Rolld20’s DMDavid

 Interesting article.

https://dmdavid.com/tag/5-tropes-that-make-exciting-stories-but-ruin-dd-games/

Btw th e rolld20 guys  just did a thing with Treantmonk.  

minis on etsy, some good deals

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/OtherwareGaming?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F4326065780%2Fblack-pudding%3Fls%3Ds%26ga_order%3Dmost_relevant%26ga_search_type%3Dall%26ga_view_type%3Dgallery%26ga_search_query%3Dblack%2Bpudding%2Bdnd%2Bmini%26ref%3Dsr_gallery-1-13%26frs%3D1%26content_source%3D6fa9c8a8-4b3e-41ff-bfe5-f5997d16c550%25253A6ad6e67cc6bed4bd7812f94a6b6d8fc56225764d%26organic_search_click%3D1%26logging_key%3D6fa9c8a8-4b3e-41ff-bfe5-f5997d16c550%253A6ad6e67cc6bed4bd7812f94a6b6d8fc56225764d&page=17#items

black pudding

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4326065780/black-pudding?ls=s&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=black+pudding+dnd+mini&ref=sr_gallery-1-13&frs=1&content_source=6fa9c8a8-4b3e-41ff-bfe5-f5997d16c550%253A6ad6e67cc6bed4bd7812f94a6b6d8fc56225764d&organic_search_click=1&logging_key=6fa9c8a8-4b3e-41ff-bfe5-f5997d16c550%3A6ad6e67cc6bed4bd7812f94a6b6d8fc56225764d

boneclaw

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4326176060/boneclaw?ref=shop_home_active_9&frs=1&logging_key=953ad43b307d695332aa4b4d72a1316f140775e5%3A4326176060

Great ideas, The Misty Isles (dnd Wee warriors 1977) retro

 Great ideas, The Misty Isles (dnd Wee warriors 1977) retro

See yt

Great ideas, read the second half.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXyv8E_c65U

Stuff like:

Troll lives under a bog. Bell to alert town guards to come collect magic item. So like the troll and nearby town are in cahoots!!

Making an area. Ideas

 https://personabler.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-method-for-condensed-worldbuilding.html

See list. 

Random Thoughts on Why the Kid Rathers 5e than DCC

.CONCLUSION, PARTIAL / AKA IDEAS FOR NOW:

1. Have a ROOM in G2 or G3 each, that is a DCC Room (Dont tell kid it's DCC). 
1. Describe as "You get an eerie feeling when you step into this previously blocked room. What is this place?". That actually goes in alignment with the G1 creepy place!!! This can be a tie in with the Underdark influences, demonic, etc. OK this is getting fun. 
2. Use the Random Rolls in the Monster Alphabet for my fun. 
1. Example: A-2 pg. 14 is Unusual Armor type.
1. I like it. #2 for instance is: zero dmg from slashing (maybe I'd set it to 1 HP of dmg each time max, and only describe for a while). 
2. 
   

Reference: https://forum.rpg.net/threads/dungeon-crawl-classics-what-do-you-think.893812/

The art is crazy. I can't use all of these ideas in my more serious games, but they are inspiring. And weird as heck, but usually in a good way. 

Love this one.

Some background. I've played almost every version of D&D a little, and just a little, up until recently the kid and me have played a decent bit of 3.5e and then a lot of 5e (with some house rules and a little 3.5e mixed in). But we also had a good few sessions of DCC. What happened? 

Well, I kind of a had a blast with DCC (Dungeon Crawl Classics), so much that I went and bought some extra things for the future. Meanwhile, the kid wanted to get back into 5e. I was thinking he just liked his high level characters and was ready to get them to super high level play so we could finally experience every aspect of D&D... since we've only done low and mid level stuff. I think that's partially true, BUT, a day or two back he basically said he liked the tactical aspect of our current versions of D&D (5e plus flanking rules from 3.5e, etc.). Which I can totally appreciate, because that is often my favorite part of DnD also. But, I keep yearning for DCC. Why? Let's analyze myself and the kid a little more. 

Self:

• I do love tactics. I like having a sort of puzzle in front of me, and I need to traverse the given rules to figure out a great outcome. The kid is definitely into this a ton. 
• I also love the crazy power of magic in these games. = DCC or OSR or B/X or 1e, maybe 2e, slightly 3.5e. 
• So far 5e seems to really weaken magic, and as a DM I keep bumping up magic power to make it more interesting/fun. Kid seems fine with that. 
• But out of our I think two modules of DCC, both times the magic with spellburn + luck ended up being super mega powerful and really defining the finalies (how do you spell "fi na lees"? Anyway, I'm trying to say the finish line). Maybe I overplayed my hand and stuff, but that was fun for me. The kid I think saw it as a too easy way to circumvent the rest, and it outshined the melee guys at that moment (so yeah, I'm 100% fine with that, but he might not be). 
• DCC also has a REALLY good way of giving an awesome vibe. The writing of Sailors of the Starless Sea and the other one (was it Doom of the Jarl or whatnot) was really just cool and felt great. More gritty. More pre-medieval. Kinda Conan/Sword and Sorcery. I dunno, it was just really good. 
• DCC also makes prep for the DM super easy. Straight forward stuff, but just enough writing to make it interesting. Again, the main writer guy whose name I forget at this second has a great way to get the vibe going fast. 
• Also, DCC was simple enough that the kid could DM for me, and getting to play as a the party was really fun for me b/c I've been DM like 50 times in the last year so...  yeah the break was nice. 

