#Tom Moldvay

[oldschoolfrp]

"Brain collectors, or Neh-Thalggu in their own language, are a race of other-dimensional creatures who are only occasionally able to cross the barriers separating their universe from this one. . . When these creatures slay characters, they carefully cut away the top of the head with surgical tools to expose the brain, and then swallow it. The brain then moves into one of several pockets within the brain collector's own head, forming a distinctive lump in the head of the monster. For each brain collected, the creature gains the ability to use one magic spell . . ." (AC09: Creature Catalogue, 1986, for BECMI D&D; the brain collector first appeared in Tom Moldvay's 1981 module X2: Castle Amber)

#D&D #Dungeons & Dragons #brain collector #dnd #BECMI #Creature Catalogue #Tom Moldvay #Castle Amber #tentacle monster #Neh-Thalggu #Neh Thalggu #lovecraftian #monster #Dungeons and Dragons #TSR

[dndhistory]

224. David Cook, Tom Moldvay - X1: The Isle of Dread (1983, reprint)

Bundled together with the 1983 revamped D&D Expert Rules Set, the X1 module also got a visual reworking, not only by making the cover fit with the new company identity of TSR, but also with new interior illustrations and layout.

In terms of the content of the module itself, it also gets tightened up, with a better lore and wilderness section and rebalancing. It's essentially the same adventure, but some of the problems which were present in the 1981 version were fixed. This version fleshes out the island natives into real personalities with social structure, individual characters and alternate paths to victory which do not involve the wholesale genocide of a native population... which is a good thing. Now you get experience by setting up trade routes to the island, for example.

All in all a much improved module, particularly visually and shows a cultural sensibility that was missing from TSR just a couple of years earlier (although these kinds of problems will keep plaguing D&D up until today), it fits much better with the more polished image of D&D that these new sets are establishing. 

#adnd #ttrpg #dnd #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #tom moldvay #David Cook

[vintagerpg]

Omegakron (1984) is the final scenario box for Lords of Creation. Two more were announced, but never published. The world is poorer for that.

The portal from the previous scenario dumps the players 200 years in the future, in post-nuclear holocaust Akron, Ohio (Akron, no surprise, was Moldvay’s adopted hometown — the box includes a pamphlet on the city’s history, even!). The players need to uncover the reason for the shift in the timestream that resulted in the nuclear event (spoiler: an evil Lord of Creation is to blame). The climax of the scenario involves helping the ghost of John Brown lead a revolt among the wage slaves of Novos Akros against the hypercapitalist Managers. It is…kind of awesome?

#RPG #TTRPG #Tabletop RPG #Roleplaying Game #D&D #dungeons & dragons #Avalon Hill #Lords of Creation #Tom Moldvay #Omegakron

[shaneplays]

Influenced heavily by Clark Ashton Smith's Averoigne stories, Dungeon Module X2: Castle Amber (Chateau d' Amberville) was written by Tom Moldvay and published by TSR in 1981: "Trapped in the mysterious Castle Amber, you find yourselves cut off from the world you know. The castle is fraught with peril. Members of the strange Amber family, some insane, some merely deadly, lurk around every corner. Somewhere in the castle is the key to your escape, but can you survive long enough to find it?" You risk getting trapped in Amber (and not the cool kind like in Jurassic Park)… on Map Monday aka Dungeon Day!!

#map monday #dungeon day #dnd #d&d #b/x #b/x d&d #rpg #ttrpg #osr #tsr #map #maps #Clark Ashton Smith #Castle Amber

[empire-of-thieves]

Review: Goodman Games' Original Adventures Reincarnated

As an old gamer who cut his teeth in the '80s with the D&D sets, I have a tremendous amount of nostalgia for those classic B-and X-series adventures. That's why I was excited to discover Goodman Games' Original Adventures Reincarnated series. It consists of 6 classic adventures that get a full treatment -- not only a reprint of the classic adventure, but a 5E remake and tons of extras like interviews with the original designers and expanded dungeons with all-new encounter areas. They call it a"Fifth edition conversion and classic homage" and it checks out.

My favorite so far is #4, The Lost City. As I mentioned in the past, the module's signature underground city was a huge influence on my Empire of Thieves campaign. In Goodman Games' revival, large amounts of new material have been offered, including a more complete description of the cult's influence on the city's society and expanded coverage of the city's goblin neighbors. They describe an empty dungeon that had been left by the original designer Tom Moldvay for dungeon masters to fill out.

I do want to ding Goodman Games for a couple of things. First, I don't know what the licensing and profit realities are, but I found the printing of the interior pages a little cheap. Most of the pages are 1-color, with color plates from the original module and classic blue maps. The various books have ribbon placemarks but I would have rather found a different value-add.

That said, I really like the books and hope to own all of them. These books are huge! The one I'm describing has over 300 pages and is hardcover bound. With all the extras, you really get a lot of value of out of them. If you are a fan of classic adventures, they are a must-have.

#dnd5e #d&d 5e homebrew #underdark #d&d campaign #d&d 5th edition #goodman games

[old-severed-hand]

What’s the difference between B/X and BECMI D&D?

