OSR Campaign Commentary - The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride By Levi Combs For Your Gonzo Nightshift Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg Campaign

 "Tales of the cursed pyramid and the sleeping tomb of the Mummy Bride have long been a traveler’s tale, passed along by wayward explorers and greedy plunderers alike. Deep within the verdant jungles of the south, amidst a Green Hell of impenetrable jungle, savage cannibals and ancient myth, lies the shattered remnants of a once-powerful civilization and the terrible gods who ruled over them. Rumors swirl of untold riches and un-plundered magic for those brave (or foolish!) enough to claim it. Will your players survive… and what will be left of them?"

"The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride is an old school, grindhouse-style combination of classic role playing adventure and devilishly-designed dungeons for levels 5-7, cram-packed with b-movie goodness to challenge even the most seasoned of adventurers.  It’s a module that could only have been made in the primitive jungles of man… where life is cheap!" 

The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride By Levi Combs is a fifth edition adventure but the author has deep  OSR leanings. And since I two of my Nightshift Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg players coming home from Europe we're going to pick up our home campaign. The players are throwing the fact my way that they want to go more gonzo. And given the fact that  The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride By Levi Combs has the right combination of Saturday night cable horror flick mixed with classic D&D trope. It's not hard to see why it would be an easy conversion over to Nightshift. 

The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride By Levi Combs strikes a very cool little vibe that could easily be thrown into the mix for an alternative 1960's or 1970's  Earth South America. And that's what we're going to plug this into the Night Shift RPG: Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Sourcebook! 

Why Nightshift?! Why not?! There's plenty of solid PC classes that we want to check out in our upcoming game. Our players have experience with Nightshift & a couple of months ago we were supposed to run through UK1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. That got put on hold because of work schedules & two of our players flying home to the U.K. & Tomb of the Mummy's Bride is almost but not quite a mini campaign unto itself. 

So we wanted to get back into the swing of an urban fantasy/post apocalyptic game campaign that's been on going for 2 years now. I've written about it on this blog other times. And will be again soon. 

We've got two vampires in the party & the party itself is very mercenary in it's approach to the game. There's got to be a money factor in order to get the party motivated. The modern monster take on the The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride may actually be the gateway for certain player's PC's to take the steps into monsterhood. 
But what the Hell is going on in this Earth's South America?! The ancient rulers of the various empires of the jungle have never let go of South America clutching onto it with deadly undead claws. They been expanding the jungle century after century while cementing their rulership over the entire nations of the ancient land. After the mushroom clouds blew across the world after 1950's & 60's Atomic War. They tighten their undeath grip on the countries South of the border. Treasures from the jungle filter through from this legendary land. 

OSR Commentary On MAXIMUM MAYHEM DUNGEONS #2 SECRET MACHINES OF THE STAR SPAWN By Mark Taormino From Dark Wizards Games For Your Old School Rpg Campaigns

 "Locals have been hearing whispers of strange happenings around the Ancient Volcano. Rumors over the last several years of an unspeakable evil that has risen up inside. An evil that “fell from the stars.” There is something wicked and devilish going on inside. Highwaymen report of strange creatures, mechanical monsters, horrible beasts and “little green men” that are roaming the land. You and your stalwart adventurers have decided to take on the challenge of plundering the mountain for the treasure within! Oh and get to the bottom of these dastardly stories as well!"

MMD#2 Secret Machines of the Starspawn is a great way to combined Sword & Sorcery with Science Fantasy when unspeakable evil arises from the Ancient Volcano in your campaign world. The idea of a powerful party of adventurers being assembled to investigate the goings on at the 'ancient volcano'. For the  Hyperborea rpg MMD#2 Secrect Machines of the Star Spawn would work very well as an adventure based around one of the outer island nations of Hyperborea. 

MAXIMUM MAYHEM DUNGEONS #2 SECRET MACHINES OF THE STAR SPAWN By Mark Taormino From Dark Wizards Games has some really interesting modules.  SECRET MACHINES OF THE STAR SPAWN By Mark Taormino is a great adventure when you want to introduce both Science Fantasy & High Fantasy elements into your old school campaigns. Thoughts on MMD#2 include the fact that this adventure would work very well as mid point adventure for the  Castles & Crusades rpg quite easily. And in point of fact I'd run this module as sequel or as a side quest with Planet X Games An Occurrence at Howling Crater by Levi Combs. 

