1d10 Random Minor Treasures From The Hoard Of The Vampire Kings Table For The Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers Of Hyperborea Rpg System

'Know ye now that in ancient times when the Green Death came down from the North, the ancient kings of undeath and splendor watched in horror as their subjects turned to dust before their very eyes. They secreted themselves away under the Earth and slumber still. Their power and magic await the coming of the moons of Hyperborea when the stars are right again and demon winds howl for the blood of the cosmos. Beware oh man their coming by tooth, fang, and claw. For what was theirs shall be again & your blood shall be their life.'
- From The  Chronicles of Qalos The Wanderer -



1d10 Random Minor Treasures From The Hoard Of The Vampire Kings Table 

1. An ancient jade and silver sacrificial  knife enchanted to glow with the strength of the blood of the victim. The edge is shod with silver and enchanted razor sharp. There are Atlantian demon bats worked into the artwork on the handle. Those handling this blade will taste copper like metallic bits upon their tongue. +1 knife 
2. A strange blood red jewel about the size of a human fist that beats with its own internal fire. There is a strange bat demon trapped within its confines, the hell thing can't escape but will teach and as well as sanity shattering spells to the owner. It will whisper them in dreams and nightmares. 
3. This weird sword is edged with swirling ruins and glyphs of ancient Old Earth. It sings its ancient owners history even as it draws blood from its victims. A +1 sword of sharpness known as Blood Teller. It seeks its original vampiric lord to once again be held in its maker's claws. It tells tales of violence and ancient forbidden gods in whispered dreams. 
4. This cup is made from the skull and helm of an ancient Roman general of Old Earth. When filled with fresh blood it will create a restorative 'cure light wounds' potion within. But the stuff reeks of old battles and decayed flesh even as it cures. 
5. A convex lens made from the eye of some long forgotten demonic creature that has been slain by the ancient kings. This thing will show scenes of old glories and ancient battles of far away planes. The thing will want to lodge itself within the skull of the living and is cursed with the powers of the undead.  Once per day the eye may summon a giant bat for the owner to ride. They will be turned into a minor mindless undead zombie within 1d8 months of owning the eye.
6. A copper plate etched with the ruins and glyphs of kings long forgotten by Hyperborea. This plate enables one to commune with the powers of the Abyss especially Orcus himself. Once per day the owner may summon 1d8 insect headed ghouls who will serve the owner. But there is a demand of blood which the plate will accept and devour with a wet, red sound. The plate must have its sacrifice or demons will come to take the fool away to the Abyss. 
7. This ancient silver and gold rod has the most ancient writings across its surface of the Kings of the Night. The owner may summon a pack of demonic hounds once per week but must master them lest they try to tear him apart. A charisma roll is needed to bring these horrors to heel each time these savage curs are summoned. 
8.  This is the book of ten thousand damned, it contains on copper the contents for ten thousand souls. It is an ancient demonic contract. The thing can be used to summon 1d30 vampiric specters from beyond the Outer Darkness to make prophetic songs of love and damnation. The owner may cast a mass charm on an audience when this item is within his hands but he must pay in a price of blood and warfare. 
9. A solid metal dagger of pitted meteor metal forged from a single piece of a star of the damned. This knife may be used to summon a shade of the ancient kings of the Outer Darkness whose appetites will consume a single soul once per new moon. Their ancient rites will enter into the owner's mind when he first picks up this dagger and a single drop of blood falls on the blade. 
10. A carved soap stone doll of a child, this thing is actually a spawn of the old gods in disguise. It will attach itself to one it chooses and make obscene spells known to the owner so that its brothers and sisters might be let loose from beyond the vale of time and space. 

Free Comic book Old School Resource Sword & Sorcery Download - Warren Presents 013 - Sword & Sorcery Comix 1981

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 Here's the low down on this issue of Warren Presents : 

Publisher: Warren

Published: October 1981, Original Cover Price: $2.00

Cover by Manuel Sanjulian. Edited by Bill DuBay. Stories by Greg Potter, Budd Lewis, Bill DuBay, Gerry Boudreau, and Forrest J. Ackerman. Art by Esteban Maroto. Reprints of Esteban Maroto sword and sorcery stories from Warrens magazines, plus a feature by Ackerman on the 1981 fantasy adventure film Dragonslayer. A Scream in the Forest; The Kingmaker; Goddess in a Kingdom of Trolls; Scheherazade; The Sleeping Beauty. 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. 64 pages, PC/PB&W.



