Art: Inked Gas

Lyrics: Catch the Rainbow by Ritchie Blackmore

Editing: Jim Parkin
Layout: Michael Mars Russell
Addition Content: Scott Malthouse, James S. George, Isaac Williams
Special Thanks: The Twin City Gamers, James and Robyn George, Ray Otus, and Norbert G. Matausch
Published by Tainted Edge Games
1st Edition 2022

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review
or scholarly journal.

Copyright © 2021 by James T. Hook

Foreword
James and I first began correspondence many years ago when he expressed his enjoyment of Barbarians of
Lemuria. Over the years, we have discussed and exchanged ideas about several of my other publications,
including Triumphant! Crimson Blades and Woodland Warriors. These exchanges often led to improvements in
those games.

One thing that we consistently agreed on was that at their core, role playing games should be simple. That isn’t
to say they should not be flavourful but that the mechanics shouldn’t intrude on the actual play of the game.

With Have, Axe Will Travel (HAWT), James has really taken this minimal design philosophy to heart. Some
gamers, of course, will long for much more mechanically than HAWT will provide for them. They might be
better off coming back when they have tired of complex mechanics - maybe in a few years’ time.

Others will love HAWT’s minimal structure as James has created a clean game that will definitely not get in
the way of one’s enjoyment. I particularly like the guest contributions that make up a large part of this book.
They really show how gaming does not require huge rulebooks and should give the “new-to-the-OSR” crowd
some great insights into how it’s done. The old OSR crowd should also find much to like, perhaps even raising a
chuckle or two.

Simon Washbourne
Beyond Belief Games
Overview iv

Character Creation 1

Traits 1

Extraordinary Abilities 1

Magic Background 1

Language 1

Cosmic Bondage 2

Equipment 3

How to Play 6

Magic 11

Soul Eaters 12

Retainers 13

Referee’s Section 14

Monsters 16

The Corpse Reluctantly Parts With… 18

The Room is Filled With… 19

Magical Items 20

Optional Resources 22

The First Dungeon Adventure 24

Just a Guy With an Axe 26

They Met at a Tavern 27

In Defense of Diceless Hits 27

How to Make Magic Weird Again 28

Why Dungeons Should be like the New York Stock Exhange 28

Bigger Swords, Better Sorcery 30

For D&D’s Old Masters, the Fantasy Still Thrills 31

The Temple of Frogmarsh 35

 Overview
Many years ago, I was deeply influenced by a forum post on Dragonsfoot that was written by an uncle in 2007
who was introducing his nephew to Dungeons and Dragons. Before he could even explain anything, his son
wanted to play a guy with an axe named Toby. The campaign went from there! That was all the uncle needed
to know to begin the adventure.

I have thought about this forum post many times throughout the years and it really
sparked my interest in games that are rules light. It was not long before I let
myself get lost in games like Sword and Backpack, Whitebox, Black Hack, White
Hack, Into the Odd, There and Back Again by Ray
Otus, all of the offerings
from Olde House Rules,
and homebrew games of
FKR and Minimald6 by
Norbert G. Matausch.

This started me down a

rabbit hole of game theory
and studying the history of the
hobby all the way back to its
roots in the late 1960s and the early
1970s.

The lesson in this story is that I want to

continue the legacy of the Twin Cities
and all of those that have carried the
torch before me because now, it is my turn.
I want to create a game that is narrative-
forward but has a framework that can be relied
upon and built upon. A game that
does not get in the way of the
story, a game that can be ran just
as easily online as in person, and a
game where immersion is easy and
is key.

This is to make sure the next person,

whatever their name, will have their
axe.
"Do not worry about any tables. My games (and rules)
are much more free form. I find that adding rules and
tables gives the players more distractions, and takes
away from their immersion in the game. I tend to give
players the benefit of the doubt. I tend towards a more
favorable result to the players for anything that
happens."
Bob Meyer
 made with disadvantage.
Character Creation It is important to understand that Traits never affect
combat Task Rolls. Combat can be dangerous and the
1. Choose a Name.
only way to make it easier is through better
2. Choose Cosmic Bondage. positioning (having the high ground), setting a trap or
ambush, having something the opponent is weak to,
3. Invent a Trait; a race, profession, background, or etc.
faction.

4. Record starting Might of 10. Might is the characters

combination of luck, stamina, and skill.
5. Choose two options below (or the same one twice):
• Write down another Trait
• Gain an additional Might
• Extraordinary Abilities: Come up with a daily
ability
• Magic Background: Come up two spells or choose
from those provided
6. Start with the common language and one of your
choice.
7. Record Starting Equipment: 1d6x10 silver pieces,
choice of weapon(s), clothing, waterskin, three days’
worth of rations, professional accouterments, and can
start with either a shield or armor (but not both)
unless they can afford to purchase it. If armor or a
shield is chosen, it must be for personal use and not
just to resell it.
Extraordinary Abilities
An extraordinary ability represents your character’s
unique skill. It works once a day starting when you
first acquire but, but this can be increased at later
advancements. Unless it is something godlike
(something no mortal could even believe to be
possible) is does not require a Task Roll. If it is
something impossible, then the Task Roll is required.
Some ideas might be a faithful pet, silver tongue,
martial arts, trick shots, twin weapons, acrobatics,
animal whisperer, walk through walls, etc. Options can
be limitless.
Extraordinary Abilities are the only consistent way to
gain advantage in combat. This can be from a feint,
fancy footwork, bullseye throwing, and so on.
Magic Background
At some point during your characters life, they learned
how to use magic. You can choose two spells from the
list or come up with some spells with the help of the

Traits
Referee.

Traits help define your characters background, who

they are, what they do, what groups they belong to, Language
and what occupations they may have.
Starting
• What your character is (Orc, Elf, Tree-Person, etc.) characters begin
knowing the
• What your character does (Alchemist, Assassin, common tongue
Barbarian, Beastmaster, Beggar, Blacksmith, and their
Cleric, Dancer, Druid, Executioner, Farmer, cultural
Gladiator, Hunter, Magician, Merchant, Mercenary, language.
Minstrel, Monk, Noble, Paladin, Physician, Priest,
Sailor, Scribe, Slave, Soldier, Sorcerer, Ranger,
Temptress, Thief, Warlock, Wizard, Worker)

• What your character belongs to (organizations that

can provide support)

• Where your character comes from (a city, a forest,

a different realm/plane, far off mountains)

The Referee or other players may have questions about

your traits. It is important to make sure everyone
understands the setting and what is appropriate.

Anytime where a trait is relevant when a Task Roll is

needed, the roll is made with advantage. Rarely, if a
trait does not work in your favor then the roll will be
1

Cosmic Bondage
Attitudes toward order and chaos are divided into
three opposing beliefs. Picture these beliefs as the
points of a triangle, all pulling away from each other.
The three beliefs are law, chaos, and neutrality. One of
these represents each character's ethos--their
understanding of society and relationships.
Law
become a barren wasteland.
Philosophers of neutrality not only presuppose the
existence of opposites, but they also theorize that the
universe would vanish should one opposite destroy the
other (since nothing can exist without its opposite).
Fortunately for these philosophers (and all sentient
life), the universe seems to be efficient at regulating
itself. Only when a powerful, unbalancing force
appears (which almost never happens) need the
defenders of neutrality become seriously
concerned.

Characters who believe in law

maintain that order,
Chaos
organization, and society are
The believers in chaos hold that there
important—indeed, vital--forces
is no preordained order or careful
of the universe. The relationships
balance of forces in the universe.
between people and governments
Instead, they see the universe as a
exist naturally. Lawful philosophers
collection of things and events, some
maintain that this order is not created
related to each other and others
by man but is a natural law of the
completely independent. They tend
universe. Although man does not create
to hold that individual actions
orderly structures, it is his obligation to
account for the differences in things
function within them, lest the fabric of
and that events in one area do not
everything crumble. For less
alter the fabric of the universe
philosophical types, lawfulness
halfway across the galaxy.
manifests itself in the belief that
Chaotic philosophers believe
laws should be made and
in the power of the
followed, if only to have
individual over his own
understandable rules for
destiny and are fond of
society. People should not
anarchistic nations.
pursue personal
Being more pragmatic,
vendettas, for example,
non-philosophers
but should present their
recognize the function
claims to the proper
of society in protecting
authorities.
their individual rights.
Strength
Chaotics can be hard
comes
to govern as a group,
through
since they place their
unity of
own needs and
action, as
desires above
can be
those of society.
seen in
guilds,
empires,
and powerful
churches.

Neutrality
Those espousing neutrality tend to take a more
balanced view of things. They hold that for every force
in the universe, there is an opposite force somewhere.
Where there is lawfulness, there is also chaos; where
there is neutrality, there is also partisanship. The same
is true of good and evil, life and death. What is
important is that all these forces remain in balance
with each other. If one factor becomes ascendant over
its opposite, the universe becomes unbalanced. If
enough of these polarities go out of balance, the fabric
of reality could pull itself apart. For example, if death
became ascendant over life, the universe would
2
 Equipment Adventuring Gear
Antitoxin/Antiplague: 25sp
Inventory Slots Alchemical Ingredients: 15sp
Camping Set: 15sp
Climbing Kit: 20sp
Your adventurer has various Crowbar: 10sp
equipment slots where they can Caltrops: 3sp
carry items. Every Adventurer has Coin Purse: 1sp
the following slots: Garlic: 5sp
Holy Symbol: 25sp
Hands: A main and offhand slot. Holy Water: 25sp
These items are “carried”. Iron Spike (12): 1sp
Lantern: 12sp
Body: Two body slots. These items can
Poison: 20sp
be switched with items in the hand slots
Rations (Iron – 5 usage): 15sp
without taking a round. Armor is
Rations (Standard): 5sp
required to be placed here.
Rope (50’): 1sp
Backpack: There are six backpack slots. It Stakes (3) and Mallet: 3sp
takes a round to retrieve an item from the Thieves’ Tools: 25sp
backpack. Tinder Box (Flint and Steel): 3sp
Torches (6): 1sp
Coins: An adventurer can carry a maximum Wine (2 Pints): 1sp
of 250 coins without needed a coin purse. Wolfsbane (1 Bunch): 10sp

Usage Weapons
Most items have three usage dots. When all Battle Axe (2-Handed): 7sp
three usage dots are marked on an item it is Club (1-Handed): 3sp
depleted or destroyed. Usage dots can be cleared Crossbow (2-Handed): 30sp
from weapons/armor for 3 silver per usage dot Dagger (1-Handed): 3sp
repaired, or half of total cost, whichever is more. Darts (1-Handed): 1sp
Hand Axe (1-Handed, T): 4sp
• Weapons/Ammunition: After a fight, roll a d6 Javelin (1-Handed, T): 1sp
for each item used during the encounter. On a Lance (2-Handed): 5sp
1-2, mark a usage Longbow (2-Handed): 40sp
Mace (1-Handed): 5sp
• Armor: Once armor or shield is used, it is Maul (2-Handed): 15sp
considered ruined and needs to be repaired at Polearm (2-Handed): 7sp
half cost or replaced. Shortbow (1-Handed): 25sp
Short Sword (1-Handed): 7sp
• Torches/Lanterns: Mark usage every 6 turns Silver Dagger (1-Handed, T): 30sp
Sling (1-Handed): 2sp
• Rations: Mark usage after every meal Spear (1-Handed, T): 4sp
Staff (1-Handed: 2sp
• Other Gear: If used in a way that could break Sword (1-Handed): 10sp
or deplete it, the GM may ask you to mark Two-Handed Sword (2-Handed): 15sp
usage Warhammer (1-Handed): 5sp
Whip (1-Handed): 3sp
Encumbrance
Weapon Descriptors
If your adventurer is carrying more items than
they have slots they are considered encumbered. 1-Handed: 1 Hit
An encumbered character rolls disadvantage for 2-Handed: 2 Hits
all physical tasks. T – Can be Thrown

Banking Ammunition
In most large settlements, there are banks set up. Arrows: 5sp
Adventurers can store coin and items there for Crossbow Bolts: 10sp
nominal fees. Silver Tipped Arrow: 15sp
Sling Stones: Free

3
Armor Animals
Any (Special)*: 40sp Carrier Pigeon: 100sp
Shield (Special)**: 10sp Small but Snarky Dog: 1sp/2sp
Horse, Riding: 100sp
*Armor – If reduced to 0 Might through violence, Horse, War: 500sp
armor can save the wearer by allowing them to recover Livestock: 10sp/5sp
with 10% of their Might. Mule: 50sp/25sp
Pony: 75sp/50sp
**Shields – Can reduce 3 Hits from a single source. Rat (Tame): 5sp

Food Companionship
Bottle of Wine/Liquor, Poor 5cp Meager (Street Rat) 2cp
Decent 1sp Poor (Street Walker) 8cp
Rich 10sp Common (Brothel) 5sp
Drink, Cheap 1cp Good (High-Class) 10sp
Decent 3cp Extravagant (Courtesan) 20sp
Good 6cp
Rich 15sp
Meal, Fancy 1sp Bribe
Rich 15sp
Standard 5cp Guard: 20-40sp
Horrid 2cp Clerk: 30-60sp
Rabble: 5-15sp

Services Note on Currency: This game uses the silver standard.

