Once More Into the Depths

Once More Into the Depths by James Maliszewski

Another Stab at an Unfinished Project

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Urheim

Some of you may recall that, shortly after I resumed blogging in the late Summer of 2020, I began a public project – the Urheim megadungeon. Though the posts relating to it were well received, I eventually lost interest in continuing it, largely because I wasn't running Urheim. Instead, it was a purely theoretical pursuit, an attempt to do what I had hoped to do with Dwimmermount. Because I was doing it without any intention of making use of it, I didn't feel a connection to the megadungeon and abandoned it.

Recently, though, an opportunity to correct this has arisen. The Metamorphosis Alpha campaign I began last year is on hold, owing to the departure of a couple of players for several months. That led to some discussions with the remaining players, who felt it might be worthwhile to play something else until the absent players returned. When one of them admitted that he had never played a megadungeon-based campaign, the conclusion was obvious: I should referee one for him and, rather than returning to Dwimmermount, I would pick up Urheim where I left off.

For this campaign, I'll be using Old-School Essentials as its base, modified with some house rules I've assembled over the years. The house rules bring it closer to OD&D + Supplements – what I have, in the past, referred to as D&D 0.75 – which is my preferred version of the game. It's closer to the simplicity of pure LBB-only OD&D while also possessing more of the flavor of AD&D that I think a lot of people have as the default frame for conceiving of Dungeons & Dragons. Also included in my house rules are some unique races like the Gargantuas and unique classes like the beggar.

Of course, what really excites me about this is the opportunity to continue my development of Urheim in the context of actual play. While I don't think it's absolutely necessary that every piece of game writing must arise out of regular campaign play, I do think that writing that does is generally better and more vital. This is, I think, especially so in the case of megadungeons, which are generally so large that the only way to build them is a couple of steps ahead of the player characters – or so I have come to believe (perhaps I'll write about that in another post).

It's been a while since I last regularly refereed a megadungeon, so this will be a good experience for me as well. As the campaign develops (assuming it lasts for any length of time), I'll no doubt have thoughts to share, including additional details about the Telluria setting in which Urheim exists.

And So It Begins

As I posted yesterday, my Barrett's Raiders Twilight: 2000 campaign, which started in December 2021, has ended. Though sad (and even a little disappointing), its conclusion opens up a slot in my weekly schedule for a new campaign and that's always exciting. Just what that new campaign will be is still very uncertain and depends, to a great extent, on the interests of the remaining players. We'll discuss the matter at some length at our next meeting, but, in order to get the ball rolling, I sent them a selection of four(ish) RPG I'd enjoy refereeing for them, which I thought I'd share with you as well.

Gamma World/Metamorphosis Alpha

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned, likely many times, that I've long been a huge fan of Gamma World. In my youth, it was one of my favorite games, just losing out of a spot in my Holy Trinity of RPGs to Call of Cthulhu. It's one of those games I find very easy to run, both from an ideas perspective and from a mechanical one. I have little trouble coming up with fun scenarios for Gamma World and its rules are straightforward and easy to use – two great boons when it comes to refereeing a roleplaying game. 

Notice that I've included Metamorphosis Alpha as a possibility too. That's because, while I have played MA, I have never actually run it myself and doing so has long been a dream of mine. In some ways, I actually prefer the campaign frame of Metamorphosis Alpha to that of Gamma World, perhaps because it appeals to my fascination with "secret sci-fi" settings. So, given my druthers, I would press for MA over Gamma World, but I'd be equally happy with either.

Secrets of sha-Arthan

This is a no-brainer. I've working sporadically on this project since June of 2021, during which time it's undergone a number of different changes and evolutions. Those of you who've subscribed to Grognardia Games Direct know about its current state, since that's where I post regularly about it. However, I've not yet had the chance to do anything more with it than run short scenarios. What it really needs is a proper campaign to take its development to the next level and this might be the perfect time to do that.