 This  old school magazine from 1975 was done in the Warren style, the art here is top notch and the title though it capitalized on the 'Sword and Sorcery' craze back then is a really nice read through. This is a pulp/comic mashup comic magazine with 
elements of Arthurian legend thrown in to boot. 
I'm not going to lie, I've used this comic magazine a couple of times over the years for inspiration or as an outright source for a few AD&D and OD&D adventures and NPC's.

 This issue of 'Warren Presents' makes perfect source material for an OD&D campaign or indeed an Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea adventure. Much 
of the material here can easily be recycled and used with a bit of dust up and polish for some of the encounters. 
The writing by Greg Potter, Budd Lewis, Bill DuBay, Gerry Boudreau, and the Dragon Slayer movie Forrest J. Ackerman are pretty top drawer and a nice change of pace to the hum drum material that we see on the internet today. 
The Dragon Slayer film is mostly forgotten amid the CGI clap trap that passes for 

special effects today and should be viewed though as a great film to pull material for a sword and sorcery campaign. It remains an old favorite of mine.





 
The writing and artwork in this issue is up to Warren standards at the time, and while these are reprints of earlier Warren efforts, they're fresh and mostly forgotten by 
today's players. Making this a perfect source to pull from for a fast evening's 

entertainment or simply use these as fodder for your own imagination's pondering. 

All in all this isn't a bad little old school download to pull material from for an OD&D 

or AD&D campaign. Warren put out quite a bit of quality material and this issue of 

Warren presents gives some solid Sword and Sorcery stuff to pull from. 
Grab your copy and get rolling. 

1d10 Minor Treasures Of The Ancient Barbarian Kings Table For Your Old School Campaigns

From down below the barrows and the tombs ancient warriors and kings come a plethora of minor treasures that show up in hoards and as the spoils of war across the planes. Who were these ancients now long turned to dust in the far past? Who can say but their legacy and magics are still potent.

1d10  Random Minor Treasures Of
The Ancient  Barbarian Kings Table

1. The Golden Torc Of Beth Mortha - This torc protects against the curses and arrows of misfortune and danger. The torc will will vibrate when danger approaches within 200 yards of the wearer. The magic of the torc gives the user insight into the unseen world and once per day grants the wearer a vision of the world beyond. The user may see invisible things and beings around him. This ability is fickle and its magic may appear at the DM's discretion.
2. The Gold Feather Of Shea - This metal feather once belonged to a long forgotten warrior priest. It grants its user the ability of +1 damage to any ordinary arrow, the magic of the feather runs through the flesh of the user. They will develop sensitive ears and be attuned to the wind's direction. Once per new moon the feather can act as a compass for the user and point the direct of the best game. 
3. The Medallion Of Clan Ferro - This clan symbol of some long forgotten and extinct clan of warriors grants +2 to the Charisma of the user. They will have the silver tongue that this clan was renowned for. But the user will crave to know legends and forbidden secrets, the medallion may call upon myths and legends from previous owners when the owner visits an adventure's location. The user may also be compelled to seek out legendary treasures. 
4. The Golden Leaves Of Autumns Past - These golden leaves once belonged to a curse race of fairies now long gone. These leaves will seemingly move with unseen winds from the Outer World. The user may once per day use these leaves to find doorways & gateways into 'The Otherworld'. A single leaf may be inscribed with an enchantment to open such a doorway. 
5. The Key Of Loc Shea - This finely wrought green soap stone key will allow the user to open ancient barrows of the Kings Of Loc Shea. The key will grow warm in the hand of the owner when a treasure of the Loc Shea is near by. The key will also grow cold in the user's hand when a curse or trap of the clan is nearby. Within forty a yard radius if such a trap awaits the poor fool is the range that the key has. 
6. The Egg of The Dain - This ivory and golden egg will turn as black as pitch in the presence of Undead and necromatic magic. The egg will glow with an internal fire and do 1d6 points of damage to any undead that it touches. The user will remain unharmed from its effects. Once per new moon it may cast a Cure Light Wounds spell if the spirit of the item allows it. 
7. The Golden Dagger Of Wur - This finely wrought ankle dagger allows the user to stab the shadow soul of a victim and cause incredible pain to the target unless a save vs wands is made. The victim will be at -3 on all actions until the dagger is removed from the shadow of the victim. The dagger can also damage ghosts, specters, spooks, and spirits but the blade will glow red hot during such encounters and may burn the own for 1d4 points of damage. 
8. The Chalice of Sanru - This finely jeweled chalice allows the owner to create a drought of wine from air once per day. This wine will free the imbuer from the effects of any minor mind effecting spells. The chalice may also create a dram of holy water should the 'chant of Sanru' be uttered once per week. No undead or vampire may ever hold this cup for it will burn their flesh if they should try. 
9. The Talon Of Cnjui - This finely preserved talon from some ancient monster allows the owner to strike at +2 damage any infernal creature. The Cnjui line were crusaders and warriors against such creatures and their souls can not abide such horrors and they may visit the owner in dreams to grant visions of nearby horrors. The talon is shod with a silver tip. 
10. The Hand Of The Ancient King - This preserved hand allows the owner the ability to find and pass among the ancient barrows and their horrid guardians. The owner will be recognized as one of the royal line and allowed access to the treasures of such barrows.  Once per day the hand can cast fire ball as per the spell. 

