200 posts and Obsidian

200th post!!

Times flies, and yet as I celebrate 50 years of this fabulous game, I've made the jump to Obsidian Software to incorporate all of my data, and there is a ton to still do.

It is amazing when you step back from it and just see how much there is, and yet I feel fulfilled.

More to come,

Proud to see what I've shared...

Amazing how time flies.

Moved a few states away, and yet everything I have for this treasured game remains with me, thankfully all my original books are safe and the adventure continues.

Since last we met...

Isolde Delta Update:

The most recent antics of Lord Vision's bratty son Mordacai and company et al, left the Bloated Blowfish clientele recovering from a bout of red tongue when all consumers of "Biff's Red Mountain Lager" started blowing smoke, and even a few dwarven tongues spit fire.

Turns out the boys had used fire otter tongue, and hadn't removed the glands. OUCH!

Boys will be boys.

Cheers,

Bloated Blowfish

1E Wilderness Encounters 4.0

Greetings,

Recently in my Isolde-Delta campaign, the players were traveling north towards the fabled "Ruins of the Moathouse" and a couple random encounters were called for. During the rolls, I realized I had missed a section on my Wilderness Encounters table, namely individual buildings/structures. I just updated the tables to include results like:

Abbey
Monastery
Mine
Cottage
Tower
Manor
Hermitage
Herder's Hut
Cave Complex
Gypsy Wagon
Temple
Burning Ship

Additionally, the entry Structure appears on most of the charts and a sub-table was added into the appendix. If this result is called for/chosen, roll d100 on the new chart for results like:

Single House (with sub-table)
Fortified Building (with sub-table and entries like Small Keep and Motte & Bailey).

These entries are included to give the players more options for encounters that will add Landmark results to the world map, and hopefully entice the players to feel a bit more like Lewis & Clarke, or perhaps Abbot & Costello.

Updated link is in the Downloads Archive, and below for simplicity:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7mdklswkqh1tlzz/1EWildernessEncounters4.0.pdf?dl=0

Cheers,

1E Wilderness Encounters 3.0

Greetings,

To follow on the heels of the recently posted 1E Random Wilderness Caves PDF, I've updated the 1E Wilderness Encounter document to version 3.0.Subtle changes include:

Added a few more items like Dens, Waterfalls, Hamlets, Villages and Thorpes to various tables.
Added a new entry for Cave Complex, Den and Grotto in the appendix.
Added "See Random Wilderness Caves" to Caves (Complex, Narrow, Shallow), Den and Grotto

Largest changes:
Re-formatted from landscape to portrait view (for easier printing and viewing at table).
Document size dropped from 15 to 14 pages.

A couple images follow:

A new Dropbox link is available in the Downloads section, and below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wmevvhmxbfo4tve/1E%20Wilderness%20Encounters.pdf?dl=0 

Cheers,

1E Random Wilderness Caves

I’m very proud of the work I’ve done to improve my own micro-sandbox design philosophy over the last 40 years. For some time I’ve been working on a document entitled Random Wilderness Encounters, refining and expanding (where needed) and when an update is finished, post it to the blog. One of the areas that I’ve been keenly focusing on is a deeper more vibrant appendix that includes plenty of inspiration when the players discover a unique feature in my world.

Typically when it’s time for a random wilderness encounter a player rolls 4D6. If an encounter is rolled (a number is predetermined for that session in advance) I then have a player roll 4D100 and using my tables, piece together an encounter/place of interest based on those results. Scattered throughout the random terrain tables are results like:

Cave, Narrow*
Cave, Shallow*
Cave, Sea*
Den*
Rock Shelter*
Grotto
*50% this feature houses a lair.

The appendix doesn’t include enough information so I decided to create a set of tables to give a quick visual method to identify what exactly these results might look like. In play testing, each is a simple drawing that gives the basic layout of a cave. Some include stairs (shown in grey), while others include stalagmites/stalactites, outcroppings, ledges, ponds and streams. Other than including a 10’ grid for size, explicit details like ledge height and depth of water have been avoided. Imagination, feed the fire.

The document contains six (6) tables with 20 random cave layouts. A sample follows:

A link is now in the Downloads Archive:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i7znb3mzccmcqun/1E%20Random%20Wilderness%20Caves.pdf?dl=0

Cheers,
B.B.

Castle of the Bloated One: Feral's Urn

February 29, 1976 Original Concept

Egypt has mesmerized me forever. From the first time I read the story of King Tut's tomb and saw images of the Canopic Jars, my imagination ran wild. I laid out a "run" of sorts, a dungeon with a single entrance, filled with a few routes that meandered around a single common feature. Later, when I had the opportunity to travel and see Tut's exhibit in person, I immediately focused on the jars again, and when I had the opportunity, added the finishing touches.

Presented below is Feral's Urn:

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One: Hallowed Ground

April 9, 1978 Original Concept

Forever, or so it seems, I've had a particular fondness for dungeons that combined traditional hallways and caverns together. Level One and Two contain some of the earliest recollection of actively infusing that design into my growing neurosis. Perhaps Luray Caverns had something to do with it, or maybe its simply the dwarf sitting at the controls in my brain pining for bedrock above his head. Speaking of, does anyone know of a good Dwarven psychiatrist?