I considered starting a SosA campaign after the conclusion of House of Worms last month, but opted not to due to its very broad similarities to Tékumel. It's a baroque, exotic fantasy setting with a secret sci-fi substratum – I'm sensing a theme here – albeit one based on very different historical/cultural influences than those of Tékumel. However, my Monday night group includes a different set of players, so the comparisons to Tékumel wouldn't be a problem.

Thousand Suns

In a similar fashion, Thousand Suns is another good option. Like Secrets of sha-Arthan, I'm currently in the midst of revising and reorganizing it in preparation for the released of a second edition. Also like SosA, I'm chronicling my work on this project over at Grognardia Games Direct. This is a game that's very near and dear to my heart and one I haven't run for some years now, so it'd be great to have the opportunity to do so again.

Furthermore, one of the goals of the second edition is to make the rules of Thousand Suns clearer and easier to use. They're already pretty good in this regard, I think, but I hope to make them even better. I also want to do a better job of highlighting those aspects of the game that distinguish it from its competitors and inspirations. Refereeing a campaign would give me lots of opportunities to do just that.

Urheim

Urheim was my second attempt (after Dwimmermount) to produce a megadungeon suitable as the foundation for an entire old school D&D campaign. I got fairly far into constructing it before moving on to other projects, but it's still something I think about from time to time. 

Consequently, I thought now might be a good time to return to it as a replacement for Barrett's Raiders. A megadungeon campaign is very straightforward and easy to maintain. It's also got the potential to spin off in a variety of different fun directions, so it's a good fit for my personal refereeing style. If I did return to Urheim, I'd almost certainly use Old School Essentials, probably of the advanced variety, for the rules, though part of me wants to dive back into OD&D + Supplements.  

And that's where things stand at the moment. Which of these options will be chosen is (mostly) up to my players. I'm very curious as to what they'll chose.

Unfinished

Unfinished by James Maliszewski

Pondering Abandoned Projects

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Grognard's Grimoire: Blighter

Blighter (Old School Essentials)

A blighter by Zhu Bajiee

AC 5 [14], HD 4+3* (21hp), Att 1 × claw (1d8 + disease), 1 × bite (1d4 + disease) THAC0 15 [+4], MV 30' (10'), SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 200, NA 2d4 (2d4), TT None

A blighter is disease-ridden form of undead first seen in the catacombs beneath the monastery at St. Gaxyg-at-Urheim but subsequently reported in other nearby locales. Blighters shamble slowly and make no noise until they attack. They are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells, as well as effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Clerics have the same chance of turning blighters as they do of turning wights.

A blighter looks like a hulking, misshapen humanoid covered in bony protrusions and tumorous excrescences, surrounded by a miasmic cloud. In combat, a blighter attacks with a clawed hand and a bite. Any target within melee range must make a saving throw versus poison each round or suffer the effects of the cause disease spell. Any targets so afflicted are themselves contagious to other living creatures they touch or with whom they come into very close contact; such creatures must save versus poison at +2 or suffer the same effects. The disease can be cured through the application of the spells bless, cure disease, or neutralize poison. Any creature slain by the blighter's contagion rises as a blighter after the next sunset.

Grognard's Grimoire: Eidolon

 Eidolon (Old School Essentials)

An eidolon by Zhu Bajiee

AC 4 [15], HD 4** (18hp), Att 2 × touch (1d4 + fear), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 90' (30') / 180' (60') flying, SV D10 W11 P12 B13 S14, ML 12, AL Chaotic, XP 175, NA 1d6 (1d6), TT C

An eidolon is the undead spirit of a cleric who died while in the grips of despair, no longer finding solace in True Faith. Eidolons can only be hit by magical or silver weapons. They are immune to sleep, charm, and hold spells, as well as effects that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Clerics have the same chance of turning eidolons as they do of turning wraiths.

An eidolon appears as a ghostly, floating figure in a tattered monastic habit. In combat, the eidolon will attempt to strike with both its spectral hands against a single target. If both attacks succeed, the target must make a saving throw against spells or suffer the effects of the 1st-level cleric spell cause fear, in addition to the damage rolled. Clerics save against this effect at –2.

