Retooling & Modifying Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther From One Shot RPG 'Pay What You Want' Adventure For Castles & Crusades rpg Campaigns

" In MADNESS OF THE MOUTHER, an unexpected attack at the market leads the characters beneath the city streets. In the hidden halls of an abandoned thieves guild, they find only death and the whispers of madness. What evil waits for them in the shadows? Will the characters survive?"

David Dudka puts out a number of 'pay what you want' adventure  titles that according to One Shot Rpg their mission statement, "This Mini-Quest contains: Madness, Some awesome art, theives, a lot of gibbering, one tough lock, rats, unexpected allies, betrayal, a wickedly sharp spear, cultists, wisdom saving throws, a merchant trying to sell a sword, a sequel." 

Right so Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther  is a nine page one shot adventure that has all of the adventure  elements of a couple of night's sessions. Starts off with a quick two step to get the party in the middle of the action & then ramps up. There's some good encounter twists & turns. And just the right amount of suspense. This makes this an excellent adventure for Castles & Crusades even though its meant for Math erm Pathfinder rpg. 

Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther has just enough adventure start & turn style to have solid couple of sessions of play. Because this is a pay what you want adventure everything here is perfect for beginning level PC's but its gonna require a bit of prep work on the DM's part. The usual stuff, rearrangement of encounters, dust up on monsters to C&C equivalents that sort of DMing prep work. 
But is Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther worth the download?! In a word?! Yes. There are several reasons why: 

1. Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther is only nine pages & will require a little bit of attention for the C&C DM. 
2. Short adventures mean solid beginning campaign play. 
3. Just enough adventure meat to get started & keep the players coming back to the table. 
4. Easy to use! Mini Quest: Madness of the Mouther is a good adventure for both 

Review & Commentary On Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From James Mishler Games For Labyrinth Lord & Many Old School or Retroclone Systems

 "This source booklet for Labyrinth Lord provides the method for magic-users to create a Miraculous Hut, in the same vein as the infamous crone-witch, Baba Yaga:

This source booklet provides the following details:

Baba Yaga’s Miraculous Transformation
Stage I Miraculous Hut: Dangerous Chicken
Stage II Miraculous Hut: Vicious Chicken
Stage III Miraculous Hut: Tiny Hut
Stage IV Miraculous Hut: Grand Hut
Extra-Dimensional Rooms, Connections, & Hallways
Stage V+ Miraculous Hut: Palatial Hut
The Heart of the Hut
Embedding Magical Features Through Spells
Magnificent Manor Variant
Stone Tower Variant

Note: The creation and improvement of a Miraculous Hut is a Chaotic and Evil Act! Not suitable for most player characters!"

A couple of days ago James Mishler,  & Jodi Moran-Mishler sent us a copy of Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation. This is one of those titles that clocks in at a whopping twenty four pages of Labyrinth Lord witchy goodness. This is not a book that's intended for PC's at all instead this is a book that's clearly intended for NPC of the Baba Yaga's witch tradition. This is an evil book without any doubt about it. Not in the Lamentations of the Flame Princess sense but it could clearly be used for that retrclone system. Let's clear up something right away, Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation isn't a copy of S5 The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga (2e). This is the book that creates the hut folks. That's right! 

Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation dives into the spells, rites, dark powers, & Hellish magick going on's behind the creation of a chicken legged house. And its rather nasty folks. The writing & lay out in Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation are well done. The intent is clear & crisp for the creation of a lair & the powers behind it for an NPC villain that can grow & change with the PC's as they level up or new heroes come along. Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation is well done & very dangerous as all Hell! This really is perfect for a Slavic mythological themed game or even a Ravenloft style game with little issue. 
You've got your spells, the evil bargains, the human sacrifice, & all of the styles that this style of horror comes in. So from Bovia throughout the realms of horror the player's PC's could be encountering variations of the Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation huts, mansions, stone towers,etc. 

But the view behind the screen that fuels this is rather nasty & this is also where Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation  giving options at the table top level for all kinds of bases & operations that these places of dark magic could be used. And its this fact that I can see using this book as an add on to a complete Castles & Crusades Codex Slavorum campaign setting possibly mixed with Ravenloft. That's how flexible Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation  is in my opinion. 

