[Random Booster Encounters] Roadside Ambush (#01)

This series is something experimental, at least for me. The concept: create an encounter based solely on the four miniatures found in any one single random booster. I had originally thought about calling this a Pathfinder project, but then I remembered that Wizards had re-started their random miniature production. They're not the greatest paint jobs in the world, but then...some of the early Pathfinder paint jobs weren't terrific either.

The attached character sheet was also something of an experiment, as it has been somewhere over 35 years since I truly worked with the AD&D First Edition ruleset. Please forgive any errors, and accept them as what they are: an effort to pay tribute to that set of rules. It's also a nod to my OSR friends and readers. [But if you have suggestions regarding the character stats or character sheet—also of my design—please feel free to let me know. I welcome correction; I want to learn.] It was intended to be used on a 4" x 6" card.

The 3.x statblock follows the AD&D character sheet.

So, the project begins... after the break

[Found Items] Thrift Store Swords and Starships!

OK. I need to brag.

On a whim I stopped by the local thrift store on the way home tonight. Occasionally they'll have bags of Lego bricks (I've found a few bags of miscellaneous pieces; my son found an entire 10" tall Bionicle warrior once...and most recently an Imperial TIE Defender...missing only one piece and the pilot) or perfectly serviceable Nerf dart guns. I rarely look at the book section because it's dominated with either Stephen King titles that I already have or Harlequin romances.

Tonight? No Lego bricks, although there was a large bag of fake MegaBlok knock-offs that I passed over. Decided to wander through the books and videos, hoping to find a copy of Labyrinth somewhere. No luck on that, but the minuscule Sci-Fi/Fantasy section had a bit of a treasure.

Picked up all six of these titles for a total of $7.50, including tax. Books 1–3 of the Mageworld Saga by Debra Doyle & James D. McDonald and the three Books of the Sword by Fred Saberhagen.

Now, I've had the Mageworld Saga for years, and found copies of the first two Books of the Sword a couple years ago at a Convention. My Mageworld copies are pretty ragged, even with as careful as I am with books, they've been read and re-read—They're quite well-loved, actually. And my Saberhagens saw much better days years before I picked them up. They're pretty ragged; I only picked them up because I'd been looking for them for a couple years.

I wanted secondary copies of these, of course. But even better—aside from the price—was the fact that these 6 books are pristine. They don't look like they've ever been opened; admittedly, The First Book of Swords has a bit of a spine-crease and the front cover of The Second Book of Swords has some ink transfer on it. Apparently, a National Geographic Society membership card from 1990 (which was stuck to the cover) will adhere to—and the ink transfer to—a book cover if left pressed against it long enough.

If you've never read the Mageworld Saga, I'd highly recommend it. A ripping good space opera series, with a good bit of action and a nice helping of magic added in...good stuff. The Saberhagen also comes highly recommended; I enjoyed the first book and the others have been working their way to the top of my "To Read" pile.

This just five days after getting a neat little haul from a downtown used book store, the largest one in the state. Dropped in with my wife while walking to my office holiday party (yeah, a post-New Year's Christmas party). It's a dangerous place, because I could literally spend hundreds of dollars there if I was allowed to do so.

I've always wanted to read Asprin's "Myth" books and was pleasantly surprised to find a 2-in-1 copy. The Face of a Stranger is a great Victorian mystery (an English detective wakes up in the hospital with a bad case of amnesia, and must discover his own identity while solving an important case involving the nobility). And a neat-looking little mystery from Isaac Asimov that I'm looking forward to reading.

All told, I'm pleased with my finds this past week; it's been a long time since I've been quite so lucky with great books for my library.

