Old School Role Playing

December 19, 2019December 7, 2019

RA 714 The Keep Review

Ok. I decided to read and review this one because at one time I was looking for high level adventures for my group at the time which was hitting 14th level with some characters (1st Edition). That group ultimately fucked up and had a total party kill before it became necessary for me to actually play one of these high level adventures with the party. By fucked up I mean they died, as a group, through total group negligence. They did something so incredibly stupid that it wiped out the entire party and left no one standing to go look for wishes or resurrections to bring back the dead. With no survivors at all they re-rolled characters and started over. I began looking at Role-Aids adventures from Mayfair Games because they had a couple of high level adventures that were mentioned on a forum that I read regularly (Dragonsfoot). Two adventures from Mayfair were in the list of these high level adventures. One was Lich Lords which I reviewed previously. The other was The Keep.

The keep is from Mayfair Games and is part of their Role-Aids series. It is written by Denial Greenberg, Samuel Shirley, Gregory Maples and Anne Jaffe. It was published in 1983 and…..believe it or not….it was made into a full length motion picture by Paramount Pictures. I never saw it. But this fact is mentioned in the module. It is 42 pages long.

The Keep IMDB movie write up and reviews

What I like about the Keep

It is actually not as high level a module as was represented to me in the thread on Dragonsfoot. It is written for characters of 9th to 12 level of experience and for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Still…there are not that many adventures out there for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons that are challenging for characters reaching levels of that range or higher. So this makes it in select company.

This adventure takes place at three different points in time. This makes it unique as well. There are not many adventures for any version of Dungeons and Dragons that involve traveling through time or adventures taking place at different eras. The Keep ties in a story line with Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) and Nazis! This adventure takes place on our own world not in some fantasy land.

Basically there are three different adventures involving the Keep in this story. The first involves an old temple around the 12th century. The second takes place at the Castle of Vlad the Impaler And the third takes place at a prison during the Second World War. The Nazi’s are in power.

What I like do not like about the Keep

This is a pretty detailed and complex adventure. But putting it all together just does not work for me. Obviously if I saw the movie perhaps I would understand all of the connecting parts but this one is far too busy a story for me to really get. Nazis in Dungeons and Dragons? I just don’t know.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

If someone were particularly interested in Dracula or the Nazis and wanted to use them in a Dungeons and Dragons story I suppose this could work for you. Otherwise….no.

Would I run the Keep with my own party?

No. I really do not get this one and cannot see how it could work well in a Dungeons and Dragons game. But to each their own.

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December 17, 2019November 12, 2019

JG 840 Prey of Darkness

Prey of Darkness is an adventure written by Edward R G Mortimer and published by Judges Guild. It was written for use with the JG “Universal” system. This system is, more or less, compatible with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It came at a time when JG no longer had the license to publish D&D material. This adventure was published in 1982.

This adventure is a story about Bandits. The players are presented with the opportunity to hunt down a pack of criminals or join them if they are evil. Bounties are provided for some specific NPCs that might be met during the adventure but there is a dungeon to explore (the hideout) which will provide the real adventure.

What I like about Prey of Darkness

One of the NPCs is a headless Ghost Orc Shaman. That is kind of unique.

The bandit NPCs all have a little bit of story to them which makes them a bit less wooden than some of the NPCs in other adventures. And some of them are not truly all that evil at all. This makes them a little different to play.

There are other bounty hunters out there who might be rather ruthless in their pursuit of these criminals. Anyone standing in the way might also get killed.

A few new creatures are introduced which is always a plus.

What I do not like about Prey of Darkness

The “universal” system of Judges Guild is not exactly AD&D and does require a little bit of work on the DM’s part to make it compatible.

Most of the combatants in the adventure will be human or humanoid bandits. After a while this might get a little old. The deeper that you go into the dungeon the more non humans enemies you will find.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

It would play well enough to keep the interest of most groups for a while. I think that the repetitive encounters, however, might cause a little boredom after a while.

Would I run Prey of Darkness with my own group?

I probably would not. I have no problem with adventures involving bandits but I know my own players well enough to realize that too many bandit encounters in a row would bore them to tears.

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December 14, 2019December 14, 2019

Castle Fortifications in Dungeons and Dragons

In a previous article I talked a bit about castle fortifications but I decided to write another one with extensive illustrations and photographs so that the reader can see exactly what these fortifications actually look like in the Dungeons and Dragons castle.

