The Bogeywoman's Cave

I am once again too tired to make a proper, gameable post for the day, so I am going to once again peruse through my inspiration folder, to showcase some public domain artwork. I like to think that this is actually a picture of an adventuring party (yes, including the skeleton). "Answer my riddles three, and I shall tell you the password!" A coven of hags on the hunt for mortal flesh. I feel like the hydra's relationship with water is often understated in modern fantasy (also I love the goofy faces on this monster, I feel like they should talk). I don't even want to know the context for this picture, the eerie unearthliness of the piece is better without explanation. A peaceful dock by night, moments before Sahuagin strike...

This post is kind of a mess, and I'll probably compile an easy to use house rules document in pdf format at some point. Feel free to steal anything you want from this (especially my d18 I'm stupidly proud of that). Stats Roll 3d6 to determine stats (Attribute Scores). Each stat has a modifier as defined below: Stat             Modifier 3                -3 4-5             -2 6-8             -1 9-12          +0 13-15         +1 16-17         +2 18              +3 STRength modifies damage and attack rolls with melee DEXterity modifies damage and attack rolls with ranged, also AC CONstitution modifies hit points at first level and gained each level INTelligence modifies languages known, base 2, minimum...

“Bigger’n a barn . . . all made o’ squirmin’ ropes . . . hull thing sort o’ shaped like a hen’s egg bigger’n anything, with dozens o’ legs like hogsheads that haff shut up when they step . . . nothin’ solid abaout it—all like jelly, an’ made o’ sep’rit wrigglin’ ropes pushed clost together . . . great bulgin’ eyes all over it . . . ten or twenty maouths or trunks a-stickin’ aout all along the sides, big as stovepipes, an’ all a-tossin’ an’ openin’ an’ shuttin’ . . . all grey, with kinder blue or purple rings . . . an’ Gawd in heaven—that haff face on top! . . .” -The Dunwhich Horror, by HP Lovecraft There are countless demonic entities that peer at Urth with thirsting eyes; among their number is the so called “Mother Goat”, the alien goddess of fecundity known as Shub. Shub is a demonic deity of fertility, and as such, most of her cultists are farmers, recruited during hard times with a promise of food and growth. Others are attempted parents, people whose seed is weak or wom...

Player characters begin with 3d6x10 coins, plus their CHA modifier x 10. They may choose to buy items from the list below (or ask the game master for prices of other items that aren't on the list) or they may pick an equipment pack, still adding their CHA modifier x 10 coins. ( Image by Erol Otus, taken from the 1981 D&D basic set) Mundane Equipment coil of rope 1 coin lantern 5 coins 10 torches 1 coin flask of oil 1 coin crowbar 5 coin hammer 5 coin 10 stakes 1 coin backpack 5 coins week's rations 10 coins water skin 1 coin chalk 1 coin notebook 10 coins 10 foot pole 1 coin Religious Items holy symbol 5 coins holy book 15 coins holy water vial 25 coins Transportation and Pack Animals horse 25 coins sack of oats 15 coins donkey/mule 20 coins saddle 10 coins Ranged Weaponry light ranged weapon 10 coins 1 handed ranged weapon 20 coins 2 handed ranged weapon 30 coins heavy ran...

Here are some basic spells, which are used both for clerics and wizards in my house rules. They're meant to be easily written down on a character sheet. Level 1 Charm Target within sight must make a saving throw or believe the caster is their friend. Detect Magic All magical effects, items, and creatures glow slightly in the caster’s vision. Create Fire A candle-sized fire is created on any object or location the caster can see. Sleep 2d6 Hit Dice of targets within sight must make a saving throw or fall unconscious. Magic Missile Target within line of sight takes 1d6+1 damage. Translate The caster or a target within line of sight can speak, read, and write a language they don’t already know for 1d6 hours. Protection from Supernatural The caster or a target within line of sight is protected from the supernatural; they make any saving throws against magic with a +2 bonus, and supernatural creatures take a -2 penalty to hi...

I love (almost) all things OSR, and I love tinkering with things, so as a result; I do sort of have my own house rules. They change and evolve often as I take inspiration from other sources, but common trends are: A focus on d6s, either exclusively or using d6s and d20s only. (In this more recent ruleset, you can use a d6 and a d20, or a d6 and a d18. A d18 is when you roll 1d6 and add the result of a die that is numbered 0,0,6,6,12,12, thus generating a number between 1 and 18.) Not very many classes, and what classes there are are fairly simple. Simplified saving throw systems. Alignment doesn't exist. XP either doesn't exist, or is awarded by treasure. While my current house rules document is under construction, I have completed a first draft of the classes, based off of mainly LOTFP. These should be pretty compatible with most old school rulesets, and are pretty simple. Fighter You are good at killing things, and at avoiding being killed. Outside of comba...

