Wormskin 5 and Cross-Class Subterfuge out now in PDF!

Missives from the Necrotic Gnome!

Two new releases have crawled out of our dungeons in the last week:

1. Wormskin Issue Five by Gavin Norman, Greg Gorgonmilk, and the usual coterie of rascally collaborators. The latest instalment in the chronicles of Dolmenwood, this issue unveils the sinister cabal of sorcerers who dominate the Wood's arcane energies -- the Drune. Also details 7 hexes around the region called Hag's Addle and describes the titular hag and her lair in depth. The issue is rounded off with four new monsters: boggin, brambling, drune, flammbraggyrd.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/205196/Wormskin-Issue-5

(The print edition of Wormskin 5 is in progress. It should be available in the next week or so.)

2. Cross-Class Subterfuge by Greg Gorgonmilk. A short but eminently usable pamphlet containing guidelines and charts for those whose tastes chafe against the traditional Thief class. These rules describe a means of dissolving the Thief class and redistributing its sneaky abilities to other character types. Now the whole party can know the joys of moving silently and hiding in shadows!

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/205430/CrossClass-Subterfuge

Wormskin Sale! / Issue Four PDF

For anyone who has heard rumours about Dolmenwood -- the weird fairytale woodland setting spawned from the brains of myself and Greg Gorgonmilk -- now is a great time to get into it.

The first three issues of the Dolmenwood zine, Wormskin, are on sale. A mere $1.99 for the PDFs and $4.99 for the print + PDF combos. A steal.

Also: issue four is just out! (PDF only for now. Print edition coming in a few weeks.)

Wormskin Issue Three: Now in Print!

Click here to get it!

As we have delicious colour illustrations, this time we thought we'd try out the colour printing option at Lightning Source. It's turned out lovely! Some photos:

Wormskin Issue 3: Out Now in PDF!

Weepest thou for fear or for joy? It matters not!

Click upon this image, if thou darest.

(Wormskin issue three is currently available in its pure, digital form (aka PDF). Print editions coming soon!)

Wormskin Issue Three: Cover

Thee milking ov thee Gorgon hath borne delicious fruit.

The layout of issue three is nearly finished. It cannot be too many more turnings of the Earth until Wormskin 3 will be unleashed.

Wormskin Issue Three: Coming Soon!

I put the finishing touches to the text for issue three of Wormskin yesterday. Here's what we have in store:

• Of Men, Goats, and Fairies in Dolmenwood -- Gavin Norman, Greg Gorgonmilk. An overview of the history of Dolmenwood and the interactions of its various factions over the centuries.
• Languages of Dolmenwood -- Gavin Norman. Details on the most common languages spoken (or written) in the forest.
• The Summer Stones and the Witching Ring -- Gavin Norman. An article describing the unusual, ring-shaped ley line Chell, in the west of the forest. Its origin, powers, and purpose are revealed.
• The Woods East of Lake Longmere -- Gavin Norman, Greg Gorgonmilk. Seven hexes at the heart of the wood.
• The Ruined Abbey of St Clewd, Level One: Surface Ruins -- Gavin Norman, Yves Geens. The first level of a dungeon central to the history of Dolmenwood.
• Monsters of the Wood (gloam, mogglewomp, scrabey, scrycke) -- Gavin Norman, Yves Geens. More woodland beasties.

This issue features some delightful black & white illustrations from Sean Poppe​, some B&W and full colour pieces by Andrew Walter​, and Greg Gorgonmilk​'s wonderful graphical work.

It's in layout now. Keep 'em peeled.

New Monster: The Gloam

I thought I'd share this write-up for a monster which I finished recently. It's noteworthy for two reasons: firstly, it was my winning entry for round 2 of the aborted "OSR Superstar" contest at Tenkar's Tavern; secondly, it is a preview of material from the forthcoming third issue of my & Greg Gorgonmilk's zine, Wormskin. (You can get hold of issue one here and issue two here.)

