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 Integrating the monumental 1980 supplement Gods, Demigods, and Heroes (Supplement IV) with Barrows & Borderlands (a modern "Old School Essentials" style hack) creates a high-powered, mythic campaign atmosphere.This post picks right up from Using Original Dungeons & Dragons rpg with The Barrows & Borderlands Rpg While Original D&D (OD&D) provides the raw stats Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

“Mayday! Mayday! This is Free Trader Beowulf! Calling anyone! Our ship has suffered a catastrophic systems failure and is drifting in space. We are in grave and imminent danger!”

Today is May 1st, and in the TTRPG community, we celebrate Traveller Day. This classic sci-fi game was created by Marc Miller 49 years ago—which means next year is the massive 50th anniversary!

Traveller is near and dear to our hearts here on the blog. Just look at all the posts we have written and how often we’ve mentioned it. Seriously, go ahead and search the archives!

I originally discovered the game via MegaTraveller after seeing the ads in Dragon Magazine. I ordered it from Wargames West, and while the rules weren’t the easiest for me to follow back in 1988, the Imperial Encyclopedia grabbed me immediately. I read entry after entry, and I was completely hooked on the Imperium.

From there, I hunted down every Traveller book I could find. I picked up the Little Black Books (LBBs) second-hand, a boxed set in Spanish, and nearly every subsequent rulebook version—including the original d20 book, Traveller: The New Era, and GURPS Traveller. I’m pretty sure that after D&D, Traveller is the game system I own the most versions of.

I also have the Far Future Enterprises CD-ROMs, and I absolutely loved Marc Miller’s novel, Agent of the Imperium.

Today, I believe Mongoose Publishing is a fantastic steward for Traveller and Miller’s other games. I own their 1st edition, 2nd edition, the 2022 revised versions of their core rules, and a myriad of supplements. Add to the mix the various retro-clones such as Cepehus, and additional editions out there, and even though Traveller is turning 50 next year, it is an incredible time to be a fan.

While Traveller is a robust sci-fi ruleset you can use to run your own homebrew games, for me, it truly shines when exploring the rich setting of the Third Imperium.

If you want to dive deeper into the history of the game, I wholeheartedly recommend This is Free Trader Beowulf by Shannon Appelcline (also available digitally).

Since it’s Mayday, there are some great Bundle of Holding offers you can take advantage of right now to start playing:

• The Traveller Update (featuring the latest iteration of the Mongoose rules): https://bundleofholding.com/presents/TravUpdateR1
• Traveller Mercenaries: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/TravMercs2026
• Traveller Imperial Navy: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/ImperialNavy
• The Little Black Books bundle: https://bundleofholding.com/store/TravellerLBBs

You can also try out the rules for just $1 with the Traveller Explorer’s Edition.

Now there is even a digital companion, Traveller Nexus. The easiest comparison is D&D Beyond for Traveller.It seems that the Explorer Edition rules are free on Traveller Nexus.

What else can I say? It is a great time to be a Traveller fan. Begin your journey into the Third Imperium!

The post Video of the Day – Doctor Who: The Curse of Peladon, 1972 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

 In the gritty, industrial sci-fi world of Hostile, urban environments are rarely just "cities." They are pressurized hubs of corporate greed, neon-soaked decay, and desperate spacers.Here is a D100 table of urban encounters, ranging from minor flavor to potential campaign-ending catastrophes.The Hostile Urban Encounter TableD100Encounter TypeDescription01-05AtmosphericA sudden acid rain Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Last year, I launched the Kickstarter for Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms: The Northern Marches. Over 800 backers brought my projects to life, and now it is time to let the rest of the hobby into this project and experience the Northern Marches and the freedom that a well-supported sandbox campaign offers. At 8pm EDT tonight, April 30th, on the Vlog of Many Things I will be releasing the guidebook and maps for public purchase.

Vlog of Many Things Live Stream

Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms: Northern Marches

• Premium Color Hardback ($59.99)
• Standard Color Hardback ($49.99)
• Standard Color Softback ($39.99)

Maps of the Northern Marches and selected towns

• 18 printed 12" by 18"  Maps ($19.99)

Preview and Table of Contents

Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms: The Northern Marches.

What if your players could shape a world that remembers them? From the frostbitten ruins of the Wild North to the magical storms of the Ring Islands, the Northern Marches await.

The Northern Marches expands my Blackmarsh setting into new lands: the cold taiga and icy rivers of the Wild North, the wilderness frontier of the Southlands, the conquered Viking realm of Vasa, and the westernmost duchy of the Grand Kingdom, Northport.