And just so I don't run afoul of the Joesky tax, here's a quick little random d20 table of books (and things stuck inside them) that you might find in that mage's dusty old library—hooks and idea germs for encounters, adventures, or campaigns:

d20 Roll	Title
1	The Everyday Application of Novel Divination
2	The Axe: A Tutorial
3	Heretics Opposing the Fire God
4	The Storm God's Invocations
5	The Minor Powers of the Great Traveling Gods
6	The Wonderful Stories of the Mysterious Plant God
7	An Expose of the Theocratic Earldom's Early Pirates
8	Sleeping Patterns of the Bugbear
9	The Trident: A Tutorial to Maintenance
10	The Subtle Truths of the Sky God
11	A Treatise of Thaumaturgy
12	Legendary Warlords
13	Virtues of the Revenge Gods
14	Hunting Habits of the Basilisk
15	A Magus' Text on Remedial Summoning
16	An Examination of the Kingdom's Cultural Annals
17	A Study of Basic Magical Arts
18	Essential Alchemy
19	Classic Evocations of the Journeyman
20	Theological Crimes in the Empire

Roll d4 times on the following table to find out "What's Inside."

d20 Roll	What's Inside
1-6	Nothing
7	Dog-eared pages marking pages with underlined passages
8	A shopping list written in code
9	Several love letters stuck haphazardly into the book
10	Hand-written notes in the margins totally unrelated to the subject of the book
11	Personal notes in the margins of several concurrent pages warning of a coming doomsday
12	A hand-written dedication in the front of the book
13	Bookmarks (d6) marking pages with errors
14	Triangular scraps of paper with notes in a foreign language
15	A document with a list of dates in the back of the book
16	A list of foreign locations in an archaic language
17	Three scraps of parchment in some kind of code that seem to have no connection
18	A list of birthdays in an archaic tongue secreted in the binding
19	A map of a local castle or keep, including secret doors and passageways
20	A map of a lost city tucked inside the binding

[From the Mailbag] Planetary Transmissions #1 Received!

Unless you've been living in a cave--or have been ignoring your OSR gaming feed--you've heard in the past couple months of the new system: White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying from Barrel Rider Games. I've been looking for a good Sci-Fi system for a while--collecting them, really--and grabbed up White Star as soon as it was released. (I'm actually anxiously awaiting the dead tree version.) I haven't had a load of time to peruse the PDF, but I like what I've seen: simple, elegant, and ultimately customizable.

This last is borne out in the sheer volume of third-party stuff that's been put out since the release of White Star. Heck, they've already had a little online controversy of their own, which will not be rehashed here or given any more print space. Suffice it to say, the system is kinda blowing up all over.

Enter Planetary Transmission by Leviathan Publishing. Issue #1 was released back at the end of May 2015 and Issue #2 is just about ready to be released. Just yesterday I got my hands on a copy of Issue #1 and ... HOLY COW.

This is some good stuff.

I think one of the marks of a good 'zine--or a good supplement of any kind, really--is its application to other settings/systems. It's why I try and stack a boatload of system-neutral stuff into The Stronghold. Well, Leviathan did it with Issue #1.

Just on my first read-through, I could see how both the new creature (the Dreg) and the creature template (the Strain) could be taken from the stars and translated to my 3.x campaign. The articles on "Allegiances" and "Contacts" spark some ideas for organizations and guilds in my campaign world, as does the article on "Armor Options." I'm already framing some of my own armor options and modifiers based on appearance, utility, etc.

The Death table easily transports to a fantasy setting for adventure hooks and quest ideas, and the Merchant table provides a useful NPC background for a fantasy bazaar. Granted, the Necro-sword would take some tweaking and the spaceships don't do much for a fantasy setting, but they are still cool ideas for a sci-fi campaign.  (I just need to convince my group to play some sci-fi, dang it all.) OH! Paper minis, too! BONUS!

All in all, a terrific first 'zine. I can't wait to get my hands on Issue #2....which should be hitting the printers any day now.

Do yourself a favor: Grab your own copy ASAP.

[A to Z April] O is for Obelisk of Ras (locale)

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

The Obelisk of Ras stands alone amidst the Great Salt Desert. The Obelisk appears to be a single seamless stone somehow shaped into an obelisk roughly 333 feet tall. There are no signs of tooling out other carving methods on the stone, itself unknown. There does not seem to be any entrance to the Obelisk; neither is there any visible window or break in the stone from the base to the peak. The four sides of the Obelisk are completely smooth, although not necessarily level or even, merely nearly so.

While there does appear to be a balcony or ledge just below the peak of the Obelisk, it has so far defied any efforts to be examined; flying creatures find their view of the balcony obscured by mists or salt storms that arise suddenly and unexpectedly. Creatures attempting to climb the side of the Obelisk eventually reach a section of stone that defies any manner of adhesion and they fall, usually to their deaths. Creatures attempting to scry the ledge are driven mad; temporarily if they are lucky. Those who attempt to scry within the Obelisk itself die quickly and horribly.

