I was exceedingly elated when I discovered a blog article Xaoseed wrote in 2021 about the game mechanics I posted back around that time. I didn't spot it until yesterday. He playtested them and found that they worked as I'd intended. So, thanks awfully for that! I wanted mechanics enabling fairly detailed movement rules involving the speed and direction of winds while merging ship battles with traditional OSR player-character and monster combat. So: mission accomplished. With Xaoseed's permission, I'm reposting his article here, for the record! 21 August 2021 Actual Test: Calidar (Fantasy Spa ..read more

"Treasure House" by Jaynorn Lin on Art Station. As far as I can tell, collecting dungeon loot without paying any attention whatsoever to whom it actually belonged has been the bread and butter of your basic adventurers ever since OSR games existed. Some might argue that a tacit D&D salvaging rule waives consequences for acquiring unidentified loot. Previous owners, however, may beg to differ if they knew. Just for laughs, I concocted a few situations to spring upon unsuspecting adventurers to illustrate my point. Points of Origin How “loot” is acquired affects the odds of possibl ..read more

Scribe by Ji-Tie on Deviantart A random discussion on Facebook led me to revisit the languages of Mystara and try to make some sense of its verbal kaleidoscope. I apologize in advance for running roughshod over material already generated (including possibly my own, given how long ago I might have written it). I did peruse and use as a guide much of what I found on Pandius. So, here’s my take today!             Using the old-style D&D BECMI (basic/expert) game mechanics, PCs and NPCs can learn foreign languages. These come in addition t ..read more

CHARLES EDWARD DIXON, THE LANDING OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR AT HASTINGS I am reading a book titled Medieval Maritime Warfare, by Charles D. Stanton. I mention it here because it has some interesting stats on what it took for an amphibious invasion in the 11th century. Unless you are an experienced wargamer or a historian, most of us have little idea of what it takes to move a medieval army across a body of water, even one as narrow as the Channel between France and England. The book covers a wide spectrum of “medieval naval warfare,” starting with the Crusades and the rivalries between ..read more

 Someone asked about bombardment mechanics to hit a ground target from a skyship or a flying creature. Here’s my take.  Using Mechanical Devices             The first consideration is whether the device relies on slingshot-style mechanics, like a catapult or a trebuchet. Mortar-like firearms (fire pots and such) should also fit in this category. Projectiles arc upward before falling straight down. The height of their flight curves is equal to the chosen horizontal range, after which the projectiles fall vertically. The maxim ..read more

Dragon Temple in the Infinite Snow by Claudio Pilia on Deviantart There can be as many cults as there are dragon breeds, and then some. The diversity of styles and ideologies is nearly endless, certainly more than I can describe in a mere blog article. Rather, I’ll attempt to put forth a general framework as a starting point for DMs to design their own. I’ll not hold anyone’s hand here but provide instead ideas on what to cover. The previous article on Dragon Cultists already gives a glimpse of what these organizations entail. If you haven’t read it yet, go back and check ..read more

Konahrik, Warlord of the Dragon Cult by TheMaiaNightmareMoon on Deviantart             The objective of a cultist is to serve a dragon deity. Disciples can do so in a temple as part of a clerical hierarchy or as a lone individual who answered a spiritual calling. Cultists favor the breed matching their godly liege, or at least dragons of the same alignment. Rival cults (or lone disciples) may be sworn enemies based on their deities’ ethea. Cultists may leave on quests they believe best serve their divine lieges’ interests. They c ..read more

Dragon Rider by Lucas Graciano on Deviantart Game Worlds: All dragon types inhabit the World of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms.             Mystara: Best known for its association with the B/X-BECMI game system, Mystara only features five conventional types and the gold dragon; breed names are suggested in the descriptions below for most types of dragons in the event that they are adapted for this game system. On the other hand, B/X-BECMI features gem dragons which are listed here as alternatives t ..read more

Dragon Rider by Mohamed Saad on Deviant Art Having devoted the entire first dragon article to sizes and weights, it’s about time to consider how to mount them. They do not readily accept to become anyone’s mount without a good reason, especially when they regard riders as lesser beings. This requires perhaps a divine quest, a charm monster spell, or some agreement between rider and “steed” to justify their arrangement such as fighting a common enemy and sharing treasure. A charm will eventually come to an end, after which the dragon may leave or become hostile to t ..read more

Thank you, says I, for the enthusiasm and generosity of all who agreed to bribe me to tackle this sprawling topic! Dragon Rider by Iamagri on Deviantart             Onward to slay the dragon do I not go, but to saddle up and soar into the wild blue yonder. This treatment dovetails with the previous three articles developing the mechanics, roleplaying, and color needed to flesh out legendary horses and other fantastic mounts in your favorite game. Much of the basis for this latest blog entry comes from the article about equines&n ..read more