Couldn't really think of a post today, but then I remembered my Public Domain Art subfolder on my computer. I keep this stuff for potential use in products, as well as being a source of inspiration. Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite pieces: Are these simply statues from a long dead civilization, or are these perhaps living beings, giants from the underworld awaiting a call to battle? An undead sorcerer, looking through a tome of forbidden knowledge in some forgotten crypt. Are those simply bats? Or stirges, swooping out from beneath this underground bridge to attack the intrepid adventurer? This piece from Journey To The Center Of The Earth gives off a vibe similar to the feelings I get when reading Patrick Stuart's Veins of the Earth. "Ruin has come to our family. You remember our venerable house, opulent and imperial, gazing proudly from its stoic perch above the moor." -The Ancestor, Darkest Dungeon The resulting of a summoning r...

"Shuffling toward him in the darkness was the gigantic, blasphemous form of a black thing not wholly ape and not wholly insect. Its hide hung loosely upon its frame, and its rugose, dead-eyed rudiment of a head swayed drunkenly from side to side. Its fore paws were extended, with talons spread wide, and its whole body was taut with murderous malignity despite its utter lack of facial expression." -The Horror in the Museum, by HP Lovecraft (Patty, the bigfoot allegedly taped in the Patterson-Gimlin film) Bigfoot Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  5 Armor Class:  6 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  2 claws + 1 bite Damage:  1-6 claw, 1-8 bite These ape-like creatures are known by many names, such as skunk ape, sasquatch, or (possibly most famously of all) bigfoot. Their most common nickname refers to the tracks that they leave, large humanoid foot-prints around a foot and a half long. Oftentimes these footprints can be foll...

The Mad Gasser Move:  120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  3 Armor Class:  7 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic evil Attacks:  1 Damage:  1-6 The Mad Gasser, also known as the Phantom Anesthetist, is a strange being that occasionally appears in large cities, starts a reign of terror lasting for a few years, and then vanishes without a trace. The being resembles a human in general form, with a tall, thin body, and a face so inhuman that most interpret it to be some kind of mask. The Mad Gasser is named for its ability to produce copious amounts of anesthetic gas, sometimes through the use of an odd gun, sometimes just from its body. Instead of attacking, the being may instead spray gas at a target within 200 feet, requiring them to make a saving throw against poison or be paralyzed for 1-8 turns. The Phantom Anesthetist usually does not kill its victims, usually simply paralyzing them to cause fear; it is hypothesized that the creature feeds on...

Hopkinsville Goblins Move:  hover 120 feet/turn Hit Dice:  1 Armor Class:  3 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Chaotic evil Attacks:  1 Damage:  1-6 These goblin-like creatures arrive on earth in saucer-like spacecraft, usually in groups of 12-15. They do not speak, though they may giggle in an unearthly, slightly artificial sounding voice. The beings do not possess any weapons, beyond their claws and any objects they can get their hands on. Indeed, they seem decidedly primitive in comparison to humans, with little to no tactical ability nor advanced technology beyond the strange ships they arrive in. The "goblins" have glowing, saucer-like eyes, a line where their mouth should be, and pointed ears. They are gray in color, and do not have feet, instead hovering above the ground. Their skin is metallic, as evidenced by a clanging sound whenever they are attacked. Whatever passes for their blood glows in the dark in the rare event of them bei...

The Flatwoods Monster Move:  fly 180 feet/turn Hit Dice:  5 Armor Class:  4 Treasure Type:  nil Alignment:  Neutral Attacks:  2 Damage:  1-6 This strange semi-mechanical monster occasionally comes down to Earth from whatever star it originates from. The creature is around 3 meters tall, with eyes that emit greenish-orange light. It is unclear where the quasi-humanoid creature's body begins and where its mechanical enhancements end. The creature emits a foul smelling mist from its skirt. This, combined with the oddly hypnotic eyes, cause anyone within 100' of the being to take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.  The monster communicates through hissing and flashing lights. It leaves behind gummy residue and burnt skid marks when it lands, and it appears as a meteor when it comes down from the sky.