Rumors abound as to the origin of the Obelisk, ranging from sorcerers to gods, creatures of earth and creatures from other stars. All of these beings are labeled with the appellation "Ras"--a word which has no meaning to any of the cultures in and around the Salt Desert. It is a completely unknown phrase, and not even the eldest of the Desert Tribes know from whence the name comes. They simply know that it has been known as "The Obelisk of Ras" since the time they were children, and their fathers, their fathers' fathers, and so on, until the memory of the Tribes "runneth not to the contrary."

When the winds blow, passers-by and travelers have reported hearing a moaning or low whistling sound, which leads scholars to believe that the inside is hollow, at least in some respect. So far as it is known, there have been no successful attempts to breach the surface of the Obelisk to learn what--if anything--is to be found beneath within. Legend would have you believe that a map exists, somewhere, of the Obelisk's interior. The contents of that map and its whereabouts have eluded scholarly searches for centuries. Many adventurers, thieves, and scholars have perished in the search for the map.

The mystery of the Obelisk of Ras, however, continues to tempt and trap people across the continent and beyond.


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Previous "O"s:
2014: O is for Oh My Gosh, What Have I Done?
2013: O is for Omen Wine (beverage)
2012: O is for Oath of Righteous Magic
2011: O is for Opening Doors

[D&D 40th Anniversary Bloghop] Day Twenty-three

Day Twenty-three: First song that comes to mind that you associate with D&D. Why?

Easy.

Hotel California, by the Eagles, 1977.

If you have to ask why... c'mon, have you never LISTENED to the lyrics? I know, I know, Don Henley has claimed that the song was an "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles" and that "It's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America." All that symbolism aside, I still say:

Why has no one written an adventure based on Hotel California?!?

Let's take a quick look at the obvious: you have an adventurer, traveling in the dark. He sees a light in the distance, and immediately becomes sleepy. We have a mysterious woman whose motives are unclear who welcomes him into the house by candlelight. Charm spell, anyone? Once inside, he hears voices. Ghosts? Undead? Captives? Minions? Who knows?

This mysterious woman--Tiffany--has a bunch of boy toys pretty boys thralls in the courtyard, dancing. Honestly, some of them may actually be zombies, too. I can see in my mind both kinds: the thralls are in the middle of the courtyard, ball-room dancing while the zombies are around the edges, perhaps a few interspersed in the crowd, and every day they're shuffling, shuffling, shuffling. (I couldn't resist.)

Now, the idea that you entered the building willingly takes on a particularly dark and sinister note, doesn't it?

The hero asks for provisions, without any luck. And then, the voices come back, and loud enough to wake you up in the night. As you wander around investigating the building, you find garish, tacky, or out-of-date decor: mirrored ceilings, although despite the lyrics I always see them as a room of mirrors, like in the funhouse; fancy, cloying food and drink; and prisoners, but possibly willing prisoners. Maybe they're more thralls, maybe some of them are merely kept for occasional "snacks."

Then you find yourself in the "master's chambers." Perhaps Tiffany isn't the BBEG after all.... Whoever IS master, however, has a beast of some kind chained in his chambers. All of the thralls and his other subjects have gathered there for a ritual sacrifice: The Feast. No matter what they do to it, it will not die. Perhaps it's troll-kin. Perhaps they have a resident cleric who waits until the creature is on the verge of death and who then heals it back to normal. Whatever it is, the ritual is sufficient to cause the adventurer to run, nearly senseless, for the front door.

Only now he finds that there is no front door. The entire building is a trap. And the evil butler, himself likely a mid-level vampire, tells him that he can "check out" at any time, but cannot leave the building. He can die at any time, but he cannot escape.

Now you tell me.... Why would I possibly associate this song with D&D, hmmm? `

"Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim; I had to stop for the night."

[Map Monday] Goblin Warrens of Weepcur Glen (Lvl 1)

Yeah, it's Tuesday, but I'm going to still call it Map Monday, because my internet was having fits of frozen rage all weekend. This was the first time I could get this uploaded.

I present for your viewing pleasure today, the Goblin Warrens of Weepcur Glen!

