Dragon #37May 1980 Time for another Dragon issue. I read it mostly for the adventure but #37 has some decent articles, especially for 1980. We start off on a sour note, with very long letters discussing the topic of realism. The topic is especially bittersweet for although both parties can clearly see the nuance and … More [Review] Dragon #37; The Pit of the Oracle
Being a chronicle of the assailment of the Castle of the Sphinxes in ye year of the Mottled Vulture… Listen now oh wanderer, to a tale of heroism, bloodshed and rapine in the perilous wilderness of the Forsaken Wastes. Five men had set out into that barren land that had not known the touch of … More [Actual Play] Le Chateau du Sphinx, Session I & II
[Adventure]Beneath the Ruins (2012)Alex Fotinakes (Psychedelic Fantasies)Lvl ??? (est. 1-3) Another entry in the Psychedelic Fantasy series comissioned by Carcosa author Geoffrey Mckinney. The idea of the psychedelic fantasy series was a sort of proto-artpunk. The idea was to make an adventure for OD&D using all new creatures, items and powers, with minimalist presentation and … More [Review] Psychedelic Fantasies #1; Beneath the Ruins (OD&D); Science Fantasy
The mighty Noisms, Lord of the Balance, has commissioned from all the grandees of the Post-OSR a column about…columns! Hah! Grognardia would approve! On a more serious note, how to make columns interesting is a worthwhile topic for discussion. They do not always appear because it takes a while to move beyond the primitive but … More On Columns and their Use
[Adventure]IT02 The Palace of the Walls that Scream (2023)Michele Toscan (ofironandthorns.com)Lvl 3 – 5 Disclaimer: Sponsored content 5th edition suffers from the ‘big tent’ curse in that it tries to be everything to everyone and as a result there is no fixed understanding or standard of what a 5th edition adventure tries to do or … More [Review] The Palace of the Walls that Scream (5e 3PP)
[Adventure]The Mausolean Maze of Mondulac the Mad (2023)Eric Hoffman (Castellan Publishing)Lvl 1 – 5 Taking a break from the great work to check out some modern OSE. I was enticed by the promise of good vanilla fantasy and a reference to Melan’s probably foundational blog post for the new and improved actual/traditionalist OSR. I am … More [Review] The Mausolean Maze of Mondulac the Mad (OSE); Minor Restoration
Witness the glorious deeds of an empire at its prime. 2008-2012 was peak OSR, and Fight On is a cross-section of its thrones, powers and dominions. 152 pages and it keeps on slugging. This issue is dedicated to Bob Bledsaw and there are found herein many homages, successors and tributes to the mighty Judges Guild. … More [Review] Fight On #3; Peak Performance
Habitual disclaimer: I do not own any of this, I have neither asked nor received official permission and this translation and critique is done for educational and entertainment purposes only. Occasionally some liberties have been taken with the translation to improve legibility and trim some of the fat but in all cases effort has been expended … More [Ludoarcheology] Casus Belli #010; L’Auberge du Joyeux Troll Farceur
The OSR (or rather Post-OSR) is currently undergoing dissolution into disparate camps. This is fine, don’t panic. The causes are myriad. An influx of casuals. The ever-expanding definition of the OSR. 2 years of self-congratulatory mid-witted theorycrafting on G+. The sociopathic politicization of the hobby to further petty personal gain. Mops, geeks and sociopaths. But … More The Conundrum of the Giant’s Tread and the Wheel of Ludosamsara
It took a while but the entries are in, the dust is settled. Victory belongs only to the chosen few. The objective of this competition was to illustrate by example that the game of D&D is far richer then the narrow brackets of level 1-3 that predominate the fallen and co-opted OSR. In order to … More [No-Artpunk] Announcing the Winners of the No-Artpunk III Competition
Age of Dusk 