tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39027253401649863412012-01-31T20:56:00.399ZRaising the next generation of Old School gamersDaddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.comBlogger3161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-64887457016164427722012-01-29T09:00:00.000Z2012-01-29T09:00:02.020Z

Our gallant band Elysia, Alurax, Alagon, Olaf and Cafaror (Zanurax was in Alurax’s pocket – somewhere nice and warm to sleep – and Ferros was slightly charred around the edges and not moving much) emerged from the watchtower to find the scattered bodies of the dead lying where they had fallen. It was night-time now and in the flickering light of their torches, the party soon noticed something odd

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-91229583626565463032012-01-27T21:56:00.007Z2012-01-31T20:53:00.038Z

Right, since everybody had so much fun with the Cloak of Elviskind, I've decided to give the concept another, expanded shot. The same idea as with the Cloak, except that any artist is fair game. I've started you off with the first twelve. Let's see if we can get it to 100. As in Top 100. 1. Devil Woman – the player becomes convinced that the most virtuous female NPC in the campaign is in fact a

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-41188832873092201432012-01-26T14:00:00.001Z2012-01-26T14:00:15.375Z

Just a quick apology to the 16 blogs that I have recently started to follow but which are not appearing on my blogroll. For some unknown reason (it may have something to do with the new comments system, or it may be connected with the new Terms and Conditions) Blogger will not let me update my blogroll - I can add you but it refuses to save the additions. Just as soon as I can, I'll ensure that

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-543943089016597662012-01-25T09:00:00.000Z2012-01-25T09:00:10.299Z

I’ve just spent a few days in the company of a djinni and a boy magician and loved every minute of it. I’m talking about Bartimaeus and Nathaniel, the protagonists of the aforementioned novel (2003) which, although aimed at the teen reader market is thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced, very well-written and extremely funny to boot. What’s it all about? Well, it’s set in an England that has all the

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-24163119912687787312012-01-24T09:00:00.001Z2012-01-24T09:00:10.371Z

Frequency: Common No. appearing: 2-24Armour class: 9Move: 15”Hit Dice: 1/4Percentage in lair: Nil (although in this adventure, that's where they are) Treasure type: NilNo. of attacks: 1Damage per attack: Nil Special attack: PoisonSpecial defences: NilMagic Resistance: StandardIntelligence: Non-Alignment: NeutralSize: S (1’ long)THAC0: 20XP value: 30 +1/hpWhat the party findThe party

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-13787513347444893242012-01-19T15:34:00.009Z2012-01-23T16:17:25.164Z

About four years ago or so, on a Giant in the Playground forum, someone came up with a Cloak of Elviskind as a goofy magic item (amongst many others - check it out here) and that set me thinking - what special effects could it have? I thought I'd kick things off with a few suggestions and see if we could expand it to a d30 table for this coolest of magic items. Thank you very much!EDIT - the

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-39490455196568703902012-01-17T09:00:00.002Z2012-01-17T09:00:03.796Z

CentaurFrequency: Rare No. appearing: 4-24Armour class: 5 (4 for leaders)Move: 18”Hit Dice: 4Percentage in lair: 5% Treasure type: M, Q with each; D, I, T in lairNo. of attacks: 2 (hooves)Damage per attack: 1-6/1-6 Special attack: Human weapons (club, bow, shield/lance)Special defences: NilMagic Resistance: Standard Intelligence: Low-AverageAlignment: Neutral/Chaotic GoodSize:

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-42667186625048169602012-01-15T09:17:00.008Z2012-01-15T10:04:48.719Z

The next day, our gallant band held a debate about which way they should go on their hunting journey into the wilderness. They knew what lay south and northward lay the ruined castle in which they had taken on and defeated the hill giants. West across the river was another story – nobody knew what was out there. The party resolved to try that direction and crossed to the other bank with little

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-35837222686524862332012-01-06T11:47:00.003Z2012-01-06T11:50:29.358Z

If, over the course of the coming months, you notice my posts becoming progressively repetitive and incomprehensible, this will explain why.I'm 47 this year. :(

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-51878759973349921892011-12-31T21:34:00.003Z2011-12-31T21:56:04.302Z

And what a year jam-packed with events it was. There was so much going on that even now, casting a glance over the reviews of the year on TV, I'm surprised that I've forgotten some things that were quite momentous at the time. On a personal note, whilst 2011 was not as kind to my family as I would have liked, I approach 2012 with a degree of optimism that I hope will be justified.On the gaming

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-55197094893310490692011-12-25T00:05:00.000Z2011-12-25T00:05:00.663Z

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-49623844667851283672011-12-24T09:00:00.000Z2011-12-24T09:00:09.948Z

I love this song and this rendition is amongst the best I've found. It's so mediaeval in its sound; in the very depths of winter, it fits the mood of the season perfectly. Enjoy, with a glass of mulled wine in one hand and a mince pie in the other. Wassail!

