellcaster) will be under the restrictions outlined in 4A above and also cannot cast a spell with a casting time longer than 1 Segment, without suffering further penalties. If they attempt to do so, their opponent will be able to make a to hit roll on every segment of the casting time, after the 1^st! This is only in situations where the spellcaster is defending himself alone, against one or more opponents. If an ally is adjacent to the spellcaster, the ally will threaten any enemies and the caster may attempt longer spells, but the other restrictions in section 4A will still apply and he may still be attacked on his enemies initiative. 

If damage is taken before casting begins (before the caster’s initiative,) the spellcaster may still attempt the spell. Overall, in situations where a Spellcaster is directly threatened in melee, the use of magical devices, such as wands, is preferable to attempting to cast a spell while engaged in melee. Clerics, of course, have a more effective melee option, which they may use when directly threatened.

It should also be mentioned that the restrictions in 4A will also apply when enemies are attacking with missile fire.

5. Held Initiative: Initiative may be held, the holder waiting until the end of the round to take an action. If desired, this may be carried over to the next round, and the action taken when the holder desires. Once the action has been taken, the holder will once again roll initiative as normal, at the beginning of the next round. Initiative May Not be Held, when directly engaged with a melee opponent.

6. End of the Round: If Combat is to continue, roll Initiative.