Urheim: Northeast Ruins

Today, we look at the area to the northeast of the Lower Temple, consisting primarily of rubble and debris where once were a series of monastic buildings. As always, comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome, as they help me to develop this locale better.

The Perfect Dungeon

For various reasons, we've lacked quorum (defined as "half the total players plus one," which is five in this case) in my weekly House of Worms campaign. That's fairly unusual, but Real Life™ has intruded on everyone during 2020, so we do our best to roll with the punches. One of the joys of a long campaign like this one is that it has years of momentum behind it; there is no danger that, even if we somehow didn't meet for more than a month, the campaign would fall into desuetude. 

Those of us who have been available have used our regular meeting time simply to socialize, talking about matters of interest to us all. Though not limited to gaming, that's naturally a common topic, particularly our memories of games past. During one such chat, the Moathouse from Gary Gygax's The Village of Hommlet came up, where it was generally agreed that it's a truly great low-level dungeon. One of my players is Dyson Logos, who plays Grujúng hiZnáyu, a mighty warrior who enjoys direct solutions to problems, which sometimes means Grujúng is often left out of conversations among his more nuanced clan mates. Anyway, Dyson put forward the notion that the Moathouse is near perfect, for a variety of reasons, and I am inclined to agree with him, as I said on this blog some time ago:

Then there's the moathouse, which has everything I crave from a low-level old school dungeon: a plausble backstory, lots of vermin, and several encounters that might, if the PCs are foolhardy, lead to deaths. To my mind, the moathouse ruins provide a superb template which other referees might use in creating their own starting dungeons. It's a great example of Gygaxian naturalism in action, which is itself a reminder that, while the campaign may be set in a fantasy world, that doesn't mean the world exists solely to fulfill the players' fantasies. There are many encounters – such as the giant crayfish – that will kill low-level PCs if they are stupid enough to charge in until they are ready to do so. I like that a lot and it's something that D&D has slowly lost over the years, much to my disappointment.

I don't think I'd change a word of what I wrote above. If anything, I'd probably wax even more lyrical about the things I adore in the dungeon – and by "dungeon," I also mean the upper level on the surface as well. In fact, that upper level is just as important to the feel of the place as the dungeon proper. The foes on the surface consist of dangerous but mundane creatures, like giant frogs, snakes, spiders, and rats. There are also lots of brigands – underutilized opponents in my opinion. There's an "extraordinary ordinary" vibe to the upper levels that, I now realize, has probably influenced my conception of Urheim's own surface ruins more than I had realized. They're just great in my opinion, striking the perfect balance between being too mundane and too unnatural. I prefer my adventure locales to start out relatively "normal" and slowly build toward weirdness. That's why I like lots of empty rooms filled with seemingly random and inexplicable debris: they keep things understated and allow the tension to build, since the characters and, by extension, their players start to feel lulled into false sense of security.

The lower levels are just as good, with a solid selection of monsters, ranging from various Chaotic humanoids (bugbears, gnolls, ogres) to weak undead and soldiers in the employ of Lareth the Beautiful, "the dark hope of chaotic evil," as Gygax so memorably calls him. Say what you will about Gary but he certainly knew how to turn a phrase. I'd wager that no module written since first edition AD&D has ever had a single line of text worthy of memory, let alone quotation. All in all, it's a perfect package worthy of continued study and emulation. 

Saints Alive

Without thinking, most of us assume that any given fantasy setting is going to be a polytheistic one, modeled after a crude understanding of the religions of the ancient world. Yet, perhaps the most famous of all literary fantasy settings, J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, is monotheistic, though not explicitly so, at least in The Lord of the Rings itself. Middle-earth is not unique in this regard, but it is unusual, particularly when compared to most fantasy RPG settings. I find that interesting, given early D&D's use of many Jewish and Christian concepts, at least some of which would filter into the wider world of roleplaying, due to D&D's preeminent position.  