Where am I going with this? I'd like to play some more DCC with the kid, but definitely don't want to force it as that is no fun for anybody. I'll keep thinking on it. Maybe him being the Judge/DM would work, I dunno. 

HELPFUL REMINDERS IF I DO PLAY DCC AGAIN:

jcfiala on RPG.NET says: If you're going to be running the game, I suggest looking around for the DCC RPG Reference Booklet on Lulu.com (It's also up for sale on Goodman Games' own website). It's basically all of the non-spell tables in one volume, which makes it much easier to find tables you need in combat - particularly the crit tables and the like.

Similarly, for your players who are running wizards, I strongly suggest printing out the spell pages so you can more easily reference them during a game. Purple Sorcerer will let you build a spellbook and print it out, or you can just open up the pdf for the game and choose those pages.

OMG, yeah gotta use the Monster Alphabet by Goodman Games. Some fun ideas, let's change up ONE random room in G2 and G3, that will be a DCC room kinda. Roll a d12 to determine this weird wild and probably underdark demonic thing. 

• Roll a d12 for crazy Armor. 
• Roll d14 F-2: FOURTEEN FRIGID POWERS
• Giant crazy:
• Regeneration: The giant’s body brims with life-restoring magic. Flesh wounds knit themselves
  closed on their own accord and severed limbs spontaneously grow back. The regenerative effect does have one weakness. The powers do not function under special circumstances or in response to certain types of damage. Roll a d8: 1 – Cannot heal when wet; 2 – Ice or cold-based attacks; 3 – Necrotic damage; 4 – Fire or heat-based attacks; 5 – Cannot heal in sunlight; 6 – Cannot heal in darkness; 7 – Damage from holy powers; 8 – Electrical and energy-based attacks. The creature will return from the dead if the killing blow does not exploit this weakness
• Loot - one or few time use for crazy
• Table H-1. Like
• Ring/Stone/Charm/Bag/Horn/Helm of
• Dragon breath
• Ghost sight - Maybe it sees through a wall
• Giant Frenzy - ... like berserk, but gives you giant strength for a couple rounds? 
• Greater Hobbling - it kills use of one leg of enemy, then what? Interesting. 
• Infernal / demon thing
• Table I-1, Roll d14
• Head. The beast's face changes to 1d7, goate, snake, human, ocotopus, cat, skull, wolf.
• Stench. Sulphur, vomit, dung, burning flesh, blood, rotten mammal, livestock doodoo. 
• Familiars get spooked.
• Weird weapon (torture ish). MultiWhip. Trident. Pitchfork.
• Pentagram carved into flesh. 
• Cloven hooves.
• Snake tongue.
• Wings. Maybe batlike. Maybe raven. Skeletal + cobwebs. insect.
• Horns, what kind? Roll d10. Goat, crystal, unicorn, triceratops, bull, antelope, rhino, buffalo, stag, manx loaghtan (creepy 4 horned sheep). Insect antennae/antennas (it's also correct, yep). 
• Table I-2, insect stuff.
• Table K-1
• "Kryptonite", secrete weird weaknesses.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

More Free PDFs, mostly OSR and Other like SciFi 1940s

 https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/search/label/Free%20PDFs

Found it when stumbling upon G4-G9... yep sure enough, someone made more giant modules in the style of G1-G3. 

See Tenfootpole's comments here: https://tenfootpole.org/ironspike/?p=638

More OSR 1970s that I never heard of: Tekumel

 https://www.tekumel.com/gaming_advflora.html

Science + (or) Fantasy. Has Gene Vats, like the Dying Earth stuff it sounds like to me. But then here, https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/2060/tekumel-empire-of-the-petal-throne-tsr, it distinctly says you can pick Fantasy or Alien Worlds. 

• First by a professor guy.
• Then the next year sold under TSR. 

BTW, the https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2008/12/retrospective-caverns-of-thracia.html site/guy got me to that Tekumel info. And yes that's a 'Thracia article from 2008. 

Sundews and pitchers in the South and near. D&D ideas.

This guy finds all kindsa carnivorous planta in southern Mississippi

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bYUljIrGSGo

• And the Drosera capillaris, the pink sundew, seems to be the ones near here. Wikip says range to Mexico and even further south. 
• A taller one starts apparently in Miss. and ranges all over eastern usa, Drosera intermedia.  
• He also finds some Super tall hairy sundews called Traci Sundews i hink

Pitcher plants. Maybe Pale pitchers. 

In one vid he sees 7 pitcher species.  

Parrot Pitcherplant, the Red parts are idea-worthy in D&D. 

Wikip says some cool stuff on the parrot pitcher plant: Sarracenia psittacina, also known as the parrot pitcherplant,^[1] is a carnivorous plant in the genus Sarracenia. Like all the Sarracenia, it is native to North America, in the Southeastern United States.