In any case, I present, Hallowed Ground:

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One: Tribute

April 3, 1978 Original Concept

This project sat partially finished for thirty years, collecting dust and waiting for a revisit. I had envisioned a five level complex, with approximately ten to twenty chambers/rooms per floor. A central entrance led downwards to an ancient ruin, forgotten to the ages but just waiting for the right circumstance to activate.

March 4, 2008 Revisit

Gary Gygax's passing affected me deeply and when I found this layout, realized it would be a fitting ode to a dear friend. Thus, Tribute is presented below:

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One: Iszac's End

March 12, 1978 Original Concept

Directly west of the Castle of the Bloated One is the Crestfallen Mountains, a large scallop that runs for some 250 miles. Iszak Morshow, an enterprising gnome, had been exploring new territory in the range. One day while fishing in a mountain stream he realized there was an opening and being a gnome quickly decided to investigate. He discovered a large cave complex that contained everything essential to develop a thriving business, namely minerals, water, and privacy. Over the next two years he built a successful business, harvesting ore and trading it for information. Every few months, like clockwork, he shows up in town selling rare rock statues, drinks a few pints and disappears just as quickly.

Thus presented below is Iszac's End:

Cheers,

Updated Dropbox links

I've received a couple emails in regards to the links on the blog being invalid. So today I've updated all the links from Dropbox, and added a Dungeon Age pdf for enterprising Dm's looking for more detail on the age of a complex.

Cheers!

BB

Castle of the Bloated One - Scarab's Heart: Level 10

January 31, 1977 Original Concept

After I laid everything out on common brown table paper (with a hand drawn grid), it suddenly dawned on me the direction this level would take, and more importantly what role it would play in my growing campaign. Like my original Isolde-Delta map, this level went through so many changes I had to continually redraw on new paper. Thus, Level 10 was the first level I originally laid out, but didn't really have a fully fleshed out idea of what, or rather who would live there till about six months later.

I envisioned a burrow of sorts with beetles, lots of beetles and two rather large set pieces around a central theme. Scarab's Heart finishes off The Castle of the Bloated One's Main dungeon complex.

Edit: The original I uploaded had a hidden burrows and shadow layer on the Sun Temple. 

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One - Ruins of Ja'ron Fer'oc: Level 9

December 29, 1977 Original Concept

"You want to know what happened to the Legion?", the old bard leaned forward and whispered. The children moved closer to the fire, transfixed by his words. "Very well... the fields were covered with human, elf and dwarf. The Legion's finest warriors battling The Wite; a horrible mass of orc, hobgoblin, gobber and undead. From my vantage point smoke rose into the air, billowing upwards from the mass of bodies burning everywhere. but ..." the bard faltered, choking back a sob ... "but... through my gossamer eyes ... they weren't moving, silent screams unanswered, frozen in place mid-strike. The Legion had fought their last battle".

Five of the children started crying, reaching blindly for comfort from each other, when the oldest boy glanced up, anger and tears reflected on his face, "I don't believe it!". The old man nodded "aye, ti's true ... for the fields were covered in glittering ice".

*****
Level 9 was based on that passage from my notes. A larger level featuring snow, ice, fissures and crevices, along with a wilderness look and feel. Presented below is the Ruins of Ja'ron Fer'oc: Level 9.

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One - Ophidian Level 8

December 26, 1977 Original Concept

A chance viewing of a silly 1973 horor movie titled "Sssssss" led me to purchase a couple golden books on amphibians and reptiles. Over the next few weeks I slowly worked on a monster who could bite a humanoid and subsequently they would transform into a snake-like creature. Like the vampire, infected humans would be under their master's control. I called them Sssnapes (highly original *rolls eyes*), and added them to my trove of beasties. Six years later the Ophidian would appear in Monster Manual II and I instantly thought, that should have been mine!. C'est la vie...

Thus, Ophidian Level 8 is presented:

Cheers,

Castle of the Bloated One - Organ Donor Level 7

December 19, 1977 Original Concept

Luray Caverns, http://luraycaverns.com/ August 10, 1977.
My family had traveled down to Falls Church Virginia to see my Aunt Marie & Uncle Andy - the same uncle who first introduced me to Miniature wargaming, stamps and coins. After spending a couple days at the Smithsonian, my Uncle took us to Luray Caverns and there I was introduced to a wonder. The cavern is impressive, all the moreso when you account for the ghost stalactite that one can see from 7 or so different places during the tour, and just how cool (literally and figurately) the place is. The bombshell for me however is the stalacpipe organ in the main cavern, operated by a custom console that produces the tapping of ancient stalactites of varying sizes with solenoid-actuated rubber mallets in order to produce tones.

