OSR Commentary - H.G. Wells' iconic Martian war material tailored for The Burrows & Borderlands Rpg

Here  is a conversion of H.G. Wells' iconic Martian war material tailored for Burrows & Borderlands (a standard fantasy tabletop roleplaying framework utilizing classic six-attribute blocks and d20-style mechanics).

1. The Fighting Machine (The Tripod)

The crown jewel of the Martian vanguard. This massive, 100-foot-tall engines of glittering metal parodies the human gait with a terrifying, rhythmic, three-legged stride. It is propelled by intricate electromagnetic muscular systems rather than wheels, emitting puffs of green vapor from its flexible joints.

Size: Gargantuan (100 ft tall)
Type: Construct / Alien Warmachine
Attributes:
  STR: 26 (+8)   DEX: 14 (+2)   CON: 22 (+6)
  INT: 10 (+0)   WIS: 14 (+2)   CHA: 08 (-1)

Armor Class: 20 (Heavy Martian Alloy plating)
Hit Points: 210
Speed: 60 ft (Ignores difficult terrain under 15 ft high)

Traits & Senses

• Brazen Hood (Panoramic Cockpit): The pilot sits in a swiveling brass cowl at the apex, granting immunity to being flanked and blindsight up to 120 feet.

• All-Terrain Strider: The tripod can wade through deep coastal waters and step cleanly over structures, trees, or defensive walls up to 30 feet high without slowing down.

• Iron Cage / Collector's Basket: A large, mesh white-metal basket hangs from the rear of the main chassis. Up to 10 Medium-sized creatures can be held captive inside.

Actions

• Multiattack: The Tripod makes two Tentacle attacks and uses either its Heat-Ray or fires a Black Smoke Canister.

• Articulate Steel Tentacles: Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 30 ft. Hit: 18 ($2d10 + 8$) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 18). While grappled, the target can be placed into the rear collection basket as a bonus action.

• The Heat-Ray (Recharge 5–6): A jointed metallic arm aims a polished parabolic mirror, projecting a beam of pure, invisible thermal energy in a 150-foot line (5 feet wide). Each creature in the line must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw.

  • Failure: 55 ($10d10$) fire damage. Combustibles ignite, water vaporizes instantly, and targets reduced to 0 HP turn to ash.

  • Success: Half damage.

• Black Smoke Canister (2/Day): Fires a canister from a gun-like tube up to 300 feet away. Upon impact, it releases an inky, heavy poisonous gas in a 40-foot radius. The smoke clings to the ground, contours to the landscape, and sinks into valleys or trenches.
  
  

  • Any breathing creature that starts its turn in the smoke takes 22 ($4d10$) poison damage and is blinded.

  • The Martians can discharge built-in steam nozzles to instantly clear and neutralize the smoke when they wish to advance.

2. The Handling Machine

A low-profile, highly dexterous workhorse. Looking like a cross between a metallic spider and a glinting crab, it stands roughly 7 to 8 feet tall. It is used primarily for excavation, building other warmachines, and direct resource processing. It possesses an unsettling, near-organic fluidity.

Size: Large (8 ft tall, wide base)
Type: Construct / Alien Labor Unit
Attributes:
  STR: 18 (+4)   DEX: 16 (+3)   CON: 18 (+4)
  INT: 10 (+0)   WIS: 12 (+1)   CHA: 05 (-3)

Armor Class: 17 (Reinforced Shell)
Hit Points: 85
Speed: 40 ft, Climb 30 ft

Traits & Senses

• Complex Articulation: Features 5 agile, jointed legs and an array of levers, bars, and reaching levers. It has advantage on checks made to grapple, disarm, or manipulate objects.

• Cerebral Sync: The machine mimics the movements of its pilot perfectly. It suffers no penalties to dexterity or precision despite its heavy mechanical nature.

Actions

• Multiattack: The Handling Machine makes three attacks: two with its Clutches/Levers and one with its Grasping Tentacles.

• Jointed Levers / Metal Claws: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit: 11 ($2d6 + 4$) slashing or bludgeoning damage.

• Grasping Tentacles: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft. Hit: 9 ($1d10 + 4$) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14).

• Blood Extraction (Grappled Target Only): The machine drives an direct feeding apparatus into a living creature grappled by it. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 ($6d8$) necrotic damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. The pilot Martian is nourished by this extraction.

3. The Flying Machine

Built toward the end of the campaign as the Martians adjusted to Earth's thick atmosphere. It is described vaguely as a flat, broad, and very large shape. It acts as an aerial transport and carpet-bombing platform, flying silently through the cloud cover to rain down darkness.