For those of you who aren't yet familiar with Wormskin: along with the expected list of statistics (Armour Class, Hit Dice, and so on), monsters in the zine are presented with some additional pieces of information:

• Number Appearing: Monsters may be encountered alone or in groups and abroad or in their lair. Occasionally, a monster’s lair may be discovered unguarded. To determine the exact conditions, an eight-sided die is rolled and the result looked up under encounters for the monster in question. For example, a monster’s description may state: “Number Appearing: 1-3: abroad (2d4), 4-7: lair (2d10), 8: lair (empty)”. Thus, a d8 roll resulting in a 1 to 3 means that 2d4 individuals are encountered abroad, a roll resulting in 4 to 7 means that the PCs have stumbled upon 2d10 monsters in their lair, and a roll of 8 means that the empty lair has been discovered.
• Possessions: Denotes the items or treasures typically carried by an individual about its business. These are the kind of things that a search of the monster’s pockets, packs, etc will turn up.
• Hoard: For monsters with a lair, this indicates the treasures which are kept there. Valuables kept by intelligent monsters will most likely be well hidden. Hoards are listed with the standard B/X treasure type (a letter code from A-V) followed by the equivalent Labyrinth Lord hoard class (a Roman numeral, from I-XXII). A descriptor is also listed for some hoards; these hoard variants will be discussed in a future issue of Wormskin, along with charts of trinkets.
• Encounters / Lairs: Some quick ideas for encounters with the monster (either abroad or in its lair) are given here, providing an inspirational seed for the referee to work from. The suggested encounters generally describe fairly specific situations and should each only be used once. (The judge may cross off or replace encounters once they have occurred.)
• Traits: One or more charts of distinguishing features of individuals are given, for added descriptive flavour and ease of distinguishing individuals when a group of monsters of the same kind is encountered.

So, here we go, the gloam...

Gloam
HD: 7
AC: 5
Attacks: 2 × 1d10 (claws) or 1 × 1d4 (swarm attack)
Move: 120’ (40’) / 180’ (60’) -- flying
Morale: 9

Number Appearing: 1-5: abroad (1), 6-7: lair (1), 8: lair (empty)
Alignment: N
Intelligence: Obsessive
Size: M
XP: 1,840
Possessions: Trinkets (eerie), collected items (see below)
Hoard: E/XVIII (eerie), collected items (see below)

Gloams are undead entities formed from the corpses of a multitude of crows, ravens, or magpies. They have two forms, at times appearing as a flock of ragged, cawing birds and at other times in the guise of a tall, gaunt man, constructed from the agglomerated feathers, bones, and beaks of the flock. Both manifestations are wreathed in shadow and accompanied by a creeping sensation of dread.

Possessing a cunning and single-minded intellect of human degree, gloams are able to speak both the common tongue and the cawing language of crow-like birds. Unlike many undead creatures, gloams are not inherently evil. They are, however, possessed of a ruthlessly avaricious nature, which oftentimes leads them into conflict with mortals. Gloams are obsessive collectors, with macabre and idiosyncratic taste. Some examples of the type of objects a gloam may collect are:

1. The corpses of children, which it binds with string and hangs in its roost.
2. Wedding rings and other tokens of love.
3. Condemned murderers, whom it abducts and keeps captive, tormented and on the edge of starvation.
4. Human corneas, dried and sewn into the dead eye sockets of its own constituent birds.
5. The mummified or stuffed bodies of animals, which it arranges in peculiar dioramas.
6. The teeth of the devoutly religious.

Special Abilities
Charm Innocent: Gloams have a curious connection with mortals of innocent mind -- typically young children, but sometimes the mentally handicapped or, more rarely, adults of pure morals (each gloam has specific tastes in this matter) -- who do not perceive the sinister atmosphere which surrounds the monster and are thus vulnerable to its charm-like ability, manifested by the twinkling of an eye. A saving throw versus spells is allowed to resist the charm, with failure indicating that the target places its implicit trust in the gloam, seeing it as a beloved parent or mentor. One who resists a gloam's charm becomes suddenly aware of its true nature.

Damage Reduction: Gloams suffer only half damage from normal weapons – silver or magical weapons inflict standard damage.

Transformation: A gloam can change freely between its two forms. The transformation between humanoid and flock takes a single round, during which a gloam may perform no other actions.

Flock Form: When in the form of a flock, a gloam can only be harmed by area effects such as flaming oil, breath weapons, or fireball spells. It is also able to make a swarm attack, targeting characters within a 20' radius of each other. One target may be attacked per 5 hit points the gloam possesses (rounded up).

