It's Labyrinth Lord....With The Great Seasonal Taste Of Pumpkin Spice!

It's autumn, and the flavor of pumpkin spice can be found in nearly everything -- pumpkin spice donuts, pumpkin spice cookies and breads, Pumpkin Spice Labyrinth Lord, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spi…

Wait a minute, back up one.

A bit of backstory: Last year at this time, Goblinoid Games' Overlord Dan Proctor was railing against the explosion of pumpkin spice-infused products appearing everywhere overnight. As a goof, he suggested he should release Pumpkin Spice Labyrinth Lord to take advantage of the yearly fall trend. So he created a new pumpkin spice-themed cover for the classic RPG and tossed it up on Lulu as a joke.

And folks loved it. And they bought it. And, true to the season, once Halloween rolled by, the Pumpkin Spice-Flavored edition disappeared as well.

However, due to popular demand, the 2018 edition of Pumpkin-Spice Labyrinth Lord is now available!

The 2018 Pumpkin Spice Edition of Labyrinth Lord is only available in hardback at Lulu. And, once Halloween has come and gone, this edition will disappear as well. What started as a goof has (hopefully) become the start of a yearly tradition of spooky LL covers infused with pumpkin goodness!

(Oh, and if you'd also like an appropriately-themed Labyrinth Lord adventure, check out Scribe of Orcus Issue 1, which contains the adventure "The Pumpkin Lord of Shady Hollow"!)

[Review] "The Fungus Forest" Adventure For OSR-Compatable RPGs

I'm always on the lookout for a good adventure -- one that encompasses an unusual setting and give me as a GM plenty of options to vex and befuddle my players. One such megasetting is The Fungus Forest, a PWYW OSR-compatible adventure setting by Lee Reynoldson and Carl Nash. One note: Carl was kind enough to send me a review copy of the adventure to peruse and review.

This sizable adventure is 71 pages long and is compatible with Original, Basic, and Advanced versions of "the world's most popular fantasy RPG," so you can pretty much run it with any classic RPG or the myriad of clones and remakes we now have available. (Heck, this could be used for an awesome Mutant Future adventure as well.) The Fungus Forest takes place in a sprawling underground complex of caves, caverns, and crevasses created by a rushing underground river that has shaped the tunnels and rooms over thousands of years. Inside this complex, mold, mildew, and fungi of every size and shape have take root, bestowing the nickname found on the cover of the adventure. This place is HUGE. It encompasses more than 100 areas to explore covering well over 1 million square feet. (I did the math, and it checks out.) Just take a look at the map...

(The image here is deliberately small and out of focus to keep spoilers minimal.) 

The reasons the players might stumble across The Fungus Forest are left to the referee. In fact, a handy Rumor Chart might give them the impetus they need to seek it out. (But do the players ever really need a reason to go delving?) Once in the depths, there are plenty for them to investigate:

• There are seven different factions warring for control over the underworld kingdom: the fey, the goblins, the shroom-folk, and more...
• There are unusual and unique creatures to thwart or befriend (mostly thwart)...
• Fabulous riches await the brave and foolhardy, including the key to immortality!

My favorite adventures have always been the underground cave ones, but I've often found them to be somewhat lacking in "stuff to do." That isn't a problem with The Fungus Forest, as there are plenty of opportunities and encounters to last your players quite a while. (I'm deliberately avoid spoilers in this review, so excuse the vagueness.) And, in keeping with the fungus theme, there is also a Random Fungus Generator for a GM to create a new interesting 'shrooms on the fly (as well as the magical properties they may possess). Eight pages of unique creatures fill the back pages of the book, and a sizable fold-out map of the complex is also included.

Oh, and did I mention that this sprawling complex is pay what you want? So just a few dollars in donation will net you a 70+ page megadungeon. (Or download for free and pay later once you've had a chance to see for yourself!) Sniderman says, go check it out by clicking the link here or clicking the cover above!

Temple Of Divine Sight: A New Religious Order For Your Fantasy Games

Over the weekend, I discovered some old notes of mine from my days as a live-action role-player. Yes, I was one of those guys who wandered the state parks, whacking on "orcs" and "goblins" with foam-core swords. Say what you want, but I had loads of fun back in those days. One of my favorite PCs to play was a cleric by the name of Jarrod Theodyne. Jarrod was a fledgling acolyte from The Temple of Divine Sight, which sorta leads me to today's post. I didn't want to play "yet another cleric" who was always spouting good-vs-evil, keep-the-faith rhetoric. So I came up with a fairly convoluted new religion -- one that was vague enough so I could make up details on the fly, but also one that would give me something more to do on the field other than spout prayers, lay on hands, and crush things with a mace. So here you go -- feel free to use this religious order in your own RPGs:

The Temple of Divine Sight is a faith that worships human knowledge, education, and wisdom above all else. As the faithful believe, only by expanding our knowledge of the world around us can we hope to achieve the very wisdom of the gods. Since human memory is fleeting and fallible, the Faithful spend their days recording everything they've seen, heard, and experienced. (All Temple clerics are talented scribes, able to read and write in several languages.) The written word is as close to a permanent record of the human condition that exists, therefore everything must be dutifully transcribed -- conversations, observations, thoughts, conclusions, questions, everything the cleric experiences is jotted down in an ever-present journal, known to the clerics as their "Tome".