We can even see using this book with Tim Brannan's Daughters of Darkness: The Mara Witch for Basic Era Games to give a really nasty spin on a high level B/X witch NPC with little issue. And this could be spun into an on going NPC villain  for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea.

 
There is a ton to unpack & lots of unrealized gaming potential within Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation. This for me is a five outta of five because the Mishler's hit it out of the park with this one. Well done & very useful to the DM whose got a yen for this style of gaming. Baba Yaga's Miraculous Transformation fills that itch for me and its a very well done supplement. 

Review & Commentary On Runemaster Class by James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From James Mishler Games For Labyrinth Lord or Castles & Crusades Rpg Campaigns

" Dwarves and gnomes are adept at using magic to enchant armor, weapons, and other items, infusing them with magical power. While the golden age of runemaster power is long since passed, even today the dwarves and gnomes are known for their enchanting prowess."

James Mishler Games sent me the Runemasters pdf three days ago & its put me right back into the C&C OSR game mind set especially since we've got two players who are dwarven & gnome fanatics. This class has at its heart the ability to create Runestones; "Runes: Runemasters learn runes much like magic-users learn spells, keeping their knowledge in a book of runes that only other runemasters can read (no need for read magic, and read magic is useless to magic-users, as they cannot learn runes). A runemaster begins play knowing two 1st level runes, and automatically learn one new rune of their choice every level thereafter, of a level they may cast. They may also learn runes from other runemasters and by finding and learning them from ancient books of runes. Time and cost for learning (“mastering”) a rune and inscribing it in one’s book of runes is the same as for a magic-user to learn a spell of the same level. The number of runes listed on the table is the number of runes the runemaster may cast per day. Runemasters do not memorize runes; they may cast any runes they have mastered, in any combination they choose, 4 based on the number of casting slots of that rune level. Runemasters do not gain bonus runes due to high Intelligence or Wisdom. Runes musts be scribed – written on flesh, stone, gems, metal, paper, or even drawn in the air – to be cast. Usually this is done with the index finger, the magically-drawn rune often glowing upon the surface or even in midair for the duration (though some runes are invisible, and riven runes must be chiseled or etched for permanency). Thus, as with other spell casting, the runemaster cannot move and must have at least one hand free to cast a rune." 
But what's so new about this?! Dwarves have been doing it since the early days of 'The Dragon' magazine?! The difference is in the way that the magic is embedded into the character class. The Runemaster is dynamic class & very important to the Castles & Crusades table top level. Runemasters are really the essential class when dealing with magic weapons, dungeons, etc. and this is huge. They also get thirty four new runes for the player to deal with. 
This is huge for the adventurers because it gives them a leg up for magic items, relics, & much more. The runemaster is going to be a game changer in campaigns so keep this in mind. 

This means that the Runemaster at higher levels can do all kinds of mayhem when it comes to dungeon delving, dealing with the forge, & much more. And it adds a new wrinkle to the legendary & mythological background of many of the Castles & Crusades books. The real difference with the Runemaster is for the Castles & Crusades Mythos Series. The runemaster in those settings is a force to be reckoned with. Look how many mythological & popculture resources such as  Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). In Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung),we see the true extent of the vengeance of a Runemaster. 
Runemasters is solidly put together & offers the players or the  dungeon master a truly solid class to add to their OSR arsenal. For the Dwarven or Gnome fanatic player this is an automatic buy. For the DM looking to add more depth to their Dwarves this is grab & go to drop into the OSR campaign. 

Runemasters Is Available Right Here 

Review & Commentary On 'Demon Magic: The Second Stormbringer Companion' By Larry DiTillio & Co. For The Stormbringer 2nd Edition Box Set or Stormbringer Rpg

 "Demon Magic combines two large adventures with an assortment of new creatures, spells, and magic items. It also includes a version of Chaosium's SANITY rules for use in Stormbringer."

