Tag: **

[Review] Scourge of the Tikbalang (NGR); Modernity

October 16, 2021

[Adventure]Scourge of the Tikbalang (2014)Zzarchov Kowolski??? (1-2 est.) Disclaimer: Sponsored content The Kowolski omnibuscrawl continues. One of the modern writers with something resembling a distinct non-dungeon based style that is any good, Kowolski excels at creating little sandboxes with a handful of NPCs and then releasing the PCs into them to cause havoc. This one … More [Review] Scourge of the Tikbalang (NGR); Modernity

[Review] Card Dungeon (LL); Sierra Adventure Game Style Baby

August 12, 2021

[Adventure]Card Dungeon (2017)Unbalanced Dice GamesLow levels Innovation in module writing is hard. On the one hand we have slavish imitation; a thousand Tegel Manors, Caves of Chaos and Tombs of Horrors. On the other hand we have someone handing in their 1st year creative writing assignment (“the theme is Dada children”) and expecting lavish praise … More [Review] Card Dungeon (LL); Sierra Adventure Game Style Baby

[Review] Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (AD&D); Not with a Bang…

July 20, 2021

[Adventure]Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980)David C. Sutherland III (TSR)Lvl 10 – 14 Q1 is the Return of the Jedi of the GDQ series. Still well liked by some, it is obvious to any but a casual observer that the final episode of the great AD&D Epic that started with G1, both in tone … More [Review] Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (AD&D); Not with a Bang…

[Review] On the Crimson Trail (5E); The Problem of Scale and Coherence Erosion in Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons as Illustrated by a Sponsored Contribution

May 1, 2021

[Adventure]On the Crimson Trail (2021)Andy Marielis (Adventure Bundles)Lvl 9 (HA!) Disclaimer: Sponsored Content. I am harsh on 5e. It is true. I have a preferred play-style and 5e has many violation of its central tenets built-in. But no grognard I know HATES 5e. For of all the manifold editions that emerged in the wake of … More [Review] On the Crimson Trail (5E); The Problem of Scale and Coherence Erosion in Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons as Illustrated by a Sponsored Contribution

[Review] Halls of the Blood King (OSE); Welcome to the Machine

April 15, 2021

[Adventure]Halls of the Blood King (2021)Diogo Noguiera (Necrotic Gnome)Lvl 3 – 5 A new power is rising in the west. The promising Gavin Norman, of deserved Dolmenwood fame, has taken the OSR by storm with his slick, immaculately laid out B/X retroclone marketed to the young and this is the year of his Rising. People … More [Review] Halls of the Blood King (OSE); Welcome to the Machine

[Review] Red and Pleasant Land (Lotfp); Once more Unto the Breach…

March 20, 2021

It was the time of the Two Thrones when the Artpunkman first came to our lands. The OSRmen were few, living lives of pious observance to the Appendix N, and would only occasionally look upon the great purple monolith that had been erected alongside the twenty-sided throne with wary disgust. Even then the ways of … More [Review] Red and Pleasant Land (Lotfp); Once more Unto the Breach…

[Review] The Dark Heart of Space (3PP SWN); In the void, the distant gleam of sulfur

March 1, 2021

Requested content Thief of Whispers, a longtime fan of the blog, has requested I review his homebrew SWN adventure. I don’t normally take requests for free stuff, or blog posts or whatever [1], but I am making a rare exception. SF gaming and especially SF adventure writing is different from the regular OSR material. The … More [Review] The Dark Heart of Space (3PP SWN); In the void, the distant gleam of sulfur

[Review] White Dwarf 34 – Trouble at Embertrees (AD&D); Technical Write-Off

January 24, 2021

[Adventure]Trouble at Embertrees (1982)Paul Vernon (White Dwarf 34)Lvl 1 – 2 A thorough reading by the DM is necessary before play begins. With those ominous words Trouble at Embertrees heralds in what might very well be the densest 5 pages in rpg history. Forget reading through it, the only way you are going to scratch … More [Review] White Dwarf 34 – Trouble at Embertrees (AD&D); Technical Write-Off