A single SP is worth approx. 10.00 USD. For simplicity,
Post, Local 1sp Silver coins can be split into ten Copper coins (cp)
Municipal 5sp each worth approx. 1.00 USD.
Kingdom 15sp
Outrealm 25sp
Coach, Local 1sp
Travel per day 10sp
Charter per day 20sp
Freight, per pound per day 5cp
Ship, Passage, per day 2sp
Charter, per day 100sp

Lodging
Barn, 1cp
Inn, Poor 1sp
Average 5sp
Secure 10sp
Fancy 25sp/5sp
Extravagant 100sp/25sp
Rent, 1 month (per 10’ sq.) 30sp/15sp

“Anything which is physically possible may be

attempted – not always successfully.”
David Wesely, Strategos N. 1970

4

How to Play
The Referee usually describes a situation, and the
players describe what their adventurer does. The
Referee will determine the outcome.
Role-Playing
You are in control of--and acting in the role of--your
adventurer. You can talk in first, second, third person,
or switch between them.
Adventuring Advice
Caution is key. Whether walking down a hallway, or
arranging your battle formation, care should be used
to maximize safety and combat efficiency. This often
means using the walls and obstacles in the
environment to limit the number of monsters that can
attack at a time. Another good tactic is to have the
toughest and/or shortest members of the party in
front, and those with spells and ranged weapons
reinforcing the front line. Avoid having all the
characters too close together in case of an area effect
trap or attack.
• Combat Should be the Last Resort: Combat is
dangerous and deadly. It is usually best to avoid it
whenever possible. Do not be afraid to negotiate
with monsters using food or treasure to avoid
potentially dangerous encounters, get information
from them, or even team up with them against
other monsters.
• Know When to Search: It is good to search for
traps, hidden treasures, and secret doors. Note that
searching also takes time. The more time spent
looking for loot, the more likely other problems
could arise.
• Know When to Withdraw: Greed kills. It is
sometimes best to head back to town and recover
before taking further risks. The deeper a party
wanders into the unknown, the longer and more
dangerous it will be to get out of it.
• Seek Help: It is often advantageous to take along
hirelings into dungeons once the characters have
earned some wealth. There are many kinds of
hirelings—those who fight, those who guide, those
who merely carry torches and supplies, and those
who tend to the pack animals. Hirelings are
employed on a part-time basis, typically for a single
adventure. They can be of any level, but high-risk
jobs and more experienced hirelings cost more
money (this cost is left to the GM's discretion and
the characters’ ability to haggle). Hirelings may
also need the characters to front the cost of basic
armor, weapons, and other supplies.
• Explore Your World: Regardless of direction, the
world is yours. You dictate what happens, what
interests you, and where you go. Follow leads, but
6
make your own, too. If you want it, go find it.
Fight for it. Whatever it is. Work as a crew and a
family. Your debt is always shared.
• Dice are Dangerous: The best laid plans and clever
ideas do not need dice.
Task Rolls
When your adventurer does something that has
consequences, a Task Roll is called for. Unless you
have disadvantage or advantage, roll 2d6 and if any
dice come up a 5 or 6 the action is considered a
success.
Opposed Tasks
If your adventurer is being directly opposed, both
sides make a Task Roll and whoever has the most
successes wins. If no one has any successes, the
contest is a standstill, and no one improves their
situation.
Advantage and
Disadvantage
If your adventurer has advantage, roll 3d6 and if any
of the dice come up a 5 or 6 then the action is
considered a success. If your adventurer has
disadvantage, then roll 1d6 and if it comes up a 5 or 6
then the action is considered a success.
Might
All adventurers begin the chronicle with 10 points of
Might. This represents the adventurer’s general
stamina, luck, and skill to survive difficult situations.
One Might can be spent by the player for the following
effects:
• Make any Task Roll with advantage (this decision
needs to be made before the roll).
• Survive an attack made against them, noting that
some attacks or hazards will do multiple hits and
require multiple points of Might spent.
If an adventurer runs out of Might, death is inevitable
unless the use of armor and/or intervention from the
Referee happens or is used. It is important to note
that falling to zero Might is not lethal in itself unless
subsequent hits or other situations that could create a
fatal situation occur. Might is recovered through rest.
Combat
Combat can be dangerous, so it should be approached
with caution.
If you attack unsuspecting foes, your adventurer and
any allies that are aware of the situation can attack or
take an action first. Otherwise, everyone makes a Task The Referee will tell you when.
Roll. Anyone who succeeds get to act before the
adversaries. On your turn, you can move one range
band and perform an action. Action can be anything Time
but includes attacking, casting a spell, running away,
or performing a maneuver (like tripping or disarming). The game is divided up into different time segments
(that scale) for better organization.

Attack • Round: This scale is used for combat. Each round

To make an attack, make a Task Roll. If it is
successful, calculate hits. Most single-handed attacks
deal 1 hit, two-handed attacked deal 2 hits. There are
some creatures and environmental hazards that deal
more hits than that. The total hits are removed from
the target's Might.
Armor
is less then a minute.
• Turn: This scale is used during exploration of an
adventure site. Each turn is 10 minutes and is
enough time to search a room or small area or
perform a couple of actions.
• Watch: This scale is used during wilderness travel.
Each watch is 6 hours and there are four watches
in a day.

If reduced to 0 Might through violence, armor can save

the wearer by allowing them to recover with 10% of
their Might. When armor is used in this way, it is
ruined until repaired or replaced. There are no
specific types of armor, it is up to the player to decide
what the armor (if any) appears to be on their
adventurer. Shields on the other hand, can reduce 3
hits from a single source. If a shield is used in this
way, it is ruined until repaired or replaced.
Rest and Healing
There are multiple ways an adventurer can recover:
• Overnight: Heal 1 Might when a watch is spent
sleeping.
Range
Ranges are abstracted in Have Axe, Will Travel and
are divided into different range bands. The three
range bands are Close, Near, and Far. It takes one
movement during an adventurer’s turn to move one
range band.
Overland Travel
A hex represents six miles, and it takes a full day of
travel (with a watch to sleep) to travel a hex. This is
dependent on terrain, weather, and factors such as
roads and mounts. These factors can increase or
decrease the time it takes to travel hex.

• Full Rest: Spend a week in civilization

and restore an additional 2 Might.

• Medical Treatment: If medical aid is used

in conjunction with an Overnight Rest, an
additional point of Might is recovered.

Standing at the
Black Gates
When you’re dying you catch a
glimpse of what lies beyond the
Black Gates of Death’s
Kingdom (the referee will
describe it). Then roll 2d6
(just roll, add nothing). On a
10+, you’ve cheated Death—
you’re in a horrible spot but
you’re still alive. On a 7–9,
Death himself will offer you
a bargain. Take it and
stabilize or refuse and pass
beyond the Black Gates in to
whatever fate awaits you. On
6-, your fate is sealed. You’re
marked as Death’s own and
you’ll cross the threshold soon.
7

Foraging
If the adventurers are in an area that has edible plants two from these options (but each entry only once):
or small game, they can spend a watch foraging to find
a 1d3 usage rations.
Advancement
As the adventures explore the dangerous world and
survive, they tend to get better at what they do. At the
end of every session, the Referee can award experience •
points (XP):
• 1-5 XP for Overcoming Adversaries
• 5 XP for Completing Quests
• 1-2 XP for Amazing Roleplaying
8
When the adventurer reaches 20 times their current
level in XP, they can advance. There is a maximum of
ten advances. Upon advancing, the player can choose
• Gain an additional Might
• Research a new spell (Magic Background
Required)
• Gain a new Extraordinary Ability (1/Day)
Add an additional use per day to an existing
Extraordinary Ability
• Gain a single additional melee or ranged attack for
a total of two attacks. Those who wield a 2h melee
weapon cannot choose this option.
At 4th, 7th, and 10th levels you can also take another
Trait or gain a Magical Background.
9
10

Magic
Magic is produced by binding elemental spirits in
objects using runic symbols for specific tasks. This
process of imprisonment tends to anger the elementals
and it takes a sacrifice on the caster’s part to coerce
the spirit to do its bidding. It takes dedication, study,
and willingness to risk one’s soul to learn the symbols
and formulas to be able to use magic.
Casting a Spell
To cast a spell, the adventurer needs to brandish the
runic object no smaller than the size of a fist, recite
the ancient words of power, and sacrifice a point of
Might to the spirit within the object.
The Runic Object
The object that houses the elemental spirit takes up a
inventory slot and can be just about anything that is
at least the size of a fist (this includes weapons,
staves, wands, clay tablets, armor, herb bags, etc.). The
runic object follows the same usage rules as weapons
and ammunition--it has three usage dots and after
every encounter (or use outside of combat) roll d6, on a
1–2-mark usage due to the surge of power from the
elemental spirit. When the object reaches three usage,
it crumbles to dust and the spirit trapped within flees.
It takes a watch of concentrated effort for the caster
to bind a new spirit for a specific task inside of an
object.
Empowering a Spell
Additional Might can be spent to improve the spells
effectiveness in the following ways:
• Spells deal hits on a one for one basis. +1 Might
can be sacrificed for +1 hits
• +1 Might sacrificed per additional target
• Knock: Open any locked door or chest.
• Non-damaging spells have a base duration of 1d6+1
rounds in combat and 1d6+1 turns outside of • Grease: Cover an area in slippery grease.
combat. Additional Might can be sacrificed for an
addition round/turn of effect on a one for one Referee Advice: Anyone caught in the area must make
basis
Creating a Spell
Decide the following:
1. Name
2. Choose damaging (1 Hit) or effect (1d6+1 rounds/
turns)
3. If effect, choose if it affects others, the adventurer,
or the environment
4. Create words to speak
5. Write a description of how the spell manifests
6. Choose what object the elemental is bound into
Sample Spells
• Animate Corpse: Animate corpse to do the bidding
of the caster.
• Displacement: Mirror image illusions of the caster
appear.
Referee Advice: All actions against the caster are
done with Disadvantage.
• Firebolt: Shoot a bolt of fire at a target or object.
• Heal: Heal the Target of 1 Might.
• Fear: Target becomes terrified of you and will not
approach you and will try to create as much
distance between the two.
• Darkness: Create a sphere of darkness that hinders
all sight except the casters.
Referee Advice: All actions against the caster are
done with Disadvantage.
• Ghost Hand: Can be used to carry six items or
manipulate an object no heavier than 5 lbs.
• Tongues: Allow any creature or person to
understand you.
• Light: Can stun one target or create light as bright
as a torch.
Referee Advice: Damage to a stunned opponent
breaks the magical hold.
• Invisibility: You are invisible and can move unseen
unless you attack or otherwise draw attention.
disadvantage Task Roll or fall prone.
• Grow: Triple a creature’s size.
• Ray of Sickness: Target is struck by extreme
nausea and becomes feverish.
Referee Advice: Target suffers disadvantage on Task
Rolls.
11
 Soul Eaters
There are beings out there that have found or been
given dark and forbidden knowledge by entities better
left sleeping. Soul Eaters are beings with magic that
have discovered how to rip vitality from the land and
other living things to power their magic.

When Soul Eaters first discover this technique, they

trap an elemental of pestilence in their bodies by
carving a rune on their chest and down their arms.

This forsaken rune gives them the ability to drain

Might 1:1 from living creatures by touching them per
round. The Soul Eaters can also
drain the energy from the plants
and other lesser lifeforms in their
immediate vicinity. By contacting
the area with bare skin, the Soul
Eater destroys a 2d6x20’
sphere centered on the
contact point. All plant
life, bacteria, bugs,
and other small life
forms within this
sphere are instantly
turned to ash as the
Soul Eater drains the
life from the land
gaining 1 to 3 Might
(depending on how
lush the area was).
Nothing will grow
again in the
affected area and for
eternity, it will be
a barren
wasteland.

Soul Eaters
follow these
rules:

• The rune takes

up a
permanent
body slot

• They are unable to use

their own vitality to power
their magic

• The stolen Might is not

added to the
total but
tracked
separately. This
additional might
bleeds off by 1
every day

The total amount

of stolen Might a
Soul Eater may
possess is 6
12
 Each adventurer can only have a maximum of three
Retainers retainers at any one time.

If the adventures spend time in any settlement that

can usually find someone willing to help them out. All
Upkeep
retainers possess 1-3 Might and have one Trait. More Outside of their daily wages, retainers will request a
advanced retainers can possess more Might and might percentage of treasure found, require gear and for it
even have an Extraordinary Ability, but these will cost to be maintained, room and board.
triple or more the normal pay.

After the adventurers try to recruit their retainers,

they can make a Task Roll or pay 20sp but not both.
Experience
Retainers earn experience just like the adventurers
Retainer Trait Wages per Day
but can only be used to purchase Might.
Torch Bearer 1sp
Laborer 2sp Morale
Tunnel Digger 5sp
Armorer/Blacksmith 8sp All retainers possess a morale score of 4. Check
morale for each retainer after the following situations:
Local Guide 10sp
Men-at-Arms 10sp • Peril: Each time the retainer is exposed to a
particularly dangerous situation. If the roll fails,
Scholar 20sp the retainer will likely flee.
Knight 25sp
• After an Adventure: If the roll fails, the retainer
Interpreter 30sp will not work for the adventurer again.

Retainers have 6 total inventory slots; main and off

hand, two body, and two pack.