Mark Taormino From Dark Wizards Games has a certain mad genius about him & his material compliment's Levi Combs An Occurrence at Howling Crater quite nicely. The mutant hill billies could easily be changed up into mutant peasants & then your off running this for your favorite players. The Star Spawn or his alien species  could well be behind some of the goings on at Howling Crater. The Sci Fi overlap is easy to do for a mini campaign. Because Castles & Crusades is sorta close to fifth edition the stripped down rpg elements are easily converted into your favorite OSR system. 

Mark Taormino brings a certain old school grivtas to his modules & brings home the Sci Fi fantasy elements that many of my players appreciate. The fact is that over the years that I've run SECRET MACHINES OF THE STAR SPAWN By Mark Taormino  there's always been fall out as the gonzo aliens often seem to get away to cause more trouble at a later date for the adventurers. Several friends over the Thanksgiving holiday have expressed the fact that certain adventure elements found within MMD#2 could in point of fact be used to get adventurers to Venger Satanis's Cha'alt! 

So down the line I may run these two modules together as mini campaign coming up either for Castles & Crusades or for the Hyperborea rpg. It's going to depend upon schedules & other factors. 

MAXIMUM MAYHEM DUNGEONS #2 SECRET MACHINES OF THE STAR SPAWN By Mark Taormino From Dark Wizards Games For Your Old School Rpg Campaigns Is Available Here 

Back Issue Affairs - Amazing Adventures Fifth Editions & Levi Combs has his Tomb of the Mummy Bride Kickstarter

 So anyone who actually knows our group understands that there's a ton of history & water under the bridge when it comes to the local gaming scene. In my home town  the Brass Dragon hobby shop was on the scene in the late 90's. Before this my uncle Jack's place a haven for geeks, nerds, & everyone inbetween. Back in '89 we needed a pick game in the Summer. Half of our group was going off to the YMCA  Summer camp & the other half got left between behind. All ten of us, that's right ten kids of various ages were split. So out came battered set of Worlds of Wonder from Chaosium. We jumped at the chance to do a  mini campaign that Summer &  everyone was mutant crazy. We already had a jumping Marvel Super Heroes rpg campaign  happening.Because everyone went to camp that was shelved.
That campaign has been written about multiple times on this blog. But instead we found ourselves as mutants thrust into the 1920's & confronting the Cthulhu mythos head on! All five us made PC's!  And the twist up because uncle Jack was a historian as well was that this campaign took place in the 1920's. 
White Dwarf issue #97 Jan 1988 was a huge deciding factor in our table top rpg time! We got ourselves embroiled in Graeme Davis's 'Trilogy of Terror' - three short scenarios: 'The Book', 'The Seance',  and 'A Capital Offence'. 

These unrelated  scenarios take place in the 1920's U.K. & my uncle being the bastard DM he was interlinked them. Even with super powers we died  saving a medium from the coils of Nyarlathotep. A hunting horror finished every last one of our heroes off in 70's style. This particular issue of White Dwarf was one of the last before Games Workshop switched over to making the magazine nothing more then a complete house organ. Even though we saved the medium, her family was under a curse from Nyarlathotep. There are several unresolved issues that got left behind. 
Flash foward till now & DM Paul is on my behind about wanting to play a mini  game campaign of Amazing Adventures fifth edition by Jason Vey. Why?! Because Levi Combs has his Tomb of the Mummy Bride Kickstarter going?! Oh Hell no! This would be an instant TPK. And the players don't even know the system yet. 

Now in no way, shape, or form are these players going to be ready to confront the infamous Mummy Bride! There's also going to be some restriction straight outta of the gate for this mini campaign coming up:

1. All adventurers are going to be human
2. Alignment is going to be in full effect  & this includes pacts or dark bargains 
3. We've some unresolved business in England first before any confrontation 
4. The campaign takes place between (Nov. 1965 – Nov. 1969), there are reasons for this that will become clear later on! 
5. Backgrounds for the PC's will be filled in through actual play. The PC will have brief outline for thier background and that's it. 
6. PC death is dead unless a side quest for resurrection is done. And all horror movie consquences for such side ventures are in full effect. 
7. The Mythos are in full effect. 
8. DM's rulings are final! 
9. All Appendix literature is on the table for inspiration 
10. TPK can & may happen! No tears please its a waste of good character sheets! 