Size: Huge
Type: Construct / Alien Aircraft
Attributes:
  STR: 20 (+5)   DEX: 12 (+1)   CON: 16 (+3)
  INT: 10 (+0)   WIS: 14 (+2)   CHA: 05 (-3)

Armor Class: 16 (Lightweight Alloy)
Hit Points: 115
Speed: 0 ft, Fly 90 ft (Hover)

Traits & Senses

• Aerodynamic Mastery: The machine does not rely on wings or loud combustion; it glides with a quiet, ominous hum, giving it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while flying at night or inside heavy weather.

Actions

• Aerial Heat-Ray: Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/300 ft, one target. Hit: 27 ($5d10$) fire damage.

• Rained Darkness (Recharge 5–6): The Flying Machine releases a specialized payload of Black Smoke canisters directly beneath it. It coats a 60-foot square area directly under its flight path in a dense cloud of toxic black vapor (identical properties to the Tripod's Black Smoke).
  
  

Here is the entry for the Martians themselves, designed to pilot the war machines and terrorize the woodland defenders of Burrows & Borderlands.

The Martians

The Martians are a chilling testament to pure, intellect-driven evolution stripped of emotion, empathy, or physical beauty. They are sluggish and physically vulnerable under the heavy gravity of the mortal realms, yet they possess a terrifying telepathic malice and a completely alien biology.

An individual Martian is essentially an enormous, fleshy head roughly four feet across, dominated by a pair of massive, dark, unblinking eyes. Instead of a body, a cluster of sixteen thin, whip-like tentacles projects directly from the base of the head, arranged in two groups of eight. They have no internal nostrils (smelling via their skin), no ears, and no complex digestive tract. Because they cannot digest solid food, they sustain themselves by directly injecting the fresh, living blood of captured creatures into their own veins.

Size: Medium
Type: Aberration / Alien
Attributes:
  STR: 06 (-2)   DEX: 08 (-1)   CON: 10 (+0)
  INT: 22 (+6)   WIS: 16 (+3)   CHA: 12 (+1)

Armor Class: 11 (Natural unarmored sluggishness)
Hit Points: 32 (5d8 + 10)
Speed: 10 ft. (Crawling/dragging)

Traits & Senses

• Vulnerability to Earthly Flora/Fauna: The Martians have no immune system. They have disadvantage on saving throws against diseases, blights, and infections native to the setting.

• Telepathic Unity: Martians do not speak. They communicate with each other instantaneously and silently via telepathy up to a range of 1 mile. They can project a crushing, wordless sense of dread into the minds of non-Martians within 60 feet.

• Overwhelming Intellect: The Martian adds its Intelligence modifier (+6) to any saving throws made against magical illusions, charms, or psychic attacks.

• Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13.

Actions

• Tentacle Slap: Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning damage. (The Martian rarely fights physically outside of its machines due to its profound weakness).

• Psychic Static (Recharge 5–6): The Martian unleashes a wave of raw mental energy. Each non-Martian creature within a 30-foot radius must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw.

  • Failure: 18 ($4d8$) psychic damage, and the creature is Frightened for 1 minute.

  • Success: Half damage and is not frightened.

• Vampiric Transfusion: Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one incapacitated or grappled creature. Hit: 9 ($2d8$) necrotic damage. The Martian regains hit points equal to the damage dealt. This represents the Martian using a needle-like tube to harvest and inject the target's blood.

Behavior & Strategy

Outside of their warmachines, Martians are nearly helpless, dragging themselves slowly across the ground with wet, heavy gasps. Consequently, they are almost never encountered unprotected. They spend 99% of their time sealed within the pressurized cockpits of Tripods or Handling Machines. If a player manages to breach a warmachine's hull and expose the pilot, a single well-placed arrow or sword stroke from a brave badger or mouse knight can easily dispatch the alien mastermind.

OSR Commentary - Adapting AX2: Secrets of the Nethercity For ACKS II rpg & Barrows & Borderlands Rpg

 Adapting Secrets of the Nethercity—a sprawling, "classic-style" underworld crawl—to Adventurer Conqueror King System II (ACKS II) is a match made in gaming heaven. Both share a love for high-lethality exploration and meticulous underworld ecology.

Since Secrets of the Nethercity was designed for a similar OSR chassis, the conversion is less about rewriting the book and more about mapping the specific "levers" that ACKS II provides for dungeon delving.

