tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3835000617975068312024-03-13T06:56:46.456-04:00Swords Against the Outer DarkSword-and-Sanity Adventure RoleplayShane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-88812997852367967782021-03-18T20:44:00.003-04:002021-03-19T07:47:26.236-04:00The Spine of Night Premiering at SXSW Tonight! <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The Spine of Night</i> will be premiering tonight at <b>SXSW</b>. I am extremely excited about this one! If the past output from Morgan King/Gorgonaut has been any indication, <i>Spine </i>will be a rotoscoped masterpiece of sword-and-sorcery. The blurb from the teaser trailer posted on YouTube:</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So excited to finally be able to share this, the official teaser trailer for our long-in-the-making hand-rotoscoped psychedelic fantasy epic feature film: 'The Spine of Night.' Starring Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, and Joe Manganiello.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="303" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5WOgieXG9ZU" width="478" youtube-src-id="5WOgieXG9ZU"></iframe></span></div><p></p>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-59452831916976066622013-04-02T21:19:00.000-04:002021-03-19T08:02:29.103-04:00Raid on Black Goat Wood Revised<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has been a long while since I posted anything here on the Outer Dark. I have lots of good reasons for this, including <a href="http://impgame.blogspot.com/">another project</a> that has pulled my attention away, and of course there is my gig as a stay-at-home dad that is never ending. As a peace offering to my long neglected readers, I am posting a <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxE3Gy9gHrzebkNDVlFyUFlXbXc/edit">revised version</a> of my one-page adventure, <i><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxE3Gy9gHrzeZTBlYzNjNTktZWNmNi00ODdkLWI4YzktOGM1ZTdlNGVhMjFm/edit">Raid on Black Goat Wood</a></i>. The biggest revision is the map, which I feel is a BIG improvement over the original. I have also adjusted the layout of the document, which I hope will help organize things a bit better and make it easier to navigate the text. I made only a few small tweaks to the text of the adventure, so it remains very close to the original. I would like to thank all of those who downloaded the original and ran it for their groups. This means a lot to me, so thank you all! I hope this new revised version of <i>Raid </i>will be as warmly received as the original release was. Enjoy!<br />
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Edit: Found a typo on the PDF. I uploaded the new PDF to Google Docs. If anyone sees any other misspellings please let me know ASAP. Thanks!<br />
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Edit #2: Thanks to Aidan for pointing out some pretty glaring typos that I and at least five other people overlooked when the adventure was first written. These have been corrected and the newest PDF has been posted and linked.</div>
Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-91035954736874885582012-08-26T11:18:00.000-04:002012-08-26T11:23:14.830-04:00Challenges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think I have chosen an appropriate title for this post considering everything that has been going on lately. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite the deathlike silence, I am still very much alive and working very hard toward getting a couple of projects finished and released. Despite the constant need for me to focus my attention on family obligations, I am slowly grinding my way toward getting things done, and I hope to share </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">something</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> very soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recently, I acquired a copy of <i><a href="http://tomeoftreasures.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2508">The Challenges Game System</a></i>, written by Tom Moldvay and distributed by GameScience back in 1986. Apparently, this is a very obscure game, and hard to obtain. I didn't even know of it's existence until earlier this summer. So, what is <i>Challenges</i>? In Moldvay's own words:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Challenges Game System</b> offers an easy-to-play alternative to fantasy game systems which are becoming increasingly complex. All of the basic information needed for play is organized into 8 pages, instead of scattered among hundreds of pages of several expansive books.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I can say with confidence that he succeeded in his goal. <i>Challenges</i> takes the crux of 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and boils it all down to an eight page game. The only glaring omission is the lack of a bestiary. I am assuming this is something that would be released later, or possibly as part of adventure modules. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With my penchant for minimalist games, it should come as no surprise that I like <i>Challenges</i> a lot. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also, consider this: Moldvay released this game without the luxury of the Open Game License, and did so without, to my knowledge, bringing the wrath of TSR, Inc. down on him like a bolt of lighting from upon high!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What does </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Challenges</i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> include? Present are the "core" D&D classes (cleric, sorcerer, thief and warrior) and races (elf, dwarf, hobbit -- y</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ep, you read that right, the game calls them hobbits --</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and human), as well as five </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">levels</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> of spells for both sorcerers and </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">clerics</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">. Armor Rating and Life Points work just as AC and HP do in AD&D. The basic combat rules have more in common with the Holmes edition of Basic D&D than AD&D, but advanced combat rules are included as well that introduce a few new wrinkles, though nothing as complicated as that found in AD&D. Despite some differences in terminology, though the intent is always obvious, <i>Challenges</i> is AD&D-lite for all intents and purposes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the big departures from AD&D that <i>Challenges</i> makes is using the Luck score as the game's generic saving throw mechanic, as well as a roll to be used at the Game Master's discretion to resolve a number of situations that might arise. This doesn't seem like a big deal, given that <i>Swords & Wizardry</i> introduced this concept with its release in 2008, but consider the year 1986 and how thinking outside of the box was frowned upon in the D&D community. I know that other games published by TSR, like <i>Gangbusters,</i> used Luck, which I would guess is where Moldvay got his inspiration. I am left wondering if Matt Finch was influenced by <i>Challenges</i> when he decided to use the single saving throw in S&W? Either way, this concept has grown on me over the past few years, though I must admit that I wasn't very impressed when I read the rule in S&W the first time around. As for <i>Challenges</i>, I can see the obvious benefit of using Luck to simplify the game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have found a lot to like about <i>Challenges</i> and it has me realizing that minimalist D&D is not only possible, but it can be done without cutting too much away, or loosing any of the core concepts or flavor. Having been gripped with so many challenges myself this past year-and-a-half, it is nice to find a gem like Tom Moldvay's <i>The Challenges Game System</i> to get me get jazzed again, and to help recharge my creative batteries. </span></div>
Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-52529608792840862512012-05-23T12:57:00.000-04:002012-05-23T12:57:22.792-04:00[Mail Call] Black Goat Film Fan Appreciation Pin<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A few weeks ago I received a small, black package in the mail, and I wanted to share its contents with you. I opened the envelope to find a small pin for the short Lovecraftian film, <i><a href="http://www.blackgoat.ca/">Black Goat</a></i>. Here is what it looks like:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The pin was sent to me by Joseph Nanni, director of the film. If you haven't seen the teaser for <i>Black Goat</i>, go to the official site (linked above) and do so now. Also, if you feel so inclined, head over to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Goat/280914601920626">the official Facebook page for the film</a> and show your support. Personally, I love what Joseph has shared so far, and I am looking forward to seeing the final film, which <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2361165/">IMDb has slated for a 2013 release</a>.</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-40812854145099365732012-04-02T19:58:00.000-04:002012-04-02T19:58:36.593-04:00Dave Carson's Shub-Niggurath T-Shirt Available<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wanted to help pass some pretty cool news along. <a href="http://www.cthulhuart.com/">Dave Carson</a>, great friend of the Outer Dark, has a new t-shirt out, this time depicting his macabre masterpiece of the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, Shub-Niggurath! Dave has a true talent for capturing the horrors from Lovecraft's imagination, and this illustration is no exception. The price is £18.00 per shirt for UK residents, and £21.00 for those of us who reside outside of the UK. Great price, great shirt, from a great artist... <a href="http://www.cthulhuart.com/Dave%20Carson%20Shub-Niggurath%20TShirt.html">go buy one</a>!</span></div>
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<br />Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-20562218035133141852012-02-01T00:09:00.000-05:002012-02-01T00:28:00.189-05:00OSR Library Shares Raid on Black Goat Wood Playlog<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A friend of the Outer Dark, <a href="http://theosrlibrary.blogspot.com/">David Baymiller</a>, has <a href="http://theosrlibrary.blogspot.com/2012/01/osr-colonial-raid-on-black-goat-wood.html">posted a playlog</a> of the one page adventure I wrote, <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BxE3Gy9gHrzeZTBlYzNjNTktZWNmNi00ODdkLWI4YzktOGM1ZTdlNGVhMjFm&hl=en_US"><i>Raid on Black Goat Wood</i></a>. He has placed his version of the adventure in colonial America, and is using a homebrew of Swords & Wizardry/Labyrinth Lord to run the game. I really enjoyed reading over the rundown of the game, and feel David has more than captured the atmosphere I was aiming for. It is really satisfying to see <i>Raid </i>being put to such great use, and I can't wait to see what happens next!</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-27459169367935466272012-01-19T21:37:00.000-05:002012-01-19T21:37:12.107-05:00The Reprints<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tMwN4GtodBg/TxjHWBkTFbI/AAAAAAAAFu8/8Vb_5dkOJHI/s1600/dnd_products_dndacc_02410000_pic3_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tMwN4GtodBg/TxjHWBkTFbI/AAAAAAAAFu8/8Vb_5dkOJHI/s1600/dnd_products_dndacc_02410000_pic3_en.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I type this, the OSR blogosphere is afire with discussion of the <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Product.aspx?x=dnd%2Fproducts%2Fdndacc%2F02410000">news</a> that Wizards of the Coast will be reprinting the 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons <i>Player's Handbook</i>, <i>Monster Manual</i> and <i>Dungeon Master's Guide</i>. And for good reason. This is HUGE! When you consider the blasé attitude Wizards has always displayed toward classic editions of D&D, and now suddenly they aren't announcing something as simple as reissuing PDF copies of the 1st Edition </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">core books</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, but </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">they're</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> going balls-out and committing to full-blown reprints of the books. Complete with updated covers, no less. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I think the astonishing thing is that this news came right on the heels of </span><a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120109" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the announcement</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> that Wizards has officially begun developing 5th Edition D&D. Lots of big news coming out of their camp in just a handful of days! It is obvious that Wizards is trying to get back on the top of the heap, and make D&D the best selling roleplaying game again (assuming that all the talk of </span><a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinder" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pathfinder</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> being the current top seller is actually true). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Obviously, announcing these reprints is a peace offering from Wizards to the old-school D&D community to try and make up for past missteps. I also suspect that this is something of a test as well, to try and gauge just how interested the old timers, as well as those that might not have been around back in the day, are in buying classic products from their back catalog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite <a href="http://swordandsanity.blogspot.com/2012/01/announcements-that-i-should-be-excited.html">my admission</a> that I am less than moved by the announcement of 5th Edition, I am excited as hell about the 1st Edition reprints. Having proceeds going to the <a href="http://gygaxmemorialfund.com/">Gygax Memorial Fund</a> has helped stoke this enthusiasm in a major way. I also feel in many ways that this is a win for the Old School Renaissance, and of course that makes me happy. It is obvious to me that <i>someone </i>is starting to listen to the rumblings from our little underground, and are beginning to take this movement seriously. It will be interesting to see if this will lead to other reprints, and perhaps have some bearing on the design of 5th Edition as well.</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-24408226434055012182012-01-16T21:03:00.000-05:002012-01-19T19:22:30.915-05:00[Review] Delta's Book of War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will be the first to admit that math is probably my weakest subject. Oh, I did <i>OK</i> in my math classes in high school and college, but it wasn't because it came naturally to me. This is why I am thankful that we have guys like <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/">Daniel "Delta" Collins</a> active in the old-school gaming scene. You see, Delta is passionate about two things: the original edition of Dungeons & Dragons and math. Which is great, because he usually does all the heavy statistical lifting for guys like me. Need an example of Delta's work? Look no further than <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-is-best-combat-algorithm.html">his analysis of the D&D combat algorithm</a>, which lead to his most excellent "<a href="http://www.superdan.net/oed/target20/Target20.pdf">Target 20</a>" core resolution mechanic (d20 + Level + mods ≥ 20).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A few months back Delta was kind enough to send me a copy of <i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/original-edition-delta-book-of-war/17158134">Book of War</a></i>, which is his rules supplement for fantasy mass combat and miniature wargaming. I wanted to take a moment to talk about the book, and share my review. Now, I have to be up front with the fact that I have not had an opportunity to try out the rules presented in <i>Book of War</i>. But I have been reading the book off and on since October, so I feel I have a pretty good handle on the working of the rules, and how they will play out at the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>The Physical Thing</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Book of War</i> (<i>BoW</i> from here on) is a 24 page saddle-stitched paperback, measuring in at 5.8" x 8.3". The cover is in color, displaying an old painting of a medieval battle. All of the artwork used to illustrate the book was taken from a public domain source, and works well with the given subject matter and tone. The interior is laid out nicely, with a clean single-column design. The font choices and spartan design are very reminiscent of the original D&D rule book published in '74, and I imagine <i>BoW</i> would look right at home next to the "little brown books." Overall, I found the book easy to read, easy to reference and I didn't notice anything editorially that I felt compelled to nitpick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Introduction</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Delta wrote this book with these goals in mind (quoted directly from the foreword):</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"To create a system that faithfully extrapolates standard D&D combat results on a mass scale."</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"To cultivate a game which can stand on it own as fun, entertaining, and elegant."</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"To realistically simulate actual historical medieval warfare, wherever possible."</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I also wanted to avoid the need for any paper record keeping during play."</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my opinion, he has succeeded on ever count. Delta also explains that through the use of computers "billions of simulated runs" have helped him analyse the game's statistical data, and present a set of rules that is both solid and balanced. How's that for mathematical heavy lifting?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first section is titled "The Core Rules" and covers Scale (1 figure = 10 men, 1 inch = 20 feet, 1 turn = 30 seconds), Movement (light = 12, medium = 9, heavy = 6), and Combat, which is resolved by rolling a single six-sided die, and comparing the result to an Armor Hit (AH) value (no armor = 3, leather = 4, chain = 5, plate = 6). If the attacker's roll is equal to or higher than the defender's AH, a successful "hit" is landed, and for "normal men" this means that one figure (10 men) is removed from play. A</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ll this works in tandem with the original set of D&D rules, and has a simple elegance that I appreciate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The next section, "Basic Rules," builds upon the core rules by first discussing the Sequence of Play. The game begins by first selecting units, rolling initiative (2d6, high roll takes first turn) and setting up the terrain. Each turn is broken down into three phases: 1) moving forces, 2) attacking opponent with missiles or melee, and 3) morale checks for units who have lost figures during the turn. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unit Selection</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is discussed next, covering in detail all you may need to know about archers, cavalry, pikemen and horse archers. Details include unit cost, movement rate, Armor Hit value and equipment carried. The remainder of this section has rules form Terrain (randomly determined by rolling 2d6), Formation<i> </i>and Morale (again, rolling 2d6). Delta manages to cover a lot of ground in these four pages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next, follows the "Advanced Rules." This is where the more fantastic elements, such as fantasy creatures, wizards, spells and heroes, are introduced. This section also goes into great detail explaining how to convert creatures from D&D over to <i>BoW</i>. Fantasy Units<i> </i>include all the oldies but goodies, broken down into two alignment categories: Lawful Units (elves, dwarves, halflings, men) and Chaotic Units (goblins, orcs, gnolls, etc.). Elite units on both sides of the alignment equation have supernatural abilities available to them (invisibility, regeneration, etc.). Hero units, such as knights, dragons and giants, are also covered. As you can guess, these guys are extremely tough, being 10 Hit Dice or higher. Wrapping up this section are rules for wizards and spells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Delta has also included a selection of "Optional Rules," which are presented in a modular fashion, allowing players to add as much crunch to the game as they like. Rules for weather, darkness, modifying morale, an expanded armor table, alternate scale options, castles, ships, unit cost options, recovery and disputes. Lots of great crunchy bits to chew on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the more interesting sections of the book is the "Designer Notes," where Delta discusses some of his design decisions. Wrapping everything up is a bibliography, a list of the art credits and a handy <i>BoW </i>reference card.