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-88316250612900621872011-12-23T09:30:00.000Z2011-12-23T09:30:04.455Z

I posted about this video last year and it's an annual ritual of mine either to read the book or to watch this classic rendition thereof. If you've not seen it yet, check it out. If you have, watch it again and enjoy!

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-78043383606497037622011-12-19T18:01:00.001Z2011-12-19T18:03:04.646Z

Mine's this oneMummy Grognard and I always say it's not Christmas until we've heard this on the radio or in the shops.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-238456421763549142011-12-16T08:55:00.004Z2012-01-13T17:06:08.942Z

On waking this morning, I heard on the radio the news that I had been expecting but hoped would not come. The death of Christopher Hitchens is a blow to all those who valued his championing of rationalism, cherished his contrarian and independent outlook and expanded their vocabulary as a result of reading what he had written.This link is to the archive of articles that he wrote for Vanity Fair,

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-84658176710598777422011-12-11T09:00:00.001Z2011-12-11T09:00:05.582Z

Deck the table with our game stuff, tra-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la...The team began to hack at the door to the cellar with axes, desperate to escape before the coffin opened. Their blows soon splintered the wood in several places but as they made holes in the door they found more wood beyond it. Hacking at that, they heard the clank of metal and the crash of ceramics.Suddenly, the new wood began

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-34896636644122655502011-12-08T14:09:00.001Z2011-12-08T14:22:09.301Z

Tired of gritty fantasy with a cast list of scum and villainy that makes Mos Eisley look like Paradise Beach? Tired of books that turn the air blue just by reading them? Tired of tales that lack a moral compass?Well, this one is for you. Songs of the Earth isn’t mould-breaking or innovative – it clings fast to numerous tropes of fantasy literature and will seem very familiar to well-read fans of

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-84209399460057175802011-12-06T09:00:00.000Z2011-12-06T09:00:11.260Z

Cattle, WildFrequency: Common No. appearing: 20-200 Armour class: 7Move: 15”Hit Dice: 1-4Percentage in lair: Nil Treasure type: NilNo. of attacks: 1Damage per attack: 1-4 Special attack: StampedeSpecial defences: NilMagic Resistance: StandardIntelligence: Semi-Alignment: NeutralSize: LTHAC0: 19/16/15 XP value: 35+2/hpGoes well with: red wineOn a semi-civilised frontier, a local noble

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-69586463699581238162011-11-29T09:00:00.000Z2011-11-29T09:00:04.043Z

CatoblepasFrequency: Very rareNo. appearing: 1-3Armour class: 7Move: 6”Hit Dice: 6+2Percentage in lair: 60% Treasure type: CNo. of attacks: 1Damage per attack: 1-6 + stun Special attack: Gaze causes deathSpecial defences: NilMagic Resistance: StandardIntelligence: Semi-Alignment: NeutralSize: L (6’ at shoulder)THAC0: 13XP value: 700 + 8/hpThis adventure takes place in a section of the

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-5308432505155942152011-11-27T09:00:00.000Z2011-11-27T09:00:05.398Z

Ferros and Cafaror set off for the Master’s house with Elysia, Zanurax and Relic in their wake. At the house, they knocked on the door whilst Zanurax was flown up to the roof by Relic where a loose skylight looked like an easier way of getting in. Having a six-inch high thief in the party is proving to be a great advantage - especially as they've now hit on the idea of having him fly on the back

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-43784961563619284732011-11-24T22:00:00.004Z2011-11-24T22:05:10.862Z

Courtesy of my local newspaper. Do I hear the sound of David Attenborough banging his head against a wall?

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-28750901345626713822011-11-24T09:00:00.000Z2011-11-24T09:00:00.091Z

I’ve recently read this one and I thought I’d just post a couple of reactions to it that chimed with my gamer side. You’ve probably not heard of Ruckley – this is his first book, as far as I know, the first volume of a trilogy (why do fantasy novels come in threes?) and he’s just released a new one about the body snatchers of Edinburgh. Must check that one out as wellThe setting for the Godless

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-13457472826696895832011-11-22T23:12:00.003Z2011-11-22T23:15:47.567Z

For anyone who's ever ridden a dragon in their dreams, this is sad news. I read some of the Pern series but it was a long time ago. Must revisit it soon.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-54700863857524532752011-11-22T09:00:00.000Z2011-11-22T09:00:10.671Z