Back when I was creating what would eventually become my Telluria setting, I toyed with the idea of making it explicitly monotheistic, but, in the end, went with "secret monotheism" instead. On this model, there are "gods" who are worshipped and around whom religions have grown up, but they are not truly divine. The only true Deity of the setting, know variously as Law, Father God, and the Great Maker, among many sobriquets, is no longer widely known in the main campaign area. Though I like this set-up and have used it to good effect, I find myself wishing I'd gone with my initial idea and dispensed with all the lesser, false gods, if for no other reason than it'd be different.

So, in working on Urheim, I'm playing with this idea a little more obviously. How – or if – this meshes with what I've done before is still an open question. For the moment, I'm developing Urheim as a kind of "parallel" universe in which many of the same elements exist as in the rest of Telluria but that there are also idiosyncrasies unique to it. If nothing else, this gives me a freer hand to create; I don't feel bound by anything I've come up with before and can pick and choose those elements I think fit the overall feel.

In keeping with this approach, I've been mentioning various saints in my Urheim posts, starting with St. Gaxyg the Gray. Being a fan of homages and anagrams, I decided that many, if not most, of the saints would be coded references to noteworthy individuals from the history of the hobby. Thus, Gaxyg the Gray is (obviously) an anagram of Gary Gygax. In a similarly obviously fashion, St. Evad filzArn refers to Dave Arneson. I've also mentioned St. Carmichael, which is a double reference, both to Mike Carr, player of the very first cleric in roleplaying, as well as to Dohram, Servant of Saint Carmichael, a pre-egenerated character from In Search of the Unknown (penned, not coincidentally, by Carr). There's also a mention of St. Richomer the Tailor, whose identity I leave to the astute to undertangle in the comments. (That's in addition to two others, I've not yet mentioned anywhere: St. Iacomus the Warden and St. Andreas the Taker of Fiends)

I've found this exercise of making (I hope) clever homages to the worthies of the gaming pantheon a lot of fun. I'd like to encourage others to take it up too, offering any idea they have in the comments. Should I like any of them enough to make use of them in Urheim, I'll gladly credit your creation and send you a copy of the 'zine or other publication where it appears. 

Urheim: The Lower Temple

Map by FrDave

Today I present one of the largest sections of the surface ruins of Urheim: the Lower Temple. During the days before the fall of the monastery, the Lower Temple was dedicated to St. Evad filzArn and Companions and sits atop the Lower Catacombs. Unlike the Upper Temple, the Lower Temple suffered significant damage during the Simonist Wars, as the map indicates. Presently, the Lower Temple is being used as a bivouac by a troop of the Company of the Quarrel commanded by Lieutenant Anskar. 

Urheim Fanzine?

 As Urheim continues to grow in size and scope, I'm looking for better ways both to present it and to develop it in the manner I think it demands. For example, I've been commissioning art for it by the remarkable Zhu Bajiee (who's also been a stalwart of The Excellent Travelling Volume) and that's been extremely well received, which pleases me. However, I can't really justify that over the long term without some way of subsidizing the cost. That's why I've lately been contemplating moving development of Urheim to a fanzine. 

I have a lot of experience producing fanzines now. The aforementioned Tékumel 'zine has reached a dozen issues, with a thirteenth under way. I've also produced Imperio to support my SF RPG, Thousand Suns, though that's regrettably a project that's not received the attention I'd like to give it. Between the two of them, I've learned a lot about the process of making 'zines for sale and I'd like to think that, as the years wear on, I've gotten better at it. Given that, I have little doubt that an Urheim fanzine would be at least as good as those, if not better.

The Excellent Travelling Volume sells around 250 copies per issue upon initial release, with a few dozen more in the months afterward – and Tékumel is, by even a generous definition, a very niche setting. Those sales are just enough to cover each issue's art budget, as well as printing and postage, but not much else. I'd like to think that Urheim, being a more traditional fantasy locale, would have wider appeal, but who knows? Judging by Blogger's stats, my Urheim posts are popular, with several among the most read posts in the last three months. That suggests there's interest in it. Whether it's enough interest to support a fanzine, though? That's the question.