“…the office of the referee should be regarded, not so

much in the light of an adviser, as of an arbiter.
He should bear in mind the principle that anything can
be attempted.”
-From Strategos (1880) by Charles Adiel Lewis Totten

13
 To check if an encounter happens, roll a d6. On a 1 –
Referee’s Section roll for the encounter. On a 2 – the adventurers find
signs of an possible encounter and any other result
nothing happens.
Best Practices The encounter tables should be set up specific to the
• Create Situations, Not Plots: Let your players area the adventures are in and they may follow this
explore what they are interested in or follow their format:
own leads. Avoid railroading them in any one
direction. 2d6 Encounter Type
2 Dangerous
• Present the World as It Is: As the Referee, you
create everything the players interact with through 3-5 Uncommon
their adventurers. Do not go out of your way to 6-8 Common
hide things from your players, they should have all
the relevant information to make impactful 9-11 Uncommon
choices. Do your best to keep the world consistent.
12 Weird
• Clear and Present Danger: Announce dangers to
your players and give them time to make decisions.
Make traps, puzzles, and other dangerous
situations obvious.
Reactions
• Do not Pull your Punches: Danger cannot be When the adventurers encounter someone or
meaningful if there are no consequences to the something else and the situation is not clear, you may
players' actions. When they face off against a roll on the Reaction Table to Determine the other sides
dangerous foe or fall into a deadly trap, do not shy disposition.
away from the consequences.
2d6 Reaction
• Calling for a Task Roll: Task Rolls should be only
called upon from a player’s choice or action. 2 Hostile
Adventurers can do anything that seems 3-5 Unfriendly
reasonable and safe but when something is
dangerous, failure can mean consequences. 6-8 Neutral
Consequences of a failed task should be obvious
and can include loss of Might/time/a random item, 9-11 Indifferent
or additional usage marked. 12 Helpful

Weather
Every day, you may opt to roll for the weather. The
weather that has a * next to it is harsh weather and
travel times double or triple.
Morale
Most creatures and other antagonists will not fight to
the death. All NPCs and monsters have a morale
rating as indicated below:

Random Encounters • 2: Will almost never fight

When the adventurers are at a site such as a dungeon, • 4: Non-Combatant

you may roll for an encounter every four turns or if
the adventurers are doing something to draw attention • 7: Trained Combatant
to themselves or if you feel like the players are taking
to long. • 12: Will always fight

While the adventures are in the wilderness, you may To check moral, roll a 2d6. If the result is higher than
check for an encounter once per day. the moral score, the adversary will surrender or

2d6 Spring Summer Autumn Winter

2 Rainstorm* Thunderstorm* Wild Winds* Snowstorm*
3-5 Drizzle Very Hot* Heavy Rain* Sleet*
6-8 Overcast Clear, Hot Cool Bitter Cold*
9-11 Sunny Sunny Patchy Rain Overcast
12 Clear and Warm Pleasantly Warm Clear and Crisp Clear and Crisp
14
attempt to flee. If equal to
or below the morale score,
the adversary will continue
to fight.

Roll moral when these

conditions are met:

• First Death on their side

• When half of their force

is depleted

15
 Monsters
Name: The creature's name

Strength: Each creature has 1-3 Might per strength listed

Size: The relative size of the creature. S = Small, M = Medium, and L = Large

Number Appearing: The possible numbers of creatures that can appear together
Name Strength Size Number Appearing
Anka 5 L 1
Ape 2-4 M 1-12
Banshee 6 M 1
Basilisk 3 S 1
Bat 1 S 1-10
Bat, Giant 2 M 1-2
Bear 4 L 1-3
Boar 3 M 1-3
Brigand 1-3 M 3-18
Bugbear 2 M 4-8
Centaur 4 M 1-2
Chimera 8 L 1
Cockatrice 2 S 1
Crocodile 3 M 1-3
Demon 10 M 1
Devil 8 M 1
Dragon Varies Varies 1
Druid 2 M 1
Dryad 3 M 1-2
Elemental 5 Varies 1-3
Elephant 6 L 1-12
Faerie 1 S 1-4
Flytrap 4 S 1
Fungi 5 Varies 1-10
Gargoyle 3 M 1-6
Ghost 7 M 1
Ghoul 2 M 1-6
Giant 6 L 1
Giant, Fire 8 L 1
Giant, Frost 7 L 1
Golem 5 Varies 1
Gorgon 4 M 1-2
Griffin 5 L 1
Harpy 3 M 1-7
Hellhound 4 M 1-4
Homunculus 2 M 1
Horse 3 L 1
Imp 2 S 1-8
Jelly 1 S 1
Jinn 5 M 1
Lamia 3 M 1
16
 Lich Varies M 1
Lion 3-4 M 1-8
Lizard, Giant 3 L 1-5
Manticore 6 M 1
Merman 4-5 M 1-6
Minotuar 7 L 1
Mule 2 M 1
Mummy 8 M 1
Necromancer Varies M 1
Nymph 3 M 1
Orge 5 L 1-3
Rat 1 S 1-12
Rat, Giant 2 L 1
Raven 1 S 1-4
Redcap 3 S 1-6
Rhinoceros 4 L 1-2
Satyr 5 M 1-5
Serpent 3 S 1-6
Scorpion 1 S 1-1
Scorpion, Giant 2 L 7
Shadow 5 M 1-3
Shark 3 L 1
Skeleton 1 M 1-12
Spider 1 S 1-12
Spider, Giant 3 L 1
Troll 6 L 1
Unicorn 5 L 1
Vampire 8 M 1
Werewolf Varies M 1-2
Wight 6 M 1-2
Wild Man 2 M 1-7
Wolf 3 M 1-12
Wraith Varies M 1
Zombie 1 M 1-12

17
 The Corpse Reluctantly Parts With…
When looting a human corpse, roll a d100.

Items marked with a * can only be rolled once, replace with a new entry afterwards.

Dice Roll Item Found

01-30 A number of silver pieces equal to the number just rolled.
31-40 1d3 days worth of Standard Rations.
41-50 A Flask filled with Alcohol.
51-60 A concealed minor weapon.
61 A bottle of wine. (roll a d6, 1-2 Poor, 3-4 Decent, 5-6 Rich)
62 A wooden pipe along with 1d6 sp worth of Tobacco.
63 A Snuff Box with 1d4 doses of snuff.
64 A spoon (roll a d6, 1-2 Wood, 3-4 Pewter, 5-6 Silver)
65 A sewing kit.
66 A blank book.
67 A pair of worn dice.
68 A tinderbox.
69 A dueling sword.
70 A small leather bag filled with a handful of coffee beans.
71 A jar of lard. A ripe human finger is concealed near the bottom.*
A piece of unnamed sheet music torn in half. The remaining half is a strange eerie piece that
72 ends abruptly if played. (If the other half is found and the combined pieces are played to
completion, the sheet music will burst into flames and a creature will appear.
73 A local pamphlet about a devil making strange circles in an angry farmer's crops.*
A book labeled the Art of Rat Catching. Reading it to completion grants the reader advantage
74
when catching rats.*
75 A phallic carving made of ivory.*
76 A decent hand drawn piece of pornography.*
77 A lucky rabbit’s foot. 1% chance it’s actually lucky.*
78 A small pouch filled with human teeth.*
A letter from mum expressing her disappointment in the addressee.* (If studied, there is a
79
15% chance they will decode the message about meeting up for the next big score.)
A black candle etched with strange runes that seem to squirm when looked at periphery. This
80
is a runic object with a random spell imbued into it.
81 A wooden stake & clove of garlic.
82 A Holy Book.
83 A makeshift doll made of straw that’s tied together with human hair.
A smoothed piece of amber with an ancient winged insect inside.* (If broken, the insect will
84
fly off and bad things will happen.)
85 A very steamy love letter to the addressee.
86 A small jar filled with vegetation and 1d6+2 silk worms.*
87 A goat horn made into a drinking goblet.*
88 A piece of Scrimshaw depicting a shark eating a man.*
89 A crude local map to buried treasure.
90 A map to a dungeon location.
91 A dose of a psychedelic.
92 A mummified Monkey Paw. All the fingers save for the index finger are closed into a fist.*
93 A silver religious symbol.
94 A vial of Holy Water.
95 A set of Thieves’ Tools.
96 A poultice of herbs that allows another Save against Poison/Disease.
97 A random potion
98-99 A random Runic Object with a spell imbued
00 1d4 doses of opium
18
 The Room is Filled With…
When stocking a dungeon room with "Treasure" in it, roll both d6's and consult the table.
When checking what a single foe might have in their possession roll a single d6 and consult the first column of
the table.
If it's a small room/a poorer place roll a d4 for row and d6 for column.
If your stocking a palace or another “rich” location roll a single d6 and consult the 6th column.
d6 x 2 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 d6 x 25 SP d6 x 50 Gems d6 x 100 SP d6 x 200 gems d6 x 200 SP d6 X 300 Gems
A single small d6 x small d6 x small d12 x small trade d20 x small d100 x small trade
2
trade good trade good trade good good trade good good
A single medium d6 x medium d6 x medium d12 x medium d20 x medium d100 x medium
3
trade good trade good trade good trade good trade good trade good
A single large d6 x large d6 x large d6 x large trade d12 x large d12 x large trade
4
trade good trade good trade good good trade good good
Ornament Ornament Ornament
Ornament worth Ornament worth Ornament worth
5 worth d6 x worth d6 x worth d6 x 300
d6 x 25 SP d6 x 200 SP d6 x 500 SP
50 SP 100 SP SP
A single d6 x useful d12 x useful d20 x useful
6 Magic Item Magic Item
something useful things things things

Small trade goods: Large trade goods:

1. Candles/lanterns 1. Boat/Cart/Other transport device

2. Alchemical reagents 2. Bolts of cloth

3. Herbs 3. Building equipment

4. Books 4. Large animals

5. Tools
Ornaments:
6. Weapons
1. Mirrors
7. Perfumes
2. Grails
8. Small animals
3. Statues

Medium trade goods: 4. Furniture

1. Medium Animals 5. Tool

2. Clothing 6. Homeware

3. Food
Useful things:
4. Hunting equipment
1. Potions
5. Barrels of chemicals
2. Bombs
6. Barrels of ale
3. Contraptions
7. Armour
4. Maps
8. Oil
5. Poison

6. Documents
19

Magical Items
Items that possess magical properties are strange and
wondrous. For the most part, the art of making
magical items has been lost to the sands of time.
• Armor and shields: Grant protective benefits to the
user.
• Potions: Magical liquids stored in glass vials.
• Rings: Plain or bejeweled rings that place an
enchantment about the wearer.
• Rods / staves / wands: Magical lengths of wood,
metal, crystal, etc.
• Scrolls and maps: Aged sheets of parchment or
paper inscribed with either magical script or
instructions leading to a treasure hoard.
• Weapons: All enchanted weapons other than
swords. May grant additional Might dealt. May also amount of food. However, food produced by the
be enchanted with additional powers.
Magic Swords
Powerful elemental spirits known as djinn or
otherworldly entities have been bound throughout the
ages into swords. These swords possess a personality
of their own and can communicate with those of wield
them (they may try to urge their wielder into certain
actions). The entities bound will only work with those
that share the same Cosmic Bondage. Roll a d6, 1-2
Law, 3-4 Neutral, and 5-6 Chaos to determine what the
sword’s alignment.
All magical swords may possess the following;
• Inflicts 1d6 Might on those that make contact with
the sword that does not share the same Cosmic
Bondage
• Magical Bonus: Deal additional points of Might
• Foe Slayer: Player rolls Tasks with Advantage vs. a the floor, taking 1 Turn.
specific creature
• Might: Possess 5 Might to cast spells
• Sound of Magic: All enemies must make a Morale the same way.
check when the sword is drawn in combat
It is common for magical items to only possess
additional usages and only mark said usage on a
result of 1 instead of a 1-2.
Wondrous Items
Trickster's purse - this purse produces unlimited
amounts of fake silver coins. A successful Task Roll
will determine that the money is counterfeit.
Bracelet of Bees - the wearer has the ability to
20
produce a swarm of black bees from her mouth. This
acts as a ranged attack, with 2 Might.
Choker of Voices - wearing this silver choker allows one
to speak in different octaves, to sound deeper or
higher than usual.
Amulet of Goatshape - the wearer may change their
form into a small goat. They may change back at any
time, or if the amulet is removed.
Degg's Automaton - a squat clockwork assistant of the
blue wizard Degg (4 Might). Degg’s Automaton will
carry out simple commands and can attack with its
saw arm. When switched off, the automaton reduces
its size to fit in its master's pack.
Tiara of Magnificent Beauty - wearing this emerald
tiara increases one's attractiveness to humanoids,
relative to the person's preference. Gain advantage on
related Task Rolls.
Plentiful Hamper - this hamper produces an unlimited
hamper is taken from the larders of those around the
world.
Screaming Skull Alarm - if anyone who is not a
member of the party comes close to the skull it begins
to shriek, alerting campers to the presence of
intruders.
Death Mask - this transparent mask makes it seem,
physiologically, like the wearer is dead.
Cursed Bouquet - one sniff of this beautiful bouquet
of flowers will doom the victim to disadvantages on
all saves for 1d6 days, before paralyzing them for 1d6
further days.
Terrifying Bagpipes - these Bagpipes let out a
horrifying wail, similar to that of a banshee. Anyone
who can hear it clearly will flee for 1d6 minutes in a
sweating panic.
Counting Stones - one enemy of four Might or below is
forced to stop and count all the stones when thrown to
Instant Armor Bodysuit - this thin bodysuit allows the
user to instantly conjure any Armor they onto their
person with the click of a finger, and unsummon it in
Trickster's Coin - when flipped, the coin will always
land on the side preferential to the flipper.
Eye of Weather Prediction - this small bronze eye can
reveal in the holder's mind the state of the weather for
the next three days in the area they are currently in.
Gloves of Foraging - by holding fruits, berries and
fungi while wearing these gloves the wearer can
determine whether the food is safe to eat.
Lantern of Intentions - holding the light of this lantern
up to someone's face will reveal whether they have
good, neutral or evil intentions.
Their face magically alters to
reveal this information.
Spectacles of Revealing - using
these spectacles allows the
wearer to see through any
disguise.
Bracelet of Ox Constitution-
wearing this bracelet allows
one to drink as much alcohol
as they like without feeling
the effects of being drunk.
Stone of Sex Swap - holding
this smooth red stone allows
the user to change their sex.
The magic wears off when
the stone is dropped.
Magic Weapons
Nightmare Dagger - when this
dagger does damage, the
victim (should they survive) will
experience life-like nightmares for
the next 1d6 nights. The nightmares
feature the weirder of the dagger as
the main source of fear. Any
subsequent encounter with the
wielder of the dagger will result
in the victim fleeing.
Arrow of Angel Tears - the
tips of this arrow contains a
small canister of angel tears.
Undead creatures receive
double damage from this
arrow.
Warp Blade - after causing
damage with this blade the
wielder may teleport up to the
next range band away from
their current location.
Quake Hammer - striking the ground with this
hammer causes a quake in front of the wielder.
All enemies in this area are thrown to the ground.
Mace of Drain Life - after damaging an enemy with
this mace, gain 3 Might. This can only be used once
per combat.
Merlord Trident - the wielder may breathe
underwater, as long as the trident is somewhere on
their person.
Portal Arrow - on contact, this arrow creates a
5ft portal to anywhere that already has a portal
created by a Portal Arrow you have used in the
past week. If it hits an enemy of 5 Might or
below, they are torn apart by the portal, reduced
to 0 wounds. If they are larger they take double
damage and become a host for the portal. This
cannot form on powerful enemies.
Staff of the Flying Snake - this staff becomes a
four Might flying snake that is commanded by the
wielder.
Orc Grog Axe - when damaged by this axe the
victim's blood alcohol level increases. They
become drunk if they take more than three Might
by this weapon, taking a disadvantage to attacks.
Dragonwing Spear - the wielder of this spear may
produce dragon wings from her back (regardless
of armor) and gain the ability to fly their
movement speed.
21