Review and Commentary On The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions By D. Vincent Baker For The Lamentations Of The Flame Princess rpg System & Your Old School Campaigns

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 Right HERE

Once again its months until I can lay hands on another Lamentations Of The Flame Princess book and in this case its one that I've been lusting after for some time. So I've got my hands on the hardback of  the The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions By D Vincent Baker which  is both a guide to the seclusiums of three individual wizards and a handbook for the design and use of seclusiums in any campaign. It includes rules, guidelines, and 50 pages of lists.

Writing by D. Vincent Baker

Artwork by Cynthia Sheppard

Cartography, Layout and Design by Jez Gordon

se•clu•si•um \si-’klü-zē- m\

n. pl. se•clu•sia -\zē- \

1. A place to which a wizard withdraws from the world to pursue mastery.
2. A place of magic and plasms and grotesques and horrors and treasures and doorways to other worlds.
3. A place which, when abandoned by the wizard but with its treasures and dangers remaining more or less intact, is a terrible and antic catastrophe in process.
4. A place which makes for marvelous location-based adventures.

This book provides rules, guidelines, tables, and suggestions for creating wizards’ seclusia for your own campaigns, and features three sample seclusia in various stages of completion, including the Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions.

Suitable for characters of all levels, usable with Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role-Playing and other traditional role-playing games.

Right now that you've read what the book supposedly is, let me tell you what this book really is. This is an adventure/tool kit for the construction and creation of  Seclusium which are sort of like the fabled wizard's tower and lairs but these locations actually live up to their hype in this book.  But first a quick note on the physical book
 Its a really great physical book and another wonderful addition to your shelf. The hardback is something that makes the pdf look like a wet fish.
 The book is dedicated to Jack Vance and I've read a ton of Vance even have the role playing game of his world but this book didn't actually make me think about Jack Vance at all. Instead I found myself looking through the book and the three sort of fleshed out Seclusium that are contained within its pages and the random tables that you as a DM can use to put your own random stamp and set dressing qualities on each one.
In fact even if you you these locations they can be reused over and over again so that those random rolls will translate into different features,treasures, and magic items within the bounds of the Seclusium.
 That being said I found myself thinking about Robert Howard and certain sword & sorcery tales of Conan with the lairs and towers of wizards scattered across the landscape. The ideas of the book can easily be used for Lamentations of the Flame Princess campaign  or a Seclusium could be a setting piece for a sword & sorcery style game. The Seclusium can appear as a dark pulp adventure location with some very frightening and weird overtones. 

