tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77987986036648534292024-03-14T07:47:26.086+01:00A Wizard in a bottleNicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-28576566334840894242012-11-10T21:44:00.001+01:002012-11-10T21:44:07.087+01:00Les Essarts : A draft map of my Dodecaedron World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVcklismJjE/UJ68He9SXXI/AAAAAAAAAIo/be9wr2Ppx_4/s1600/carte_dod%C3%A9ca%C3%A8dre_consulat_essarts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AVcklismJjE/UJ68He9SXXI/AAAAAAAAAIo/be9wr2Ppx_4/s640/carte_dod%C3%A9ca%C3%A8dre_consulat_essarts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This map is intended for the publication of the second opus of my Dodecaedron world.Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com138tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-32725031639562978462012-11-01T20:55:00.000+01:002012-11-01T20:55:24.661+01:00House of the Hogboblin Daimyo, part II<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ovtqv9SMHy8/UJLRSGJtaTI/AAAAAAAAAII/T_TN1MF82_c/s1600/alumni_orc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ovtqv9SMHy8/UJLRSGJtaTI/AAAAAAAAAII/T_TN1MF82_c/s200/alumni_orc.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">Hey, long time I didn't published anything on that blog. Publication rythm always has been erratic and sowas life for the last year. Now things are far much better, here's the long-time promised second part of the House of the Hogboblin Daimyo. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhG9XCxw71w/UJLRkEgcx8I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/v2Ul7Zqjd5s/s1600/phrygian+chalcidian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhG9XCxw71w/UJLRkEgcx8I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/v2Ul7Zqjd5s/s200/phrygian+chalcidian.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The strangest
feature of MM’s Orcs is probably their helmet. Sure, they depicted as pig-men
and it’s a feature I’d like to discuss in another post, but look that helmet! I
searched for an historical comparison. I can’t find the exact model, but it
appears the closest thing is the phrygian helmet. yes, the one which serves as
a model for the french revolutionary Phrygian bonnet. So, Antique Phrygian and
Dacian could be a cultural inspiration for orcs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZCioUoNPDk/UJLS4-izDeI/AAAAAAAAAIY/gDxQIt-ZuoE/s1600/Varangian_Guard%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZCioUoNPDk/UJLS4-izDeI/AAAAAAAAAIY/gDxQIt-ZuoE/s320/Varangian_Guard%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Gnolls mismatched
armour was another problem to solve, but it appears the closest inspiration
could be Byzantine banded mail. The costume is obviously not Byzantine by
itself, but could easily fits Varangian, ie. “Vikings”, guards serving as mercenaries in the Greek
empire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Last but
not least, Bugbears are featured with voulge and blazon, with a town
nearby, suggesting a civilised and late
western middle-age culture. Italia and France, where voulgue was common during
14 and 15 century, could fit, but euphonic with bugbears leads to the
grand-duchy of Burgondy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It makes the Cave of Chaos a rather strange but interesting mismatch of World History...</span></div>
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Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-37072242172640759562011-11-23T10:54:00.001+01:002011-11-23T10:55:38.738+01:00Middle earth as an hexmap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was surprised I couldn't find a Middle-Earth hexmap. I guess this is like a "sacred monster" and turning itto hexes would be a blasphemy. So I did it, not a very detailed map, but the kind of one you could use in a vanilla od&d campaign. .</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3YaH_W6_2dc/TszB6WwlZoI/AAAAAAAAAFw/3l3UXi57Sv0/s1600/middleearth_hexmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3YaH_W6_2dc/TszB6WwlZoI/AAAAAAAAAFw/3l3UXi57Sv0/s400/middleearth_hexmap.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Link to a bigger version : <a href="http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq210/wizardinabottle/middleearth_hexmap.png">http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq210/wizardinabottle/middleearth_hexmap.png</a>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-7316681184367102722011-11-11T15:25:00.000+01:002011-11-11T15:25:26.366+01:00House of the Hobgoblin Daimyo<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-66V8ucJ0IBM/ToNylaevnlI/AAAAAAAAAEk/gjIkdQeGSUA/s1600/250px-B2ModuleCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-66V8ucJ0IBM/ToNylaevnlI/AAAAAAAAAEk/gjIkdQeGSUA/s200/250px-B2ModuleCover.jpg" width="153" /></span></a></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For a very long time, I knew from B2 « Keep on the borderlands » only the French published version. Only a few years ago, I discovered there was several versions of the same and more recently even, I learned some illustrations did existed only in the French version, thanks probably to Bruce Heard double nationality. So, I wasn’t aware of the first “pink cover” version. Still examining what could be learned from this fabulous module, I had a closer look on this cover. No doubt the creatures fighting adventurers are hobgoblins, as they’re depicted in AD&D Monster Manual. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The samurai armour is a feature of AD&D hobgoblin which is unique. Nothing else in their description in MM or any other rulebook suggest they could link with eastern Asian cultures -and the fact they have 60% chances to have carnivorous apes as guards, and 20% of living in village defended by catapults, neither their listed weapons or depicted weapons is specifically tied to ancient Japan. But... why not, after all? I suggest to take it as such: Borderlands Hobgoblins have a ancient Japanese-style culture. Just replace the chief by a daimyo or a shogun and the picture suddenly make sense. It give them a special cultural flavour and a nice switch in the campaign.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJfQVg4ywQ4/Tr0vpX9HdhI/AAAAAAAAAFo/vcdtNcI8lDc/s400/kobold.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">So... if hobgoblins are Japanese, what are other humanoids in the caves of chaos? Even if Kotb wasn’t designed for AD&D, it seems we could follow MM pictures to give us a few clues about it. Kobolds (p. 57) scimitar, despite not being listed among their weapons, leads toward oriental culture, and the style of columns behind suggest it could be </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB">Moghul-era India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB">. Both scimitar and dagger could also have a Moghul era counterpart, but the costume is still a mystery. Anyway, a kobold rajah is a nice idea enough.</span></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br />
(to be continued...)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-10005950158030016262011-11-06T18:55:00.000+01:002011-11-06T18:55:37.340+01:00Keep in the Borderlands inspirational painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsbatB46YVk/TrbEFM2_bwI/AAAAAAAAAFg/daslCnUA6zk/s1600/Cole_Thomas_Valley_of_the_Vaucluse_1841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsbatB46YVk/TrbEFM2_bwI/AAAAAAAAAFg/daslCnUA6zk/s640/Cole_Thomas_Valley_of_the_Vaucluse_1841.jpg" width="453" /></a></div>"<span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">The Fountain of Vaucluse", by the american painter </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Thomas Cole</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> (1801-1848). The paintings is now in the Dallas Museum of Art. Even if some details don't match, I found it very inspirationnal for the famous Keep on the borderlands.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The Fountain of Vaucluse isa small village in the south of France, well known for the impressive source of the river Sorgue. The middle-age poet Petrarcus did lived there and composed some of his most famous writing in this place.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The castle istelf did belong to the Bishop of Cavaillon, in the place where an antique bishop, Saint Veranus, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veranus_of_Cavaillon">defeated a dragon</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">More recently, archeolgist found thousands of Vth century golden pieces as a tresaure in the source. Definitively a D&D place...</span><br />