Optional Resources
These are presented here because they are the result
of some of the most common situations that have
arisen.
Black Powder
Black Powder firearms are loud, unreliable, dirty, and
dangerous. Pistols deal two hits and rifles deal three
hits. All black powder weapons follow these rules:
• Require ammunition which includes powder and
shot
• Mark usage on a d6 result of 1-3 instead of 1-2
• Once fired, takes six rounds to reload
• Any form of submersion or moderate rain will
require the firearm to be cleaned and reloaded
• Ignores the benefits of armor/shields
Non-metallic Weapons
Weapons that are made from bone, wood, obsidian,
and other non-metallic items mark usage on a d6
result of 1-3 instead of 1-2.
Automatic Hits
This means that you remove the “attack” roll from the
equation and all attacks are automatically successful
and deal hits.
Vehicles
Whether it is siege engines or ships, vehicles are all
about scale. All vehicles possess the following:
• Personnel: How many people it can carry
• Storage Slots: How much cargo it can hold
• Might: 6+ (six hits siege engine size and 10+ for
War Galleys)
• Damage: All vehicles deal two hits to their scale
When a vehicle attacks something smaller than itself
(like people) it deals 1d6 hits and 1s are rerolled. If
the vehicle is attacked by something smaller then itself
(people again) no hits can be dealt unless the
attackers possess the correct equipment like fire.
Hacking away at a ballista or the hull of a ship is not
going to do much.
Alternate Initiative
Roll a d6 - on a result of 1-3 the characters go first, on
22
a 4-6 adversary goes first. This is rolled at the
beginning of every round. The characters need to
decide on the order they will act.
Carousing
Adventures can spend a few days in town drinking
and generally having the time of their lives that they
cannot always remember. If an adventure chooses to
carouse, they gain an addition 1-2xp and they spend
time and silver carousing depending on the size of the
settlement:
• Village: 1d6 days x 100sp
• Town: 1d6+1 days x 150sp
• City: 1d6+2 days x 200sp
If they cannot pay, their fellow party members can
help cover the tab or they end up owing a local crime
organization money. The carousing adventurer must
also make a Task Roll with disadvantage. On a
failure, they suffer a mishap.
2d6 Result
Accidentally start a fire. Roll a d6 twice. 1-2
burn down your favorite inn 3-4 some other den
of ill repute is reduced to ash; 5-6 a big chunk of
2 town goes up in smoke. 1-2 no one knows it was
you, 3-4 your fellow carousers know you did it, 5
someone else knows, perhaps a blackmailer 6
everybody knows.
Gain reputation of life of the party. All future
3 carousing in this area doubles due to all the bar
flies.
Gambling binge. Lose all your silver, gems,
4
jewelry.
You could not really see the rash in the
5
candlelight and need medical treatment.
Not sure how it happened, but you got initiated
6
into a secret society or cult.
Involved in a random tavern brawl. Wake up with
7
two less Might.
Hangover from hell. All physical tasks are at
8
disadvantage for the next twenty-four hours.
New Tattoo. On a d6, 1-2 its rad, 3-4 its horrible,
9 5-6 it says something rude, lewd, or you have no
idea what it is.
Wake up stark naked in a random local temple.
10 On a d6, 1-3 the priests are majorly pissed off, 4-6
they smile and thank you for stopping by.
Insult local person of rank. You need to find a
11 way to make amends, or this person could make
your life exceedingly difficult.
Romantic entanglement. On a d6, 1-3 scorned
12
lover, 4-5 angered parents, 6 married.
“If something does not work, get rid of it. If something
works in another set of rules and you want to put it in
your game, go for it.”
Dave Arneson

23
 leading northwest, later dubbed the "Northwest
The First Dungeon Passage". We were carrying torches for light. We
meandered about for a while until we found a
staircase going down. We took the stairs and continued
Adventure wandering the corridors.

At this point Dave took us into the laundry area of the

By Greg Svenson(Revised basement, telling us he wanted to see what we would
do. He had us line up in our marching order. Then he
5/21/2009) turned off the lights saying a sudden wind had blown
out our torches. Then we heard some screaming. We
I have the unique experience of being the sole generally scattered as best we could. He turned on the
survivor of the first dungeon adventure in the history lights looked at what we had done and then went back
of "Dungeons & Dragons", indeed in the history of role- to the other room, telling us that a black blob (like the
playing in general. This is the story of that first thing in the classic Japanese horror movie "The Blob"
dungeon adventure. from the 1950’s) had killed one of the NPCs who ran
into it. We soon found that our weapons dissolving
During the Christmas break of 1970-71; our gaming when we struck it. Then we got some torches relit and
group was meeting in Dave Arneson's basement in St. found that we could fight it with fire. Eventually we
Paul, Minnesota. We had been playing a big killed it losing a couple more men in the process.
Napoleonics miniatures campaign, which was getting After wandering more corridors we entered a room
bogged down in long drawn out miniatures battles. So, where we were attacked by giant spiders. Another
as a diversion for the group, one weekend Dave set up fierce battle ensued and we overcame them, losing a
Blackmoor instead of Napoleonics on his ping pong couple of men in the process. We found some copper
table. The rules we used were based on "Chainmail", coins and broken weapons in the room along with a
which is a set of medieval miniature rules with a bunch of bones, including human bones.
fantasy supplement allowing for magic and various
beings found in the "Lord of the Rings". I had never Then we found another staircase going down, so down
played any games like it before, although I had read we went. We wandered for a while on this level. Then
"Lord of the Rings". Other members of the group had we came to a room with the fallen statue of Poseidon
played the game before, but always doing adventures in with trident in his hand. From the room there was a
and around the town of Blackmoor. By the end of the staircase going down. At the bottom of the stairs we
weekend I had fallen in love with the game. entered a triangular room with a smoking pot in the
center of it. It shot balls of fire at us. It took us a
On this particular weekend, Dave tried a new wrinkle while to figure out how to get safely past it.
for the game. He had been working all week to prepare We found a magic sword on the ground. I am not sure
a map of tunnels and catacombs under the town and which room we were in when we found it. Probably,
especially under the castle. To begin the adventure an either where the statue was or where the smoking pot
evil wizard, played by Jim Abler, and his pet balrog, was. Anyway, one of the players tried to pick it up. He
played by John Soukup, did something to Baron Fant received a shock and was thrown across the room. The
(Dave Fant), the Lord of Blackmoor at the time. I don't same thing happened to the second player to try. When
know exactly what they did, as I was playing one of Bill tried to pick it up he was successful. We were all
the castle's guards, simply a man-at-arms in chainmail impressed and Dave, declared Bill our leader and
with a shield and a sword. After doing his evil deed, elevated him to "hero" status.
the wizard fled into the dungeon under the castle,
which had apparently been abandoned for many years We found another staircase going down, now to the 4th
by the normal denizens of the castle. level. Here we found a fountain with a small statue of
a devil in it. There was also an ominous red glow here.
So, the Baron picked 30 of his men-at-arms and sent us We realized that we had no time reference, but that we
to hunt down the wizard. Among the 30 men-at-arms were all getting tired, so we stopped and set up camp
there were six players, myself, Bill Heaton, Mel in a large room and bedded down for the "night",
Johnson, Kurt Krey, Stephen Rocheford and Jim carefully placing guards at the doors. During the night
Barber. I want to thank Stephen Rocheford for a beautiful woman came to our camp. She successfully
reminding me that Jim Barber was the sixth member seduced Bill. While they were embracing she turned
or our party. All of us were level 1 fighters in modern into a serpent and killed him. We fought and
terms, although at the time you were either a flunky eventually killed it, but Bill's loss was a major set back
(like all of us at the start of the adventure), a hero or for the party. Several of us were injured trying to pick
a superhero. up the magic sword. One of the guys was eventually
successful in picking it up, though. We collectively
We started by marching down a huge staircase from decided that we were in way over our heads and to
the main hall into the castle's basement, a huge return to the castle. Soon we realized that we had
irregularly shaped room with seven pillars supporting made some errors in making our maps, too, as we
the ceiling and a large number of doors leading into were quite lost. We eventually got back to the second
the dungeon. This was the only area of the dungeon level and decided that it was time to make camp
that was secure for us "good" guys. We had no idea again.
which way the wizard went, so we picked a door

24
While we were resting, the evil wizard and the balrog
decided that we were getting to close to getting out, so
they decided to finish us off. The balrog became
invisible and entered the room where we had our camp
and first attacked the man with the magic sword.
After he killed him we were all awakened and set
upon him. The balrog's body became a flaming torch
as he tore into us. But 20 men-at-arms were no match
for the balrog without our hero. We fought valiantly;
after all, there was no safe place for us to run. After a
while I realized that I was the last man standing. The
balrog realized it, too. He stopped attacking, turned
off his flames and said to me "Go in fear and tell the
Baron what we have done to his men!" Then he
disappeared.

As I looked about one of the corridors became

illuminated. A voice spoke (the evil wizard) telling me
that the illuminated corridor would lead me back to
the castle. After determining that everyone else was
dead, I picked up some leather and carefully wrapped
the magic sword with it and walked down the
illuminated corridor. This corridor led me to a
staircase going up. At the top another corridor was
illuminated leading me to a door. On the other side
was the large room where we had started.
I reported to the Baron what had happened. He looked
at the sword and offered me the unimaginable sum of
100 gold pieces for it. I realized that it must be very
valuable and bargained hard with him, eventually
agreeing on 150 gold pieces for it. That was more
money than I, a mere farmer’s son, drafted into the
Baron's guard, could imagine (of course,
eventually I figured out that such
swords were vastly more valuable than
that, but by then it was far too late to do
anything about it...).

Over time I went on to be one of the heroes of

the "First Fantasy Campaign", picking up the
nickname "the Great Svenny" from my comrades. At
one point, I had much of the dungeon memorized; I
had done so many adventures there. That proved to be
almost fatal to our group, but that is another story.
The Great Svenny is still alive, 33 years later. We still
do adventures, occasionally. The Great Svenny is
currently serving as the "Lord Regent" of the Regency
Council of Blackmoor. Svenny lives in his tower,
Zvensen's Freehold, several miles east of the
town of Blackmoor City, near the Elven village
and Wolf's Head Pass.