I don't have a lot of background for this map. I'd like to imagine lots of little goblin nests throughout, particularly right in the middle, on the top terrace, using the large stalagmite for cover to rain arrows down upon a bunch of murder hobos adventurers....

To be frank, I'm not sure I like this map much at all. I know, that's a ringing endorsement.... Don't get me wrong; I'm still putting it out here for y'all, and I'd love to hear if you use it. Honestly, I'd like to get any feedback on this, period.

It was more of a project, an experiment.

You see, I don't get to use GIMP as much as I'd like. In my professional day-job life, it's not really even vaguely required. And, honestly, I let so much time lapse between digitizing my maps that I truly forget some of the tricks and tweaks I've used in the past. For example, I've COMPLETELY forgotten how I did the various water effects in the Caverns of the Sceades map from last year. I've seemingly misplaced the graphic I used for the parchment effects on my previous maps. But also, I wanted to try out some new techniques with this map.

I have a confession to make. Maps can be tedious.

To digitize, that is. Especially if you're like me and you like lots of little elevation changes. Those little elevation lines on the ledges? If anyone could tell me a fast and simple way to do that in GIMP or Photoshop, you would instantly become my hero. If you could tell me a fast and easy way to put the elevation lines in the crevasses? Yeah. I may just put you in my will. It takes so much time and energy to put the little lines in, time after time...I think that's why I let so much time elapse between map uploads here.

So, with this map, I used a fine tip Sharpie marker (y'know, the ones that say "fine" but are really quite large and fat?) on 1/4"-graph paper. I uploaded it, then contrasted out the lines, and added in a layer of digital lines. I also created my own "cross-hatch" effect and threw that on their as well. I wanted to see what effects were possible by hand-drawing then simply digitizing, with minimal digital touch-ups and re-draws.

Yeah. Didn't turn out nearly as well as I'd hoped.

I don't like the smoothness of the lines. I don't like re-drawing over my lines after I digitize a map, but I think it may have a more organic feel when I do. I also don't like filling the page with cross-hatch; I'd much rather do a partial fill like Dyson Logos' and Matt Jackson's maps. I know there's got to be an easy way to do this digitally, rather than by hand, but I have yet to find it. And I really don't want to ask these guys about their professional tricks: this is bread and butter to them, after all. (And yes, I've tried it by hand. The results were...well...frightening.)

I also ran into a problem with "transparency." I found it difficult to add colors (like the parchment paper) without over-writing them with other layers. Again, I know I'm missing something, I'm just having trouble finding (or re-finding) the answers. If anyone knows of a good GIMP tutorial, especially in re maps and map drawing, I'd love a reference. I'd also, like I said, appreciate any other feedback or criticism you can offer. Hopefully someone out there can use it in their own world, at least as a hook or an idea. Drop me a line if you do, would you?

The JPG is here and the PDF is here.

Found Item Friday: At The Potion Merchant's Cart

"Dilil, would you stop touching things? You have no idea where those things have been!" The female halfling slapped at her brother's hand just before he touched the oddly-shaped bottle on the merchant cart. Whispering, she continued, "Plus, if you break it, he's going to make you buy it. And you, brother, are a klutz."

Dilil sucked on the side of his hand and muttered, "Shiloru, you need to have more faith in me. And I'm not a klutz; put a sword in my hand and I'll show you." He waved his arm in a broad gesture, sweeping his cloak out of the way. The weighted edge of his cloak swept across the front row of bottles. Several fell to the ground, shattering, and leaving a variegated puddle.

The merchant smiled a cunning, toothy smile. "I'll just total up your receipt shall I, little master? Mayhaps you ought to listen more closely to your sister. Unfortunately, you chose a couple of the more rare items to, ahem, sample. If you wish to take them home with you, little master, I do have some – undamaged – bottles of the same draughts. I can just add them to your bill." Shiloru glared at Dilil and shook her head as the merchant walked around the corner of his cart, whistling happily.

