Tag Archives: #fantasy

THE OGRE SITUATION…

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But first…a few quick updates…Death Maze!

I’m diving headfirst into layout mode for Death Maze of the Sorcerer-Kings by Ray Weidner. This thing is an absolute beast. We’re gearing up for a Kickstarter launch to help bring the adventure to life with all the grim, gorgeous art it deserves.

Keep an eye out in the next month or two as we lock in the campaign details. This isn’t your usual crawl—Death Maze is a high-level OSE adventure (levels 12–14!) and a true rarity: a sprawling city-based labyrinth of sorcery and intrigue.

The Contest is waiting. Are you ready to enter?

The “Movement” grows

The “Movement” continues to take shape in the shadows. Pages are being drafted, maps marked, and strange ideas stitched together. Behind the scenes, Jonbar has been toiling away, knee-deep in manuscripts, and some say he hasn’t glimpsed daylight in months. He emerges only to mutter about “reviews” and “refinements,” usually in only a bathrobe and a horn full of ale…then vanishes again into his work. Stay tuned. The “Movement” is real, and it’s coming….2026!

NOW…..ABOUT THOSE OGRES…

The party has slogged through more of the forested wilderness, a few days from Farholme in search of this miner’s rumored mine that he wishes to claim. Larvin is dead set on finding it…..dead…set.

And…well…we did find it! But something found it first. We heard guttural speech and booming laughter. Now, being a bit pragmatic, I suggested someone stealth up and see what we are dealing with. Afterall, I’m the one that is usually in the thick of things along with Ghemel, shield vs claw and toothy maw, while others run around on the outskirts of battle doing…well..whatever they do. I was quickly called a coward and other rubbish by some in the party for sharing my thoughts. I’m too much of a gentle dwarf to mention names *cough* (Draven) *cough*.

Miraculously, they agreed with me (after a good 10 minutes of name calling and mockery), and Ulden and the strange gnome Izzel moved forward, scrambling through the brush and up a rocky cliff. The others grew impatient and started to move forward, while I stayed with the miner, Hayden, Jorn, the wagon, and of course, my bleating goat….which I put a hungry stare towards.

Eventually, the two scouts came back and reported what they saw….

AI art cause I’m cheap

Well now…suddenly people were getting a bit serious…I mean…OGRES! Nothing to trifle with!! Did anyone say thanks to my scouting idea? no?…maybe the crickets did as that is all I heard, and…well… my goat.

We hastily came up with a plan where the gnome would use his “spirit” power to remove the ogre weapons and he would make a KA-KAWW noise to let us know when to attack! Well he was successful, opening his strange doorways to teleport the huge clubs away from the ogres…one of the clubs being by the shield….which I thought might serve as a “gong” to warn others–but hells, I knew where my opinion stands with this group and didn’t want to hear another 10 minutes of blathering and name-calling for my thoughts. The wretches…the goat is much better company….ok blah blah..the gnome dropped a flask of oil through the portal engulfing the ogres in flames!!

We fight! We take the ogres down easily! Amazing when we talk and work together–we actually can fight well together…but then two mangy worgs entered the fray trying to slobber all over Ghemel. However, Grease spells and fiery oil was making quick work of our opponents, but still….more poured out through the cave. 3 more ogres! At this point, some of us were hurt…especially when a bigger ogre hucked a battle axe at Ulden almost splitting him in two!

Good thing fer that too, because that Eagle Clan warrior skewered me with an arrow while I was fighting an ogre. Only the dwarf gods know why he didn’t aim for the floundering ogre in the Grease spell…who was all by himself….no risk to hit his companions…No….The Eagle or whatever, told Ulden to just shoot the ogre that I was fighting. SCHBLAM! arrow right in my shoulder. Good times Ulden…good times….so ya, anyway, he got skewered by an axe and then hastily plastered against a wall…karma I say! I used my precious mana to heal myself, curing greater wounds caused by my companions moreso than the ogres. Ghemel moved to save Ulden with his healing power….pfft…why?

Things were looking a bit grim, as we had used up most of our tricks and resources….but then Vlastimeel? is that his name? Fuck it…Veggiepeal dances through the combat, wielding his huge 2-handed sword. Decimating the enemy with every blow, heads flying—the man was fluid and moved with grace between fiery grease and hairy ogres…I got to admit, it was pretty fascinating to watch him fight–almost like the God of Swords.