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All in all, I highly recommend <i>Book of War</i> to anyone needing a simple, yet solid, set of mass combat rules for their D&D campaign. What Delta has delivered with this book epitomizes the do-it-yourself spirit the Old-School Renaissance is supposed to be about. <i>BoW </i>is exactly the kind of product that I love seeing come out of the OSR. Personally, I plan to use these rules in an upcoming game, and can't wait to see them in action.</span></div>
</div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-18026199833332478712012-01-09T21:45:00.000-05:002012-01-09T21:45:13.847-05:00Announcements That I Should Be Excited About, But I'm Not...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There have been two major announcements made in the past couple of months that should have had a significant impact on me, but after hearing each of them, I am left with overwhelming sense of underwhelment...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaW9fHL9NkM">The first being the reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath, which was announced on 11/11/2011</a>. <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120109">The second announcement came today, at 10:00 AM EST, and I am sure I don't have to tell you what that announcement was</a>. For those scratching their heads, follow the link provided, or choose any gaming blog at random and read the news for yourself.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I make no bones about it, both Black Sabbath and D&D mean a lot to me. I discovered them both in 1980, virtually at the same time, so there has always been a strong connection between Sabbath's music and the game I have played for over 30 years now. The announcements that Sabbath will be recording a new album, and that D&D will have a fifth edition of the game published, <i>should </i>have me as giddy as a schoolgirl. The truth is, I feel more numb than anything about this news. And that makes me a little more than sad.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I thought about all of this earlier today, a few things occurred to me. What is interesting is how much Black Sabbath, and Dungeons & Dragons have in common. Well, at least in my mind. Both are considered seminal entities in their fields; Sabbath being considered by many the first <i>real </i>metal band, and D&D considered the first roleplaying game. Both have come under heavy fire from the religious right. Black Sabbath has influenced countless bands over the years, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_metal">spawning an entire genre of bands that emulate them to one degree or another</a>, and the impact D&D has had on the gaming industry itself cannot be easily measured. Who knows where games and gaming would be without D&D? It makes my brain hurt just thinking about it!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Looking at how both D&D and Black Sabbath have been emulated over the years reveals another interesting area of correlation. The term "retro-clone" is thrown around for games like OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Sword & Wizardry, which have taken various earlier editions of D&D and emulated the rules so closely that it is hard to find the differences sometimes. The same could be said for many of the bands found in the doom metal community, and it would not be a far stretch to refer to many of these Sabbath worshiping bands as retro-clones of the original act. But I think it also needs to be pointed out that in many of these cases the bands have taken the groundwork that Sabbath established, and they have expanded and built upon the original concept. Sometimes with surprisingly original results. This is something I would like to see more of from the Old-School Renaissance and the do-it-yourself game design crowd. A subject best approach on another occasion I suspect...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Getting back to my original line of thought, I guess for me the whole thing comes down to expectations, and the fear of being let down. When people start talking about new editions, reunion tours, movie remakes, reboots, reimaginings, etc. I have trained myself not to get excited, and honestly, I make myself not care. I intentionally make myself not get emotionally invested. The reason is simple: I have had my heart broken too many times by this type of thing, and I am just tired of the perpetual disappointments. The last major attack on one of my sacred cows came in the form of the <i>Conan the Barbarian</i> remake... need I say more?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I guess the next question is whether I will be picking up the new Black Sabbath album, or D&D 5th edition? Time will tell, of course. I admit there is the off chance that I will be pleasantly surprised by one, or even both, but at this stage I prefer to remain skeptical and downright pessimistic about both these announcements.</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-78063755130833073412011-10-13T20:15:00.000-04:002011-10-13T20:17:25.308-04:00Coolest Dreamlands Map EVER!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://mockman.com/2011/10/11/map-of-the-lands-of-dream-bw-version/">Illustrated by Jason Thompson</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have the <a href="http://www.chaosium.com/">Chaosium</a> published map of the Dreamlands, illustrated by <a href="http://www.andyhopp.com/">Andy Hopp</a>, hanging on my office wall. I have had it for well over a decade. I love that map, and it would be hard to estimate how many hours I have spent pouring over all of its intricate details. If you were to have asked me if another Dreamlands map was needed my answer would have been, "no!" Then I ran across <a href="http://mockman.com/">Jason Thompson</a>'s map, and I was floored. I am still trying to soak in all the details Jason has added to his map. It is quite striking, and I fully intend to buy a print if he ever offers them for sale.