Monstrous Monday: Black & White Cadejos -New Oe/BX/1E Monsters

Welcome to my Monstrous Monday entry! This week's Monster of the Week (for those visiting, I do this weekly year 'round, though normally on Tuesdays) is the Central/South American version of the hellhound, and comes in two varieties - black and white. It will be included among the other 160+ monsters in the upcoming Creature Compendium.

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Cadejos are large, magical dogs with cloven hooves and glowing eyes. They are immune to normal weapons and silver or +1 or better magic weapons are required “to hit” against them.

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BLACK CADEJO

The black cadejo appears as a massive, shaggy black dog with cloven (goat) hooves and burning red eyes. It is nocturnal and prowls the shadows of night alongside roads, waiting to ambush unsuspecting travelers and kill them. While the darkness and their coloration make them difficult to see, their glowing red eyes and their smell (a combination of urine and burning sulphur) reduces their ability to surprise (1-2 on 1d6.) Black cadejos are able to use the following abilities (per magic user spells) 3 times per day, each: charm person, charm animal, hallucinatory terrain (appears as fiery, hellish place,) and lightning bolt (2d6.) Additionally, black cadejos have a 50% chance to detect invisible persons within a range of 50’.

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-6 ARMOR CLASS: 5 MOVE: 12” HIT DICE: 5 % IN LAIR: 20% TREASURE TYPE: A NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below INTELLIGENCE: Low ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil SIZE: 4'-5' at shoulder PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 5 HIT DICE: 5** MOVE: 120’ ATTACKS: 1 bite or special DAMAGE: 1-6 or special NO. APPEARING: 1-6 SAVE AS: Fighter: 5 MORALE: 10 TREASURE TYPE: A ALIGNMENT: Chaotic

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WHITE CADEJO

The white cadejo appears as a slightly quicker, smaller, white version of the black cadejo, but with blue glowing eyes. The white cadejo is nocturnal as well but, unlike its evil counterpart, watches vigilant over the roads often traveled at night to aid in protecting any passing travelers. White cadejos will attempt to go undetected, providing their protection from a distance. Unlike the putrid smell of black cadejos, white cadejos have a sweet, incense-like smell that lingers around them. White cadejos are able to use the following abilities 3 times per day, each: cure light wounds, protection from evil, bless (per cleric spells,) and lightning bolt (2d6, per magic user spell.) Additionally, they make all saving throws as a 4th-level cleric.

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Very rare NO. APPEARING: 1-4 ARMOR CLASS: 4 MOVE: 12” HIT DICE: 4 % IN LAIR: 35% TREASURE TYPE: C NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below INTELLIGENCE: Low ALIGNMENT: Lawful good SIZE: 4'-5' at shoulder PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 4 HIT DICE: 4** MOVE: 120’ ATTACKS: 1 bite or special DAMAGE: 1-6 or special NO. APPEARING: 1-4 SAVE AS: Cleric: 4 MORALE: 8 TREASURE TYPE: C ALIGNMENT: Lawful

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d30 Feature of the Week: Weather Events + d30 Sandbox Companion Update

I can't believe I finally finished the freakin' d30 weather charts!!!
Yes, good people of Rhombictriacontahedronland, it's been tormenting me since the inception of the the d30 Sandbox Companion, but it's finally done. This week's d30 feature is the second of the two weather pages I finished this week. It presents a system for determining precipitation events based on the "class" of precipitation for the locale; the class determines both chance for precipitation, and type of precipitation that may occur. The accompanying page from the book (pictured below, but not part of today's download) is the "reference document" you really need for the most effective use of today's precipitation generator download (though the download is still quite usable without it). That reference doc gives mean temperatures (and daily temperature determination options), as well as type of precipitation (by class), for the various climate/terrain/season combinations.

Click here to download a free PDF of today's d30 Weather Events (Precipitation) Generator (pictured at the top of this post) from MediaFire.

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So what does that leave to complete for the d30 Sandbox Companion?

Not much, but more than you'd think:
- Master Wilderness Mapping Key
- Temple/Shrine Generator
- Suggested Monster Lairs by Climate/Geography and General Level
- Shop Stocker
- Hireling Henchmen Recruitment

I think we'll be looking at a total of 52 pages, compared to 36 pages in the d30 DM Companion. That's 16 more pages of d30 goodness!