25

Just a Guy With an
Axe
By Dragonsfoot user
Phantasm72(04/30/2007)
The 1e and 2e rules never really received the label of
rules-lite until the advent of 3e. When you look at the
size of the DMG the PH and all the supplements, it’s
not very convincing that its ’rules-lite’. But I found out
the other day at just how much you can cut out and
have a great game. I decided to introduce the game to
my nephew. He is 6 1/2. Probably a bit smarter than
the average kid his age, but still young. So, I got out
the dice and he was all in awe of the shapes and
colors. I sat there thinking to myself about where to
start with teaching him what to know about playing
the game. He has no RPG experience, either with pen
and paper or computers. He asked me:
(just made up the to-hit numbers of the monsters too)
and that you get to roll the d8 when you hit to
determine damage. I suppose if we play again ill
slowly introduce different aspects of the game. Maybe
one day roll of ability scores and choose an actual
class. It’s funny because I see this forum and there are
a lot of serious, well thought out (and some only plain
silly or argumentative) discussions and threads about
how to make the game more and more complex. But
really, you can hack so much more out and still have a
great game. I play AD&D now for the social aspect
and the challenge of running combats and puzzles and
such. But the other day was nice.
Nice to take it right back to the roots. With the wide-
eyed wonder only, a true newbie can have over a magic
potion or a fire-beetle. It reminded me of my first
D&D encounter. But when I played it had even less
rules. It was B4. I had 100hp, everything you attacked
automatically hit you and you hit it each round for d6
damage. I lasted till the 5th tier. I loved it so much I
ran out the next day and bought myself a copy of B4
and never looked back since...

"Can I have an axe?"

"What?"

"An axe, like Gimili from Lord of the Rings"

And that was that. The character was created, and the
game was started. No alignment, no weapon profs, no
non-weapon profs, no secondary skills, no rolling of
ability scores, no race, no class, no hp, no AC, no
saving throws, no xp, no deity worshipped, no starting
money, no equipment (save an axe). Not even a
character sheet.

Just a guy with an axe.

Named Toby....

So we played. I took him

through the classic B1. I
populated with 10 kobolds
that are running around
the complex, a zombie,
a few giant rats and an
assortment of giant
insects. He absolutely
loved it. After about
4 hours of play, the
only game
mechanics he
knows is hp (I
gave him 10) and
that you roll a
d20 to hit (I
just made-up
numbers of
what he
needed to
roll to hit)
and that the
monsters do
the same
26
 They Met at a Tavern In Defense of Diceless
By James T. Hook Hits
The adventurers meeting at the tavern or somewhere
similar is a common troupe in a lot of games. This By Wizard Lizard
works on a surface level, but it does not create strong
cohesion and relationships between the characters on a This way of dealing with violence puts the emphasis
deeper level. on Combat as a Puzzle (a war puzzle). When the
players enter combat in a heavy Random Numbers
Over the years I have learned the best way to create Game like B/X (Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons 5th
these deeper connections is to have character creation Edition, etc.), the framework kind of tells you to stop
takes place at the table with everyone present from thinking in terms of problem solving and start
start to finish. Players should take turns first thinking in a gambler mode:
discussing their character concepts, discuss
background information, discuss possible flaws, then “hah, I might get the sweet natural 20 and do MAX
each character should decide how they know some of Damage!”
the other characters - each character can have a “hah, if we fight one more round maybe we will get lucky,
maximum of two connections with their fellows - do and they will run away.”
not leave anyone out (this should be recorded on the
character sheet), and finally each player should follow Keeping combat diceless (though I would still use
the usual character creation process on the mechanical surprise and initiative) removes the gambler impulse.
side. There is no more being torn between the optimal
strategy and the most exciting choice (randomness)
All players should also be provided with a list of because the most exciting choice becomes whatever
question to incorporate into their character optimal strategy the players cook up.
backgrounds after the initial character creation
process. Some of these questions are as follows: This means that you do not have a scale of values with
“winning the fight by killing the foes” insidiously
• What does your character look like? tucked at the top of the players minds. Suddenly,
running away is as fun as crossing swords because it
• What was your character’s family like? has the same level of commitment and mechanical
weight.
• Why does your character struggle for survival?
When you enter combat with diceless automatic hit +
• Does your character have any secrets?
automatic damage, there is no real distinction between
• Does your character have any love interests? exploration mode and combat mode. It’s like fighting
the Troll in Zork – “swing sword at troll” does not
• Are there any specific tragedies that have seriously sound as wise as “run/sneak past troll”. The gameplay
impacted you character? rewards also have the same shape.

• Where did or does your character live?
• Does your character carry any good luck charms or mechanically and fictionally in an extremely easy to
have a trinket that has sentimental value?
• What is your character’s personality like?
• What is your character afraid of?
• Does your character have any enemies?
This works so well is because it gives perfect
transparency. You know how things will turn out
parse way that does not get in the way of the story.
This then leads to consistent opportunities for good
decision making. It additionally makes it easier to
create “upper hand” situations. For example, is there
are two PC’s with swords and the encounter three
brigands with swords, a straight on fight will not end
well for the party.

27

How to Make Magic
Weird Again
By Scott Malthouse
When did magic stop being so...magical? I'm talking
about how in new D&D and Pathfinder magic items
are often little bundles of mechanics. A medallion that
gives the wearer a plus three to Fortitude, some boots
that allow you to make a 5ft step in difficult terrain,
or the heap of boring that is the plus one sword.
Many items are suited specifically for combat, which
makes them an attraction to min maxers who want to
reach peak character. I'm not saying that min maxing
is the wrong way of playing, but I personally find it
tedious.
Because of this focus on mechanics and combat,
players often discard magic treasure that doesn't fit
their character, which is fair enough but it leads to
uninteresting role-playing. Magic needs to be weird as
fuck.
The difference between
boring magic and wondrous
magic
As I mentioned before, the plus one sword is probably
the laziest piece of crap magic item out there. There is
no difference in saying that the sword gets a bonus
because it's magic or because it's a bit sharper than
regular swords. While not all magic items are like this,
many share 'sword plus one' traits.
Here's the thing: mechanics are the bane of magic.
If you create a magic item with the goal to increase
dexterity then your item is going to be dull and
uninspired. If instead you think of a cool effect,
regardless of mechanics, then you're on your way to
making something worthwhile. This is the difference
between making something boring or something
wondrous. Which sounds better: Elven boots that give
a plus two DEX bonus, or Elven boots that allow you
to leap as high as an adult oak in a single bound?
Magic is a toy that can be
used at any time
The best magic can be used in a multitude of
scenarios. It can be combined with other magic to
make something truly special. Magic should not only
bend the rules, but annihilate them.
Even the most subdued magical effects can add to the
role-playing experience. A blow gun that lets you snuff
out a torch from a mile away. An eyepatch that makes
people see you as an old childhood friend. A ring that
causes anyone who shakes your hand to fall sick in the
28
next 1d4 hours. These aren't your min max bow of
firefucks, but they're the items that will pepper your
game with great, memorable moments.
By far the worst magic items are the ones that only
offer anything good in combat; those whose mechanics
only apply when fighting rather than when role-playing.
A good magic item can be used by crafty players no
matter what the scenario.
Nobody gives a shit about
the 'how'
If you want to make magic seem mysterious then don't
treat it like a science. Magic needs no reason - it just
'is'. The effect is the only thing that matters - not the
item's history, who made it and how. Magic should be a
bizarre, irrational thing that shouldn't need an
explanation.
So let's stop littering our dungeons with 'plus one
swords' - min max collectables that are only useful in
combat. Instead, let's make magic weird again. To hell
with balance. To Hades with mechanics. Let the
bizarre reign supreme in your game. Let's make magic
magical.
Why Dungeons Should
be like the New York
Stock Exhange
By Scott Malthouse
Imagine, if you will, stepping into the trade floor of
the New York Stock Exchange. Conjure the frantic
voices of the stock brokers on their phones, the pacing
across the floor, the bright lights and blips scrolling on
the large screens that hang above the suited rabble. It's
a scene of excitement, of high energy and of potential.
Now imagine that the trading floor was occupied by
silent, static people who just stared into the middle
distance. The screens are blank. Nobody is speaking
and not a single phone is to an ear. This is what a
poorly made dungeon looks like. It's soulless.
So how do you create the New York Stock Exchange
dungeon?
Activity happens in spite of
the players
How often have you played or read an adventure where
the hobgoblins are just standing around in a
nondescript room and only act until the PCs enter? It
happens and I'm guilty of this shit too.
It's a very old school videogame way of level design.
Walk into a room and some skeletons are just...there.
Standing. There's no excitement to be had - just a
room with some more monsters that need punching.
Dungeons are alive. They should be thriving hubs of
activity where monsters scheme, get into trouble and
actually talk to each other. As a GM you should decide
what the inhabitants of the dungeon are doing when
the players aren't around? Are there rival goblins who
are trying a game of one-upmanship? Is an orc
teaching an apprentice how to muck out the boar
stables?
This is a huge help for when the players are listening
against doors. You'll have a much easier time
describing the sounds of a specific activity than a
bunch of dudes sitting around a table staring at each
other until the PCs enter. Think of all the activity that
happens on the trading floor and use it as inspiration
for your dungeon.
Show, don't tell
Suppose you had no idea what the stock exchange was
and you were transported right into the middle of the
trading floor. Seeing the prices on the screens, the
frantic buying and selling, the company names, you
would soon be able to piece together a semblance of
what's happening bit by bit. This process is
intellectually rewarding and it's no different in a
dungeon. Instead of telling the players that "a sinister
rat person stands there, intending to kill you with its
blade" actually show them the scene and allow them to
piece it all together. "A rat person with a twisted snarl
fresh blood dripping from its unsheathed blade" is
much more effective in conjuring an image and
allowing the players to fill in the blanks.
Build competition in your
dungeon
Just like stockbrokers looks after the interest of their
own clients, your inhabitants should have their own
interests and goals, some of which will be at
loggerheads.
Factions offer a wealth of role-playing potential for the
players. A faction should have a goal of their own,
which is often at odds with a rival faction. This
creates a pressure cooker environment where PC
intervention can set off a chain of events that effect
both factions, and that's fucking fun to see.
I've already talked about how forced combat is a pile
of crap and how role-playing offers a much more
nuanced game. Competing tribes can really help create
amazing memorable moments in your game.
A dungeon doesn't need to
be rational, but it should
make sense
What happens on the trading floor is a weird thing. It's
its own little bubble with its own language and
traditions. To someone seeing it for the first time,
everything would seem quote alien. But within that
world everything makes sense.
This applies to your dungeon. I call it Internal
Dungeon Logic. It's nothing new but it's worth bearing
in mind. A dungeon can live in its own little bubble
where up is down and doors flirt with you. It's
important to make sure that this weirdness has its
own internal logic, that the rules you set out in your
dungeon don't contradict each other. This way, the
players will start to put together a picture with of how
the place works, giving smart players informed
decisions and the ability to play around with the
environment.
A living dungeon is one with soul. It's a playground for
the players, a pressure cooker of ideas. Having activity
in your dungeon, or city or wherever, will help the
players feel like they're part of something bigger than
themselves and where they can influence and be
influenced. It's the New York Stock Exchange, but with
fewer evil NPCs.
29

Bigger Swords, Better
Sorcery
By James S. George
To the uninitiated, sword and sorcery is
indistinguishable from other fantasy genres and,
indeed, there's considerable overlap. The brawny
barbarian is practically a stereotype; but savage
northern warriors really existed, and we can see
echoes of this in Tolkien's Rohan, among other things.
Beowulf was perhaps the first literary barbarian, and
this epic poem speaks to universal themes that
underlie sword and sorcery and informs our attempts
to define it. So pay attention, dear reader, because
this stuff is important if you want to run a campaign
in its savage world...
A History Lesson
The pulp writers of the 20s and 30s got the ball rolling
with rousing tales of adventure, and the great Robert
E. Howard led the charge, although, arguably, Edgar
Rice Burroughs and others contributed in their own
way. It was rollicking, two-fisted action with swords,
and the emphasis was on human heroes facing off
against each other and inhuman sorcery. This had
parallels to real history as reflected in the Anglo-
Saxon epics and the Eddas of the Northmen, who
would no doubt have identified with these great tales.
Needless to say, pulp fiction (and historical epics) are
required reading!
Swords? or Sword and
Sorcery?
Despite its obvious fantasy elements, pulp sword and
sorcery is unique in that its worldview is both brutally
honest and simultaneously optimistic. Its universe
doesn't intersect the realm of Faerie, so gone are the
beautiful elves and gold-hoarding dwarves of high
fantasy, which might best be described as the Middle
Ages with better plumbing and hygiene! Sword and
sorcery has no such pretensions and imagines a gritty,
realistic world where humans have to contend with
each other and mysterious forces beyond their control
or comprehension. It's blood-and-guts fun.
Set (and the Setting)
But while its imagined setting is grittier and more
realistic, there's something undeniably exotic about the bejeweled idols and terrifying guardians. And unlike
sword and sorcery genre. Instead of the European
Middle Ages, readers are treated to something more
akin to Persia during the late Roman Empire. It's the But despite its bloodthirsty elements, sword and
ancient world with all its knowledge and achievements sorcery is an optimistic genre. Through courage,
colliding along a savage and untamed border. Indeed, cleverness, and grit, humanity can overcome the many
this collision helped to highlight themes of barbarism, challenges set against it, which is as good a definition
30
but also the way in which civilization was often more
barbaric than the so-called savages, who routinely
acted with honor despite their lack of eloquence.
It's a world of opulent temples and steaming jungles
where men are more likely to worship wise Mithra or
mysterious Set, even when its protagonists hail from a
distant and frozen north.
Men (and Women) of Blood
and Steel
Sword and sorcery is a human (and humanistic) genre,
and while non-human races surely exist, they're
typically primitive and remote, serving mainly as
enemies to be fought. The genre rightly emphasizes
human accomplishment, meaning flesh-and-blood
heroes (and heroines) using the only things they have.
Their bodies and their wits! And while
Schwarzenegger advanced the stereotype of the
monosyllabic warrior, its authentic heroes relied on
brains as much as brawn and were often clever and
articulate despite their reputation for savagery. It's a
great genre for fantastic role-play.
Magic and the Unknown
Sword and sorcery is a fantasy genre, which means
magic and the supernatural. But given its emphasis
on blood-and-guts humanity, this is viewed with
suspicion at best. Men and woman should make their
own destiny, after all, and not meddle in sorcery. And
unlike other genres, where magic is treated as an
impersonal force to be manipulated, sword and
sorcery sees magic for what it is. The stuff of demons
and Hell. Of course, honorable sorcerers exist, but
even then, there's always a whiff of brimstone and
something unspeakable - even when they use their
powers for good!
Otherwise, monsters, and sorcerers are enemies to be
fought, for they represent something inhuman to be
vanquished. Sword and sorcery is a world of men and
women using what they have to survive, and anything
beyond this is suspect at best and probably evil.
Heroes need villains, after all, and monsters and
magic provide just the impossible odds the genre
requires.
The Optimism of Blood and
Battle
And that's it. Sword and sorcery is a genre of brave
men and women in the vein of Beowulf or Ragnar
Lothbrok, only transplanted into an exotic world of
steaming jungles and forbidden cities complete with
high fantasy, magic is dark and suspicious, for the
genre rightly emphasizes flesh-and-blood humanity.
of heroic as we're likely to find!

