1d10 Random Ancient Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands For Your Old School Sword & Sorcery Campaigns

From the time haunted shores of the Dreamlands there have always been treasures pulled by men of renowned and ancient aspects from the minds of dreamers. But many of these weird and ancient relics and things are relics from nightmare haunted bygone ages.

What weird or strange treasures will your adventurers pull from the stuff of dreams in time haunted lands? Here are are some tables to fill your adventurers coffers with treasures from the edge of sanity and the deepest gates of nightmare itself.

“By noon Carter reached the jasper terraces of Kiran which slope down to the river's edge and bear that temple of loveliness wherein the King of Ilek-Vad comes from his far realm on the twilight sea once a year in a golden palanquin to pray to the god of Oukranos, who sang to him in youth when he dwelt in a cottage by its banks. All of jasper is that temple, and covering an acre of ground with its walls and courts, its seven pinnacled towers, and its inner shrine where the river enters through hidden channels and the god sings softly in the night. Many times the moon hears strange music as it shines on those courts and terraces and pinnacles, but whether that music be the song of the god or the chant of the cryptical priests, none but the King of Ilek-Vad may say; for only he had entered the temple or seen the priests. Now, in the drowsiness of day, that carven and delicate fane was silent, and Carter heard only the murmur of the great stream and the hum of the birds and bees as he walked onward under the enchanted sun.” 

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

1d10  Random Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands Table

1. A broach formed from the blackest nightmare whose surface shines and shimmers with the souls of those who have parished insearch of the original hoard from which it came. The working was from the dreams of a jeweler and wizard from Asia Minor during the Roman Empire. It grants visions of myriad Heavens or Hells every New Moon. Worth 600 gold pieces 
2. A wizard's stick pin formed from twin demons intertwined in damnation or sexual union. The pin allows one to peer into the sleep of the waking world once per week and pull a memory or dream from one sleeper. Worth 760 gold pieces. The pin is +1 vs creatures of dream. 
3. A golden carved box containing one perfect dream of a child, this piece bursts with the energies of its creator and sleeping with this box under a bed will allow one to help from the insanities and terrors of the Underworld. The thing has a gug's tooth locking mechanism. Worth 800 gold pieces to the right collector. 
4. A jeweled memory piece of glass spun from the memories of a lost lover. This piece allows one to pull the dream memories of the dearly departed and interact with the illusion as if they were real. The piece is worth quite a bit at 1000 gold pieces to a necrotic collector of such curiosities. 
5. The jeweled eyes of a Cat From Saturn taken at great expense. These eyes allow one to peer into the underverse of the Outer Darkness and view sights beyond. They are worth 750 gold pieces to a collector or wizard and are quite striking. 
6. A jeweled ruby box containing sand from the pouch of the Sandmen who guard the far shores of sleep. Able to instantly put anyone into a deep sleeping trance but these sands are also an addictive drug of the most dangerous type. Worth 5000 gold pieces to jaded and degenerate royalty and personages. 
7. A single cut diamond container holding the ever frozen snows of distant icy dreams of loss and heart break. These snows will instantly freeze a dream in place and allow one to delicately collect the reality from the very air around a dreamer. Worth 5000 gold pieces to a dangerous wizard of icy and weird aspect. 
8. An iron wrought bracelet of hellish aspect enclosing a piece of solidified jeweled nightmare. This cut and sharp shard of a child's terror gleams with the inner fears of its former creator. The thing will allow its owner to detect the nearest door into deeper realms of nightmare and shadow itself. A very valuable tool in the right hands or a weapon of very dangerous aspect. Worth 1000 gold pieces because few would valuable such a collector's piece. 6000 to a wizard of nightmares but be warned of such insane and dangerous individuals. 
9. A cut piece of ancient and ground demon gold bathed in the waters of Order and polished by the tears of angels. This golden bracelet allows one to gather the dreams of hope and bravery against the most dangerous of dark dreams. It will heal the mind of its owner's target once every month and allow the energies of order to rebind the victim's mind and heal all of the insanity and depravity of recent experiences. Worth 10000 gold pieces to a temple of Order, a very rare find. 
10. An emerald of clarity and illusion, this jewel has been formed from the dreams of ancient and lost angels during a world's creation by the dreams of its god. This emerald gives one the ability to construct realistic dreams for others to inhabit. Worth 700 gold to the right healer. It has very dangerous and addictive qualities though. 
    
    

1d10 Random Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands Table For Your Old School Campaigns

From the time haunted shores of the Dreamlands there have always been treasures pulled by men of renowned and ancient aspects from the minds of dreamers. But many of these weird and ancient relics and things are relics from nightmare haunted bygone ages.

What weird or strange treasures will your adventurers pull from the stuff of dreams in time haunted lands? Here are are some tables to fill your adventurers coffers with treasures from the edge of sanity and the deepest gates of nightmare itself.

