OSR Commentary & Review The Book of Valkyries, published by Night Owl Workshop For Old School Campaign

 The Book of Valkyries, published by Night Owl Workshop (authored and illustrated by Thomas Denmark), is a 108-page supplement designed for the Original Fantasy RPG and compatible with a wide range of OSR systems.

Released in late March 2026, it serves as a companion to Denmark’s previous work, Norse Beasties, providing deep lore and mechanical integration for the demigoddesses of the Norse sagas.

Key Features

• 43 Unique Valkyries: The book details 43 individual shieldmaidens of Asgard, moving beyond generic stat blocks to provide specific descriptions and roles based on mythological research.

• NPC Class: It includes a specialized Valkyrie non-player character class, allowing GMs to use these figures as more than just monsters. They are framed as divine emissaries, guides for heroes, or "choosers of the slain."

• Hand-Drawn Art: Staying true to the publisher's aesthetic, the book is lavishly illustrated with hand-drawn art by Thomas Denmark, created without the use of AI.

• Compatibility: While designed for "Classic D&D/AD&D" styles, it is explicitly noted as compatible with:

  • Old-School Essentials (OSE)

  • Labyrinth Lord

  • Swords & Wizardry

  • Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS)

  • Colonial Troopers / Guardians / Warriors of the Red Planet

Product Specifications

Feature	Details
Format	Digest-sized (5.5" x 8.5")
Page Count	108 Pages
Pricing	~$6.99 (PDF), ~$19.99 (Softcover)
Author/Artist	Thomas Denmark

Campaign Integration

The supplement is designed to be "plug-and-play." While it leans heavily into Norse Mythology, the entries are written to function as high-power divine agents in any epic fantasy setting. They can serve as powerful patrons for high-level characters or as existential threats on the battlefield for those who would defy the gods' will.

 The Book of Valkyries, brings a touch of the divine into the focus of an OSR campaign setting. And does so with easy to use clarity and divine inspiration for adventurers with a Norse focus. The supplement is well written and has some incredible artwork. The Book of Valkyries is actually incredibly useful if the DM wants to use these divine messengers as the go between for Norse clerics and their gods. 
For a game such as Adventurer, Conqueror, King 2nd this supplement brings a great set of divine NPC's for your campaigns. It's well written and these NPC's are well written and are perfect for tweaking or even destroying adventurers in equal measure. These are great NPC's for using adventure hooks to get the PCs involved with them. 
For Castles & Crusades these NPC's are both nasty and highly motivated to get involved with adventurers. They have agendas and goals for those that they interact with. I highly recommend,  'The Book of Valkyries'.

OSR Commentary & Review on MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project Rpg Weapon X by Necromancer For The Marvel Super Heroes or FASERIP rpg

 
MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project  Rpg Weapon X by Necromancer hit the FASERIP fandom back in 2018. It clocks in at thirty three pages of Marvel Weapon X NPC goodness. What MHAC-18 does is bring the Weapon X project NPC's into your regular FASERIP rpg campaign. 

 So what does the MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project  Rpg Weapon X actually bring to the table top?! We get the low down on Weapon X from history, procedures, PC generation tables and lots of notable NPC's. Weapon X has been behind lots & lots of top secret dirty deeds & deals in the Marvel 616 universe. And we're not just talking Wolverine and Sabertooth here. 
Since World War II Weapon X has been playing around with everything from Gamma Radiation to the various weapons that have graced the stage of Weapon X. We get a full on tour behind the curtain within the Weapon X project. The writing, design, fonts, and layout are up to the standards of Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project standards. The information within MHAC-18 is very much outta of current Marvel canon. 
MHAC-18 is solidly done and gives the DM everything they need to drag and drop Weapon X as a complete organization, entity, etc. within thier own Marvel Super Heroes rpg or FASERIP game. And it's only thirty three pages of Marvel Super Heroes goodness. 

Marvel Super Heroes rpg pictures taken from Wayne's Books 

 MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project  Rpg Weapon X can easily bring the Weapon X weirdness and paranoia into your FASERIP games. It does this in two ways. Because it allows the DM to drop in thier latest 'weapon' project into your own campaigns to run amok. All this can be done in the name of testing. Weapon X is excellent for using any shadow games, spy vs spy, etc. adventures. Not to mention the Sabertooth, Wolverine, or other heroes  connections to Weapon X projects. This brings in the manufacturing aspect of the weapons that can come into your own campaigns. Our own PC's have two very strong connections to the Weapon X organization. Because the Weapon X book has such strong NPC's they tend to shadow the Marvel Super Hereos Rpg campaign that thier in. 
Is the MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project  Rpg  worth the download? In a word yes! Because it allows one to take the Weapon X organization, npc's and more into thier games. I've just been informed that the latest version of MHAC -18 Marvel Super Heroes Unofficial Cannon Project  Rpg Weapon X has been updated with a superior layout, updated material, etc.. So be sure to grab the latest version of MHAC-18. 