As a tool kit 'The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions'  is glorious because of the tone, originality, and ideas that the author tosses into the ring. The The Seclusiums presented are places that seem to resonate with the pulp asthetic of the LoFP game. But what some folks fail to understand is that this book is an extension and an adventure as well. The Seclusiums remind me vividly of  the 1960's and 70's Marvel Doctor Strange comic books. Within those comics there were lots of weird and strange wizard's lairs with incredibly individual magical features, strange treasures, monsters, and other background pieces that Strange and co. had to overcome. Each location had the stamp of the magician who created it and that's exactly what the The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions creates. Mr. Baker even gives house rules and his own unique take on the LoFP game in several pages of appendix towards the back of the book.  Let's not screw around, this isn't a book for the players unless they're PC's wizards have reached twentieth level and their ready to create their own Seclusium. Given the peg leg that the Flame Princess is sporting in the cover art for this book its unlikely. That being said this is a solid book for the DM to grab and create his own  Seclusium. Given the pulp flare of the LoFP system and its uses of a great deal of the Lovcraftian and Clive Barker horror ethos. I can see Seclusium scattered throughout a campaign being adventuree draws for parties being hired by rival wizards for raids on such places.

In fact I can see using Clive Barker's Lord Of Illusions movie as a twisted piece of source material for the creation of a Seclusium or two for a particularly harrowing raid on for a party of adventurers. The elements of magic, cults, and twisted occult investigation are all there waiting to be converted into a pulp style LoFP session complete with magical rivals just in time for Halloween. A quick Barker homage there folks. 

I can also see using  'The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions' as a source book for other retroclones and the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea rpg system comes straight to mind here. Given the pulp ataestheticf the book and its contents this book is perfect for generating a demi plane lair  Seclusium for some twisted and dangerous Atlantian or Lemurian wizard left over after the destruction of Old Earth now lost in the Outer Darkness just waiting.
The book is very well done, concise, and a very attractive tool box for your old school adventures. There are plenty of hooks in this book to take your PC's on a journey to a nearby Seclusium and far beyond. I'm very glad to have acquired this book and I look forward to unleashing it in the weeks to come. I think that D.Vincent Baker did a very nice job on a very handsome package and its a damn fine addition to the Lamentations Of The Flame Princess rpg system line of products.

New OSR Adventure - The First Sentinel. Written by Edwin Nagy From Lesser Gnome Studio For Your Old School Campaigns

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Lesser  Gnome games has a very interesting old school game module with some pretty interesting overtones. The folks over there have been putting out an huge buzz about this module for months and it looks really nice. The looks like a low scale adventure for levels three  thru five. This is going to be the limited edition of the adventure 'The First Sentinel'.
I've seen some of the quality products that Lesser Gnome has done in the past like Whisper and Venom and this limited edition seems like its going to be on par with those products.
 Once again this looks like it could be played with the retroclone of your choice or perhaps with OD&D or First Edition AD&D. I'm a sucker for the 'Alien In The Dungeon' theme, so this looks right up my sword and sorcery alley.
This module could be used as the jump off point for a full scale sword and sorcery alien invasion or as a party stand alone.
The price tag doesn't look bad at all for what you get with the adventure.
Here are some of the details from the Lesser Gnome website :  

The First Sentinel is the latest old-school adventure from Lesser Gnome. Within its pages Game Masters have a complete adventure for three to six players using character levels between three and five.

Included with the limited edition-

• The First Sentinel 16 page adventure booklet written by Edwin Nagy and edited by John Hammerle.
• The custom sculpted 28 mm Nexid Spider figurine by Tim Prow cast in a translucent resin.
• A detached folded cover with original art by Lloyd Metcalf. So retro it requires a save vs. nostalgia to open (failure leads to uncontrollable reminiscing about gaming days of yore).
• A full color 11″ x 17″ Map Insert (including the Original Whispers Vale Map by Alyssa Faden, as well as the specific adventure location with added detail).

A few last minute surprises might make it in as well.

Here are some images of the Nexid Spider (sculpt by Tim Prow).

