OSR Commentary On ' By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization' By Autarch LLC Kickstarter For ACK's & Other OSR Rpg's

 Today Alexander Marcus has threw the By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization By Autarch LLC For OSR Rpg's Kickstarter with  our way that is making it very hard to keep our pocketbooks closed. By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization is two hundred pages of full on OSR Dwarven lore! The By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization book is abosolutely loaded for the Dwarven oriented DM's & players! 

 By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization is the end all book of all things Dwarven for the Adventurer, Conqueror, King rpg! How do I know this because of the way that By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization is writen & the point of view is from a Sage of the Tower of Knowledge; "All of the lore in By This Axe is presented by a point of view character, a sage from the Tower of Knowledge of the Auran Empire named Sürcaneus. Sürcaneus is the self-proclaimed inventor of Dwarrology, the study of dwarves. All of Chapter 2 is presented in character, and any backstory or setting material in the later chapters is from his point of view, too. Using Sürcaneus as our point of view narrator offered several benefits:

• Since Sürcaneus is a human writing about dwarves for a human audience, adopting his viewpoint allows us to focus on what makes dwarves different and gloss over all those areas where dwarves are just like humans.
• Since Sürcaneus is a sage in the world, rather than an omniscient worldbuilder outside of it, his knowledge is incomplete. This allows us to leave some facets of the dwarves open for interpretation or customization. It also means he can be wrong. The possibility of error allows Judges to simply ignore anything they disagree with.
• Since Sürcaneus’s writing exists in the world, it makes it possible for his writings to be discovered in the campaign, or given to players as in-character background information.
• Since Sürcaneus is a cross between a Greek natural philosopher and a Victorian anthropologist, it allows us to bring some humor to the writing. As a sage, he’s very smart but also very parochial; he tries to be magnanimous, but often comes off as smug. And the dwarves are, in many cases, messing with him. He was fun to write, and we hope you’ll enjoy his point of view, warts and all.

While written with our own Auran Empire campaign setting in mind, the dwarven lore is applicable to any other setting that includes traditional fantasy dwarves. Here are some samples from Sürcaneus's Dwarrology. " And all of the classic Dwarven elements from popculture, fantasy literature, movies, and more has been woven into this book. And this includes the Bitter War between the Dwarves & Elves. 

And this sort of a mythology & legendary status has been written into the very DNA of By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization. This is something we've seen in other ACK's kickstarters. By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization  has the advantage over other ACK's books because it takes it's que's from other OSR systems being fully compatible with even BCEMI D&D & other OSR systems. By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization  represents a very interesting direction for Auran Empire campaign setting. By the end of the week my bid for this kickstarter will be in! 

You can back the By This Axe: The Cyclopedia of Dwarven Civilization By Autarch LLC Kickstarter For Adventurer, Conqueror, King  & Other OSR Rpg's Here 

OSR Review & Commentary On Terra Arisen By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters From Stellagama Publishing For The Cepheus Deluxe Rpg

 "Terra Arisen is a space-opera setting for the Cepheus Deluxe sci-fi RPG rules. Terra Arisen introduces player characters to the immediate aftermath of the Terran Liberation War against the mighty Reticulan Empire and its many thralls. The Terrans forced the Reticulan Empire to sign a humiliating peace treaty and reluctantly accept Terran independence from the Empire. The upstart Terrans, bolstered by their victory against their old masters, are becoming a power to be reckoned with in interstellar affairs. On a backdrop of espionage, maneuvering, and saber-rattling on new interstellar frontiers, bold player characters can leave their marks as heroes or villains of the new United Terran Republic (UTR). This book provides background information, a 16 by 20 hex star-map covering most of the UTR and some alien territory, and write-ups of all 120 major worlds in this area, as well as other materials necessary to run a science fiction roleplaying campaign in the exciting times of the 23rd century." 

This book contains:

• History and background material for 23rd century Terra and the larger universe.

• Corporations, political parties, and illegal groups – both Terran and alien.

• 4 major alien species and several minor ones – all detailed!

• Rules for generating and playing characters from 5 alien species.

• 7 alien Careers and 5 Terran ones - from psionic Reticulan Nobles to the heroic Terran Guard!

• Character generation rules and event tables for all included careers.

• 2 small craft and 5 starships with full game statistics and high-res deck plans.

• The Terran Quadrant, including 120 detailed worlds and a high-res star map.