OSR Review & Commentary Gods & Demons - Hawkmoor - Aedle Magder - A Shadowdark Supplement ( Castles & Crusades) Supplement

 "Gods & Demons – Hawkmoor – Aedle Magder describes one of the pantheons of the peoples of Hawkmoor and the Great Enchanted Vale, a campaign setting designed for use with the Shadowdark RPG."

"This booklet details the deities and demon-gods of the Jorn, the Norse and Germanic-inspired peoples of the Great Enchanted Vale." 

"This ersatz pantheon can also readily be used in virtually any fantasy campaign with any Old School style fantasy RPG where a Norse and Germanic-inspired pantheon can be used."

Gods & Demons - Hawkmoor - Aedle Magder By Mishler Games has entire patheon of gods, monsters, etc. all ready to drop into your Castles & Crusades rpg campaign. Yes, it says Shadowdark on the package but let's be realistic here. This supplement will work nicely for Castles & Crusades adventures without any modification at all. And this means that  you get details such as priesthood, religions, practices, etc. And then in twenty pages you get everything you need to add these into your own campaigns: 

"It is the first installment in the Gods & Demons line and includes details on the following deities and demon-gods, including their personality, nature, and most importantly, specific details about their clergy and their special abilities:

Greater gods in descending order of prominence:
Gor the Mighty (N)
Raesa Mountain-Mother (f, N)
Eidh Oathkeeper (L)
Valka Ravenwing (f, N)
Sverdkona Dragonbane (f, N)

Lesser gods include:
Orkan Fellibylur (N)
Aegtes Goldring (f, L)
Miskunn the Merciful (N)
Motsognir the Mighty (N)
Vangatari the Fey-Queen (N)
Storgryti the Stone-Giant King (N)

Demon gods include:
Jokul Frostbreath (C)
Slagg the Fire-Giant King (C)
Knuta the Mountain-Giant King (C)
Storslys, Wyrm-Father (C)
Ugartha, Queen of Wickedness (C)
Skrammande, Granny Troll (C)
Vargulf Ironclaws (C)
Frahrindandi, Chaos-Dwarf (C)
Salargnaver Hell-Belly (C)

Also included are details on Jorn:
A list of Beings commonly associated with the Jorn faith
Afterlife
Temples, Altars, & Shrines
Sea Wolf Class Alterations
Norse versus Jorn Equivalents" 

This means that entire group of gods and monsters can be dropped into Castles and Crusades easily. And this is content you can use from unknown good gods for paladins of a Norse nature to full on Choatic gods of horror that can come at your PC's from no where. 
But is Gods & Demons - Hawkmoor - Aedle Magder worth the 2.50 American that it says on the package?! Are you kidding me?! With entities like Granny Troll Skrammande and her minions breathing down the neck of your adventurers. Gods & Demons - Hawkmoor - Aedle mMagder is an automatic pick up for me. These gods and entities are perfect for the DM to add them to your Castles & Crusades adventures! Grab Gods & Demons - Hawkmoor - Aedle Magder today! 

OSR Review & Commentary On The Free Cepheus Engine rpg Fanzine & Supplement - issue #007 of the Cepheus Journal

 "Welcome to issue #007 of the Cepheus Journal. Since this is issue 007 we decided to make this a spy themed issue.

To that end this issue of Cepheus Journal is taking a hard look at superspies and espionage. Norton Glover provides a short  set of rules for dealing with intelligence networks, a realistic upgrade for starting your adventures when compared with “So you are in a bar when…”, while Ewan Spence outlines how to make characters in the modern CIA’s Special Activities Center Special Operations Group. Those of you who game in the relatively near future can look to a passel of gadgets and upgrades that would make Q slightly queasy as Mr. Glover makes his second appearance with Zaibatsu Retrogenics. Peter Simon writes about the motivations for betraying secrets. There is also short spy adventure for a medieval setting by our own P-O Bergstedt."

There are also a number of SF articles in this issue. Joseph Jaquinta brings us a brace of articles on Lagrange points and the humble spaceship door. Timothy Collinson supplies us with some alien cephalopods to come through those doors and Neil Lucock a shuttle to put them on. We also have the first part of  Jo Jaquinta’s story “Raider’s Lament”.