Castle Diagrams

To begin with let us look at some diagrams of the layouts of castles in general. These diagrams have captions to show you the relationship between the defense and the rest of the castle.

This is a side view of one type of castle and it’s defenses

Another diagram shows the castle from an overhead view.

Notice that this diagram shows an outer defensive perimeter and barbican

A third diagram shows yet another view.

Moats

A moat is a ditch that surrounds a castle to prevent easy approach. It is usually deep and broad. Sometimes it is left dry but often is filled with water. In many cases castles were built so as to use a natural source of water for it’s defense such as a lake or pond.

Notice how this castle appears to be built right on top of the lake

This one appears almost in the middle of a lake

As you can see just getting close to the walls of this and the other castles would be difficult

The moat is the first line of defense for the castle. Because even getting close to the castle walls would be difficult (short of magic of course) wearing armor. Even getting siege engines close enough to use is going to be tough. And that is the point.

Towers

Towers of the castle give defenders vision at greater distances to see approaching enemies. And they also give defenders a fortified place to fire down arrows and crossbow bolts at attackers. These towers often rise far above the rest of the castle and give the defenders advanced warning of danger.

This large tower has another mini tower on top of it.

This tower has a tilt to it for some reason which is unclear

This tower has many arrow slits to fire arrows from

Castle Drawbridge

Drawbridges extended out over castle moats to allow defenders easy access to the castle. The bridge can be pulled back up to deny attackers an easy way to cross the moat. Often chains were attached so that the bridge could be raised.

The bridge could be raised by using the chains attached to it

Gate Houses

The Drawbridge was only one way of protecting the entrance into the castle. But there were other ways. These buildings were some of the most heavily fortified points on the castle. The beginning of any siege would likely take place here. They often included multiple traps and obstacles to prevent access to the castle or to injure or kill attackers.

The Gatehouse was usually a formidable structure

This gatehouse has two tall towers overlooking it

This castle has an unusual approach protected by a gatehouse

Castle Walls

The walls of the castle must be tall and sturdy to prevent breach. Sometimes these were referred to as curtain walls. Often they were built in concentric circles to provide multiple layers of defense. Often they had small towers built right into them to provide additional defense.

Towers were built right into these walls to provide additional defense

Portcullis

The actual gate to the castle was often protected from attack by using a portcullis that might be lowered. Generally these are made from latticed wood or metal or some combination of the two. It would make little sense to have a castle made of stone that could be breached easily by breaking through a wooden door with little else protecting it.

The door here would not be that difficult to break down. But the metal portcullis is another thing entirely

Castle Hoardings

Hoardings were shed like constructions added to the ramparts. These were often built during a siege. They allow the defenders to fire down towards the base of the wall.

The hoarding extends out from the wall allowing one to attack downward at the base of the wall

Notice the wooden extension from the wall. This allows the defenders the ability to fire downward or drop things on attackers

Posterns

Posterns were secondary gates into the castle. Often they were concealed. They allowed the defenders to come and go from the castle even while under siege.

The postern is a concealed doorway to the castle

Defenders would often need a way in and out of the castle unseen

Having multiple ways into the castle was a wise precaution

Barbicans

Barbicans were forward defenses to the castle. They were fortified outposts pr gateways extending out from the city or castle.

The Barbican protects the approach to the castle

Arrow Slits

One can easily fire arrows down from the towers and walls of a castle. But if you do not want your enemies to return the favor then concealment is beneficial. Arrow slits give the defender cover against the missile weapons of the attacker while affording the defender a chance to use their own.

Arrow slits are also referred to as arrow loops. These were usually cut vertically and had a horizontal cut to allow the defender to fire at a wider group of potential enemies. The slits were often cut an angle to allow the defender to fire at different angles of approach to the castle.

Notice that this arrow slit is cut as a cross to allow firing at a wider area of coverage.

As you can see….the defender behind this slit is going to be difficult to hit with an arrow or bolt

Notice the angle that this arrow slit is cut from the inside? This allows the defender more area to cover with their missile fire

Ramparts

Ramparts were defensive barriers surrounding the castle. They were usually broad topped and made of stone or earth.

Parapet

The parapet is a protective wall at the top of a fortification. It is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, balcony or terrace. Often it was crenelated to provide additional protection to the defenders.