• Bottle One: Nectar of Life
  – This potion is contained in a glass conical bottle. The bottle itself is sealed with a screw-on lid covered and made air-tight with blue wax. On the side of the bottle, a single strange rune is painted; the rune is from a very rare language and names the potion. Through the glass, the potion is seen as a turquoise color. If opened, it smells reminiscent of rhubarb. If consumed, it is a very thick liquid, much like yogurt, and has a very sour taste. If the entire bottle is consumed, it causes leaves to grow on the drinker’s body. The leaves last for 5 minutes. If consumed in full sunlight, it acts as either a heal or restoration spell. MSRP: 3300 gp
  
  
• Bottle Two: Oil of Irritation
  – This potion is in a brass container, one shaped to look on both sides like a grinning goblin face. The container is corked and sealed with black wax. There is no label on the container to identify the liquid within. If opened, the potion is seen as a yellow liquid, but is found to be odorless. If consumed, it tastes alcoholic, but with a greasy, oily texture. When consumed, the liquid causes the drinker to hear a high frequency noise for six hours; during this time, all of the drinker’s senses are diminished. MSRP: 300 gp
  
  
• Bottle Three: Tincture of Predictions
  – This crystal flask is sealed with a glass cap, which must be broken off to open. This makes the flask impossible to reuse. On one side of the flask is a glued-on paper label, which describes on ly the general type of potion contained in the flask. The potion is visibly crimson colored. If the flask is opened, a harsh chemical smell is released. The potion itself is bubbly and fizzy when the flask is opened. If consumed, the potion tastes like chicken and grants the drinker a vision of one day into her future. (This is not the full 24-hour span, but simply the actions, situations, etc. a full 24 hours after consuming.) This vision lasts for 1 minute. After the vision subsides, the drinker suffers from drowsiness and mild paranoia for 24 hours. MSRP: 800 gp
  

Found Item Friday: Battalion Mage's Desk

Seandi peeked around the tent's door, holding the fabric back with one long, delicate finger. There was no one visible within the tent; the coast was clear. Taking no chances, however, she slipped quietly between the tent flaps and quickly tip-toed across the inner space. As her lithe form crossed to the far side, her eyes flickered constantly around her, never once focusing on her true goal: the traveling desk of Master Alashor, Battle Mage for the 6th Battalion, Army of the Frozen Brand.

Her employer had said he would pay dearly for any items she could find on--and in--Alashor's desk. Now she just had to inventory the items and pack them away before she was discovered. Let the others worry about how they were going to get her back out from the middle of the enemy army.

Seandi grinned. She liked a good challenge.

Twenty Things Found in Master Alashor's Desk

1. A packet of six 6" wooden dowels, tied with a purple ribbon.
   
2. The heel (stale) from a loaf of bread.
   
3. A shard from a broken looking glass.
   
4. Four unmatched buttons.
   
5. The stubs of two beeswax candles.
   
6. Five cherry pits.
   
7. A chunk of brimstone.
   
8. One spool, made from clay.
   
9. The remains of a large, hairy spider in a 4" bamboo cage.
   
10. A dead newt floating in a fishbowl.
    
11. A dead tortoise in a jar filled with an orange-tinged liquid.
    
12. A 12"-long leather cord.
    
13. A dessicated orange rind, peeled as one piece.
    
14. Three dried peppers.
    
15. A soiled handkerchief.
    
16. Two peach pits.
    
17. A pixie's skull, apparently suspended in a small crystal ball.
    
18. One silver sewing needle.
    
19. A skeleton key.
    
20. A carved wooden whistle.
    

[A to Z April] F is for Frost Wound Patch (locale)

A two-day journey outside of Coldtreath will find a traveler at the foothills of the Elarrix Crags. The Elarrix Crags are a strange circular range of mountains with no seeming reason to be where they are located. In a secluded valley in the midst of the Elarrix Crags lies an open space that, under other circumstances, could be called a mountain meadow. This, however, is known as the Frost Wound Patch.

A dale approximately ten acres in size, this area is avoided by all who know of its existence. Strange things happen here and even stranger creatures inhabit the valley. The least of the creatures that call the Frost Wound Patch home are the frusenspöke, a race of vicious, frozen undead.

Regardless of the time of year in the surrounding mountains, the weather at Frost Wound Patch is always well below freezing. Freezing mists and fogs are not uncommon although snow is rare. Occasionally the Patch will receive skiffs of snow; sizeable accumulation simply does not happen. It is truly a wounded patch of earth among the other small fertile valleys scattered among the Elarrix Crags.

