Borrowing from the Past

While it is widely known that I do not run published campaign settings or adventures, I do like to see what other people are doing, and to read through some of the classic material. It can be fun to take a good idea presented in one venue and tweak it for my own use. Even something so innocuous as an interior illustration - or, more specifically, an unimportant object from that illustration.

From the pages of Allen Hammack's classic adventure module, C2 - The Ghost Tower of Inverness, I bring you a few brief notes for the Trump Blades.

Trump Blades: Also known as Wild Blades or Urikaen Blades – after the original creator. Each is a longsword (some say bastard sword) of identical design – except for a hole cut into the blade, near the hilt, and one half with black hilts and scabbards and the other half with red hilts and scabbards. Each hole is of a shape corresponding with a suit found in real-world playing cards. A talisman was made for each sword, designed to fit within the shaped hole in the blade. It is thought the talismans were created by some other artisan – possibly Urika’s apprentice. It is also said that this apprentice completed the forging and enchanting of the fourth blade – after the demise of the master. This fourth blade is not quite as powerful as the others. Each sword has a base magical bonus equal to the corresponding ability score bonus possessed by the wielder – to a maximum of +4.

• Sword of Clubs: Life. Based on user’s Con. Bonuses against undead and fae.
• Sword of Diamonds: Desire. Based on user’s Int. Exceptionally hard and sharp. Known to damage other weapons. Rumored to be vorpal.
• Sword of Hearts: Passion. Based on user’s Cha. Wounding and Charming.
• Sword of Spades: Death. Based on user’s Dex. Deals superior damage to objects and constructs.

While an illustration of the Sword of Spades is provided above, the graphic below shows the Sword of Hearts.

In closing, I will mention that I know there is no such item in the module. I was inspired purely by the excellent illustration and wondered what the heck that sword could be. Of such stuff are legends made.

Still missing you, Jack

Since the passing of the irreplaceable Jack Vance (May 26th, 2013), I've been re-reading some of his stories of the Dying Earth. I tell myself it is part of my research into the origins of the D&D game.

It has been pointed out time and time again that one of the great attractions of my own campaign settings lies in the extent and proliferation of memorable details which enhance and solidify the gaming experience. I do detail without noticeable effort. It's just how I am.

So, while I was reading Rhialto the Marvellous, I was immediately struck by the Foreword, which lists a great number of 21st Aeon magicians, often with a brief description of each worthy. The idea tickled me to the core. Of course, my feverish brain began to concoct similar characters for my own game world.

As this is intended to be but a brief sojourn into quasi-Dying Earth arcanology, I will offer the alphabetical listing of those magicians which came to mind as I jotted as quick as possible in the notebook found at my bedside.

The brief descriptions will have to wait for another time. It may also be worth mentioning that I am a great fan of Fritz Leiber's Nehwon, Lankhmar, and the various mad wizards that occupy certain parts.

Magicians: Much like the Dying Earth milieu, the setting is greatly influenced by powerful arcane spellcasters. Throughout history, there have been a number of these puissant men and women...and, other - things. Their names and titles are often ostentatious or downright inscrutable - but they are very, very rarely those of their birth. The following is an incompleat listing.

·         Alaq of the Burning Robe

·         Blue Whisper

·         Bornewine the Collector

·         Cacophonous

·         Carrion

·         Certitude Glim

·         Crethe the Lesser

·         Darl Writhing

·         Diaphon Azor

·         Dim Cunac

·         Dread Unstromm

·         Eye of Impunity

·         Fatan Morganthe

·         Foreshadow

·         Glaomaer the Unmortal

·         Glizzar Half-Glyph

·         Gryphon Azor

·         Haero of the Inverted Labyrinth

·         Irunor Five-Shadow

·         Javelin IV

·         Kailu Wandwright

·         Kalumvar Whence

·         Kestrel Synn

·         Khafac the Importune

·         Logom Sporefane

·         Lord Ratbite

·         Meduin Dawndance

·         Mounce-In-Iron

·         Mulfescance Coil

·         Muntorboq Aun

·         N'roth of Onkse

·         Peculiar Wuel

·         Phoenix Prowl

·         Piper Fray

·         Polemus Lightbane

·         Porcelain Howl

·         Scintillic Briemel

·         Seil-Vartha

·         Shuel of the Final Rune

·         Shunned Topola

·         Sulaes the Impressar

·         Tainoimin

·         Tirithion

·         Uboc Cloudmonger

·         Veil Ephemeral

·         Wayfarer, The

·         Xibrun Eille

                                                                                         

The OD&D Handbook Project - Part the First (Announcement)

Remember me mentioning how I've been on an OD&D kick lately? Well, it's gotten worse than just reading the original brown books and following supplements. For reasons beyond mortal ken, I've decided to compile and compose my own three-volume set of OD&D rules, where all relevant material is organized and structured in a sensible fashion, and with all subsequent adjustments and changes built right in from the start.