---

1. The Core Conversion: Monsters and NPCs

Most monsters in the module can be used as-is, but ACKS II introduces more nuance in how it handles Hit Dice (HD) and Special Abilities.

• Attack Throws: Calculate the Attack Throw based on the monster's HD using the ACKS II monster progression (typically starting at 10+ for 1 HD).

• Saving Throws: Use the ACKS II categories: Blast, Breath, Death, Gaze, Staff, and Wand.

• Special Abilities: Check the ACKS II Monstrous Manual. If a Nethercity creature has a unique "gimmick," map it to an existing ACKS proficiency or monstrous trait. For example, any necrotic aura should likely require a Save vs. Death.

2. Treasure and Economy

The "Gold to XP" ratio is central to both systems, but ACKS II has a very specific Monthly Revenue and Market Class logic.

• The GP/XP Ratio: ACKS II generally assumes $1 \text{ gp} = 1 \text{ XP}$. If the treasure hauls in the module seem too high for your desired leveling speed, scale them down by 20–30%.

• Appraisal: Use the ACKS II Appraisal proficiency rules for the various statues and relics found in the Nethercity. This adds a layer of tension—do the players risk carrying a heavy statue that might be worthless lead?

3. Navigation and Lighting

ACKS II treats the "Dungeon Move" as a primary resource.

• Mapping & Movement: Ensure you are tracking movement in 10-minute turns.

• Light Sources: ACKS II is stricter about light. The deep, airless vaults of the Nethercity should emphasize the weight of oil and torches. If the party runs out of light, use the Mishaps and Calamities table.

• Dungeon Procedures: Use the ACKS II Dungeon Exploration flow:

  1. Wandering Monster Check (usually 1-in-6 every 2 turns).

  2. Check for Exhaustion (every 5 turns of movement).

  3. Check for Light/Resource depletion.

4. Proficiency Checks

Secrets of the Nethercity often asks for "Ability Checks" or "X-in-6" chances. In ACKS II, these should be converted to Proficiency Throws.

• Searching: Use the Sensing or Finding Hidden Doors mechanics (usually 18+ on 1d20, modified by the Mapping or Dungeon Engineering proficiencies).

• Trap Disarming: Map all mechanical traps to the Traps proficiency. If a character lacks it, they generally cannot attempt a disarm beyond simple "prodding with a 10-foot pole."

5. The "Conqueror" Transition

The Nethercity is unique because it isn't just a hole in the ground; it’s a subterranean urban environment. As players hit higher levels (Level 5+), lean into the Domain Management rules of ACKS II.

• Clearing Levels: Once a level is "cleared," players might want to establish a Sanctum or a Hideout within the ruins.

• Henchmen: The Nethercity is deadly. Encourage players to use the ACKS II Mercenary and Specialist rules to hire torchbearers and man-at-arms. Managing a 20-person expedition into the deep city is very "on-brand" for ACKS.

---

Summary Table for Quick Conversion

Original Element	ACKS II Equivalent
Armor Class (AC)	Descending to Ascending (or leave as-is if using ACKS II descending options).
Saving Throws	Map to the 5/6 ACKS II categories.
Skill Checks	Proficiency Throw (usually 18+ or 14+ with proficiency).
Encumbrance	Use the Stone system (essential for the heavy loot in the city).
Morale	2d6 check (crucial for the many factions in the Nethercity).

Adapting Secrets of the Nethercity to Burrows & Borderlands (B&B) shifts the tone from a traditional "human-centric" dungeon crawl to a high-stakes, small-scale epic where the environment itself is a colossal antagonist. This blog entry picks up from OSR Commentary - AX3 Capital of the Borderlands (revised edition) By Alexander Macris, & Newton Grant For Adventurer, Conqueror, King II

In B&B, your players are brave rodents and small mammals. The sprawling "Nethercity" isn't just an ancient ruin; it’s a terrifying, cavernous underworld where a simple cracked pipe is a waterfall and a stray housecat is a legendary dragon.

---

1. Scaling the Environment

The most immediate change is Scale. To a mouse or shrew, the vaulted ceilings of the Nethercity feel like the sky.

• The "Giant" Problem: The "giants" who built the city are humans. Most of the original inhabitants of the Nethercity (if they were humanoids) should be treated as Colossi.

• Verticality: B&B emphasizes climbing and gliding. Use the rubble and "giant" furniture of the Nethercity as 3D platforming challenges. A staircase isn't just a path; it’s a series of treacherous cliffs requiring Athletics or Agility checks.