Carrion CrawlerFrequency Uncommon No. appearing: 1-6 (but for this adventure, use as many as you feel will provide a good scenario)Armour class: 3/7Move: 12”Hit Dice: 3+1Percentage in lair: 50% Treasure type: BNo. of attacks: 8Damage per attack: Paralysis Special attack: As above Special defences: NilMagic Resistance: StandardIntelligence: Non-Alignment: NSize: L (9’ long)THAC0: 16XP

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-77637132247675062682011-11-18T10:49:00.004Z2011-11-18T11:03:22.789Z

An asteroid or comet impacting Earth is going to cause a huge amount of devastation - but just how devastating depends on the size of the object hitting us. I recently found a site run by Imperial College, London which will allow you to estimate the regional environmental consequences of an impact on Earth. Fascinating, if a little morbid and a great way to round off your week.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-73423793038318940392011-11-14T09:00:00.003Z2011-11-14T09:00:08.393Z

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-22533522011860804512011-11-13T09:00:00.000Z2011-11-13T09:00:00.896Z

Adthar’s two ettin heads peered round the corner of the corridor. He saw a hooded figure approaching, muttering and talking to itself. Figuring that he was big enough now to take care of himself, he stepped out into the corridor and hailed the figure, which gave a hiss and threw back its hood. Suddenly, the rest of the party were not looking at an ettin but at the statue of one. No sooner had

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-12500321459966476302011-11-07T09:00:00.002Z2011-11-07T09:00:10.238Z

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-27670770761861711712011-11-02T09:00:00.002Z2011-11-02T09:00:09.435Z

You tell your son to watch out for something hazardous in the house, then check to see if he's understood your warning and he replies "Yes, I know, I rolled under my Intelligence""INT 18 smart enough for you, Dad?"

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-51409251404164154992011-10-31T09:00:00.002Z2011-10-31T09:00:04.454Z

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-19159657756411391012011-10-26T09:00:00.001+01:002011-10-26T09:00:04.379+01:00

The teacher asks your son "What happened after Theseus killed the Minotaur?" and your son replies "He levelled up!""Ooh, XP!"

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-44033688865997370162011-10-25T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-25T09:00:06.976+01:00

Firstly, an apology for not having kept this series as frequent as I would have liked. I sometimes succumb to the temptation to develop an idea and this dramatically increases the amount of work I need to complete a post. Today's post is just such an example; as I developed it, the focus shifted away from the camels (although they are still there). I'll try to keep my grandiose ambitions in check

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-68488967111347992562011-10-24T09:00:00.002+01:002011-10-24T09:00:04.934+01:00

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-13281471675995599642011-10-22T09:00:00.001+01:002011-10-22T09:00:06.125+01:00

Just recently, whilst running Team Adventure through a couple of wilderness hex crawls, I’ve rolled up two encounters where I’ve used dead monsters rather than live ones. To be honest, I thought at the time of the first encounter (a mountain lion) that it would be a short-lived combat if it even came to that; a good set of rolls on the archery would either finish it off or drive it off. Worth

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-62170910038081733352011-10-21T13:40:00.002+01:002011-10-21T13:45:34.554+01:00

Just a quick question on the tail of all those posts on other blogs this week concerning the compatibility of Christianity and D&D. I've noticed that more or less every one refers to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and the impact that this had on gamers. However, when I think back to my teenage years, I can't recall a single instance of this in my gaming life. I know it's almost certainly that I'm

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-20252447223998632422011-10-20T09:00:00.001+01:002011-10-20T09:00:09.735+01:00

James Hutchings at Teleleli recently asked me to take a look at his new e-book, The New Death and others. I’m sorry it’s taken a while to get my thoughts together on it but it is 94 pages long and to skim-read it would be to do it a great injustice because it’s a very good read.The work is a collection (44 stories and 19 poems) of very short, short and longer pieces with a weird slant, very

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-34029560480365842132011-10-19T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-19T09:00:10.985+01:00

You find yourself aruging with your spouse over which are better....Otherworld or Reaper"Otherworld are more faithful to the Monster Manual...""Yes, but Reaper have the better player character minis..."

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-91841103163576609802011-10-17T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-17T09:00:07.178+01:00

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-81409964348616590872011-10-16T08:00:00.000+01:002011-10-16T08:00:03.117+01:00

Session Eighteen (crikey, have we got that far already?) and our heroes began the session in town, having rested up and recovered from their trip to the hill giants’ castle and the encounter with the ogres. While they were there, Elysia made some enquiries about the picture that she had discovered in the Shadow House and the map that had been concealed behind it.Eladar, her brother had returned

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-63343792166249998962011-10-12T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-12T09:00:05.478+01:00

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-31213780072695407482011-10-09T18:13:00.007+01:002011-10-09T18:36:01.703+01:00