Each region of the Northern Marches brims with ancient ruins, forgotten magic, and factions fighting to shape the future. The Ring Islands, the Forsaken Desert, the forest of Les Gigantov, the Great Glacier, the Black Marshes, and the underwater realms of the Grey Sea all await adventurers willing to brave their dangers and plunge into their mysteries.

Together, the Northern Marches span over 100,000 square miles, divided across four 12" by 18" maps overlaid with a numbered hex grid for easy reference. Its factions, characters, histories, ruins, lairs, and cultures form a rich tapestry, creating a living world that players can visit as their characters while seeking adventure.

It is a world that remembers those who stood, fought, and changed destiny.

The Northern Marches contains the following items.

• Guidebook to the Northern Marches
• An editable markdown document of the Guidebook to the Northern Marches licensed for reuse under the CC-BY 4.0 license.
• 6 reference PDFs summarizing Encounters, Travel, Merchant Adventures, and a blank map outline for notes.
• 4 12" by 18" referee maps of the Northern Marches
• 4 12" by 18" player maps of the Northern Marches
• 2 combined player and referee maps of the Northern Marches
• A layered PDF of the map of the Northern Marches
• A layered SVG file of the map of the Northern Marches
• 5 Town and City Maps for referees.
• 5 Town and City Maps for the players.

MooglyCAL2026 Block 9 is a fabulous mosaic square by Creations by Courtney! The Diamonds in Diamonds Mosaic Square is the perfect follow-up to our last block, taking those skills to the next level! Get all the details for this free crochet along, and the free pattern link below! Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links; materials […]

The post MooglyCAL2026 Block 9 appeared first on moogly. Please visit www.mooglyblog.com for this post.

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Meh. I have now tried three times to record a video of this process, but each time something has gone wrong, and I ended up having to start all over. I am going to chalk that up to a learning experience, and go back to the way I usually do this - sorry you don’t have any video to watch.

Anyhow, I feel like making an ant and taking him on some adventures. I’ve been doing some Army Ant writing, and I have some ideas for things to do with that IP (ooh, look at me. I have an IP).

When I was ten, my first three GI Joe action figures were Flash, Breaker, and Stalker. I didn’t like Flash too much, because the whole sci-fi thing didn’t fit with GI Joe to me. I didn’t want my GI Joe getting into my Star Wars. Breaker was kind of boring, because he was a communications officer. Stalker was cool. He was the team leader. He had camo.

As you might have noticed, some of my Army Ants are inspired by some GI Joes, but I’ve never built my homage to Stalker. Time to fix that. I like that history ties Stalker and Snake Eyes, and that both Tracker and Zak are black ants - gives them a bit of kinship.

I ended up in the hospital for a few days this weekend (I'm doing much better now), and ended up channel surfing (which I never do). This gave me a chance to watch the History of the Navy Seals on A+E (as well as some wrestling documentaries), so it was an entertaining day. That also inspired me in this direction.

While the rules state that you start at level 2, I’m going to start Tracker here at level 3, so that he can survive solo for a bit. This gives him the following: 

Level 3 

100 Mission Points

D8 Action Die

I have 30 points to distribute among traits. I’m going to make him a Ranger, which means he has to have at least D8 Spirit (and he’ll get +1 edge with Spirit checks)... I don’t want to go less than D6 anywhere, because he’s solo, and I don’t want any glaring holes. I’m going to lean heavily into Spirit (since he’s going to have to sneak past a lot of foes to survive on his own), and I’ll lean towards Reflex over Body (small and fast is his game)...

Body D6

Mind D6

Reflex D8

Spirit D10

The character I made for the core rules has very different Traits, even though they are both Rangers. This makes me feel good - you could put together a team of Rangers and have them be versatile. 

As far as skills, he has 8 points (since his action die is D8), and must have Nature +1 and Stealth +1. Random thought - Nature should include swimming. If I’m trying to swim against a current, I would roll Might + Nature to do it. I sense some house rules (or GM guidance) coming up…

Going through the list, I also like Aim, First Aid, and Infiltrate for him. All are needed on some level. Aim is important for everyone, but first aid/infiltrate are secondary to my character. I go back and forth between Aim or Stealth for the +3, but end up with Aim - the higher die and automatic +1 edge give me a lot of power already in Stealth without the extra +1 point allocation, but that +1 aim might be really important. 

Tracker, Ant Ranger

Level 3 (Action Die D8) 100 XP

BODY D6 | MIND D6 | REFLEX D8 | SPIRIT D10

+1 Edge SPIRIT Checks

Aim +3 | First Aid +1 | Infiltrate +1 | Nature +1 | Stealth +2

As far as rank, I roll D6+0 and get 1. He started as an A-1 Private. He got an automatic bump in rank at level 3, but he might have advanced during level 2. He would roll D6+2 after each mission, and he’d have completed an average of 7 missions (since a typical mission grants 10 MP). I’ll roll D6+2 seven times and see what happens…

5+2=7. He moved to A-2 after his second mission.