Sarracenia psittacina employs the same trapping mechanism as Darlingtonia californica, using a small entrance in the pitcher mouth, which prey goes through in search of more nectar that was produced by the plant on the rim of the pitcher mouth. The prey is then confused by light shining through what appear to be false exits (or "windows") and crawls toward the brighter area down into the pitcher. Criss-crossed downward-facing hairs densely line the interior of the pitcher, forcing the prey further into the pitcher to an area where digestive enzymes such as proteases are prevalent in the liquid.

This species is frequently submerged in its native habitat and will capture water arthropods and tadpoles, for example, while submerged.

 *** check out the stuff by wg no, about the yellow trumpet pitcher, and parrot pitcher plants which are in abita springs.  https://wgno.com/news-with-a-twist/the-carnivorous-plants-of-south-louisiana/

ABITA SPRINGS, LOUISIANA — There are many scary things from politics, to clowns to spiders.  Sometimes the creepiest things don’t go bump in the night.  They might not even move at all.

The hallmark of the plant world is the ability to use sunlight to make food during photosynthesis.  In the long leaf pine savannah of south Louisiana, a few plants have evolved a curious method of getting nutrients from poor soil.  They’ve become carnivorous.

Dr. Christopher Reid is a botanist and educator at LSU’s School of Renewable Natural Resources and says and is intrigued by the plants and their relationships with other organisms.  Dr. Reid says, “the fact that plants interact with animals in such a away as to trap them and consume them… usually, it’s animals that eat plants.”

There are over a dozen species of carnivorous plants in the area.   They are part of the biodiversity of hundreds of plants that live under the pine trees.  All of the plants in the area usually rely on routine forrest burns that clear the tall vegetation and keep shrubs from getting to dense.  This allows the opportunity for many species to get their time in the sun and thrive.  Carnivorous plants take advantage of the forrest fires and survive remarkably because of their buried rhizome.  Even though the top of the plant may get burned, they will come up again.

The largest carnivorous plant in the area is the yellow trumpet pitcher plant and in it’s modified leaves there is something similar to stomach acid that helps break down the insects that fall into the trap.

As wonderfully awesome as Little Shop of Horrors is (including the godly voice of Levi Stubbs), these plants aren’t mean green mothers from outer space.  Carnivorous plants have been around for millions of years and each one has their own unique way of eating. Some pitcher plants even secret a narcotic that paralyzes prey. Others like the plants like sundews have tentacles and use a fly-paper method.  “The leaves of the sundew are covered with hairs that are gland-tipped. The glands secret a sticky substance.  One of the features that pitcher plants have are these downward pointing hairs, which prevents whatever falls in to the digestive enzymes from crawling out,” says Dr. Reid.

The Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve has a pitcher plant trail which is hikeable and it includes parrot pitcher plants which become quite showy when they bloom with their otherworldly crimson blossoms.  During spring, the preserve is full of nature’s color, as the land blushes with the blooms of carnivorous plants and other flowering vegetation in the long leaf pine system.  The preserve is free and open to the public from sun up to sun down.

Shockingly, as deadly as carnivorous plants may seem to insects, some arthropods have evolved to live inside of the pitcher plant for protection and there is even a species of moth that lives its whole life cycle inside the pitcher plant trap.  Some spiders have evolved to build webs at the openings to steal the meal of the pitcher plants.

Simply put, nature is wild, sometimes ravenous, but always remarkable.

B/X Omnibus, both books in one, from like 2021. And. Averns of Tracia classic

 Rocketpunchpress (Kaimen Rider dude, one of the most entertaining youtubers) showed primted out via LuLu on his yt.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyTQ4lRldG4

Some stuff here https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/dungeons-dragons-x-omnibus-40th-4580091542

Reddit talks about it https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/comments/17v7ly6/officially_my_favorite_purchase_of_the_year_the/

-=-=-=-=-=-=

And See Captcorajus’s Caverns of Thracia by Goodman games.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb_Md7UdJlM

• @scottlegros2616 says
• I have the original (paper) and have the PDF of the 1979. It's one of my favourite modules. I still use it today in my campaigns. I just upgrade it myself as I get new systems (Pathfinder 1e the most recent incarnation). It does take a bit of reading to understand what is going on, and the issue of the challenges of the different encounters (from giant centipedes to a Minotaur King) can make it difficult to run a group through, but it has always paid off in fun and adventure. The frozen girl 'Epicaste' has always become a wonderful NPC when rescued. Highly recommend this to anyone!
• 
  

Dl free “moon over graymoor” one shot 5e

 Via Nashcraeft yt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foEwMszGKQc&list=LL&index=27&pp=gAQBiAQB  (and BTW, Nashcraeft's interview vid w/ Chubby Funster, author, seems v good). 

Shadowdark or 5e … default is 5e dnd (I can only see 5e, I guess manually convert).  Free on drivethrurpg. 

https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/235521

Also see https://www.enworld.org/threads/advents-amazing-advice-moon-over-graymoor-a-one-shot-fully-prepped-and-ready-to-go.699055/

• It's about maybe werewolves, 
• some kind of murder mystery.
• Start at level 1. 

