I wrote this partially in an attempt to "Holmes-ify" the classes in LotFP. Not sure how well I succeeded.

I wrote this partially in an attempt to "Holmes-ify" the classes in LotFP. Not sure how well I succeeded.
Does this idea appeal to anyone else besides me? Additionally, do you think these house rules could actually meet the intended goals? Anyone want to talk class design?
http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/12/lotfp-and-classic-trio-possible-house.html

Lemunda the Lovely is the Princess Leia of the Sample Dungeon.

Lemunda the Lovely is the Princess Leia of the Sample Dungeon. You free her, but then she gets you out of the dungeon since she's a 2nd level fighter.

Time for a Bunnies & Burrows tribute game?

Time for a Bunnies & Burrows tribute game? I was enthralled by the animated Watership Down as a boy. That General rabbit was almost as scary as Darth Vader.

Originally shared by Andrew Shields

Sad news.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38446309
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38446309

Reading through Holmes again it suggests using dexterity for initiative order, but then I noticed none of the...

Reading through Holmes again it suggests using dexterity for initiative order, but then I noticed none of the creatures in the monster section have that stat...what is the assumed dexterity per creature?

Holmes Basic was released the same year as Star Wars.

Holmes Basic was released the same year as Star Wars. Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford were probably the first actors that I knew by name.

Originally shared by James Spahn

Thanks, Carrie.
http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies/
http://people.com/movies/carrie-fisher-dies

Interesting way of reframing the past. Though I'd then put the 1975 Warlock ahead of Holmes Basic #completewarlock

Interesting way of reframing the past. Though I'd then put the 1975 Warlock ahead of Holmes Basic #completewarlock

Originally shared by James V West

It just dawned on me that Holmes' 1977 Basic Set was the first retroclone.

Accidentally referred to a "plot elephant" today when talking about Howard's Tower of the Elephant

2011 interview with Will McLean, noted for his comic art in the Dragon and the the DMG ("Papers & Paychecks", for...

2011 interview with Will McLean, noted for his comic art in the Dragon and the the DMG ("Papers & Paychecks", for example). He passed away in Oct 2015.

Originally shared by Olde House Rules

An unsung hero of old-school art: Will McLean...
https://www.blackgate.com/2011/05/11/art-of-the-genre-an-inteview-with-will-mclean/

Scored a critical hit for Xmas!

Scored a critical hit for Xmas!

Just finished running U1 for my 9yo & his two cousins.

Just finished running U1 for my 9yo & his two cousins. They took control of the Sea Ghost after a desperate battle on the deck. This is a continuation of a campaign we started in the summer of 2015. They've finished the Zenopus & Mentzer Sample Dungeons, Quest for the Silver Sword, the Blizzard Pass group adventure and U1. I use BECMI with a Holmes influence; I often run combat by DEX. For Xmas, I gave my niece the BECMI Master Set books (she has the lower levels rulebooks already). She's been running her younger brother, his friend and the two dads thru Palace of the Silver Princess.

Let your brains ruminate over these images, and see if somethingdoesn't pop into existence that would be a great...

Let your brains ruminate over these images, and see if something doesn't pop into existence that would be a great fit for FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE! ...

— There are already some creative uses for hydra heads in the pile, but there could be more.

I'll leave this portion open til after New Year's Eve.

As ever, the mails of e is: wilson 4 6 8 12 20 at gmail

A baddie from some alternate Holmes...

Olde House Rules wrote:

A baddie from some alternate Holmes...

What did YOUR Holmes Basic come with?

What is FANTASTIC!

What is FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE! going to look like...? What are some of the entries like...? How am I (you) going to be credited for my (your) submissions?

And most importantly: Is there any of it I can start using in games right now?

Find out via this link...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BynzHVcHd0PQMEhSQnJlWVlSUHM/view?usp=sharing

Very Fiend Folio-esque!

Very Fiend Folio-esque!

Originally shared by russ nicholson

Thanks to the great Ian Livingston reminding me; attached a White Dwarf Christmas Card I produced in the early 80's. Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays, have a good one!

FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE!

FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE!
The Plan Going Forward...

So, a couple of days ago, I posted about how art on pages 16 and 18 hadn't gotten any love... They have gotten some attention so far (and I think some is in progress). Sometime next week (or maybe after Christmas), I will 'shut down' those pages. Submissions I know are "en route" will still be fine. I will then "open up" a new set of two or three pages of art that haven't gotten much attention, and we can tinker with those...

I suppose we'll just go along like that until the zine is full.