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While we are on the subject, Jason is in the process of taking his previously published <i>The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath</i> comic, and updating it as a graphic novel. The project has <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/22092473/the-dream-quest-of-unknown-kadath-and-other-storie">a Kickstarter fund drive</a> that has already reached its goal, which is exciting news. I have read the original Dream-Quest comic, as well as his Clark Ashton Smith tribute, <i>Hyperborea</i>. Excellent stuff. And judging by <a href="http://mockman.com/archive/">Jason's most recent work</a>, it looks like this new graphic novel is going to be topnotch. </span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-9465884601933113082011-09-04T20:22:00.001-04:002011-09-04T20:22:16.730-04:00Crypts & Things Cover Revealed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5dvVJGJBmU/TmQU8hJ2vRI/AAAAAAAAFf8/0kigygVE6W8/s1600/CT-frontcover-v3-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5dvVJGJBmU/TmQU8hJ2vRI/AAAAAAAAFf8/0kigygVE6W8/s320/CT-frontcover-v3-web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Behold! The new cover for <a href="http://d101games.co.uk/books/crypts-and-things/">Crypts & Things</a>, created by the incredibly talented Jon Hodgson. Check out <a href="http://sorcererundermountain.d101games.co.uk/2011/09/03/crypts-things-cover/">the official announcement</a> over at D101 Games.</span></div>
Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-8501782176085975602011-08-20T20:30:00.002-04:002011-08-20T20:35:13.887-04:00The Old Gent Would Have Been 121 Years Old Today<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o-9XRtok3lw/TlBR8m1myTI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/pPmtHUMCy-Q/s1600/hpl1.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o-9XRtok3lw/TlBR8m1myTI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/pPmtHUMCy-Q/s400/hpl1.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643100434754619698" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><div style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday, H.P.L.!</div></span>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-36865624846440978822011-08-01T19:57:00.004-04:002011-08-01T22:34:54.436-04:00[Music Mondays] Jex Thoth<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">I have been listening to a lot, I mean A LOT, of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jexthoth">Jex Thoth</a> this past year. I have seen their music categorized as doom metal, but I feel this is a bit shortsighted. Yes, they do have a strong Black Sabbath influence, but their sound also has a deep psychedelic quality that sets them apart from many of the doom acts operating out on the musical landscape right now. I have read somewhere that Jex Thoth, lead singer of the band, </span>refers to their music as "alchemical doom." <span class="Apple-style-span">Heavy guitars, spaced-out keyboards and Jex's haunting voice create an atmosphere that is lush and hypnotic, with just a touch of underlying menace thrown in for good measure. Help me, I have been bewitched and can't seem to quit listening to this band! On second thought, under no circumstances help me!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uh6irmFRpGU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mLHe9l1cF08" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lMg2SDmAmIM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CQs3ZCpO514" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-84629046525990293632011-07-31T20:51:00.004-04:002011-07-31T21:29:33.518-04:00D&D Sacred Cows: Ability Scores<div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I have been thinking about all the different components in D&D system, and I can't help but wonder what most people would considered "sacred cows" of the game? You know, the various elements of the system that would be considered game breakers if removed or changed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Abilities (I prefer calling them attributes) are a good example of what I mean. Seeing the six of them listed together (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) is a clear indicator that the game is D&D. But does this mean they are hardwired into the system and if taken away, or altered, would this somehow change the game in a negative way? Would doing this make it something other than D&D?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Playing around with <a href="http://koboldenterprise.com/">Microlite20</a> (M20) has me questioning their importance. M20 uses Strength, Dexterity and Mind, which seems obviously influenced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fantasy_Trip">The Fantasy Trip</a>. Personally, I really like this approach, and applaud the design choice to take a bold step toward simplicity. Some people add Charisma back into the scheme, but this is a point of debate in the M20 community. I can see using Charisma only if henchmen are a key element of the campaign, but if not, then there is no real need for it. But I digress...</span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >So, I have given all of this a lot of thought, and here are the abilities I would use if I did decide to change them:</span></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Body (BODY)</b>: Represents physical strength, toughness and overall health.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Mind (MIND)</b>: Represents reason, analytic thought and the ability to learn.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Prowess (PROW)</b>: Represents agility, hand-eye coordination and reaction speed.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Spirit (SPIR)</b>: Represents personality, ability to lead, intuition and strength of will.</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Pointing out the obvious here, but I rolled Strength and Constitution into Body, changed Intelligence to Mind, as well as Dexterity to Prowess, and I rolled Wisdom and Charisma into Spirit.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >So, what do you think? Do you like the abilities I have chosen? Would using these abilities change the game so much it would no longer "feel" like D&D? If you would change, or have changed, the standard array, which abilities would you choose to use?</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-84554257771728067892011-07-28T16:13:00.002-04:002011-07-28T16:54:35.126-04:00Mail Call<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7irUBqe39bM/TjHDQpclcXI/AAAAAAAAFRc/8p3R0__6skE/s1600/DenofThieves-mm-236x379.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 379px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7irUBqe39bM/TjHDQpclcXI/AAAAAAAAFRc/8p3R0__6skE/s400/DenofThieves-mm-236x379.