To accumulate knowledge and wisdom for the church, Divine Sight clerics are sent out on a 1,000-day journey to experience the outside world. These clerics roam the countryside, speaking with the citizens, learning what they can, and recording everything down in their Tome. Oftentimes, these clerics meet up and join with adventurers, thinking that these stalwart individuals will provide them with new and unusual situations and knowledge to record and share with the church.

Clerics of The Temple also collect as much written material as they can gather. Scraps of scrolls, pages ripped from books, nothing is too minuscule or minor to be considered for the church's archives. Speaking of the archives, the primary Temple -- location unknown to all but the Faithful -- is said to be one of the largest libraries of non-magical books and tomes in the world. It is said that everything there is to know can be found somewhere in the church's massive libraries which fill up many large dorm-like buildings.

It goes without saying that the written word is their holy symbol, and their Tome is used for such rituals. When casting spells or turning the undead, the cleric's book glows with a holy light as the acolyte's wisdom is channeled through the book. Because of the sheer importance of the Tome both as a holy symbol as well as the symbolic storage of the cleric's knowledge with, the Tome is irreplaceable. Some clerics who have had their Tome stolen or lost have entered into lengthy quests to retrieve it.

You may be asking yourself about the nature of the "god" that the Temple denizens worship. Well, that's the part I've left deliberately vague when I played Jarrod. There are several ways you can play this depending on the nature of your personal campaign world:

** The Temple of Divine Sight doesn't worship any one "god" in the pantheon. Wisdom and knowledge are more important to the Faithful than the whims of some omnipotent being. And who's to say which omnipotent being is the most knowledgeable? Since they derive their arcane powers from expanding their own consciousness and knowledge of the world they live in rather than in esoteric philosophies, the Temple of Divine Sight could be played as "agnostic clerics," if such a theme appeals to you.

** If you wish to have a god, here's the way I played it. Only those clerics who have contributed the most to their Temple's collected works are entitled to know their god's True Name. Until they have risen in the ranks of the church and have earned the right to learn His Name, they must remain ignorant of this One True Fact. It is the symbolic withholding of His Name to those who are still learning that shows the cleric that they will never know everything  -- only He knows all. Acolytes refer to their god as He Who Knows. And their prayers often start with the mantra "By His Unknown Name..." It could be a quest for your player to rise up the ranks to one day be entrusted with this most holiest of holy words -- the Real Name of his god!

Secret Santicore 2015 Is ALIVE!!!

SANTICORE IS NO LONGER SECRET!

This year's Secret Santicore mega-supplement is now out! The beastly book of RPG inspiration is a whopping 355 pages with more than 100 entries! This year's beast is so big, it's been divided up into five separate sections for downloading: Adventures, People, Monsters, Places, and Things. Grab them all or grab the section that interests you.

(And be sure to check out my offering: "Plague of the Vermin Guild", a Labyrinth Lord adventure found in the Adventures volume!)

Click Ol' Sanicore above to go to the gaming goodness! Nice work to everyone involved this year as the offerings are amazing!

[Labyrinth Lord] Magic Item: Boon/Bane Coin

A Boon/Bane Coin is a simple -- yet remarkably powerful -- magic item that can reveal whether a potential course of action is beneficial (boon) or detrimental (bane) to the coin-holder.

The coin appears to be a blank, unstamped copper coin. If a statement is made about a course of action and the coin is flipped, upon landing the face will reveal one of two images: an angelic scene if the course of action is advisable or safe, or a demonic scene if the action is ill-advised or dangerous. The statement must be phrased as a course of action to activate the coin's magic, i.e., "We will trust what this merchant says"; "We will take the left corridor"; "I will drink the contents of this bottle." If the outcome of the action is unknown/questionable or if a question is asked ("Should we take the left corridor?"), the coin will remain blank upon landing, offering no input one way or another.

The Boon/Bane Coin's magic works in a manner similar to the 5th level Cleric spell Commune, though the coin is not beholden to any specific deity. The Boon/Bane Coin will reveal two answers per day. Further daily demands upon the coin will result only in blank faces.

[Labyrinth Lord] Savage Menagerie: Gravedigger

No. Enc.: 1

Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 7
Attacks: 1
Damage: 6d6 + Special
Save: MU5
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: None

The Gravedigger is the spiritual embodiment of the dead and buried, though it is not an undead creature and cannot be turned. It is always initially encountered walking from far away toward the party. It appears to be a black-cowled figure with a shovel in one hand and a tombstone in the other. On the tombstone is written the name of the party member which the Gravedigger has come to bury.