RedmageGM’s blog. Plus Consortium game 2 player mode. Plus Deathbringer.

 https://redmagegm.substack.com/feed Via his yt https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nzYaNZiUr6A&pp=0gcJCccJAYcqIYzv

Btw, found this Joy of Wargaming yt channel that had a super cool game… Consortium, sorta like dnd, flexible.  Got my attention bcuz default ish mode is two ppl… taking turns beimg the monsters. Kinda like what we do already ！So bound to have good info.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bwYwwQWDMU

Consortium ttrpg or wargame is v interesting. 

So Deathbringer ttrpg sounds interesting.  Similar to Shadowdark. 

We should make a jp and insect themed module

 Japan.  

Insects.  

Infinite possibilities. 

Saw those roach killer wasps irl.  How about an ecosystem around giant insects.  Giant wasps… some don’t bother ppl, they nuke other giant insects.  Maybe part of jungle world islands with dinosaurs. Chut.  Chuul.  No.  I can never remember name. Chult!! 

G2 Results so far, our campaign

 Top level done. 

Fought remorhaz and winter wolves.  Was tough because druid was earth elemental and remorhaz rolled 20 on init and swallowed Barbarian on 2nd round.  3 winter wolves ambushed, Then 4 more winter wolves ambushed.

Fighter knocked out. Barb swallowed, warlock took 35 dmg from ambush. 

Super cool old Zines for OSR

 Our guy keeps delivering awesome overviews of Zines that I was unaware of: Stuff like Tempestuous Orifice. “Old School Rules” channel by AZmountaineer.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7bHjZ-m0Cs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MYxU1wp39m8&t=107s

NEXT TIME Our Campaign, what to do after G3?

UPDATE July 28, 2025: Still in G2, how about add a "Frost" aka a "Snow Fairy", which was in a super old Dragon Magazine/monster manual 3. They are tricksers, but not evil (even listed as neutral to good or something). 

Frosts rarely attack any being except
patently evil beings like trolls and orcs, and
gain much enjoyment from playing tricks of a
harmless nature on wanderers in the woods
(dropping snow from above, creating
patches of ice, changing the temperature
abruptly, etc.)
If carefully approached, they may render
help to passers-by and give directions.

 

 Frosts may use a Cone of Cold of 3d8
value once per day (same dimensions as
Cold Wand), Control Temperature within a
10’ radius (12th-level ability) as desired.
When invisible, they may use Frost Fingers
twice per day (as Burning Hands in all re-
spects except it causes frostbite, freezes
liquids; 12th-level ability), and one creature
in six may use Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere
once per day, at 18th-level ability.

-------FUTURE BELOW---------

So the kid is halfway through G2. I think we'll do G3. Then I guess we'll do D1-D3, since the level requirements are about right. But there is a chance I'd switch to something else. 

This fellow has alt player maps of D1, etc. :https://blogofexalteddeeds.blogspot.com/2017/02/alternative-player-map-for-d1-2-descent.html

• Yep, thanks I'm gonna use it. 
• 1. "The Vault" (encounter area Y2-55 on the DM's map)
  2. "Children" (encounter area U2-48)
  3. "Great Gate" (Q2-49)
  4. "Mad Fish" (L2-41 and L2-42)
  5. "Svartjet" (W-27)
  6. "Slave Warrens" (Q-19 and Q-18)
  7. "Ancient Foes" (M-12)
  8. "Last Outpost" (D-3)

Reading up on Dungeon of the Mad Mage 5e, Level 14 Arcturiadoom, it has all related stuff to G3, so it's a maybe. 

• Fire giants
• Drow
• but also has hobgoblins and 
• a lich (female ... I am ready for my own super lich, since the first lich was the nice guy in CoStrahd, so yeah, no, ... not feeling like this one)

S-Tier long Campaign Modules from 5e dnd, and free pdf. Modules for Level 14+.

Lost mine of phandelver pdf Has a free version for all. 

See Sly Flourish's video, “tier-ranking d&d and rpg campaigns” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzssBOo0b_A

S-tier etc. via his opinion. Sooo… some surprises like:

• Shadowdark’s Cursed Scroll 1.  S-Tier. 
• Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands.  By raging Swan. S-Tier.
• Tomb of Annihilation in A or B tier.  
• Ghosts of Saltmarsh.. is many adventures. S-Tier. The Isle of blah is bad he says, rest awesome. 
• Ryme frost maiden  f tier, ow.  
• Dragons of stormwreck isle, S Tier, wow.

Reading up on things to do next, so like higher level stuff level 14+... Undermountain's ... Dungeon of the Mad Mage. People said it's good in the sense that you can pick and choose random stuff out of it and stick it into your own campaigns. Like it has 20 levels, and each level is harder than the last, so can easily find stuff for whatever level party. 

• https://www.enworld.org/threads/high-level-adventure-recommendations.671001/page-2
•  Lidgar says: DotMM through Roll 20 and it was a blast. Good variety in encounters, role play and puzzles.
• Reynard syas:  easy enough to make any given level an isolated dungeon someplace in the world

 

BTW, what is DungeonMastersGuild? It's a Roll20 + WotC thing, so apparently it's designed for Roll20 (only?). 

Tomb of Horrors vs. Tomb of Annihilation, review:

Tomb of Horrors was released way back in 1978 as a Gygax original. Fast forward to the Tomb of Annihilation release date in 2017 and that old-school influence is still clear in this classical adventure of dangerous exploration and downright suicidal dungeon crawling. 