As we listened to this amazing instrument, my mind instantly started working on the next level of The Castle of the Bloated One. We purchased one of the original 33 albums (vinyl, ah how I pine for thee) and I used it, along with the images I'd taken on the trip to lay out Organ Donor.

Cheers,

1E Character Background

I've posted a copy of the 1E Character Background to the Downloads Archive. I use page 1, and associated tables on page 2, if needed. The rest of the document can be used for more info, perhaps during down time or if more detail is sought/needed.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/03fkvzmturx86op/1E%20Character%20Background.pdf?dl=0

Cheers,

Blowfish Sign update

I've considered doing a major overhaul to the blog layout wise, but after talking to quite a few people, the majority agreed that the elements fit the theme for a tavern well. That said, this blog does represent my 1E game, my passion for my campaign and it's history.

So two changes have been made; the sign hanging out in the elements now has a weathered grey plank for it's background, with a sign post and chains w/bracket. The second sign has also been weathered, hangs on the wall by the entrance, and greets the patron as they enter.

Overall, I'm pleased with the finished design.

Cheers!

Gem Tables 2.0

I've been revisiting past works, and I've not included a link to my set of gem tables to flesh out 1E campaigns. I realized the previous version, 1.5, needed some TLC, so I've updated the entire document with a cleaner presentation and streamlined the layout. I've included a short synapsis as well.

• You want a quick gem name to throw out for that pickpocket attempt? – use the Quick Gem Table on page 6.

• You need a gem and want to choose it from a categorized list? – use the Advanced Gem Table starting on page 7.

• You want to choose a stone from a large combined list? – use the Complete Gem Tables starting on page 10.

• Need a color or color combination for a stone? – use the Gem Color Chart on page 14.

• Tired of round or square shaped stones? – use the Gem Shape Chart on page 15

Lastly, I wanted to show how all 3 sets of tables could be used, so a longer example has been included.

 Example:
“You’ve just defeated the Orcs and their chieftain. While searching the bodies, the thief finds a glove that jingles when inspected”. “I look inside” says the thief. “Regis tips the contents into his hand and you see…”

You’ve either pre-rolled the treasure, roll it on the fly, or make it up on the spot. However you do it is fine because you’re the DM. In this example we will roll for three separate stones using all the tables.

1. Quick Table (page 6) Roll of 59 results in an Opaque Quartz.
2. Advanced Table (page 7) Roll of 3D8 nets 14, which is Olivine, the subsequent roll of 4 gives a Green Peridot.
3. Complete Table (page 11) Roll of 11, and on sub-table 11, roll of 15 results in a Black Verdan Gold. 

Roll for value using the charts reproduced on page 3 and 4 and you’re done. So let us conclude this example:
“You find 25 coppers, 4 silvers and 3 gems” the DM replies. “Cool, we'll stash them for later and check back in town”, the Cleric says, thinking the gems might be used for a tithing to his church.

Later, at the local magic shop (substitute a Gem Store complete with Gemologist and/or Lapidary if you'd like), the party has the gems appraised. “Ah, these are interesting stones my friends... (checks and tests) ...the first is a Opaque Quartz, the second a Green Peridot, and the third is Black Gold”. “Whew-hew” cries the fighter, “Gold! We’re rich, drinks are on me!”

“Not so fast my friend, this is a Verdan Gold nugget. It's very delicate and certainly not as valuable as true gold because of its small size, but the color and ...” “How much is it worth?” the Thief interrupts, a glint in his eyes. “Well, fair market value – and maybe you'll find a better deal in Elise - but I'd say 130 Gold”. The jeweler continues “all together, these gems are worth 185 gp”.

Included is a link to download version 2.0 of the Gem Tables document below, and it will be available in the the downloads archive:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cu9htgxx2ec46mk/GemTables%202.0.pdf?dl=0

Cheers,

Temple of the White Lotus - Level 3: Balcony

The Temple of the White Lotus, Level 3's primary purpose is balcony, storage of weapons and arrow slits for defensive purposes on the exterior. Twin staircases on either side lead down through level two, and exit via secret door inside and outside on level one. Sleeping quarters have existed here in the past, as have a few collections of books and artwork.

Cheers,

Temple of the White Lotus - Level 2: Gallery

The second level of the Temple of the White Lotus has a unique feature, a grand gallery. In the past both art and jewelry exhibits have been held here, and some of the proceeds from such events help supplement the temple. The upper balcony gives a lovely view of the reflecting pool below, and incense provides a peaceful environment. The upper halls include the three guiding principles of the order, Harmony, Peace and Nature.

Cheers,

Temple of the White Lotus

I'm a firm believer that OD&D and 1E are the best versions because the rules have a mystical quality to them. In addition, since I run a medieval western campaign (always have, always will) I stick to the base classes. I wanted to include monks in my campaign, so I created the Monks of the White Lotus.

This is the finished recreation of the Temple of the White Lotus, devoted to study and training, and includes the largest fountain/reflecting pool that I've ever created. The monks supplement their temple's coffers beyond donations by selling their famed lotus at local events, and are a source for rarer varieties of the popular flower.

Cheers,