“By noon Carter reached the jasper terraces of Kiran which slope down to the river's edge and bear that temple of loveliness wherein the King of Ilek-Vad comes from his far realm on the twilight sea once a year in a golden palanquin to pray to the god of Oukranos, who sang to him in youth when he dwelt in a cottage by its banks. All of jasper is that temple, and covering an acre of ground with its walls and courts, its seven pinnacled towers, and its inner shrine where the river enters through hidden channels and the god sings softly in the night. Many times the moon hears strange music as it shines on those courts and terraces and pinnacles, but whether that music be the song of the god or the chant of the cryptical priests, none but the King of Ilek-Vad may say; for only he had entered the temple or seen the priests. Now, in the drowsiness of day, that carven and delicate fane was silent, and Carter heard only the murmur of the great stream and the hum of the birds and bees as he walked onward under the enchanted sun.” 

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

1d10  Random Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands Table

1. A broach formed from the blackest nightmare whose surface shines and shimmers with the souls of those who have parished insearch of the original hoard from which it came. The working was from the dreams of a jeweler and wizard from Asia Minor during the Roman Empire. It grants visions of myriad Heavens or Hells every New Moon. Worth 600 gold pieces 
2. A wizard's stick pin formed from twin demons intertwined in damnation or sexual union. The pin allows one to peer into the sleep of the waking world once per week and pull a memory or dream from one sleeper. Worth 760 gold pieces. The pin is +1 vs creatures of dream. 
3. A golden carved box containing one perfect dream of a child, this piece bursts with the energies of its creator and sleeping with this box under a bed will allow one to help from the insanities and terrors of the Underworld. The thing has a gug's tooth locking mechanism. Worth 800 gold pieces to the right collector. 
4. A jeweled memory piece of glass spun from the memories of a lost lover. This piece allows one to pull the dream memories of the dearly departed and interact with the illusion as if they were real. The piece is worth quite a bit at 1000 gold pieces to a necrotic collector of such curiosities. 
5. The jeweled eyes of a Cat From Saturn taken at great expense. These eyes allow one to peer into the underverse of the Outer Darkness and view sights beyond. They are worth 750 gold pieces to a collector or wizard and are quite striking. 
6. A jeweled ruby box containing sand from the pouch of the Sandmen who guard the far shores of sleep. Able to instantly put anyone into a deep sleeping trance but these sands are also an addictive drug of the most dangerous type. Worth 5000 gold pieces to jaded and degenerate royalty and personages. 
7. A single cut diamond container holding the ever frozen snows of distant icy dreams of loss and heart break. These snows will instantly freeze a dream in place and allow one to delicately collect the reality from the very air around a dreamer. Worth 5000 gold pieces to a dangerous wizard of icy and weird aspect. 
8. An iron wrought bracelet of hellish aspect enclosing a piece of solidified jeweled nightmare. This cut and sharp shard of a child's terror gleams with the inner fears of its former creator. The thing will allow its owner to detect the nearest door into deeper realms of nightmare and shadow itself. A very valuable tool in the right hands or a weapon of very dangerous aspect. Worth 1000 gold pieces because few would valuable such a collector's piece. 6000 to a wizard of nightmares but be warned of such insane and dangerous individuals. 
9. A cut piece of ancient and ground demon gold bathed in the waters of Order and polished by the tears of angels. This golden bracelet allows one to gather the dreams of hope and bravery against the most dangerous of dark dreams. It will heal the mind of its owner's target once every month and allow the energies of order to rebind the victim's mind and heal all of the insanity and depravity of recent experiences. Worth 10000 gold pieces to a temple of Order, a very rare find. 
10. An emerald of clarity and illusion, this jewel has been formed from the dreams of ancient and lost angels during a world's creation by the dreams of its god. This emerald gives one the ability to construct realistic dreams for others to inhabit. Worth 700 gold to the right healer. It has very dangerous and addictive qualities though. 
    
    

The Care & Feeling of Lovecraftian Cults & 1d10 Random Lovecraftian Cultists Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Adventurers lead lives of extreme danger and encounters with dangerous individuals are bound to happen. The Cthulhu Mythos is rife with weird cults of deranged and degenerate individuals, here's a random assortment of fanatical cut throats, lunatic fringe personalities, and simply the mad ones. Those that exist at the edge of so called sanity.

1d10 Random Lovecraftian Cultists Encounter Table

1. A gang of 1d10 low level assassins on a mission of murder for the Church of Starry Wisdom. They have among themselves a devilish device of insane aspect.  20% of some minor random mutations among their number.
2. A lone harvester of eyes collecting the souls of those who have sold their souls to the dark powers of the Mythos. A very high level assassin with minor telepathic abilities and a thirst for murder. 
3. A group of 1d6  half amphibian human things with some minor energy weapons primed for mayhem. They are hopped up on some form of illicit substance. Out for sacrifices for their gods. 
4. A big brute of a cultist wielding a scimitar on a mission to kidnap a certain heiress who is the reincarnation of the high priestess of Nyarlathotep. A fanatic of the deepest stripe of insanity with some minor magical abilities. 
5. A group of living shadow beings made from the distilled madness and insanity of a thousand children's nightmares given form. Able to shape shift in an instant and very dangerous fighters. There are 1d20 of these nightmare things. 
6. A demon guerrilla thing summoned from some forgotten nether underworld Hell, this thing is able to use a wide variety of weird and strange implements of devilry to dispatch its victims. A very fearsome fighter of a most insane aspect. 
7. A gang of goat human things molded from the fabric of chaos and the Outer Darkness given human forms. This group of insane beings can meld with the shadows and uses wicked bladed weapons which they bless with their goddess's poison. Very dangerous assassin creatures able to meld with many different substances. There are 1d6 of these horrors, they mostly come at night. Mostly. 
8. A group of all to human cat burglars and perverse freaks who randomly break in and murder folks at the command of their 'gods'. These insane beings have some minor magical ability and sleep potions. Armed with light daggers and quick garrotes that they use for the kill. 
9. Cultists of Cthulhu who are actually the neighbors and business folks in the area. They have some major occult backing as well and use a variety of plots to get their sacrifices. 
10. A group of 1d10 assassins who are actually low level demons hell bent on taking sacrifices for their masters. They have possessed and taken over the very cultists that summoned them from the Outer Darkness itself.