[That earlier post: https://plus.google.com/118236109732656640763/posts/5tZT73HwU16 ]

[One other: https://plus.google.com/118236109732656640763/posts/7AYRhT6ujcN ]

On the subject of the Dungeon Masters Adventure Log, here are theweapon illustrations included in the book.

Tony Rowe wrote:

On the subject of the Dungeon Masters Adventure Log, here are the weapon illustrations included in the book. A vital reference for all those weapons on the AD&D weapon chart that you passed over for the familiar "Sword, Long."

Gygaxian Armor types, as described in the DMG and illustrated in the Dungeon Masters Adventure Log (1980).

Gygaxian Armor types, as described in the DMG and illustrated in the Dungeon Masters Adventure Log (1980). Includes an adaptation for Holmes Basic/OD&D, based on some clues from the Monster Manual.
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2016/12/gygaxian-armor.html

No entries yet for these pages...

No entries yet for these pages...

Some idea-sparks:

Page 16
• What's that staff?
• NPC stats (monster-style) for the magic-user?

Page 18
• Any special stats for that minotaur or his axe, or for that fighting man (as an NPC perhaps?)

[To give you a concrete example of what the "art-inspired" project is:below is the selection of entries for page 38...

[To give you a concrete example of what the "art-inspired" project is: below is the selection of entries for page 38 of the Holmes rules. The "crystal ball" and the wand have not been covered yet. Items that have been covered, can be covered again. Each of the four "items" below is a single entry, so your job (should you choose to accept it) is short and sweet... a couple of game-worthy ideas, inspired by the art and bashed out into sentences, and you're done.]

SAMPLE of what's being sought from the community (illustration from page 38):

Lhankmharrian Distillation
This special tincture is a great boon to Thieves and of special import to Halflings and Dwarves. For those with Thief's Abilities, it improves them all by 20% for a duration of 1d4 turns ("hear noise" is improved by 1). For Halflings and Dwarves who have pursued the Fighting Man class, it grants them Thief's Abilities equivalent to the first level for 1 turn.


Fake-Out Poison
Used by unscrupulous Thieves to run scams, the bottle actually contains ghost pepper-infused vodka. The Thief will have it tested by some stout local individual, who, once having touched it to their tongue, will confirm that it must surely be poisonous. However the Thief has made himself immune to the fiery alcohol and can drink it in gulps and collect all the money bet upon the feat.


Skull Dweller
Move: 30 feet/turn                Alignment: neutral
Hit Dice: 1/2 (1-4 hit points)            Attacks: special
Armor Class: 8                    Damage: none
Treasure Type: N

Small, resilient imps that make their homes inside of skulls, a skull dweller will fight fiercely to protect their claimed homes. They fight by scurrying over the bodies of those disturbing them, and their touch causes numbness in flesh-and-blood creatures and characters. The affect of this numbness is down the referee's interpretation of the circumstances, but could be expressed as a rising penalty to attacks and other actions, all the way up to complete immobility, given enough contact with the skull dweller.


Candle of Recall
This simple-looking candle can open new vistas for magic-users... By placing the candle on a skull and lighting it, it emits a scent related to that the life of the former 'inhabitant' of the skull, a spice of their homeland, the timber of their frequented forests, or the like. Any magic-user sleeping in proximity to this candle and its scent will awaken with new knowledge! They may gain an extra chance at a spell they previously missed out on if the candle rests on a magic-user's skull (e.g., another roll on the % Chance To Know Any Given Spell chart). The sleeper may gain insight into a dungeon or wilderness region they themselves have not explored, if the deceased had visited the site during their life. They may learn how to contact beings of power, demi-gods, or extra-planar allies if the deceased had contact with such creatures. The possibilities are as endless as the knowledge of those passed....
    The magic-user should begin the session of use with a question in mind, based on what they know of the deceased. If the area of knowledge sought turns out to not be within the experience of the deceased no knowledge is gained. Each candle will only work for a 1d6 sessions, and each use subtracts a year from the end of the magic-user's life span (represented, if you like, as a 1% chance of death when using the candle).

New Holmes fan started a new thread on DF.

New Holmes fan started a new thread on DF.

http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=75847

Shoot straight with me, please.

Shoot straight with me, please.

There are five contributors beyond myself for the "Holmes Art" zine. I am very happy with what I've received so far, and I think you'll find that it's good, fun stuff — but I find I'm at a bit of a crossroads...

If more folks want to pitch in, I'm all for that.

But if there are no more pitches coming in, then I need to know that so I can re-group and plan for the completion of this project accordingly.

This zine will be coming out, one way or the other, even I have to finish it up all on my own — it'll just take a bit longer than way.