• A detailed adventure chapter with a wide variety of hooks for exciting adventures in Terran and alien space! 

Note that this book provides character generations, biological and cultural background, and flying saucers (!) for playing Gray Aliens – ready to drop into any Cepheus Deluxe campaign and quite compatible with other 2d6 sci-fi RPGs as well!

This setting requires the Cepheus Deluxe rules for use." 

Terra Arisen Rpg Campaign Setting  By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters is one of those space opera's there's far more bubbling below the surface then at first it seems. The Terra Arisen setting is perfectly suited for the Cepheus Deluxe rules. Terra Arisen takes on humanity & it's alien allies rising up against their Reticulan oppressors in a series of rebellions that ultimately results in the establishment of the Terrran Quadrant. 

Terra Arisen is a two hundred & eleven page book that wears its history, alien cultures, & background on it's sleeve. And in Terra Arisen these factors colours your PC's life events, careers, and other 2d6 Cepheus Deluxe rules & rolls during character creation. And this applies across the board for the aliens and the humans. This isn't exactly a Reticulan friendly game per say as the later generations of the hybrids and full blood Reticulans have come to question their own ancient empire's practices. 
And Terra Arisen is a thinking DM's campaign setting with ton's of potential for the player's to step onto the interstellar stage of old sectors of the Reticulan Empires. Now in the hands of the their former slave races both human & alien. While Terra Arisen seems very woven into it's own campaign setting with its history, politics, sciences, technologies, etc. the setting is a fun one with plenty of opportunities  for military campaigns, interstellar merchant hi jinks, and much more all baked into the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered setting. Terra Arisen is a solid addition to the world of Cepheus Engine powered rules. The interstellar's scene is interesting. The ideas here are smartly done. And Terra Arisen is a campagin setting is one  that can do a wide variety of play styles. 

The playground of the former Reticulan empire populated by their former client races is one of recent military victories. But the interstellar  parts & pieces still very much dangerous and not necessarily nice at all. Terra Arisen is a complex & multi dimensional interstellar political & unsettle frontier with its own rules, alien races, & wild edge bubbling just below the surface. Terra Arisen has some solidly done starships and the interior artwork is a mix of Pulp & Science Fictional styles that works for the 2d6 asthetic of the Cepheus Deluxe rules powered material. The layout is crisp, easy to read, & ready to play. 

Terra Arisen is a campaign for the Cepheus Deluxe rules that is waiting to be played & played well. Terra Arisen is a excellent addition to the the Cepheus Deluxe rules line of supplements & I for one can't wait to see the next line in the Terra Arisen family of books. Terra Arisen is a five outta of five for creativity, ulility, & actual usefulness at the table top level. 
Terra Arisen By Omer Golan-Joel, Richard Hazlewood, & Josh Peters From Stellagama Publishing For The Cepheus Deluxe Rpg Is Available Right Here 

Node Cities & Starting Points For The Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit From Mad Scribe Games As OSR Campaign

Is Sword & Caravan all that exotic within today's OSR?! Yes & no, there haven't been too many rpg product that have come across my desk that explore the Silk Road in detail. Sword & Caravan fits this niche nicely. This blog entry picks right up from here. 

Sword & Caravan is epic history along the Silk Road & the supplement does it in a compact yet  divisive way. Why do I say divisive?! Because of the very nature of Sword & Caravan where the PC are travelers,merchants, explorers  upon the Silk Road. And within this the OSR campaign is woven. But where is the Silk Road & why has it been critical to Eastern & Western civilization? Well according to the Silk Road wiki entry; "First coined in the late 19th century, the name "Silk Road" has fallen into disuse among some modern historians in favor of Silk Routes, which more accurately describes the intricate web of land and sea routes connecting East and Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and Europe." And this was the case going back to the Mongol Empire &  up until the rise of the Ottoman Empire in 1473.  This leads to massive expansion for an OSR campaign stretching across the ages on the Silk Road. Sword & Caravan set's this up quite nicely. And this leads to one of the single most important cities of the Silk Road & that's Baghad. The Round city of Baghdad between 767 and 912 was the most important urban node along the Silk Road.

