The Other Side

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 23

Continuing down to the next room on the right has a strange glow coming from it.


The glow comes from a room full of glowing mushrooms, at least 40 to 50.  

Among the mushrooms are glowing Shriekers

There are 15 of them and they are indistinguishable from the other mushrooms in the room.  Once they start shrieking (see your Basic-era rules), it will become nearly impossible to tell them apart. Each attack on a mushroom only has a 1 in 6 chance of being a shrieker. 


#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 21

Moving down from Room #20 there is another room on the right (all rooms in this hallway are on the right).

Entering the room, there is a huge pile of gold and treasure with the bones of a dragon on top.

Jason Glover - Free Art AssetsJason Glover - Free Art Assets

When the first character touches the treasure or dragon there is a loud roar (Illusion) and all the lights and torches used go out (darkness spell).  Once the characters get the lights on they will find that the treasure and the character who touched it are gone!

The dragon and the treasure was a programmed illusion. The character who touched it has been hit with a Sleep spell and then turned invisible. If the character makes the Sleep save then the invisibility will not go into effect.

Otherwise, there is no treasure in this room.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 20

Moving on down from the glowing portal in Room #19 there is another door to the right of the party.

Jason Glover - Free Art Assets Jason Glover - Free Art Assets

This room is empty save for the bodies of what are believed to be other adventurers. Their weapons are gone but a care search will find a Potion of Heroism and a Potion of Healing (1d6+1). (Finding these is worth 50 xp to the party).

Likewise, their valuables such as coins are gone.


More Updates: Home Games

Frantically working on a lot of updates behind the scenes here. But one I want to address that I am looking forward too is what am I doing with the games I run.

The Games I Play

Presently I am still in the middle of three different D&D 5e games. They are all part of my Come Endless Darkness mega-campaign:

All are presently 5e.

My plan is to convert one to Castles & Crusades and the other to Pathfinder 2e.

The obvious choice here is to convert The Second Campaign to Castles & Crusades since it has a lot of old-school 1st material. The next obvious choice is to convert my Into the Nentir Vale to PF2 since it is a broader mix, and I think it is funny that D&D 4 is once again losing out to Pathfinder.

I am not sure how much I'll talk about them online. BUT I do want to talk about how the conversions go.

So in each case, I will grab a PC or NPC from them and see how they convert. I will post that since that is something people will be interested in. In fact, as I am writing this, I am thinking of two PCs in particular that would really make good examples of conversions.

I also might post the Big Bad for each in their new stats. The Second Campaign is overtly about Demogorgon, but I had always thought they would not actually encounter him.  The Nentir Vale is all about Orcus.

In any case, it should be a lot of fun.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 19

Making another right, we come up on encounter area #19. To your immediate left is an opening to a small room.

Room 19

In Room 19 there is a glowing portal. From the portal 1d4+2 Goblins are coming through.  These goblins look similar to the previous ones.

The portal opens from a nighttime world with several moons in the sky. Other goblins can be seen in the distance. The portal is one-way, Goblins can come into this world, but they cannot go back. 

Let the characters explore the portal as much as they like, but there is no way to go through it.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 18

Turning right (for now) the PCs enter encounter area #18. The hallway is the same stone as before, but it is somehow darker. The hall is 20 feet wide and extends some 60 feet into deepening darkness. 

Standing in the hall, seemingly waiting for the PCs is a small group of goblins.

Gobbies!

The goblins are not waiting, but they are not surprised either. They have come up from the lower rooms to investigate the noise. There 1d4+4 goblins here. They are all 1-1 HD (4 hp each, or 1d6). They have shortswords, short bows, and wear leather armor.

If combat goes against them after the first round, one will flee down the hall to bring back reinforcements that arrive in 2d4 turns.

Playing...something

The OGL 1.1/2.0 drama has thrown me for a loop. Not gonna lie.

2023 Year of the Monster

My whole "Year of the Monster" was built on a foundation of doing monsters of various types all year. I still can, but I need to pivot.