Our heroes started up the stairs but before they had got halfway, they heard the frightful sound of hounds baying. When Cafaror and Adthar reached the top they saw a large hall and tied up against one wall, six large dogs with red-brown fur, black teeth, glowing eyes and smoke drifting from their muzzles. The team fanned out into the room, wondering if the dogs were hostile or not. They soon got

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-11662139787938473122011-10-03T09:00:00.000+01:002011-10-03T09:00:09.660+01:00

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-54758497351820591562011-09-27T09:00:00.000+01:002011-09-27T09:00:01.039+01:00

My apologies for the lack of substantial posts just recently. This is why.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-67693843697225236842011-09-26T09:00:00.000+01:002011-09-26T09:00:00.145+01:00

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-47030967213515519582011-09-21T09:00:00.002+01:002011-12-05T20:56:43.428Z

Here's another Community Project. The travelling medicine show, although popular in the late 19th century would, I should imagine, have its analogy in the D&D world. Despite the presence of clerics and other healers - with whose treatment might come spiritual or theological attachments - the travelling potion peddler would expect no other payment than the metallic variety.Usually, the bottles

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-70667523228246251402011-09-19T08:30:00.000+01:002011-09-19T08:30:01.886+01:00

Yes, tis International Talk Like a Pirate Day again, so it is. Time flies when you're sailing the Seven Seas in search of booty. Seadogs and swashbucklers all, remember to splice the mainbrace, hoist the sails, Roger the Cabin Boy and last one up the Old Sea Dog gets a lick of the cat!

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-49538038208226776612011-09-18T09:00:00.000+01:002011-09-18T09:00:01.984+01:00

The group had decided to go off and do a bit of giant hunting. The first question, of course was – who had seen any giants recently? The party had encountered a lone hill giant in their adventure in the ruined chapel but he was dead and so would make poor prey. Ferros hit upon the idea of just riding off into the wilderness and seeing what they found. I had just started to expand the scale of my

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-81386594948242651892011-09-11T09:30:00.000+01:002011-09-11T09:30:01.670+01:00

Our session began with some debate as to where the party wanted to go next. Whilst they were thinking about it, the results came in from the search of the town archives – the archivist had managed to find, in a hundred-year old book of fairy tales and myths a story about a peddler finding a secret cave, releasing a dragon, a battle between a band of knights and the dragon and the intervention of

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-25949273112175824952011-08-30T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-30T09:00:00.115+01:00

Bull Frequency: Common No. appearing: 1-20 Armour class: 7 Move: 15” Hit Dice: 4 Percentage in lair: Nil Treasure type: Nil No. of attacks: 2 Damage per attack: 1-6/1-6 Special attack: Charge (3-12 damage on impact and an additional 1-4 trampling) Special defences: Nil Magic Resistance: Standard Intelligence: Semi- Alignment: Neutral Size: L (5’ at shoulder) THAC0: 15 XP value: 85 + 4/hp

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-16456854262748464932011-08-23T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-23T09:00:04.708+01:00

Bulette This could be your party if you try this adventure Frequency: Very rare No. appearing: 1-2 Armour class: –2/4/6 Move: 14”/3” Hit Dice: 9 Percentage in lair: Nil Treasure type: Nil No. of attacks: 3 Damage per attack: 4-48/3-18/3-18 Special attack: 8’ jump (I'd like to see that) Special defences: Nil Magic Resistance: Standard Intelligence: Animal Alignment: Neutral Size: L (9 ½’

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-85573162973167199832011-08-22T09:05:00.001+01:002011-08-22T09:05:00.368+01:00

You call your son's friends by their character names... "Adthar, Cafaror, come in! Sorry, what were your real names again?"

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-13585898953700500992011-08-21T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-21T09:00:03.472+01:00

The previous session had been nearly a month ago, on 20th July and it took a little while for everybody to get back up to speed on where we'd got to, but as regards the mechanics of play, the lads had only forgotten one or two things, like the particular dice required for particular weapon damage. I was heartened by this, and all the more so by the fact that Adthar's and Cafaror's players (

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-39047094250079439372011-08-15T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-15T09:00:09.102+01:00

You're watching Boomerang with your kids and you find yourself thinking... "A campaign based on Top Cat...yes, that might work...now, what system shall I use?" He's the Chief, he's the King, but above everything, he's a 7th level thief...