OD&D, B/X, BECMI, Holmes, Moldvay, Metzer... I was confused by these terms for a long time. I knew they were "Basic" D&D by different authors, but what was the difference?

Eventually, I got some clarity. Here’s the basics as I understand them.

Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) 

By Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson | Also called: “OD&D” / White Box” / “Little Brown Books”

The first ever iteration of D&D was a boxset containing three digest-sized books: Men & Magic, Treasure & Monsters, and The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures. 

The rules assumed players had two other games: Chainmail, a medieval miniatures war-game (also by Gygax) and Outdoor Survival, a present-day wilderness survival game (not by Gygax).

This edition contained three classes: the wizard, the cleric, and the hilariously titled, “fighting man”.

Basic D&D (1978)

Edited by J. Eric Holmes | Also called: “Holmes Edition” / “Blue Book”

This first edition Basic Set was designed to teach the game to new players. It combined material from Original D&D and the Greyhawk supplement (1975), plus an adventure module: In Search of the Unknown. However, it only covered levels 1-3. 

Basic D&D (1981)

By Tom Moldvay | Also called: “B/X” / “Magenta Box” / “Moldvay Edition”

A revision of Holme’s Basic Set. The author, Tom Moldvay, strove for simplification, in addition to learnability. For example, he eliminated races in favor of seven classes: fighter, cleric, magic-user, thief, elf, dwarf, and halfling. A strange concept for fans of modern D&D.

Like the first edition, it covered levels 1-3. An Expert Set (by Dave Cook) was released simultaneously and included rules for level 4-14. This “Basic / Expert” pairing is the origins of the “B/X” moniker.

Basic D&D (1983)

By Frank Mentzer | Also called: “BECMI” / Red Box”

The Basic Set’s third iteration (or fourth, if you include OD&D). Intended as an introduction to the game, it covered levels 1-3. 

In the following years, the Expert (4-14) Companion (15-25), and Master (level 26-36) boxes were released, culminating in the Immortal Rules which offered “epilogue play” and—yes—even more levels. This suite of Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal is the origins of the “BECMI” moniker.

Final Note: A few more editions of the Basic Set would released over the years, including the Black Boxes (1991 & 1994) and even a version for 5th Edition. However, the versions released in the 80s seem to be the most influential today (particularly in the OSR crowd) so I limited the discussion to these earlier releases.

#dnd #osr #dungeons and dragons #history

[oethyl]

B/X dnd has some fascinating monster lore man. Why do Neanderthals keep white apes as pets? Why are their leaders 10 ft. tall? Why do they have innate beef with ogres? What did Tom Moldvay know that palaeoanthropologists don't?

#d&d #dnd #ttrpg #neanderthal

[jmstater]

My RPG Journey Part 1 | Gaming on the Playground

This video begins a multi-part look into my experiences with role playing games, starting with my introduction to the hobby on the playground in 6th grade and my first RPG - the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set by Tom Moldvay.

#youtube #pop culture #dungeons and dragons #d&d #vintage #rpg #moldvay #basic set #expert set #role playing games

[thegaminggang]

#BugbearsandBorderlands

[pofofijacotu]

Underdark 4th edition pdf

 UNDERDARK 4TH EDITION PDF >>Download vk.cc/c7jKeU

  UNDERDARK 4TH EDITION PDF >> Read Online bit.do/fSmfG

           26‏/07‏/2018 — PDF. $. Suggested Price $0.50. Average Rating (2 ratings). Dungeons & Dragons Character Sheet in Arabic & English (size A4). It is my pleasure to present the new issue of: Pancreatic cancer is the 4th cause of cancer death in usa, while in Egypt, the death rate is 1.3%. 09‏/05‏/2017 — [1] IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Available ge.org/Portals/0/pdfs/2009forumreport.pdf, July, 2009. 08‏/04‏/2018 — ‫يرضب هذا القول الشعبي تفاؤ ًال بسقوط‬ ‫املطر والغيث بعد الجفاف واملحل‪.‬‬ ‫لجنة نرش املؤلفات التيمورية‪ ،‬الطبعة‬ ‫الثانية‪1956 ،‬م‪.‬‬. أعادت الطبعة الخامسة إصدارًا جديدًا من علم الكون في Great Wheel. According to the 4th edition دليل الطائرات, this plane has some sort of unspecifiedJ. Duhok Univ. Vol.13, No.1, (Agri. And Vet. Sciences) 2010 CONTENTS - The Influence Of Priming Two Cucumber Cultivar Seeds By Wetting And Drying Cycles In Items 1 - 11 of 11 — Campaign Guide: Zakhara - Adventures in the Land of Fate (Al-Qadim and Forgotten Realms Sourcebook). "Don't miss the Campaign Guide to Zakhara D&D titles in PDF format, stretching from the 1981 Basic Rulebook (edited by Tom Moldvay) right through to a selection of 4th Edition titles.

https://www.tumblr.com/pofofijacotu/697977626134970369/ngaio-marsh-a-man-lay-dead-pdf-file, https://www.tumblr.com/pofofijacotu/697977368038522880/shinto-muso-ryu-pdf, https://www.tumblr.com/pofofijacotu/697977626134970369/ngaio-marsh-a-man-lay-dead-pdf-file, https://www.tumblr.com/pofofijacotu/697977626134970369/ngaio-marsh-a-man-lay-dead-pdf-file, https://www.tumblr.com/pofofijacotu/697977492438450176/454-pyrosequencing-pdf.