I suppose there are alternatives to a 'zine, but, given my desire to develop the site, piecemeal, either continuing to do so here, through regular blog posts, or through an irregular fanzine seem the best options. The excellent Wormskin is my model here, since it's been slowly developing the Dolmenwood setting bit by bit over the course of the last few years. I hope to do something similar with Urheim, though I'm not yet committed to the idea of a 'zine. In discussing this with others whose opinions I trust, the notion of a subscription-based newsletter has been suggested, on the model of the superb Glatisant. 

I'm still uncertain of the path forward or indeed if it's something I should contemplate seriously. For the moment, I'm going to continue to make regular Urheim posts here, at least through the end of the year. Come 2021, things may change and, if they do, I'll explain them decision here. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions of your own to offer, please comment or drop me a note. As always, I'm actively seeking advice, opinions, and alternative perspectives and appreciate those of you who offer them.

Urheim: Austorga

Austorga by Zhu Bajiee

Level 9 Magic-User

Armor Class: 8 [11]
Hit Points: 22
Attacks: 1 × staff (2d6) or 1 × spell
THAC0: 17 [+2]
Movement Rate: 120' (40')
Saves: D11 W12 P11 B14 S12

Alignment: Chaotic

STR 7 INT 16 WIS 13
DEX 10 CON 11 CHA 14

Spells: Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Read Magic, ESP, Invisibility, Locate Object, Clairvoyance, Haste, Invisibility 10' Radius, Confusion, Dimension Door, Animate Dead

4+3

Like, I suspect, a great many roleplayers my age, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons continues to exercise a powerful influence over my conception of D&D. In the last few years, though, my love and appreciation for the 1981 Moldvay/Cook/Marsh rules has grown, to the point where I think it's fair to say that B/X has eclipsed AD&D in my affections. That's why, when I've written "D&D" materials for publication (or even just sharing with others), I've made use of contemporary emulators of those rules, whether they be Labyrinth Lord or Old School Essentials. 

One aspect of the B/X rules I particularly enjoy is the presentation of its seven character classes. The first four classes are the "basic" classes, each of which occupies a "pure" niche and, not unintentionally, limited to humans. The other three are for demihumans and, for that reason, could be called "advanced" or "mixed" (even though two of the classes, the dwarf and the halfling, are simply the Fighter Plus). My enjoyment stems from both the simplicity of this set-up and the subtle world building it implies.

Lately, I've mused that this basic structure – "4+3," as I've started calling it in my head, almost certainly not original to me – is a sturdy and flexible one that could be adapted to other circumstances. If you've taken notice of the new classes I've been presenting for Urheim, you might see what I'm talking about. For example, the goblin is an alternative to the halfling, while the gargantua is a replacement for the dwarf, and so on. I've been very happy with the ease with which I can build up the setting through these alternate takes on some of the seven classes in B/X. Based on the positive comments I've been receiving about them, others agree, which delights me.

Urheim: Captain Foulque

Captain Foulque by Zhu Bajiee

Level 6 Fighter

Armor Class: –1 [20]

Hit Points: 31

Attacks: 1 × sword (1d8+2) or 1 × crossbow (1d6)

THAC0: 17 [+2]

Movement Rate: 60' (20')

Saves: D10 W11 P12 B13 S14

Alignment: Neutral

STR 15 INT 9 WIS 10

DEX 13 CON 10 CHA 18

Items: Chainmail +2, Shield +2, Crossbow (30 bolts), Potion of Heroism, Sword +1 (+2 vs Spell Users)

Grognard's Grimore: Kin

Kin

A kin by Jason Sholtis

Requirements: Minimum CHA 9

Prime Requisite: CHA and STR

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum Level: 10

Armor: Any, including shields

Weapons: Any

Languages: Alignment, Common

Sometimes called “High Men” (or, in esoteric texts, the Terrim), kin are a secretive group of tall, attractive humanoids who attire themselves in peculiar clothing and armor. Kin are rare and few in number, typically traveling alone or in very small groups. There are rumors of a hidden kingdom of kin, but, if true, its location remains a mystery. Kin have an innate knowledge and command of magic, for which they are both well known and feared.

