Bob Jester on the OGL

Robert Weber wrote:

Frying Pan or Fire? and other OGL questions...

http://primereq.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-ogl-and-other-stds-and-you.html

From the Creighton Broadhurst (Raging Swam Press) blog: "Over the weekend, I got to do something I never thought I’d...

From the Creighton Broadhurst (Raging Swam Press) blog: "Over the weekend, I got to do something I never thought I’d get to do again. I got to introduce a completely new group to the Keep on the Borderlands."
http://www.creightonbroadhurst.com/living-the-old-gamer-dream-with-b2

Oh, and its free!

Conclusion!

I've just launched my 14th Kickstarter project.

I've just launched my 14th Kickstarter project. The B/X Monster Reference Index will be an A5-sized, spiral-bound index, with stats for over 500 b/x monsters.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1730454032/b-x-monster-reference-index

More pictures of the "D&D For Beginners" dungeon by Chris Holmes.

More pictures of the "D&D For Beginners" dungeon by Chris Holmes.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-d-for-beginners-dungeon-model-part.html

Something I missed back in the day: A 1983 PBS version of David Macaulay's 1978 book Castle, mix of documentary and...

Something I missed back in the day: A 1983 PBS version of David Macaulay's 1978 book Castle, mix of documentary and animation.

Originally shared by Eric Hoffman

I was talking with my daughter about History class last night and she asked me what was my favorite thing I learned when I was in school.  I thought about it and remembered this little gem (and the book by the same guy in my school library) when I was in about 3rd grade or so.  If you haven't watched this special before, or read the book, give it a look.  It is a shame they don't make educational shows this cool any more.

We watched some of the show afterward and it got me thinking about a campaign idea.  The players are all part of a Lords retinue (Castellan, Captain of the Guard, Knight, Advisor, Huntsman, etc.) and the Lord is charged with building a Castle in a hostile land.  The Lord can be a player character or an NPC. The players will have to decide where to build the castle, obtain resources to keep on schedule, repel attacks by the indigenous people, explore the countryside, discover ruins and maybe a major over arching plot involving ancient evil to boot.

If the setting gets stale the King can always demand the Lord provide troops for an overseas military campaign to mix things up for a few sessions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbPShUpjpg

Cover of the 1980 Gateway to Adventure TSR catalog, commonly referred to as the "demon" version.

Cover of the 1980 Gateway to Adventure TSR catalog, commonly referred to as the "demon" version. This is back when TSR was still putting demon-looking things on their covers.

Originally shared by Olde House Rules

This catalog came with my Holmes Basic Set...

Just hit 400 members here!

First post on the "D&D For Beginners" Dungeon Model.

First post on the "D&D For Beginners" Dungeon Model.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-d-for-beginners-dungeon-model.html

Amazing chalk rendering of the Deities & Demigods cover!

Amazing chalk rendering of the Deities & Demigods cover!
Thanks to Zachary Zahringer for reposting this.

Originally shared by Phillip Woodward

Weekend well spent!

Chris Holmes' "D&D For Beginners" dungeon

Chris Holmes has sent me some photos of the 3x6' dungeon he constructed for the "D&D For Beginners" scenario that he and his dad ran at Gen Con XII in 1979. Above is a preview of the entrance.

John Stater reviews Dragon #34.

John Stater reviews Dragon #34. This issue includes a module, Doomkeep, which was run as the 2nd Masters Tournament at Gen Con '79. Holmes played in this while he was at the Con and came in 13th of 36. The scenario is credited to Brian Blume but a note near the end indicates that "The dungeon was constructed from rooms to play or parts of rooms, submitted to Brian by those who were invited in the tournament".
http://matt-landofnod.blogspot.com/2015/09/dragon-by-dragon-february-1980.html

Recent marginalia. Two somewhat adventure-worn knights sketched above acrossword puzzle.

Recent marginalia. Two somewhat adventure-worn knights sketched above a crossword puzzle.

Lead Dragon review of Ch. 11 of Holmes' FRPGs

The Lead Dragon blog with a review of the miniatures chapter of Holmes' 1981 book on RPGs.

https://theleaddragon.blogspot.com/2015/09/chapter-11-little-metal-people.html

Zhu Bajiee on the Stonehenge font, seen in various 70s/80s RPG products including the title of the monochrome Hidden...

Zhu Bajiee on the Stonehenge font, seen in various 70s/80s RPG products including the title of the monochrome Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.
http://realmofzhu.blogspot.com/2015/09/fighting-fontasy-stonehenge.html

The Geometry of Madness blog with five variant owlbears.

A D&D Club adventuring in the Holmes Basic version of B2 in the early80s, posted on Chase Neptune's blog.

A D&D Club adventuring in the Holmes Basic version of B2 in the early 80s, posted on Chase Neptune's blog. Originally posted by Keith Sloan (member here) in the comments to a post at  Greyhawk Grognard (Joseph Bloch)
https://2warpstoneptune.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/a-portrait-of-young-geeks-playing-dd-circa-1983

One of the long-time ongoing projects that I actually get back to (eventually) is the exploration of the Djangorün...

One of the long-time ongoing projects that I actually get back to (eventually) is the exploration of the Djangorün Depths! The characters were created with Holmes & 0e rules, and not strictly BtB "Levels Beyond Basic" rules, but the feel is old school, dangerous and fun to write!

The actual Campaign Journal is at Dragonsfoot: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=65248&p=1669595#p1669595

An easter egg in the I1 Dwellers of the Forbbiden City map.

An easter egg in the I1 Dwellers of the Forbbiden City map. Further Adventure #2 in the back of the module may relate: "As part of their plan to regain power, the yuan ti have revived the worship of a vile and loathsome creature from another plane. In one of the larger temple buildings of the city, the yuan ti have succeeded in opening a small gate to the creature’s plane."

Originally shared by Dyson Logos

I only noticed this because the cartographer from Dwellers of the Forbidden City (Steve Sullivan) asked if I had found it already which started me looking...

there is a Temple of Cthulhu in the Forbidden City. :)

Part 51, covering the Ghoul Room in the Sample Dungeon, plus the entry for Ghouls in the Monster List, which I...

Part 51, covering the Ghoul Room in the Sample Dungeon, plus the entry for Ghouls in the Monster List, which I missed previously. Thanks to Jarrett Perdue for bringing this to my attention.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2015/09/part-51-indescribable-odds-and-ends.html