For as long as I can remember clearly from my youth, the deepest fantasy moments came due to books, movies, the occasional comic and a game called Dungeons & Dragons. I have in the past three years shared some of the background on my earliest gaming experiences on this blog, intermixed within various other topics like Planemorphs, Original DM software reviews, and some of my recent work in recompiling The Castle of The Bloated One - the original castle (and its nefarious current owner) from my 1977 campaign *deep breath*
Point is, until now I wasn't really sure if anyone would be interested in the ramblings of a slightly crazed (-to-be-49-year-old) man (in 4 days) who (still) has a passion for gaming. This game is still the best after 38 years of doing it. In three years I've seen the interest (in subscribers) grow to 17. Now I realize 17 isn't record setting, nor is it even noteworthy outside of my small circle of friends that play this seriously weird game, but hell, I'm getting comments and PMs at Dragonsfoot forum and the Dragonsfoot Chat. Yes, I do talk there from time to time - when I ain't gaming/designing/doing cartography/working.
So to each and every one of you brave (brilliant) crazy (*flexes muscles*) guys, thanks!!
But the other day someone said - your campaign is good, but you can "bring it" a bit more. So I'm going to focus the next two years on doing TCotBO from my maps and compiled notes and featuring it on my Blog. In turn the victi..errr players in this edition of my campaign will also be the guinea pigs.
The 1st level of Castle Zagyg awaits, you guys wanted me to bring it?
OK!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
The Castle of the Bloated One - Earthmaster Site
December 04, 1984 Original Concept
I found Harn in the fall of 1983, and subsequently discovered this fascinating idea of ancient ruins built by a long-forgotten race. The ruins generally are called Earthmaster sites, and almost all have an odd material they are made of. I instantly wanted to incorporate this idea into my Castle, but wasn't sure how it would fit into the overall theme, and more importantly, why it would exist.
It wasn't until I happened across a discussion at Gencon in the Summer of 84 that the final pieces fell into place. This material known as Pseudostone, which is what the Earthmaster sites are made of, could serve as a conduit of a sort, and fuel TCotBO's main structure.
From Columbia Games website page on Godstones, this snippet gives a fair understanding of them:
Of all the enigmas in the Kethrian family of worlds, none is more puzzling than that of the Earthmasters, who appeared from nowhere some 20,000 years ago then five millennia later disappeared as suddenly. Their power was godlike and their nature unknown. All that remains of them are their deserted sites and a precious few of their amazing artifacts, the greatest of which are the Godstones.
Godstone is a misleading term. While most people respect and fear Godstones, few actually worship them. Their name is rich in the tradition of times when they were attributed to the gods and, therefore, deemed proper objects of veneration. Among the common folk, "Godstone" remains the most popular name.
The typical Godstone is a monolith, ten feet high, five feet by three at the base and four feet by three at the top. Godstones are made of a grayish, featureless stone-like material called pseudostone, a material commonly used in Earthmaster construction. Pseudostone is impervious to physical harm and seems to have no temperature at all.
So I set about to build a multi-level structure, long forgotten to the ravages of time, and had the Motte & Bailey substructure built onto a connecting passageway. While work took place over Thanksgiving of 1984, I didn't finalize it till a week later.
The Vargas Earthmaster site:
Cheers,
I found Harn in the fall of 1983, and subsequently discovered this fascinating idea of ancient ruins built by a long-forgotten race. The ruins generally are called Earthmaster sites, and almost all have an odd material they are made of. I instantly wanted to incorporate this idea into my Castle, but wasn't sure how it would fit into the overall theme, and more importantly, why it would exist.
It wasn't until I happened across a discussion at Gencon in the Summer of 84 that the final pieces fell into place. This material known as Pseudostone, which is what the Earthmaster sites are made of, could serve as a conduit of a sort, and fuel TCotBO's main structure.
From Columbia Games website page on Godstones, this snippet gives a fair understanding of them:
Of all the enigmas in the Kethrian family of worlds, none is more puzzling than that of the Earthmasters, who appeared from nowhere some 20,000 years ago then five millennia later disappeared as suddenly. Their power was godlike and their nature unknown. All that remains of them are their deserted sites and a precious few of their amazing artifacts, the greatest of which are the Godstones.
Godstone is a misleading term. While most people respect and fear Godstones, few actually worship them. Their name is rich in the tradition of times when they were attributed to the gods and, therefore, deemed proper objects of veneration. Among the common folk, "Godstone" remains the most popular name.