The Round city of Baghdad between 767 and 912 is the perfect central urban point to start a Sword & Caravan campaign. The adventurers can be of the higher social strata making their way in the world along with their staff.
Used with either or both Lion & Dragon or Dark Albion, Sword & Caravan offers at completely different setting then the usual dungeon crawling but there's also plenty of opportunities for that as well. All along the route of the Silk Road are hub or node cities that benefit from the trade & caravans that make up the life blood of the route.. The Round City of Baghdad is a perfect example of this style of urban location. This trade is the heart & soul of the Silk Road according to wiki; "

The expansion of the Parthian Empire, which stretched from eastern Anatolia to Afghanistan, provided a bridge to East Africa and the Mediterranean, particularly the nascent Roman Empire. By the early first century CE, Chinese silk was widely sought-after in Rome, Egypt, and Greece.^[2] Other lucrative commodities from the East included tea, dyes, perfumes, and porcelain; among Western exports were horses, camels, honey, wine, and gold. Aside from generating substantial wealth for emerging mercantile classes, the proliferation of goods such as paper and gunpowder greatly altered the trajectory of various realms, if not world history."

Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit From Mad Scribe Games Is Availabe Here 

OSR Commentary On The Hercules-class Heavy Freighter By Michael Johnson From Independence Games For the Clement Sector rpg

 "Along with James Lancaster’s ubiquitous Atlas-class freighter design, the Hercules-class heavy freighter is considered to be a second generation gravitic drive design with the first generation being simple conversions of existing reaction drive vessels without internal gravity fields and inertial compensators. Designed from onset to be a pure gravitic drive design, the Hercules completed its first round of trials at the same time the Atlas-class was entering commercial service with Lancaster Shipping."

The Hercules is a huge freighter, as big as a navy cruiser and bigger by far than every other interstellar capable commercial vessel. With over half the ship dedicated to cargo carrying capacity, the class is a “must own” for mercantile companies regardless of their fleet size. Now having been in service for over a century it is still an attractive option as a used purchase for more successful ship owners looking to increase profits on a lucrative cargo run. 

Within these pages, you will find the standard Hercules as well as these popular variants:

Tanker - Used by mining corporations, shipping corporations, and other private fleets as a refueling vessel.

Transport - Used by some governments as a troop transport, the Hercules can transport a light battalion into battle."

The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter By Michael Johnson is one of those iconic ships that seems to fade into the background when we begin talking about the Clement Sector. And that's too bad because these starships are the pack mules of the black! Seriously the   Hercules-class Heavy Freighter moves whole battalions into battle. And these starships represent the very best in cargo moving that the Frontier of the Clement sector has to offer. 
The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter tankers are the fuel points that many corporations rely on to get the job done in the blackness between the points of civilization. These tankers can mean the life line to the remote colonies between stars in a sector. The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter represents the real time arm of investiment that a corporation has in a planet, sector, or fleet. And this means that the mining corporations know their value. The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter forms a fixed point of fuel and hope to those who need their services, fuel, & utility to colonies across the Clement sector. 
And don't think that every two bit pirate outfit isn't gunning for  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter or its variants. 

The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter's crew represents a significiant part of a possible ransom for a party of space pirates. And this doesn't take into account the The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter's cargo which could fetch on the open market! And skilled crews operating in the black are prime targets for space pirates.The  black market thrives on the Hercules-class Heavy Freighter & thier cargoes. The real weigh  of the black market is rife with politic                                                                                   corruption on both sides of the Clement sector. And this makes The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter a hot star or diamond in the rough depending on which side of the law the owners find themselves on.Power comes from being able to move cargo when & where you as a corporate entity want too. Making you as the owner the  ultimate entity   to place cargo in the hands of the colonies or other  corporations.  Only the biggest corporate outfits can operate a Hercules-class Heavy Freighter. Something made obvious by Michael Johnson's writing and reading between the lines of the starship guide. 

The  Hercules-class Heavy Freighter By Michael Johnson From Independence Games For the Clement Sector rpg Is Available Here 

OSR Review & Commentary On Adventurer, Conqueror, King's rpg Supplement Axioms issue #12 By Alexander Macris, Matt Jarmak, & Omer Jeol

 "Axioms is Autarch's quarterly supplement for the Adventurer Conqueror King System. Each issue of Axioms offers a mix of short content updates for ACKS, such as new classes, new sub-mechanical systems, explorations of specific themes within the game, short adventure scenarios, and more.  "

"In this issue, we prove that burglary, larceny, robbery, embezzlement, keelhauling are all in a day's work.