Another illustration of a parapet being used

A view from outside the parapet of a castle. The defenders are partially shielded from view when standing at the top of this castle by the parapet

Merlons

Merlons are upright sections along the top of a fortification that provides even more protection to the defenders. Sometimes they were pierced by arrow slits to provide yet more protection. The space between merlons is called a crenel.

Notice that this example has a v shape at the top of each merlon. Could the defender rest their crossbow on this section or it is to provide just a little more protection to a defender?

Murder Holes

Murder holes were holes in the ceiling of a gateway or passageway. These holes were used to fire down upon attackers or pour nasty things upon them such as boiling oil, scalding water, rocks or other things.

Another view from below but from an angle

Another view from below at a different castle.

Castle Fortifications Were Essential

Obviously there were many other types of castle defenses that I did not cover in this article. And I am certainly no expert on castles or their defenses. The pictures in this article are from various places and my classification of them came from those same sources. If I have erred in naming a structure it is because I accepted those sources as being accurate.

From a perspective of their use in Dungeons and Dragons you must take magic into account. Obviously these defenses are more useful against people or beings that do not have the ability to just teleport right by them. But in the Dungeons and Dragons world magic of this sort is supposed to be quite rare. For the average attackers magic will not be available. And these defenses would still be effective.

Most creatures attacking castles would not be able to fly over the walls or teleport by them. Defenders could and would use the cover provided by the defenses to their advantage. First Edition recognized the use of cover and concealment and applied rules to their use. These rules even applied to magical attacks being made against defenders with cover and concealment.

If your adventurers are encountering a defended castle at some point in their journeys then you will need to work out just how these defenses would apply in your campaign.

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December 12, 2019November 3, 2019

Castle Oldskull Review

This review discusses a number of products which have been published under the Castle Oldskull banner. Each has been written by Kent David Kelly. Quite a number of products have been published under this line but I have only read a handful of them so I will only be discussing those. Those products include:

These products are published by Wonderland Imprints. Presumably the publication date is 2013 for the first products but it is difficult to say for sure since it only lists a publication date range of 2013-2019.

These products are designed to help the Dungeon Master develop a “Mega Dungeon”. By Mega Dungeon the author is referring to one massive dungeon which could easily be the entire campaign for the adventurers. It is a dungeon of more than 12 levels to explore.

Most of these books are random tables. The tables are designed to give the Dungeon Master ideas to think about in developing the ultimate deep deep dungeon for the players to explore. Many of these tables are from one to 1000. There are a ton of ideas presented in a ton of different tables so that every dungeon prepared will be so different than any other.

What I like about Castle Oldskull

Some of these products I really like. Others not so much. I will discuss these in more detail later. But the greatest strength of these products are the random tables. There are tables covering just about any possible thing you would need to think about in preparing a big and deep mega dungeon. From themes to specific rooms to tricks and traps. Just about everything that you need is encompassed in these products.

These products are not free…however. And no…I am in no way affiliated with the author of this series or the publisher. These products are, however, pretty cheap by comparison to other things you might find on Drive Thru RPG. I think that I got them on some kind of sale because I believe I paid quite a bit less than the listed price for them. There are many other Castle Oldskull products which I do not own and if I get any of them later on I may review more of them then.

The dungeon design books are excellent. There are three of these. They basically take you through every element that you might want to consider while developing a mega dungeon. There are a lot of different points made by the author that you would want to consider. About 20 such points in all. And these products give you random tables to give you ideas on just how to make your own version of the mega dungeon. You do not have to roll randomly. You could easily just select one. But rolling gives you ideas that you would have never thought of on your own.

What I do not like about Castle Oldskull

I was less impressed with the Dungeon Traps book and the two 1000 Rooms of Chaos books. The rooms books pretty much just rehashed things from the three volumes of the Dungeon Design series. Nothing particularly new or exciting is added by them other than you can randomly roll a number of different room types. The traps book really added nothing in the way of new traps that I have not seen elsewhere.

Do not expect a lot of flashy graphics with this product. There is a lot of art in it. But about ninety percent of that is public domain artwork. I know because I have used many of the same images on this web site.

Would I recommend Castle Oldskull to others?