The typical Godstone is a monolith, ten feet high, five feet by three at the base and four feet by three at the top. Godstones are made of a grayish, featureless stone-like material called pseudostone, a material commonly used in Earthmaster construction. Pseudostone is impervious to physical harm and seems to have no temperature at all.
So I set about to build a multi-level structure, long forgotten to the ravages of time, and had the Motte & Bailey substructure built onto a connecting passageway. While work took place over Thanksgiving of 1984, I didn't finalize it till a week later.
The Vargas Earthmaster site:
Cheers,
The Castle of the Bloated One - Library Complex
The Library Complex was the hardest area for me to design for TCofBO, because I couldn't picture how it should look. I thought about the various real world libraries I had visited, from our local county to the Smithsonian in DC, but, none of those captured the exact image in my head.
I wanted a sprawling library with hundreds of shelves and reams of books. Then it dawned on me that columns to support the structure could play into my hands, so a single large room, some 70 feet wide by 140 feet long was laid out. One large room quickly mutated into three, all connected by small passages.
A secret door led to the Tunnels to the North, and twin Eastern passages fed into the Prison Complex proper. Lastly, a connecting passage led into the heart of the Motte Tower sub-basement to the West.
The Library was open for business.
Cheers,
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Castle of the Bloated One - Barracks Complex
The Barracks Complex was developed on a crisp September morning after I had returned from a walk in the woods behind my Grandparent's house. I spent about 6 hours working on the layout, having connecting tunnels that fed back into the main guard-tower, and filled it with quarters, supplies and weapons.
A hidden northern passage leads directly into the "Constables Precept", which serves as an escape tunnel network for the royalty and perhaps other nefarious activities.
A southern passage originally led to the tunnels beneath "Oldtown", although the entrance collapsed some sixty years previously; due in part to what is widely considered Bulette or Purpleworm activity. Hence a set of sealed iron bars mark the region and little is known of what lies beyond the debris.
Included below is the Barracks Complex:
Cheers,
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Castle of the Bloated One - Manor
August 30, 1977 Original Concept
The Vargas Manor is a simple 2 story structure, with a small cellar. Vargas Helmgren built it for his ailing wife during her first pregnancy. Fortunately she recovered to see the M&B finished, and it was her idea to include a smokehouse to preserve the fish and venison that are plentiful in the region. The Bailey also includes a stable, two smaller storage houses and a triple level guard tower.
As the years passed, more families moved into the region, and the small community grew into what has become a popular reprieve for travelers on the Salt Route.
The Manor and Buildings:
Cheers,
The Vargas Manor is a simple 2 story structure, with a small cellar. Vargas Helmgren built it for his ailing wife during her first pregnancy. Fortunately she recovered to see the M&B finished, and it was her idea to include a smokehouse to preserve the fish and venison that are plentiful in the region. The Bailey also includes a stable, two smaller storage houses and a triple level guard tower.
As the years passed, more families moved into the region, and the small community grew into what has become a popular reprieve for travelers on the Salt Route.
The Manor and Buildings:
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Castle of the Bloated One - Prison Levels
The prison was built directly onto the existing Flora Lab foundation beginning in 528, incorporating it's layout onto the sub-structure. Each floor has a Continual Light Mirror built into the ceiling, which can be adjusted with a baffle rope/pulley system.
The first floor is filled with cell blocks, while level two contains a walkway to oversee the cells below and duel guard quarters. Level three is for special cases and also includes a sparring area. The basement is used for storage, but has some undiscovered, and dangerous, secrets.
The Prison Levels:
Cheers,
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Castle of the Bloated One - Prison Complex
The Floral Lab was originally designed as a facility for study of Flora and Fauna, and had minimal access from the ground level. Rather, a hidden entrance was devised to keep the place secretive, and documents speak of odd experimentation being the prime focus.
One such example occurred in 502. The village of Rhad-du-cet, which borders the Deep Marsh, was overrun by Shambling Mounds and it's entire population decimated. In 504, the Sage Miros Chanel discovered that the entire population of the village had been infected with the Shambling Curse by a contagion that was created in the Floral Lab. All research in the facility ceased immediately and the building remained empty for 7 years while Miros and the Council of Crestfallen dealt with the plants and neutralized the facility.
In 528, work began to expand the lab, and it reopened in 533 as a prison for the vile and hardened criminal faction. No entrance above ground lead into the prison from within the castle proper, although there are unconfirmed rumors of hidden passages.
Presented below is the Prison Complex:
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