Mongolian Adventure Map

I'm making slow-but-steady progress for the Mongolian adventure design contest over at William's Great Khan's blog. This is the map that goes with yesterday's wandering monster tables.

I've got a good start on the clan/tribe backgrounds, and a weekend road trip ahead of me, so I should have ample "passenger time" to get done most of what I want to get done before the deadline.

And if William extends the deadline, I might add some more to what I've got, or do a stand-alone item or two that supplements it.

Some More Mongolian Inspiration

The Mongolian adventure design contest over at William's Great Khan's blog is is still a bit slow going (scroll down to bottom of his post). I promise mine is in-progress, William! That's part of the reason I'm making this post today... to show progress.

FIRST THINGS FIRST
The image at left is just a bit of an "inspirational" image for all of you. It comes from a 6th-grade textbook from the 30s/40s titled Glimpses into the Long Ago by Edna McGuire (pictures by George M. Richards).

SECOND THINGS SECOND
I updated the Monster Index: Creatures of the Steppe. The hedgehog is now a giant hedgehog, the cinerous and giant vultures stats were flipped (now corrected), and I adjusted the surprise roll for the phase giant. The PDF attached to the link in the original post is fixed, or you can download the update from this link.

THIRD THINGS THIRD: Wandering Monster Tables
Since my design is turning out to be more of a setting than an adventure, I've put together some wilderness wandering monster tables to accompany the "Creatures of the Steppe" Monster Index. Please feel free to use or adapt (except illustration).

FINAL THINGS FINAL: A Big Thanks!
If you're having trouble deciding whether to get off your butt and get something together for William's contest, check out my 3rd place prizes (picture below) from his viking-themed one-page adventure design contest: a bumper-sticker magnet for his blog, a copy of Judges Guild's Druids of Doom (coincidentally, one of the JG products I didn't have but wanted), another envelope hand-illustrated by William's wife, and sticker of Tiamat from the old D&D cartoon!

Click here for an overview of the mongol contest prizes.

d30 Sandbox Companion: A Report from the Front

From my point of view, one of the most interesting things that occurs when I develop something like the d30 Sandbox Companion or the d30 DM Companion, is the way things evolve -- evolution which often happens unknown to even the closest followers. One of the other things that seems to happen is the ongoing exclusion/inclusion of certain materials. Finally, I seem to generate so much d30 content on an ongoing basis, that I sometimes forget I have something else that should have been included. This past weekend was a case of "all of the above."

It all started with a chart I did in November of last year (one of the charts that really kicked off the d30 thing for me, just weeks after launching this blog.) Sure, that chart had its issues, and it was out of place in the d30 DM Companion, but it was one of the things that led to the idea of a d30 Sandbox Companion. Ironically, I don't think I ever gave the chart serious consideration for inclusion in d30 Sandbox Companion. I even did a visual refresh of it as recently as this past August. I say "visual" refresh because I didn't really do much other than a type/layout update; the content stayed essentially the same... until this weekend, when I was making sure there was nothing completed that I thought should be included in the d30 Sandbox Companion.

So I pulled out this chart and gave it another look, especially with the insight of making GREAT progress on the weather charts. (Be on the lookout for this Friday's d30 Feature of the Week!!!) In looking at this chart again, that little light bulb over my head came on! First, I changed the determination of severity (formerly a 1d3) to a calculated set of impairments (thus the addition of the "Impairments" sub-table at bottom left). I also changed the numbering of the "hex-protractors" for the final die roll; before it was pretty much left-to-right. Now, the higher the die roll result, the more "off course" the party will actually be. I also added the ability to make adjustments to the off-course roll for any overriding skills/knowledge on the part of the PCs. What I ended up with is something that feels "complete," and much less like the space filler it could have been.

Here's some more irony for you... in the post from August as part of a "d30 Sandbox Week" theme, I had planned on a "Vegetation Generator" but didn't have time to complete it, so I did that "visual refresh" of the "Off-course" chart that I mentioned above. Now that this "Off-course Determination" chart works so well (IMHO), I'm scratching the inclusion of a "Vegetation Generator" (which was added to the list of inclusions as recently as last Friday's d30 Sandbox Companion update.)

Check out the complete evolution of the "Off-course Determination" chart below...