For D&D’s Old
Masters, the Fantasy
Still Thrills
By Tad Vezner (Pioneer
Press, 06/27/09)
The old men hold dice.
White, simple, well-worn dice, the kind you'd find in a
Monopoly game.
Around them, the world is in turmoil.
'Drought, famine, war. People are desperate,' says the
man at the head of the table. 'Everything is chaos.
Everything is on fire.'
A clamor surrounds them: Ten tables with so many
people there's barely room to stand are littered with
glittering dice, a flotsam of pop and chips, and metal
figures swinging tiny swords and axes. The largest
gaming store in the Twin Cities, The Source in Falcon
Heights, is packed on a warm, sunny Saturday for a
run-of-the-mill Dungeons & Dragons event.
But the corner table where the men sit is almost
barren. No multicolored laminated stands. No metal
figures ... well, maybe one or two. And a small plastic
castle, bought in a model railroad supply store
sometime in the late 1960s.
"What edition are they using?" whispers a youngster at Eight hours later, the armies finally met.
an adjacent table.
They're using simple rules, as they have since the game as sunlight seeped through the windows.
was published, swept the world, went through four
editions and made millions. Before that, even.
"Who are they?" asks the youngster, Tyler Swanson, 23, younger group members, David Arneson, whom he'd
of River Falls, Wis.
The first in the world, many say, to play Dungeons &
Dragons.
The head of the group clears his throat.
"The king is dead," says Bob Meyer, 59, of St. Anthony
Village.
Heads nod. Their good friend, DD co-creator and St.
Paul native David Arneson, died in March — the one
who sat them down in his St. Paul basement in the
early summer of 1970 and showed them they didn't
have to keep being so realistic all the time.
Since then, this same group has been meeting at least In one of the letters to Wesely's Army base, Arneson
once a year, on a quest that has yet to falter. Last
winter, the last time they got together, Arneson sat at "Blackmoor." You wouldn't find it on a map. Oh, and
the head of the table.
Arneson's daughter, Malia Weinhagen, of St. Paul,
stands on one side, glancing at the dozens of others in
the room — teens and college kids, mostly, arguing
over who will kill the next orc — then back at the
table in the corner.
"I love how old-school this is," she says. And yet similar.
"The land is filled with barbarians: brutal half-men
from the wilds," Meyer adds.
"We'll blend right in," says David Wesely, 64, one of the
oldest in the group.
A New Reality
As a student of physics at Hamline University in 1964,
Wesely was the first of a group of college and high
school kids to meet up with some paraphernalia
collectors in St. Paul. The older gentlemen, mostly
Korean War vets, had homes littered with hand-carved
model airplanes you couldn't buy kits for anymore.
Ship models, trains, toy soldiers — all adorned with
authentic, elaborate paint jobs.
They were historians, crazy about minutiae, looking
up facts like the rate of fire of 11-inch Deutschland
guns or the exact shade of an army tunic.
Other young men joined up and began playing board
games, war games, guiding brigades of metal figurines
through historical heroics.
It got demanding. One member of the group, Bill Hoyt,
remembers a Saturday night in some St. Paul
basement where two armies of tiny figurines were
monotonously maneuvered across a large table. The
game began at 10 p.m.
"Now we're going to see some action!" Hoyt anticipated,
Wesely left the group for graduate school — and after
that the Army — but stayed in touch with one of the
befriended, then almost killed in a fencing incident at
Hamline.
Arneson had a knack for envisioning conflict. In many
cases, he drew up the battlefields the miniatures
fought upon and kept his friends interested enough to
stay awake until the birds started chirping.
Arneson became famous in the group by creating an
elaborate historical scenario, where everyone was an
emperor or king during the time of Napoleon.
Naturally, people fought. From afar, Wesely ruled
Holland and sent his troop movements to Arneson by
mail.
told him about a new game in a land called
also, it was populated with elves and dwarves and. ...
"I don't know what that guy is doing back there," Wesely
31
thought, flummoxed by the ludicrousness of it all. a plane's wing.
"This is really weird — I'm going back to being the
king of Holland." When he and Wesely get together, their wives
sometimes forbid them from talking about anything
Seriously, at least with the historical games, Wesely historical. On a long car ride, for instance.
said, "I thought I was going to make a significant Maker met his wife, Shelly, at a singles mixer at the
educational contribution about social structures. Radisson in Minneapolis. He gave her a card. "You'll
"You put the elves in there, that destroys all that." never know when you'll need a 10th level dwarf hero
But when Wesely returned to St. Paul, he descended around," it said.
into Arneson's basement in St. Paul's Highland Park
neighborhood, to find a small plastic castle set up on a "I sat on that card for a week," Shelly Maker said.
pingpong table. But a few in the group found spouses that could cope
with their ... habits.
It was the time of J.R.R. Tolkien. His "Lord of the
Rings" books were gaining popularity. Conan the "I was probably one of the few wives that didn't care,"
Barbarian was going strong. said Gail Gaylord, whose husband, Peter, 66, was
arguably the role-playing world's first wizard. Gail
But also, Arneson had just snapped. would sit with Wesely's mother and talk about cooking
and sewing while "the boys" descended into the
All the minutiae — the obsessive gamers coming to basement.
him with obscure historical texts about the firing rate
and manufacture of 100-year-old rifles and cannons "At least I knew where he was," Gail Gaylord said.
— had created an overbearing, rigid realism he could For much of his life, Peter Gaylord worked the night
no longer abide. They were there to have fun, for God's shift at the downtown St. Paul post office. He started
sakes. gaming with Arneson while living in a triangular
Arden Hills trailer park whose borders were three
He needed a land with no rules — where anything was busy highways: U.S. 10, Interstate 35W and County
possible. He bought a castle and said: This is your new Road 96.
battlefield. Your new reality.
He wanted badly to be a wizard.
Wesely sat down and played — first as himself, an
Army lieutenant cast into Arneson's fantasy world like Arneson told him to go for it, and the man, whose
a Connecticut Yankee. Then he rescued an elf princess. daily life included the constant clamor of the freeway,
His next character was his own half-elf son. became the "Wizard of the Woods," with a hut in a
serene forest protected by a pet dragon, Tuffy.
"I'm thinking I'm never going to tell anybody I was in "I named him after my cat," Gaylord said.
this game, this is so childish," said Wesely, now a
software engineer at Medtronic. Now, his house in Maplewood has hosted generations
of gamers: family and friends from the neighborhood,
sometimes fathers and sons. For decades, Gaylord
Wizard Of The Woods proudly touts, a week hasn't gone by without dice
clattering in the basement. Every six months or so, he
An hour has passed at The Source, and the game is stuffs a dozen Hefty garbage bags full of pop and beer
picking up. After an age-old argument over who will cans into his car and hauls them away to recycling.
lead the group, the man sitting next to Wesely loses.
He has to lead.
A Game That Shaped Lives
Ross Maker, 62, of St. Paul, takes point and turns a
dark corner in the dungeon, with Wesely behind him. Three hours have passed at The Source, and the
Two brutish monsters are there to greet them. storyteller, Meyer, exhales wearily. By now, everyone
"How big are they?" Maker asks. has chopped off a few orc heads. Things wind down
enough for some reflection.
"One's runty; one's big," Meyer says. Maker looks around
anxiously. Meyer engages in some "in my day" talk about
Dungeons & Dragons, looking around at all the young
"I'll take the big one," Wesely says. whippersnappers in the room.
When Arneson was told April 1 that he was not "Nowadays you have guys with +6 holy swords and
responding to cancer treatments and needed to pursue mithril armor and Holly the Wonder Horse (all good
hospice, he had two people over to his daughter's St. things). If we were lucky, we had a +1 sword," Meyer
Paul home to "game" that night: Maker and Wesely. says. "If we saw a Balrog back then, we ran! It was
In third grade, Maker played naval battles in the back that simple. These people see a Balrog, they'll say no
yard of his Shoreview home with rules he wrote problem."
himself. He would explain to other third-graders that a
ship with 11-inch guns would do this or that amount of Alan Musielewicz, 64, of St. Paul, joins in, nodding at
damage. He first learned to read out of his father's the thick books and paraphernalia that make up
B-17 pilot's manual — words like "aileron," a section of modern, refined DD. "There's too many rules. ... I don't
32
have time to read more than 12 pages of rules. I fall
asleep. And when I wake up, I've forgot 'em."
Many in the group have fallen out. One core player,
recently laid off, said he was "losing all interest in all
things gaming and Dungeons & Dragons." Years ago,
even Meyer — the game master — sold his old
collection of 150 or so gaming books on eBay. He
didn't keep a tally of his earnings, but it definitely
fetched "a lot."
Others "have gone to the great castle in the sky,"
Gaylord adds.
"The rules cannot cover every possibility.
And frankly speaking, they shouldn't. The
Referee needs the freedom to keep making the
game fun."
Dave Arneson, Kobold Quarterly, Issue 9, Spring
2009.
But once a year, at least, the Blackmoor campaign
goes on. A few more orcs lose their heads. An
occasional maiden is rescued. A fistful of gold gained
here and there.
"Wow. Just ... oh wow," confides young Swanson at the
next table, after learning the identities of the men in
the corner. "These guys created a game that shaped my
life."
And he watches until he's distracted by the commotion
at the adjacent tables, filled with fresh young players
on a warm, sunny Saturday.
33
34