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-28058972102421487052011-08-14T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-14T09:00:06.971+01:00

The session began with the party spending some of their hard-won gold improving their armour and buying new weapons. Most notable was Adthar’s purchase of a two-handed sword, something that he had been wanting to buy since he learned of its existence. Galzor and Alurax also decided to increase the party’s animal contingent by purchasing a war-horse each. Nobody else seemed interested in

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-43917404966964899442011-08-12T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-12T09:00:10.788+01:00

Call of Cthulhu is a dark and dangerous game and not the sort of thing you’d associate with humour. However, there is room for levity of a sort within the game. I found two sources; the first was direct, in which I would frequently title e-mails with groan-inducing puns and the second was indirect, in which humorous situations arose out of play. The chief amongst these, and one that is remembered

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-17590375671263121182011-08-08T09:05:00.000+01:002011-08-08T09:05:00.352+01:00

You think that a pretty cool concept for a programme is "Gordon Ramsay's Dungeon Nightmares""Both these knives are +5"

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-87942738100294341142011-08-07T09:00:00.000+01:002011-08-07T09:00:03.594+01:00

We began this session with the party licking their wounds after the massive fight against the enemy champion and his humanoid minions. Ferros was unconscious and Galzor was called on to start handing out the Healing spells. Once Ferros had been healed, he reciprocated and soon the Team was up and running again. There was one door left to examine and Ferros decided to investigate it. He pushed it

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-64651074265291451212011-08-01T09:00:00.001+01:002011-08-01T09:00:02.453+01:00

The interview panel asks you how you'd describe yourself and you say "Lawful Good"..."I'll be wearing this outfit on dress-down Fridays..."

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-89424561550732964042011-07-31T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-31T09:00:05.927+01:00

The session began with the Team trying to decide who would go down the shaft that they had discovered hidden inside one of the pillars. In the end, Ferros volunteered to lead the way and they found that at the bottom of the shaft, there was a narrow subterranean passageway that turned after a few yards and then ran straight for at least fifty feet or so. The team followed Ferros down the passage

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-43988756507515746432011-07-29T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-29T09:00:04.214+01:00

A brief word on handwaving, the definition of which I am taking as “Not burdening your players with the tiresome bits of reality…”A pbem takes a long time to play. I think my first adventure took about eight months to cover from Saturday lunchtime to Monday evening. Although subsequent adventures have moved perhaps that little bit faster, it’s still a long process, even if only the essential

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-35718559951433630912011-07-26T09:00:00.001+01:002011-08-05T12:22:44.355+01:00

Map from Dyson Logos, find it and other excellent images here. Frequency UncommonNo. appearing 6-36 Armour class 5Move 9”Hit Dice 3+1Percentage in lair 25% Treasure type Individuals, J,K,L,M. B in lairNo. of attacks 1Damage per attack 2-8 or by weapon type Special attack Surprise on a 1-3Special defences NilMagic Resistance StandardIntelligence Low to AverageAlignment Chaotic EvilSize L (7’+

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-63638610154707463122011-07-25T09:15:00.000+01:002011-07-25T09:15:01.394+01:00

Someone asks how much something costs and you instinctively give them the price in gold pieces..."Discount for cash? Well, yeah, I guess so..."

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-52852687948901284422011-07-24T09:15:00.000+01:002011-07-24T09:15:00.540+01:00

Whilst resting up, the party heard the approach of two goblins who were clearly members of the gang who had been living in the Moat House. Alurax, Adthar and Cafaror burst out and finished the stunned goblins off, barely breaking a sweat. I’d rolled them up on the wandering monster table and since the rest of the goblins had been killed off, thought I’d bring these guys in as an easy sword-arm

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-83364834976063529272011-07-19T09:15:00.000+01:002011-07-19T09:15:01.324+01:00

BuffaloFrequency UncommonNo. appearing 4-24 (but more for the purposes of this adventure)Armour class 7Move 15”Hit Dice 5Percentage in lair NilTreasure type NilNo. of attacks 2Damage per attack 1-8/1-8 Special attack Charge (3-18 damage on impact and 1-4 trampling)Special defences Head is armour class 3Magic Resistance StandardIntelligence Semi-Alignment NeutralSize L (5’ at shoulder)THAC0

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-63768429997927662812011-07-18T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-18T09:00:04.930+01:00

You threaten to deduct XP to get your kids to behave..."Stop that right now or you're going down a level..."

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-32697248689951714882011-07-17T09:30:00.000+01:002011-07-17T09:30:01.262+01:00

Having had their collective backsides kicked by the ogres in the previous session, Team Adventure needed something new to get their teeth into. Ever willing to oblige, I decided to dust down an Old School Classic and got out my copy of ToEE (purchased from Mike Badolato many months ago). I turned to the Moat House and off we went. The gang were approached in town by a representative of the

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-88516895546978246292011-07-15T14:47:00.001+01:002011-07-15T14:50:56.399+01:00

Old School gamers have had it repeated so often that they can recite it in their sleep – never split the party. In combat-based games like D&D, the reason is obvious – half a party is half as likely to be able to fight off something that a whole party could probably beat. This, however, is usually not the case in Call of Cthulhu. No matter what size the party, running into something eldritch

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-78030377790001958082011-07-14T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-14T09:00:05.993+01:00