New Oe/BX/1E Monster: Phase Giant (Mongolian Monster)

As per last week's Monster of the Week post (the khiimori), I'm shifting this week's Monster of the Week post from Tuesday (its normal day) to Monday in preparation for next week's Monstrous Monday blog-hop hosted by Tim Brannan of The Other Side, and I'm theming this weeks content in support of the Mongol Adventure Design Contest at William Dowie's Ramblings of a Great Khan blog. Today's monster is based on a Mongolian creature named Хадны Мангаа ("rock monster"), a creature that "comes out of rocks" - like Kitty Pryde of the X-Men. The "short stats" for this one were on last week's Creatures of the Steppe download. (Plase note, the PDF lists the phase giant's surprise as "1-3"; the "1-5" on today's description is my preference, but the actual surprise range used is at the DM's discretion.), but the actual surprise range used is at the DM's discretion.)

DESCRIPTION A phase giant is similar in most regards to a stone giant, save for the ability to phase. This gives the phase giant the ability to shift out of phase with its surroundings, bringing itself back into phase when it is ready to attack. Any weapon held by a phase giant when shifting will go out of phase as well. This allows phase giants to hide easily “inside” the rocky structures of the steppe environments where they live, and allows them to surprise on a 1-5 (on 1d6) when attacking. Additionally, like stone giants, phase giants are able to hurl rocks up to a 300’ distance for 3-30 points of damage. When out of phase, a phase giant is impervious to all forms of attack. However, a phase door spell will cause the creature to remain in phase for 6 melee rounds. Oil of etherealness or armor of etherealness will put a user into the same phase as the giant, allowing them to make attacks as per normal (while in the same phase as the giant).

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-6 ARMOR CLASS: 4 MOVE: 12” HIT DICE: 9+4 % IN LAIR: 30% TREASURE TYPE: D NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below INTELLIGENCE: Average ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIZE: L (12’ tall) PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 4 HIT DICE: 9+4 MOVE: 120’ ATTACKS: 1 weapon DAMAGE: 3-18 or by weapon NO. APPEARING: 1-6 SAVE AS: Fighter: 9 MORALE: 9 TREASURE TYPE: D ALIGNMENT: Neutral

d30 Feature of the Week: Terrain Features + d30 Sandbox Companion Update

First off, a warning: The image at the top of this post is a preview of what will appear in the d30 Sandbox Companion, but the image to the left is a preview of this week's d30 feature download. I put A LOT of time into developing the full page that will appear in the Companion, and I think it would be unfair to those folks who'll actually shell out the dough for a print or PDF copy of the final book. Especially because this is a page I could see people using... a lot. So today, instead of getting a working version of the full page (which is my norm), I'm afriad you'll only be getting a "sampling" (thus the alternative visual format) that includes terrain features and phenomena for hills, swamp, and coastal terrains. Yes, the mountain and forest tables have been excluded from this download on purpose. Sorry. I hope you'll understand, especially since holding back like this is a rarity for me.

Click here to download a free PDF of this
d30 Natural Features & Phenomena Sample from MediaFire.

Now for that update I promised you...

Since the last major update, the Natural Features & Phenomena page is done (obviously), as well as the City Guards, City Watch, Border Patrols page. The NPC background section is also completed and includes the following pages:
- NPC Motivations, Persona, Drivers, Aptitudes, Habits, and Burdens
- NPC Family History, Personal Inspiration, and Talents/Skills
- NPC Physical Traits, Personality, and Quirks

The Weather Generator is well underway; I've finally admitted to myself "it's just going to take 2 pages to do right." I was hoping for 1, but... no such luck.

The Temple Generator page is blank, but I know what I'm doing there; I'm just trying to get the Weather Generator done first since I know it will take a lot more of my attention to complete.

The Shop Stocker is about half-done, but it's probably going to be one of the last pages I finish (especially since it's sort of a no-brainer).

The two Hireling/Henchmen Recruitment pages are in-progress. My thoughts are together on these, but the focus required for finishing them has had me procrastinating on them for months. Really... MONTHS!

Finally, I'm adding a couple of new pages...

First, is a Vegetation Generator. I started this a while back, but felt like it was a bit of filler. With the Natural Features & Phenomena having shaped up the way it did, it now seems more like an expansion of that. (Plus, I have to keep the number of pages to a multiple of 4, so the room for this one "availed" itself.)