Besides having one of the most iconic covers for the Stormbringer game Demon Magic The Second Stormbringer Companion has a lot going for it as a supplement & adventure campaign. Demon Magic: The Second Stormbringer Companion  Paperback  was published on January 1, 1985 authored by Larry DiTillio. Everything about Demon Magic was a major upgrade for the Stormbringer rpg 2nd edition box set; "DEMON MAGIC is the second companion for Stormbringer®, the roleplaying game of action and adventure in the Young Kingdoms.

Authorized by fantasy author Michael Moorcock, DEMON MAGIC includes all necessary statistics, maps, and plans, and contains many original illustrations. Among its contents are:

• The Velvet Circle: a scenario in seven chapters, which takes many sessions of play to conclude. The adventure includes a complete red-light district, with business notes and a plan of the Circle.
• Sorcerer's Isle: a shorter, more intense scenario to fill one or two evenings.
• Runes of Rathdor: analyzes and describes the properties of six magical runes discovered during the reign of the 42nd Emperor of Melnibone.
• Sanity for Stormbringer®: introduces the optional characteristic of SAN into Young Kingdoms play.

Six new creatures, six nationalities, seven new Demon abilities, and five new magic items." 
Let's start with the 'Sanity Rules' by Mark L Gambler, these rules add an other level of weirdness & regret to the over the top sanity shattering occult & demon summoning in the 'Young Kingdoms'. They do this by porting over & improving upon the Call of Chluhu rpg. These sanity rules are down & dirty as well as fun. We dip our toes into 'New Demon Special Abilities' article by Arno Lipfert which comes to be very handy in the Stormbringer 2nd editon box set era. 
This leads into the Scorcerers Isle adventure by Kevin Freeman;"This scenario is set after the sack of Imnyr, when the Young Kingdoms were rife with pirates and adventurers. Gamemasters may place this adventure earlier merely by changing the Sadric number. " The adventure gives the Sword & Sorcery  look & feel of a Melibone in turmoil. Rumors of Rathless by Arno Lipfert  takes the usual Young Kingdom dark sorcery  vibe & turns it up to eleven. The dungeon master is going to have to work a bit to adapt the occult strangeness. 

But its a good middle of the road Sword & Sorcery dark magic fluff piece  with some interesting twists & turns. Arno Lipfert then switches gears with some very nasty & dangerous dark magical relics in the 'Magic Items' article. The creatures section does a decent job of presenting an over arching set of presenting monsters, alternative races, & chaos mutations.




 'The Velvet Circle'  by Larry DiTillio adventure seems like a simple adventure & is often described on the back of Demon Magic as follows; 

"The Velvet Circle: a scenario in seven chapters, which takes many sessions of play to conclude. The adventure includes a complete red-light district, with business notes and a plan of the Circle." 
You often adventures described as 'mini campaigns' or micro campaigns by OSR writers or designers. Well there's nothing mini about the 'Velvet Circle'! This is a full on Stormbringer campaign set of adventures & the dungeon master is going to have to cope with it. This whole kit set of adventures could take a year or more to deal with. 

The Velvet Circle feels like an old school campaign done right with the over arching blend of Stormbringer weirdness & BRP system style thrown into a blender of Sword & Sorcery adventure. 'Demon Magic' has a unique fill compared with even other Dungeons & Dragons supplements of the day. It was a distinct, unique blend of Moorcockian style elements with a put on of the Young Kingdoms. The supplement with it Chaos demon on the front always felt like a forbidden tome of the era. 
'Demon Magic' has the life & breath of the Stormbringer second edtion box set era about it & tackles the material of the Moorcock game on  its own terms. Many of the elements, rules, creatures, etc. would find their way into other Stormbringer product but 'Demon Magic' was unique for its time. 

Random Thoughts & Muses on 'Caliban Arduin Dungeon Number One' 1979 by David A. Hargrave and published by Grimoire Games For Your Old School & OSR Campaigns

 

"The first in a series of dungeons based on the best selling Arduin Trilogy, Caliban is the "Flying Dutchman" of dungeons. This high-level dungeon is designed for 4 - 8 characters of eighth level or higher. It contains four dungeon levels complete with maps and area descriptions, eight illustrated - fully detailed magic artifact cards, and eight illustrated monster cards with statistics. While designed for the Arduin game system, Caliban is usable with any d20 or other FRPsystem."