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</span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-79493778278057584972011-11-02T18:45:00.000+01:002011-11-02T18:45:15.852+01:00Some thougths about rpg world mapping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ABRDpmt2hk/TrF9bDsRGOI/AAAAAAAAAFY/l1K9z_blIEI/s1600/compil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ABRDpmt2hk/TrF9bDsRGOI/AAAAAAAAAFY/l1K9z_blIEI/s640/compil.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I'm world-building, using material from all campaigns and modules I masterised from the last 27 years, I had a look on a few classical world maps to try to catch what's the spirit of a good world map. Here are 5 of them, but I could add more based on the same principles : Blackmoor, Wilderlands, Greyhawk, Known World and Forgotten realms. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first feature which strikes me is that none of them is a full world map. Borders are mostly lands, not sea, as an invitation to go further. Unfinished maps for unfinished tales. What's south of Blackmoor ? What's West of the Wilderlands ? The DM's imagination... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I guess this feature comes from earlier fantasy litterature. Middle-earth, Hyboria, Newhon or Young Kingdoms map are based on the same principles. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I remember my first attempts of world buildings as a young DM. As far as I can rememebr, I nver played in tose big continental maps I drew, while I can distinctively remember I used smaller, unfinished ones, as seetings for my games. maybe i'll post some of them here soon or less.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another striking feature, of which Blackmoor is the best - and earlier - example is the idea of the Great bay: sea goes faraway in the lands, like a Mediteranea. In these five maps, only Known World escape this feature. All have a big surface of seas. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 'Great bay' feature had a significant impact in my longer D&D campaign, with the CM1 'test of the warlords' Norwold's Great bay aera. This module's map share's clearly tehse two features: it's organised around a great bay, with land on two borders of the maps.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So... my current world-building work-in-progress has still no map, even if the picture is growing in my head. Now, I think I found two clues about how organize it for a mysterious, successful map. </span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-74506833663473547492011-08-28T18:34:00.002+02:002011-08-28T18:36:09.182+02:00Lost Land of Mêm<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.legrog.org/visuels/couvertures/11187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.legrog.org/visuels/couvertures/11187.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Another archive file, I posted on on odd74 forum</span></i><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Mêm is a land of grass hills, battled by warm winds coming from the southern jungles. It’s a wilderness, with a scarce human and orcish settlement. The wild hills and grasslands are the realms of many animal species: baboons, black bears, giant beetles, wild boars (and warthogs), bulls, wild camels, wild cattle, wild dogs, elephants, flightless birds, herd animals, hyenas, jackals, mammoths, mastodons, giant rats, rhinoceros (including its wooly cousin, in the colder north), common stags and wolves are common, as well as numerous dinosaurs species like anatosaurus, iguanodon, monoclonius, pentacerops, plateosaurus, stegosaurus (in the south, near the jungles), styracosaurus and triceratops. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">The chalky subsoil has been dig from millions of years by the rivers. Their large valleys have turned to swamp and marshes. Sudden changes in the river flow created islands and lakes. Theses swamps are a dangerous place, due to the abundance of crocodiles, giant toads and giant water spiders. But the main troubles are dinosaurs like apatasaurus, camaraurus, diplodocus and lambeosaurus. Some islands and rives are covered by small woods and forests, where bombardiers and boring giant beetles and strangle weed are another danger. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">All these rivers converge to a dead inner sea, curiously called the Sea of Horses. Giant sea horses, sharks, sting rays and whales are common undersea fauna, as well as dinosaurs like dinichtys, and plesiosaurus. Pteranodons living in the surrounding cliffs and islands predates from fishes. This makes boating hazardous on the inner sea. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">These valleys are surrounded by cliffs, pierced everywhere by caves in this karstic landscape. Due to the massive presence of dinosaurs, even if most of them are plant-eaters and other giant creatures, most thinking species settle rather in the subterranean caves than in the underground. Clans of dwarves, orcs and troglodytes, as well as band of ogres and hill giants, fight endlessly for the control of these subterranean networks of caves. Forests of giant mushrooms, including shriekers, provide food for underground inhabitants. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">As their physiology doesn’t fit to underground life, human live in cities surrounded by a small farmland, fighting hard to protect them from dinosaurs and other animals, among them the feared giant stag beetle. Out of the cities, only heavily armed merchant caravans, using draft horses and mules – as well as bands of bandits and brigands – travels in the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">wilderness from city to city. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">In these cities, people worship death and devils, as way to protect themselves from these surnatural beings. Temples are rumoured to be protected by ferasome things as lemures and larvaes.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">All the creatures cited here are quoted as being “common” in the AD&D Monster Manual. All common creatures have been used, and no other frequency category. So this is the most common world…</span> </i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-46855750360116941422011-07-18T13:20:00.002+02:002011-07-18T13:22:03.257+02:00Searchers of the unknown, character sheet version<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQabwQ2kZ4g/TiQU40d4mEI/AAAAAAAAAEY/k4IWu3geJHQ/s1600/searchers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQabwQ2kZ4g/TiQU40d4mEI/AAAAAAAAAEY/k4IWu3geJHQ/s320/searchers.jpg" width="225" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another archive I found back in my computer. <i>Searchers of the unknown</i> has been widely spread in sth OSR and had a nice descendance - the most comle game being <i>Tempora Mutantur</i>, which I warmly suggest you get a look <a href="http://tempora-mutantur-rpg.blogspot.com/">here</a>. But I wonder if many people saw that version, updating the first version with all rules on the character sheet. The pdf can be found <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/60238307">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The basic idea of SotU is that you can describe a D&D character like you would do with a monster (AC5, DV4, Dg 1d8), so you don't need much more to play. It also emulates at best the descending AC by making it a way to deal with stealth & stunts in addition of combat. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This version adds 8 classes, in the sense of stereotypes, deal differently with after-fight recovery, add a quick'n'easy equipement method and even suggest a skill system, still in one page. Enjoy! </span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-19094618679348162492011-07-14T03:22:00.001+02:002011-07-14T03:26:03.435+02:00Platypi-folks for Labyrinth Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpZOgTVgoqg/Th5EtlFpTgI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/9wHPFcYzfsU/s1600/platypus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpZOgTVgoqg/Th5EtlFpTgI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/9wHPFcYzfsU/s320/platypus.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I posted this once on the Goblinoid games forum, a very nice place I should visit more often, and found it in my archives. So, just for fun, here rae the </span><span lang="EN-US">Platypi-folks - open-content, for sure. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">----------------------------------------</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Platypi-folks<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Requirements: WIS 9, CON 9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Prime Requisite: WIS and CON<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hit Dice: 1d6<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maximum Level: 8<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Platypi-folks are even smaller than dwarves, being about 60 pounds and only attaining a height of around 3 feet. They have a furry body, a duck beak, long furred-tail and palmed arms. Platypi-folks have a gentle nature, and value good swimming, fishing and boxing.They will engage in playful activities when not on an adventure. Because of their small size and palmed hands, Platypi-folks may not use large and two-handed weapons, but may use any other weapon and armor. They must have at least 13 in one or the other prime requisite in order to get the +5% to experience. They must also have a STR and DEX of 13 to get the +10% bonus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Platypi-folks are very good swimmers and are able to stay up to three minutes underwater. They have an uncanny ability to disappear in the water when swimming. In rivers or other underwater cover, Platypi-folks can hide with 90% ability. They got a sixth sense called electrolocation: even in full darkness, they may feel any living being by the electricity product by its muscular moves. So they’re very difficult to surprise: each creature have 1 chance on 6 less than usual ton surprise a Platypi-folk. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because they are so small, Platypi-folks have a lower armor class (-2) when attacked by creatures greater than human sized. When really threatened, they may use their venomous talons, which are located under their feet, with a -4 penalty to hit. Any people wounded (damage 1d4) must save against poison, or get a -4 penalty to hit for 1d6 days, due to partial paralysis. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Reaching 8</span><span lang="EN-US">th </span><span lang="EN-US">Level: </span></b><span lang="EN-US">When a Platypus-folk reaches level 8, he can build a riverside stronghold. These strongholds will be in serene, beautiful rivers and Platypi-folks will come from great distances to settle there. The character becomes the leader of the people and must rule them wisely and well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Platypi-folk Level Progression<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hit Dice: 1d6 per level <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Experience (Level) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">0 (1) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2,035 (2) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4,065 (3) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8,125 (4) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">16,251 (5)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">32,501 (6)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">65,001 (7)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">130,001 (8)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--------------------------------------------------------</span></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-43688692928101800862011-06-22T19:58:00.001+02:002011-06-22T20:05:34.251+02:00Why being an adventurer ?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RK4KsUlRmxI/TgIr4QVG_aI/AAAAAAAAAEE/bVBg2rYy-lc/s1600/Johnny_Gruelle_illustration_-_Rapunzel_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_11027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RK4KsUlRmxI/TgIr4QVG_aI/AAAAAAAAAEE/bVBg2rYy-lc/s320/Johnny_Gruelle_illustration_-_Rapunzel_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_11027.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">To answer this classical question, I made a random table - randomness is the answer to any D&D-related question, anyway. It proved to be very practical at first, as it gives both a quick'n'easy background and a personnality trait, without wasting too much time for a potentially dead 1st level PC.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>1 – Broken love. </b>You want to forget her/him, or to prove your own value.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>2 – Taste for adventure. </b>You just like the thrill of coming death. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>3 – Family tradition.</b> Dad was an adventurer. Mum was an adventurer. You got no choice.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>4 – Drunkard.</b> You joined adventurers while being drunk. Now you drink to forget you did.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>5 – Faith.</b> It’s your religious duty to smite the enemy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-US">6 – </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>Uniform.</b> These adventurers looks so nice, you wanted to be one. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>7 – Family problems.</b> They threw you out and don’t give you money anymore.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>8 – Justice.</b> When they caught you, they give you choice: hand-cut, or go far away. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>9 – Travel. </b>As a kid, you wanted to see others countries. Now, you do.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>10 – Vengeance.</b> Your family was murdered. You’re the arm of vengeance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>11- Poverty.</b> Famine, disease, you need so much money.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>12 – Credulity.</b> You really thought it would be easier and you’ll get rich and famous.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>13 – Discipline.</b> You were fired off the military. Too much a troublemaker.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>14 – Patriotism. </b>Your country is your first love. You will fight for the Land and the Flag.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>15 – Feudal obligation.</b> Service of you Lord is a duty and you won’t fail.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">16 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">–</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b> Sense of duty. </b>You feel you need to be there, to help people.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>17 – Error.</b> It was supposed to be another one. It should have been.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>18 – Younger brother.</b> Your older brother will inherit all, money and land. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>19 – Sheriff.</b> He wants you, dead or alive. You’re better far away from him.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>20 – Glory.</b> You deserve it. Now, you just have to show them. </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
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</span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-69829929565824613042011-06-13T23:39:00.001+02:002011-06-13T23:40:36.121+02:00Epées & Sorcellerie RPG English Translation Released!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K7Kpr6tJ8l8/TfaDLE8HiPI/AAAAAAAAAEA/qtXB07rc8NQ/s1600/E%2526S+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K7Kpr6tJ8l8/TfaDLE8HiPI/AAAAAAAAAEA/qtXB07rc8NQ/s320/E%2526S+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Once again, Dave made a clear and enthusiast advertisement message for the realease of our firsrt Frightful Hobgoblin game. So, as i'm still lazy, I cut&copy. I ust add I'm very happy and proud of these news!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">"It has been a long time coming, but the day is finally here. <a href="http://frightfulhobgoblin.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frightful Hobgoblin</span></a> is proud to announce the release of the English translation of Nicolas Dessaux's <span style="font-style: italic;">Epées & Sorcellerie</span> roleplaying game, now available in both print and pdf versions from Lulu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">The <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/ep%C3%A9es-sorcelerie-%28english-translation%29/16003595">pdf (7.4 megs)</a> is a free download, while the <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/ep%C3%A9es-sorcelerie-%28english-translation%29/16003594">print copy (8.5 x 11 paperback)</a> has been released at cost and can be purchased for $9.57 US (€6.68).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Inspired by Original D&D and <span style="font-style: italic;">Chainmail</span>, along with some modern additions, </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Epées & Sorcellerie</span> is a complete game in just 68 pages. Players can be human, orc, elf, dwarf, or halfling, and become a warrior, priest or sorcerer </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">up to level 12</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">With some interesting variations on familiar themes, </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">whether you play it in its own right, or mine it for ideas to use with your current game, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Epées & Sorcellerie</span> RPG is well worth checking out. And you can do so for free! So what are you waiting for?"</span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-18198225733290158362011-05-14T12:59:00.001+02:002011-05-14T13:00:48.648+02:00Eight variants on the Caves of Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzJ2XIH9JL0/Tc5gR-zaEyI/AAAAAAAAAD8/781wEDm7wMk/s1600/kotb_coc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QzJ2XIH9JL0/Tc5gR-zaEyI/AAAAAAAAAD8/781wEDm7wMk/s320/kotb_coc.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">During my last ‘Newbies in Blackmoor’ game session, I used goblins and hobgoblins caves caves from KotB as a former gnome mine which has been conquered by these goblinoids, so as a separate dungeon. And, for my Borderlands group, I placed several classical outside of their ‘normal context’, including Lost city pyramid in a marsh, two days from the village of Orlane – even if, after a first attempt, the characters choose to delay visiting that intriguing place. That’s how I build my sandbox campaign using classical material. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, a I must play soon with another group of players, I was looking around what modules I could use, and it gave me the idea to suggest alternate versions of the Caves of Chaos:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 – The mountain caves.</b> No changes, except reverse the level lines, so goblins, kobolds and so on are on the upper side. Maybe have a skull entrance on 51 tunnel to the temple, in the lower part of the mountain. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2 – The frozen caves.</b> Same plan and creatures, but the caves are dig into Ice, not rock, in a polar setting. Probably the Keep is set on an island. Tunnels are slippery and orcs wear furs and use seal bones as tools. Easy to make others options like the desert caves, the jungle caves and so on…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3 – The undersea caves. </b>Same plan, all creatures being replaced by their water cousin if any, or others filling the mood (a bloody killer whale instead of the owlbear ?). Sahuagins could fit the role for Temple of Chaos priests. A few traps should be changed, but not that’s much.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4 – The urban caves.</b> Same plan, but the caves are set under a city, and their openings lead to some well known buildings. The keep could be the town’s keep as well. Maybe replace some creatures, like bugbears or gnolls, by a thieve’s guild or a smuggler’s gang. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5 – Caves of the giants. </b>Turn kobolds to ogres, goblins to hill giants, hobgoblins to stone giants, gnolls to frost giants, bugbears to fire giants, ogre to an athatch an minotaur to Ettin, add each of them a few pets. Fore sur, makes the Temple fo Chaos a drow fortress and the High priest a drow female priest, and link this to the G-D-Q modules. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6 – The vertical caves. </b>Same plan and creatures. Use the map as if it was a slice. The blank space in the middle is a very big cave. Then, add a lot, a lot of ladders, ropes, stairs and other means to go from a room to another. It turns to a nightmare to explore… A variant is the pit caves: Turn the map with east upward. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7 – The alien caves.</b> Same plans, some technological changes. Allow tech weapons to the creatures which use range attacks and give a sci-fi outlook to the overall. The caves are located on an asteroid. As options, combine with 5 (without gravitation) or changes creatures to Barsoom ones. Use the keep as a space ship, for sure. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8 – The caves of Law.</b> Use Halflings for Kobolds, gnomes for Goblins, dwarves for Hobgoblins, elves for gnolls, hsiaos (from RC) as bugbears and a temple of Law protected by statues. Use as home base, or send avengers from the Keep of Chaos. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-81399492973651281082011-04-11T22:28:00.001+02:002011-04-11T22:29:59.273+02:00How Tom Moldvay did influenced Vampire?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynrl_682x0o/TaNi1mYHuVI/AAAAAAAAAD4/iWgioItJZR4/s1600/51S5093S31L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynrl_682x0o/TaNi1mYHuVI/AAAAAAAAAD4/iWgioItJZR4/s200/51S5093S31L.jpg" width="146" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">When “Vampire: The Masquerade” was released, my favorite players all wanted to play that brand new Vampire instead of D&D. There was already a French RPG about Vampires, but it vanished as soon as this one appeared in the game’s stores. At first, it looked as something entirely new, focusing on ”storytelling” rather dungeon crawling. I was caught into the vampire mood for the next ten years. Now, reading back Vampire and discovering the history of our hobby more deeply, I find very striking how oldschool is Vampire, and more, how Tom Moldvay influenced it!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">So… imagine a game were you pick a class (fighter / brujah, ranger / gangrel, thief / nosferatu, wizard / tremere, bard / toreador, then assassin / assamite, illusionist / ravnos, and so on), an alignment (Law / camarilla or Chaos / Sabbat) and explore old pyramids (Diablerie in Mexico!) to get experience points and raise levels (generations – vampire is the only game with a descending level system). Nothing really new since Dave Arneson… Just, Mark Rhein*Hagen was a genius to make old concepts to feel new, and a great game designer.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Anyway, my point is not about the Oldschool vs Newschool debate, but about Tom Moldvay’s influence on Vampire. Writing an extensive article on <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Moldvay">Moldvay for the French Wikipedia</a>, I took the time to read as much as I can of his writings. “Trouble Brewing” was a blast! With more than 170 NPCs described with a fair amount of details, it’s a perfect campaign setting. The city of Lakefront is, clearly, Chicago during the 20’s. What was the first campaign setting published for vampire, celebrated as one of the most complete one at that time? “Chicago by night”, which described a fair amount of NPCs. More, what town was described in the Vampire’s core book? Gary. Gary! Remember the Chicago area was already the base setting for the C&C society, where Blackmoor and Greyhawk were first located. I just can’t imagine all this to be a hazard.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">A common characteristic of Tom Moldvay’s modules are opposing factions. The best sue of this feature is The Lost city, where the Cynidiceans are three opposing factions and characters can join one of them, or use their oppositions for their own goals. But this feature appears in Isle of dread, in Castle Amber, in the Volturnus series and so on… Even if this appears under the pen of others writers (Paul Jacquays, for example), this feature is more typical of Moldvay than any other oldschool module designer. And these factions lead to Vampire’s coteries, more than any Ravenloft’s lone castellan. Maybe I’m wrong, but I enjoy dreaming it!</span></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-7486682652469724172011-03-21T21:31:00.000+01:002011-03-21T21:31:20.754+01:00Who and what are Frightful Hobgoblin?<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>As I'm a lazy guy, and Dave Macauley made a nice post on his blog (<a href="http://theresdungeonsdownunder.blogspot.com/">http://theresdungeonsdownunder.blogspot.com/</a>, go have a look!), I just copy and paste it. Anyway, this is wonderful news for me to announce<i> Epées & Sorcellerie</i> will soon be released in English, and the first book of <i>Aventure Fantastiques</i> is available in french now. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Who and what are Frightful Hobgoblin?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Frightful Hobgoblin</span> is an Anglo-French RPG publishing company that will shortly be releasing a variety of products in both French and English. These products will be available both in PDF format and in print through print on demand publishing. Initial releases include:<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Orcs</span><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The original version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Dungeons & Dragons</span> provided a unique description of orcs, somewhat different to later editions. The supplement <span style="font-style: italic;">Orcs</span> expands upon the original description with the addition of many cultural details about the daily life and customs of these humanoids. It includes guidelines for playing an Orc character in OD&D and compatible games.<br />
<br />
</span><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Epées & Sorcellerie </span><span><br />
</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWens7eux9U/TYGjSMi-dFI/AAAAAAAAAFU/j4cPGDnfPTA/s1600/E%2526S%2BCover%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584924545917023314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWens7eux9U/TYGjSMi-dFI/AAAAAAAAAFU/j4cPGDnfPTA/s400/E%2526S%2BCover%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 283px;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Released in 2009, this French RPG will shortly be available in English. Mixing OD&D with <span style="font-style: italic;">Chainmail</span> and using only a 2d6 mechanic, <i>Epées & Sorcelerie</i> is a complete role-playing game in 64 pages.<br />
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wSJLYl7LYk0/TYGjkrlC6aI/AAAAAAAAAFc/MHZYMYkTpug/s1600/Adventures%2BFantastiques%2Bsmall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584924863484848546" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wSJLYl7LYk0/TYGjkrlC6aI/AAAAAAAAAFc/MHZYMYkTpug/s400/Adventures%2BFantastiques%2Bsmall.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 259px;" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Aventures Fantastiques</span><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A new French version of the classic role-playing game. This booklet will enable play with the four core classes and races, with rules for character generation, magic, combat and adventures. A second booklet of monsters and magic items will be released later, with an English translation to follow.<br />
<br />
<span><span style="color: white; font-weight: bold;"> Team</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nicolas Dessaux</span>... It's me...</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: bold;">David Macauley</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> is an Australian who started gaming at the age of 14 in 1981, with Holmes D&D, and has been hooked on the older versions of the game ever since. He has worked as a proofreader and occasional editor with various OSR authors and publishers, including Brave Halfling Publishing, Goblinoid Games, James Raggi, Moritz Mehlem, and others. A strong supporter of the OSR, he is also the </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Labyrinth Lord Society</i> organizer.</span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-59670305981124166742011-02-26T15:37:00.001+01:002011-02-26T15:59:19.389+01:00Congregations of the Borderlands<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>FR</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KehGwMLQz1k/TWkUSfA9ZaI/AAAAAAAAAD0/qrUwv_RbG6c/s1600/PH_cleric+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KehGwMLQz1k/TWkUSfA9ZaI/AAAAAAAAAD0/qrUwv_RbG6c/s320/PH_cleric+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>« Groups sent on a mission will be <b>blessed </b>and given up to 100 g.p. each for any needed supplies. »</i>, states, once again, Keep in the Borderlands. I was a bit puzzled by that blessing, and searched a few more explanations. The first one was technical: even if we adopt the « small scale » on the map, the 6 turn duration of the Bless spell should last before they arrive in the caves. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">So, I read once again the spell description in OD&D (which was the rule set Gary had in mind when writing KOTB), Holmes (for which the module was officially released) and Moldvay (for which the module was adapted later). The text is almost the same, and makes sense: the spell should be cast before the battle, but will really be active once the fight begins. So, nothings prevent to cast a Bless spell long time before it could be useful. The only « technical » problem is any fight, even a minor one, will starts the spell effect and the six turn duration…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Anyway, the real question is not technical, but once again, anthropological. Why are the groups be sent on missions blessed? For sure, this provides a help in the first battle, which can’t be bad. But can this be the only reason? I suspect at least another one, which is embedded into the struggle between Law and Chaos. Law, as I already stated, seems obsessed by the idea of purity, and considers contact with Death and Chaos as impure. So, a Bless protects the groups from the impurity of Chaos. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Maybe I am wrong on that hypothesis, but searching for more clues, I was puzzled by another detail I didn’t noticed earlier about the Borderlands religion: <i>« He [the curate] will only use the <b>cure </b>on a member of his congregation, such as an officer of the Guard or a shopkeeper. »</i> So some spells could be reserved to congregation members and some are not. The reason should be discussed in detail, but the main fact is such: there is something called a congregation, and some people, including shopkeepers, could be members. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Congregation is a broad word, which could apply to an autonomous Church (in a protestant meaning), or a group of secular people practicing their faith in common, under the leadership of monks or priests (in a catholic meaning). Both meanings seems possible in the context, but it means the congregation is, apparently, more restrictive than alignment. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">In the first sense, it would mean the Law itself is divided between several churches. Why not, after all? If there’s a dogmatic interpretation of the Law, it’s rather probable there are several dissents, or at least, coexisting interpretations… The fact the Priest tries to convert people to his (fake) faith by discussing theology provides a good base for this: it means several theological visions of the Law may coexist. I can easily imagine Borderlands people as highly religious dissenters, living faraway from the corruption of town and cities, and viewing their faith as a citadel of the Law protecting the world from Chaos. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">In the second sense, Law church would have groups of secular people, praying altogether, organized around a curate or another religious figure. Catholic Church provides many examples of such “Third Orders”. The formulation Gary chose provides a good base for this: it seems that not every people in the Keep are a member of the congregation, even if all of them appear implicitly to be lawful. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Both explanations could apply altogether easily. The curate’s acolytes seem to consider the Priest <i>“very highly”</i>. They consider him as a member of the same faith, even if the curate himself is secretly defiant about him. I’m inclined to think the Law is not a so-much organized church. Many theological interpretations and congregations do exist, sharing the same basic pillars of the faith, but opposing on many other aspects. This diversity affects even an isolated and faraway place like the Keep, so just imagine how it could look in town and cities? </span></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-90772564587064532142010-11-29T23:27:00.000+01:002010-11-29T23:27:47.237+01:00About burials, Chaos & Law in the Borderlands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TPQmX-NMTEI/AAAAAAAAADc/cjL9YB0D-pE/s1600/keep.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TPQmX-NMTEI/AAAAAAAAADc/cjL9YB0D-pE/s320/keep.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Long time I didn’t posted, due to my almost full-time involvement into the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1583757436">social movement in </a></span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://engreve.wordpress.com/">France</a></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. So, today, I will release a text I started to write just before I vanished from this side of the blogoshpere. So, continuing my study into the Borderlands anthropology, I discovered some aspects I wouldn’t have suspected. A good remark from a reader led my on that way. What are burial customs in the Borderlands? This inquiry leads me, as one can expect, to the religious background of the Keep and the Caves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Two points should be noted to begin this inquiry. First, there’s no mention of graves, or a cemetery, nor any burial ground in the Keep. Second, there are coffins and sarcophagus in the Caves. The easiest way would be to say: “Keep’s graves are elsewhere, or unmapped”. This is not the solution I will adopt here. Rather, I consider the lack of grave or cemetery in the Keep should be considered as an anthropological feature. There’s No graves, no burial in the Keep. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Presence of graves in the Sanctuary of Chaos, in the Caves, is part of a more general design: Chaos is strongly associated to corruption, night, darkness, blood, evil, pain, torture, death and demons. It has nothing to do with freedom, at all. Instead, Chaos is a plain submission to a strong hierarchy, which is obviously a corrupted mockery of the Law. Here, any debate about nature of Chaos and its relationship to evil is pointless: Chaos is Evil, incredibly Evil, and death is one of its attributes. Why does servant of Chaos have coffins? For their own servants, says </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gary</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, and it seems clear the Wight is a former servant himself. So my suggestion is that Chaos uses graves because they hope to turn undead – in the strongest sense, they seek to become themselves undeads, as a reward of their dedication to Chaos. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What do we know about the religion of the Keep? Even if almost no detail is explicitly written, it seems most inhabitants are servants of the Law. People are described as seeking champions of the Law, and being themselves law-abiding and honest. More, each day, up to 100 silver pieces are offered to the chapel, in a place where a little more than 200 people are listed to live. Even if, like I suspect, more people live in the castle than those listed, and the chapel may be a religious centre for villagers as well, this is a sign of a living religious practice. People of the Keep are pious and view themselves as soldiers of the Law, even if they’re in service of a castellan. This explains why the curate is the second influential person in the keep. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The chapel itself has an altar and seems to be a luminous place, with tainted glass windows, but there’s no mention of any statue, or any painting. So, what deity or deities could be venerated here? My suggestion is the chapel is dedicated to a unique, unnamed and somewhat conceptual deity. Unique, because the priest likes to discuss theology, which is rather a monotheist feature – a polytheist would more likely discuss about cosmology or mythology. Unnamed, because, as I already suggested in a former post, if Borderlanders consider as rude to call someone by his personal name rather by his title, this custom would likely extend to their religion. Think to Judaism, where the name of God is so sacred it can’t even be pronounced. Conceptual, because this unnamed deity seems to equates the Law, rather than being a mythological being with associated tales. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reverse of Chaos, Law is righteousness, sun, light, good, health and life – a list of words which fits the spells the clerics can use. I will suggest that in the Borderlands, blood and death are so strongly associated to Chaos that they should be avoided absolutely, like a taboo. This would explain both why there are no graves in the Keep, and why clerics should use only maces, which are reputed to be bloodless weapons. Incineration of bodies is probably the best way to keep them from turning to undeads and to keep the purity of the citadel of the Law, the Keep. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-58902021314806929262010-09-23T01:53:00.000+02:002010-09-23T01:53:39.642+02:00A frightful hobgoblin is stalking Europe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TJqV9I2GR_I/AAAAAAAAADU/7JGP_CI8230/s1600/0401-Hobgoblin-Hall-q75-338x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TJqV9I2GR_I/AAAAAAAAADU/7JGP_CI8230/s320/0401-Hobgoblin-Hall-q75-338x500.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have ideas and plans to continue the Borderlands analysis, and expand it to others 'B' modules. But, I currently lacks the time I need to do it quietly, because of my involvement in the preparative of strike. As you know, </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is the country of strikes. It could be discussed as a reality, as the </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">US</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> working-class movement is impressive in its own way, but French' strikes turned to be like a cliché. So, as tomorrow will be a national day of strike, I want to speak of something D&D and communism have in common: Hobgoblins.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Few people would link hobgoblins to communism. Let me explain. The first English translation of Karl Marx's famous Communist Manifesto, published in the chartist paper The Red Republican, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Macfarlane">Miss Helen Macfarlane</a>, started by this phrase: "A frightful hobgoblin is stalking </span><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Europe</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">". Later, the frightful hobgoblin was replaced by a spectre, closer to the German version. But the word Hobgoblin is still a part of the Communist heritage, and The Hobgoblin is today the title of the paper published by </span><a href="http://www.thehobgoblin.