Case in point. I have been silent for the last few days so I can get at least one of my planned monster books out. I am scraping nearly everything and dumping all the art I would use for other projects into it. Hopefully, I'll have something soon.  

I also admit that my enthusiasm for some other plans that were going to extend into 2024 is critically low. 

Even if WotC/Hasbro does some serious backpedaling, my trust is low, and my expectations are non-existent.  This is disappointing because I have enjoyed all editions of D&D. I have also enjoyed writing for all editions of D&D. But I am, right now, not willing to support Wotc/Hasbro and the new version of D&D and my support of 5e is going to be minimal here.

I am though looking forward to some Pathfinder 2nd Ed discussions and deep dives. Also, I am going to try to feature more smaller publishers here. See what they have to offer. Even ones still doing 5e. It's not their fault that Hasbro is doing what they are doing.

So bear with me in this pivot phase.


#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 17

Past the last two rooms, the grand hall splits left and right.

There is a grand statue of the Vampire Queen. Inspection will reveal that the statue is made of newer material than the surrounding walls.

Vampire Queen
 Going down either hallway, there is a 1 in 6 chance that characters will notice the slope of the flow is taking them down.  The slope is not enough to send the characters down a full level, but enough to concern them.

Notes: Things should start picking up. 

I have seen lots of great maps online for others, and I thought maybe I could share mine. ;)

Dungeon 23 map


#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 16

This room is identical to Room 15 across the hall. 

Bloody Spectre

This includes a similar specter with the same warning. Though this ghost seems angrier.  If the ghost is touched or attacked, it will become a bloody specter and attack.  This is a true undead.

Bloody Spectre. AC 7. HD 3 (13 hp). Att# 1. Chilling touch 1d6. Special: Silver or magic is required to hit. Turned as a Ghoul (3 HD). No treasure.

Note: If the PCs encounter Room 16 before Room 15, then swap the contents so that this is always encountered after the first specter. 

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 15

 Up from Room #13 is another room of similar shape and size.

Glowing Ghost

Within the room appears to be the glowing specter of a young woman. Her form wavers back and forth.

She warns the PCs from going further into the crypts and to turn back now.  

The specter is not undead but an illusion. 

Elf Lair Games Doomsday Sale

This issue with the OGL is changing all the time now. I suppose there will be some sort of announcement about the OGL 2.0 today (yes we are on the 2.0 now).

But until then, we have decided to have a big sale on all Elf Lair Games products, including NIGHT SHIFT.

Elf Lair Gameshttps://www.elflair.com/

For products on our website, use the code DOOMSDAY40 at checkout to get 40% off your sale. 

For our products on DriveThruRPG, all are on sale for 25% off, no code needed.

Again, NIGHT SHIFT and our upcoming new fantasy RPG "Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age" will break free of the OGL and will be powered by our in-house O.G.R.E.S. 

Interesting times ahead!  Let's all have some fun together and get back to what we have always felt was our #1 job; make fun games for people to enjoy.

When One Door Closes...

There is an old saying, "When one door closes, another one opens."

A new Door to Kick in

But you know what? I hate that saying.

When a door closes, you open it back up. 

I grew up playing D&D. When you encounter a closed door, you make your "Open Doors" roll and kick it in!

Look. I love D&D, and I likely always will. While Hasbro's choices disappoint me, I am not going to let them stop my fun.

So at home, I am still going to play the games I like. On my blog and for my writing? Well, there are plenty of exciting existing alternatives. It now sounds like there are going to be more alternatives too.

But maybe the "OSR" phase of my game writing is over. It was fun, and I loved doing it. But many other games are out there that need love and attention, and I am excited to try them out.

One of the original purposes of my original "The Other Side" website was to talk about all sorts of games that I enjoyed. So let that continue now.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 12

This room has a faint glow, and there is the smell of roasted meats.