One of the real problems over the years I've had with many old school & OSR dungeon masters is how stupid that they seem to make Cthulhu & chaos cultists. These should be some of the most dangerous foes a DM can inflict on a party of adventurers. One of the things I've done over the years is used the dungeon setting as Cthulhu or Great Old One cult temple. The adventure location becomes the focus of devotion of the cult who go out into the countryside & raid as well as pillage villages, settlements,etc. Cultists are gonna blend into the fabric of a society & community perhaps they possesses rites allowing them to throw off spells such as 'know alignment' or the like.
These folks are your local farmers, black smiths, neighbors, etc. who have been warped by centuries of Lovecraftian gods influences. They use tactics, traps, dead falls, & all manner of cunningness to deal with adventurers. Yet ever since B2 Keep on The Borderlands & the Caves of Chaos I've seen dungeon masters simply deal with cultists as another 'monster' to fight. Cultists are some of the most down & dirty bastards when it comes to tricks & traps for adventurers.



The real problem is when you've got humanoid tribes & cultists/villager NPC's working together. Then the horror can really kick in & it will appear to the adventurers that there's no place to run or hide. Tactics, spying, etc. a bevy of dirty pool is on the menu for adventurers as their every move seems tracked by evil. Make no mistake if given over to a bit of Tolkein & Lovecraft(now I know that these two authors have little in common) but combined adventure elements & events can get very wicked indeed for our adventurers.
If a DM uses orcs & Cthulhu cultists for example aligned towards the Great Old One suddenly the dungeon isn't simply a place to loot but a place of sacrifice & chaos unbound. The cult maintains the tricks & traps as a part of its gospel & I've used this quite effectively several times.



Give cultists the brains that they deserve & use every trick in the book when it comes to these NPC's. Monsters are not simply experience points but NPC's waiting to spawn campaign side quests & off shoots. So often I see DM's use monsters as fodder & not the horrors they were meant to be. Cultists are the thinking man's monster & Cthulhu cultists are the cream. Yes degeneration & madness will happen eventually in the mean time these cultists are thriving on the occult power & cosmic revelations given to them by their unholy alien  gods.

1d20 Random Ancient Minor Gods and Tomb Guardians Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Ancient  sites and ruins are often guarded by bound heirloom spirits, the ghosts of ancient bound gods, demonic things  and tomb guardians brought from beyond the pale bound into the preserved flesh of undead things. These monsters are often creatures from before when the world was new and far less civilized. Often times these beings  have been brought from  before the cycles of the Earth before the waters drank Atlantis. They are very dangerous and horrid unnatural survivals of another order of life.



Often these beings will conform to the basic outline of a ghostly Hill giant or Stone giant with 1d20 minor powers or abilities. Often times these beings will be guarding minor family treasures or hoards long forgotten by their original owners. These beings might even have been driven insane by the powerful magicks that bind them to their charges.