So its been one of those days where work & real life dragged me away from the blog today. So let's talk about one of the most dangerous dungeons that claimed a number of my PC's lives. And that's the infamous 'flying Dutchmen of Dungeons' Caliban. Caliban is straight up one very dangerous dungeon. Not only is it a once living thing but it had a god like existence during Arduin's War of the Elves. 

Now all day one thing has been at the back of our minds & that's Dave Hargrave's Caliban..  The infamous dungeon claimed quite a few of our group's characters. Why?! Because it was designed to showcase the system of Arduin as a viable gaming system. According to Caliban wiki entry;"Arduin Dungeon No. 1: Caliban was written by David A. Hargrave, with art by Greg Espinoza, and was published by Grimoire Games in 1979 as a 25-page book with two cardstock sheets.^[1]

Shannon Appelcline commented that "Grimoire's first original publication was Arduin Dungeon #1: Caliban (1979), which appeared very early in 1979. It was authored by none other than Dave Hargrave himself. Though he wasn't planning to write any more rules for Arduin, Hargrave was happy to design some adventures that showed how his game worked — and Caliban was the first."" 
Is it a good dungeon!!? Not really in the modern sense of the word, Caliban is a deadly little adventure location.

Its Arduin world  history is notorious & this is a literal dungeon roving the planes that could effectively show up even on Greyhawk. This is the very nature of Caliban itself. And we're not the only one's who noticed this fact. We were surprised to find a favorable review of Caliban from the Multiverse site but what comes across is the nature of the dungeon being one of the deep ends of the pool for the PC's;" For my first introduction to the works of Hargrave’s “Arduin” realm, I was quite pleased with this module. It was a bit surprising for a ‘Number 1’ module to be such a high level challenge, but one could regard it as a ‘Let’s jump into the deep end!’ kind of fun time. The background is an amusing one, over the top in the right way for an exciting game, and something that a Dungeon Master could work into a dark corner of their long running campaign. It strikes a good balance that should please most anyone who would play it; the rooms that are already in place hold ample opportunities for combat and the treasures to reward it well. The traps provide a good challenge, enough to assure that a party will not just wander casually through, once they’ve sprung one or two of them. As I would probably run it through some version of “Dungeons and Dragons”, I can see that it would take some work to convert (or replace) the monsters, but not too much more than I would put in on module preparation anyway." 
Its this very formula that we see time & again with David Hargrave's works, power attracts power, & ideas should be tried on the fly. But this is in keep with his adventures. But as a DM David Hargrave was the opposite. 

                                                                                                                                                                               

People who gamed with Mr. Hargrave  that we've talked with over the years have told me that he was very metituclus dungeon master. So it seems that the spirit of Arduin remains within both the dungeons & the three little brown books of his. This speaks of both the style of the California gaming scene as much as it does the man himself. Caliban takes that essence & distills it into a frothy PC killing formula dungeon. Gotta say that  Greg Espinoza's artwork really sets off the feel of Caliban. 

This isn't the first time that Caliban creeps into the OSR scene, The Direbane blog has quite the love for the venerable dungeon with his 'Arduin Intro to Caliban'.Including another Caliban article titled 'Caliban Annoited'. The blog author even ran Caliban at DunDraCon 43. 

Do what makes Caliban so good even as a high level dungeon!?! The fact that even though it was published in 1978 it still resonates with many OSR & old school gamers. This is because along with The Arduin Trilogy it shares within the wild & wolly imagination of the Dreamweaver Dave Hargrave. 

Review & Commentary In The Darkness of Space By Joseph Mohr From Old School Role Playing

" A Neoh 'Am Abassador is on a mission to meet with the Qlansie to form an alliance against the aggressions of the Olonsean Empire. An Olonsean Majoor offers to pay well for an assassination of this ambassador before such a meeting takes place. The only problem is....it will have to take place aboard a luxury cruiser liner slowly traveling across the Sonora Sector of space. "

Joseph Mohr's modules are like patato chips once you grab on pay what you want module another quickly finds its way into your hands. In The Darkness of Space From Old School Role Playing feels a bit like a classic Sevenities Buck Rogers episode to me. 