Disease: The touch of a gloam carries a disease which can infect mortals, causing flesh to blacken and drop off in flaky chunks. Anyone damaged by a gloam in combat must save versus poison or be infected. The disease leads to death over a span of 1d6 weeks and can only be cured by magic.

Traits

1. Dresses in finery. (The garments fly with the flock, when transformed.)
2. Smoulders when exposed to light.
3. Hovers ominously a few inches above the ground.
4. Streaked with blood, which drips incessantly from the creature's eyes.
5. Largely skeletal: all bleached, white bones and shiny beaks, with only small, ragged clumps of feathers.
6. The creature's shadow moves independently of its bodily motion, shifting into forms expressive of its emotional state.

Encounters

1. A tall, sinister man (the gloam in humanoid form) offers bright candy canes to a pair of wide-eyed, young children who are gathering kindling in the woods near their home.
2. 2d4 youths of less than normal mental capacity attempting to release a raggedy man, near death, from an iron cage strung up on the branch of a great oak. A flock of sinister ravens roosts in the tree, overseeing the proceedings with almost-word-like caws.
3. The smoking remains of an old barn in an isolated wood, freshly razed. A dark figure (the gloam in humanoid form) sits nearby, weeping raggedly at the ruination of its home and precious items.
4. A gloam inspects the wares of a travelling pedlar of curiosities, taking especial interest in the collection of stuffed animals.

Lairs

1. The ruins of an old watchtower, standing now more by virtue of the brambles and wild roses which clad its surface then by any structural integrity of its own. The gloam roosts in the upper floors and hangs its treasures in branches of nearby trees. A lone maid lives in a makeshift camp nearby and is serenaded by the gloam at dawn and dusk.
2. A cluster of tall, twisted pines at the centre of a sinister, desolate wood. Several large colonies of songbirds live in the surrounding trees, driven to strange, bloodthirsty behaviour by the presence of the gloam.
3. An old wayside inn beside a little-used woodland road. The gloam lairs in the rafters of the attic, surrounded by its prizes: the carefully preserved and displayed skeletons of adulterers. The inn’s proprietor, an aging woman who was betrayed by her former husband (now a part of the gloam’s collection), lives in harmony with the monster, providing it a source of victims in exchange for its protection.
4. An oddly-shaped, tumbledown manor atop a rocky outcropping. The place is the former residence of a black magician and greatly feared by local people. The magician is long dead, but his legacy survives in the form of the gloam, which is the result of a summoning gone awry. The monster now lives as master of the manse and continues the wizard's occult research. It is accompanied by 2d6 children, whom it treats as pupils, schooling them in the black arts.

Dolmenwood: A Night in the Common Room

This little random table popped into my mind upon awakening this morning. It will be featured in a future issue of Wormskin.

What occurs during a night spent in the inn's common room?

1. Embarrassingly erotic dreams
2. Leaky roof
3. Exposure to an intestinal or skin disease (make a CON check)
4. Attempted, drunken cuddling
5. Early risers disappear in the wee hours
6. Boar-like snoring
7. Discover an unusual item left behind by a previous guest
8. Attempted theft (WIS check to notice, thieves or rogues get a +4 bonus)
9. Mouse infestation (1 in 6 chance of one taking up residence in a PC's pack)
10. Awful stench: stale sweat
11. Loud, drunken latecomers
12. Overhear whispered scheming
13. Incessant flatulence
14. Bed collapses during the night
15. Somnambulist wanderings
16. Blanket theft
17. Coughing and sneezing (make a CON check to avoid getting ill)
18. Unsettling sleep-speech
19. Nocturnal search by local militia
20. Bedbugs or lice
21. Loud, raucous singing
22. Furtive sexual union
23. Tickled by ants or spiders
24. Midnight brawl
25. Camaraderie throughout the night
26. Odd nighttime vigil
27. Horse-like snoring
28. Awful stench: urine
29. Rats or cockroaches
30. Flagrant masturbation

Wormskin Issue 2 PDF: On Sale Now!

Behold! For it is come.