Once again we're seeing more cartography from Alyssa Faden on the module's maps, I'm familiar with the sculpt of the mini from Tim Prow, Edwin Nagy is a name I've heard in the OSR before and the entire package looks pretty amazing but this adventure isn't going to be for Pathfinder although it might be able to be adapted for it. Instead this is going to be a full scale old effort and fully playable with the system of your choice. All in all this looks like a fantastic little package for the old school DM to unleash upon his players and PC's. I think that Lesser Gnome might have another hit on their hands. 

Un Boxing And Review Of The Hanging Coffins Of The Vampire Queen By Mark Taormino

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So I finally received my physical copy of  'The Hanging Coffins Of  The Vampire Queen' , the OSR vampiric tour de force by Mark Taormino. This module is for any number of OSR retroclones and it really does a wonderful job of trying to plug into the the older edition or retroclone of your choice. 
Mark has a passion for D&D and AD&D, he's also a screen writer as well as a game designer out in California all of which comes through in The Hanging Coffins. The plot goes something like this : 
'Death or freedom? The Vampire Queen has challenged a small band of her worst prisoners to escape from her wicked dungeon lair. With all of your original weapons, magic items and possessions, it is up to you to outwit and fight your way through terrible traps, beastly monsters, and all the horrific surprises she has arranged for you'
Right off the bat this module has a wicked sense of humor about itself  but its still a nasty & deadly little read through for an AD&D style first edition module.
The writing is tight, the plot inventive, and play is wicked. Have a few PC's on standby for this one. Seriously, this adventure is very nasty but in a good way.
I have to say that I was very pleased to feel a stiff cardboard backing to the envelop right out of the gate. That's a good sign that the game company or hobby store that your dealing with knows what its doing. It helps to preserve the module or game product from the postman. Take note game companies for future shipments. 

 Good quality packing material makes all the difference as well. It basically means that the company or person cares enough to hand pack their stuff. This is one of the reasons why I prefer the smaller game companies to the mass market stuff out there. Also you don't get that 'Christmas morning' gift feeling unpacking a pdf.

 I'm greeted by the Vampire Queen herself whose sealing the adventurers doom with a kiss, a very nice little bonus to an already nice old school adventure package. The author is setting the tone of his adventure with the little details of artwork that make this a total package. The sense of humor is one that is here in spades, a darkly playful bit of fluff that goes a long way to making this a real winner of a module in my book.

 The next thing comes across in the physical book that is the module,this book is sealed up with a lovely comic book collector bag in addition to the cardboard wrap around. Yes, I'm making a big deal about this because I've recently gotten a book from 'Fleabay' and well we've all been there. In this economy good packing makes for happy gamers and DM's. The artwork screams 'Old School 'right out of the gate!

 The page count is a hefty one and the paper stock is good quality as well as the wrap around cover. Mark is using a nice printer as well. Good quality in a module means solid shelf life over the coming years which equals solid utility in the years to come. Loving the Jeff Dee cover art which pops even more in person and the back cover as well sells this one.

 The module sells you on the adventure just like those old first edition AD&D modules, it almost jumps into your hands and says, 'play me!' You can see where to take a feather from another old school writer's cap, the art sets the tone and stepping points for the book here. So far I'm loving everything I'm seeing.

 Overall my initial impressions are very favorable that this module was worth the time and energy for the Kickstarter.

The wraparound cover maps are very well done and I recognize the cartographic style of Alyssa Faden and a very clever back joke to the adventure map itself. Nice.

 That wrap around cover map is very well done and reminds me of some of the very early TSR products from back in the day.

 As we start dive into the background of the module with the introduction, it becomes clear that the Vampire Queen is a vile villain of epic scope that could take over the undead scene of the campaign that she's let loose in. That's not a bad thing but man is this adventure well done but please bring some extra PC's to the fold. The adventure says for levels ten through fourteen on the cover and their not kidding.

 As your reading through the Hanging Coffins keep that 'wrap around' cover handy for reference, this adventure's encounters move fast and remind me of some of the Goodman games adventures I've seen in the past. The writing here is playful, funny, and very deadly.

 A quick word on the spacing and fonts of the  Hanging Coffins, they're very easy to read and for older eyes that's really very important. A real plus in a world of old school rpgs that like to have very tiny little lettering. He scores points for that as well.