1d20 Ancient Minor
Gods and Tomb Guardians Random Encounter Table

1. The ghost of ancient demonic wizard whose godly family was mortally wounded in the war with the god who now guards his slayer's tombs for all eternity. He is quite mad but can cast 1d8 spells per day at sixth level. 
2. A damned Lovecraftian horror tied to a nearby ancient family plague pit where gold from Hell has been stored. 
3. A conqueror warlord bound to the local god's cemetery of the damned where treasures of the gods are supposedly buried. 
4. A tomb ghost of an ancient Atlantian lady now merged with some undead horror from beyond to the graveyard of old wizards and warriors long forgotten by history. 
5. A swarm of wight like demonic things from far beyond many realities summoned to guard a former military base of the ancients. 
6. A deadly horror made up from the ghosts of long forgotten gods now merged and bound together by a secret order of necromancers long dead. 
7. A very dangerous horror created from the soul of an undead god whose worshipers have long passed into extinction brought into the world because of the sacrifice of a warrior women who gave her life to stop an invasion. 
8. A swarm of chaotic bird things made from the long extinct tribes of warriors who merged with a local horror to create the perfect guardians. They watch over the relics and treasures of the Ancients. 
9. The vengeful spirit of a long gone god thing who now haunts the tombs and ruins of his former enemies protecting relics and treasures of power that call to his spirit from beyond this reality. 
10. The undead corpses of gods and spirits whose extinct peoples have cursed them to haunt the moors and down hills of this wild place now lost to the pages of history. 
11. A pack of crazy and psychotic giant things whose purpose is long forgotten but the magical power of the place keeps them bound to it. Silver and golden weapons lay buried just below the surface. 
12. A group of bound ghostly demonic warrior women haunt the tombs and ruins here protecting the weird devices of alien origin lost in this place. 
13. A demonic horror haunts this place drawn here centuries ago and worshiped by the Ancients. It is drawn to any wizards or magic users because of their power. 
14. Howling and madness follow in the wake of this thing and its demonic power as the fury of the Ancients create it each night to guard the legacy of the ruins of this place of power. 
15. The ghost of an ancient alien warrior was drawn down from the stars by the promise of battle and glory but that was in ages past. Now only gold and misplace super science keep it here. Adventurers and worse are drawn by tales of gold but die on this alien thing's magical blade. 
16. A thousand dead brides have been merged to form the totality of this alien horror from beyond death. It seeks the eyes and hearts of the living to feast on. Dangerous and mad it is drawn to power and desperation of the living. Tales of silver artifacts and ancient crowns of gold draw in the foolish. They find only death here. 
17. Howling winds and fury mark the site of this spirit giant's haunted grave that it protects with its weird powers and mastery of wind. Able to strip a man down to the bone in seconds its said to guard a thousand treasures from beyond human desire. 
18. A dangerous spirit guards a weird and odd military base of beings long since forgotten by this world. There are treasures here for the taking if you can bypass this spirit. 
19. The world has moved on but this reptilian like ghostly giant guards a cask of dreams and treasure long forgotten by this world. It is said to be the golden heart of the Great Old One Yig. Giant snakes haunt this place during the day said to be the thing's eyes and ears. 
20. The undead spawn of Cthulhu haunts this place searching for the keys to set it free but a cult of worshipers haunts this place sacrificing sons and daughters of the local merchants and kings.
    
    

1d30 Random Mummy Encounter Table - Kings & Queens Of The Universe For Your Old School Campaigns

There are tombs, ruins, and other places that have been lost to history that have seen the foot falls & touch of ancient forgotten kings and queens. Beings whose very name once struck horror and terror into the hearts and minds of the peoples of the far corners of the universe. These beings are dangerous in the extreme and they carry with them the taint of unearthly disease and horror upon their very souls. These beings are intelligent, deadly, and can appear as ordinary comely human beings three times a day.



1d30 Random Mummy Encounter Table 
- Kings & Queens Of The Universe

1. Fatungo King of the Seventh Dark - A king of an ancient cursed kingdom who now wanders eternity in search of victims for his mad god. Able to cast 3rd level wizard spells, he searches for the hearts and minds of his victims
2. Girotu a former princess in her own kingdom she has languished under a curse and now seeks the eyes of her victims to gaze into eternity. She has been known to trade gems for news of the outside world.
3. Gurth of Varius this scion of a dark god seeks the hearts and kidneys of his victims to free him from his tomb.
4. Kagorialor last of ancient alien line of beings she seeks the voices and souls of her victims, she is able to use 6th level illusionist spells and like to steal the memories of her victims.
5. Kandrit The Unliving Shape Stealer - This being has escaped Hell and now takes the biology of her victims but she magically steals both her victim's shapes and their souls.
6. Kogoro The Ancient One - 3rd level fighter and warlord of the damned, he wanders battle fields taking what and whom he wants for his 'collection'
7. Korogbethaur The Old One - This being collects the youth and vitality of his victims by level draining them. He casts 2nd level black wizard's spells.
8. Malau The Dark - This being takes and steals shadows from his victims then returns to his ruin and watches their struggles against his maze of death and reward.
9. Morur The henchman for a minor demon lord, this undead fiend stalks and slays his victims taking their faces; he is accompanied by nine ghoul warriors who hunt with him. He loathes magicians
10. Nanglo An undead shape shifting queen who hunts down warriors of good and noble aspect to slay them for her master.
11. Ncavandr an ancient priestess of an icy Hell she delivers nine souls each new moon to her ancient demonic masters able to cast 3rd level cleric spells.
12. Rchavandund  this being is a bounty hunter for an ancient after life for which he slays others for their souls. He collects the teeth and gems of his victims. 
13. Runai A minor prince of a forgotten nation and god who has become an assassin for forgotten gods and ancient demons. His ruins are now the head quarters for an ancient demon cult. He loves to feed on the livers of his victims.
14. Thmeglakar This being is an ancient power house of magic and super science, he seeks the most dangerous treasure and relics to take them from mortal hands and use them to kill every last human.
15. Uguro This being is half ghoul and stalks the byways and other worldly realms for the souls of his victims. He loves to hunt children so that his legend will live on.
16. Ulini this ancient priestess seeks out the help of her violent and bloody past. She loves to call on the dead of her forgotten kingdom to hunt and kill for her.
17. Gothacta a bloody handed warrior who loves to stalk out from his forgotten tomb to slay the living in record numbers
18. Iac-nyigusha The Magus - This 6th level wizard loves to track and eat souls of those who try to steal from him. A very dangerous being who loathes humanity and takes every opportunity to slay her rivals
19. Ll'lot Mab-ill Once worshiped as a goddess this being is now locked into their current state and takes revenge on all she encounters.
20. Aqulatha This warrior has been cursed and took his service to an ancient Lovecraftian god with gusto and reverence. He loves to use an enchant +2 knife to slit the throats of his enemies.
21. Bboloth Eibon This former king is now a demonic undead monster of horrid aspect who loves to strangle his victims
22. Gharlaghorh an ancient and mysterious this mummy wanders the byways of the afterlife in search of stray souls and ancient treasures. This being is dangerous and horrid to look upon, his curse causes him to seek victims eternally.
23. Z'tigghacasih Once worshiped as a god even in death its alien aspects and weird mutations make it an ancient enemy of mankind and it loves to kill any human and near human it runs across.
24. Rlakeicyg A minor undead lord who serves the patron of murderers and thieves. This mummy loves to strangle his victims and robs them of both dignity to raise them as his minions.
25. Rsandekela A mysterious and very dangerous mummy prince who serves the Great Old Ones by sacrificing his victims in their name.
26. Shuggggo The Cruel - This wizard has become a mutated mess  and fused with Shoggoth material; she uses her powers to cause havoc among mortal rivals and other cults of her masters. She is able to use 4th level cleric spells.
27. Tarlolilacac K'ughothan was once a master wizard and specialized in demonic magic he rivals several others on this encounter list by sending the souls of his victims screaming into the pit
28. Kelakehu The Multi Legged Horror This being is an ancient drider who has fused with two other princes of the way
29. Kiho-holegot Lathamit This high priest of a gem god loves to rob his victims of their darkest secrets and then use the information for his undead assassins guild. He uses a vast array of mummified cats as servants.
30. Ngotlel  Ntlegotlo This mummy is a high priest of Cthulhu and uses a wide variety of guises and blinds to position victims so that his thieves and assassins guild operatives would be in charge.
    