Free Castles & Crusades Along With Free Module & 'Pay What You Want' OSR & Fifth Edition Adventure Round up

In today's 'free stuff being offered in the Pandemic' category we have a really motley OSR assortment of rule book & adventure material for your download perusal.  The 'light at the end of the tunnel' deal comes from Troll Lord Games whose offering the Castles & Crusades main rule book for free along with the 'Wandering God' fiction book. 





The second up is Levi Combs along with  the folks at Sockitos present   Power Wood Adventure which is ;" a free kid-friendly coloring book that you can share with your kiddos while we’re all tryingto get through this COVID-19 quarantine. It’s tough out there right now, but hope-fully this brings a little bit of extra joy to your household."
Power Word Adventure is cute & solid for what it does.


And finally there's 'BX3Temple of Mercy' by Ben Barsh which is an awesome 'pay what you like' B/X adventure. Now this adventure clocks in at twenty four pages of B/X joy and it really does a nice job of taking the Sword & Sorcery vibe into B/X Dungeons & Dragons.




This is an adventure for experienced PC's & its no joke. The traps are lethal, the danger is real, & the execution is well done. The nice part about BX3 The Temple of Mercy is that its completely set up & go; "The Temple of Mercy is an adventure module designed for the BX RPG system. Temple of Mercy is designed for six, third level characters using the Basic and Expert game rules. This adventure will advance the characters to fourth level by the conclusion. Many years ago, a fanatic cult claimed a sanctuary as a base for plotting their wicked ways. They named their redoubt the Temple of Mercy because it is where new followers would journey to repent of their sins and be granted mercy. It is unclear how the cult was defeated, but they vanished nearly 120 years ago. The temple has been quite since the disappearance of the vile clan. Recently, a religious order of holy priests has been interested in claiming the temple as their own. They are looking for bold adventurers to slay sinister monsters, evade treacherous traps, and bring glory to the forgotten Temple of Mercy! "
This is a solid says what it does on the tin adventure. The DM can simply drop it into their on going campaign & run it! Very nice & generous from Pacesetter. My opinion is to grab it. The layout, set up, & cartography is nice.

Finally I ran across  TGK1 Assault on Theramour Keep by Tim Krause. Even though this is a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons product its got a few cool bits to it.




  TGK1 Assault on Theramour Keep by Tim Krause  is a fifth edition 'pay what you want' module but its easily adapted to Castles & Crusades! This is a really interesting module because of the following;"Assault on Theramour’s Keep (TGK1) is intended to accomplish what might easily, and best, be described as some kind of mash-up of the three D&D module examples but with some key differences. First, this adventure really is intended for first-level characters who will have to rely more on their tactical abilities than on player characteristics to be successful. Second, the scale of the battles is more significant, and will be more challenging, for the DM. Last, however, the module is designed to truly aid the DM in managing an environment that attempts to provide some structure. However, it should nevertheless provide players the flexibility to think about a large number of ways to find a solution and protect the Keep. In doing so, there is a rather extensive Appendix that is designed to provide resources so that the DM can effectively, accurately, and efficiently help his players have a rich and rewarding experience with this module. " 

So its sort of an entire module, & mini wargaming system unto itself. I like the design, layout, & some of the cartography. But where the module shines is the competing armies. This brings a different & unique perspective to TGK1 Assault on Theramour Keep & could keep the module & play action going. I can't wait to try TGK1 Assault on Theramour Keep! 
I want to thanks all of the designers, writers, & companies that have stepped up during the world wide Pandemic. I especially want to thank all of the essential employees out there putting their lives on the line to keep things going. Thanks everyone! Stay positive & healthy. 

Retro Review & OSR Campaign Commentary On Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride By Levi Combs From

"Tales of the cursed pyramid and the sleeping tomb of the Mummy Bride have long been a traveler’s tale, passed along by wayward explorers and greedy plunderers alike. Deep within the verdant jungles of the south, amidst a Green Hell of impenetrable jungle, savage cannibals and ancient myth, lies the shattered remnants of a once-powerful civilization and the terrible gods who ruled over them. Rumors swirl of untold riches and un-plundered magic for those brave (or foolish!) enough to claim it. Will your players survive… and what will be left of them?"



Some months ago on Twitter Levi Combs approached me with a fifth edition adventure called 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'. Now normally I don't review any adventures fifth edition but PX Games has been on my back radar for some months now. I totally missed the Kickstarter for  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'. Real life & all of that sometimes comes into the hobby more often then not.