So while everyone has been arguing and whatnot over the last couple of weeks. We've decided to dive back into Cepheus Engine's favorite fanzine Cepheus Journal issue #007! This issue is all about spies, super spies, and more. The first article up is From the Editors By Paul Drye which goes over this issue's premise in spies, super spies, and space. There's a general overview of the contents of this issue and then we head deep into the bowels of 2d6 action with Beyond the Iris Valve by Joseph Jaquinta.This article goes into the placement of doors, airlocks, etc. within Cepheus Engine starship plans and their alternatives. There's some solid ideas here for 2d6 play and plans. 'Eroctopi' By Timothy Collinson gives a band new alien race and yes there's a spy theme here. A new alien species is always welcomed in Cepheus Engine! Lagrange Rendezvous by Joseph Jaquinta gives a hard look at Lagrange points & their uses in exploration, Cepheus Engine, and more. Again this is really useful for Cepheus Engine style games. Raider's Lament is a rather bawdy little story and adventure idea By Jo Jaquinta. Again there's some great ideas here. And then we get 'The Chort' By Neil Lucock; "The Chort shuttle is a popular option in the luxury cruise market. In systems near nebulae and with interesting Gas Giants or other attractions, the typical cruise of 5 days allows 20 passengers to enjoy fine food and entertainment while admiring the view from the panoramic windows on the upper deck." This is a fine addition to the Cepheus Engine family of space craft. 
'Why do people betray secrets' By Peter Simon is a good overview of the betrayal of secrets in intelligence agencies and their uses in 2d6 games. And then we come to 'Zaibatu Retrogenics' By Norton Glover. And again I'm so glad these are not real! Norton Glover is at it again with his 'Intelligence Networks' article & its all good stuff here. But then we're given into the tender mercies of 'CIA Special Activities Center' By Ewan Spence. And here things start taking a dark turn for your 2d6 games. 'From Visby with Love'  By P­O Bergstedt is a jolly little romp of a Sword of Cepheus or Barbaric adventure & its damn good. 'Who Goes There' By Brett Kuger  introduces us to Unit Chief Sir Bravan Nickols whose perfect to head the cell of your latest Brit esponisage cell or organization in your 2d6 games.  All in all this was a very satisfying issue of the Cepheus Journal but don't take my word for it! 
Down load The Free Cepheus Engine rpg Fanzine & Supplement -  issue #007 of the Cepheus Journal Here! 

OSR Commentary & Thoughts on Dave Hargrave's Grimoire IV (1984) For Your OSR & Old School Campaigns

 So I was zipping round the Piazza as I'm apt to do and ran across this thread about Arduin here by Bobby Knock but it was Blackbat 2442 who piqued my interest in this 2012 post; "The "setting" was the World of Arduin... a planet with a recorded history several hundred thousand years old (not detailed very fully, more just outlined). Some historical details from millennia earlier showed up in ancient books and so on, others were legends and religious doctrine, and so on.

Arduin also sat at a multi-dimensional nexus, so races from every part of the "multiverse" (yes, that exact word was used early on) found their way to Arduin... and adventurers could travel to all those universes as well.

Oh there were classes like Technos, and so on... so there were tech devices, and so on.


The Ta'Vreen were explicitly stated to be members of a star-faring technological race (from another dimension), temporarily marooned on Arduin... immune to magic and equipped with tech weapons & devices.

Then there were things like the Vampusa... yep, that's right. Medusas that are also vampires!

Flying giant scorpions.

And so on.



Grimoire IV (1984) has a section on "Integration of Arduin rules in other role-playing systems"." Yes it was the talk of Dave Hargrave's Grimoire IV (1984) that has my interest. Now you'll see lots of videos & essays on the three other little brown books. But hardly anyone talks about Grimoire IV The Losr Grimoire. And this one is one of my favorites & probably the one that has had had some of the most workout in my hands. Why?! Because Dave Hargrave's Grimoire IV (1984) has some of his best DMing & gaming philosophy. Sure there's a ton on of Arduin material but this one gives the DM the integrated philosphy of Mr. Hargrave. Which really does picking from column A. & column B. of the Arduin books & that's actually alright. But what's actually in Grimoire IV (1984)?! Well that's the other interesting bit ; "The Arduin legacy continues with 147 pages jammed packed with new ideas, tips and tricks to delight even the most discriminating gamers.

* 40 new arcane spells, conjuration's and divine rituals, as well as a look at seven (7) new specialty mages and their craft.

* New character races, such as "Swampers", "Red Dwarves" and the rarest of all Arduin races - the mysterious and elusive "Tzikki" folk.

* 30 new potent potions, lotions and amazing alchemical concoctions.

* 25 new horrific monsters to challenge even the most accomplished adventure seekers.

* 17 legendary weapons and other renowned magikal treasures.

* A brief visit to one of Arduin's famous taverns for a glass of "Black Heart Brandy" or any one of Arduin's 37 other distinctive ales, beers, wines and liquors.

* A short jaunt into the undercity and lunch at "Dirty Dorgs", one of Arduin's most notorious restaurants - where anything can be had for a price!"
Mr. Hargrave was nothing if not prolific & this book has a ton of good stuff including some solid alchemy items. Arduin is not so much a setting as it a series of campaign ideas infecting other gamers OSR & old school adventures. The fact is that so much brought out by 'The Lost Grimoire'. Many of the adventure & campaign elements within the book are central to Arduin. But the main philosophy of the book boils down to 'Take this & try it'. No arm wringing or pulling or deep artistic lectures. But down to Earth practical knowledge of game play & DMing. And that's really the essence that Dave Hargrave is trying to put forth within the  Arduin Grimoire IV 'The Lost Grimoire'  from  1984. 
You can grab  Arduin Grimoire IV 'The Lost Grimoire' Right over here..