No one knows why the Patch is the way it is. There has been no reason or underlying cause found; it is most likely a natural--albeit strange--phenomenon, although rumors persist of an ancient battle between an ancient white dragon and a group of fell necromancers and weather mages. It is nearly impossible to start a fire of any size within the Patch and fire-related magic simply does not work.

ADVENTURE HOOKS

1. Recently there has been an outbreak of disease in the towns within the foothills of the Elarrix Crags. Rumor has it that dark, loathsome creatures have made their way down from the Frost Wound Patch to infect the citizens with a dreadful plague. This obviously has many locals concerned. The adventurers are hired to get to the bottom of the plague and do what they can to stop it. One of the characters has family that lives in one of the towns; a member of that family has contracted the disease and is dying.
   
2. While traveling, the characters come upon a former mentor of one of the characters. A meal at the next town is offered in exchange for willing ears. He tells tales of funerary desecrations and missing bodies. Footprints and other evidence point to the Elarrix Crags. After a lengthy question-and-answer it’s learned that the body of the mentor’s teenage daughter is also missing.
   
3. There have been rumors about wild magics and strange lights high in the Elarrix Crags. There are rumors about evil knights and dark summonings. There are also rumors of powerful magic items and treasure hoards.
   
4. A city near to the Elarrix Crags was once peaceful and productive. Then a nobleman of questionable character arrived from the mountains and took up residence in the ruins of a town in the foothills. Since then, despite the best efforts of a rich guildmaster and others, seemingly random wildfires have claimed the local farms and forests. The city has promised a great reward of supplies and clothing to any who can stop the nobleman.
   
5. While traveling along the foothills of the Elarrix Crags, the party comes upon a campsite tucked up in a thicket of woods. There are a half-dozen families here with their carts and possessions. It looks like they recently suffered an attack. Several of them are wounded: men, women, and children alike. The bodies of two men and a teenage boy are carefully laid out in the center of camp near a roaring fire. Monstrous tracks lead through the woods toward the Crags.
   
6. The party is hired by one member's friend to provide security for the wedding of his only daughter in the small city of Elarrix at the north end of the Elarrix Crags range. The party must guard the family's keep--and the daughter's rooms in one tower particularly--against kidnapping attempts of a rival family. In the morning, after an uneventful night, the daughter is discovered missing; her rooms are sub-freezing and filled with a cold mist. Frost covers everything within the room. The party must find the girl or lose face, reputation, money, and a friend.

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Previous "F"s:

2012: F is for Flesh Alliance

2011: F is for Found Items

[A to Z April] N is for Noises in the Dark (table)

Have you ever been in a dark building and heard a door click shut somewhere? What about in the woods and hear a twig snap in the distance? The common response of “What was that?!?!” and the sudden loosening of the bowels is akin to what your players think and feel when they hear noises in the dungeon.

OK, maybe the bowel-loosening is just me.

Please don’t judge me. Please?

I had a DM once who used noises as hooks to draw us deeper and deeper into the dungeon. And closer to our doom. So now I present a table of possible noises to use in this manner. And yes, you see correctly. It's not only a d30 table, but a 2d30-1 table. Pull out all your d30s and go crazy.

And make your players go crazy.