• The Art of Thievery: revisiting the rules for thieves and related classes
• Re-Thinking Thieves, Part I: a mathematical assessment of whether thief skills are balanced
• Re-Thinking Thieves, Part II: some roguish ideas to tinker with thieves
• The Purse is Mightier than the Curse: with the newly-revised venturer, the wizard works for you
• Hench Wanted: finding and hiring the right henchman for the job at hand

While designed for use with ACKS, content in Axioms is compatible with any d20-based fantasy RPG built on the OGL."

Adventurer, Conqueror, King is an rpg built on the actions of the player's PC's more then many retroclones. And thieves are often at the center of the action in many campaigns. Axioms issue #12 takes the thief on more then many other thirty two page supplements. And we begin by dividing into Alexander Marcus's 'The Art of Thievery' breaking down the rules of thieves & related classes as well as diving into the role of hi jinks within ACK's. 
There's a lot to process within the first sixteen pages because we get to really get a good over all assement & feel for the class itself. Why? Because along with the deconstruction (which isn't so much a deconstruction but an antomy lesson) of the class and it's higher levels as well as perks. We get a full on back drop into the class itself with a deep dive into the underworld & more when it comes to the thief. 
And then we get into 'Rethinking The Thief' Part I' also by Alexander Marcus and what do we conclude here? Well according to 'Rethinking The Thief Part I' ; "From the analysis above, we can see that the critics of thieves have been right all along. Thieves are significantly underpowered relative to what they’d be if they were built with custom spelllike abilities. Every rational thief would happily trade in his thief abilities to open locks, find traps, and remove traps for the equivalent spell-like abilities, which are superior in every way; and the vast majority would also trade in the ability to pick pockets, move silently, and hide in shadows as well. 
And Part II of this series of articles  'Rethinking The Thief' Part II By Alexander Marcus helps to 'fix' the ACK's thief with switiching abilities & things up a bit and to tell the truth this isn't a bad idea at all. 
My friend Omar Joel then takes on the Pugilist class & this is a damn good rendition of the venerable OSR class because it's got teeth; "From the ranks of the common folk, a hero sometimes arises who is neither a soldier, nor a sorcerer, but a man of his fists. Whether trained in a martial arts school, experienced in the blood sports common in rowdy taverns, or master of the bar-room brawl, the pugilist learned to live by the fist. He never donned heavy mail or trained with a sword. Instead, he learned the art and practice of wrestling and bare-hand fighting. The haughty tyrant or bladewielding bully underestimate him. He then rewards their hubris with a well-aimed fist to their sneering faces." 
Like all of ACK's classes the pugilist tops out at fourteenth level of hard knuckle busting action and this is a class that is designed to fight bare handed and well versed in hurting enemies in or out of the ring. 

Then we get into 'The Purse is Mightier Then the Curse' by Alexander Marcus & we get a look into the Venturer; "Commerce is the great wheel upon which the world turns. From the fleshy fingers of slave traders to jewel-clad guild masters, the coin and commodities of the empire are controlled by merchants. But if the stereotypical merchant is a pot-bellied financier profiting from the work of others, the venturer is his opposite: An adventurous world traveler, he personally leads caravans into unknown lands, seeking out exotic goods and new markets. Every venturer is, by definition, an adventurer, and interested in any expedition that promises riches and reward.' And the Venturer has it going on as a good addition to ACK's and harkens back to Advanced Dungeons & Dragon's higher level thief warlords & guild masters able to bring even mighty wizards to heel. 

And speaking of hirelings & henchmen we get 'Hench Wanted' By  Matt Jarmak who does an excellent job of bringing the henchmen & hirelings of your dreams or nightmares into your party. The article has some solid advice about how to handle these wheelers and dealers of the dungeons & ruins. This is a good article to add some muscle to an underpowered party of adventurers! 
. Axioms issue #12 is solidly done and very well put together as a mini supplement for the ACK's rpg or other OSR games. There's a very different slant on the ACK's or OSR thief that takes things in a different direction. 

