A Wizard with a Jewel in Her Skull.

From the Archives: A Wizard with a Jewel in Her Skull. Drawn in ball point pen on the margin of my newspaper. #ballpointpenart #marginalia

An interesting challenge from Christopher Mennell: Make this drawing ofmine into a map.

An interesting challenge from Christopher Mennell: Make this drawing of mine into a map. He did an awesome job of coloring it.

Originally shared by Christopher Mennell

OKAY GOOGLE HIVEMIND:

Here is a drawing by Zach H that I asked if I could take it and turn it into a map. Zach agreed, and then I turned the image over to Christian Kessler to break up the picture into colored regions.

Now I'd like to fill each area in, like a hex crawl.

And then I thought, "Why not have people on Google do it?"

So Google: pick a numbered/colored region, pick one of the images, and describe what it represents.

Note: The castle at the center is underwater.

Have fun!

A new drawing built from monster faces.

A new drawing built from monster faces.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2016/08/monster-face-montage.html

DM David with an interesting post on "lonely fun" and how its demise altered RPG publishing.

DM David with an interesting post on "lonely fun" and how its demise altered RPG publishing.
http://dmdavid.com/tag/how-the-end-of-lonely-fun-lead-to-todays-trickle-of-dd-books

A new drawing, made in pencil

A new drawing, made in pencil

Nonaris (No-Nose)

Nonaris (No-Nose)

Corsairs of Tallibar to be run at Tridentcon

I was planning on running the Zenopus dungeon at #tridentcon but since the theme is Tropical Terrors I thought I could do better. So I decided to adapt an obscure #judgesguild module called Corsairs of Tallibar. I wrote about it once: http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/09/talk-like-corsair.html?m=1
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2013/09/talk-like-corsair.html?m=1

The "lost" witch of Holmes Basic was mentioned on the Old School FRP tumblr today.

The "lost" witch of Holmes Basic was mentioned on the Old School FRP tumblr today.

Originally shared by Paul Vermeren

Evidence that a witch "subclass" was originally slated to appear in AD&D. It's interesting to think about what subsequent versions (and spinoffs) of AD&D would have been like with an additional class in the mix. Were any of the witch classes that appeared in Dragon written by Gygax?
http://oldschoolfrp.tumblr.com/post/149705739402/from-the-1977-blue-book-basic-dd-rules-which-j

DM best practices compiled by Chris Kutalik​ and Alex Schroeder

DM best practices compiled by Chris Kutalik​ and Alex Schroeder

Originally shared by Alex Schroeder

A 50-page PDF and Kindle compilation of GM best practices by a host of OSR early bloggers, from 2011, collected by Chris Kutalik. Download here: http://hillcantons.blogspot.ch/2011/08/now-playing-at-free-download-near-you.html

My own "wisdom" is in this blogpost: https://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2011-08-20_Building_a_Better_GM
https://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2011-08-20_Building_a_Better_GM

If you are in the DC/Baltimore area, consider attending Tridentcon 3 on Columbus Day weekend (Oct 8-9) in Severna...

If you are in the DC/Baltimore area, consider attending Tridentcon 3 on Columbus Day weekend (Oct 8-9) in Severna Park, MD. Organized by Erik Jensen, this con has both old & new school games. I'll be running an OD&D game in the afternoon on Sat. There are also games by other members here Eric Hoffman James Spahn Noah Stevens Humza K Pearce Shea Charley Phipps plus Reynaldo Madrinan & Larry Hollis. The full game schedule can be seen on Warhorn (link below). #tridentcon
https://warhorn.net/events/tridentcon-2016

"If the referee has put a lot of work into the creation of some of hismonster characters [such as] Cordan the space...

"If the referee has put a lot of work into the creation of some of his monster characters [such as] Cordan the space pirate and his faster-than-light raiders in the space cutter Razor's Edge - he may find it difficult to stand by while the players slaughter them and plunder their ... asteroid bases" (pg 41, Holmes' FRPG book) #holmesinspace

From Holmes' FRPG book: "A player character sitting in the SpaceportCantina does not overlook a slighting remark...

From Holmes' FRPG book: "A player character sitting in the Spaceport Cantina does not overlook a slighting remark from the cat-man at the next table. His hand drops to the handle of his laser pistol. "When you say that, stranger, smile so your whiskers stick out!" (pg 23) #holmesinspace

Speaking of Holmes in space, I've been working on this.

Speaking of Holmes in space, I've been working on this.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-hlnlR7qn5XQlhpWE9JN0xjak0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-hlnlR7qn5XQlhpWE9JN0xjak0

Holmes in Space cover mock-up

All this talk about #HolmesinSpace  reminded me that I fooled around with a Blue Star idea a couple of years ago for a little game I put together. I like Zach H's inclusion of more Lovecraft.