My favorite new addition (should I get it to work) is a new page titled Suggested Monster Lairs by Climate/Geography and General Level. This isn't a d30 chart/table per se, but rather a general reference sheet similar to the bottom of the Ruins Generator; it suggests types of monsters and lairs by terrain and party level. This may require a second page (which could possibly supersede the inclusion of the Vegetation Generator).

Oh, I almost forgot...
I still have to finish the Master Wilderness Mapping Key, like the Master Dungeon Mapping Key.

I feel like I'm SO close, but that there's still so much left to do.

And now... so you don't have to scroll back up...

Click here to download a free PDF of today's
d30 Natural Features & Phenomena Sample from MediaFire.

Free PDF Download: Creatures of the Steppe

I feel bad that the Mongolian adventure design contest over at William's Great Khan's blog is getting off to a slow start. I'm as guilty as anybody else for having trouble getting my thoughts together. So to help us all out, I've put together this Monster Index Supplement featuring stats for key creatures (i.e. "wandering monsters") in a Mongolian steppe environment, including some species specific to the region (like the manul and the argali sheep).

It includes stats for my crimson death worm and khiimori. You'll also see a listing for "phase giant." That full entry is coming on Monday (keep an eye out for it). You might also see the yak-man is missing. I debated this one, but decided they were more of a civilized humanoid than "monster" so they didn't feel like they belonged on the page (but feel free to incorporate them into your designs).

Click here to download a free PDF of this "Creatures of the Steppe"
Monster Index Supplement from MediaFire.

Missed the other Monster Indexes? Check them out...
- MX3 - Monster Index: Spiders
- MX2 - Monster Index: Giants
- MX1 - Monster Index: Lycanthropes
- Dinosaur Index

Of Scroll and Scribe (Revisited)

Back in February of this year, I put a post together talking about parchment and papyrus, in the context of scroll creation for D&D. I had no idea it would go on to become my most-viewed blog entry of all time.

For my newer followers, here are the links to what became a trilogy of articles related to the subject (and founding the basis for a project that, for now, is on the back burner... but staying warm).

Scrutinizing the Scroll Part I: Papyrus, Parchment and Vellum
Scrutinizing the Scroll Part II: Comprehending the Quill
Scrutinizing the Scroll Part III: Investigating Ink

New Oe/BX/1E Monster: Khiimori (Mongolian Monster)

With William over at Ramblings of a Great Khan running his Mongol Adventure Contest, and Tim over The Other Side organizing the upcoming Monstrous Monday, I decided to (for the rest of the month) move my normal Tuesday Monster-of-the-Week posts to Mondays and do a couple of mongol-themed monsters. Today's monster is a black pegasus from Mongolian legends. On a side note, the pegasus is so popular in Mongolia it's on their state emblem. Oh, and if you're looking for more Mongolian monsters, be sure to check out the crimson death worm from way back in January of this year, or the yak-man from late April.

DESCRIPTION Compared to its closest relative the pegasus, the khiimori is slightly smaller, moderately stronger, and just as quick. It’s coat is an ebony color so deep it is almost frightening. In fact, in battle, any horse facing a khiimori suffers a -1 morale penalty for the duration of the confrontation. The khiimori is also much more brazen and much less reclusive than the pegasus. In the mountains where they nest and the steppes where they graze, they are generally reckless in regards to their outgoing behavior and often find themselves captured for the purposes of training. However, there is only a 10% chance that any single adult male khiimori may be broken for the purposes of serving as a steed and they are, therefore, highly prized and command great prices when sold at all. There is a 15% chance that any single adult female may be broken, and a 25% chance that any single young (male or female) may be broken. Like pegasi, khiimori attack with their forehooves and powerful teeth. Additionally khiimoris are inredibly strong though small in stature, with males able to carry weight equal to a heavy warhorse, and females able to carry as much as a medium warhorse. Even young khiimoris are able to carry as much as a light warhorse. Khiimoris speak their own language and there is a 50% chance that all members of a herd will speak common (or none of them will). There is a further 50% chance that all members of a herd will speak the language of pegasi (or none of them will). With sufficient training, a khiimori is able to learn commands in the language used when breaking/training each animal. When encountered in lair, there will be one nest for each pair of khiimoris. In each nest, there is a 15% chance of 1-2 eggs or a 60% chance of young that are 15-60% of maturity. On the open market, it is not uncommon for khiimori eggs to fetch two-to-three more gold than pegasus eggs.