The word is out - a party of adventurers have made a major score and are coming back to the city loaded down with treasure. To celebrate, they have announced that for one evening only, they are buying everyone who comes into their local tavern anything they want, all evening.The Merry Pranksters have been hard at work ensuring that every freeloader and sponger in the city knows about this - in

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-42356695287031455222011-07-11T09:30:00.001+01:002011-08-11T15:33:01.953+01:00

You're watching the video for Hazard by Richard Marx and you find yourself thinking.... "This would make a great Call of Cthulhu scenario"

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-65920770139809794852011-07-10T09:15:00.000+01:002011-07-10T09:15:02.628+01:00

Returning to town, the party, led by Elador, Elysia's brother and 2nd level Magic User, approached the Council of Clerics to see if it would be possible to bring her back to life. They usually charged a minimum of five thousand gold pieces but after an argument for reduction from Elador, the clerics decided that they would do it for three thousand gold pieces and a service to be performed at a

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-39903411410479825482011-07-08T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-08T09:00:03.808+01:00

It’s been said on better blogs than mine - unless there is a very good reason to say No, say Yes but ensure that players face the consequences of their own actions. As we’ve seen in weeks gone by, something that the players do may take the scenario off in a totally unexpected direction and - as we have also seen - this is a good thing. It’s also nothing to be scared of, since, if you’ve been

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-89685914941716102092011-07-07T11:57:00.005+01:002011-07-21T13:18:56.664+01:00

Not sure why but every time I do a post and put in a picture of a boar, it seems to go straight to the top of my Popular Posts list and stay there for ages. Let's see if this one does as well...(maybe it'll be more popular than Hot Elf Chicks)

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-56087994690345081032011-07-04T09:30:00.001+01:002011-07-04T09:30:01.778+01:00

You're in the kitchen and rather than put the stock cubes into the stew, you start rolling them like d6.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-60414470378966913582011-07-03T09:00:00.000+01:002011-07-03T09:00:03.245+01:00

At the start of the next session, the party was not going to enjoy their victory for long. Doorways at the end of the cloisters led to stairways and it was down these that something big and mean came pounding. Yes, there were more orcs and they were now backed up by two bugbears, tough opponents for any warrior, let alone those who had just spent time and energy fighting their way through orcs.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-80718613714546414142011-06-28T09:10:00.000+01:002011-06-28T09:10:01.487+01:00

BrownieFREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 4-16 ARMOR CLASS: 3 MOVE: 12" HIT DICE: 1/2,% IN LAIR: 20% TREASURE TYPE: O, P, Q NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3 SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Save as 9th level clericMAGIC RESISTANCE: As above INTELLIGENCE: High ALIGNMENT: Lawful good SIZE: S (l ½ feet tall) PSIONIC ABILITY: NilAttack/Defence Modes: NilTHAC0 20XP value 65 +1/hpBrownies are

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-81647552918549959162011-06-26T09:00:00.001+01:002011-06-26T09:00:02.480+01:00

The party clearly thought they’d had enough of ogres because in the next session, they decided to try another direction in the dungeon. They reasoned that the ogres had probably prepared for another attack. So at the t-junction after the bridge with the iron bars at the windows, they turned north instead and headed up the passageway. There was an encounter with a band of wandering kobolds who

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-6590119425575745152011-06-24T09:00:00.000+01:002011-06-24T09:00:01.317+01:00

Celebrities! You really can’t escape them. Of course, you might have thought you could by playing a role-playing game set in the 1920s but such thoughts are foolish whimsy because they had celebrities back then as well. The big difference between celebrities of the 1920s and today’s rather shallow assortment is that the 1920s type were famous for a reason and, if we can allow ourselves a further

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-54419711050406895072011-06-19T09:00:00.000+01:002011-06-19T09:00:06.044+01:00

Our gallant party returned to the dungeon and headed straight for the hobgoblin chambers, aiming to see what lay beyond them. I had decided not to restock that particular set of rooms at this time, but kept the option open if the situation arose that the party left the dungeon for a substantial length of time. A flight of steps led down to a long, wide passageway, running north to south.