[bugbearbrothers]

The Orange and Green covers of ‘Palace of the Silver Princess’.

One of the more interesting stories in the saga of TSR, the orange cover version written by Jean Wells (the first female designer for TSR), was recalled the same day it was issued. There are conflicting reports as to why this was done, but a couple of reasons given were the art by Erol Otis, depicting a three headed monster that too closely resembled upper management, and a piece by Laura Roslof ‘The Illusion of Decapus’, that shows a woman tied up with her own hair, being tortured by demons. This was at the height of the ‘satanic panic’, and the company was very sensitive to what they were projecting. The entire module was subsequently rewritten by Tom Moldvay resulting in an entirely different adventure. If you see an original orange copy for under $1000, you should probably pick it up.

#dungeonsanddragons #dnd module

[oldschoolfrp]

Dating in the multiverse, tonight we have reservations on Imperial Terra (Dave Billman, Lords of Creation, Role-Playing Adventure Game by Tom Moldvay, Avalon Hill, 1983)

#Lords of Creation #Dave Billman #Avalon Hill #sci fi #Tom Moldvay #future city #tentacles #lupine #wolf man #dog man #wolfman #1980s

[dndhistory]

122. Tom Moldvay - X2: Castle Amber (1981)

By far my favourite adventure module up until now in the history of D&D modules, this is so much fun, packed full of ideas, influenced by some classic fantasy and weird fiction, Castle Amber is the granddaddy of haunted castle adventures, drawing from Edgar Allen Poe, Clark Ashton Smith and other to create a truly expansive story over only 28 pages.

We start off with out characters on some McGuffin mission and then get transported into the Castle, being stuck there and having to solve the puzzle to be able to return to the world of Mystara. The castle is surrounded by an impassable fog and seems to exist in its little dimension... does it remind you of something? Yep, Ravenloft owes much to this.

As the characters unveil the mysteries of the castle and encounter the colorful Amber family (a nod to Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber) they eventually discover that they must go to a parallel universe where the France-like country of Averoigne exists and where they must travel from town to town to collect quest items to finally break the curse of the castle. Deeply atmospheric and fun this is a true classic. 

#adnd #dnd #ttrpg #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #Tom moldvay

[vintagerpg]

There really is no shortage of weird ass games out there, but Lords of Creation (1983) is definitely in the running for the weird ass-est crown. This is the work of Tom Moldvay, he of B/X D&D and Isle of Dread. It is billed as a “Role-playing adventure game of travel through time and space.” Mechanically, it feels very 1983, with a percentile skill system sitting on top of a D&D-like framework. This is supplemented by a variety of strange powers — some are available to all characters relative to their level, some are selected from a pool. At 10th level, you become a demi-god (similar to the Immortals of BECMI, actually). All the skills and powers are tiered, which establishes some odd truths about the game setting — every Wizard starts out learning Animal Control, then moves on to Necromancy; everyone who knows how to Teleport also knows how to manipulate Gravitational Fields? None of the systems are unified, so the rules are pretty high density. You know, like you’d expect from 1983.

Philosophically, though, this game is 90s all the way. Even though the rules really only account for making characters in the modern era, the game obviously wants to run the gamut from fantasy to science fiction, making it the first real attempt to my knowledge at a cross-genre RPG. In trying to do that, it become wildly unhinged. You can see it from the box’s monster booklet — most of the pix are taken from there. Cowboy dogs and fascist mantises and pipe-smoking T-rexes from the future are the easy ones to explain. I don’t know where to start with woman-whose-face-is-a-snake or whatever it clinging to that guy’s back or the octopus war machine. This is not Rifts, but you can feel the same punchy spirit in Lords of Creation.

Oh, and Dave Billman does all the art for the entire line. I haven’t a clue who he is outside of this, but I love his stuff, super clean and bold.

#RPG #TTRPG #Tabletop RPG #Roleplaying Game #D&D #dungeons & dragons #Avalon Hill #Lords of Creation #Tom Moldvay

[shaneplays]

Love this Erol Otus piece. Evidently from Revolt On Antares,  a science fiction-themed microgame by Tom Moldvay from TSR in 1981.

#erol otus #art #game art #tsr #80s

[dirtyriver]

"What if we got out of those moldy dungeons and explored King Kong's Skull Island instead?".

Dungeons and Dragons X1: Isle of Dread, first published in 1981, written by by David Cook & Tom Moldvay.

Also see the Vintage RPG podcast.

Second map from Dungeon magazine 114, last map print available here:

#RPG #Map #Dungeons and Dragons #Isle of Dread