 Nice old school stat blocks that are quick for a solid way to reference at the table during play is a always a plus. The encounters here remind me of Hammer's 'Famous Vampire Killers' thrown into a blender with AD&D then set on Vampire Queen!

 Yeah bring a few extra adventurers to this one, the humor is high but not playground at all. The module is clever but doesn't talk down to its audience.The encounters here are going to take a bit of work through but the adventure is flexible enough to allow the DM to work this adventure into his pattern of Dming and campaign.

There are a few sidelines adventure bits, some really nice hooks, and a few dangling plot bits that the DM can exploit for their own campaigns but these are not barn doors that will effect play at all. Here's where the author's background as a screen play writer shows through. That's a good thing and makes this module read like a clever black horror comedy in some places and yet the adventure turns up the heat to some searing edges in other places. Its a hard and razor edge style of play to balance though but the author does it nicely. 

Several of the encounters are throw backs to the puzzle solving, investigation bits, and work throughs  of the older TSR Advanced D&D first edition adventures. With a bit of real skill and luck on the players part its survivable with some really good rolls of the dice. 

The treasures, loot, encounters, and meat of the module are a nice change of pace from some of the hum drum material that has been making its way to the marketplace lately. The Hanging Coffins Of The Vampire Queen is out just in time for Halloween and might make a fantastic October mini campaign. 

There are a lot of old school Kickstarters out there and that's fine but with Mark's efforts and further en devours only now starting to get off the ground, this was one adventure worth the wait to me. I'm very happy to have a physical copy of this adventure and it will have a proud place upon my shelf right along with my copy of OSRIC and my AD&D first edition books. 

If your fretting over the level of play here in the Hanging Coffins of The Vampire Queen there are a number of pre generated PC's for play. In reading through the module, I can actually see using these as fodder for the trepidations of the Queen herself or her myriad of forces that infest her dark and nasty lair. 

Note that the stat blocks of the Vampire Queen are easily convertible to your favorite OSR retroclone or even Pathfinder with a bit of work. The level of play here is well thought out and the balance is nice for the pregens. All in all I think that this is a really nice modern throwback to another age of gaming. 

Bottom line here is that I feel that the Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen is worth the time, energy, and your dollars.Grab a copy just in time for October, grab some friends, and sink your fangs into this wonderful old school retroclone module today!
Note: that this one isn't for the kids, this has several adult threads that run through the module. The humor is well done and very un PC in places just the way I like it! But its definitely not for the kiddies. Now that that's understood, this is only the first of several Kickstarters that Mark Taormino will be running.
'The Secret Machines Of The Star Spawn' is his current Kickstarter and you can find Chocolate Thunder and her friends right over HERE

The Gardens Of La Tsing -The Man From K'n-yan - Actual Play Encounter For Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea Part III

Continued from last time's game
Right over
HERE

The PC's were captured by the main complex's temple guardians who happened to be their own former comrades that had their flesh reworked into more pleasing shapes by the temple's demonic inhabitants.

These surreal horrors are the work of Post Mortem's Studios available right over
HERE
 The PC's were brought down into the depths of the finely worked stone past a few mind shattering shaggoths and other horrors.The PC's were not pleased at all with the horrors they witnessed on the way downward that they might have to face trying to escape the depths of this place of horror and depravity.

This shapeless horror is available right over
HERE
 The guards departed and left the PC's in a stone worked chamber covered with row after row of hyrogpyhis. Suddenly from two side entry ways came their escorts. A pair of nine foot tall mummies of a most particular aspect. Horrors from beyond the grave whose presence unnerved the PC's to know end. Their grasp was like iron and the weird preservatives gave the horrors an unnervingly juicy look.

This undead mummy is available right over
HERE

The PC's themselves thought that this was their death song as iron claws of incredible strength pressed into their flesh and their wizard made signs of caution. Still further into the pyramid were they lead past rows of other former priests and other worshipers of foul gods long forgotten on the surface of Hyperborea. But then they were lead to one of the former masters La Tsing.
Passed rows of imprisoned Great Race Of Yith intellectuals working at weird brass stands on the strange bound volumes of forbidden knowledge were the PC's lead. Until they came to a throne room.
The PC's were ushered  into the presence of something old and very dead lurking in the shadows of a throne. The entire party gasped as the lich priest of the pyramid revealed itself.
 Shi Re 'The Wicked One'  the lich priest from K'n-Yan who has dogged the PC's every step ever since they ruined his shrine in Underborea three months ago now faced them. Would they die or was their a worse fate worse then  await them?
Tune in next week and find out!