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-8 ARMOR CLASS: 5 MOVE: 24”/48” HIT DICE: 5 % IN LAIR: 90% TREASURE TYPE: Nil NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/1-4 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Average to very ALIGNMENT: (Lawful) neutral SIZE: L PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 5 HIT DICE: 4 MOVE: 240’/480’ ATTACKS: 2 hooves/1 bite DAMAGE: 1-10/1-10/1-4 NO. APPEARING: 1-8 SAVE AS: Fighter:4 MORALE: 10 TREASURE TYPE: Nil ALIGNMENT: Neutral

d30 Feature of the Week: NPC Personality Generator

This week's d30 feature will appear in the "NPC" section of the d30 Sandbox Companion, and will appear alongside the likes of the NPC Traits Generator, the Sage Generator, and the Quick Magic Item Generator.

The main section of the chart is loosely based on the Myers Briggs personality types. And though some of you might look at that section and say, "Hey! That's not a d30 chart! That's a bunch of d10 charts!", the idea is that over time DMs start to know which 3 sub-areas to use (to create a "custom" d30 chart) to round out they game they want to play.

Some of you may also recognize the column on the left from the d30 DM Companion. The d30 Sandbox Companion takes the NPC items that were included in a measly 2-page spread in the d30 DM Companion (like the ability score "slot" tables), and really "blows them out" to the extent needed by a DM running a sandbox game (16 pages total if you include things like the language determination page, as well as the hireling/henchmen recruitment pages which have yet to be completed.)

Click here to download a free PDF of this
d30 NPC Personality Generator from MediaFire.

To get an update on the d30 Sandbox Companion, read the post from 10/08/12.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

Yes, folks. It's a year to the day since I launched this blog. But this isn't so much a pat on my back, as it is for the community. I so enjoy being around (even though virtually) others who share the passion for old-school gaming. So here are my thanks, in no particular order...

Thanks to the approximately 120 followers of this blog!
Thanks especially to some of my earliest adopters (like Tim at The Savage Afterworld and Trey at Sorcerer's Skull.) A shout out even goes to the the handful of followers I picked up during the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge who have absolutely no interest in old-school role-playing, and probably never read this blog but collect blogs like some kind of digital friend hoarder. The size of my clan puts me solidly between "maven" and "pundit" on Trey's Old-school Blogger Advancement Table, but I do have aspirations for "pundit."

Thanks to all the folks who've helped me bring the "big plastic boulder of nerdiness"
(the d30) back to the forefront of the gaming table!
My first post a year ago was about trying to write a d30-based RPG system. That slowly became the d30 DM Companion, and now the d30 Sandbox Companion, with eyes on a potential d30 Encounter Companion. I really just wanted to put out a product that I would use (I know I use it!), and I cannot express how much I appreciate your patronage, with digital purchases at RPGNow topping 100 (type "d30" into the search box and I'm the first result!), and Lulu print copies nearing 50. And thanks to Matthew Schmeer for his recent d30 sound bite, "Your d30 stuff puts the old Armory books to shame." (I'm going to use that if I create a trailer for the release of the d30 Sandbox Companion.)

Thanks to the approximately 4,900 people and counting who have downloaded The System!
It's been floating around for about a year-and-a-half (since February 2011), and had just hit 2,000 downloads around this time last year. Then, over the last year or so, another 3,000 folks have downloaded it, not counting a downloads from a few places that host the PDF independently. I'd also like to thank Chris's Compendiums of Free Role-Playing Games, John Kim's Free RPGs on the Web, and Rob Lang over at 1KM1KT (1,000 Monkeys, 1,000 Typewriters), all of whom have taken on the vocation of helping rule-makers and home-brewers to get their work out there. If you want the story behind The System, and why the number one search result that brings googlers to this blog is "velo binding," you can get the story here, from last October's post.

Thanks to all the folks who download my stuff!
Between 1) an internal urge to create, and create, and create, 2) my ADD (not ADD&D),
and 3) the need to "take breaks" between projects (since I'm lucky enough to work at home), I've put out over 60 individual downloads (PDFs, etc.) like the Monster Indexes, the Old-school Adventure™ items, as well as the various record sheets and worksheets. All of the notes and comments letting me know how much you like them and use them is greatly appreciated!!! Chris Creel commented back in July, "Wow, you may be the Hardest Working Man in the OSR!" I'm lucky that I'm a passable writer, a well-versed graphic designer, and a moderately-capable illustrator; it all means I can organize and produce quickly, so it really looks like I'm doing more than I am. And I can't stress enough how much work I get accomplished during my morning constitutionals. Mostly, I thank God for the talents and aptitudes he's given me.