I think that if you want to write home brewed dungeons the three Dungeon Design volumes would be very helpful. It provides several kinds of dungeons that one could develop and then provides the tables for designing any of these types of dungeons. The types include temples, tombs, strongholds and caverns. For anyone working on a mega dungeon project this series would be quite useful.

Would I use this product with my own players?

I intend to. And I have begun working on a mega dungeon which I intend to release on Dragonsfoot for free at some point with it. I have published a number of adventures there and elsewhere but none have been a mega dungeon with many deep levels. This will be a new thing for me and I have already begun in earnest. It may take a while to get there. This product certainly helped. At least the three Dungeon Design volumes have.

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December 10, 2019October 22, 2019

JG 1290 Lost Man’s Trail Review

Lost Man’s Trail is an adventure from Judges Guild published in 2010. It is based upon the last manuscript written by Bob Bledsaw before he passed in 2008. In the late 90s Judges Guild made a comeback and a number of products were released. This one was written for use with a “Universal Role Playing System.” rather than any specific system. The stats are more or less compatible with most of the Dungeons and Dragons editions. It is easily converted to just about any D & D edition where there are differences at all.

This adventure is 43 pages long from cover to cover.

Lost Man’s Trail provides different areas to explore including a tin mining area, a large inn and an underground cave system. Werewolves have been seen in the area and people have gone missing.

Lost Man’s Trail Link

What I like about Lost Man’s Trail

It is kind of a mystery story. Werewolves are eating the locals. Who are they? And where can they be found? Some goblins are also raiding the area. And they have had their own run in with the Werewolves.

I am not a huge fan of the “Universal RPG system” but it is easily converted to ADnD or even some of the later editions.

The inn is very detailed. There are multiple NPCs that are also fully detailed in order to give the game master something to work with when developing the mystery story.

What I do not like about Lost Man’s Trail

Too many magic weapons are handed over with little difficulty in obtaining them. I realize that this is probably a result of this new “Universal” system. In ADnD things should be a whole lot tighter than this. Unless you want your players to have a choice of six magic weapons every time they take a swing.

There is plenty of art in this one. And it is not bad at all. But it is not like the old days when the regular Judges Guild artists were illustrating the adventures. Those folks all moved on to other companies, I suspect, by the time this one was written.

The caverns really have little to do with the Werewolves. The purpose of the caverns themselves is kind of unclear. The monsters found there have little relation to the Werewolves story line.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

Perhaps. It is not a terrible adventure. But it kind of lacks some of the depth of the previous works from Judges Guild. The cave system seems kind of like an afterthought rather than a planned part of the adventure. It really has nothing to do with the werewolf story so why is it there at all? And there are four levels of caves!

Would I run Lost Man’s Trail with my own players?

Personally I would not run it myself. It is an interesting piece to read since it was the last known work of Bob Bledsaw who was the primary force at Judges Guild for so long.

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December 7, 2019December 7, 2019

JG 860 Wraith Overlord Review

Wraith Overlord is an adventure from Judges Guild written for use with their “Universal Role Playing System.” It was written by Scott Fulton and was published in 1981. It is an ambitious creation involving an entire undercity beneath the City-State of the Invincible Overlord. The sewers and storm drains of the City-State are extensive. They are a city unto themselves. There are prisons and dungeons beneath the City-State and these could be explored by daring adventurers. Both the Thieve’s Guild and the Assassin’s Guild struggle for control of parts of this underground domain. Wraith Overlord is 112 pages long.

What I like about Wraith Overlord

It is extensive. It has sewers and dungeons and many different story lines. There are tons of NPCs here detailed. There are jails and dungeons and tunnels and other things that are underground for different reasons beneath the City-State. There are competing factions as well. Overall it is one of the more extensive products released from Judges Guild.

What I do not like about Wraith Overlord

It is a bit convoluted. There is so much presented here you have to wonder why some of it was included. Much of it seems repetitive. I think it could have been quite a bit shorter and this might have improved it a bit.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

Yes. If you are running a City-State or Wilderlands campaign then adding these extensive under the city elements could only enhance the entire campaign for you. I would absolutely recommend them for that reason alone. And the “Universal” role playing system of Judges Guild is not much different than Original Dungeons and Dragons or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It could easily be used with either.

Would I run this adventure with my own group?

I have never run a campaign in the City-State or in the Wilderlands so I do not think I could use it myself. I suppose I could place it under some other large city.