In The Darkness of Space By Joseph Mohr seems like a straight up alien assassination plot but its not. There's a great multi layered space cruise ship that has a multiplicity of use for my home campaigns. Then there's the wrack & ruin of NPC's that Mohr loves to include in his adventures. We've got his twists & pony by the tale turn arounds that he loves. This works well for  'In The Darkness of Space' as a mid level adventure for the Cepheus Engine rpg. 

Frontiers of Space as a side sector for These Stars Are Ours! campaign setting works very well. Because let's face facts Frontiers of Space has all of those classic Traveller rpg adventure elements. Why!?! 
"Frontiers of Space – Settlers have spread to the farthest reaches of space. The human race is not alone in the galaxy. The Frontiers of Space are a wild and dangerous place filled with intrigue, commerce, raiders and war. Only the bravest explorers have come this far from the Empire. This is a Cepheus Engine Product" 
This dives right into In The Darkness of Space By Joseph Mohr adventure has all of those classic adventure elements. All of the weath of 

 The 'Gold Rush!' adventure  that we covered last blog entry could be these sectors wealth sources & resources. 

In The Darkness of Space By Joseph Mohr makes very nice contrast to the more rough & tumble aspects of the Cepheus rpg engine's  These Stars Are Ours! sci-fi setting campaign. This makes the Frontiers of Space  sector & setting an excellent contrast to conflict & warfare found in the These Stars Are Ours! sci-fi setting campaign. This gives the Frontiers of Space a far more ancient feel. This contrasts very nicely with the In The Darkness of Space adventure elements. All in all I think that In The Darkness of Space adventure  is solid for what it does. 



But could In The Darkness of Space be used with Stars Without Numbers Revised? It suits the SWN rules set better in some ways & works as a mid level established adventure but the conversion would be trickier in some ways but it establishes a galactic series of empires in many ways.

Review & Commentary on JG3: Dark Tower D20 & Hacking The Adventure With Castles & Crusades

"An ancient evil has overtaken a once holy shrine. Thus, a sleepy mountain hamlet becomes a focal point for mysterious disappearances and even stranger legends of what lurks beneath the village. Vile enemies and strange allies, knowing neither sleep nor age, seek to involve the unwary in a titanic battle of good vs. evil. Do you dare discover the secrets behind the myths, or attempt to exterminate the ancient evil that lies within? Riches, power, glory and death! All are in: Dark Tower." 

Wayback in two thousand seven there was a reissue & complete redo of the classic Judges Guild Dark Tower into the D20 format by Goodman Games written by Jennell Jaquays & Greg Geilman. This is a complete redo of the classic Dark Tower  module from the Judges Guild ground up. 

Clocking in sixty four pages this book has quite a bit to offer the Wilderlands of High Fantasy dungeon master who happens to be using Castles & Crusades as his base for his upcoming campaign. Not only is there some killer artwork by William McAusland,such as Sinstar the Sly-wererat and many others. 

But it has a complete mini campaign setting built right in that slides into the D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy setting itself. And the cartography & the maps  is fantasic if I do say so myself. Everything in the Judges Guild Dark Tower D20 book is geared for adventurers to die. But there's more then enough campaign info to slip the Dark Tower into the Egyptian Wilderlands desert backdrop easily. 

Otherworld miniatures has a Judge's Guild line that looks very well done and hits the NPC high marks. 

And its this attention to the details of the Wilderlands desert setting that set JG3: Dark Tower apart & straight  into the realm of Sword & Sorcery. This is a high level adventure for PC's levels 8-10 which puts this one on the high side of Castles & Crusades rpg. This is where Codex Egyptium by Brian Young comes in real handy. The PC's are literally messing in the realm of the gods in this module and the DM is going to be dealing with some very nasty business in Dark Tower. You can expect PC causaulities.  