Whythehell...?!

Hasn't this been done before? And probably better?

Yeah. Call it an exercise in research and development. Call it an exercise in futility, if you like. Sometimes, I learn by getting involved with the material I'm researching. There's nothing like deconstructing something and putting it all back together in a manner that makes sense to you for figuring a thing out. For, while I've played this version of D&D, I didn't know what it was at the time and have never actually learned how it works. Besides, I like to see where things come from. I never became an archaeologist, so I just might make archivist instead.

What does this mean to you?

Well, you'll have the opportunity to watch as I go quietly mad...um - I mean, analyze and organize the first D&D rules for my own personal satisfaction and infamy. I intend to compose my own versions of the original booklets, along with my very own supplement that applies to my own campaign setting. And you get to follow my chaotic and infrequent progress.

Since I don't get to run a game of my own right now, this is my D&D fix for the moment. I want to see if I can follow it through. I already started a home-rules version of Moldvay Basic some time back, and decided I'd had enough at the time. There were priorities and other distractions involved. So, for now, I'd like to try something else. Besides, these damn rulebooks from the early 70's make precious little sense to me and I might actually want to run an OD&D game someday.

Hell, I may even do some crappy line art to enhance the already-damn-fine production value of my little homages to the roots of our glorious hobby. Stay tuned, true believers.

Summer Hiatus

Well, my 1E AD&D campaign seems to be on a summer break for now.
Haven't run B/X Nightshade & Cream for my wife since the first session. Bummer there.

Still jotting notes for my (non-OD&D) setting revision. For want of anything better, I thought I'd share some.
Here are my thoughts for the classic core PC races so far. Apologies for all the references that probably will make no sense.

Races and Culture

·         Dwarves: Possibly in control of the majority of Grindinggap. Isolationists and guardians of Teloen. Scholars and travelers of the planes. Still fearful of Erebus and other Outside incursion. PC dwarves are often in search of knowledge and magic regarding other planes and early warning signs of Outside incursion. They seek allies in their struggle and details of the strengths and weaknesses of their alien foes. Dwarves do not hesitate to destroy aberrations and threatening outsiders. After the Planewrack, many dwarves are quick to leap to the attack, and ask questions later.

·         Elves: A race in dignified decline. Once traveled the planes, but have recoiled in horror from some of their experiences and now guard against incursion from Outside. Elves tend to favor the shore, and islands. Do not like to be landlocked. In tune with elements of air and water. Work with resins and corals. Because they know so much of the fae and of Nature, the elves prefer not to interact much with either. Get along very well with djinn and marids. Craft living ships and submersibles. Also airships and gliders. Tend to favor amoral elemental deities. Elemental afterlife, with the possibility of becoming bound genies if less-than-good in life. Many are followers of Roji's "Rippling Path." Admire the water that ebbs and flows, that shapes stone and gives life. Abhor stagnant water. Distrust still water. Watercunning. Sand castles. Water elemental symbiosis. Ruled by elders in symbiosis with ancient and powerful water elementals, known as Waterbearers. Race name may be Lau'annyn. Still Water elves: Assassins and necromancers. 

·         Gnomes: Sometimes feral and bestial. In tune with nature. Nearly fae. Adaptive to environment. Get along well with animals, especially with those represented by their particular Totem. Natural affinity for shapechanging and elemental magic. Adapt very well to their environment. Excellent druids and rangers. Standard gnomes will be an option, but not the base.

·         Halflings: Thrillseekers and adventurers. Historians and engineers. Skilled with devices, constructs, and languages. Their little hands are very nimble and adept with mechanisms. Love to fly - enthusiastic aviators. Monk-like reduction to falling damage. Like to set bullies up for a fall. Enjoy using the apparent strength of foes against them. Speed, position, initiative. Retain the concept of halfling drifttowns.

·         Hobgoblins: Still no orcs in the setting, so the Yalkhoi remain the PC race option in place of the half-orc. Still a semi-nomadic Mongol-like society. Leaning toward a samurai/bushido code of honor and conduct. Fine paladins and monks. Possible lawful barbarian variant. Half-hobgoblin will become a viable race for the first time - with a Volgate bloodline only. Havenish humans still cannot breed with any other species.

·         Humans: Pulled themselves up from their post-Harrowing circumstances. Begun building kingdoms again. Border skirmishes and the occasional raid are not uncommon. Horses have returned to the setting. Armigerial Courts even more influential. Heraldic Houses on the rise. Illegal elemental bindings becoming more common.. The fae grow suspicious and aggressive. Another Harrowing may be coming. Human clerics, paladins, and other divine classes gaining in power and influence.