2d30-1 -Noises in the Dark-

1. Water rushing through pipes.
   
2. A sudden, single scream in the distance that cuts off abruptly.
   
3. An animal’s roar.
   
4. A child giggling.
   
5. The skittering of insects. Large insects.
   
6. The sound of a stone skipping across the floor.
   
7. Eerie and strangely familiar music.
   
8. The sound of wings flapping.
   
9. A voice counting, a number each second.
   
10. Electricity crackling.
    
11. A loud explosion.
    
12. The sound of a baby crying.
    
13. A twig snapping.
    
14. A door slamming shut.
    
15. Rats squeaking. Lots of squeaking.
    
16. The sound of vomiting.
    
17. A whip cracking.
    
18. A ticking clock.
    
19. A rumbling, like a cave-in or stone-fall.
    
20. Glass breaking.
    
21. Rustling cloth.
    
22. Moaning.
    
23. The tapping of a small hammer against stone.
    
24. Whistling.
    
25. A large bell pealing.
    
26. A voice reciting what seems to be a nursery rhyme in an unknown arcane language.
    
27. A wolf howling.
    
28. A metal gate clanging shut.
    
29. A haunting voice singing.
    
30. The sound of shovels digging.
    
31. Ripping paper.
    
32. An almost-audible hum.
    
33. Maniacal laughter interspersed with sobbing.
    
34. The sound of clanking machinery.
    
35. A creaking door that clicks shut.
    
36. Bubbling liquid.
    
37. An axe chopping wood.
    
38. Wind.
    
39. A braying mule.
    
40. Fire crackling.
    
41. An argument in Orcish.
    
42. Claws scraping a piece of slate.
    
43. Footsteps.
    
44. Coughing.
    
45. Musical scales played on a harp.
    
46. The sound of children playing.
    
47. Croaking frogs. Large ones.
    
48. Heavy breathing.
    
49. A low, steady, constant drumbeat.
    
50. The sound of large stone machinery.
    
51. A small dog barking...non-stop.
    
52. A beer-drinking song in Gnomish.
    
53. Wood being struck against wood.
    
54. The sound of dragging chains.
    
55. A squealing pig.
    
56. Bones crunching.
    
57. Numerous voices chanting in an unknown language.
    
58. A cat yowling.
    
59. A whetsone rubbing against a metal tool.

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Last year's "N": N is for Nano-dice
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[OSR Challenge] Gesundheit

Gesundheit: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure. [With apologies to Asshat Paladin; I should have waited to read his latest adventure. It got stuck in my head and all I could think about was summoning.]

Get Ready:

• The adventurers stumble upon a dark ritual being performed deep in a friendly stronghold. They have no time to summon help; they must deal with this on their own, or die trying.

[OSR Challenge] A New Skeleton For The Closet

A New Skeleton For The Closet: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• The adventurers find a secret door hidden inside a closet in the Hold Lord’s bedchamber. Opening the secret door brings the party more than it bargained.

[OSR Challenge] Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Potential Copyright Violation

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Potential Copyright Violation: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• The adventurers, seeking to relieve the stronghold of a priceless piece of art, break into the Hold Lord’s private study. Inside they find something quite unexpected.

[OSR Challenge] Midnight In The Garden Of Neutral And Chaotic Evil

Midnight In The Garden Of Neutral And Chaotic Evil: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• Rumors of fantastic treasure draw the adventurers to a dwarven druid’s small keep; even better: the druid has not been seen for weeks. Now is their chance.

[OSR Challenge] Keep A-Knockin’ But You Can’t Come In

Keep A-Knockin’ But You Can’t Come In: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure. (This short adventure is designed to follow the short adventure entitled “Knock, Knock ... The Sky Is Falling” and assumes the adventurers move forward with their exploration of the stronghold.)

Get Ready:

• The young adventurers have been bloodied, but their resolve remains. The smell of treasure promise of exploration drives them forward.

[OSR Challenge] Knock, Knock...The Sky Is Falling

Knock, Knock...The Sky Is Falling: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• Sometimes just getting in is the hardest part for a group of young adventurers. And sometimes a stalactite is just a stalactite...except when it's not.

[OSR Challenge] Dank As A Ditch

Dank As A Ditch: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure. (With apologies to Theodore Roethke and his ‘Root Cellar.’)

Get Ready:

• Something is wrong in the stronghold’s storage room; dwarves go to the cellar and do not come out. The adventurers boldly volunteer to root out whatever is down there...for a price, of course.

[OSR Challenge] Bridge Over Troubled Water

Bridge Over Troubled Water: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• Fleeing from a powerful dwarven sorceress, the adventurers cross the breezeway joining the two halves of the sorceress’ stronghold over a deep chasm. They do not count upon her skills with elemental creatures, however.

[OSR Challenge] Walk Into My Parlor

Walk Into My Parlor: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• The marauding goblins are gone and the forest outside is quiet. The quiet does not mean safety, for another danger has been living in a lonely tower with a chimney to the outside.

[OSR Challenge] Please Pass The AACKKK

Please Pass The AACKKK: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! 3.5 Edition adventure set in a Dwarven Stronghold, but easily dropped into any stronghold or similar structure.

Get Ready:

• Some people never learn the truth of the adage, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Intrigued by wisps of smoke found randomly throughout the stronghold, the adventurers seek out the source.