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December 7, 2019December 7, 2019

Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons

The lowly Orc was one of the first monsters included in Dungeons and Dragons. And for good reason. They had appeared prominently in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. And they were a well known nemesis for mankind in a fantasy role playing setting. Orcs were first included in the Dungeons and Dragons “White Box” set in 1974. They have been included in every other edition since that time.

Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons are tribal creatures

Orcs in the game belong to tribes. When adventurers encounter a group of orcs it is likely that they will have the trappings and symbols of their clan present. They will be led by a chief and will often have a shaman with a large group. Typically they live in caves. A place in Orc society is often determined by strength (or appearance thereof). Bullying is the norm and not the exception in their culture. The chief is unlikely to be the smartest orc in the band. It is far more likely to be the strongest.

Orc tribes do not all work well and play well with each other. Wars between tribes is not uncommon. But they do have favored racial enemies and are likely to band together when presented the opportunity to destroy these enemies.

Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons as player characters

As early as 1st edition the Half-orc was introduced as a player character race. These half-orcs could be powerful fighters or assassins. They were built upon strength. While they might barely be accepted in human societies they would likely be shunned or discriminated against in either human or orc settlements. The Half-Orc is a product of the mating between a human and an orc. This sort of creature would likely be unpopular in either world.

In Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition the Gray Orc was introduced as a player race. In 5th Edition the Orc is mentioned as a player race in Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

Orc Variations over the years

First there was the orc. Later there were a few additions. The Orog appeared with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. This was a slightly more powerful creature which was a cross breed between an orc and an ogre. Second edition provided two new variations. These were the SCRO (a space faring orc) and an Ondonti. Later the black and red neo-orog were added. Third edition added the Mountain Orc.

Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 added a whole bunch of new types of orcs:

Aquatic
Arctic
Desert
Berserker
Jungle
Paragon
Water
Snow Shaman Orc
Battle Priest
War Howler
Frostblood
Sharakim

Appearance of the Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons

Orcs are carnivorous humanoids. They are typically about 5’11” to 6’2″” in height and 180-280 lbs. This puts them a little taller than the average human and slightly heavier. This additional weight is typically muscle rather than fat. These creatures are often quite physically strong.

The orc usually has gray to green skin. They have muscular frames. And they often have large canine teeth. Their posture is usually more like that of an ape than a human as they are often a bit hunched. They are often covered in coarse hair. They usually have a snout rather than a human like nose. Their eyes often have a reddish tint to them. This is actually part of their optic system which allows them to see in the dark so well.

Individual orcs can widely diverge in appearance. These creatures crossbreed with many other species and this can account for such variations.

Orcs have their own language but most speak common tongue and many speak the languages of other humanoid races.

Gods of the Orcs

Like most humanoids the orcs worship many gods. But the granddaddy of the orc Deities is Gruumsh. Gruumsh is also known as “One Eye” as he has only one eye in most depictions. It is said (by the elves at least) that he lost this eye in battle to Corellon Larethian, an Elvish Deity. Orc Shamans deny this tale.

There is an important myth related to Gruumsh which explains much of the nature of orcs. It is said that in the beginning the various gods met to divide up the world for where their subjects would live. They chose to draw lots. The Dwarves drew the high mountains, the Gnomes drew the rocky hills, the Elves drew the green forests and the halflings drew the fields and meadows. This appeared to have left the orcs nothing. The other deities began to taunt Gruumsh saying “well One Eye where shall your people live?”

And he went silent for a moment and then said “No. You try to cheat us. But there is a place to live.” And he used has massive iron spear and pierced the mountains creating chasms. And then he split the hills and pierced the meadows with his spear and said “we shall live here and here and here! And my people shall multiply and grow strong. And they shall slay all of your peoples!”

And this explains the war like nature of the Orc. They are a race that is hostile to just about all other humanoids that they encounter. And they tend to live in places shunned by others.

Some orcs have an almost greenish appearance

Orcs are a popular low level villain in many a Dungeons and Dragons Campaign

The orc is a beloved enemy. Most Dungeon Masters will use the orc at some point during the low level adventures of their player characters. The orc is often a raider or invader. Sometimes they lay siege to castles or plunder villages. It is likely that low level characters will encounter them at some point during their early careers. The orc is a frequent henchman or minion for more powerful evil creatures or villains.