 Tomb of Annihilation

• 126 pages.  
• The Tomb of Annihilation adventure path / Chult Setting, progressing from 1st to 12th level (final cap is debatable)
• 2 new character backgrounds
• 15 new magic items/magical consumables
• 59 new monsters/NPCs with lore and stat blocks
• 26 Tomb of Annihilation map / other handouts
•  The adventure path can be cleanly divided into two halves. Chapters 1-3 are the exploration half, and chapters 4-5 are pure dungeon crawling. 
• Then we get to the second half, which goes from level 8th level to 12th level (or thereabouts) and it switches into some of the hardest, grindiest dungeon crawling I’ve ever seen. It starts at the snake cult and only gets harder from there as players endure an onslaught of difficult combat, potentially TPKing traps, and try to survive a dungeon literally created for killing adventurers. The first half of the adventure is at a high difficulty already and the second half will be a complete meat grinder for newer players.
• Now it might sound like I didn’t like the second half, but I did, I adore the classical high stakes of this no-holds barred dungeon crawl. I especially loved the “god” spirits that can inhabit the players and the ingenuity of the traps. It just needs to be stated how different these halves feel to play 

 

Tomb of Annihilation, Bakomusha (seems to be a non DungeonCrawl type of guy) on Reddit says: 

• PROS
• Jungle locations are some of the best I've seen in a module!     
• "Hexsploration" is always fun for me.
• CONS
•  The Tomb is actually a cake walk, compared to the Yuan-Ti den, and Omu itself. The traps can by fun, but run the range from trial and error, to 90s Adventure Game level answers. 
•  Final boss fight can be made a joke with multiple casters with Counterspell.
• (that cheap Aaracokra bones trap, the urgency of the Death Curse discouraging exploration)

• THOUGHTS
• Will certainly cannibalize the jungle encounters for other games, and in the future I might just run the jungle, or juts the Tomb. I found making the BBEG a joker, and making the tomb much more goofy in a lot of way, with a lot of meta jokes and 4th wall breaking, to be a fun way to handle the other wise tedious dungeon crawl. 6.5/10. 
• Other agreed Cakewalk - None of my players characters died, tho one got close at the last fight. The only trap or puzzle that gave him pause was the hall that destroyed none magical items. He solved that by putting everyone in a bag of holding and having a skeleton minion carry them to the stairs. He solved the "mandatory" puzzles with such ease, I swear he was cheating sometimes. The one's he didn't solve tho, the most BS ones he just walked away from.     
• (that cheap Aaracokra bones trap, the urgency of the Death Curse discouraging exploration)

 

His links are good, QuestingBeast (the Knave guy)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW5OLzR2puo

See his pinned post. He explains in first few minutes what the links are. I'll link some - 

Knave 2e is on sale (got my copy already, it's nice) https://bit.ly/QuestingBeastPDFs Other RPGs on sale: https://questingbeast.substack.com/p/...

His RPGs (PDF): https://bit.ly/QuestingBeastPDFs His RPGs (Print): https://bit.ly/QuestingBeastBooks Newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheGlatisant RPG recommendations: https://amzn.to/3RwpZzU

His blog: https://bit.ly/QuestingBlog His favorite OSR books: https://bit.ly/OSRbooks His Must-read blog posts: https://bit.ly/OSRposts His The best RPG blogs: https://bit.ly/OSRblogs

Knave 2 has great random tables (it hates powerful magic tho). AD&D 2e monsters

Knave 2, it really is great, and I need to buy it... oh and the pdf is onsale on drivethru, gah, can I resist: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/484910/knave-second-edition Might be buying it today... wish I had another bookshelf NOW. Maybe just the PDF. Looking at pictures/vids, the book is small and I'm afraid it'll be eyestrain territory (nay, I shall not buy glasses). Yeah, better stick to PDFs to be sure. Altho guy here talks about the fonts https://dmtales.com/2024/07/03/going-classless-with-knave-2e/    but just look online and zoom/in out for the actual size, which I estimate to be like 9 inches (confirmed it is 8.5 inches tall... it'll be too small in physical form). OK done, bought the PDF. I'm such a tightwad, haha... it was for my bday right? 

I kinda love this mouth-beholder thing. Their art in the book is fun. 

BTW, https://lowfantasygaming.com/freepdf/ and their free pdf. And Tales of Argosa is on sale on drive thru, might need it too. Hah! Read on Tales of Argosa before I buy... would i really play solo, this dude's summary is THE BEST SUMMARY: https://sablemage.blogspot.com/2025/05/review-tales-of-argosa.html. ((Maybe check this for actual solo play https://sandboxshaker.blogspot.com/2025/06/solo-tales-of-argosa-episode-6-dances.html))

His Pros: Many many, if you want low fantasy Swrd&Sorc. But he likes the dangerous magic (aka less magic) while I don't like it as much (DCC using that works OK and is fun tho).  PCs start with about 10 hit points and will struggle to get over 40 even at 9th level (the max level is 9). 