    
    

Quick Overview Of 'The Pay What You'd Like' OSR title - How to Hexcrawl From Taskboy Games For Your Old School Campaigns

Grab It Over
HERE

This is a twenty four page 'pay what you want' basic primer for all things hexcrawling awesome. The hexcrawl is the unsung underbelly of the old school game that has appeared countless times over and over again. There is a reason for this, because it works so well. This pdf is a primer for this method of adventuring and goes into everything that a DM or his players might want or need to know. All of it is laid out in a step by step stereo instruction method of OSR preparation and go to it. The author knows his subject and traces down everything that you need for hexcrawling right out of the gate. 

Want to know the small history and back story to this method of adventuring, that in this title as well very quickly done with all of the ins and outs for mapping, adventuring, and more. This information can be applied across the board for any type of campaign from fantasy, sword and sorcery, and even westerns should you design it that way. 

How to Hexcrawl is the easy step by step title to get you started and even for the veteran gamer this is a good chance to brush up on your skills set and move forward with incorporating one of the best methods of old school adventuring out there. How To Hexcrawl is worth the price of admission and very well done. Money well spent if you haven't gotten into a solid title lately this is it.

Simply put this is really one of my favorite titles to read in the last couple of days and it lays everything out concisely and concretely at the feet of the DM. As a tool kit for OSR gamin you couldn't ask for anything better. A four out of five on the awesome meter folks! 

Marking The Passing Of Gary Gygax Today

 Today marks the passing of someone's whose influence and impact on my life can't easily be put into words. Gary Gygax passed away today in 2008 and its something I've marked time & again. The words don't ever come easy marking such events. He created D&D along with Dave Arneson. I'am fortunate enough to have met the man once and we didn't talk D&D,he was interested in the fact that did repair work on sewing machines. He used to repair shoes and had some very specialized machines that helped with the job. My father still repairs those types of Singer machines and he's taught me the same skills.  I can't really process it even after all these years. Has it really been that long? I do know the way that the man who created the grand game would wanted to be remembered. Well roll some dice,get together with friends, and have a great game in Gary's name today. I could wax lyrical for pages and pages about what this man's influence on my life and the hours of creation,obsession, and imagination that D&D has brought to me,my friends and countless others. Instead I'll get together with family and friends and play an adventure in his honor. My thoughts and prayers are with the Gygax family today. 

 Wiki has a pretty solid entry that hits the high points right HERE. If you want to know more there's a pretty solid interview right over HERE

1d10 Monsterous Assassins of Lovecraftian Cults Random Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Often times adventurers will run afoul of the machinations of  Lovecraftian cults, sometimes something or someone special is needed to eliminate threats of exposure or worse to cults in question. Here is a table of cleaners, problem solvers, and monstrous horrors who move silently among us.Always  ready to remove any and all threats to the safety and well being of their insane and horrid masters.
When this random encounter table is used you know that the PC's have pissed off the wrong gods. 