• Hazards: Standard dungeon traps (darts, pits) become much more lethal at a small scale. A 1-inch deep puddle is a pond; a drafty hallway is a gale-force wind.

2. Creature Conversions

You’ll need to re-skin the Nethercity’s bestiary to fit the "Animal Adventurer" theme.

Original Monster	B&B Equivalent	Notes
Goblins/Kobolds	Rats or Weasels	The primary rival factions. Weasels are more elite/predatory.
Zombies/Skeletons	Blighted Insects	Use the "Blight" or "Infection" themes. Undead mice are tragic; giant, rotting beetles are terrifying.
Ghouls	Starved Ferrets	Fast, relentless, and unnervingly flexible.
The "Boss" Monsters	Stray Cats or Owls	These are Tier 4 threats. A single owl in a high-domed chamber is a campaign-ending boss.

3. Loot and Scavenging

In B&B, gold coins are heavy, impractical, and often useless. The "Gold to XP" mechanic should be replaced with Scrap and Provisions.

• Valuable Items: Instead of jewelry, players find Shiny Bits (buttons, needles, glass shards). A rusted sewing needle is the equivalent of a +1 Longsword.

• Provisions: High-quality food (dried berries, a hunk of "giant" cheese) is more valuable than gold.

• Armor: Instead of Plate Mail, players find Thimble Helms or Soda-Tab Bracers.

4. Navigational Hazards: The "Darkness"

B&B characters often rely on scent and whiskers, but the Nethercity is unnaturally deep.

• The Scent-Map: Allow players with high Cunning or specific animal traits to "track" scents through the dungeon. However, the "Ancient Rot" of the Nethercity can overwhelm these senses, acting as a "Scent-Obscuring Fog."

• Light: Torches are massive logs to a mouse. Players will likely rely on Glow-worms, bioluminescent fungus, or "borrowed" matchsticks.

---

5. Faction Maneuvering

The Nethercity is famous for its competing factions. In B&B, these should be handled via the Disposition system.

• The Rat King: A bloated, stationary ruler in the lower levels who controls the flow of "Giant-waste" (garbage).

• The Bat Scouts: A group of high-altitude observers who offer "Air Support" (information) for a high price in shiny objects.

• The Insect Hive: A mindless, territorial force that acts as a natural barrier between the "Upper" and "Lower" Nethercity.

6. Mechanical Tweak: Stress and Terror

Because the Nethercity is so alien to surface-dwelling forest creatures, use a Stress or Terror track.

• Claustrophobia: Spending too long in the "Stone Tunnels" (which don't smell like earth or grass) imposes a penalty to Spirit or Willpower saves.

• The "Great Silence": The lack of wind and forest noise in the deep Nethercity can be unnerving. Force a check when the party enters a particularly dead/quiet zone.

OSR Commentary Adapting I2: Dwellers In The Forbidden City by David Cook To The Barrows & Borderlands Rpg

 Adapting David Cook’s 1981 classic I2: Dwellers of the Forbidden City for a modern, grit-forward system like Barrows & Borderlands (B&B) requires shifting the focus from "heroic monster-slaying" to "tactical survival and factional maneuvering." This blog post picks right up from 

OSR Commentary Adapting C1: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan To The Barrows & Borderlands Rpg

The Forbidden City is essentially a "megadungeon" turned inside out. Here is how to translate its pulpy, lost-world atmosphere into the mechanical rigors of B&B.

---

1. The Core Atmosphere: Decay & Resource Scarcity

In B&B, inventory slots and light sources are life. The Forbidden City shouldn't just be "hidden"—it should be a resource sink.

• The Jungle Trek: Treat the journey to the city as a series of Navigation Checks. Failure doesn't just mean getting lost; it means losing Rations or taking Fatigue levels before even reaching the gates.

• Verticality: The city is a massive crater. Use B&B’s climbing and encumbrance rules to make descending into the city a literal "point of no return."

2. Faction Warfare (The Social Engine)

The strength of I2 is the three-way war between the Bugbears, Mongrelfolk, and Yuan-ti. In B&B, combat is deadly, so players should be encouraged to use the Reaction Table.

Faction	B&B Archetype	Disposition	Hook
Mongrelfolk	Scavengers / Outcasts	Skittish	Will trade secrets for "pure" food or scrap metal.
Bugbears	Heavy Infantry	Aggressive	Looking for "conscripts" (meat shields) for their next raid.
Yuan-ti	Eldritch Cultists	Manipulative	Will offer "blessings" (mutations) in exchange for live sacrifices.