Issue 2 of the world's most popular Dolmenwood zine. Its 46 dewy-moist pages feature:

• An introduction to the High Wold, the south-westerly corner of Dolmenwood.
• Descriptions of the seven hexes clustered around the village of Lankshorn.
• Details of the most signifcant people and places in Lankshorn, including: the Hornstoat's Rest inn, the fairy-blooded bladesmith, the Man of Gold Apothecary, the Church of St Pastery.
• Tavern fare generator.
• Psychedelic compounds generator, including details on buying, selling, and manufacturing.
• Seven new monsters: addercorn thralls, barrowbogeys, bog zombies, longhorn goatmen, shorthorn goatmen, nightworms, witch-owls.

Get it here!

(PDF only for the moment. The print version should be ready to go next week.)

Wormskin Issue 2!

The goatlord Malbleat with human thrall, by Nico Maioli

I am pleased to announce that I just put the finishing touches to the content of issue two of Wormskin. This issue goes into particular detail about the region around the village of Lankshorn, on the southern border of the forest -- a great place to start adventuring in Dolmenwood!

The contents of issue two are:

• An article on psychedelic compounds available in Dolmenwood, including a d30 generator table.
• A d30 generator for common tavern fare. Fermented snails with whipped cream, anyone?
• An introduction to the High Wold and the special relationship between humans and goatmen in the region.
• Descriptions of the six hexes around the village of Lankshorn: the Trothstone, the manse of Lord Malbleat, the king's mounds, the Ditchway, King Pusskin's road, and Lankston pool.
• Details about the village of Lankshorn, including the Hornstoat's Rest inn, the church of St Pastery, the Man of Gold Apothecary, the fairy-blooded bladesmith, the lord's manor, and the standing stones behind the village.
• A rumour table for the Lankshorn region.
• Nine new monsters which lurk in the High Wold: addercorn thralls, barrowbogeys, bog zombies, Woldish goatmen (longhorn), Woldish goatmen (shorthorn), nightworms, tanterwallops, and witch-owls.

 Coming to RPGNow in PDF and print when the night and day are equalled.

Wormskin 1 PDF Live!

Dreams can be real.

(PDF only for the moment. What with the holidays and so on, the print version probably won't be out til the new year. BUT!: if you purchase the PDF edition now, we'll send you a discount on the full print/PDF combo when it goes live.)

Pre-Yuletide Missives

Just a quick update on a few projects and gaming-related things that I've got on the go:

• The first issue of Wormskin -- my and Greg Gorgonmilk's zine exploring the mythical Dolmenwood -- is (dare I say it?) poised for release. (See grumpy cat.) I have completed the layout and it is in the fair hands of the Gorgonmilk, awaiting his ducal seal of approval. Get your nostrils ready for massive infusions of dank moss.
• Also: following on from the critically acclaimed (James Spahn, Tim Brannan, and Eric Fabiaschi liked it) B/X Rogue, I will shamelessly admit to having begun work on a sequel: the B/X Warrior. I imagine you can guess what it might be about.
• Additionally: I am pleased to share that my home games are about to revert to Labyrinth Lord, after a brief flirtation with 5e. "Not my cup o tea" would be a fair summary of the experience.

More news as it breaks.

May all your dreams be mossy.

Wormskin Issue 1: Delayed But Not Dead!

Back in August, the Gorgonmilk and I made an (in retrospect rash) announcement of the impending emergence of a zine known as Wormskin, in which the mythical Dolmenwood would begin to be revealed. Since that day, all has been quiet on the Dolmenwood front...

What's going on?

Well, as often happens with such things (when one is doing this as a hobby, not as a job, at least), writing was delayed, layout was delayed. In this case, the only thing that wasn't delayed was illustration! Hurrah!

But! I have this very evening put the finishing touches to the text of issue 1 and will be embarking upon the layout process in the coming weeks. I'm not going to be foolish enough to say anything like "it should be ready be the end of the month!" (again), but wanted to put the word out: it is still happening!

Finalised contents of issue 1 are:

• The grimalkin race-class (witnessed in sketch form here).
• Three new spells of cat-kind, including the terrifying (?) furball.
• The moss dwarf race-class (glimpsed as a wisp here).
• One (1!) new forest-creeping monster: the root-thing.
• A hearty article on the fungi of Dolmenwood: edible, psychedelic, and poisonous. How to identify them? What are their names? What shall come to pass upon consuming one? All this and more is answered!

 Coming soon(ish). Keep 'em peeled!