1d10 Monsterous Assassins of Lovecraftian Cults Random Encounter Table

1. Doppelganger shape shifter with bio mechanical melee weapons hidden in compartments across its body, it likes to collect the small fingers from victims. Very efficient and methodical killer. 
2. Killer created from Shaggoth material and the brains of sacrificial victims,able to move as a 'passenger' in the bodies of others as a 'possession' entity. A very humorous and dangerous killer who prefers to rip victims apart in spectacular fashion. Insane and dangerous. 
3. A fanatical master of disguise whose able to read the mind of his victims and stalk them across space and time. Often summoned from alternative worlds, this killer demands the souls of his victims. 
4. A patient Lovecraftian gargoyle stalks and hunts his victims, he slices them up in high and hidden places. He demands certain organs as payment. A magician of some repute in its own right, this thing will often use curses to drive his victims insane before murdering them. 
5. This wizard continues his long life by replacing the worn out parts of himself with his victims, he often is used by cults dedicated to Nyarlathotep and passes himself off as an accountant or lawyer to get close to clients and victims. 
6. This assassin shape shifts into a ape like forms and slays his victims with razors or bladed weapons but sometimes changes his MO's for claws and sheer brutality. 
7. A water demon who has possessed the body of its summoning sorceress, this being often drowns or makes victims disappear who poke their noses into various cult's businesses. It specializes in the slow drowning of victims.
8. Dream wizard whose turned to being a murderous soul stealer who works for various cults as an agent and contract murder. This being stalks and hunts his victims through their dreams only to appear to drive them mad in the waking world as illusions and torment them before the kill. 
9. This assassin has been caught between worlds and realities by his god and now steals away the lives and possibilities of his victims bit by bit over time until his victims commit suicide as this pyschopath watches. He appears as a blur of realities given humanoid form. Must be summoned from beyond the 'Threshold'. 
10. This assassin is a collection of the souls of sacrifices given the form of a person of renowned. The assassin works within the underworld tracking and stalking victims only to rend their soul and collect it for itself. All that is left after this process is over is a corpse of sudden death or a heart attack. This monster has an average intelligence that can only be kept at normal levels through murder and magic. The rites of creation of this being are dark and insane things. These beings are the collected malice and mayhem of thousands of years of murder and mayhem. They appear as normal humans though. 

1d10 Monsterous Minions of Lovecraftian Cults Random Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Cults of Lovecraftian gods often employ array of horrid creatures of dark and dangerous aspect, here's an encounter table of the weird, strange, and downright malevolent. A cross section of creatures  for your adventurers to run afoul in the deep and dark dens and dungeons of iniquity across the planes.

1d10 Monsterous Minions of Lovecraftian Cults Random Encounter 
Table 

1. A pack of 1d8 Lovecraftian ghouls half starved and wanting fresh meat, there is a 30% chance of one of them being a 4th or better spell caster or priest of a foul aspect. 
2. A slime covered warrior mutant thing with a multitude of bladed weapons and torture devices who lives to draw sacrifices and murders for his foul master. 20% chance of this thing being able to regenerate as a troll. 
3. A very angry and pissed off gang of skeleton warriors from the Far East who are well versed in modern weaponry. There are 1d8 of these free willed and intelligent undead creatures. 
4. A chain saw wielding manic who is actually an undead monster from some nether hell. 
5. A pack of vicious and very dangerous mid level demonic imp creatures who can summon implements of death and destruction at a moment's notice. Very twisted and murderous. 
6. A gang of undead free willed ghoul things able to take on the shape and abilities of their prey. 40% chance of one being a wizard of some ability and talent. 
7. A group of 1d8 mummies made from the bound victims of the cult's previous wizards and occultists. 60% chance of one of these monsters being talented in the occult sciences. 
8. Monstrous mutated cyclops like monster with iron like claws a vice like grip that uses iron spears, bone breaker clubs, and knives. Mean, dangerous, and murderous. 
9. A mid level greater demon or devil dedicated to this particular Lovecraftian deity. Very blood thirsty and devoted. Bound since the days of ancient Mu or Atlantis. 
10. An ancient undead wizard and his body guards of ancient warriors armed with razor sharp obsidian weapons of ancient Atlantis. The wizard's will and zeal for his god are only matched by his soul rending intents towards sacrifices to his god. 
    
    

1d10 Random Lovecraftian Cultists Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Adventurers lead lives of extreme danger and encounters with dangerous individuals are bound to happen. The Cthulhu Mythos is rife with weird cults of deranged and degenerate individuals, here's a random assortment of fanatical cut throats, lunatic fringe personalities, and simply the mad ones. Those that exist at the edge of so called sanity.

