Strangifier 1: October 2022
I write this in the throes of Autumn. Yesterday, I ate cheese and bread, and I drank spiced wine. Today, I eat cheese and bread, and I drink spiced wine. I walk to the pond in the park where the tadpoles lived a few months ago. It’s almost all dried up, but as it recedes the green and lush follows after. I think it would be a good tableau for some kind of wilderness game.
Newsletter
Ben of Mazirian’s Garden put together some thoughts about his creative process. I know the idea of drawing a map sooner rather than later and recalling memories of place have helped me in my own process.
deus ex parabola at Numbers Aren’t Real wrote an interesting form of manufacturing wizard that eschews the common “magic dice” mechanic used by many GLoG classes. It also features art by Locheil of Nothic’s Eye. Locheil recently designed a wizard class himself, with an interesting spellcasting form that involves both magic words and implements.
Locheil has also gone on a tear at Nothic’s Eye, publishing several creative classes to fill his pseudo-Mesopotamian Qal Ashen setting.
Evil Scientist42 of Eldritch Fields has been publishing example monster lairs on the basis of a lair generator he previously wrote. These would be handy for many overland dungeon games.
The First Gokun at Spiceomancy recently finished undertaking the Gygax 75 challenge, in which a setting, full of gameable content, is generated in a few short weeks. The last article contains, among other things, relics and odd objects
Jacob-Business of Flowers for the Titancorpse writes a classic six-level dungeon. I was not previous familiar with this blog, but I’m excited to see if more is forthcoming here.
Ktrey of d4caltrops offers a list of d100 instigative scenery, intended to make encounters in an area more interesting.
Mergo-Kan of A Sense of Immersion wrote some solid downtime activity rules, such as one might run to when on realizes they forgot to do likewise for their campaign.
Panic Pillow at Tabletop Curiosities Cabinet wrote up setting notes and classes oriented towards the relationship between gods and mortals. I’m drawn to share them because I think it depicts a relationship unique from those practiced by real-world religions and most fantasy milieu
At Whose Measure God Could Not Take, I wrote up some magic item creation rules that excite me, at least, and should hopefully be more fun than those I’m used to.
Random Interrupt of Craggenloch offers a noble class that can lay low crowds, interact with the reaction roll on the basis of reputation, and command retainers, all from the first level onward. This could also serve as the basis for a rival NPC’s abilities.
Semiurge at Archons March On wrote a scenario involving dungeoneering in the form of climbing around on a giant beast. Very creative and well-realized.
Shifty at Orc Rehabilitation Commission offers a truly balls-to-the-wall take on the barbarian class. Each class feature has an extreme effect, up to and including replacing a primary attribute with the all-caps “BARBARIAN!” I love messing with primary attributes like that.
Skerples at Coins and Scrolls has compiled a list of many magic dice-based spells for GLoG spellcasters.
Vance of Leicester’s Ramble writes a dungeon, Cavern of the Wraith Count. I’m a sucker for a physical map with notes all along it.
Warren of I Cast Light! wrote an interesting reflection on attaining third level in basic D&D, and on the nature of low-level play. It includes specific suggestions for how to think of and design for dungeon games involving low-level PCs:
Many adventures still try to make rats-in-a-cellar or orks-in-a-hole the starting milieu. Let’s instead bring the fantastical to them. Decks of Many Things! Magic swords that demand! And wicked dragons that speak from the shadows!
Oldsletter
I always appreciated False Machine’s description of a scoundrel-knight.
Chris McDowell of Bastionland describes some hirelings incredibly well.
And Monsters and Manuals asks an interesting question about Rumpelstiltskin.
Interesting, to imagine a leper-priest, as in this old Numbers Aren’t Real post.
Joseph Manola’s gothic villain class in Against the Wicked City reminds me how a homebrew class is just a set of monster stats you haven’t written down yet.
Yo, did you know that they used to think snails could communicate psychically?
It can be gainful to seek inspiration for a PC from real-life adventurers like Guiseppe Ferlini, though it’s less enjoyable to learn of their unscrupulous exploits.
Spwack has a great character generator at Slight Adjustments. The first character I generated there was named “Table Vice.” Brilliant.
Always liked this campaign pitch from purplecthulhu of Velvet Inks and Crystal Fires.
Finally, I’d love to share this great list of NPCs from Dunkey Halton of I Don’t Remember That Move.
Farewell
Please send links, new and old, to phlox@email.com. I’m also keen on permission to use your art, or pictures of physical gaming artifacts like character sheets or miniatures or gaming notes.