Thanks for a great first year, and here's to a great year to come!

New Oe/BX/1E Monster: Kraben

Before you say it, of course this creature is inspired by the three-eyed raven that appears in Bran's dreams in Game of Thrones. (BTW, I believe in the books it's actually a crow.) But I thought a 3-eyed raven would be more interesting in the role of spy rather than simply a symbol or as just a dreamworld familiar.

DESCRIPTION Krabens are a species of three-eyed ravens most often found as the familiars of magic-users and employed as spies. The kraben’s natural stealth makes them perfectly suited for this job, able to move silently and hide in shadows as a 7th-level thief. Their natural intelligence also enables them in this capacity; while they are only capable of speaking their only language, they are able to understand the common tongue, as well as 3-5 common languages (e.g., elvish, dwarvish, etc.) and an additional 1-2 uncommon languages (e.g., trollish, hill giant, etc.) Furthermore, krabens make all their saving throws as a 1st-level magic-user.

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-2 ARMOR CLASS: 7 MOVE: 3”/36” HIT DICE: 1/2 % IN LAIR: 90% TREASURE TYPE: A NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: Saves as 1st-level magic-user INTELLIGENCE: Average to very ALIGNMENT: (Lawful) neutral SIZE: S PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 7 HIT DICE: 1/2 MOVE: 30’/360’ ATTACKS: 1 beak DAMAGE: 1-2 NO. APPEARING: 1-2 SAVE AS: Magic-user:1 MORALE: 10 TREASURE TYPE: Nil ALIGNMENT: Neutral

Another d30 Sandbox Updated: Content Listing

Last week, I revealed the new cover image for the d30 Sandbox Companion. Today, you're getting a look at the re-drawn back cover image, originally intended for the back cover of the d30 DM Companion, and then for the front cover of the d30 Sandbox Companion. The original was done at a time when I was just getting back into the illustration thing, and I was testing out various pen types and tips, and it just ended up being a little too... "chunky" for my tastes. I'm much happier with the re-draw (as is usual for me.)

I know, I know... you're asking...
"Where's the damn content listing you promised me in the title of this blog post?"

Here you go...

FORMS/TEMPLATES
Wilderness Mapping Master Key
Hex Crawl Worksheet
Settlement Worksheet
NPC Record Sheet

WILDERNESS AND LOCALES
Hex Terrain Generator
Natural Features, Phenomena, and Locales
Weather Events
Foraging & Hunting by Terrain & Season
Caves & Lairs Generator
Ruins Generator
Temples & Shrines Generator
Cult Generator
Magical Places
Pilgrims Generator
Road Encounters (2 pages)
Castle Stronghold Generator (2 pages)
Heraldry Generator
Expanded Heraldry Generator

SETTLEMENTS
Settlement Background: Government, Disposition, Economy, Issues, and Threats
Misc. Settlement Encounters: Attacks, Annoyances, Propositions, and Observances
City Guards, City Watch, Border Patrols
Methods of Torture & Execution
Settlement Suppliers by Size of Settlement
Shop Stocker
Tavern Name Generator
Tavern Accommodations, Features, Reputation, and Food

NPCs
NPC Attribute Generator
Classed NPCs
Quick Character Inventory: Weapons, Armor, and Class-specific Equipment
Quick NPC Magical Item Determination by Class/Race
NPC Motivation and Personality + NPC Family Background
NPC History by Class/Race + Added Skills
NPC Physical Traits, Personality, and Quirks
NPC Height Determination by Race
Freeman NPC Occupations
Nobles and Noble Household Personnel (Villani/Bordars)
Sage Generator (2 pages)
Quick Language Determination & Languages Spoken Crib Sheet
Advanced Language Determination
Henchmen/Hirelings Recruitment (2 pages)

Obviously, this is subject to change, re-arrangement, and what not. But I'm feeling like this is pretty close. Last week, I thought I'd be looking at about 44 pages. Now I'm feeling like it's going to be 54. After talking to my co-conspirator Welbo, we felt like we might need as many as 3 pages for the "How to Use This Book" section, and 2-pages for the index. (These sections took only 1 page each in the d30 DM Companion.)