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The International Marxist-Humanist Organization</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wonder why Helen Macfarlane choose Hobgoblin as a translation. It seems, when she write it in the middle of the 19th century, it was an accurate word for a ghost, but later translators apparently didn't find it self-evident, as they replaced it. The German word <i>Gespenst</i>, choose by Marx in the original version, probably had something to do with Hegel's concept of <i>Gheist</i>, which is both a mind, a spirit and a ghost. This is an interesting clue, as the word Hobgoblin is not so common: Helen McFarlane's hobgoblin is more or less an undead. Trolls, in Norse sagas, are undead as well, as are most dark creatures. The border between living creatures and undead is not so clear in Norse and German mythology than in modern role-playing games. As I'v been a long time Vampire player, I can't avoid to note that Miss Macfarlane identity is barely known and nobody knows where and when she died. But that's another matter...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Studying the genealogy of the gnoll to write the <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnoll">Gnoll's article for Wikipedi</a>a, I noted that gnolls and hobgoblins have strong links, and both of them are also linked with undead. In the lbb's, gnolls and hogbolins are closely associated, several times, and the thoul - even if it could first have been a typo - is noted between gnoll and ghouls. Then in Molday's D&D, Thoul is described like being between troll, ghoul and hobgoblin, often mistaken with the later. Last, Yeenoghu as links with gnolls and ghouls (interestingly, arabian tales describes ghouls as being able to change to hyenas). So, all these creatures are linked, I should say chained, with ghouls, an undead creature.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chaos in OD&D is strongly tied to death and darkness, and hobgoblins are part of Chaos. I don't know what </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gary</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> had in mind, and how his thoughts evolved on that point, but he's well known for his love for German mythology. Hobgoblins are closer to their mythological sources and far much more impressive when they're some mysterious creatures bewteen life and unlife, than just a tribe among others. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, let's Frightful Hobgoblins stalks your campaigns! </span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-3727815272893608852010-09-03T01:35:00.001+02:002010-09-03T01:38:37.266+02:00Archaeology of the Keep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TIA0kk_7lAI/AAAAAAAAADM/UT4MsXjGZR0/s1600/keeparcheology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TIA0kk_7lAI/AAAAAAAAADM/UT4MsXjGZR0/s640/keeparcheology.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Archaeology is my daily job, so when I’m not writing about Dungeon & Dragons or about Marxism, I practice archaeology. So, that’s why, when I started studying Keep on the Borderlands with a closer look, I decided to analyse carefully the Keep’s plan itself. It reveals some details which seems me interesting enough to share my thoughts, even if I’m still struggling with most details. Let’s discuss these 7 points first. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The general outlook of the Keep’s Fortress suggests a taste for symmetry. It seems to be in the middle of the north wall, but a careful look shows it’s not: 6 cases from one corner, 8 from the other. Why? Probably because the Fortress is older than the wall itself. Structure of the wall is tied to topography, so when it was built, it was not possible to find a symmetry because there was already a building. A possible clue on the keep’s inner chronology. I got another alternative I’ll explain later in that post.</span></span></li>
</ol><ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Same thing for the Inner gatehouse. Its position on the middle wall is not aligned on the Fortress. Fore sure, middle-age construction is not always obsessed by symmetry, but my experience is that such details reveals generally a lot about phases of a building. Here, the same problem happened than about the Fortress itself: probably, the Chapel was already built when the Inner gatehouse was added. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That north-east tower is really surprising, as it looks to be built directly on the cliff. Sure, it gives a good position above the road, but why such a difficult building? I must admit I don’t have a clear answer to that question, but it worth to be noted. A strange, but possible one is that a first tower was built, then the cliff broke and this tower was destroyed. With a stubborn energy, another one was built at the very same place…</span></span></li>
</ol><ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Did you notice the fountain is the only one to be noted in the Keep? Water supply is a major issue for such a castle. Is there wells or cisterns? None is quoted, but the fact there’s a fountain suggest an hydraulic system could have been managed. If not, this makes the Inner yard very dependent of the outer one in a siege. </span></span></li>
</ol><ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why does the smith’s workshop have defences of a tower? Larger walls could be explained by the danger of fire, but this doesn’t explain battlements and the like. The better explanation I can provide is it is really a tower, a vestige from a first keep or a first version of the outer fortress.</span></span></li>
</ol><ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This hypothesis is strengthened by the East wall of the stable and warehouse. This strong wall in front of the main door is a mean of defence, as it puts invaders in obligation to run from the doorgate under arrows from above, even when they forced the first door. This is a common feature for a concentric castle like the Keep. But, it seems already an old-fashioned defence, as big double-doors have been pierced trough the wall, for a better access to the stable and warehouse. A good thing for trade, probably a wise idea from the Guildmaster, it lowers the defensive effect – that’s why I consider these doors as being a later addition. If I’m true about the </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Old</span></st1:placename><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><st1:placetype w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tower</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (the smith workshop), the wall is itself probably a part of the first</span></span></li>
</ol><ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Could the Inner bailey have been build before the outer one? Maybe. This is the point I’m still struggling with. I’ll provide in another post my conclusions about it, but here’s the point: plan of the Outer bailey building seems less structured than the inner one, as if it was a village later included in a wall. It could even have been built in two different periods, the “smith tower” being a fossil of the first one. </span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-35617847823264551892010-08-30T16:43:00.001+02:002010-08-30T16:44:49.031+02:00Borderlands agriculture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THvCx4gOQ5I/AAAAAAAAAC8/ngXx41uLmIo/s1600/borderlandsfarm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THvCx4gOQ5I/AAAAAAAAAC8/ngXx41uLmIo/s320/borderlandsfarm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The nearest villages, not to speak about towns are located faraway in the West, in the Kingdom, and there’s no signs of villages in the Borderlands. But we know, from the Keep’s Fountain’s square entry that farmers live around, as they come for holidays to sell their products. As Gary expressed many times his views about typical fantasy setting as being filled with petty landowners and freeholders, as opposed to the common use of salves in Dave’s Blackmoor, or to serfdom which is not mentioned, I guess we should read farmers in that meaning: owners of a farm, paying a yearly rent to the castellan. These farms are scattered in the landscape, the Keep being the only real “village”, as </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gary</span></st1:city></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> refers it (p. 2). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To feed the more than 200 people living in the Keep, we could use several means of calculation, but I will use two very rough one. According to John Ross’ <i><a href="http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm">Medieval demography made easy</a></i>, it means 2 1-miles hex are sufficient for this purpose, and a 40 people par 1-mile density seems to fit the region. So, let’s say around 80 farms surrounds the Keep in a one-mile line of sight from its towers. Another means of calculation would be to use a 10% ratio for “urban” population. Even if the Keep is not a town, this is a correct ratio for how many peasants are needed to feed non-peasants. If so, almost 1800 people could live in these farms, so more than 20 people dwells in each one. Note it fits John Ross supply value’s system, as 1500 people are needed to get 100% chances to get a smith and 2000 for a inn. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I first thought a farm could include an extended family (old people, couple, unmarried brothers and sisters, kids, etc.), but the Keep’s typical family is rather small: husband, wife and two kids, without any old people, which weaken that hypothesis. Demography is harsh: such numbers means that people marry late, children death is common and living old is not. So, I would suggest another model: farms are held by a farmer and its small family, surrounded by many daily workers and some wards, as the region is dangerous. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Tavern’s (15) list of meals is an interesting source for local productions. You can’t find anything such as tea or coffee, but local people use bark tea as a warm drink, a very local custom. Wine is obviously imported from the West, as two tuns of wine are available in the common warehouse (5). But ale and beer could be local, which suggest than barley and hops are produced around the castle. Cool and contrasted climate suggest wheat as a prime cereal, so I suspects farmers practice shift of crops: one year with wheat, one year with barley and one year with legumes, most probably carrots and cabbages. These are the one you can expect in the Tavern’s soup or stew. Fruits could be apples, the most common, and seconded by pears. Raspberries and cherries are also very common in farmer’s personal orchards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Honey mead may be from local bees, but its price two times higher than wine let suspects it could be either rare or imported from the West. Various quotes about meat are not so useful, as stew and roasted joint could be from any animal, while roasted fowl could mean almost any bird. My suggestion is that the most common fowl is </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Turkey</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, while the most common meat is hog. Quote of a hard cheese (in the ogre cavern!) and the fact that cheese is sold by wedges at the Tavern strongly suggest it is a cow’s milk cheese, probably a variety of Cheddar. So cows are probably raised in the lands surrounding the Keep, but for milk purpose rather than meat. It seems no textile is produced in the Borderlands, as clothes are also listed as products for merchants in the warehouse. So, sheep are unlikely to be raised there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, the common Borderlands’ farm is probably like a little keep, as the keep is like a little village: a yard for the Farmer’s private house and another for his workers, with a common room, a barn, the pig-house and building for cows and turkeys, all being surrounded by stone walls to protect against raiders. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-3343980204773491962010-08-29T14:21:00.000+02:002010-08-29T14:21:41.272+02:00Nepeta cataria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THo-cthzYPI/AAAAAAAAACs/GFhCY7rI-8o/s1600/Nepeta_cataria_Sturm24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THo-cthzYPI/AAAAAAAAACs/GFhCY7rI-8o/s200/Nepeta_cataria_Sturm24.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nepeta cataria</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">? It’s a small plant better known under its nickname, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Catnip</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. If you’re lucky enough to have a cat as pet, maybe you already had </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nepeta cataria </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">home, for this plant is know for his effects on felines. Apparently, it influences their mind to the point it’s consider to be nearly hallucinogenic</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Most of you don’t own a tiger, but it seems they enjoy the same effects from </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nepeta cataria. </span></span></i></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Note it can also be used in many other ways, like as a mosquito repellent or as medic against flues and colic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why do I speak about catnips and its effects on felines? Because, according to </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gary</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, “catnip, something these particular bugbears relish » (Keep on the Borderlands, p. 19). This is a good early sample of Gygaxian naturalism, and most of all, an interesting clue about what are bugbears. As wolfbane can affect werewolves, adventurers could bring catnip to avoid bugbears. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THpQTGSKx9I/AAAAAAAAAC0/0JVU7em0600/s1600/goblincat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/THpQTGSKx9I/AAAAAAAAAC0/0JVU7em0600/s200/goblincat.png" width="185" /></a></div><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bugbears’ name and fur led to picture them as goblinoid bears – and the French translation, Goblours (literally, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">gobl’bear</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) sent me that way ; that’s the reason I was thinking the goblinoid could be related to bears in the same ways humans are to apes. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Catnip’s</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> connection leads to another way: could bugbears, and by the way all goblins, be related to cats? Why not, after all? In D&D, description of goblins is very limited, except for their taint (grey and chalky). Size is only suggested as relative to other goblins (in OD&D, kobolds > goblins > orcs > hobgoblins > bugbears, this chain being shorter in D&D). Nothing prevents to picture them as catlike beings – just have a look on the picture. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So bugbears’ relation to cats could explain, more than bears, why theses big and clumsy critters could be so sneaky, because of toe paws. Then, it could lead to plenty of ethological features for Borderlands’ goblinoids. </span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-83397810432040830332010-08-20T00:31:00.002+02:002010-08-29T23:34:51.630+02:00Borderlands cultural anthropology and geography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TG2szVR8s6I/AAAAAAAAACc/14qBiXTt9T8/s1600/Karst_minerve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TG2szVR8s6I/AAAAAAAAACc/14qBiXTt9T8/s400/Karst_minerve.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Still thinking about</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=39393"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Borderlands geography</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=4613"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">anthropology</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, I found some interesting points. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, anthropology, about the lack of names in Kotb. This is a common criticism about this famous module to say:</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"they didn't even give names to NPC's"</span></span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. The common answer is to explain that, being a very generic module, the lack of names helps to includes in any DM's own campaign. The most subtle explanation I read until now was, once again, from</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://carcosa-geoffrey.blogspot.com/"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Geoffrey McKinney</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, who suggested this was a major feature of this module, a part of its mystery, as names like The Castelan could be related to some kind to tarot figures. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My own explanation is probably less brilliant an esoteric, but maybe easier to include in a campaign: I</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">n the Borderlands, it would be very rude to address someone by his name rather by his title, and knowledge of a personal name is a mark of real familiarity. Asking someone his name would be considered as a kind of offence, and asking someone the name of another, a mark of silliness. So, people find absolutely natural to speak about the Castellan or the Money-lender. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Weird? Maybe not so much. Personal name have strong ties with magic and sorcery, and some cultures dislikes using it. In her book on Yanonami people of </span><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Amazonia</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, Helena Valero explains she has been one the wives of a well-known chief, but learned his name only after years. So, this can become a feature in a campaign. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Who are you to ask mylord the Castelan's name?" </span></i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, there's the question about geography. I searched clues in Keep of the borderlands, and I found evidences for a major fact: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Borderlands are in </span><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">British Columbia</span></st1:place></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I studied it first in the French version, which was the first D&D module printed in my native language. But, to verify some details, I went back to the English one and found a very important one: The pine trees where live the Spiders are</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tamaracks</span></span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, a detail which is ignored in French version. So, I looked after tamaracks. It names two different species, both of them being specific to </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Canada</span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and, oh surprise, </span><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Great lakes</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> region. Just look these two maps: </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.usanpn.org/files/shared/maps/Larix_laricina_map.pn"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Geography of Larix Laricina</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pinus_contorta_map.png"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pinus Conforta</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then, I looked about fauna. Few are listed, except if we use the generic wandering monster list or fantasy creatures. Among those listed, ravens and vultures have a very wide distribution, so should be discarded for that purpose. Note that's, from a European perspective, D&D world is obviously settled in </span><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">North America</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by its typical fauna. In fact, that's even more obvious in AD&D monster manual, because the red box has more an Oriental / Indian mood. </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a specific animal, there's the mountain lion, the hermit's pet. When I was a kid, I saw the mountain lion as a very D&D creature, as there's no such a thing in French - the name's is Puma, but it wasn't translated like this in the Red Box. So, I looked at the</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.theanimalfiles.com/images/mountain_lion_range.jpg"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">geographical distribution</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">of Mountain Lions. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are some variants between the maps, but it's pretty clear the area where you could find both Tamaracks and Mountain Lions is </span><st1:state w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">British Columbia</span></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, and maybe west of </span><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alberta</span></st1:place></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I just needed a confirmation. It was clear, for the bits of geology I studied, that the caves are a karst landscape. Just have a look on the pics above!</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, is there any karst in </span><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">British Columbia</span></st1:place></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">? That was the blind test. According to the </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/publications/00192/index2.htm"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">canadian ministry of forests and ranges</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><st1:state w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">British Columbia</span></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is blessed with an abundance of world-class karst, (...) as well as </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Canada</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">'s longest and deepest documented caves"</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. The </span></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/publications/00192/ABORIGIN.HTM"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">same ministry</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> adds, about the cultural uses of karst that: </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Karst caves were not only used for shelter, but were also considered by some groups to be sacred places for burial and ceremonial purposes"</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, something which fits our caves as well.</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, </span><st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">British Columbia</span></st1:place></st1:state><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> definitely fits the mood for our Borderlands. Being west of the still hidden castles & Crusades society map, it even fit the idea that Greyhawk is around </span><st1:city w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chicago</span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> while Blackmoor is around </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Milwaukee</span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I got weirder ideas about that geography, but I keep them for my return, as I will be on vacation up to 29. So, a last link, I can imagine being a landscape of the borderlands, with its two islands on the river and a Fort nearby:</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TG2uAF_LjAI/AAAAAAAAACk/A1GFyaGpQuc/s1600/physio_peace_river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TG2uAF_LjAI/AAAAAAAAACk/A1GFyaGpQuc/s400/physio_peace_river.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-15630430483265856052010-08-19T02:41:00.002+02:002010-08-19T02:42:38.851+02:00Chaotic Caves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGx9h7Mc_KI/AAAAAAAAACQ/HE1wB2WgwdU/s1600/CC2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGx9h7Mc_KI/AAAAAAAAACQ/HE1wB2WgwdU/s1600/CC2.gif" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Allready an old project, but as I quoted it today on Goblinoid's game forum, here's the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chaotic caves</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Group project on a forum aree not easy things to handle and to achieve in a finished production, but J.D. Neal method proved as sucessful as his blue maps are inspiring.</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://basicfantasy.org/downloads.html#jn1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chaotic Caves I</span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was released for </span><a href="http://basicfantasy.org/downloads.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Basic Fantasy RPG</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and provides an hommage to the original </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Caves of Chaos</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Then, J.D. Neal provided a map and suggested that </span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/23343003/Chaotic-Caves-II-Release-2-20100120"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chaotic Caves I</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I could be released for </span><a href="http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Labyrinth Lord</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and settled by GG-forumers. I provided some stuff - namely, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Cradle of Thorgrins </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Baboon Troop</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, while Blood Axe, Cyberwraith and Bathwizard provided their own caves. Some nice ideas, like Bathwizard's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lair of the Bug-Master</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, makes this version of the Caves looking toward Moldvay's weird fantasy, for my great pleasure.</span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-13284708110540427012010-08-17T13:13:00.001+02:002010-08-17T13:26:04.335+02:00Borderlands hexmap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Geofrrey McKinney, of Carcosa fame, pointed an </span><a href="http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=39393"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">intriguing question </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">about the classic Keep of the Borderlands: the scale on the map and the wilderness movement rate in the text makes crossing the few hundreds yards from the Keep to the Caves incredibly slow. Most DMs fixed that issue by chosing one or the other. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For this map, I assumed the text was correct, and the standard movement rate of a party is 60', ie. the fighter-in-plate rate. So, one square is roughly equal to half a mile. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Using the genious </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><a href="http://inkwellideas.com/roleplaying_tools/hexographer/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hexographer</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, I drafted this hexmap version with a scale of 1 hex = 2 squares, so one hex equal one mile. To figure the height lines, I made changes in the vegetation. I didn't put any scale on the map, so it can be used at wider scales if needed - and that's what I plan to do.</span></span></div></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGpsDZsPxzI/AAAAAAAAACI/Xq34AmJfCeQ/s1600/kotb_hexmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGpsDZsPxzI/AAAAAAAAACI/Xq34AmJfCeQ/s640/kotb_hexmap.png" width="502" /></a><br />
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</div>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7798798603664853429.post-45790288251255467492010-08-16T22:59:00.012+02:002010-08-17T00:42:23.243+02:00Dwarves in OD&D<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGm5iEqwqFI/AAAAAAAAACA/frIa4Nqsrq0/s1600/dwarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Hw2WV3tSvEM/TGm5iEqwqFI/AAAAAAAAACA/frIa4Nqsrq0/s200/dwarf.jpg" width="169" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The way Chainmail should or could be used in Dungeons & Dragons is always a matter of enjoyment. I drafted a 8-pages little guide about Dwarves, providing five different versions of the same, mostly by paste and copying bits from various sources in the LBB’s.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, you'll find inside the Chainmail + Men &amp; Magic dwarf, the Supplement I: Greyhawk Dwarf Fighter and Dwarf Thief, as well as complicated tables to deal with the Dwarf Fighter / Thief, and then, a suggested simplified version of a Dwarf class, as a variant of the latter. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I didn't included quotes about Heroes and Super-heroes special capabilities, but I may include them later, after doing the same kind of exercise on Fighting-Men. I Thanks Greyharp for the bits I stole him for the lay-out. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003399; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The file is here:</span> </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/35962335/ODD-Dwarves" target="_blank">http://www.scribd.com/doc/35962335/ODD-Dwarves</a></span></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></span></span>Nicolas Dessauxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.com12