Axioms issue #12 By  Alexander Macris, Matt Jarmak, & Omer Jeol Is Available Right Here 

OSR Adventure Legacy Thoughts With The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition Dungeon Master's Guide & The From The Ashes Campaign Box Set Mixed With Castles & Cruades

 Thanks for all of the well wishes & birthday surprises on social media. Tonight an old friend of mine fell into my hands once again. That friend? The Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition Dungeon Master's Guide opened with both old age & familiarity. The more that I  lean into the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide first edition the more I realize that there's more to learn then simply the 'rules'. The underlying rpg gaming philosphy of the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide seems to me to take a lifetime to learn. The underpinnings of  the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide seems to encapsulate the essence of Gary Gygax's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons optional systems. As 'Simple Man' has said on Rpgnet; "One of the best toolkit/houserule books ever, if put together in a random fashion. Not really a book to teach dungeonmastering, but a set of tools for a dungeonmaster to use or not use in his games, and one of the best ever." 

Put together in a random fashion? Yes and no. The AD&D first edition Dungeon Master's Guide is random but it reads like one might find within the head space of a dungeon master & in this case it's one of the father's of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax himself. According to the Dungeon Master's Guide wiki; "The original Dungeon Masters Guide was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #16 of the magazine White Dwarf (December 1979/January 1980). Turnbull commented mostly on the size of the book, "I would say that only the most severe critic could point at a minor omission, let alone a serious one." 
And yet, the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide has been lamb basted over the years. But the AD&D first edition Dungeon Master's Guide is one of the best tool boxes for creating or generating adventures, encounters, & even whole cloth campaigns; "A feature of the first edition Dungeon Masters Guide was the random dungeon generator. The generator allowed the Dungeon Master, by the rolling of dice, to generate a dungeon adventure "on the fly". A dungeon complete with passageways, rooms, treasure, monsters, and other encounters could easily and randomly be constructed as the player progressed. It could be used with several people or a single player. The generator was not included in subsequent editions of the Dungeon Master's Guide but made a re-appearance in the fifth edition Dungeon Master's Guide." The random dungeon generator is perfect for creating a dungeon or adventure location that the player's won't be expecting. 
And this feeds directly into the burning lump of what was Greyhawk in the 'From The Ashes' Greyhawk box set according to the Wiki entry ; ""Book One, Atlas of the Flanaess", presents a broad overview of the eastern portion of Oerik, Oerth's major continent and the primary locale for Greyhawk campaigns. It starts with a lengthy historical summary, tracing 10 centuries of events from the early assaults of the Oeridian tribes through the aftermath of the great Greyhawk Wars. The cyclopedia entries follow the history lesson and take up the bulk of the text.^[1] "Book Two, the Campaign Book" focuses on the areas in and around the Free City of Greyhawk. As a consequence of the great war, much of the Old City was incinerated. Destitute property owners who can't afford to pay for restoration watch helplessly as their neighborhoods are overrun with beggars and street urchins. In the River Quarter, authorities fish out bodies with daggers in their backs. Refugees crowd the poorer districts, trade continues to decline, and Iuz, the fiendish ruler of a vast territory in the north central Flanaess, remains a constant threat." 

The 'From The Ashes' box set events are the perfect excuse to uncover otherwise never found dungeons, ruins, & adventure locations that the fog of war picks up & presents to the PC's this is especially good if the DM is using another system to run such a campaign. 
The random dungeon generator gives the perfect excuse for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edtion  Dungeon Master's Guide to get a work out. The fires, heat of battle, turf wars, etc. have uncovered the hidden temples of Vecna, Orcus & Luz. 

The DMG is the perfect tool box to bring such ruins to life and to add into a legacy 'From The Ashes' Greyhawk campaign. Hidden dungeons, and ruins are the perfect mid tier adventure add on to bring into such a campaign to keep players on their toes. They'll never expect a set of ruins with the influence of Orcus or Luz hanging over them. 

First Impressions Of Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit From Mad Scribe Games As OSR Campaign

 "Sword & Caravan is an OSR setting book for playing a historically accurate fantasy campaign set in the East along the region known as "the Silk Road" at the turn of the 12th/13th Centuries. This historic campaign's timeline is set amid the turbulent era between the Third Crusade and the Mongol Invasions. This marked Europe's earliest period of post-classical interaction with the East."

 

"As Players, you may decide to take on the roles of crusaders, merchants, or explorers traveling to ancient and mysterious lands. Alternatively, you may choose from any number of unique character concepts native to those lands."

 With a detailed gazetteer of every region along the Silk Road from the Crusader States and the Muslim world to China, Sword & Caravan gives you everything you need to explore the history and varied cultures of a region filled with war, intrigue, commerce, and conquests."