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634499299588272498" /></a></span><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Last week I received something very cool in the mail from a reader of the Outer Dark, David Chandler; his soon to be published fantasy novel entitled, <i><a href="http://www.ancientblades.com/">Den of Thieves</a></i>. David had emailed me a few weeks back and asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy, and of course I was more than happy to do so. The book will be released on August 11th, by <a href="http://harpercollins.com/">Harper Collins</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >In his email, David revealed to me that he is a player in the <a href="http://redbox.wikidot.com/">New York Red Box</a> group, is a longtime reader of my blog and from the sound of things he is a proud member of the Old-School Renaissance. Needless to say, he is my kind of guy! He had this to say about his book, "This is not fan fiction, nor the dreaded 'game company novel', but an original story. It is heavily inspired by the contents of Appendix N, most specifically Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar books." I read the prologue and chapter one last night, and though it is still very early, I can already see I am going to like the story. The main character is a thief named Malden "who had never set foot outside the city" in which the story takes place, the Free City of Ness. All in all, it looks like a fun read, and I will have a review of the book posted as soon as I finish reading it. </span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Thanks for the book, David!</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-50208679158718670322011-07-27T17:04:00.001-04:002011-07-27T17:06:34.924-04:00My Results for the "The World’s Hardest Gary Gygax Quiz"<div style="-moz-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; border: 4px solid blue; padding: 5px; width: 250px; background: #ffc; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em;"><img src="http://blogofholding.com/images/garyavatar.gif" align="left" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 3px;" /><b><b>Shane Mangus</b> took the <b><a href="http://blogofholding.com/">Hardest Gary Gygax Quiz in the World</a></b> and got 100%!</b><br /><br /><br /><br />You are a Gary Gygax <b>Dungeon Master.</b> You are a world expert on Gary Gygax. My guess is you are either a former TSR employee or an extremely obsessive fan. You can be proud of your in-depth knowledge - few are so expert in any subject! Also, I would like to be in your D&D group.<br /><br /><b>Paladin Code:</b> You completed this quiz without using Google.</div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-47565760931934467822011-07-27T11:45:00.003-04:002011-07-27T11:53:45.216-04:00Happy 73rd Dungeon Master!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSh7CM71StY/TjA0Byyo6HI/AAAAAAAAFQc/JRrVeNmX7MU/s1600/GG.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 215px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSh7CM71StY/TjA0Byyo6HI/AAAAAAAAFQc/JRrVeNmX7MU/s400/GG.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634060339259172978" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: medium; ">Today would have marked the 73rd birthday of Gary Gygax. If only I could somehow give him a gift as large as the one he gave to me... Happy birthday, Dungeon Master!</span>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-23165079987471653272011-07-25T19:41:00.003-04:002011-07-25T20:30:20.817-04:00[Music Mondays] Corvus Corax<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Tonight, I would like to share a few selections from German Neo-Medieval drum and bagpipe band, <a href="http://www.corvuscorax.de/">Corvus Corax</a>. I am a longtime fan, and have used their music during my games on more than a few occasions. Their sound is firmly rooted in early music traditions, while also possessing a bombastic quality that is normally found in more modern musical genres, such as heavy metal. Their stage presence is an odd mix of medieval and Mad Max, with flamboyant costumes and hairstyles. Despite this, the groups's members have gone to great lengths to keep their sound authentically medieval as possible, even going so far as to handcraft their own instruments. Their live show looks to be a ton of fun, and I hope to be lucky enough to attend one someday.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TIXV2NhLb_0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0cePcF6-J5k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1F7l9N3qJ8s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ha6gWkY6__g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7Jur5zUce6I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-83551484843916758302011-07-18T16:58:00.005-04:002011-07-18T20:03:53.674-04:00[Music Mondays] Univers Zéro<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers_Zero">Univers Zéro</a> is one of my all time favorite bands. There are many words I can use to describe their music; dark, brooding, beautiful, harrowing, intellectual, delicious and obscure all readily come to mind. Hailing from Belgium, <a href="http://univers-zero.com/">Univers Zéro</a> emerged from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_in_Opposition">Rock In Opposition</a> movement during the mid-70s and are widely credited for being a seminal force within the genre. Sighting influences ranging from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartok">Béla Bartók</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stravinsky">Igor Stravinsky</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Crimson">King Crimson</a> and H.P. Lovecraft, their music is a combination of modern classical chamber music coupled with jazz, rock and even early music arrangements. Univers Zéro is not for everyone, and admittedly, is an acquired taste. Their music is challenging, which makes it that much more appealing to me. Tonight I have decided to share one song from each of their first three albums. Enjoy!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >"Malaise" from the album <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1313_(album)">1313</a></i>:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z5QydMBQjXE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >"Jack the Ripper" from the album <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresie">Heresie</a></i>:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aI7IyIcJNPI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >"Dense" from the album <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceux_du_Dehors">Ceux du Dehors</a></i>:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YIa2Yz21g1Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-82602757631462716322011-07-17T19:57:00.002-04:002011-07-17T20:48:37.913-04:00Congrats to Laird Barron<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: medium; ">I wanted to take a moment to send some positive vibes out to a friend of the Outer Dark, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laird_Barron">Laird Barron</a>. The <a href="http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/sja_2010_winners.php">2010 Shirley Jackson Award winners were announced</a>, and Laird was lucky enough, or should I say <i>talented </i>enough, to have won two: the Single-Author Collection award for <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Occultation-Laird-Barron/dp/1597801925/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310948794&sr=8-1">Occultation</a>, </i>and the Novella award for “Mysterium Tremendum.” Laird specializes in writing dark, creepy stories, and he is damn good at it. Do yourself a favor and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=laird+barron&x=0&y=0">buy some of his books</a>. Your life will be better for it!