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-5620314180169880022011-06-14T09:00:00.001+01:002011-10-20T18:20:37.169+01:00

Boar, WildFrequency Common No appearing 1-12AC 7Move15” HD 3+3% in lair Nil Treasure type Nil No of attacks 1Damage per attack 3-12 Special attacks NilSpecial defences NilMagic resistance StandardIntelligence Semi-Alignment NeutralSize Medium (3’ at the shoulder)THAC0 16XP value 85+4/hpThis adventure takes place in thick, sylvan forest, off the beaten track but in the same area as a scattering of

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-11765362297141601092011-06-10T10:19:00.001+01:002011-06-10T10:32:08.029+01:00

Call of Cthulhu, the monsters notwithstanding, is not a splatterpunk bloodfest of tentacles and slime. It is not hack and slash, nor is it shoot and slash. It’s all in the atmosphere and it’s up to the Keeper to build and maintain that atmosphere. You might think that it’s difficult to do that through the medium of e-mail – after all, unlike their character, the player is in a well-lit room,

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-83615577162082844952011-06-03T09:00:00.000+01:002011-06-03T09:00:00.359+01:00

Do you like rules lawyers? Of course you don’t. Well, Call of Cthulhu is the game for you. It’s rules-light and atmosphere-heavy and that’s a good thing.Firstly because, as you can imagine, the fewer rules there are, the less anyone has to nit-pick about. If I flick through my CoC rulebook, what do I see? Character creation runs from page 11 to 16 – that’s it. Five pages. And one of those is an

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-62188896774900523412011-05-27T10:08:00.003+01:002011-05-27T10:14:29.038+01:00

Classic Call of Cthulhu is set in the real world but in a time that, with one or two nonagenarian exceptions, none of us remembers. The pace of change has rendered this period as real to us as Middle Earth. What inhabitants of the 1920s accepted as commonplace is now consigned to the history books, to be learned about as just a collection of facts and sepia photographs. So the Keeper has a

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-86243938198260897672011-05-22T11:19:00.004+01:002011-05-22T11:31:26.689+01:00

Having despatched the giant poisonous snake and found their loot, the party did something that I had not expected them to do – they decided to try the other doors. In retrospect, they didn’t know that behind each door was a ghoul but even so – “you’ve found the treasure, guys, don’t look any further”.Still, luckily for them, they managed to have only one ghoul to fight at a time (regular readers

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-71680109324502776772011-05-20T09:00:00.000+01:002011-05-20T09:00:07.878+01:00

Other People – they’re everywhere. When you pass somebody in the street and barely look at them, they’re Adventure Dressing but when you stop and interact with them, they become NPCs. And of course, without wishing to sound like a certain Justice Secretary, there are different types of NPC, depending on the function that they are intended to perform within an adventure. Some get perhaps one line

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-71724135840217010582011-05-17T14:40:00.002+01:002011-05-17T14:51:05.394+01:00

BLINK DOGSFrequency RareNo appearing 4-16AC 5Move 12” HD 4% in lair 20% Treasure type C No of attacks 1Damage per attack 1-6 Special attacks From rear 75% of time Special defences TeleportingMagic resistance StandardIntelligence AverageAlignment Lawful GoodSize M (3’ at shoulder) THAC0 15XP value 170 + 5/hpThe party are travelling through either an area of the dungeon or an area of wilderness

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-49960759127149276952011-05-15T09:00:00.002+01:002011-05-19T20:52:29.420+01:00

To begin with, the dungeon, as I’ve previously mentioned was a mere sixteen rooms large. I had skeletons, giant spiders, goblins, kobolds and – in the last room – zombies. A nice mix that would give the fighters and the clerics something to do. There were also pressure pads and locked doors that the thief might be able to assist with. I also set up the levels so that there were three ways down –

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-89498934587884741712011-05-13T22:26:00.001+01:002011-05-19T20:53:16.187+01:00

One of the main components of a pbem is of course the e-mail system itself. One thing a Keeper is going to have to be prepared for is the fact that the e-mail folder is going to get very big, very quickly. My adventure, which ran from July 2010 to February 2011 had, at the last count, over two thousand e-mails. Even assuming that some of those were duplicates – and I’m pretty assiduous at

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-9479901931274146772011-05-04T23:26:00.004+01:002011-05-04T23:36:29.222+01:00

I was having a chat with Mummy Grognard the other day, principally about the new Team Adventure sessions. We've already agreed that following Gygaxian guidelines on females and young in lairs is out - no families to be slaughtered. To be honest, I've never played the females and young option, even back in the day. She also had misgivings about the boys facing human opponents, since they are

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-84703018546900665982011-05-03T09:00:00.001+01:002011-05-03T09:00:07.860+01:00

Black PuddingFrequency Uncommon No appearing 1 to 1-4AC 6Move 6" HD 10% in lair NilTreasure type Nil No of attacks 1Damage per attack 3-24 Special attacks Dissolve wood and metalSpecial defences Blows, cold and lightning do not harmMagic resistance StandardIntelligence NonAlignment NeutralSize S to L (5’ diameter to 8’ diameter) THAC0 10XP value 1350 + 14/hpThe black pudding is a monster composed

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-66831683097478402232011-05-01T09:00:00.000+01:002011-05-01T09:00:03.975+01:00