The Gravedigger moves slowly, always attacking last in a round. It attacks by striking with its shovel for 6d6 hp of damage. In addition, if the "chosen one" is struck with the shovel, they will automatically be teleported 6 feet underground where they will begin to suffocate. The grave will be marked with the stone the Gravedigger held, and the creature will disappear. If not dug up, the buried person will suffocate for 1d12 hp per round. Spells such as Move Earth, Stone to Flesh, Polymorph Any Object, etc. will automatically excavate the buried victim. If time runs out, the victim suffocates, and the Gravedigger's "mission" was fulfilled.

The Gravedigger can detect things as if it had a permanent spell of True Seeing. The Gravedigger will only attack the one it is "attuned to", and will attack others only if they get in the way. If a Gravedigger does not succeed in burying its victim, the victim will never again encounter a Gravedigger. The Gravedigger will only stop its mission if it is destroyed.

NOTE: Today's monster originally appeared in my Weird Works monster book written back in 1982!

Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols Volume 1 Compilation Now Out!

Woo-hoo! By now you've seen me praising the gonzo RPG fanzine Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols. This fantastic zine resource is chock-full of bizarre fantasy-sci-fi-horror-humor gaming good stuffs. And now all six issues (so far!) have been compiled into one master edition! Presenting the Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols Volume One Compilation!

The 138-page book collects all six issues of WMLP with resources, new monsters, new classes, new treasures, new weapons, new scenarios, and support for such games as:

• Dungeons & Dragons!
• Labyrinth Lord!
• Mutant Future!
• Encounter Critical!
• Cryptworld!
• And the six-part mega-dungeon "Beneath the Ruins!"

Wizards, Mutants, Lazer Pistols Volume One Compilation is available at Lulu for $16.99. Plus, there's a current 20% Lulu coupon, so punch in SHOW20 for an extra $3.40 off. Sniderman says, "Go get some."

Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter To Be At Con On The Cob Oct. 16-19

Hey there future Con on the Cob attendees! Be sure to stop by Booth 13 in the Vendor's Hall as Goblinoid Games / Pacesetter will be in attendance! Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Starships and Spacemen, plus all of the old and new Pacesetter games will be well represented and available for purchase! See you October 16-19!

[Labyrinth Lord] Magic Item: The Annahr Key

NOTE: This magic item was to be my third entry in the OSR Superstar competition over at Tenkar's Tavern. However, I missed the cutoff for this third magical item entry, so I thought I'd instead toss this befuddling little item out to you folks.

The Annahr Key appears to be a simple, unremarkable iron key with the word "ANNAHR" scratched along the shaft. However, it radiates very powerful magics if any magic-user thinks to inspect it. The Annahr Key can automatically shape itself to fit into any ordinary lock, unlocking any normally locked door, portal, chest, etc. that the party encounters. (The Annahr Key can only unlock normal locks and is ineffective against magically locked or held portals or objects.)

However, The Annahr Key also has a powerful curse upon it. Although the Annahr Key can easily open any locked item, it will at the same time magically lock and trap any previously unlocked item it's been in contact with. When it is used to unlock a portal or item, the previously unlocked object or portal will slam shut and will be under the effect of an 8th level Arcane Lock spell. The Annahr Key will be unable to unlock this new magically-locked item. Also, at the same time the object is Arcane Locked, an 8th level Symbol of Conflict will appear on the item, affecting any who see it.

It is said that a very powerful chaotic magic-user created the key, saying "The Annahr Key opens doors, while it sows the seeds of discord."

For Inspiration: The Random Fantasy Adventure Module Title Generator

After posting yesterday's B Movie Title Generator, I wasn't sure if I had shared this other gem with you folks. It's the Adventure Title Generator from the apparently defunct blog Sundering Wrath, and I use it quite a bit for inspiration. The titles it generates are similar in feel and tone to the titles of the classic D&D modules you may have seen on the shelves of your FLGS (though the generator is apparently based on the 4e D&D world).

Stuck for ideas some time ago, I used this generator to create a batch of titles for potential adventure ideas. One that popped up, "Warlord of the Sacred Library," became a Thundarr adventure I ran at Gary Con earlier this year. Another title, "The Scourge From Beyond Infinity," is earmarked for a future DCC RPG funnel. (If I can find time to write it!) Here's a taste of what a few clicks brings up:

Bargain of the Ghouls

The Book of the Cruel Underdark

Queen of the Marksman's Guild

The Plague Widow

Through the Spider Tomb

Below the Bloody Catacombs

The Bard's Last Will

The Inn of the Cursed Knight

Quest of the Living Dead

Vecna's Tribe 

(C'mon, you long-time D&D players can't tell me you wouldn't LOVE to run  through "Vecna's Tribe"!)