This vile villain of a lich is available right over
HERE

All artwork is used with permission and can be found at the Post Mortem studios store as part of the marvelous stock from Rpgnow. You can find more of this wonderful fantasy clip artwork right over HERE
Special thanks to  Bradley K. McDevitt for the opportunity to show my players exactly what they've been facing down these past couple of months. The monsters are trade marked and copyrighted to the artist and owner.  

Mega Dungeon Madness - Two Free '&' Magazine Mega-dungeon Downloads & A Column From Benoist Poire Of The Dungeon Hobby Shop

Today has been megadungeon madness on the blog today with two new free downloads from '&' magazine for all of your mega dungeon needs along with an aditional column from the Hobby Shop.  First the Adventure #3 The book of lower level lairs, this is a great resource for low level beginning parties and features a ton of material to stick into your mega dungeons but this book is also a bit of a PC book as well with plenty of old school adventure action to challenge your beginning level players! The effort here is to make the encounters balanced yet able to engage the PC's at the same time. The suppliment is a for character levels 1-4 but with plenty of room for expansion. This book has been created for Castle Triskelion the official '&' megadungeon. This book is only the beginning and its not bad for a free resource.

Grab it Right Over
HERE

According to the '&' website :
Everything from brown bears to giant porcupines to kenku and lizard men! All mini-adventures that can usually be run in a single session. Pick the ones you need, string them together as you see fit!
 Then this afternoon I stumbled upon : The second segment of the Castle Triskelion mega-dungeon, the Outer Ward First Floor has been released! In addition to this segment, Tim has included a number of new monsters, magic items, and other information about the castle and its environment. This is all described in the first supplement, the New Materials Volume I. Please note that this manual is necessary to use the First Floor, so download both
 Go right over HERE  for all the Castle Triskelion material



Available right over
HERE

 Finally Benoist Poire of the Dungeon Hobby Shop offers up a ton of useful and time worth advice upon designing, creating, maintaining, and fleshing out your own mega dungeons. He goes through the set up and step by step process that aided him in the design and writing of the news mega-dungeon coming soon from the Dungeon Hobby Shop, DU2 The Halls of The Begger King all of this is on the OD&D forums
right HERE

Latest Word On The Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea Adventures Kickstarter

Here is the Val Semeiks pencil sketch for the cover of Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess

So I've been hearing a ton of requests about what's happening with the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea rpg system adventures. Well I've received word from Jeff T today via Facebook and here's the latest : 

I've been receiving some requests on the status of our next three adventures, which will be launched simultaneously through a single Kickstarter campaign. They are _Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes_ (Jeff Talanian), _Beneath the Comet_ (Ben Ball), and _Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess_ (Joe Salvador).

All three adventures are written. I would not launch the Kickstarter without this at the least. One has been completely edited (_Beneath the Comet_). _Ghost Ship_ is being edited by Dave Prata as I write this. I am working with Joe Salvador on a little content editing for _Forgotten Fane_ right now.

Cover art by Charles Lang is in for _Ghost Ship_. As you fellows saw, progress is being made by Val Semeiks on the cover for _Forgotten Fane_. Peter Mullen is working on the cover for _Comet_. John Bingham is working on the interior illustrations. Mark Allen did an illustration, too, and it's gorgeous. 

Maps. They are complete for _Comet_ and the pencil maps for _Ghost Ship_ and _Forgotten Fane_ are complete and scheduled to be digitally inked.

A lot is done, but there is more to go. If progress continues at the current pace and no major stumbling blocks are encountered, I'm planning for an October KS launch. I leave you with the illustration by Mark Allen. This is called "The Ruined Fane of Apollo," which is part of the early set-up for my _Ghost Ship_ adventure. Happy gaming!


 Want to know more? Check out the AS&SH Facebook group for the latest info!
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