In addition to the intro and index page additions, there was a point a while back when I took out 2 pages of "Road Encounters" as well as a "Pilgrims Generator" page from the d30 Sandbox Companion layout; they just felt like they were out of place and interrupted what I call "conceptual chunking" of pages (really, just the natural flow/connection of content). However, I found a natural way to work those pages back into the layout (such that I'm happy with their placement, and they don't feel like they impede the flow/use of the other content.) That being said, it doesn't mean I'm not still considering a d30 Encounter Companion!!!

d30 Feature of the Week: Abridged Castle/Stronghold Generator

While I use the word "abridged," this week's d30 feature isn't terribly so... abridged, I mean.

In the d30 Sandbox Companion the full Castle/Stronghold Generator is only 2 pages, and the majority of the first page (80% or so) is taken up by a chart that creates patrol size/composition (based on the resident type for the castle/stronghold). Otherwise, this contains the entirety of those 2 pages (though, it technically is only 60% of the total content of the 2 pages).

I was considering adding a line to give the option of allowing the level of the resident/owner to determine the size of the castle/stronghold, but I think it's much more interesting to let fate decide. For example, "How did that relatively low-level fighter get such a big castle?" (Do I detect the legacy of a coup d'état?) Or maybe, "Why doesn't that high-level fighter have a bigger castle?" (Is he wasteful? A spendthrift? Did he lose a great portion of wealth somehow?) This is something that I think is nicely inherent in the results of the table. Take the following results as an example...

Results: 15th-level cleric; 14-level round keep; old portion=good condition/some age, new portion=newly completed. He's got a rather large place that's mostly new or in good condition; that seems to fit with being a 15th-level cleric. Implications/overall take: this guy's got his shit together.

Results: 16th-level fighter; 2-level round keep; old portion=partially inoperational*/destroyed, new portion=in need of major repair. What's up with this guy? A 16th-level fighter with a crumbling ass keep? Possibilities: 1) he's crazy, 2) he's cursed, 3) it's a retreat of sorts and he's got a better one somewhere else, 4) there's 14 dungeon levels hidden underneat, 5) it's an illusion... and, honestly, I could keep going.

See what I mean?

Click here to download a free PDF of this
d30 Abridged Castle/Stronghold Generator from MediaFire.

To get an update on the d30 Sandbox Companion, read yesterday's post.

*I know this should be "inoperative," as "inoperational" isn't really a word.
This will be fixed for the d30 DM Companion, but will most likely stay incorrect in this PDF/post.

d30 Sandbox Companion Update

Somehow, someway, I've been making pretty good headway on the remaining items for the d30 Sandbox Companion. On the heels of finishing up the Ruins Generator last week, I finished up the castle generator yesterday, and as of right now, it's looking to be 44 pages of d30 goodness. That's 8 more pages than the d30 DM Companion!

So here are the major items I have left:
- Master Wilderness Mapping Key
- Weather Generator
- Natural Features, Phenomena, and Events
- Temple Generator
- City Guards, City Watch, Border Patrols
- Sale Items (Shop Stock Items by Type)
- NPC History by Class/Race
- Hireling/Henchmen Recruitment (2 pages)

I also still have to draw all the interior illustrations, and re-draw the back cover illustration (that used to be the cover illustration), but- hey... check out that snazzy new cover illustration!

I'm a little behind my original schedule (August/September), but I had some personal and work commitments that just seemed to keep putting this project on the back burner. Not to say other things won't come up, but I've renewed my commitment to finishing this thing up... soon!

Unless my plan changes at the last minute, tomorrow's d30 Feature of the Week will be the castle generator, and another update should follow next week.

Encounter Table Idea I've Been Playing Around With

This is an approach to an adventure encounter key that I've toying around with. I'm looking to possibly use it for one of my mini-adventures. It's not much more than a set of encounters that are "pre-scaled" to several adventure levels. Would anyone find this handy and/or useful if they were using an existing adventure?