The hardback of Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit From Mad Scribe Games just arrived today from Drivethrurpg. With my birthday coming up in a couple of days my wife grabbed a copy off of Drivethrurpg & it just arrived today. What a beautiful book & perfect for any historical or OSR gamer out there.  Sword & Caravan takes place on the ancient Silk Road. And Sword & Caravan is completely OSR but could act as sourcebook for either Dark Albion the OSR setting book  or the  Lion & Dragon the Rpg 

Everything within Sword & Caravan is geared around the 'Silk Road' from the Silk Road of China & the middle East as campaign setting, to adventure hooks set around the whole affair. Sword & Caravan isn't pulling punches with lots & lots of detail about the Silk Road itself from most of the major & minor towns, cities, and setting all detailed. Sword & Caravan follows the major conceit of Lion & Dragon & Dark Albion notably that the major race detailed for PC's is human. The whole of Sword & Caravan is humancentic & so it should be. What is the 'Silk Road' that we're talking about here?! Well, according to the Silk Road wiki entry; "The Silk Road (Chinese: 絲綢之路)^[1] was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.^[2] Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the East and West.^[3][4][5] First coined in the late 19th century, the name "Silk Road" has fallen into disuse among some modern historians in favor of Silk Routes, which more accurately describes the intricate web of land and sea routes connecting East and Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and Europe.^[2]" 

We get most of the major cities, towns, oasises, deserts, ruins, & tons of details in one hundred ninety five pages with an index built in. And plenty of adventure hooks thrown in. Do youself a favor & get the hardback its well worth the money. This makes up for the terrible version of Drivethrurpg's Invisible College. We get Greece, China, and many places inbetween in Sword & Caravan. Plus we get most of the major PC classes from these and other places. Sword & Caravan creates its atmosphere by being straight up & really well presented.  Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit presents its world, campaign setting, etc. in a straight forward no nonsense manner. There's no side hustles here, the history in Sword & Caravan is right on the money, the writing crisp and too the point. The history is accurate & on point. 

Sword & Caravan is easily one of the better OSR sourcebook on the market. The book is beautifully done, the layout clear, the writing is hard core on the history coming alive under the author's pen. 
Sword & Caravan is a labor of love and it's on point offering its readers a glimpse into a word of it's witnessing. 
Sword & Caravan offer a nicce alternative campaign setting to the usual OSR campaign books on the market. 

Sword & Caravan By The RPG Pundit From Mad Scribe Games Is Availabe Here 

 

OSR Review & Commentary On The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From Mishler Games For Your Old School Campaign

 "The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel

By James Mishler and Jodi Moran-Mishler

The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is the first adventure specifically set in the Isle of Eldisor Hexcrawl Campaign Setting. Designed for use with Labyrinth Lord, it is easily adapted to any OSR-Style Role-Playing Game."

"The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is an ancient, much-storied flying citadel in the shape of a demon’s head. Since the death of its creator during the Wars of Succession following the Fall of Eldisor, it has passed through the hands of countless villains, who have used the flying tower to raid, pillage, and enslave the peoples of the Ivory Plains and beyond. Terrible tales of wizards, demons, and dragons follow in its wake.

And now it has drifted into a tree-lined ridge near Wulf’s Ferry… right in your own backyard!

What are the inhabitants up to? Are they here to raid or to trade?

What of the rumors of centuries of treasure hidden within?

Are you brave or foolish enough to find out?"

The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is designed for use with Labyrinth Lord and other OSR-Style Role-Playing Games. Designed for use for a party of 4 to 6 adventurers of 5th to 7th level, its dangers can easily be increased or decreased for more powerful or less experienced parties."