His Cons: "One thing I don't like is the need to buy separate custom dice and a custom card deck to use the group or solo oracles"

My questionables: Luck mechanic... makes you avoid resting. Starting to sound more and more like "closer to realism, almost no magic, humans only practically, everything is super deadly. You are either Conan or his sidekick non-magic guy." Eight (arguably nine) stats rather than six.

BTW, AD&D 2e creatures, huge list, including: https://www.completecompendium.com/appendix/haundar/

Anyway, here are a couple of random highlights I see online:

SIGNS ( via Knave, as in signs of an encounter or something special or a trail... think Ranger/Druid spotting:)

• Scorch marks
• Shed skin
• Eggs
• Eggshells
• Element Trail -> i guess like a fiery trail or ... something from an elemental? 
• Fallen trees
• Crushed grass
• (My own fav that I made up back in the 90s, don't see it here yet) spiderwebs in the grass/between trees with missing dew (in the morning) or apparently stepped on/knocked out of the way 
• Saliva
• Mucus/slime - think gibbering mouther or giant snail / slug. BTW, that list of AD&D 2e creatures had the ice slug, 30 ft. long and can bite or do acid. 
• https://www.completecompendium.com/appendix/haundar/
• Middens - what is that? Oh, a dung heap. Maybe for farmers, eh? I saw some in Jp. Oh wait, the definition seems to mean an old abandoned garbage pile, not manure for farmers. Archaeologists like 'em. 
• Ritual Remains - sounds like the ole gnolls are up to no good. 

WORDSTUFF again:

1. Fire vs. Fiery = is spelled funny. 

G2 Next time. The 2e creature list. The Fighting Fantasy Art.

Update for upcoming Fri the 25th of July (see red entries of monsters down low on here):

What if… a super random BOOK at the giant lair?

What is it. 

Why there. They dont read. 

Danger or not.

Spellbook or not.

--- 

If stone wall

• 1. Crenelations down? Bowling ball boulder
• 2. Or can roll boulders over the top, many at once.  Many giants at once.  
• Update: OK got to do this, but just one guy did it. Sure enough, it knocked out the warlock (I even gave him a dex save to avoid b/c he was at half hp). 

…..

Have a 1hp snow stirge beetle type thing that you want magic missile or aoe to get rid of. While fighting giants. While concentrate on spell. 

...... ..

Add more small monsters like Stirge. Check https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Monsters and https://www.completecompendium.com/

• Gray ooze?

Other random 2e monsters that seem cool:

• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/dl/1050/firemini/
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1060/darktent/ - kinda like LotR tentacle monster
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1060/slitmorp/
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1060/ibrandli/
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/gh/1064/varrango/ 
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/gh/1064/thassalo/ -  weird bone golem types
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/aq/1077/yakman/   - super powerful yakman, they can control Dao Genies. 
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1084/metamast/ - weird giant slugs with magnetic powers, anti-metal, interesting fights. 

NEXT BIT is from UNDERDARK / Menzoberranzan book, be sure to look on the 2e creature website "By Book":

• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1083/cloalord/ - cloaker_lord, underdark, super genius. Weird! Apparently they hang with regular cloakers and go after ppl. The Pharaun Mizzrym drow also killed one. 
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1083/ridiliza/ - the drow's riding lizard, considered LN. Has 3 attacks, 2-8/2-12/2-12. 
• I think the kid might see one of these soon?!
• Wow, read the whole entry, super good details. 
• Riding lizards run lightly on their back legs or on all fours, and can scale stone as easily as a spider. Left to themselves, they take an irregular route, using leaps, passage ceilings, walls, and dry, non-slippery stalactites and stalagmites more than floors, to avoid being tracked by predators of the Underdark who possess infravision.
• compare to Pack Lizards, which i kinda used earlier in G1, ... more HitDice: https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1083/lizasubt/
• https://www.completecompendium.com/catalog/fr/1083/foulwing/ - pretty cool, evil flying thing that the drow use esp. on surface world. 
• Kid will run into, yeah?
• DESCRIBE AS: " You see a large creature, not a dragon... it has huge wings and a large body, as big as an elephant, but it has long skinny arms, a pot belly, strange mammal-like ears, and a strange lazy but evil look about it. "
• The magic user from that book I liked a lot, Pharun Mizzrym, he road them: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Pharaun_Mizzrym
• Foulwings were sometimes used as mounts by evil humanoids, such as drow.^[1] Foulwings guarded House Mizzrym in Menzoberranzan. Some of the house's members, including Pharaun Mizzrym, were able to ride them
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

And this Fighting Fantasy Art fan page has great B&W art; gives me ideas. Just scroll right and left when you are on the art:

• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Spinosauruself.jpg
• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Tongue.jpg
• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Stoneminotaur.jpg
• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Eeriedepiction.jpg
• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Giantwasp.png
• https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Elf?file=Forestofdoom.png

D&D Reviews and Blogger sites

Has good reviews of modules: https://thekindgm.com/

All kinds of stuff: https://arcaneeye.com/category/adventures/

Maybe: https://grumpywizard.home.blog/

D&D: Idea for a cool event - Writing On the Wall

I can see this leading up to something cool: 

Origins of "The Writing On the Wall" here:

"In the Biblical story told in Daniel 5, the haughty King Belshazzar throws a big party. While everyone is feasting, a disembodied hand appears and writes a warning on the wall. The term is also used in the form handwriting on the wall."  <- via the Wordsmith guy/website/emailer. 

https://dscryb.com/store/ Maybe

 The dm lair guy has some at time 8:20 on his 2023's yt, 5 ways to make giants more exciting in d&d yt -> it's very very VERY similar to and obviously borrows from 2017's: https://www.themonstersknow.com/giant-tactics/

But this other site has totally original ideas: https://gaiusludusen.blogspot.com/2016/06/5e-d-combat-options-with-giant-creatures.html

BTW: This Dscryb site... at first I thought no, but I'm kinda changing my mind. Having those solid 3 sentence descriptions goes a long way. https://dscryb.com/store/

Free one shots. Shots in the Dark for Shadowdark. Tools-tables. A Review of sorts (I guess).