If your thinking that somehow the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons incarnation makes  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'. any less of an adventure then your missing the point. Fifth edition D&D with the right application of mathematics can easily be back retro converted. And that's percisely what I'm gonna do with  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'.. The adventure is way too well done not to.  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'. touches several areas & does them very well. This is an over the top retro Pulp style adventure. Its done with savage abandoned towards the PC's & its very brutal. The writing, cartography, & layout is tight & well done almost as a testiment to the Weird Tales & Pulp magazine stories that spawned this module here's a room description that provides what I'm talking about ;"Ssssssssslime Something slimy, something green – someone bloody, someone screams! At one time, the ceremonial vestments of the faithful were kept here, and stands made of bamboo held feathered headdresses, elaborately painted loincloths and wide belts festooned with tiny human bones. The walls held cruel-looking ceremonial daggers, ready for sacrificial rituals. Now, all that is left are two broad, circular stones that were once painted a bright turquoise but have faded with age, draped in rotting garments and a few odd bird feathers. Bits of dry, brittle twine and old vines hang from empty hooks where daggers once rested. The walls are cracked but stable, and twisting vines snake across the ceiling. There is a doorway in the west wall. Hidden amongst the vines and hanging moss on the ceiling is a patch of particularly virulent and sticky mottled slime. It drops down onto the player characters if it detects any sort of movement beneath it. The 5-foot patch of mottled slime is caustic and will erode flesh and metal on contact with its acidic secretions. The mottled slime has blindsight to a radius of 30 feet and reacts to the movement within this area. If a creature is aware of the slime’s presence, a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw by that creature is sufficient to avoid being struck by the slime. A failed saving throw, or lack of awareness of the slime, prevents the creature from avoiding the slime as it drops onto its unsuspecting prey"
The mottled slime does 5 (1d10) acid damage to any creature that it comes into contact with. The creature takes an additional 5 (1d10) acid damage at the start of each of its turns, or until an action is used to scrape the slime off or until the slime is destroyed. Metal that comes into contact with the slime takes 11 (2d10) acid damage each round, and any nonmagical metal weapon used to remove the slime is destroyed. The patch of mottled slime can be destroyed by direct sunlight, cure disease effects, and cold, fire or radiant damage."

Like I said this isn't all that difficult to translate over to your favorite old school or OSR incarnation of the grand game of Dungeons & Dragons or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The vibe that echoes throughout the 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'..  is one of Saturday Matinee Serials, Pulp magazines, & midnight movie marathons.  One part Indiana Jones meets Robert E. Howard in a back alley with some South American style liches for some bad dangerous fun. 




The encounters & rooms of 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' are brutal,dangerous, & straight up nasty. This isn't a jungle romp of easy & niceness for the PC's. An experienced group could have a hard time with 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'. That's not a joke & the tag line of  'devilishly-designed dungeons for levels 5-7' isn't a joke  moniker.  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' encounters are designed for the sixth to eighth level of old school gaming in my opinion & even jaded old school veterans are going to have to give this adventure its due. 



Back cover art by the amazing Adrian Landeros. Check him out on Instagram at @ghoster9 for more of his work.

The maps & cartography of the 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'  are well done & fit the aesthetic of the Pulp & 30's serial roots of adventure. Encounters & events fit the over all pattern, aesthetic, & weirdness of this Pulp slated adventure. 

 One of the many maps in Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride, courtesy of the talented Karl Stjernberg. Check him out at @skullfungus on Instagram. Karl does an excellent job of his work on The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'

How would I use 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' ? Well that's not all that tough actually. Personally  I would take the this adventure & glue it into a campaign right along with the classic Expert Dungeons & Dragons adventure X2 Isle of Dread. The overall Pulp look, feel, classic material serial tone of 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride'  means it fits into a campaign by Isle of Dread as simply another island. 

'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' could be dropped ad hoc into Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperobrea rpg as another island in the chain of Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess fragment of  the Isle of the Serpent just waiting for the PC's to stumbled into its machinations. 


I would also be remiss to say that  'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' could easily be entirely slotted into a classic Castles & Crusades campaign without any problems what so ever. The encounters link up & line up quite nicely with that game's numbers & formula.

The 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' lines up quite nicely with some of my OSR asthetics that I've had rattling around my head for the last year or so. I think that my time using this adventure at my table hasn't begun yet. But I know that 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' will be played at my table coming soon. Stay tuned for that & I highly recommend 'The Jungle Tomb of the Mummy Bride' for your own table top!