The Temple of Frogmarsh
Thlingu the Wet (Lord of All That Crawleth or Swim)
blighted the Frog Marshes, or so the legends say,
making it a home for His people. And the region is
certainly unpleasant, being difficult to traverse and
filled with dangerous things. This has been enough to
keep most out; but the legends have attracted a
growing cult of worshippers (human or otherwise),
pious hermits serving Thlingu in the promised land He
made for them. This provided an even greater
incentive to leave the marshes alone, especially since
the cult was historically hostile to outsiders and
thought to perform human sacrifice (among other
atrocities). But all this has changed with the coming
of a new leader, said to be a prophet of Thlingu
himself…
Thlingu is no god of evil, but a lord of life and
renewal. And to prove it, the supposed Prophet has
led an effort to clear the marshes and subdue its more
dangerous denizens, clearing the way for curious folk
to safely come and behold their crowning glory, a
sumptuous temple rising up in testament to Thlingu’s
majesty. Visitors are greeted as honored guests,
housed in opulent quarters, and granted good counsel
and miraculous cures by the priesthood, blessed as
they are with healing power. There is even talk of
building a road to enable trade between the temple
and the surrounding lands, with ambassadors already
dispatched to secure the goodwill (and financial
support) of the surrounding kingdoms.
But all is not as it seems, for there are murmurs of
skepticism among the established faiths and those who
ask why now? Why would a misunderstood god wait
so long to reveal His true nature; and why would He
suddenly seek so much temporal power? And who is
this so-called prophet? This suspicion has grown
among many concerned factions, and their fears are
not at all misplaced, for things are not as they seem.
The prophet is an extraterrestrial criminal, drawn to
the setting by its remoteness and powerful magic.
Learning of Thlingu (who may or may not actually
exist), he took a pleasing form and won control of the
cult through knowledge, charisma, and demonstrable
power, using it to enact a truly terrifying agenda…
The Secret of Frogmarsh
The grand temple is an illusion generated by the
technology of the alien Prophet and therefore beyond
detection unless the device is destroyed. Beneath its
deception lies a grotesque fungal structure with pod-
like chambers doubling as rooms. Here visitors gather,
thinking themselves safe; but it is a lie. Important
guests are wooed and sent home to spread word of
their good treatment, while the simpler ones are
discretely subdued and taken for gruesome
experiments meant to transform them into frogmen,
foot soldiers in a planned army of conquest in the
Prophet’s name. When the stars are right, the cult
will march to victory, aided by ambassadors in every
major city prepared to ease their way.
Note: The above is provided to prepare the referee.
Just how much the characters actually know depends
upon the circumstances (and the purpose) of their
arrival.
Approaching the Temple
Characters come to the temple by one of two means,
although inventive referees are certainly free to devise
others. Either way, this is a dangerous place, hostile to
outsiders set on uncovering its dark secrets (or
accidentally doing so):
First, they may come as guests, starting at area 1.
And strolling the idyllic (though illusory) temple
grounds. Perhaps they came out of curiosity, or maybe
at the behest of some shadowy faction seeking
information about the cult and its activities. This
approach offers many roleplaying opportunities and
may help the characters avoid hostilities they might
not be ready for. It also challenges the referee, who
must fill in additional details.
But the party may also come as prisoners, probably
innocent travelers set upon by opportunistic cultists to
please their Prophet. In this case, the party begins in
a holding cell in area 10., with their gear held in area
11. (for looting at the cult’s leisure). How they finally
escape is left to the referee. Perhaps they just
overtook a guard and got the keys, or maybe they have
to play out the encounter, ganging up to overtake their
minders (obviously, the game will be a lot slower if the
party is too timid to take aggressive action).
The Temple Grounds
The temple grounds appear (remember, this is a ruse)
as an idyllic garden teeming with gentle priests and
any number of curious visitors. There is a grand
central chapel, complete with stained-glass windows
depicting the prophet (a serene-looking man of
indeterminate age), surrounded by a circular yard with
six smaller structures (the chapel is the seventh, a
sacred number) housing the clergy, guards, and their
guests. While much of what happens here seems
legitimate enough, observant characters will
eventually find the opening(s) to the cellars and
laboratories where the real work takes place. This is
not guarded by illusions, allowing others to see it for
what it is: a surreal, alien landscape home to terrible
things.
Should hostilities break out (or the party is caught
plundering valuables or otherwise trespassing), 2d6
guards will arrive within 1-2 rounds. Although
normally peaceful (and solicitous to the extreme), 1d6
priests may also arrive to assist their brethren should
the party get the upper hand in an encounter. Each
performs as follows:
The priests (male and female) are clean shaven and
clad in green robes, making them largely identical.
Each has 5 Might and knows the following spells: Fear,
Heal, and Ray of Sickness employing runic rings
35
useable only by them. They also bear small daggers pitcher, and a chamber pot of no worth. The place is
used only under duress, spending half their Might for currently empty save for Thelk, the spice merchant (7
magic and spell enhancements. Might, 150 s.p.), attempting to trade for the rare herbs
growing only in the Frog Marshes. Standing to make
Guards, strategically placed around the grounds, wear a fortune, he is uninterested in whispered conspiracies
forked beards with chitinous armor and carry spears and will call for help should the party press their case.
(also of chitinous materials), with daggers in each boot A slender, severe man, he carries a sword and fights
should they be cornered or somehow disarmed. These with some skill, having been a mercenary in his youth.
get 7 Might and apply most towards survival, with
exceptions when in their best interest. They are 4. Priests Quarters.
hardly pacifists!
These are guarded like the barracks, above. The long
The assembled guests are commoners clad only in building is identical to the guard quarters, except that
simple garments and armed with daggers or short their storage chests contain only spare robes. Some
swords of the sort carried for protection. Most (1-4 in 2d6 priests are here at any time, who will use magic if
1d6) will attempt to flee the party should fighting attacked. One of the chests contains a small,
break out, having but 3 Might and no skills. Moreover, grotesque idol (the true visage of Thlingu) worth 30
while temple staff eschew wealth, guests carry some s.p. to a collector.
2d6 silver pieces on their persons.
5. Public Mess.
This area should be approached with caution, for the
guards are plentiful, and the wrong actions on the part All the temple staff (except the High Priest) and
of the characters will bring them down. Violence guests eat here, although wealthy patrons might dine
against the guests, in particular, will bring swift at the rectory. This is a long room with 6 wooden
retribution, which only serves to reinforce the cult’s tables flanked by long benches holding up to dozen.
veneer of innocence. Once the party enters the lower Simple, but genuinely wholesome meals are served
level, the guards attack immediately, making this the twice daily by low-ranking clergy, who see it as a
point of no return. Should the party disable the image religious duty. During mealtimes, the place is filled to
generator in area 17., the illusion dissipates, revealing capacity with an even mix of priests and guards plus
the temple as a fungal construct and the formerly 1d6 guests. It is otherwise empty, although 2-3 priests
beatific priests as wicked servants of an even darker linger to cook and clean. A southern door leads to the
god. Principled characters must take care here, for kitchen, housing an impressive stone oven and a
any guests lingering on the grounds when this happens pantry holding 3 sides of beef, two barrels of smoked
will be killed on sight. fish, and enough pickled vegetables (and a few
unidentified animals) to last a month.
1. Lush Gardens.
6. Temple Stables.
This pleasant area is teeming with guests and priests,
who will happily answer questions. There are The guests quarter their mounts here, and there are
currently 5 guests, 3 priests (giving a tour) and 5 currently 3 riding horses of healthy stock (12 Might)
guards conspicuously posted and ready to act. Tables chewing oats. Those of a certain background may
are scattered throughout, with wine and sweetmeats observe that these appear skittish, especially around
delivered on silver platters (each worth 10 s.p.) by the stable master, a bald, muscular man with a cruel
lower-ranking clergy to be taken at leisure. demeanor. Abner (10 wounds), wears a whip on his
belt and delights in putting it to use against those who
2. Guard Barracks. cross him. He makes no effort to be polite and seems
to resent the recent changes at the temple, just barely
Two sentries are posted here at all times who will holding his tongue. A mountain of a man, he wears
politely redirect visitors back to the gardens, above. no armor and sleeps with the animals, keeping 240 s.p.
Should hostilities occur, they can summon 2d6 under a floorboard.
reinforcements who arrive in 2 rounds to assist their
comrades. The building itself is a spartan affair, 7. The Chapel.
having 40 beds on the first floor, with a ladder on the
north end leading to a loft with 30 more. At any This elegant structure rises above all others, gleaming
given time, 6+1d6 guards are present, all unarmored, ivory white in the midday sun in reverence to their
but with ready access to their weapons should the God. There are 2 guards posted outside at all times
need arise. As these are the militant wing of the cult, and 3 priests maintaining a perpetual vigil within.
they keep no valuables, although there is a storage The latter meditate a round a tall central crystal
chest at the end of each bed containing an extra set of (from the Prophet’s home world), thought to be a relic
armor and a pair of sharp, chitinous daggers. This is a of Thlingu. No services are held here, for such
bad place to make a stand. gatherings are forbidden by the faith. At sunrise and
sunset, the priests chant, amplified by the crystal, for
3. Guest Rooms. all to hear. Any priests (but not the guards) will fall
to their knees to pray, singing praises to the Lord of
Similar to the barracks, this long building has 40 beds the Marsh in a strangely beautiful way. There are no
in a single story, each with a simple night stand, valuables here save for 3 silver pitchers and matching

36
chalices (worth 25 s.p. each) used in worship. 9. Catacombs.

8. Rectory and Library. These winding passages eventually converge, but

The High Priest resides here in an opulent room with
an adjacent library and private kitchen, the latter
staffed around the clock. There are, of course, 2
guards posted at all times, for their master only takes
visitors by appointment:
intruders have no way of knowing this, which may
delay their progress. For every turn spent exploring
this, assume a 1 in 1d6 of 2-3 guards descending from
above (or returning from the fungal depths).
10. Holding Pods.

8.a. High Priest’s Quarters. Prisoners kept as food or destined for the Laboratory
are held here until needed. There are three pulpy
This comfortable room is filled with plush pillows and cells, each with strange vine-like tendrils, which
lavish silks, seemingly at odds with the presumed retreat when 5 Might is delivered or by means of a
modesty of the cult. A bejeweled hookah (worth handler’s prod (if one is secured):
around 325 s.p.) stands to one side, with assorted
copper goblets and plates (of nominal value at best) 10.a.
scattered about. Bathorin, the High Priest (15 Might)
resides here and will resent intrusion, calling for his An empty cell holding nothing of interest or value.
guards and demanding answers. He wears a Ring of
the Marsh, which grants one spell of Darkness (the fog 10.b.
of the swamp) per day, also operating as a runic
symbol to power the Fear, Heal, and Ray of Sickness Several skeletons (it is impossible to tell exactly how
spells favored by the cult. If dire straits, he casts many) fill this space, with one skeletal hand bearing a
Darkness and flees to the library (8.c.), where he gold ring worth 50 s.p. and another wearing a Key of
conceals his personal wealth. the Jailer on a leather cord around their neck. The
latter grants the user an advantage (3 dice) when
8.b. The Kitchen. trying to open non-magical locks. Neither is visible
from the outside; and for every round spent exploring
There is a stone oven and a pantry here containing a (or trying to get inside), there is a 1 in 1d6 chance of
side of beef, a barrel of salted fish, and enough alerting a handler, from area 11., below, who
preserves for two weeks. A pair of initiates (3 Might) immediately engages with his prod, being trained to
serve as cooks, having no spells but fighting with their attack on sight.
knives and cleavers.
10.c.
8.c. High Priest’s Library.
Another empty pod. If the characters start out as
Three standing bookshelves fill this chamber: The prisoners, they regain consciousness here (and without
High Priest’s personal collection. Its many books are their equipment), after which the handler (or another, if
written in a variety of languages and cover multiple the referee wishes to preserve that encounter) should
subjects, none of them pertaining to the cult. Each is enter and carelessly leave themselves vulnerable to
worth about 50 s.p., with a total value of around 15,000 attack, thereby allowing the party to make their
s.p., although there is no way the party can secure even escape.
a fraction of these heavily bound volumes. Beyond the
last shelf is a stairwell leading down to the secret 11. Storage.
fungal dungeons. At the bottom of the stairs is a
chest containing 750 s.p. in two leather bags, 2 potions Any valuables (except the aforementioned ring and key,
of healing (up to 3 Might when imbibed), and a potion which were overlooked), are stored here for sorting
of invisibility (as per the spell), both in slender copper later. A froglike humanoid, called a handler (7 Might),
vials. Beyond this lies the secret fungal dungeon. has been charged with guarding the pods and will
attack on sight, having been specially bred to strike on
sight. This carries a handler’s prod, which functions
Level 2: The Fungal as a club and is capable of controlling the vines
enclosing the holding pods. This one-handed weapon
Dungeon delivers 2 damage with a successful hit owing to its
chemical nature (it is, in fact an alien technology
The illusion concealing the temple grounds is not beyond the characters to use offensively, although it
present here, revealing a subterranean labyrinth of still opens the pods for them). If beginning as
mud and strange fungal roots. A luminous moss prisoners, a party’s stolen gear can be found here,
covers the walls, illuminating the way out to 30’, although there is nothing else of interest or value to be
beyond which darkness looms (the proper magic, if found.
available, can extend this to 60’ in a straight line, but
might alert nearby enemies), while the ground is firm 12. Fungal Mess.
but fleshy, making each step a vaguely disturbing
affair, although this has no effect save to heighten the This area serves as the private mess hall for the
troubling atmosphere. Nothing about this place seems handlers and any uplanders (as the temple staff are
natural. called) passing through. Several pillars of thick fungal
37
38
ropes extend from the floor to the ceiling, each and frogmen heads in various stages of development.
bearing brightly colored fruits. The smallest of these There is also the dissected form of an unfortunate
are red and bitter, whereas the largest are golden and specimen displayed on a central table, surrounded by
rather delicious, restoring 1 Might instantly when surgical implements made of some unfamiliar (and
eaten. There are currently 5 of these, with 1d6 more likely alien) metal. Finally, there is a small secret
every day (after the others have gotten to them, of room along the southern wall, accessed by pressing
course). Optionally, the eater recovers a pit (a 1 in 1d6 against the wall and sliding left, once used for storage
chance) worth 1,000 s.p. to an alchemist or anyone else but now a hiding place.
recognizing its restorative properties.
16. Handler’s Barracks.
13. Treacherous Slide.
The handlers, largest and arguably most intelligent of
This narrow ledge circumvents the great breeding pool the Prophet’s frogmen, call this place home. There is
in area 14., below, although it is seldom used by a deep well leading to the breeding pool, inaccessible
anyone. There is only room for single-file movement, to the characters (who would drown trying to use it),
and while there are several small alcoves for a single with a 1-3 in 1d6 chance of 2-3 handlers emerging to
character to rest, progress beyond a certain point engage any intruders. These do not carry prods,
requires a roll to maintain balance (with advantage/ making them slightly less deadly than the rest. A vine
disadvantage applied by the referee where applicable). with 3 bright red healing fruits (from the mess) hangs
Failure means the character slips into the breeding from the ceiling, although the party will have to fight
pools, taking no damage, but still unable to climb and emerge victorious before getting at these.
back up the sheer walls to safety. Unless retrieved by
their friends, they must swim for the central island 17. Generator Pod.
and risk the hungry tads and frogmen doing so.
A circular dais forged of unknown metal dominates
14. Breeding Pools. the center of this otherwise natural cavern. Upon this
is a holographic image of the temple complex (perhaps
The Prophet is breeding his army in this underground best described as an illusion of some kind, although
lake; which, given its importance to his plans, is no magic is detectable). This flickers periodically,
guarded by 2 handlers with prods (the eastern shore revealing the temple’s true appearance as a great
being the easiest point of access to the waters). fungal structure (the central chapel) flanked by
Observant characters will notice the pool is swarming smaller (and genuine) buildings. Grotesque fungi grow
with fast-moving tads (1 Might), an adolescent form of everywhere, making for a troubling scene, although
the frogmen. Anyone wading into these will be this quickly flickers back to a more comforting (and
swarmed, taking a single point of Might per 30’ moved attractive illusion). Only the prophet knows how to
from the fish-like younglings; although this is not the operate this; however, if the structure takes 25 Might
worst danger present, for 3d6 mature frogmen (3 from combined physical or magical attacks, the mirage
Might) will arrive to defend their young, biting and above is dispelled.
clawing as a one-handed weapon. Luckily, these fight
at a disadvantage when in the water, being relatively Note: Principled characters may realize that dispelling
young and inexperienced. the illusion will cause panic among the assembled
guests and lead to their demise which, of course, is
14.a. Central Island. exactly what happens…