1d10 Random Lovecraftian Cultists Encounter Table

1. A gang of 1d10 low level assassins on a mission of murder for the Church of Starry Wisdom. They have among themselves a devilish device of insane aspect.  20% of some minor random mutations among their number.
2. A lone harvester of eyes collecting the souls of those who have sold their souls to the dark powers of the Mythos. A very high level assassin with minor telepathic abilities and a thirst for murder. 
3. A group of 1d6  half amphibian human things with some minor energy weapons primed for mayhem. They are hopped up on some form of illicit substance. Out for sacrifices for their gods. 
4. A big brute of a cultist wielding a scimitar on a mission to kidnap a certain heiress who is the reincarnation of the high priestess of Nyarlathotep. A fanatic of the deepest stripe of insanity with some minor magical abilities. 
5. A group of living shadow beings made from the distilled madness and insanity of a thousand children's nightmares given form. Able to shape shift in an instant and very dangerous fighters. There are 1d20 of these nightmare things. 
6. A demon guerrilla thing summoned from some forgotten nether underworld Hell, this thing is able to use a wide variety of weird and strange implements of devilry to dispatch its victims. A very fearsome fighter of a most insane aspect. 
7. A gang of goat human things molded from the fabric of chaos and the Outer Darkness given human forms. This group of insane beings can meld with the shadows and uses wicked bladed weapons which they bless with their goddess's poison. Very dangerous assassin creatures able to meld with many different substances. There are 1d6 of these horrors, they mostly come at night. Mostly. 
8. A group of all to human cat burglars and perverse freaks who randomly break in and murder folks at the command of their 'gods'. These insane beings have some minor magical ability and sleep potions. Armed with light daggers and quick garrotes that they use for the kill. 
9. Cultists of Cthulhu who are actually the neighbors and business folks in the area. They have some major occult backing as well and use a variety of plots to get their sacrifices. 
10. A group of 1d10 assassins who are actually low level demons hell bent on taking sacrifices for their masters. They have possessed and taken over the very cultists that summoned them from the Outer Darkness itself.
    

1d10 Random Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands Table For Your Old School Campaigns

From the time haunted shores of the Dreamlands there have always been treasures pulled by men of renowned and ancient aspects from the minds of dreamers. But many of these weird and ancient relics and things are relics from nightmare haunted bygone ages.
What weird or strange treasures will your adventurers pull from the stuff of dreams in time haunted lands? Here are are some tables to fill your adventurers coffers with treasures from the edge of sanity and the deepest gates of nightmare itself.

“By noon Carter reached the jasper terraces of Kiran which slope down to the river's edge and bear that temple of loveliness wherein the King of Ilek-Vad comes from his far realm on the twilight sea once a year in a golden palanquin to pray to the god of Oukranos, who sang to him in youth when he dwelt in a cottage by its banks. All of jasper is that temple, and covering an acre of ground with its walls and courts, its seven pinnacled towers, and its inner shrine where the river enters through hidden channels and the god sings softly in the night. Many times the moon hears strange music as it shines on those courts and terraces and pinnacles, but whether that music be the song of the god or the chant of the cryptical priests, none but the King of Ilek-Vad may say; for only he had entered the temple or seen the priests. Now, in the drowsiness of day, that carven and delicate fane was silent, and Carter heard only the murmur of the great stream and the hum of the birds and bees as he walked onward under the enchanted sun.” 

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

1d10  Random Treasures from Beyond HP Lovecraft's DreamLands Table

1. A broach formed from the blackest nightmare whose surface shines and shimmers with the souls of those who have parished insearch of the original hoard from which it came. The working was from the dreams of a jeweler and wizard from Asia Minor during the Roman Empire. It grants visions of myriad Heavens or Hells every New Moon. Worth 600 gold pieces 
2. A wizard's stick pin formed from twin demons intertwined in damnation or sexual union. The pin allows one to peer into the sleep of the waking world once per week and pull a memory or dream from one sleeper. Worth 760 gold pieces. The pin is +1 vs creatures of dream. 
3. A golden carved box containing one perfect dream of a child, this piece bursts with the energies of its creator and sleeping with this box under a bed will allow one to help from the insanities and terrors of the Underworld. The thing has a gug's tooth locking mechanism. Worth 800 gold pieces to the right collector. 
4. A jeweled memory piece of glass spun from the memories of a lost lover. This piece allows one to pull the dream memories of the dearly departed and interact with the illusion as if they were real. The piece is worth quite a bit at 1000 gold pieces to a necrotic collector of such curiosities. 
5. The jeweled eyes of a Cat From Saturn taken at great expense. These eyes allow one to peer into the underverse of the Outer Darkness and view sights beyond. They are worth 750 gold pieces to a collector or wizard and are quite striking. 
6. A jeweled ruby box containing sand from the pouch of the Sandmen who guard the far shores of sleep. Able to instantly put anyone into a deep sleeping trance but these sands are also an addictive drug of the most dangerous type. Worth 5000 gold pieces to jaded and degenerate royalty and personages. 
7. A single cut diamond container holding the ever frozen snows of distant icy dreams of loss and heart break. These snows will instantly freeze a dream in place and allow one to delicately collect the reality from the very air around a dreamer. Worth 5000 gold pieces to a dangerous wizard of icy and weird aspect. 
8. An iron wrought bracelet of hellish aspect enclosing a piece of solidified jeweled nightmare. This cut and sharp shard of a child's terror gleams with the inner fears of its former creator. The thing will allow its owner to detect the nearest door into deeper realms of nightmare and shadow itself. A very valuable tool in the right hands or a weapon of very dangerous aspect. Worth 1000 gold pieces because few would valuable such a collector's piece. 6000 to a wizard of nightmares but be warned of such insane and dangerous individuals. 
9. A cut piece of ancient and ground demon gold bathed in the waters of Order and polished by the tears of angels. This golden bracelet allows one to gather the dreams of hope and bravery against the most dangerous of dark dreams. It will heal the mind of its owner's target once every month and allow the energies of order to rebind the victim's mind and heal all of the insanity and depravity of recent experiences. Worth 10000 gold pieces to a temple of Order, a very rare find. 
10. An emerald of clarity and illusion, this jewel has been formed from the dreams of ancient and lost angels during a world's creation by the dreams of its god. This emerald gives one the ability to construct realistic dreams for others to inhabit. Worth 700 gold to the right healer. It has very dangerous and addictive qualities though. 
    