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKgs4FDEWIY talks about Shots in the Dark, for Shadowdark. 

Download here, shared and free for all apparently: https://sarahangell.itch.io/shots-in-the-dark-1

REVIEW, SORT OF:

Which ones to use, which ones to skip. It's just my opinion, I'm sure they are all very good if you like their style. I get hung up on anything that brings me out of the ancient feel of medieval fantasy/sword and sorcery/that sort of thing:

1. Skip or lotsa changes. Spores from the Undercity. Mushroom-men, cool. But Don't like "Spore addict" so I'd change that.... takes me out of the feel of the game. I keep seeing "addict hideout" and stuff, so that's a problem. 
2. Skip, hard skip. Flooded Crypt of the Necromancer.... Rock n roll monster, AKA mixing genres = not my style. Too much to change to bother. 
3. Seems good. The Rotting Gardens of Rafflesia.  Atop a rise in a quiet swamp clearing, you spy a white stone archway....
   
4. Skip probably. Ill-Gotten Gains. Pirates. 
5. Good. I think I like this one. The Doom of Caer Ferros. Has interesting vertical dungeon stuff. Easy and Medium undead.
6. Good. The Mines of Gloomwind Ravine. Have to recover the Eye of Ord. Has more fun monsters than most so far. 
7. Probably fine. The Monster Under the Tower. About a weird mage. Has a lab... .... Super short. Something like 1 miniboss, 1 boss, 1 minor monster swarm. 
8. Looks good. Vault of the Once Great Thief. Plenty of Kobolds, a sorcerer. Sounds fun. 
9. Maybe. Pirates though. The Forgotten Isle of the Hydra Cult. Great B&W drawing at the end. 
10. Seems good BUT... the child killing is pretty detailed though, maybe too much.  The Blackbridge Labyrinth. Has some fun rumors and stuff. 
11. Skip or change a lot. The Tarwell. Hissing pipes? Valves? Feels not medieval and genre mixing.... 
12. Fine. The Scorchard. Spigot? Otherwise fine. 
13. Fine, not my fav. Thrice Sealed. Harpies. Holy weapon. 
14. Good. Warrens of the Deepwood King. Mushroom men. Fairies. 
15. Seems good. Elemental Mistakes. What does "deadly" mean exactly on pg. 49? Lotsa elementals. Rather long. 
16. Hard skip - Spaceships. Frozen Tomb of the Nameless One. Spaceships. 
17. Good. Terror of the Demon Cyst (Rename to Demon Heart or something). Level 5 (Shadowdark/OSR level that is). Interesting monsters. The gross "cyst" is well too gross and not cool (I would rename it completely), but otherwise interesting stuff. 
18. Skip. The Word-Eating Wyrm. Level 6 (Shadowdark/OSR level that is). 
1. Bibloraxi? Kinda goofy/cheesy name referencing the book thing, but even super pro authors are guilty of this kinda naming stuff. I'd rename him to "Bloraxi" or something better. 
2. The Paper Cut Tribe? Also too silly in name, I'd change it. 
3. Sepia-scaled? Sepia? It evokes modern things... editing photos, etc. OK, sure, it's from old Greek and a cuttlefish, but you just can't use that word in this game for me. At least in the "read outloud" description they describe it  as "papery brown scales". But then again, papery. OK, it eats books, and now it's a paper dragon? 
4. I guess this is way too much pulling me out of the D&D feel of things, I'll pass. 

TOOLS:

Pg. 63 and 64 and probably beyond have some awesome random tables... seems to be for that last book dragon adventure but can use for whatever I bet.  

DUNGEON EVENTS

Examples... By Mike Kuhns (CritFail.Press). Roll a d8. I'll list some I like:

• On a 1 - Competition. 3 or 4 less than savory sorts also enter dungeon for plunder. They'll backstab you later. 
• An Acolyte (SD pg. 194)
• An Apprentice (ShadowDark pg. 196)
• A Bandit (SD 197)
• Thug (SD 259). 
• On a 2 - "One the doorstep".  An army of hostile raiders arrives outside the dungeon. Periodically, they send troops into the dungeon. Whenever the party enters a room, 1:6 chance that 1d4+2 Soldiers (SD 252) are present!
  