But just because these creatures are more brawn than brain….this does not mean that they are unable to show some cleverness from time to time. These creatures often live in places such as caves. They are quite capable of setting traps and creating alarm systems of a type in order to protect their own interests.

Orcs are strong physically and often use this strength to bully others

Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons are likely to be among the most recognizable monsters for new players

Just about everyone has seen Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit by now. So even people who have never played this game before will immediately recognize the Orc as a villain. This is not a bad thing. Some villains should be easily recognized as such.

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Orcs are often cannon fodder used by powerful evil wizaards or lords in war

December 5, 2019October 10, 2019

S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth Review

The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is an adventure written by Gary Gygax for 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It was published by TSR in 1982. The adventure is written for characters of 6th to 10th levels of experience. From cover to cover the module is 70 pages long.

The Arch-Mage Iggwilv died long ago. But some of the vast hoards of treasure that she was known to possess have not yet been recovered. Her ancient lair is still not fully explored. The Caverns of Tsojcanth were her lair for many years. It is possible that her remaining treasures could still be found there. Possibly even…..Daoud’ Wondrous Lanthorn!

Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth Link

What I like about The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

There are lots of new monsters here. As well as new magical items. And there are even new spells introduced in this module. A number of the new monsters are new demons including a named one.

This adventure is actually one of the few modules that introduces an artifact into the game. Daoud’s Wondrous Lanthorn is an artifact. It is not a super powerful one like the Wand of Orcus or the Throne of the Gods. But it is a powerful item.

This adventure has both wilderness and dungeon components. This is always a plus in my book. There are so few adventures with good outdoor components in them.

The caverns here are pretty interesting. They have both natural and unnatural areas. By Unnatural I mean that these areas appear to be man made. There is also an underground river which plays an important part in the caverns.

I like the fact that this adventure is about finding the loot. This makes it more of the kind of adventure that I would enjoy playing or running. There are no big goals. Just go explore and have fun.

Fomorian Giants are introduced in this module

What I do not like about The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

I do not especially like the selection of monsters used in this adventure. While I like the introduction of new monsters as much as anyone some of those used here do not seem all that appropriate to the setting. It seems more likely that the author just wanted to introduce them in a module and chose this opportunity to do so.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

If you are looking for a module for characters in the 6 to 10 level range this would would play well. While I might not like all of the monsters used I suspect that many of them are ones my own characters would not have seen all that often.

Some hill giants are tougher than others

Would I play The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth with my own group?

I might. My current group is not yet that level and I am looking at options for them once they are. This adventure certainly is one of those options.

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December 3, 2019November 7, 2019

I4 Oasis of the White Palm Review

Oasis of the White Palm is the second module in the Desert of Desolation series. This adventure is written by Philip Meyers and Tracy Hickman. It was published by TSR in 1983. The adventure is 37 pages long from cover to cover.

The characters begin this adventure lost in a desert sand storm. They find a cave which they can use as shelter and safety from the storm. Once the storm ends and the party departs the cave they see smoke in the distance. Perhaps there are people near! They set off towards this smoke in order to investigate……

This adventure basically has three areas to be explored. The Oasis itself is one of these. But there is the Temple of Set nearby as well as the Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak. But first the players must find their way through the desert sands to the Oasis. And that alone is no certain task.

Like the preceding module each encounter area is defined with the following headings:

Monster
Treasure
Trap/Trick
Lore

As I stated in my previous review I am not a fan of this aspect of these modules. I think these encounter areas could be clearly described with a lot less text without these headings. To me it just adds a lot of unnecessary text.

I4 Oasis of the White Palm Link

What I like about Oasis of the White Palm

Desert adventures are interesting. There are not many in the library of TSR products so that makes this series kind of unique. Desert are full of emptiness. But when one meets another in the desert it is entirely possible the other party will be some desperate villain. Bandits, dervishes and other such people escape to places like this to avoid the forces of law.

As a desert adventure series the use and carrying of water becomes an essential element of the story. The characters must carry water or they must find it. Otherwise they will die. Animals that are used for packing heavy loot will also have the same issues.

The oasis itself is basically just a town or village in the desert. This gives the adventurers a place to retreat to for safety and resupply. It gives them a place to find rumors and discover information about nearby places to explore.

There are two places nearby to explore. The Temple of Set and the Crypt. Both give lots of opportunity to find treasure and glory.