Draven, after all his helpful Grease spells, seemed he wanted to take the spotlight from Veggiepeal and tried to show off with an Acid Arrow…but it missed, burying itself into a bubbly mess as it ate through solid stone.

AI art again…look at that hair!

But from inside the cave, roars of rage echoed throughout the mountains. I put my back against the mountain cliff, just near the entrance. I was a bit concerned as I know our party used a bunch of resources and most were injured. Ya…injured— Did I mention my own companion Ulden shot me with an arrow? well, he did. Ghemel barely brought Ulden back to the land of the living and he took up a wavering stance, targeting the cave mouth…great..a bit close for comfort near his target range once more..sigh. I gave him a distrustful look, then called upon the gods to grant me the Strength of Stone. Hell yeah!! I was ready to start whoopin ass with my Forgecleaver! I was hugging the stone, knowin it would protect my back.

Then Veggiepeal jumped right in front of the cave mouth as if daring the ogres to emerge from the cave. I was about to call out ‘the stone protects…boy’ as my back felt the cold, comforting stone of the cliff behind me, but it was too late…

Look….this is AI and I lost patience after several tries…Veggiepeal gets impaled by the spear…ok? He is supposed to be facing the cave! ugh.

7 angry ogres emerged after a thrown spear impales Veggie and the fight was on once more. Veggiepeal did not look as graceful…blood was everywhere…and I lost sight of my brother in arms– Ghemel as 3 ogres surrounded him, trying to pummel him to a pulp with clubs. Luckily Ulden was aiming away from me, which gave me a small comfort. Draven cast Summon Swarm, and rats and bats hungrily bit at the ogres as they passed through, but it wasn’t enough to stop them….

Then Draven got a weird gleam in his eyes…ya know..most call it the “crazy eyes” when you know the man just isn’t right in the head. He gripped that beautiful dwarven mace and charged an ogre, his blood from his injuries leaving a trail behind him. I mean, the man looked like he was dead already, but I get it…wielding such a beautiful dwarven-crafted weapons…hells..would make me want to charge like that too!! He looked amazing, like the God of Battle, except in robes and…well he got struck down really fast, collapsing in a bloody clump and laid there in his own blood…dying.

There was nothing I could do….I was going to heal Veggiepeal so he could keep working that magnificent sword of ogre butchering, despite a pissed off ogre on me, but suddenly he screamed “we must flee!!!” I kid you not, all I saw was a wing-tipped asshole flying down the rocky cliff, the human moving so fast there was no way I could keep up, leaving me to face a few ogres myself.

I set my jaw, knowing this was going to get bloody mighty quick. I was going to try and fight my way to my fellow dwarf Ghemel when I heard Izzy quip from behind me ” hurry…with me!” and he dove into one of his weird portals. I paused for a moment because I didn’t like leaving Ghemel behind, but I took one last mighty axe swing at an ogre, slaying it, as I leapt through the portal…now that’s an exit!

And then I was far away, but stunned….it was awkard….the gnome was dazed too but we had locked eyes, unable to move for a bit…staring at one another. I didn’t like that.

Luckily Ulden shot more ogres (that weren’t near me!), slowing them down and Ghemel and him were able to flee into the thick brush of the woods. We made our way back to the battle scene near the boar burial mound to regroup. I asked about Draven, but some mumbled he had fallen in the battle. A shame. We decided to rest…

Izzy the gnome asked if he wanted to port him and I back there to try to rescue Draven with another one of his strange portals while the others rested. The gnome did have a good heart! I smiled a bit, shrugged, and whispered “nah…I didn’t care for him all that much….”

Always be careful when you insult a dwarf….

Deity Contest Results

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We received a few cool submissions for our Deity Contest and I’d like to announce the winners!