[Review] The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord and Other Adventures From Our Shared Youth

I have recently stepped into a time machine and popped up behind the DM screens of eight very creative DMs back in the 80s. And you can too...

I was a supporter of a recent successful Kickstarter campaign launched by Tim Hutchings of the Play Generated Map and Document Archive (PlaGMaDA). Tim has taken several donations to the Archive and -- with the permission of the original creators -- compiled and laid out eight D&D-style modules in a compilation tome titled "The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord and Other Adventures From Our Shared Youth." And it is a thing of beauty to anyone who cobbled together their own D&D-style adventures Back In The Day using a loose-leaf binder, some graph paper, and maybe your family's Atari 800 printer (if you were lucky).

(click any photo for a bigger, better look at the details)

Each of the eight homemade, handwritten (or typewritten) modules in this 112-page volume were written by kids during the heyday of the 70s-80s D&D bubble. The titles within this collection include:

• The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord
• Stone Death
• The Crack at Garn's Canyon
• The Ring of Gaxx
• The Golden Scepter of the Trollfens
• The Tomb of Areopagus the Cloaked and Japheth of the Mighty Staff
• The Lair of Turgon
• The Maze of Death

Rounding out the contents is an overview by Hutchings, and an Introduction by Jon Peterson, author of Playing at the World. Peterson's Introduction offers some fascinating investigational insight, as he examines each module, pointing out what the author was inspired by or how each adventure fits into the D&D cosmos timeline. Peterson's overview really gives you an idea of how each was written and the steps these young DMs took to fit their works into TSR's published worlds.

Now then, I will not be reviewing the textual content of this collection as, well, they're unpolished adventure modules written by kids back in the 80s. Spelling errors, unbalanced encounters, and hackneyed cliches abound, but that's part of the charm of this collection. The unbridled enthusiasm these budding game designers had for their work is seen in each word, each sketch, each attempt to emulate the format and feel of The Professional Game Writers.

The pages of each module was scanned in high resolution color, so you get a feel of the originals' production. You can see the notes written on ruled notebook paper, the pencil sketches on graph paper, the handmade construction paper covers, the yellowing tape holding the maps in place, the dot-matrix patterns left by the printer, and every crease, wrinkle, and erasure smudge found on the originals. Several of them created their own covers to look like those made by TSR, pretending they were Big Name Game Designers. And now, here in late 2013, those eight young game designers got their wish, and their adventures are printed, published, and being played by gamers throughout the world.

Thumbing through the book is like standing behind the DM screen beside the respective dungeonmasters as they ran their players through a dungeon of their own design. When the respective authors assembled these handmade adventures, most of them took pains to emulate the feel and look of the professional efforts with covers. For example, "Habitition" was numbered by the author as "Dungeon Module G22", meaning it is intended to fall within the original "Against the Giants" series of adventures, possibly between G2 and G3. (If you're running your players through the series, how about shoehorning this sidetrek in there to throw off anyone who's read up on the original classics?)

The book is a fascinating look at our gaming past. It will give most of you a satisfying recollection of your own Great Killer Dungeons from your youth. And, according to the back cover, "it's a relic of the past you can play." I suggest taking one of these adventures and running your players through it. I cannot think of a better legacy to those eight kids who originally put pencil to paper than to run their creations at your own table.

The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord and Other Adventures From Our Shared Youth is now available for purchase at The Hutchingsonian Presents for $30 plus shipping.

[Labyrinth Lord] Horn of Plenty / Horn of Putrescence

Magic Item for Labyrinth Lord in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday

The Horn of Plenty appears as a simple, empty, wicker cornucopia. However, once per day when the item's command word is spoken, naturally growing edibles such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, etc. come spilling out. The Horn of Plenty's production is similar to the 4th-level Cleric spell Create Food and Water. However, water cannot be created with the Horn. Enough nutritious food will be produced to comfortably feed 6 people once per day. There is also a Horn for the feeding of animals and livestock know as a Horn of Forage. This Horn will produce enough feed corn, oats, and raw grain once per day to feed three large beasts of burden (horses, oxen, cattle, etc.). The grains and feed produced will barely nourish any persons who consume it.

There is a cursed version of the Horn to be wary of though -- the Horn of Putrescence. This Horn is similar in look and creation to the Horn of Plenty, and it too produces enough food to feed 6 people. Although the food appears, smells, and tastes normal, it is contaminated with a spoiled rot that will cause a withering illness per a reversed 3rd-level Cleric Cure Disease spell (Cause Disease). Any who consume the spoiled food must make a save versus poison. Those who fail will be racked by fever and illness for 2d12 days at which point they will perish unless a Cure Disease spell is cast.