Free Appendix 'N' OSR Resource From Creative Mountain Games - The Book of Wonder (Fantasy Classics) From Creative Mountain Games As Well As Time & The Gods By Lord Dunsany

When it comes to dark fantasy they don't come any more important then the name Lord Dunsany. He was admired by H.P. Lovecraft, mocked by Olivia Manning & still loved by millions. This includes Gary Gygax and many of the other mothers & fathers of OD&D, AD&D, & even the OSR retroclone systems. But how many of us have actually read his works? And which can be used to create old school adventures? Well, thanks to my buddies at Creative Mountain Games wonder no more.

Lord Dunsany's The Book of Wonder? Now is your chance to catch up with this Fantasy Classic in PDF (eBook) format. Inside are such classic short stories as...

• THE BRIDE OF THE MAN-HORSE
• DISTRESSING TALE OF THANGOBRIND THE JEWELLER
• THE HOUSE OF THE SPHINX
• PROBABLE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE LITERARY MEN
• THE INJUDICOUS PRAYERS OF POMBO THE IDOLATER
• THE LOOT OF BOMBASHARNA
• MISS CUBBIDGE AND THE DRAGON OF ROMANCE
• THE QUEST OF THE QUEEN'S TEARS
• THE HOARD OF THE GIBBELINS
• HOW NUTH WOULD HAVE PRACTISED HIS ART UPON THE GNOLES
• HOW ONE CAME, AS WAS FORETOLD, TO THE CITY OF NEVER
• THE CORONATION OF MR. THOMAS SHAP
• CHU-BU AND SHEEMISH
• THE WONDERFUL WINDOW

So why is this important to D&D system games? Well because this is another option to use at the table to take your adventurers into another old school fantasy setting that can use your PC's help. There's a dangerous uneasiness to the works of Dunsany's Book of Wonders. They might simply be passed off as easy & quick fantasy reading, their anything but. These are tales from another time, far more alien, and weird then they first appear. These are the sorts of stories that stay with you long after you've put down the book & moved on to thinking about your next adventure, these literary affairs will bleed into your imagination then onto the paper.


It doesn't take much to assume that just around the corner from HP Lovecraft's Dreamlands or down the astral road from Hyperborea is the worlds of Lord Dunsany. All of these tales have had some incredible influence on game designers, many science fiction, sword & sorcery, & even modern comic book writers from J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin & even Allen Moore plus Neil Gaiman. These are just a few of the legions of names of admirers & fans. 


GRAB THE BOOK OF WONDER RIGHT OVER HERE
 But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that way Time and the Gods, "was issued by the Modern Library in an unauthorized combined edition with The Book of Wonder under the latter's title in 1918."
You can download that as well for free right over here & enjoy one of the classics of fantasy.


I hope you all enjoy these classics of  Fantasy &
that you make all your saves this weekend !


Be sure to check out some of the
other classic OSR titles from Creative Mountain Games!

Review and Commentary On The OSR Benefit Adventure - Fighting Fire - For Ernie Gygax From Creative Mountain Games

This system-neutral adventure was inspired by some of those events and the storied history of gaming. 33% of the price is set up to go to the Ernie Gygax Relief Fund set up by his brother Luke Gygax. 

Get It Right Over
HERE

The plot according Rpgnow:

 The adventure takes place in and around the town of Gamington on the shores of Gentle Lake. A arsonist's fire destroys the Tower of Ernesto, a famous wizard, but a band of heroes rallies to right the wrong, rooting out the evil in the nearby Fire Peak. A GM can set this up as a campaign addition or one-shot, in any Medieval Fantasy RPG system. There are plenty of tips to help do either. Included are some character backgrounds for the heroes noted within as well as an epic poem extolling their exploits.

Right so let's get something straight right off the bat, this is an old school adventure  in every sense of the word. The events of the tower of Ernesto set up what happens in and round the town of Gamington and the PC's are brought right into the chaos. The evil of Fire Peak is a pretty epic one and this adventure reminds me of many of the efforts of early Judge's Guild material. This thirty two page adventure is very nicely done and has some great add ons that I wish other old school publishers would take note about.
The artwork really adds to the presentation of the adventure and puts the DM in the mood of the events of Fire Peak.