There are tons of tricks and traps in this adventure. There are far too many… in fact. But some of them are interesting enough to steal and use in other stories.

Naturally for a desert adventure certain types of undead seem to be called for. And they are found in abundance in this adventure. Mummies, specifically, belong in such a story. And this story has some. Along with Efreeti and some other creatures from desert lore. Even a Djinni.

What I do not like about Oasis of the White Palm

Like the previous adventure there are far too many tricks and traps. This is one of my beefs with the heading system of this module. I believe that having these words in every encounter has caused these authors to use them in every encounter. Tricks and traps are usually my favorite element of modules. But not when they are highly overused as they are in this series. They are hardly confounding when one finds them in every room.

Also a similar complaint to the previous module is that there seem to be far too many cultists, slavers and other humans to fight. While I have no problem with using human villains in adventures I think the players tend to find it boring when they fight them too often in an adventure. This is a fantasy game and they expect to fight fantasy creatures most of the time. Now spell casters, of course, are more interesting as monsters to fight. But regular cult type guys and guards and such get a little old after a while. But I guess for a desert adventure the designers must have felt this added some element of reality to the story line.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

If you are looking specifically for a desert adventure this one would do. There are many elements that I do not like about the series. But there are few competing adventures in this sort of a setting. So this one would be as good as any to run if that is what you are looking for.

Would I run Oasis of the White Palm with my own players?

I think the adventure series is flawed and I do not think my own players would find it all that interesting. While the setting is different than the normal game world of fantasy the monsters are not really all that different than those found in other settings.

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November 30, 2019November 30, 2019

Thieves’ Tools in Dungeons and Dragons

Quick fingers the thief slid quietly down the hall. Her party watched from the shadows behind her. She made her way silently towards the iron banded chest. She carefully checked the path for hidden wires or loose cobbles. But she saw none. She then regarded the chest itself. She saw no obvious signs of traps upon it. There were no wires attached. The lock appeared to be quite old and rusted but had no obvious poison needles inside of it. She carefully reached into the pouch at her side and produced a metal file about six inches long and began to work the lock. In five minutes she had it open just before the Orcs attacked…….

What exactly are thieves’ tools in Dungeons and Dragons?

Those of us who have been playing this game for decades have heard the term many times but how many of us have actually considered what such tools would entail? This article is an attempt to investigate this subject and tell you exactly what tools a thief would have in their kit. I expect this article to be considerably shorter than most of my others. But I hope that you will find it enlightening anyway.

It takes the right tools to get the job done

The specific tools in a thieves tool set

Every thief should have some or all of the following items in their set of thieves’ tools in Dungeons and Dragons:

A file – sometimes things get rusty in the dungeon
A set of lock picks – to move lock tumblers
A small mirror mounted on a long handle – to see in tight spaces
A pair of scissors (narrow bladed) – to get inside of tight spaces and cut trip wires
A pair of pliers – for snipping wires that connect to traps

There may well be other tools in the set to help improve the odds of the thief in their attempts to pick locks and disarm traps. Some other useful objects which might be included would be:

A hook- to connect two wires together
A pulley – to help lift heavy objects to circumvent traps
A hook on a stick – to pull wires from a distance and set off traps at a safe distance
A small rope with a hook on the end of it – to snare objects from a distance
A pry bar – to force things open when needed
A small hammer – sometimes it is useful to spike things closed or open
Iron spikes – see previous explanation
A small saw – sometimes cutting through the wood is the safest play
A piece of magnifying glass – to see up close what needs to be seen
Lock oil – sometimes old lock tumblers need a little help moving

It pays to have a skilled thief in the group

Lock Picks in Dungeons and Dragons

Lock picks often come in a set together. Typically they will be a set of iron keys in several shapes all on the same ring. Each end has a different key shape that is commonly used in the time period. Sometimes the picks will be more straight and will have different grooves at the end so that the lock picker can use the different shapes until they find the right one. And sometimes they will just be individual picks with handles.

The duties of the thief (rogue) class in Dungeons and Dragons are hazardous

The thief is exposed to many dangers while plying his or her trade. The thief is expected to handle the trap detecting and disarming duties. And the thief is expected to also handle the lock picking. Both of these duties are dangerous work. Having the right tools makes the job much easier and less dangerous. But nothing reduces the risk more than skill itself. There just is no substitute for it.