    
    

Commentary and Review Of The Free Comic Book Download SwordQuest Mini Series From 1982 For Your Old School High Fantasy Campaigns

I was asked by a friend for a fast setting that he could use for an upcoming kids Labryth Lord game over the weekend and one that would be kid friendly but could twisted into a high end fantasy world. I thought of  the Swordquest comics from way back in 1982.

Download Issue #1 Right
HERE

So here you go Peter, a quick setting that you can play with the girls and your older players. Welcome to the world of Swordquest. 
SwordQuest is one of those dimly remembered  and really strange cross over comic products that came with Atari video game cartridges way back in 1982. The comic property never had a chance but the artwork was great in it. This comic book project happened right in the middle of the DC implosion action and hasn't been heard from since. There were three comicbooks and the artwork is very typical of DC during this time pre Crisis On Infinite Earth's. So what does this have to do with retro clone gaming? If you need a generic high fantasy setting for your old school gaming, this one might be for you.
I've read through the series and this might make a great setting to introduce the kids to the table top gaming world.
The plot of the comic books goes something like this according to the DC wiki: 

The story of the comic book series follows the adventures of twins Torr and Tara, children of the noble knight Tarr who was killed along with his wife at the command of the evil king Tyrannus, who feared a prophecy that the children would someday take over the throne. They stumble across a crystal that contains the spirits of Mentorr and Mentara, who lead them on a quest to find the Sword of Ultimate Sorcery, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tyrannus and his sorcerer Conjuro. The quest takes them (so far) to three of four different worlds, each based on the four primal elements: earth, fire, water, and air. On each of the worlds, Torr and Tara encounter various forms of dangers, weapons, items, and treasures. Their final journey, to Airworld (the intended final game of the series), remains unwritten to this day.

Down load Issue #2 

HERE 

Download Issue #3 

HERE 

SwordQuest Video Game Melt Down 

According to wiki the SwordQuest affair was part of the meltdown of video games back in the 80's: 

Swordquest is an unfinished series of video games produced by Atari, Inc. in the 1980s as part of a contest. Each of the games came with a comic book that explained the plot, as well as containing part of the puzzle that had to be solved to win the contest. The series had its genesis as a possible sequel to Atari's groundbreaking 1979 title Adventure, but it quickly developed a mythology and system of play that was unique. The comic books were produced by DC Comics, written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and drawn and inked by George Pérez and Dick Giordano.

The games of the Swordquest series (along with Atari 2600 Raiders of the Lost Ark) were some of the earliest attempts to combine the narrative and logic elements of the adventure game genre with the 'twitch' action gameplay of the action genre, making them some of the very first 'action-adventure' games. However, the series was unable to hold the last two contests, the grand finale contest and release the final game in the series due to Atari's financial problems leading up to and being a part of the Video Game Crash of 1983.
More Information right over HERE
The history of table top gaming, comicbooks, and video games are tragic as well as sad. Broken friendships, betrayals, and sin seems to follow in wake of these hobby's developments throughout the early 70's and 80's.

Using The World and Mythology of Sword Quest For Your
Old School Gaming Campaign The twins are dead and the worlds need new heroes. Your PC's must take up the gauntlet and continue their journey. They're mythological journey is now your PC's quest. The worlds have been plunged into darkness and only real heroes are needed to heal the schism that plagues these worlds. 

The balance must be restored and the tyranny of the villains broken upon the mantle of elements.
The worlds of Swordquest can be used as a high fantasy campaign that will challenge a small party of PC's or a very large one. Because of the nature of these comics and games the can be used and dropped as needed for a campaign. They make great fodder for a retroclone game because of the very nature of the elements of the worlds. I love the artwork and back drop of these comic books. Because they were never finished these comics make an excellent way of bridge gapping your party and the older twin adventurers of the comics actions.
Most of the monsters, items, etc. are all available through OD&D or AD&D editions or retroclones. This is going to be a high level fantasy campaign but the body count is also going to be high as well. The NPC villains are going to play for keeps and the DM is wise to remember this. Even though this might look like an unholy blend of pseudo Greek mythology and high fantasy, SwordQuest is really its own animal and should be treated as such.
 All in all SwordQuest is one of those generic setting that with the right DM can become a solid and interesting setting that players will talk about in years to come.

Once again this blog post is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a challenge to the copyright or trademarks of DC comics, Atari, or the holders or makers of the artwork of this comic. Thank you for your patronage and there's more to come.