</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-67724377318784477232011-07-14T14:18:00.007-04:002011-07-14T22:24:35.648-04:00Crypts & Things Playtest Edition<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qC5Eyay0qVw/Th9fvr5wfyI/AAAAAAAAFEI/OxERjFKiqnY/s1600/CT-frontcover-v2-web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qC5Eyay0qVw/Th9fvr5wfyI/AAAAAAAAFEI/OxERjFKiqnY/s400/CT-frontcover-v2-web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629323332079877922" /></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >At the beginning of June I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the playtest version of <a href="http://d101games.co.uk/books/crypts-and-things/">Crypts & Things</a>, being published by <a href="http://d101games.co.uk/">D101 Games</a>. It is way too early to give a complete review of the game, but today I would like to share an overview of some of the things Crypts & Things will offer, as well as a few personal observations along the way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I have had a few weeks to peruse the playtest files Newt Newport was kind enough to send my way, and overall I have a very positive feeling about the game. Crypts & Things (C&T from here) is a variant of the Swords & Wizardry (S&W) rules, fine tuned for dark sword & sorcery action. Though I have not had an opportunity to actually run a game of C&T, I can say with confidence that this is my favorite variant of the S&W rules I have read so far. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Here are a few things C&T will offer that sets the game apart (my personal comments are in brackets):</span></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >First, the game dials back the standard Tolkien influence found in most fantasy games, and ramps up the Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber influences. [<i>Love it!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >To bring a strong sword & sorcery flavor, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings have been omitted from the game. Humans only for player characters. [<i>This is the type of game I prefer, so I highly approve.</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >A Barbarian character class has been added, which was inspired by a version of the class first published in White Dwarf magazine in 1977. [<i>White Dwarf!!! 'Nuff said...</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Fighting styles have been included, which adds a way to help differentiate one Fighter from another.* [<i>Anyone who has been paying attention will know that <a href="http://swordandsanity.blogspot.com/2010/05/ll-supplemental-giving-fighters-style.html">I have implemented my own version of this</a> into my game, so Newt and I are on the same page here.</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The Magician class has been added, which replaces the Magic-User and Cleric.*</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Magic has three flavors, White, Grey and Black.* Magic-User and Cleric spells are combined into a single spell list. There are no spells in the game above level 6, except Restoration, which is a 6th level spell in C&T. [<i>I think this is a very sensible approach that reflects the sword & sorcery setting.</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Damage characters suffer in combat is handled through Hit Point (exhaustion and fatigue) and Constitution (actual life points) loss.* [<i>This has been a long standing house rule of mine, so two big thumbs up!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Casting spells causes exhaustion, so a number of Hit Points are lost depending on the spell level. The spell Cure Light Wounds only restores Hit Points and not Constitution loss.* [<i>Once again, great minds think alike.</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >No Vancian magic system, and spells can be cast as many times as a Magician desires.*</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >A Thief variant has been added, inspired by the Grey Mouser, so they will lean heavier on their fighting skills than Thieves normally seen in other games.* [<i>Love it!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Speaking of thieves, the rules state that <i>every character</i> in the game is essentially a rogue, so <i>everyone </i>has the ability to back stab, which means two damage dice are rolled when a successful attack from behind is performed.* [<i>I love this rule!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The ability to Turn Undead has been removed from the game, making undead much more powerful in C&T than seen in other fantasy games.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >During character creation the player can roll on the Life Events chart, which will randomly generates important events that have occurred in the character's past. [<i>I like this... ALOT!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >A Saving Throw mechanic is used to handle class skills in the game.* [<i>Very cool!</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Sanity rules have been included, which boil down to Wisdom loss when mental damage and deterioration is suffered.* [<i>This is a very easy and sensible way to handle sanity loss. I approve.</i>]</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The "Compendium of Fiends" has around 120 creatures, with about 60 of those being designed specifically for C&T.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >A fully fleshed out sword & sorcery setting will be included in the book, which is "the dying world of Zarth."</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >This is just a taste of what C&T has to offer. Taken all together, I would say this is a very complete package. It is really hard for me <i>not </i>to like C&T, mainly because I have implemented many of the same rules, or something remarkably close, in my own game. Newt has taken an approach that is very close to my own vision of what I think a dark sword & sorcery game should be. I know this is just the playtest version, but already the game is coming together nicely and one I suspect the old-school community will enthusiastically embrace.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Final note, Newt asked me to mention that 90% of the alternate rules found in C&T are from <a href="http://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2009/07/swords-sorcery-house-rules-index.html">Akrasia's OGL Sword & Sorcery house rules</a>. These rules are marked with an asterisk (*) above.