3+2=5. Nothing.

3+2=5. Nothing.

6+2=8. Moved to A-3 after his fifth mission.

5+2=7. Nothing.

1+2=3. Nothing.

5+2=7. Nothing.

Upon turning level 3: 5+3=8. He gets to move to Corporal, 2nd Lieutenant, or Petty Warrant Officer. The reality is that with his lower Mind, he’s unlikely to get higher results, and staying as an enlisted soldier is going to be his best bet. Besides, the character he is based on is a sergeant, so I kind of have to go that route… A-4 Corporal he is!

This gives him 30 Clout (from being level 3) +15 (from his rank), for a total of 45. He starts with a basic kit (free). I’ve decided to add a weapon to the game, so I’m having him take an AM-3A spitfire rifle, with more damage but compact range:

AM-3A Spitfire Rifle

(20 Clout | D6+1 | Range 20)

This powerful, short-range weapon was designed for use in tunnels.

This is 20 clout, leaving him with 25 to go. I really want him to have a silencer (6 clout; 19 left). He’s got camouflage fatigues (4 clout; 15 left), and I’ll get 2 field grenades (2 clout), 2 smoke grenades (2 clout), 6 aid kits (6 clout). He now has 5 clout left. I go with binoculars (4 clout), and use the extra clout point to get another field grenade. 

Standard Issue Gear

AM-3A Spitfire Rifle + Silencer

Camouflage Fatigues

3 Field Grenades

2 Smoke Grenades

6 Aid Kits

Binoculars

I now have to work out my other stats, based on what I’ve done so far:

3 Actions Per Round (from being level 3)

Defense: 7 (half of his Reflex is 4 + his level of 3)

Armor: 0 (because he's not wearing anything)

Grit: 18 (because of D6 Body x level)

Move: 3 (everyone starts here)

Moxy: 3 (from his level)

My actual setup as I'm working (along with my Hellfire Club gift pack from Christmas I haven't used - and my camoflage lanyard):

Circuit Breaker’s story will twist and turn through books, audios, comics, games, websites, and DVD this Summer

A major new Doctor Who story event is here, and this time, the threat is closer than ever. Following its initial reveal last year, BBC Studios unveiled new rollout details, story elements and artwork for Circuit Breaker.

Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker launches on 25 June 2026, kicking off an epic, multi-platform adventure unfolding this summer across audio, publishing, gaming and digital, bringing fans together for one connected, must-follow Whoniverse event.

The story event will see a single, escalating crisis play out across multiple formats, with each chapter unlocking new clues, new dangers… and also a new side to the Time Lord.

Circuit Breaker brings together a range of longstanding Doctor Who partners including Titan Comics, Doctor Who Magazine, BBC Audiobooks, East Side Games, Puffin, Penguin Random House and Big Finish, each delivering a unique chapter of the story across the summer.

Fans can follow every twist via the Doctor Who website and official channels as well as The Whoniverse Show, with the first chapter of the epic story launching on the in-universe UNIT website on the 25 of June.

 

​
​Osgood finds the Doctor to help save reality, but it’s not the any of the ones she was expecting…

In the depths of UNIT’s most secure facility, the Black Archive, familiar objects have been pulled through time and space surrounded with a dangerous energy signature threatening to tear reality apart. With time running out, newly appointed Head of the Black Archive, Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) and her assistant Andrew (Omari Douglas) turn to the only person who can help… the Doctor (Jo Martin).

This is no ordinary crisis, and not the Time Lord they are familiar with. As the Doctor confronts her most infamous enemies such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans and a rogue Weeping Angel, she is forced to complete a mission with an insidious presence lurking in the shadows.

Secrets begin to surface, and trust between UNIT and the Doctor begins to erode as those who idolise her start to question if she really is the Time Lord they thought they knew…

 

Circuit Breaker architect Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson promises some innovative, bold, and fantastic stories ahead Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson writer of The Moon Cruise and the Target novelisation of The Church on Ruby Road, is the architect for the new multimedia event. Describing the series, she says, “Circuit Breaker is truly unique in the Doctor Who universe. Just as the Fugitive Doctor rocked everyone’s world when they first appeared on our screens, we wanted to bring something exciting and new to the fans, a story that takes the best parts of Doctor Who and melds them with a fresh and innovative boldness that makes for fantastic storytelling.” Jo Martin both voices the Doctor in Circuit Breaker, and contributes her debut novel, having first played the role in 2020’s Fugitive of the Judoon. “Circuit Breaker now has an official start date!” she enthuses, “I’m delighted for fans to join the Fugitive Doctor on a brand-new adventure! One that may even showcase a more vulnerable side (yes, she does have one!). But for now, I invite you to take a first look at my Doctor’s brand new costume.”

The countdown to Circuit Breaker has begun, with more story reveals to come. For more information and the latest Circuit Breaker news, visit the Doctor Who website and official channels. ​ ​ ​

 

Your guide to the different elements of Doctor Who: Circuit Break (c) BBC Studios How to Follow the Story

• 25 June: Calling the Doctor – UNIT website written by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
• 8 July: Adversary of the Daleks – Titan Comics, written by Dulce M. Montoya and Dan Watters, with stunning art from Roberta Ingranata and Sami Kivelä
• 23 July: The Honourable Society – Doctor Who Magazine issue 632, written by Jason Quinn and illustrated by Anthony Williams
• 30 July: The Deadliest Weapon – BBC Audiobooks Audio Original written by Steve Lyons, narrated by Jo Martin with David Banks as the Cyber-Leader
• 4 August: Dawn of the Daleks –Titan Comics, written by Dulce M. Montoya and Dan Watters, with stunning art from Roberta Ingranata and Sami Kivelä
• 6 August: Castling – East Side Games written by Mario Mentasti. (The icon for this game in the official guide suggests this will feature the Sontarans.)
• 17 August: Don’t Blink! – UNIT website written by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson. (As if the title wasn’t a big enough clue, the guide icon also suggests this features the Weeping Angels.)
• 20 August: The Doctor and the Three Witches – Puffin book written by Janelle McCurdy. (With the icon for this being the crystal ball from The Shakespeare Code, this novel likely involves the Carrionites.)
• 27 August: Moment Mori – East Side Games written by Mario Mentasti. Based on the game icon, this appears to bring back the Clockwork Droids from The Girl in the Fireplace.)
• 31 August: The Black Archive Files – Circuit Breaker DVD release
• 3 September: The Kaleidoscope – Penguin Random House book written by Jo Martin. The icon for Martin’s debut novel indicates an appearance by the Silence. ​
• 22 September: Full Circuit – Big Finish audio story written by Robert Valentine
• 24 September: Short Circuits – Big Finish audio story written by Robert Valentine

​
​

The post Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker – Full Details appeared first on Blogtor Who.

Today’s post is a fortuitous confluence of two topics I’ve been writing about recently: comics as TTRPG inspiration and talented Puerto Rican creators.

Gambit is a friend. I don’t recall exactly when we met, but I suspect it was while I worked at Metro Comics back in the 90s. We were both part of the Puerto Rico TTRPG community and have many friends in common. In fact, he created a local comic book with our mutual friend AJ, with whom we’ve both played TTRPGs. I’ll also never forget that Gambit invited me onto his streaming radio show years ago to talk about tabletop gaming.

We don’t see each other often enough now that he lives in Florida, but we stay in touch via social media. We did get to catch up in 2025 at the Puerto Rico Comic Con, where I picked up an incredible Red Sonja print from him. My son met him there and still always asks me about my “friend with the horns!” (See the picture below for context!)

He was also the cover artist and did interior illustrations for the Dungeon Crawl Classics Purple Planet adventure/supplement, Random Acts of Violet. I proudly own a copy; you can see the pictures I took of it below.

All of this preamble is to say that Gambit is a very cool artist with a deep TTRPG background, working across games and comics. He is also the co-creator of a new comic currently being funded on Kickstarter. I wanted to interview him so you can all get to know him better, learn about this exciting new project, and, if you can, support him in his creative endeavors. He graciously agreed to sit down with me, and here are the results!

Introduction & Art

Introduce yourself! We know you as Elias “Gambit” Meléndez, the creative force behind Gambit’s Ink, but for our readers here at Stargazer’s World, who are you, and what kind of worlds do you create?

Hello! I’m Elias “Gambit” Meléndez. I go by Gambit, and I’m a tattoo artist, a comic book artist, and sometimes a musician. I’m from Puerto Rico and currently reside in FL. I like creating dark fantasy and superhero worlds.

How would you describe your art? You work across several mediums—from sequential art and sketch covers to tattoos and custom prints. How does your creative process shift when jumping between these different styles?

I honestly have trouble describing my art. As you mentioned, I work across different media, and with each, I try a different technique or style. Lately, I’ve been making my personal comic work look retro, using coloring techniques similar to those from the golden age of comics.

I work on various projects at the same time, so I constantly and seamlessly shift from one to the other. The creative process changes depending on what I’m working on. For example, if I’m working on a comic page, I follow a script, and that gives me the direction I need. If I’m working on a cover, I think of it as a scene—I think of the before and after of that moment I’m working on. So even though I’m not making a sequential comic page, I’m still thinking of it as one. I even apply that to some of the tattoos I do.

Tabletop Gaming

How did you discover TTRPGs? We are all about tabletop gaming here, so we have to ask about your origin story! What was your introduction to the hobby?

I was 14, I think, around 14 to 16, and two friends came home one day with a Dungeons & Dragons box and said, “Let’s create you a character.” They helped me create a thief and gave me the basics to start playing. We played a short session and were immediately hooked!

Ah, I remember now, I was 14! I was so fascinated by the game that I wanted to play it again. When I learned a year later that I could buy the same box at Toys ‘R’ Us, I got some friends together, drove to the store, and got us a box. For the next few years, I played for hours every weekend! As an adult, I took a break for a few years, but I couldn’t stay away for long, lol.

Do you actively play TTRPGs right now? If so, what games, systems, or campaigns are keeping you busy at the table?

I am not playing anything at the moment, but I still buy games that interest me. “Recently,” I read Hellguard: Curse of Caina. It’s a miniature roleplaying game designed for one-session adventures, perfect for game groups that can’t play long campaigns. I am also currently waiting for the new edition of Mutants & Masterminds. Writing this, I realized that my taste in games is similar to my work: Hellguard is dark fantasy, and M&M is superheroes!

What do you want to play next? Is there a specific game, setting, or class on your bucket list that you are just dying to try out?

I’m excited for the new M&M edition. I don’t really have a bucket list, honestly. Usually, I decide what I’m playing based on what the party needs or on something specific that sparks creativity.

Summit Comics & The Cobalt Cricket

Tell us about Summit Comics and your new project! You are currently part of the Kickstarter for The Cobalt Cricket #1. For those who haven’t seen the campaign yet, what is the story of Glenn Fielding, Karl’s Bay, and your role in bringing this corner of the Summit Comics universe to life?

Summit Comics is a new superhero shared-universe comic publisher that emerged when a few friends and collaborators wanted to make comics together. Cobalt Cricket is just one of the many comics planned to be released this year.

Our hero, Glenn Fielding, is a messenger in Karl’s Bay, FL, and he is involved in an accident that exposes him to radioactive goop and crickets. Next thing you know, cricket powers! With his friend’s help, he becomes The Cobalt Cricket. Sebastian, the co-creator, messaged me to ask if I could help him design a character, and I said yes. He gave me the concept and his idea, I made a few sketches for him, and he loved them so much that he made me a co-creator.

I understood his concept and his idea for a fun book, and I was there when he called. Since then, we’ve bounced ideas for the book and discussed its direction and tone. This book is a love letter to characters like Blue Beetle and Spider-Man. We are making a fun, colorful comic, with over-the-top “science” and heroics. Glenn knows he is not Wolverine or Batman, lol. My role is to give Sebastian’s ideas and concepts a visual style. I know Seb very well now, and I can visualize his thoughts pretty well.

What superhero game would you use to create The Cobalt Cricket? If we wanted to bring Glenn and his insect-proportional abilities to the gaming table, how would you build him and his rogues’ gallery?

As I mentioned before, Mutants & Masterminds by Green Ronin Publishing is one of my favorite RPGs, so I would definitely use that system. In fact, as I was answering these questions, I was talking with one of my friends about creating CC and his rogues’ gallery for the new edition. I’m now planning to do that and make them available for fans and players to use!

(Roberto’s note: I’m incredibly excited about this idea. Imagine a Summit Universe Mutants & Masterminds supplement! A GM can dream…)

Do you have a personal preference for a particular superhero system? When it comes to capturing that classic 60s, 70s, and 80s comic book feel, which TTRPG system does it best for you?

I think M&M is versatile enough to capture the feel of any era of comics and any genre.

How can people support you? Where is the best place for the Stargazer’s World community to back The Cobalt Cricket Kickstarter, and where can they find your original art and projects over at Gambit’s Ink?

You can get The Cobalt Cricket #1 via our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/948324172/the-cobalt-cricket-1-summit-comics

And if you want to support me directly, you can do so through my Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/gambitsink

Or my Redbubble page for merch like t-shirts, hats, and other products: https://www.redbubble.com/people/gambitsink/shop

Any closing thoughts? Any final advice for aspiring artists or gamers out there looking to jump into the creative space?

To anyone who is itching to create but is afraid to do so, or thinks they don’t know how, or is waiting for the right moment: That moment is now. All you have to do is create. Don’t think about putting it out for the world to see; you’ll know when to do that. Just do, create, write a short story if you have the idea, draw it if that’s what you do. There is no perfect moment, and there is no shortcut; you have to do it. Write, draw, compose, whatever you love to do or want to do, do it. It’s a rough life sometimes, but the rewards of creating compensate for the bad days.

I have a closing thought to add to that closing thought! I want to mention that Gambit actually designed my absolute favorite TTRPG t-shirt. I got it off his Redbubble page—it’s his “Tira iniciativa’ pa” shirt, and you can see me modeling it below!

Thank you, Gambit, for taking the time to do this interview.

Everyone, please don’t forget to check out The Cobalt Cricket Kickstarter before it ends: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/948324172/the-cobalt-cricket-1-summit-comics

The project is funded. I’m a backer!

 Night’s Dark Terror (B10) is widely considered the crown jewel of the mid-80s D&D modules. Written by Jim Bambra, Graeme Morris, and Phil Gallagher of TSR UK, it serves as a bridge between "Basic" (dungeon-focused) and "Expert" (wilderness-focused) play.Because Castles & Crusades (C&ampNeedleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

 The PC's happened to run into two high powered wrestlers who happened to be having an event right about the lair of the Green Lizard at the San Mos Dome! This session picks right up from The Ghost of Hong Kong by Steve Miller Pulp Hero and the Trail to San Moros, CA (1996). The twin corporate super powered enforcers the Crimsiki brothers squared off. These brothers are able to Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

The post Video of the Day – WGN News, 2026 appeared first on Blogtor Who.

By Scott_M
First Era Adventures
OSRIC
Levels 1-3

Few now recall King Aethelberd’s name, but in his time, he was rightly feared. His ruthless crusade against criminals and sinners took thousands of lives… many by the king’s own hand. The ancient lord’s body now rests somewhere below his ruined keep, his legacy all but forgotten. Rumors, however, tell of a trove of kingly treasure buried within Aethelberd’s tomb, along with his legendary weapon: Angbolt – The Mallet of Justice.

This thirteen page adventure presents a dungeon/tomb with about twenty locations. A ‘standard dungeon’ with a few different situations going on, it is relatively wordy for the degree of content present, coming out to about four keys per page or so for a mix of vermin, undead, and bandits. 

I’m rather fond of the setup of this one, or, perhaps, the framing. There are some ruins on a hill in a wood. And I mean ruins; almost nothing left but a few walls. Once the tomb of majestic figure,eons past and nothing is left of Ozymandius (by Shelley you cetin! God how I love Frisky Dingo.) but two legs. And, now on the road through the wood you come upon a dying man and a ransacked cart. “Tracks in the dirt indicate that three humans in boots led a woman and child off into the woods, along with a heavily-laden mule or pony.” Low bandits, now hold up in the topside walls of the tomb of a lord known for justice, too scared to venture down the stairs.  I find this framing rather poetic. No highborn rebels or a bandit-king with airs and plans, just the meanest and most low of ruffians, picking on a man and his woman/child brutally. Too common to even venture in to the hole in the ground in search of gold, camped in a place of utter ruin, of former majesty that they have no knowledge of. This is all handled rather briefly.

The rest of the adventure is not bad, but it doesn’t come close to that poetry. It is a relatively standard dungeon crawl, perhaps a bit above the usual average, with not a lot to distinguish itself and a few things that could be done better. This is not an Orcs in a Hole problem, but perhaps a sign of a hobby in which every adventure ever written is available immediately to you. How does one stand out in a crowded marketplace? [By each adventure having the unrealistic expectations of being a masterpiece, duh! If the premise of the blog is that common mistakes are repeated time and again then the secret hope is that those eventually get resolved and concentration can be done on more in-depth stuff.]

The bandits are huddled in the upper ruins, little more than a few crumbling walls. They’ve set a slack guard during the day and wall themselves in at night by moving boards. There’s a nice earthiness to this. They see the stairs, and have stuffed the women and child in a cellar room, where they whimper, but are too scared to venture any further. I might emphasize their condition, of both the captives and … beastiality? of the bandits a bit more, but the quick mentions of their fear and how they wall themselves in to the ruins is good. 

The map supporting this is fine for it’s size. The hill, ruins and wood around it are covered fine, and the dungeon proper has a variety of features, caves, water, worked areas, streams, statues, same level stairs. It is clear and has creature notations on it, which I always find very useful when running an adventure to keep the surrounding dungeon context front and center when running an encounter/noise in a room. Good job, and something I wish more adventures did to help me out at the table.

The dungeon entries, proper, are where my hang ups mostly lie. And I have no idea how to describe what I think is wrong about them. They do tend to be a bit long, four paragraphs is not uncommon. There’s an occasional bolded words or ALL CAPS monster reference, which shows some awareness of trying to call the DMs attention to things. But, for all the world, I can’t figure out why the entries are long. Typical problems in other adventures might be backstory embedded in them, or victorian laundry lists of contents, overly describing, trap & door porn or explaining WHY. None of that really seems to be present here, and yet the entries tend to the long side, particularly for what they are. 

I’m looking at an entry for room eight, The False Tomb, which I think is fair representation of the other rooms as well. There’s three paragraphs of general description. The first is the overall room, then one touching on some alcoves and frescoes, then one about the body in the room under a shroud, and its treasure, and the skeletons it triggers, and then one about a bronze chest and its loot. I can’t really fault any one of them for being there. The first paragraph reads “The shrouded body of a long-dead warrior is laid out upon a stone bier. The floor surrounding it is covered with various burial offerings: Ratgnawed baskets, sealed crockeries of seed oil and spoiled wine, moldering furniture and tapestries, graven idols of old gods, etc. (no value). Among the funeral goods stands a squat bronze chest” This is not the most evocative thing ever, but it’s trying and I recognize that. It’s also, I think, not lingering too much on the mundane. I can’t particularly fault the description of the body and chest and their treasures either. 

So the descriptions are not in and of themselves problems. And the formatting is not terrible. It’s certainly not wall of text and there is an occasional bolded word to direct the DM to more information. The closest I think I can come is that there seems to be a disconnect between the length and the … mundanity of the interactivity. There are some traps here that are more than just a pit. (Flaming oil jet!) Rats, centipedes, skeletons, wraiths, shadow, zombie dog. The more special undead have a note or two to bring them to life. And there’s an otyugh in a well, ala Moria. 

I don’t know why, but maybe the absence of more exploratory interactivity, but it feels plain to me. I’m not excited by this. It’s not bad. I just don’t look at it and and can’t wait to run it. Specificity? I’m going to assume this is a me thing.

This is $3 at DriveThru. The preview is six pages, which shows you the setup, the maps, and a few dungeon rooms. Good preview. Take a look and see if you can nail the descriptions thing.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/561573/aethelberd-s-tomb?1892600

While we’re not ready with the BIG announcement just yet, I am prepared to share a smaller yet excited one.  As of today, we’ve restarted LFG Animated Shorts on social media, which you can see over at- Our Facebook. Our
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We're squeezing in one more Crochet and Catch Up with Moogly before I leave for 10 days of Fiber Festing! Join me for a quick and easy break with crochet chat, behind-the-scenes peeks, and live Q&A. Join in live, or watch the recording at your convenience - all the links are below! Disclaimer: This post […]

The post Crochet and Catch Up with Moogly - April 29, 2026 appeared first on moogly. Please visit www.mooglyblog.com for this post.

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Already five posts published and there's a shitload of Notes out as well. Just to give you guys an impression what's going on over there. Already more engagement then I have here or on X. All good and positive, so make sure to join the party. My latest post is about what rules are and what the must do in order to work properly. A lot of it is explained via chess, but I'm eventually making my way to D&D and role-playing games in general.

Here's the first paragraph:

Rules are a prerequisite to play. But it is not so much about using the rules to play, it is about playing the game within the restrictions the rules are offering. That is such a key difference that not seeing it will lead to wrong design choices when writing your own rules. Or, a more subtle point, you’ll put the wrong focus when explaining how your game works. This very much applies to role-playing games, but let me explain it using chess first, as it makes the better point without trying too hard.

Link 

That's four essays linked here in April, including my introduction over there (three proper, then). There's another meaty one for those with at least a free subscription for the Substack. I'll try to have one for paying members up soon, too (they don't exist yet, but will eventually and they will have something to discover).

Among my next essays will be stuff about looting (bad) movies for their content and one with setting up a sandbox for ORWELL, hopefully with some play-reports building on that (it has to come together on the play side, but I'm working on it).

The Substack will focus a lot on my publishing endeavors, but that usually brings up a lot of adjacent topics and the lively community over there will do its own inspiring.

First time in a long time that blogging brings me joy again.

 

 

My mission: to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were on stands in the week of May 2, 1985. 

Sword of Atom Special #2: This issue actually has a July cover date, but there is some discrepancy in the sources regarding when it came out. Anyway, Strnad and Kane are back with another Lost World/Sword & Planet-ish tale. A bird-riding group of raiders called Skul-Riders attack New Morlaidh and kidnap women, including Laethwen. At around the same time, Paul Hoben and Norman Brawler have arrived with an accidentally shrunk Jean, intending to find Atom and get his help to restore her, but she too is kidnapped by the raiders. Atom, Voss, and Paul join forces to track the riders to their city where it turns out a dictator using mind control technology is responsible for the raids as he seeks breeding stock to bolster his cities ranks to realize his dreams of conquest. When his people are freed from control, they kill the tyrant themselves, and our heroes return home. Atom gives Jean and Paul the shrinking belt as he can't use it anymore.
Atom will appear in several issues of Crisis but that's it until 1988.

DC Comics Presents #83: Rozakis is the writer on this team-up of Superman and the Challengers of the Unknown. The artists are a bit of a puzzle: We have both Kirby and Toth, both with inks by Theakston. Toth's work only appears over a couple of pages in a flashback sequence. It seems weird to engage two such celebrated artists in this way, which makes me think the issue as we got it was a "plan B." Anyway, this is Kirby's last major work for DC, though his last actual work (a cover) won't come until after Crisis.
Zo-Mar, a Kryptonian criminal from the pre-Phantom Zone days, escapes from a prison space capsule and infiltrates the Earth with a mystic card that gives him the power of mind control--including those of Superman and the Challengers of the Unknown. It also (handily) keeps him from developing Kryptonian super-powers. Our heroes manage to get the card from him, but then he gains powers! They ultimately use a trick to defeat him and destroy the card. Zo-Mar is sent to the Phantom Zone.

Shadow War of Hawkman #4: The limited series comes to a close just as it seems it was getting started, but Isabella makes it clear at the end that this was merely the first battle in a potentially longer war. We open with several examples of the Absorbacon being used to still secrets from humans, and thus economic and political spoils. The Shadow War is to be an infiltration and covert coup rather than a fledged-fledged invasion.  The Hawks are still in the fight, though. They sneak back onto their own ship, defeat the Thanagarian agents, then destroy the ship so it can't be taken again. They track down the Absorbacon, but fate takes a hand as Rab Mekir, enslaved to the machine, takes his revenge on Fell Andar, leading to his own death. This vanguard defeated, Katar and Shayera can return to their secret IDs and cover lives, but we see there are still Thanagarian deep cover agents on Earth.

Wonder Woman #326: This one has a July cover date, too, though likely released in May. Newell takes over as writer with Heck still on art, and we're back to the stuff that was going in back in issue 316. Wonder Woman follows Keith Griggs and Lauren Haley back to the Central American nation of Tropidor and again encounters the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca. Also, Etta is really angry with Diana for some reason.

V #6: This is another issue with a July cover date. Bates and Infantino/DeZuniga wrap up the whole Meagan arc. The rebellion rescues Meagan, ironically to keep him from blowing up the alien mothership as they fear the severity of reprisals, and they are helped by a scheming faction of Visitor leadership looking to undercut Diana. Unfortunately, Meagan's head-bomb starts to malfunction, so he takes a ship and heads back toward the Mothership on his own. He explodes before he gets there, though, taking out some Visitor fighters and thwarting Diana's plans to recapture him. She remains unaware of the bomb throughout the whole incident. 
On Earth, the Visitor experimentation facility is taken out, and Ham and friends force the lead scientists to inject themselves with their own mutagen.

Back in 2010 (wow, has it been 16 years already?) I released a little game called Warrior, Rogue & Mage. It had some modest success and quite a few people have high regards for it because it’s simple, easily hacked and dirt cheap since it’s free. I also released the rules portion under a Creative Commons Attribution license so everyone can create new games using these rules as long as they give credit.

One of the games created using these rules is Christian Conkle’s Uprising on Antares-9. It’s a roleplaying game based on a TSR Sci-Fi minigame called Revolt from Antares designed by Tom Moldvay. I have to admit that I never even heard about this minigame before Christian told me about his project. The game consists of six small booklets available for free on itch.io but you can also order physical copies from Lulu. You’ll find all further information on the game’s itch.io page.

The whole project started as a thread on the rpg.net forums back in 2021 when Christian asked for help finding a system suited for a Revolt on Antares RPG. The thread is still active and if you enjoy Uprising on Antares I recommend you go there and post about it.

If you are either a WR&M fan looking for more stuff to play with or someone who has fond memories of Revolt from Antares you should definitely check out Christian Conkle’s game.

 In the world of Burrows & Borderlands, the Devil Monkey isn't just a myth—it’s the primate nightmare of the northern woods. While most beasts in the Kingdom are relatable mammals, the Devil Monkey represents an ancient, uncanny lineage that feels "wrong" to the average adventurer. The Devil MonkeyThe Shadow in the CanopyThe Devil Monkey is a lean, powerful simian roughly the Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

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