One of the bits that I like is that this adventure is a system neutral adventure meaning that it can be run with any old school retroclone or edition of D&D. The scale of the adventure is balanced to the material and this is a well done adventure (pardon the pun).
The bit that helps to sell this adventure isn't the gaming Easter eggs scattered throughout the module. But this bit here,"A GM can set this up as a campaign addition or one-shot, in any Medieval Fantasy RPG system. There are plenty of tips to help do either. Included are some character backgrounds for the heroes noted within as well as an epic poem extolling their exploits. I hope it is as much fun to read as it was to write"
A DM can easily add this as both an epic side adventure or as a complete jump off point to a beginning campaign. The beauty of this one is that it really can be used as a complete package unto itself. While the town of Gamington on the shores of Gentle Lake is very nicely fleshed out, there is a ton of room for DM's to customize and have a fine time with the DYI bits of the adventure setting to make it their own. I'd like to see a bit more about Ernesto,  the famous wizard perhaps in a further future adventure. One of the locations that really worked for me was Fire Peak. 
Fire Peak is as nasty and dangerous as it sounds  and a place of danger and adventure. There is lots of hooks, bits, and room to really expand Fire Peak into a location of  flame  filled fun,a place of depravity and old school evil that will challenge PC's again and again.
 To really get the most out of Fighting Fire, I would suggest using OSRIC or 1st edition AD&D as the old school gaming platform. Labyrinth Lord with the Advanced Companion will also fit this adventure quite nicely and with the right balance of PC heroes there might be a chance to survive this one. 
 I can honestly say that I really enjoyed reading this adventure and can't wait to run it. The folks from Creative Mountain Gaming did a bang up job with this one and the editing is nicely done as well as the solid bits of the writing as well as the design.
 All in all I really enjoyed Fighting Fire and can't wait to run this for my players.

Quick OSR Announcement - Fighting Fire - Ernie Gygax Benefit Adventure Is Here!

                     Fighting Fire - Ernie Gygax Benefit Adventure is out! 

Get It Right Over
HERE

The plot according Rpgnow:

 This system-neutral adventure was inspired by some of those events and the storied history of gaming. 33% of the price is set up to go to the Ernie Gygax Relief Fund set up by his brother Luke Gygax. The adventure takes place in and around the town of Gamington on the shores of Gentle Lake. A arsonist's fire destroys the Tower of Ernesto, a famous wizard, but a band of heroes rallies to right the wrong, rooting out the evil in the nearby Fire Peak. A GM can set this up as a campaign addition or one-shot, in any Medieval Fantasy RPG system. There are plenty of tips to help do either. Included are some character backgrounds for the heroes noted within as well as an epic poem extolling their exploits. I hope it is as much fun to read as it was to write.

The Story Behind The Adventure  From Creative Mountain Games : 

Ernie Gygax Relief Fund and GM's Day Sale Ending

I've got one more thing to add to the GM's Day sale as it winds to a close this year and this one has some history attached to it.  As many know, I've been a tabletop gamer since the early 70s and a RPGer since D&D came out in 1974.  A few years ago, i got to know my buddy Ernie a bit better than just to spot him or nod at conventions despite seeing him around since my first Gen Con in 1975.  We started gaming together a bit more and I've gotten to know him rather well and call him a good friend.

Sadly, about a year ago, the building on the East end of Lake Geneva, WI, where Ernie had an apartment caught fire. He lost a great deal of his personal belongings, including a lot of games and particular gaming-related memorabilia that can never be replaced.  His brother Luke kindly set up a Fire Relief Fund to help him get back on his feet.  Folks have been helping and he even got a place to stay until he could acquire a more permanent dwelling.  But his troubles for last year didn't end there.

In late November, Ernie suffered from a bout of congestive heart failure.  He was hospitalized for a handful of days and still has regular visits, to make sure he won't have another episode. The medical situation and bills that piling up has kept him in his temporary location longer than he'd like.  His physical situation also leaves him was some restrictions regarding getting a new residence in that he cannot climb stairs except in an emergency and he has a service dog.

So here's what I have done to help.  Some time after the fire last year I began work on an adventure.  It is themed around fire and has some inside references to gaming, the history of gaming, and the Lake Geneva area.  I worked it out with Luke to sell this adventure and send 33% of the proceeds to the Ernie Gygax Relief Fund (originally the Ernie Gygax Fire Relief Fund, and still named so, but it now needs to be so much more).  Hopefully, so who may not have donated or now can go a little further, can pick up this fun, system-neutral adventure and assist Ernie in the process.
Original Story Right Over HERE