 The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From Mishler Games as it stands is one very nasty & dangerous adventure. And I mean this in the best possible way. Because your going to need at least four experienced players for this adventure. The Mishlers are not pulling any punches here & that's a good thing because what the The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel does is set's the stage for a classic dungeon crawl on all levels. 
The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel has a rumor table right out the gate, & there's the classic little old school adventure touches within this adventure. And it's the attention to detail that makes The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel work on many levels. Here's let's look at the background for a moment; "The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is a much-storied edifice in the lore of the Isle of Eldisor. Valdig Fel was a mighty wizard in the service of Eldisor. High in his councils, Fel commanded a small legion of magic-users, sorcerers, warlocks, and other spellcasters of terrible eldritch sort. When Eldisor fell, Fel was at home in his Demon Tower in the Mystery Mountains, then found atop a promontory of Haxafjell, aka Witch Mountain (Hex 3927). The instant the news of Eldisor’s fall spread to the region, chaos ensued." The whole affair of The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel because it places itself right within Mishler Games previous adventures & campaigns. And that's fine because this is a mid level adventure and it works quite nicely on its own merits as both old school & OSR adventure. And what works well within  The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is going to continue to work at your table top! 
The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is only three dollar but this Mishler games so its going to be a solid quality product. Would The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel work as a Castles & Crusades rpg adventure?! In a word oh yes! As a mid level adventure for C&C The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel is going put a party throught it's paces easily.  The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel play on its own strengths & these would translate quite nicely over into C&C.  But I can also see The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel working very well as an Adventurer, Conqueror, King rpg adventure with the legions of  Valdig Fel bringing chaos & misery unto a neighboring ACK's kingdom with abandoned! 
All in all I think that the The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel  works nicely through its own adventure  agenda & as a deadly little change of pace for experienced old school & OSR players! 

The Demon Tower of Valdig Fel By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From Mishler Games Is Available Here 

OSR Review & Commentary On Wretched Époque Rpg By Miguel Ribeiro, Sílvia Clemente, Joe Coombs from The Red Room For Your French OSR Campaign Games

 "Wretched Époque takes place in the period known as the Belle Époque. This is the time and the fictional place where Umberto Eco's Simone Simonini crosses paths with Jacques Tardi's Adèle Blanc-Sec, Edgar Allan Poe's Chevalier Auguste Dupin and Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin, amidst anarchist bombings, the echoes of the Dreyfus affair, the catastrophic side effects of secret societies conspiring in the shadows and the mysterious results of experiences conducted by mad geniuses. Not yet pulp, not quite historical, it is neither the right time nor the right mood for Steampunk or Dieselpunk. Welcome to the wretched times of Nouveaupunk!"

"Wretched Époque includes:

- OSR rules for playing fin-de-siécle anti-heroes (expanded Wretched rules for sanity and mesmerism)
- Information about fictional and real-world secret societies, cults and conspiracies
- Plenty of villains, among them criminal masterminds, mad scientists, mythical beasts and Lovecraftian abominations
- The Apache Underworld and Parisian law enforcement of the late 19th century, as foes or allies to the characters
- The Beyond, origin of all supernatural menaces in the Wretched universe
- Timeline and guide to the Arrondissements of Paris in the Belle Époque""

Wretched Époque rpg By Miguel Ribeiro, Sílvia Clemente, Joe Coombs from The Red Room. Covers a very specific period of French almost but not quite Pulp literature pre WWI according to its own introduction;"Wretched Époque takes place in the period known as the Belle Époque, which is dated between 1871 and 1914, ending when World War I started." Wretched Époque rpg covers both PC heroes & anti hero of these French pieces of literature that takes the Wretched Bastards rpg system & then mates it to a modern OSR undercarriage. The Wretched Époque rpg is fun & very well thought out in two hundred seventeen pages. Wretched Époque rpg plays up it's criminal elements of gangs, the underworld, the political climate, and more with a twist of mad science. 



There's a good balance within the Wretched Époque rpg from the Pulp elements into the fast paced weirdness & violence of the Wretched rpg system. Your PC's could be the villains finding themselves among them criminal masterminds, mad scientists, mythical beasts and Lovecraftian abominations. And its this combination of a party of players finding themselves at the throats of Pulp criminal masterminds one day, fighting the French underworld, and then moving toward the Lovecraftian horrors at the center of Paris. The layout of the Wretched Époque rpg is well done, the equipment list is extremely well done, details on the world of the Wretched Époque rpg is really solid. Gotta say that I've been really surprised reading through  the Wretched Époque rpg and how good the quality of it really is. At $10.50 for two hundred and fifteen pages the Wretched Époque rpg is actually really well done. And given the fact that the Wretched Époque rpg is OSR compatible means that this rpg system could theoritcally be used with a DM's other OSR systems. 

The overall feel of the Wretched Époque rpg is a step beyond the rest of the Wretched catalog that the Red Room has done. The Pulp elements of the Wretched Époque rpg capture its literature, source material, & feel of the time period where the blend of heroes & anti heroes blurs unto themselves. While the line between good & evil is here, it's one that get's moved completely around as the Wretched Époque rpg sees fit. And that's one of the strengths of  the Wretched Époque rpg in spades taking a point of the French literature and films unto itself. This captures the wild abandoned, absolute Hell, and yet civilized order that this time period evokes within the game's history. The Wretched Époque rpg does take its subject matter seriously and yet it game play seems to be very well done indeed! 