---

3. Mechanical Conversions

B&B usually scales lower than AD&D. To keep the "Forbidden" feel, monsters should be dangerous but predictable in their behaviors.

The Yuan-ti (The Apex Predators)

Don't just give them high HP. Give them Special Abilities that interact with B&B’s conditions:

• Hypnotic Gaze: Target must make a Will Save or be Stunned for 1 round.

• Toxic Blood: If a Yuan-ti takes Slashing damage, adjacent players must check vs. Poison or take 1d4 damage.

The Tasloi (The Nuisance)

These should be B&B "Minions." They don't do much damage, but they excel at Stealing Items. Have them target a player’s "Utility Slot" (potions, torches) rather than their HP.

---

4. Hazard & Exploration Tweaks

The environment is as much an enemy as the inhabitants.

• The Great Swamp: Movement is halved. Any roll of a "Natural 1" on an attack or dodge results in being Mired (requires a Strength check to move).

• The Horrors in the Pits: Use the Ablative Armor rules for creatures like the Aboleth or Pan Lung (the oriental dragon). Players shouldn't be able to "swing" their way through these; they need to find environmental weaknesses.

---

5. Loot & Treasure

B&B focuses on "Wealth vs. Weight."

• The Yuan-ti Hoard: Instead of just "1,000 gold," describe it as Heavy Golden Idols. They are worth a fortune but take up 3 slots each and impose a penalty on Stealth checks due to clinking.

• Ancient Tech: Treat any found magic items as Relics with limited charges. Once they're gone, the item becomes a "Curiosity" worth gold but no longer functional.

GM Tip: The "Forbidden City" functions best when the players feel like they are caught in a pressure cooker. Keep track of Time Turns. Every hour spent debating is another chance for a rival faction's hunting party to find them.

  

Since you’re leaning into the lethality, we need to ensure the climax at the Temple of the Yuan-ti feels like a "survival horror" event rather than a fair fight. In Barrows & Borderlands, a lethal boss isn't just a bag of hit points; it’s a force of nature that requires the players to sacrifice resources or limbs to survive.

Here is how to tune the final encounter for maximum tension.

---

The "Final Boss": The Yuan-ti Abomination

In the original module, this is often a high-level priest. For a lethal B&B conversion, we’ll treat it as a Lesser Horror.

Stats & Dread Logic

• Aura of Cold Blood: Any PC starting their turn within 10ft must pass a Will Save or take a penalty to their next Attack roll as their lizard-brain triggers a freeze response.

• Multi-Attack: The Abomination attacks twice: once with a Scimitar (1d8+2) and once with a Constrict (see below).

The "Constrict" Mechanic (The Death Spiral)

If the Abomination hits with its tail, the player is Grappled.

• Automatic Damage: The player takes 1d6 crushing damage at the start of every turn.

• Resource Loss: To represent the ribs cracking, the player must choose: take an extra 1d6 damage OR permanently destroy one item in their Inventory Slots (shield shatters, potion vials break, etc.).

---

Environmental Hazards: The Sacrificial Pit

The fight shouldn't take place on a flat floor. The Temple is crumbling.

• Slippery Blood/Oil: The floor around the altar is "Difficult Terrain." Any Dash action requires a Dexterity Check or the player falls Prone, granting the Yuan-ti Advantage on its next strike.

• The Snaking Pillars: The Abomination can use its move action to vanish into the rafters. If the players lose sight of it, the next attack is a Surprise Attack (likely targeting the character with the lowest Armor).

---

The "Hard Choice" Victory

To make it feel like an authentic old-school module, give the players a way to win that doesn't involve "bonking it until it dies," but comes at a high cost:

The Sacrifice	The Mechanical Result
Topple the Great Idol	Requires 2 players to spend their full turn. Crushes the boss for massive damage but collapses the exit, forcing a dangerous escape through the "Unexplored Tunnels."
Ignite the Swamp Gas	If players have a torch, they can ignite the vents. Deals 3d6 AOE damage to everyone. The boss dies, but players must check for Permanent Scars/Burns.
Offer a Blood Debt	A player can "Accept the Mark." The boss stops attacking, but that player now has a Yuan-ti Taint, suffering a permanent penalty to Charisma and a future plot hook.

---

Implementation Advice

Note: Do not hide the lethality. Describe the "piles of bleached adventurer bones" and the "unnatural speed" of the creature. In B&B, players should only engage in a lethal boss fight if they’ve failed to find a clever way to bypass it—or if they are desperate for the loot.