Cool flag for #HolmesInSpace (just coined that)

Cool flag for #HolmesInSpace (just coined that)

Originally shared by Moody Moose

The Galactic Flag of our Solar System.

Possibly where Haddock picked up his "Billions of bilious blueblistering barnacles" expression... #cthulhu

Possibly where Haddock picked up his "Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles" expression... #cthulhu

Originally shared by Mark Hunt

I would so read this!

Xerxez on odd74 with a new Holmes game report.

Xerxez on odd74 with a new Holmes game report. He's also the author of the Nuromen dungeon for Blueholme. #sessionreport
http://jennerak.blogspot.com/2016/08/blue-book-dungeons-and-dragons-with-kids.html?m=1

#cross-section

#cross-section

Originally shared by Rodger Thorm

This is inspired by — and trying to replicate — old mining maps and geologic sections that used colors, as well as patterns, to show the different layers.  And, of course, there are all kinds of passages and wandering bits through it to make it moderately…
http://rthorm.wordpress.com/2016/08/13/final-trollbrucke

Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier kickstarter has funded.

Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier kickstarter has funded. 4 days left to get in. $35 +shipping for a print copy. The author confirmed it will include a pic of The Demogorgon from Stranger Things.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1155053944/the-fantastic-worlds-of-grenadier
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1155053944/the-fantastic-worlds-of-grenadier

More Holmes monster groupings by JD Jarvis:

More Holmes monster groupings by JD Jarvis:
http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/2016/08/more-holmes-era-monsters.html?m=1
http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/2016/08/more-holmes-era-monsters.html?m=1

The accidental poor production of the earliest RPGs was absolutely central to the hobby's greatness, or so we argue...

Originally shared by Olde House Rules

The accidental poor production of the earliest RPGs was absolutely central to the hobby's greatness, or so we argue here...

Did anyone here ever buy The Temple of Golthana?

Tony Rowe wrote:

Did anyone here ever buy The Temple of Golthana? (posting to a few communities, so pardon any duplication in your feeds)

This indie-published adventure was advertised in the back of Dragon #93 (Jan. 1985). Here, we see the "Mad Goddess," what looks like a medusa with teenage girl's locket around her neck.

By coincidence, I was on a cross-country drive with my uncle that same summer and I convinced him to stop at this address to visit RAVENSTORM PRODUCTIONS, what my 12-year-old assumed would be a professional game studio. Of course, it was just some guy's house. The owner talked to me about how he and some friends published the adventure but any remaining copies were in storage and that he'd have to mail me one. He never did and I've wondered about this adventure ever since.

Does anybody have an further information on this lost adventure?

JD Jarvis at Aeons & Augauries takes a look at the selection of monsters in Holmes Basic:...

JD Jarvis at Aeons & Augauries takes a look at the selection of monsters in Holmes Basic: http://aeonsnaugauries.blogspot.com/2016/08/holmes-monster-selection.html

A kickstarter for an expanded edition of a book covering the history of Grenadier. 10 days left.

A kickstarter for an expanded edition of a book covering the history of Grenadier. 10 days left.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2016/08/fantastic-worlds-of-grenadier.html

Weresharks! No use running from these guys, they're gonna catch you ...

Weresharks! No use running from these guys, they're gonna catch you ...

"The Demogorgon" as featured in Stranger Things in its original packaging.

"The Demogorgon" as featured in Stranger Things in its original packaging. Grenadier, 1984, #321 - DEMON. Photo by Allan Grohe
https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&p=260467&c=1#p260467

Rob Kuntz will soon be releasing a DVD called "El Raja Key Archive" with scans of ~1,100 of his notes for D&D...

Rob Kuntz will soon be releasing a DVD called "El Raja Key Archive" with scans of ~1,100 of his notes for D&D adventures from the 70s onward (6.8 GB). Rob was a co-DM (with Gygax) of Castle Greyhawk in the 70s; hopefully this will include some of his CG material.

Originally shared by Rob Kuntz

El Raja Key Archive Sample Image
"The Mound" &" Ruins of Seer" Adoined Super Adventure This is from the "Ruins of Seer" a massive Greyhawk Adventure I had written BitD (1983-1985) and that was never published due to TSR's inimical stance with Gary and myself and the marginalization of Grey...

In case anyone wondered, I did not die. Here is an interim post while I work on more 3D.

In case anyone wondered, I did not die. Here is an interim post while I work on more 3D.

http://crierofkemen.blogspot.com/2016/08/elven-exotica.html

I believe Mike Carr has attended every Gen Con since 1968.

I believe Mike Carr has attended every Gen Con since 1968. Here is a photo from this year by Jon Peterson of him playing in his annual Fight in the Skies (aka Dawn Patrol).

Originally shared by Jon Peterson

Mike Carr playing Fight in the Skies at Gen Con - on the far right in both real life today and in the sepia picture from 1968. Gen Con has gotten a little bigger since then.