You can grab the Wretched Époque rpg right over here 

OSR Commentary On Citybook VI Up Town from Flying Buffalo For Your OSR & Old School Campaigns

 "16 fully-described businesses, organizations, and cultural establishments for use with any role-playing system, including over 70 completely developed non-player personalities to interact with your players' characters in City adventures"

So we've been looking into the possibillities of getting our usual lot of players into the deep end of higher society to take advantage of two of our fallen nobility PC's because they come from higher tiered society. And tonight we grabbed Citybook VI Up Town from Flying Buffalo.  Why?! Because of the fact that this is the perfect book to embody a late Roman Empire fantasy  style campaign. 

There's just enough of a hint of danger to keep the player's PC's from taking full advantage of some of the marks erm NPC's. Citybook VI Up Town from Flying Buffalo feels like fantasy Beverly Hills mixed in with ancient Rome with the intent of making the players sweat a bit. The businesses presented within Citybook VI Up Town are interesting & with more then a hint of the late Roman flavor I spoke of; 
Community Services: Marianrose Conservatorium; Amaranthine's Rest; Greenhargon's Museum; Ironshield Financial Services; The Reliquarium; and Lord Llewellyn Finster & Lord Wescott
Lodging & Entertainment: The Lost Inn; Gloriana Theatre; Harrow Downs; and Cydryn's Aerial Palladium
Personal Services
: Madrigan's Fine Catering; Exeter's Antique Emporium; Haprice's Golden Scissors; Feats of Clay; Hides Alive; The Cask & Bottle; and Jasmine's Fine Jewelry (and Explosives)
And because it clocks in at almost a hundred pages it has bit of something for everyone within it's pages. The DM & the players benefit from businesses that are both solidly done & yet more then a tad unsuaal to say the least. 
Citybook VI Up Town could be used with OSR game such as Adventurer, Conqueror, King with a far more high fantasy flare for a campaign to add both a bit of whimsy & a far more grittier grittier underbelly to the politic of an ACK's campaign. Back deal bargains & political intrigue going on board rooms of Ironshield Financial Services or the lofts or boxes of the Gloriana Theatre. 
For Castles & Crusades Citybook VI Up Town adds a bit of the sophsticated to the fantasy of the uptown fantasy aspects of a C&C campaign. 

Citybook VI Up Town from Flying Buffalo Is Available Here 

OSR Commentary On Haven The Free City From Different Worlds Publications For Your Old School Campaigns

So Greg Gorgonmilk posted on social media a reminder about The Free City of Haven which is one of the greatest of old school fantasy cities. And into my cart it went! Boy I'm glad I did! 

" In this first of three volumes in the chronicles of the city of Haven, GMs will find more than enough material for many months of urban adventuring, including:

• Over 100 well-described shops and shopkeepers
• 60 interesting random city street encounters
• 300 personable NPCs for the players to interact with
• 25 scenario outlines to involve the adventurers with the conflicts and desires of the city's denizens

Haven - The Free City can be used with any fantasy role-playing system that accepts the existence of magic and a multi-racial universe, and is designed as an interrelated series with Thieves' Guild, forming the basis for a complete campaign universe. Ample space is provided for the GM to incorporate features, politics, and personalities from his own campaign into the fabric of the city. This package includes:

• An Overview of the city of Haven and the region of the Ten Cities, and explanations of the terminology used in the books;
• 7 booklets describing the 7 boroughs and neighborhoods of the city, with major families, personalities, shops, taverns, and residences, and possible adventures;
• A booklet of random encounters and statistics for all NPCs described in the text;
• 11 detailed neighborhood maps showing the locations of shops and other places of interest described in the text;
• A poster-sized color map of the entire city, showing over 100 noted landmarks.

So if your players are looking for a place to spend the ill-gotten gains from their last expedition, seeking to establish a more permanent base of operations for their favorite adventurers, or are just plain tired of skulking around uncharted dungeon coridors for the twentieth week in a row, bring them to Haven - The Free City, the biggest and best fantasy city ever published!"

 Haven The Free City From Different Worlds Publications Is Available Here