Meat Tree

In this space, there is a stone room but also a forest scene of glowing nearly transparent trees as far as the eye can see.  Characters can only walk the 20 feet by 20 feet of the room. In the center of the grows a large tree laden with fruits.

The fruits are oval-shaped and look like mangoes.  The fruits taste like roasted meat.  Characters can eat them with no problems, they are fine if a little bland.  They disappear once removed from this room.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 1, Room 10

 Up from Room #8 and across from Room #9 is Room #10.

It appears to be of the same dimensions as the previous rooms 5 through 9. 

Virgil FinlayVirgil Finlay

Once the room is entered, a group of semi-human Phantoms appears.

The Phantoms can not attack, but a failed saving throw vs. Spells will cause anyone to run out of the room in fear. Once out of the room the fear effect dissipates.

They have 1-1 HD and 1 hp. Magic weapons are required to hit. There are 10 and their AC is 9.

The phantoms can be Turned by a cleric. A bless or dispel evil spell will also destroy them. The entire group is effected by these magics.

Various Updates: Year of the Monster, Mega-dungeons, and the OGL 1.1

Lots of little things going on here during this time between 2022 and 2023.  I am not sure what day it is or even the time, but hey, here we are.

Hastur, Ifrit Princess, and 3 Goblins in a trenchcoatHastur, Ifrit Princess, and 3 Goblins in a trenchcoat.
Painted by my wife.

Year of the Monster

I have made some oblique references to this, but 2023 is going to be my Year of the Monster. Going back to my earliest roots of this hobby and talking more about monsters and monster-related topics. So more monsters for NIGHT SHIFT, more Monstrous Maleficarum, and a few other projects I have in my back pocket.

#Dungeon23

So this is one I just found out about. The idea is neat. Detail a new room every day for a 12-level mega-dungeon in 2023. I have never really been a fan of mega-dungeons, BUT as a writing exercise, I can see how it would be fun.  I would want to have a theme and do it for Old-School Essentials. Though I have not made up my mind just yet.

New Year, New Character

I have done this for the past two years, and it was fun.  I had an idea for this year but have run out of time to do it right. Have to think some more about this one.

OGL 1.1 and One D&D

Well. Once again, people are freaking out. Here is exactly everything we know for sure about the new OGL coming out when the next version of D&D is released.

  • It will be called "The Open Gaming License 1.1."

And that is it. 

Everything else is, at best, speculation and, at worst, Chicken Little style running around fear mongering.  My personal plans are not changing. I will still publish under the OGL 1.0a, and still use the 3.5, Pathfinder, and 5e SRDs as I see fit.

Other Items

More "This Old Dragon" and other regular features. I am undecided on The April A to Z Challenge yet, and I am pretty sure I will not do another 100 Days of Halloween. But who knows.

Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season.

Christmas Call: 2022

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas who celebrates. 

Around here, we give (and receive) a lot of geeky gifts, thought I might show off a few.

Dungeons & Dragons Trivial Pursuit
I got the new Dungeons & Dragons Trivial Pursuit game.  No idea what is in it, but we might be playing it this New Year's Eve.  OR maybe I'll just read the questions and quiz myself.
 Mythic Britain & Ireland

Victorian? Horror monsters? England and Ireland? Yes, please!  Got this from my oldest.  My youngest printed off a bunch of demons and devils for me on their 3D printers too.  Expect a review for this one!

Dragonlance

My oldest ended up with multiple copies of the new Dragonlance book. So I got this one! ;)

SJG Undead

AND after 40 years, I finally got a copy of Steve Jackson Games' Undead!

I am planning a larger review of it, and it's counterpart from TSR, Vampyre.

Undead and Vampyre Mini-games

Both mini-games deal with the hunt for Dracula. So looking forward to playing them both and seeing how they compare. 

I should also point out one other gift.

Photo rig

My wife got me a new photo rig for taking all these pictures.

Still experimenting with lighting, angles, and settings. You will see all the results here.  All the pictures above were taken using this. I even have a spare phone I could use as a permanent mount if I desire. 

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