Prime Requisites: A kin with at least 13 INT and STR gains a 5% bonus to experience. A kin with a WIS of at least 16 and a STR of at least 13 receives a +10% bonus.

Urheim: Southeast Ruins

Map by FrDave

Today's post is another section of the surface ruins of the monastery of St. Gaxyg-at-Urheim. I'm happy with the way that this is turning out, though there's still much work to do. I'm also making changes to previous posts, as I get a better sense of what to include and how to present it. My ultimate goal, when the surface ruins are completed, is to collect them together as a single document, complete with art and additional connecting text. That's still in the future, but we're getting closer and I couldn't be more pleased. As always, constructive criticism and comments are encouraged.

Urheim: Southwest Ruins

Map by FrDave

Today is the first day of virtual Gamehole Con, where I will be refereeing several Empire of the Petal Throne events, so posting will be scarcer today and tomorrow. However, the next major installment of Urheim is offered up for your enjoyment. As always, constructive criticism, particularly about presentation, is welcomed and indeed encouraged. While I may not be able to act on all the suggestions immediately, I definitely take them into account and will make use of them, when time and resources allow.

Urheim: Southern Tower

Map by FrDave

As with the first entry in this ongoing series, I would appreciate constructive criticism of this one, particularly with regards to its presentation. Urheim is an evolving project and I am regularly tweaking previous posts in order to improve them for clarity and content. There is now a page, linked at the top of the blog, that collects all the currently existing posts, along with some of those yet to come for ease of reference. When I am able to afford to do so, I will commission artwork to accompany the entries where appropriate. I also have vague plans of collecting the entries into better laid out form, downloadable as a PDF, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Urheim is a long-term project and I am in no hurry.

Urheim: Ruins Wandering Monsters

In the Ruins, wandering monsters are encountered on a roll of 1 of 1d6. Check for wandering monsters once every 2 game turns. Roll 1d20 for the monster encountered.

1. Shadow (1d6) (night only) [1]
2. Centipede, Giant (1d8)
3. Dog, Wild (2d6)
4. Rat, Normal (2d10)
5. Berserker (1d8) [2]
6. Goblin (1d8) [3]
7. Snake, Pit Viper (1d8)
8. Wolf, Normal (1d10)
9. Brigand (1d8) [4]
10. Brigand (1d8) [4]
11. Bat, Normal (1d20)
12. Brigand [4]
13. Brigand [4]
14. Beetle, Oil (1d8)
15. Cat, Great (Mountain Lion) (1d4)
16. Ferret, Giant (1d8)
17. Berserker (1d8) [2]
18. Rat, Normal (2d10)
19. Stirge (1d10)
20. Shadow (1d6) (night only) [1]

Notes

[1]: These manifestations of Chaos emerge from the Lower Catacombs only at night. Treat this result as "no encounter" during the daytime.

[2]: Cursed remnants of the Sword Sworn Company whom Captain Foulque has cowed into his service. They do not mix with the mercenaries of the Company of the Quarrel.

[3]: Mercenary members of the Mighty Peak clan in the employ of Austorga.

[4]: Members of the Company of the Quarrel.

Urheim: Lower Gatehouse

Today is my birthday, but I'm going to give my readers a gift by presenting the first entry describing the ruined monastery of St. Gaxyg-at-Urheim. My plan is to reveal a new area of the ruins each week, building it up slowly over time. Other posts relating to Urheim, such as new monsters and character classes, may appear more often.

Since this is the start of the series, I'm still getting a handle on the best way to present each section. Constructive criticism of the format I've adopted is appreciated, as are comments about pertinent details I might have left out of the entries below. My goal is to present an interesting, fun, and usable adventure locale for use with Old School Essentials and similar games over the course of the weeks and months to come.

Map by FrDave