New Oe/BX/1E Monster: Razortooth Hammerheaded Muckwing

DESCRIPTION The razortooth hammerheaded muckwing (or simply “muckwing” for short) is a giant flying insect that appears as a cross between a dragonfly and a scorpion, featuring a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth and a slimy coating oozing from the entirety of its body. If ingested, the ooze of a muckwing is mildly hallucinogenic, and produces a state of "euphoric anxiety" that lasts for a number of hours equal to the number of ounces ingested (e.g., 1 ounce = 1 hour of effect). The muckwing is not normally aggressive but will become so if threatened or harmed in any way. A muckwing is able to attack a single target with a combination of its bite and stinger. The bite of a muckwing (in addition to 1d4 shredding damage from its teeth) deals a poison that (on a failed saving throw) causes its victim to suffer blurred vision for 1d4+1 rounds, attacking with a -1 “to hit” penalty for that duration. Normally, the stinger attack of a muckwing does 1d2 points of damage and injects a mild poison that (on a failed saving throw) has the same effects as its bite (-1 “to hit” penalty for 1d4+1 rounds due to blurred vision). However, there is a 50% chance each time a muckwing makes a successful stinger attack that the poison gland in it’s tail will “rupture,” causing twice the normal piercing damage (2d2 instead of the normal 1d2) and killing its victim on a failed saving throw (vs. poison) in 1d4+1 turns. Additionally, if the muckwing’s stinger dislodges, it will no longer be able to make any stinger attacks, and the muckwing will die in 1d4+1 turns. All effects of the muckwing’s bite and stinger are cumulative. Muckwings are normally found in tropical climes, but are sometimes found in temperate climates during warm, moist summer months following mild, wet winters.

Oe/1E STATS FREQUENCY: Uncommon NO. APPEARING: 6-36 ARMOR CLASS: 6 MOVE: 3”/15” HIT DICE: 1 % IN LAIR: 10% TREASURE TYPE: Nil NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 + poison/1d2 + poison SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Non- ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIZE: M (3’ long) PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil BX STATS ARMOR CLASS: 6 HIT DICE: 1 MOVE: 30’/150’ ATTACKS: 1 bite/1 stinger DAMAGE: 1d4 + poison/ 1d2 + poison or special NO. APPEARING: 6-36 SAVE AS: Normal man MORALE: 10 TREASURE TYPE: Nil ALIGNMENT: Neutral

Free Oe/1e/BX Mini-adventure: Sjaudrvergrhall(for characters levels 4-7)

It's official! My viking mini-adventures are now a trilogy. Though the Great Kahn has closed submissions for his one-page dungeon contest with a Viking theme (the submission period ended last night), I did get my third one in before the deadline. The three aren't "officially" linked, and share little more than an Old Norse "vibe" and some names that sound like various items from the Ikea catalog. But there are three of them, and that's enough of a trilogy for me.

The first was The Tomb of Ludor the Beheader, centered around my draugr monster stats.

For the second, I again looked to one of the monsters from the Creature Compendium, and chose the red dwarf as a focal point of Þrymjahellir (Threemyahetler), who's name means both "cave of thunder" and "cave of lies."

For the third in the series, I found inspiration in Wagner's four-cycle opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. I started thinking "ring" and "dwarves" and that led me to today's entry... Sjaudvergrhall ("hall of the seven dwarves.") I really dig the backstory I came up with, so here it is in it's entirety...

Reginn, son of Hreiðmarr (king of dwarves), was a dvergr (dwarf) of not only great size, but of skill and wisdom. Dark in spirit and versed in magic, Reginn created a testament to himself in Sjaudvergrhall (“hall of the seven dwarves”)—a series of trials meant to test the bravest and most heroic of men, while proving the superiority of dwarvenkind.

Long did Sjaudvergrhall seem only legend, its location lost when Sigurd wielded Gram (the sword he used to slay the dragon Fafnir) and cut off Reginn’s head. But the roots of Yggdrasil (the world tree) have twisted and turned as they’ve grown over the ages, and passage between Midgard (the world of humans) and Nidavellir (home of the dwarves) now offers access to Reginn’s conceit.

A solitary cavern writhes for miles through the bowels of Myrkrbjarg (the “dark mountain”) until it arrives at Myrkrgrind (the “dark gate”)—the entrance to Sjaudvergrhall.

Sjaudvergrhall, like the first two in the viking trilogy, will be available for download on the Old School Adventures™ page. Or... to download Sjaudvergrhall now, click here.

Now, just a bit more housekeeping on this before I close for the day. I'd like to thank William Dowie (a.k.a. The Great Khan), not only for the cool Ramblings of a Great Khan magnet, but for the cool artwork created by his wife Mona. (Pics of all below).