So:

If anyone that wants to contribute text or art hasn't contacted me yet, post a reply so we can discuss going forward (i.e., I can post "assignments" if that's any help, etc.).

If you're interested in the free zine pdf, but aren't contributing, post a reply! Knowing there's an audience for this is helpful.

If you have any questions at all about the project — yes, you guessed it — post a reply here.

If you have nothing to say about any of this, post a re- - oh, wait, no — you don't have to post anything...

Ebay auction for 1st print OD&D set sold for over $22K....!

Ebay auction for 1st print OD&D set sold for over $22K....!
See also this Acaeum thread: https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&f=1&t=16157&c=1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172430642326?orig_cvip=true

Do you thrive on tight deadlines?

Do you thrive on tight deadlines?

The first deadline for
FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE!
The Holmes Art-inspired Project Zine
—an all-new fan-generated supplement for this groups' favorite game—
is coming up fast!

Saturday the 10th is the main deadline for articles. I say articles, but they're almost more like classified ads... 500 words or less is all you need commit to putting together. My bajillion other recent posts have more details, or you can ask again here...

Jump on in, the game is fine!

Send submissions to wilson 4681220 at the gmails (or post 'em here, if you prefer).
You'll be glad you did.

I remember being misinformed by a friend back when I only had Holmes & believing there were multiple platinum...

I remember being misinformed by a friend back when I only had Holmes & believing there were multiple platinum dragons. Now there are!

Originally shared by Jeff Rients

A plurality of platinum and chromatic dragons
In my previous post I mentioned in passing that Uncle Gary's prototype alignment chart from Strategic Review #6 mentions Platinum Dragon s , plural.  It also mentions the existence of more than one Chromatic Dragon.  I've not seen stats for non-unique drago...
http://jrients.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-plurality-of-platinum-and-chromatic.html

Ebay auction for beautiful 1st printing Woodgrain set (just sharing this for fun, I have no stake in the auction and...

Ebay auction for beautiful 1st printing Woodgrain set (just sharing this for fun, I have no stake in the auction and won't be bidding). See also this Acaeum thread: https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&f=1&t=16157&c=1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172430642326?rmvSB=true

Jeff Rients on the alignment chart in Strategic Review #6, which is 5-point but pre-figures the 9-point alignment...

Jeff Rients on the alignment chart in Strategic Review #6, which is 5-point but pre-figures the 9-point alignment system.

Originally shared by Jeff Rients

Do the alignment shuffle
"The Meaning of Law and Chaos in Dungeons & Dragons And Their Relationships to Good and Evil" first appeared in issue #6 of The Strategic Review , the predecessor to Dragon magazine, but I first encountered it in the first Best of Dragon . This essay is par...
http://jrients.blogspot.com/2016/12/do-alignment-shuffle.html

FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE! Update:

FANTASTIC! EXCITING! IMAGINATIVE! Update:

I'm excited by what's been sent in already, and looking forward to seeing more from you all. Remember, it's just 500 words or less. There is no big commitment here. Scratch down an idea that someone else might get a kick out of for their Holmes game and you're done!

We have until the 10th for YOUR entry for the zine!

But I've had a further thought....

I'd really like to see ALL of the illustrations covered, at least by a little something or other, so I'll tell you what I'ma gonna do...

After the 10th, I'll compile what's been sent in/posted to that point, and if there are any "unloved" illustrations with zero submissions, I will post here as to which those are and open up a week or so for new submissions based on those particular illustrations.

So the 10th is still the text deadline (art deadline is later). But there may be a "Round Two," for pick-up articles.

Sound fair?

Revised Title for the Character Sheet, using the QuentinCaps font tofor "Holmes Basic".

Revised Title for the Character Sheet, using the QuentinCaps font to for "Holmes Basic". This font is close to that of the original "Dungeons & Dragons" title (see https://www.kirith.com/tsr-fonts/), found in OD&D but also on the cover, title page and, importantly, the "Reference Tables" sheet of Holmes Basic. I figured that since I'm already recreating the feel by using Futura for the text, I might as go all the way.

Hola!

Hola! I'm new here, but I've been following the Zenopus Archives for several years now. this recent blog post should give some insight as to why I'm here. :)

Joe Dever author of the Lone Wolf gamebooks has passed away.

Joe Dever author of the Lone Wolf gamebooks has passed away. There were a few years in the 80s when I was really into these, I probably read the first 15 or so. I remember the first, Flight From Darkness, very well. Lots of memorable names: Kai / Magnakai Lord, Sommerland, Magnamund, Laumspur (healing potion).
http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2016/11/rip-joe-dever.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/dkAgi+(Lloyd+of+Gamebooks)&m=1