And so it was that in their struggle against Chaos, Father Bell and the magicians Diggory Bell and Chinning Poofter forged a scheme to further enlarge the fortunes of the band, and with four hired fighting men of the region that they had equipped in suits of mail and armed with great bows, they set … More [Actual Play] Keep on the Borderlands Pt. XII; Reconnoitre in Force
[Adventure]Peril in Olden Wood (2022)Ray Weidner (Merciless Merchants)Lvl 3 – 5 Disclaimer: Sponsored Content, Content partner Against the Donation Cue continues. Ray is a frequent commenter on this blog, featured previously for his earlier very strong (albeit somewhat unwieldy) The Magician’s House, and is an overal standup guy. He teamed up with my publisher, the … More [Review] Peril in Olden Wood (OSE); Old Powers
Hey Kids! Do you like contests? Do you have carpell tunnel syndrome from shitting something out in a week, signing it in on an OSR Game Jam, and then dragging the file and participation trophy into your trashbin with a disgusted sigh? Do you want to compete in an event that matters? I am Proud … More Announcing No Artpunk II; Electric Boogaloo!
[Adventure]RC2 The Brinkwood Thicket (2021)Matthew Evans (Mithgarthr Entertainment)Lvl 2 – 4 Disclaimer: Sponsored content Yet another part of a hopefully short lived series Against the Donation Cue, where I try to cull the clamouring hordes that have been piling up in my inbox to more manageable levels. Matthew Evans was a contestant for No-Artpunk 1, … More [Review] RC2 The Brinkwood Thicket (RC 3PP); That is not dead which can forever lie…
Or something. The magnificent Settembrini, brimming with Teutonic indignation and your humble host from swamp-germania tackle this topic. Gauntlets are thrown down, games are excoricated, Basic D&D is half-heartedly defended, merits are debated, ill-conceived imitations of Pelle Nilsson are attempted and the very future of the OSR is discussed. The Grande B/X vs AD&D debate. … More The Much Anticipated B/X v. AD&D debate.
[Adventure]The Gemeria Code (2022)David MaynardLvl 3 – 5 Disclaimer: Sponsored content Part of the joy of having a donation cue is that you come across material that you otherwise never would have investigated. The palette is enriched. Mr. Maynard expressed an interest in an opinion before possibly signing up for No Artpunk II and in … More [Review] The Gemeria Code (OSE); Wholesome
The concluding part, and from Venger’s posts (Artpunk vs Jakeying? Sign me up hoss!) I glean that he may have sensed the direction the review was going to take. Writing a negative review for a person you like always sucks but unfortunately part of one’s duty as a reviewer is unfailing honesty. Chartreuse Shadows has … More [Review] Chartreuse Shadows Pt. III (CDS); Maze Medusa Blues
And so it was the Champions of the Keep, some still nursing wounds from the battle with the Hobgoblin, rested for two days at the Keep. In that time they were assailed by many merchants, panhandlers, grifters, fortune-tellers and farmers second sons’, all eager to share in their glory. They hired from among them 4 … More [Actual Play] Keep on the Borderlands Pt. XI; Rhinegold
Part II of Chartreuse Shadows is the compilation Cha’alt After Dark and concerns yet more short adventures. Premise, then branching series of events, or premise, then 6 room dungeon with entries that do not form any sort of coherent whole. It feels, frankly, overdone at this point, and it makes me wish Venger had made … More [Review] Chartreuse Shadows Pt. II (CDS); Anthologies, Anthologies, Anthologies
[Adventure]The Ruined Tower Giant (2018)Unbalanced Dice GamesLvl ??? (About 3-5?) Unbalanced Dice Games is a mysterious publisher of adventures that are something like outsider art. A minimum of layout, conversational writing style, deliberately ugly self-made art and wacky concepts are married to a grasp of the fundamentals that is hard to reconcile. The enigma deepens … More [Review] The Ruined Tower Giant (LL); Bare Bones
Age of Dusk 