This small (20’ diameter) is rocky enough that the 18. Star Chart Chamber.
party can hold the high ground and fight at an
advantage against the frogmen. There is a busted This chamber is a fungal pod rising to a dome some
chest between two boulders containing a fine suit of 20’ high upon which is displayed a vast star chart
mail that restores 20% of the user’s Might when used (projected mysteriously from the spacecraft in area 20.
in combat. The latter radiates no magic, for it is a and realistic enough that the individual stars glow).
thing of mortal craftsmanship. Magic-using characters with a background in astrology
will recognize their own galaxy; but only if the player
Once mature, most frogmen swim via underwater asks. A glowing red line extends from a distant
tunnels (too many to mention or properly document) to planet on the northern dome eastward and to the
the Cavernous Depths in Area 22., although the south, terminating at what perceptive characters will
strongest of these are selected and specially trained as recognize as their home planet. There is nothing else
handlers, an elite class of frogmen and rightly feared. of value here, as this encounter exists to create
atmosphere and inform the players of what they might
15. Laboratory. be dealing with. Only the Prophet (and maybe his
High Priest) is allowed here.
Cut from a granite intrusion from below, the Prophet’s
laboratory is the only inorganic room on the level. 19. Prophet’s Lair.
Now that he has succeeded in breeding reproductively
viable frogmen, it is seldom used, although some of his Large crystalline structures (similar to the chapel’s)
early experiments are documented along the western surround a fungal throne upon which sits the cult’s
wall in the form of crystal containers holding human Prophet (12 Might). This extraterrestrial being has

39
altered its genetics to appear human and will address roll (at disadvantage) to avoid drowning or being
the party and even answer their questions, being proud dashed violently against the rocks. Beyond this lies
of his grand plans and certain of victory. Hostilities the darkness of the opposite shore.
are inevitable; and the Prophet comes prepared with a
massive iron maul (performing as a two-handed 22. Cavernous Depths.
weapon in his powerful hands) and a special armor,
which restores him to full Might if killed, but in his Accessed by endless underground (and submerged)
actual form, being that of an enormous, frog-like tunnels, the far shore of the winding path holds 120
humanoid producing a permeant Grease spell in 5’ gibbering frog men (5 Might), hinting at the vast
around him. If slain a second time he dies, although numbers bred by the cult. This is an obvious death
he might flee to area 20. to avoid this fate. sentence for anyone who manages to cross the violent
waters here; although luckily, the creatures make no
The armor is unusable by anyone else; nonetheless, the effort to engage. These eventually retreat to the
prophet has collected several sorcerous objects, hoping shadows beyond pursuit, allowing the characters
to better understand the magic of this world. This escape with their lives and treasure, but unable to
includes a scroll of Knock (the writing fades after forget the sight of endless squirming horrors breeding
reading), 2 potions of Water Breathing in glass vials in the darkness.
(survive underwater 6 turns after imbibing), and
a Leper’s Staff (conveys immunity to disease/
poison when held and produces one Ray of
Sickness spell per day). There are also several
wooden chests containing a total
of 22,000 s.p., tithes from the
faithful meant to finance the
cult’s plan and buy loyalty (or
betrayal) from certain
leaders when the war
begins.

20. Submerged Artifact.

A narrow path (followed by

an injured Prophet when
fleeing the party) meanders
around an underground
pool from which emerges the
edge of an impressive silver
disk some 75’ in diameter. Its
gleaming surface is perfectly
smooth, with no apparent means
of entry, even when
approached underwater.
This is the Prophet’s
spacecraft, entered through
means known only by his race
and allowing constant
monitoring of the deep-space
frequencies used by the interstellar
police still seeking him. A mortally
wounded Prophet will retreat here
beyond anyone’s ability to follow,
falling into a healing sleep and
bringing the cult’s plans to a halt, at
least for a while. The referee should
treat this as indestructible.

21. The Way Out.

The path winds upward to a natural

opening east of the temple complex
through which the party can make their
escape (or eventual return, although it
will be guarded per the referee when they
do). A fast-moving stream runs north
of this, moving swiftly such
that anyone wading in must

40
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 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a. 10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every
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display, public performance, distribution, dissemination, communication, or
Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall
importation, and to make material available to the public including in ways that
retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. members of the public may access the material from a place and at a time
individually chosen by them.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate j. Sui Generis Database Rights means rights other than copyright
which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. resulting from Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases, as amended and/or succeeded,
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated as well as other essentially equivalent rights anywhere in the world.
versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to k. You means the individual or entity exercising the Licensed Rights
copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under under this Public License. Your has a corresponding meaning.
any version of this License. Section 2 – Scope.
a. License grant.
1. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Public License, the Licensor
hereby grants You a worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive,
irrevocable license to exercise the Licensed Rights in the Licensed Material to:
a.1.A. reproduce and Share the Licensed Material, in whole or in part; and
a.1.B. produce, reproduce, and Share Adapted Material.
2. Exceptions and Limitations. For the avoidance of doubt, where
Exceptions and Limitations apply to Your use, this Public License does not apply,
and You do not need to comply with its terms and conditions.
3. Term. The term of this Public License is specified in Section 6(a).
4. Media and formats; technical modifications allowed. The Licensor
authorizes You to exercise the Licensed Rights in all media and formats whether
now known or hereafter created, and to make technical modifications necessary to
do so. The Licensor waives and/or agrees not to assert any right or authority to
forbid You from making technical modifications necessary to exercise the Licensed
Rights, including technical modifications necessary to circumvent Effective
Technological Measures. For purposes of this Public License, simply making
modifications authorized by this Section 2(a)(4) never produces Adapted Material.
5. Downstream recipients.
a.5.A. Offer from the Licensor – Licensed Material. Every recipient of the
Licensed Material automatically receives an offer from the Licensor to exercise the
Licensed Rights under the terms and conditions of this Public License.
a.5.B. No downstream restrictions. You may not offer or impose any
additional or different terms or conditions on, or apply any Effective Technological
Measures to, the Licensed Material if doing so restricts exercise of the Licensed
Rights by any recipient of the Licensed Material.
6. No endorsement. Nothing in this Public License constitutes or may be
construed as permission to assert or imply that You are, or that Your use of the
Licensed Material is, connected with, or sponsored, endorsed, or granted official
status by, the Licensor or others designated to receive attribution as provided in
Section 3(a)(1)(A)(i).
b. Other rights.
1. Moral rights, such as the right of integrity, are not licensed under this
Public License, nor are publicity, privacy, and/or other similar personality rights;
however, to the extent possible, the Licensor waives and/or agrees not to assert any
such rights held by the Licensor to the limited extent necessary to allow You to
exercise the Licensed Rights, but not otherwise.
2. Patent and trademark rights are not licensed under this Public License.
3. To the extent possible, the Licensor waives any right to collect royalties
from You for the exercise of the Licensed Rights, whether directly or through a
collecting society under any voluntary or waivable statutory or compulsory
licensing scheme. In all other cases the Licensor expressly reserves any right to
collect such royalties.
Section 3 – License Conditions.
Your exercise of the Licensed Rights is expressly made subject to the following
conditions.
a. Attribution.
1. If You Share the Licensed Material (including in modified form), You
must:
a.1.A. retain the following if it is supplied by the Licensor with the Licensed
Material:
a.1.A.i. identification of the creator(s) of the Licensed Material and any others
designated to receive attribution, in any reasonable manner requested by the
Licensor (including by pseudonym if designated);
a.1.A.ii. a copyright notice;
a.1.A.iii. a notice that refers to this Public License;
a.1.A.iv. a notice that refers to the disclaimer of warranties;
a.1.A.v. a URI or hyperlink to the Licensed Material to the extent reasonably
practicable;
a.1.B. indicate if You modified the Licensed Material and retain an indication
of any previous modifications; and
a.1.C. indicate the Licensed Material is licensed under this Public License,
and include the text of, or the URI or hyperlink to, this Public License.
2. You may satisfy the conditions in Section 3(a)(1) in any reasonable
manner based on the medium, means, and context in which You Share the
Licensed Material. For example, it may be reasonable to satisfy the conditions by
providing a URI or hyperlink to a resource that includes the required information.
3. If requested by the Licensor, You must remove any of the information
required by Section 3(a)(1)(A) to the extent reasonably practicable.
4. If You Share Adapted Material You produce, the Adapter's License You
apply must not prevent recipients of the Adapted Material from complying with
this Public License.
Section 4 – Sui Generis Database Rights.
Where the Licensed Rights include Sui Generis Database Rights that apply to Your
use of the Licensed Material:
a. for the avoidance of doubt, Section 2(a)(1) grants You the right to
extract, reuse, reproduce, and Share all or a substantial portion of the contents of
the database;
b. if You include all or a substantial portion of the database contents in a
database in which You have Sui Generis Database Rights, then the database in
which You have Sui Generis Database Rights (but not its individual contents) is
Adapted Material; and
c. You must comply with the conditions in Section 3(a) if You Share all or
a substantial portion of the contents of the database.
For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 4 supplements and does not replace Your
obligations under this Public License where the Licensed Rights include other
Copyright and Similar Rights.
Section 5 – Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability.
a. Unless otherwise separately undertaken by the Licensor, to the extent
possible, the Licensor offers the Licensed Material as-is and as-available and
makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the Licensed
Material, whether express, implied, statutory, or other. This includes, without
limitation, warranties of title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-
infringement, absence of latent or other defects, accuracy, or the presence or
absence of errors, whether or not known or discoverable. Where disclaimers of
warranties are not allowed in full or in part, this disclaimer may not apply to You.
b. To the extent possible, in no event will the Licensor be liable to You on
any legal theory (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise for any
direct, special, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, or other
losses, costs, expenses, or damages arising out of this Public License or use of the
Licensed Material, even if the Licensor has been advised of the possibility of such
losses, costs, expenses, or damages. Where a limitation of liability is not allowed
in full or in part, this limitation may not apply to You.
c. The disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability provided above
shall be interpreted in a manner that, to the extent possible, most closely
approximates an absolute disclaimer and waiver of all liability.
Section 6 – Term and Termination.
a. This Public License applies for the term of the Copyright and Similar
Rights licensed here. However, if You fail to comply with this Public License, then
Your rights under this Public License terminate automatically.
b. Where Your right to use the Licensed Material has terminated under
Section 6(a), it reinstates:
1. automatically as of the date the violation is cured, provided it is cured
within 30 days of Your discovery of the violation; or
2. upon express reinstatement by the Licensor.
For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 6(b) does not affect any right
the Licensor may have to seek remedies for Your violations of this
Public License.
c. For the avoidance of doubt, the Licensor may also offer the Licensed
Material under separate terms or conditions or stop distributing the Licensed
Material at any time; however, doing so will not terminate this Public License.
d. Sections 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 survive termination of this Public License.
Section 7 – Other Terms and Conditions.
a. The Licensor shall not be bound by any additional or different terms or
conditions communicated by You unless expressly agreed.
b. Any arrangements, understandings, or agreements regarding the
Licensed Material not stated herein are separate from and independent of the terms
and conditions of this Public License.
Section 8 – Interpretation.
a. For the avoidance of doubt, this Public License does not, and shall not
be interpreted to, reduce, limit, restrict, or impose conditions on any use of the
Licensed Material that could lawfully be made without permission under this
Public License.
b. To the extent possible, if any provision of this Public License is deemed
unenforceable, it shall be automatically reformed to the minimum extent necessary
to make it enforceable. If the provision cannot be reformed, it shall be severed
from this Public License without affecting the enforceability of the remaining
terms and conditions.
c. No term or condition of this Public License will be waived and no
failure to comply consented to unless expressly agreed to by the Licensor.
d. Nothing in this Public License constitutes or may be interpreted as a
limitation upon, or waiver of, any privileges and immunities that apply to the
Licensor or You, including from the legal processes of any jurisdiction or
authority.