There's just enough background in Dark Tower D20 to really wet the appetites of the players for the up coming weirdness & pitched dungeon battles. While everything with the Dark Tower D20 screams to use me! But with the current kick
starter in full swing the magics of Adventurers Spellbook become more current with perhaps the opportunity for the PC's to learn those magics from the wizards of a desert tribe. 

What makes the Dark Tower D20 book nice is the fact that parts of it are open to actual expansion. The materials here are top draw & the DM can & should take the adventures for all that their worth. 

Is there room enough to expand the module into more?! Oh yes, the DM can & should take several of the adventure elements to blow them into a complete desert campaign. JG3: Dark Tower D20 might be the tip of the desert ruin, the PC's may have indeed stumbled into a whole cloth cult situation without knowing about it. This adventure could be the ancient remains of dead & dusty empire that once ruled a good chunk of the desert regions of the Wilderlands perhaps. This ancient empire might have controlled vast dark magical & the means to inflict itself on its enemies. Perhaps the mummies of this dark empire have infact reached the other second hald of the Wilderlands. One of my last blog entries I mentioned 'the House on Hang Man's Hill. Now this reminds me of Fight on Issue #3 & of County of Haghill and Environs by James Mishler. 

So is JG3: Dark Tower D20 worth getting?! In my mind yes for the simple fact that its a perfect module to use with Castles & Crusade. There's a lot happening in it, the writing adds a fair bit to the Wilderlands & there's plent of potential for an extended campaign. 

Review & Commentary On The 'Gold Rush!' adventure From Old School Role Playing by Joseph Mohr For the classic Traveller rpg or the Cepheus rpg engine.

" The Xejaboronia asteroid belt has been mined for several hundred years. It has always been a busy place for asteroid mining but a recent discovery of gold has caused a significant increase in mining activity there. With this increase in activity there has been a spike in violence in the system. And pirates have begun preying on miners. A gold shipment was stolen from the mining outfit that discovered the find. A representative of this mining firm offers the travelers a reward for recovery of their gold. "


Sometimes its about where you start your PC's & Gold Rush! From Old School Role Playing by Joseph Mohr is both engaging & a tricky little adventure. This is because it takes the PC's on a roller coaster ride for a start. But once again this is a very no frills 'pay what you' like ride. Its another of Mohr's creations meaning that you get everything out of the gate as a dungeon master but again this is a turn it as you like adventure. 
There's lots of NPC's, adventure locations, & everything is turned to either the classic Traveller rpg or the Cepheus rpg engine. 

This is not a light weight adventure clocking in at almost twenty nine pages. These pages have lots of complication & twists to em. Get used to this because this is an adventure for the experienced adventurer & there's plenty of ways to die. The cartography needs work on this adventure & I would have thought a bit more effort would have yielded more of a generous result. Does  Gold Rush!  work as an adventure?! Yes it does because of its own merits. There's lots to do here in  Gold Rush!  from strong NPC's to adventure motives more of a satisfaction within the adventure's details. Could  the classic Traveller rpg or the Cepheus rpg engine's  These Stars Are Ours! sci-fi setting campaign. Yes & the perfect place to add in  Gold Rush! would be Uranium Fever to the mix. 

All of the adventure  elements are here in Gold Rush! that allow a smooth transition of plot over to the mix. This extends & drives the belters within this campaign setting ultimately it also calls back to the classic Traveller rpg's Belters board game. 

The idea of these asteriod belts are excellent campaign settings but full of intrigue all within their own right. This makes an excellent and very dangerous situation for PC's to take on. 

Is the adventure  Gold Rush! worth getting?! Ultimately if you've got an experienced group of rpg players who can handle what Gold Rush! brings to the table top?! Yes! 

Could Gold Rush! be used with the Stars Without Numbers rpg!? Hmm this would require a bit of conversion. Not saying that it couldn't be done but it would require a level of sophistication that I don't know that personally as a dungeon master that I'd do?! But it remains to be seen on my part.

That being said I would be lying if I said that I wasn't looking into ultimately using some Traveller rpg style resources for the Talon sector itself.