</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-88913571055542349482011-07-13T10:21:00.004-04:002011-07-13T10:39:39.945-04:00[Poll] Facebook or Google+, Which Will You Use?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >There seems to be a new mayor running for office in Social Network Town. <a href="https://plus.google.com/">Google+</a> has thrown its hat into the ring, and wants to give <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> a run for the title "Big Kahuna." Now that we have a choice, which will you be choosing as your social network of choice? Please take a moment and cast your vote for Facebook, Google+, both or neither. If there is a particular reason you have chosen one over the other, please share your reasoning. Thanks!</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-80285532425376492052011-07-11T15:42:00.007-04:002011-07-11T19:16:50.465-04:00[Music Mondays] My Favorite Black Sabbath Album<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9hVlq2YL0s/Tht0mgQo5VI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/jvotdcL3rEE/s1600/Black_Sabbath_debut_album.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9hVlq2YL0s/Tht0mgQo5VI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/jvotdcL3rEE/s400/Black_Sabbath_debut_album.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628220364173141330" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Looking back, 1980 was a very big year for me. I was eleven, and in that year I began playing Dungeons & Dragons, read <i>The Hobbit</i> for the first time,<i> </i>and discovered the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, by first reading "Rats In the Walls." It was also the year I began listening to Black Sabbath, having acquired an eight-track tape of their self-titled first album from my uncle! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">I can't stress enough how influential this album was on my young imagination. To me, D&D, Lovecraft, Tolkien and Black Sabbath will forever be hardwired into the </span><span class="Apple-style-span">nostalgia-space of my psyche. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >In future "Music Mondays" posts I doubt I will link to entire albums, but this is a special case. <i>Black Sabbath</i> is, in my opinion, a perfect album and it would be a crime to not include all of it's songs in this post.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f4dpFjSFYX4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TZvXucCw2Jo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5uZrSBEKB0I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ytwY-atTfpM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ey2zwdErPvQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pYiyfVkOmA8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/geLR_0_mLYM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-90662776071598053632011-07-11T15:11:00.003-04:002011-07-11T15:42:32.007-04:00[Music Mondays] Intro<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Since <a href="http://swordandsanity.blogspot.com/2011/04/she-is-here.html">the birth of my daughter</a>, I haven't had an opportunity to posts here on the Outer Dark as much as I would like. Even though I am a stay at home dad at the moment, I find that spare time is a hard thing to come by. When I do seem to find some extra time that can be spent working on game material or blogging, I am often just too drained to concentrate on getting anything done. It goes with the territory, I suppose... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >One of the things I <i>am </i>able to do, even when tending to Ellie, is listen to some tunes. Music has become my main source of stress relief, and it helps me unwind. Not to mention, music has always been a source of never ending fuel for my imagination, just as gaming.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >In an effort to jump start my blogging habits again, I am going to begin posting some of my musical picks each Monday, with posts aptly tagged "Music Mondays." My taste in music is very broad, but I have always gravitated toward progressive rock, as well as all the various sub-genres of doom music. I also have a penchant for instrumental music. In the end, it is hard to say what I will be inclined to post, but I hope you guys will find it entertaining.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The first post in this series to follow...</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-383500061797506831.post-31424801174022587342011-07-05T20:47:00.005-04:002011-07-06T13:35:34.076-04:00Mike Mearls on Minimalist D&D<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >These past few weeks have left me with absolutely no time to devote to the blog, and I apologize for that. I would like to get back into the swing of things and share some of the stuff I have been working on in the spare time I <i>have </i>managed to find. No promises, but I will make a real effort to make this happen.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Anyway, back to the real reason I am posting today. I read Mike Mearls' new Legends & Lore article, "<a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110705">Minimalist D&D</a>." The title alone drew me in, since I have been on a <a href="http://www.forum.koboldenterprise.com/">Microlite20</a>/<a href="http://www.retroroleplaying.com/content/microlite75">75</a> tear hereof late. First, let me say, I agree wholeheartedly with everything he says in this article. Personally, I think making ability scores the cornerstone of a character is essential. I also agree that ability checks can replace both saving throws and skills.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >One thing I wanted to point out, which is obvious to almost everyone in the OSR, is that <a href="http://www.trolllord.com/cnc/index.html">Castles & Crusades</a> has been doing this for years! It is the main thing I love about C&C, and something I have ported over to other games. I am not quite sure why Mr. Mearls is presenting this game mechanic in his article as if it is something completely new. (Or at least that is how I read it) If he did not realize this fact, then I find that damn irritating. A manager for the Dungeons & Dragons research and development team at Wizards of the Coast should at least have had a look at the competition just to see what the "other guys" are doing. If he knew that C&C is designed around ability checks, then I find it even more irritating that he is rolling this out like he has had some kind of epiphany!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >That's it. That's the only point I needed to make. If it sounds like I am being overly critical of Mearls' comments in his article, you are probably right. I am in an incredibly bad mood today. Anyway, now that I have that off my chest I feel a lot better!</span></div>Shane Mangushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865733072718219138noreply@blogger.com10