I’m sure that there are some of you out there who read the by-line for my blog, Raising the Next Generation of Old School Gamers and think “Oh yeah, Daddy G, where’s anything relating to that? You’re all mouth and no trousers. What about the kids?” Well, grumble no longer. Because for the past few weeks, I’ve been gaming every weekend and during the Easter holidays twice a week with a group of

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-59651504739724801162011-04-29T09:00:00.000+01:002011-04-29T09:00:07.602+01:00

This week, I’m going to be talking about red herrings. First, however, a very important fact – in a CoC pbem, there are no red herrings.But how can this be, I hear you cry. Surely red herrings are one of the crucial factors of any investigation-based game? Otherwise, every clue would point to the solution and the adventure would be over before it had begun. Except of course that in our sandbox

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-68976853833785605872011-04-24T23:11:00.005+01:002011-04-24T23:32:28.267+01:00

Step up to the podium, Anthony Hunter of Battleaxes and Beasties!It was a close race with both this entry and Arkhein's Oyster jostling for the lead but in the end, the people have spoken and your design will now grace the Wiki.Congratulations to you, Anthony - commiserations to the runners-up. Great efforts by all concerned, and thanks also to everyone who voted and commented on the posts in

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-39340946005178589922011-04-19T09:00:00.001+01:002011-04-19T09:00:02.199+01:00

The party is wandering through a section of the dungeon that seems quieter than others. They might even think about using it as a base for rest periods and from which to explore. This, of course, would be a bad move because not long after they enter the area, they hear an unearthly wail, a scream that sounds as if no human mouth could utter it. And of course, no human mouth did. If the party try

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-40260511859005820092011-04-16T22:51:00.003+01:002011-04-16T22:56:19.117+01:00

Do you like macabre and unsettling pictures? Then this link is for you. He's done a series of horror photographs on Pickman's Model and the portfolio is pretty cool too. Don't forget to check out his blog for more details. (not suitable for your Junior Grognards)

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-25870887862022425492011-04-15T09:00:00.000+01:002011-04-15T09:00:07.566+01:00

Ever wondered why so many Lovecraft stories involve the protagonist hurriedly writing a scribbled account of his experiences while the eldritch horrors are closing in? The answer is simple – said protagonist is the last surviving player in the game and the Keeper doesn’t want his adventure to stall. Some unsuspecting soul, probably the doomed one’s nephew or colleague or best friend is going to

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-11109508005111317462011-04-14T15:50:00.004+01:002011-04-15T11:49:10.685+01:00

Remember that post "If you go down to the woods today?" Well, using Cute pdf writer, I've made the full thing available as a pdf on Dropbox. Check out the link just to the right, above the logo poll and download it now.EDIT - I've now taken the PrintFriendly coding out of my blog HTML as it seems it was causing problems for the downloading. Thanks to Biopunk for highlighting that problem. It

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-16657106667289305712011-04-12T09:35:00.006+01:002011-04-12T09:48:34.278+01:00

The time has come - the people must choose. Let the voice of democracy speak!Okay, calm down - it's the Wiki Logo vote. I've set up the poll for the three entries we've had and you've got till Good Friday, 22nd April, to cast your vote.The contenders areGreg Christopher from ErrantArkhein from Rather GameyAnthony Hunter from Battleaxes and BeastiesGood luck, chaps!

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-39084040899498087662011-04-09T22:12:00.007+01:002011-04-09T22:35:33.387+01:00

This week, I’m dealing with a very handy tool to make the administration of a pbem much easier. I’m talking of course about Obsidian Portal.Those of you who have used OP already for other adventures can vouch for the fact that it has few equals as a repository of information for adventures, useful for both players and GMs. The way in which OP can be used for a pbem differs depending on the type

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-74442867555967856742011-04-05T22:12:00.004+01:002011-04-07T09:52:05.301+01:00

Oooh, shiny beetle!Frequency Common No appearing 3-18AC 3Move 6” HD 5% in lair 40% Treasure type C,R,S,T No of attacks 1Damage per attack 5-20 Special attacks NilSpecial defences NilMagic resistance StandardIntelligence Animal (but see description in MM about a hive mind)Alignment NeutralSize L (9’ long) THAC0 15XP value 90 + 5/hpDeep in the ruins of the Caverns, all is not well. A band of dwarf

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902725340164986341.post-84388021626246650912011-04-01T09:00:00.000+01:002011-04-01T09:00:11.256+01:00

This week, we’re going to be looking at a way to reduce the amount of work that a Keeper needs to put into the game. For many, Call of Cthulhu is a very linear game. The investigators probe Mystery A, get clue B which leads them to Mystery C, and so on until Denouement Z, where death, insanity or (possibly) survival await them. This is the format which many, but not all, of the published

Daddy Grognardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05559857164172090739noreply@blogger.com6