Part 29, covering Medusa to Nixie.

Part 29, covering Medusa to Nixie. Includes another 'man-type' entry cut from the published rulebook - Mermen. More than halfway through the monsters now.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2014/04/part-29-they-usually-inhabit-tunnels.html

Followup to my earlier dice question.

Followup to my earlier dice question... how many believe precision dice are superior to that tumbled crap that fills the shelves these days... and, if you do, how do you suggest we help younger/new players understand this? (or are they so concerned with feel and visual style, that they are completely resistant to the possibility?)

Dice Question.

Dice Question... how many of favor the d20+ (numbered 0-9 and 0+-9+) when playing old school games, or would buy one if they were available again (somewhere apart from eBay)?

Two Sealed Bags of Dice, Polyhedra & Percentil

Will Tijerina wrote:

Picked up a set recently and found that it had, not one, but two sealed bags of dice.  Anyone seen this before?  I believe this is a fourth printing set.  Thanks.

"GAS AT GUADALCANAL"

"GAS AT GUADALCANAL"
Part 5 in my series on rare art from Holmes Basic artist Dave Trampier is now online.

Part 4 in my ongoing series on rare art by Holmes Basic artist Dave Trampier.

Part 4 in my ongoing series on rare art by Holmes Basic artist Dave Trampier. This post focuses on fellow Holmes artist Tom Wham.

Here's a system neutral random magic item creator.

Here's a system neutral random magic item creator. Each time the page is loaded it will create a new list with items such as "Crumbling hellish coin that gives the user spider climbing and summons uncontrollable rats"
http://slyflourish.com/random_mundane_magic_item_generator.html

Part 28, covering Hydra to Manticore.

Part 28, covering Hydra to Manticore. The biggest change here is that Holmes left out Wereboar & Weretiger but Gygax added them back. Unsurprisingly, the reference to Were-sharks is in the manuscript. #wereshark
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2014/04/part-28.html

An interesting early step in the history of D&D-based computer games that I'd never heard of before.

An interesting early step in the history of D&D-based computer games that I'd never heard of before. From 1977, the same year as Holmes Basic. Thanks to RFlowers on DF for posting a link to this.
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=65792
https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?page_id=29385

My ink and watercolor homage to Holmes Basic artist Dave Trampier. #TrampTribute

Interesting suggestion to use the buried spaceship from the module S3 as The Cave of the Unknown in B2, naturally...

Interesting suggestion to use the buried spaceship from the module S3 as The Cave of the Unknown in B2, naturally connected to the rubble-filled "Area 51" in The Caves of Chaos.
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1491559#p1491559

Part 27, covering Griffons to Horses. Nothing terribly interesting in this section.

Part 27, covering Griffons to Horses. Nothing terribly interesting in this section.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2014/04/part-27-mules-can-often-be-taken-into.html

"There is a taxidermist-furrier in the town.

"There is a taxidermist-furrier in the town. You want to buy an owl-bear skin? The chances of his having one is 25% (a figure plucked out of the DM's scheming mind). I'll roll the dice. Eighteen! He's got a nice one. How much? Well, how about 300 gold pieces?" J. Eric Holmes, Fantasy Role Playing Games, 1981, Hippocrene Books

I couldn't help but think about that quote when I discovered this particular website.
http://taxidermicowlbear.weebly.com/

A question for Holmes fans: How do you do magic item identification?