• On a 3 - Earthquake. Random things fall, party must dodge.  An earthquake strikes and the PC’s must make a DC 12 DEX check to dodge the falling debris. The earthquake may have altered the state of the dungeon or its inhabitants.
• On a 4 - Magical roiling purple storm. Makes magic suck (OK this might be too much, but maybe once in a blue moon). DC on spell checks incr by 2. Magic weapons stop working for a while. Storm ends in 2d12 rounds. 
• On a 5 - Adventure relocation. Crazy magic moves whole dungeon.  Roll 1d8: 1. Desert 2. Tundra 3. Lava flats 4. Forest 5. Jungle 6. Rocky coastline 7. Bustling city 8. Swamp
  
• On a 6 - Lights and Doors. Magical wind shuts doors and blows out nonmagic light. I've seen this before. Ravenloft maybe the first. 
• On a 7 - Growing Roots.  Sharp metallic spikes erupt from the ground throughout the dungeon, dealing 2d6 damage to anything they touch (DC 9 DEX to avoid when travelling).
• On an 8 - A new dragon has already taken over named Rexxicorius. 

 RANDOM ENCOUNTER GENERATOR

By Charlie Sloper

Roll as many times as needed, normally thrice (((this is a table with 4 columns, doesn't show up well in text here))) (((For example, roll a d20 three times, if you get a 1, then a 2, then a 2. You would have an UNDEAD DESPAIRING LICH.))) I would of course reroll silly or overly gross stuff. 

d20 Adjective Verb Noun

• 1 Undead Rampaging Tax-Collector
• 2 Furious Despairing Lich
• 3 Murderous Summoning Dragon
• 4 Flaming Vomiting Ooze
• 5 Exhausted Dying Priest
• 6 Anxious Gambling Troll
• 7 Lonely Fleeing Politician
• 8 Disgusted Growing Goblin
• 9 Slimy Healing Pirate
• 10 Drunk Dueling Acrobat
• 11 Crystalline Cooking Bard
• 12 Petrified Painting Tree
• 13 Gargantuan Praying Urchin
• 14 Generous Drinking Crow
• 15 Clockwork Digging Clockmaker
• 16 Wealthy Sleeping Witch

 

ADVENTURE FILLER If your shot fired too rapidly, the way home may bring...

d20 Encounter

• 1 An archmage sets the party to finding flowers. [roll again for where]
• 2 Eight 8 bandits ambush the party, but half of them got lost / are late.
• 3 A merchant tries to make camp, dryad keeps stealing his firewood.
• 4 A bard locked himself out, asks the party for help. It isn’t his house.
• 5 A druid stuck as a wild boar charges the party, mad with fear.
• 6 An assassin (targeting a PC) is trapped amidst scorpions. Scattered
• clues (broken scorpion tank, picture of PC, poisoned dagger).
• 7 A knight asks party to witness duel with a reaver who murdered the
• knight’s family. She knows she will lose, but is honor bound to fight.
• 8 A priest tries to convince mob to burn PCs as witches. He’s bad at it.
• 9 Dueling gangs each say they’re secretly guards and want PC help!
• 10 A pirate with a treasure map flees 3 crewmates, right into the party!
• 11 Twelve 12 goblins perform “Saga of the Ice Queen”, pickpocket attendees.
• 12 5 bickering fairies rope PCs into tea party, leaving offends them.
• 13 Two 2 trolls make PCs settle argument: whose skin has the best fungus?
• 14 Two 2 giants play chess with humanoids - and they’re down a few pieces.
• 15 Orc noble & 4 orc retainers conscript party to fight native centaurs
• 16 Five 5 ettercaps celebrating, invite PCs to swing at pinata full of spiders.
• 17 4 musical skeletons need a singer to help impress their mummy.
• 18 Nightmare looking for its master! Communicates with fire belches.
• 19 Vampire attacks! But too heartbroken to kill anyone. Starts crying :(
• 20 The Wandering Merchant moving clearance! [roll 2d6 treasures]

Table by Samantha O’Brien. #2-4 by Javelin. #16 by MochNessLobster.

Tools tables, solo or sandbox quest ideas

Roll random Goals like

• Destroy items
• Find arcane item
• Kill or capture main npc, minor npc
• Rescue an npc, a group, noble family member
• Kill miniboss, main boss
• Map out a cavern or ruins
• Find treasure vault
• Find ancient scroll
• Assassinate noble (he might be evil)

Obstacles for

• Stop dark ritual
• Waves of undead
• Time running out, 1d4 days
• Long journey to ruins
• Many locked doors
• Many traps
• Barracades and pit traps
• Ancient stone guardians
• Crazy weather
• Maze like area
• Flooded rooms in dungeon
• Fanatic minions

BTW, Knave or Knave 2 apparently has a ton of good random tables, even if you just use it for another system like straight D&D. 

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and more from the London Spikepit guy

 Fighting Fantasy-

Forest of Doom

Citadel of Chaos

Warlock of firetop mountain 

1. His shorts on yt, can find him here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phV5Su1ehCI

And great London accent, btw, great to study for us Americans. I like these English dudes for another perspective on dnd. 

2. Irish (I think) reviewer/writer, has a great overview in the beginning about these books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du0bahrjbAQ&list=LL

3. Video game version, nintendo or steam, nice… https://tinmangames.com.au/games/the-warlocks-of-firetop-mountain/

4. Warlock Magazine was related to the Fighting Fantasy books. Check out this art: