The other day before I was leaving for my usual game, I happened upon the latest issue of Footprints on Dragon's foot. Issue number twenty one has been sitting on my computer for a few days now but only tonight I got the chance to take a look at one of my favorite OSR resources.
This is a double sized issue and clocks in at about eighty eight pages of old school goodness. Much of the material is AD&D first edition heavy but that's to be expected.
This is a double sized issue and clocks in at about eighty eight pages of old school goodness. Much of the material is AD&D first edition heavy but that's to be expected.
Contents Include The Following:
Contents
New Character Races (article) - This is a solid article about some really interesting racial options for AD&D first edition drawn from myth and legend. The article is well done and pretty damn ingenuous in how it treats these mythological and legendary races. Many of these have appeared in dark fantasy, science fantasy, mythology and more. As well as few originals races that have been brought to the table.
Combined Combat Chart (article) - A combat chart for AD&D that replaces the one from the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. A nice little gem to use in various behind the scenes combat situations.
How Much Experience Did We Get For That Dragon? (article)- This article gives a solid overview of experience for most of the major dragon types in AD&D first edition. Very useful for OSRIC as well
Magical Miscellanea (magical items)- This article presents a set of guidelines for renaming,customizing, and adjusting many of the more common AD&D magic items while keeping a solid set of awe and wonder to the game. A very interesting take on a subject that seems to really come into focus at times at the gaming table.
Glarck's Remote Spell Books (article)- This is really cool little twist on the standard spell book in which the mage literally has a gem which can access his spells and he can mentally scan the book remotely. This idea has all sorts of adventure hooks sewn into the background and seeds of it. I could see this sort of weird magical technology being used in a sword and sorcery game with some weird Lovecraftian twists.
Ride the Lightning! (MU spells)- Not at all what it sounds but a set of spells with a magnetic and electrical twist to them. These are actually pretty damn neat and could cause merry havoc in the hands of an NPC.
Monsters of All Sizes (article)- Monster adjustment with hit dice and scale according to ideas for the AD&D first edition game. Pretty damn useful for all kinds of monsters and with some old school examples. The ideas in this one can have all sorts of adventure design and monster placement for adventures. Definitely suited to the AD&D Dungeon Master.
The Wizard's Laboratory (article)- Bubble, Bubble, Boil, and Trouble this article goes into the contents, chemicals, formulas, and what not of a wizard's lab. An article with lots of potential. Suited for AD&D but really useful for any old school campaign. Very long and well thought out. A solidly useful article.
The Conjurer (new class)- A vastly dangerous useful and a great class for both PC's and NPC's. These are the dark wizards spoken about in dark fantasy literature who make pacts with Outer Planar beings, have shady agendas, and can be very useful adventure hooks for all kinds of adventures. A really nicely rounded class with lots of mayhem potential for the DM. For AD&D first edition but with some tweaks could be used in any D&D style of game.
The Lake Of Sorrows (adventure) -This is a low level OSRIC or AD&D first edition adventure with lots of potential, some great encounters, a nice background, and plenty of potential for expansion into a full blown campaign. Plenty of replay value in this adventure and its pretty well balanced with some nice maps to boot!
All in all this was a very enjoyable read for a Footprint's issue. Many of the articles in this issue could be used as the basis for a horror themed campaign or a one shot sword and sorcery adventure. The magic items and ideas were pretty intriguing and have potential for adventure design and hooks.
The articles were well written, concise, original, and very useful for an OSR DM to use. The variety of the material was also a really nice balance across the board. Grab a copy because its free as always.
All in all this was a very enjoyable read for a Footprint's issue. Many of the articles in this issue could be used as the basis for a horror themed campaign or a one shot sword and sorcery adventure. The magic items and ideas were pretty intriguing and have potential for adventure design and hooks.
The articles were well written, concise, original, and very useful for an OSR DM to use. The variety of the material was also a really nice balance across the board. Grab a copy because its free as always.
Thanks, your article made me want to go take a look at my copy
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the article useful Darnizhaan! We've got more to come folks!
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