First Place

Author: Siddharth Singh

Second Place

Author: Derek Miller

Kurunnitu

(Lesser) Goddess of Beer, Mother of Civilization

Portfolio: Death, decay, fermentation, alcohol-related insights

Holy Days: Equinoxes

Symbol: Ceremonial cup

Alignment: True Neutral

Worshiper’s Alignment: Any

The first human to truly study fermentation, Kurunnitu — upon brewing a nourishing substance that was part beer and part bread — ushered in a change from hunter-gatherer wandering to agriculture in what became mankind’s first city, and learned how alcohol could spark insights that may never occur to a sober mind (such as seeing if alcohol, the result of decay, could work as a preservative against decay; and as a pesticide and a sedative and a disinfectant and a painkiller and so on).  Celebrated by name whenever drinks were poured for a wedding or a wake — or any other social occasion — she was honored for each innovation that followed at that settlement (even down to potters placing her petite-and-dark-eyed image on fire-hardened clay, to store everything from pickled vegetables to concoctions that helped embalmers curb decomposition). As a result, she eventually found herself figuratively and literally deified.

Specialty Priest

  • Titles: Brewmistress (Female) or Brewmaster (Male).
  • Requirements: Wisdom 10
  • Weapons: Blowgun, club, dagger, hand axe, knife, lasso, net, scourge, sling, staff, staff sling, whip
  • Armor: All non-metal armor; wooden shields
  • Required Proficiency: Brewing
  • Bonus Proficiencies: Agriculture or Herbalism (player choice), Pottery or Reading/Writing (player choice).
  • Duties: Kurunnitu is different from the other deities of nature and natural forces, in that she represents the elements of growing that people utilize and can control.  Kurunnitu’s priests therefore work to keep the flock appreciating, and emulating, her virtues: promoting sensible solutions and actions on the part of the flock, but with the twist of preaching that, sometimes, it’s wisest to put in the work — for example, by researching new recipes and uses for everything from ammonia to vinegar — but, sometimes, the only reasonable thing to do is knock back a strong drink and see if inspiration occurs.  What her priests do with any knowledge they thereby acquire — outside the context of helping their temple — is up to them, as long as they take care to participate in semiannual events where fermented goods of all sorts are displayed and promoted (before the throne or in market).
  • Major Spheres: All, Creation, Elemental, Healing, Necromantic, Thought, Time
  • Minor Spheres: Animal, Charm, Plant, Protection
  • Brewmistress/Brewmaster Spells:
  • Level 1
    • Elixir of Age
      • Sphere: Time
    • Range: Touch
    • Components: V, S, M
    • Duration: See below
    • Casting Time: 5
    • Area of Effect: One pint of water
    • Saving Throw: None
    • This spell permanently transmutes a pint of water into an Elixir of Age, a beer that — when imbibed by a person — grants the drinker, for one hour per level of the caster, the effects of an age category selected by the caster at the time the drink is prepared.  So it can serve as a potent restorative (letting an aging warrior briefly regain a measure of youthful vigor, while somewhat impairing his judgment) or enable a temporary state of heightened understanding (while somewhat impairing the drinker’s physical abilities).  The material component is a berry soaked in alcohol.
  • Level 2
    • Metamorphose Liquids
      • Sphere: Elemental (Water)
    • Range: 30 ft.
    • Components: V, S, M
    • Duration: Permanent
    • Casting Time: 2 rounds
    • Area of Effect: 2’-cube/level
    • Saving Throw: Special
    • This spell, except as noted above, is the same as the first-level wizard Metamorphose Liquids spell.
  • Level 3
    • Cakes & Ale
      • Sphere: Creation
    • Range: 10 yds.
    • Components: V, S
    • Duration: Special
    • Casting Time: 1 turn
    • Area of Effect: 1 cu. ft./level
    • Saving Throw: None
    • This specialized variant of Create Food & Water, known to Brewmistresses and Brewmasters — for whom Create Food & Water is only a second-level spell — creates sustenance that, while equally nourishing, appears as whatever nonmagical fare the caster has previously sampled and selects at the time of casting.  Brewmistresses and Brewmasters often opt for choices that showcase fermentation (be it beer and pretzels, or sausage and cider, or wine and cheese, or anything else from pickled eggs to sourdough bread).
  • Level 4
    • Fermenting Ideas
      • Sphere: Thought
    • Range: 0
    • Components: V, S, M
    • Duration: Instantaneous
    • Casting Time: 1 round
    • Area of Effect: Radius 10 feet around caster
    • Saving Throw: None
    • Identical in function to Idea, this spell affects everyone within 10 feet of the caster who drinks a beer served to them by the caster that round (with the service and the beer being the somatic and material component).
  • Level 5
    • Golden Dream
      • Sphere: Time
    • Range: Touch
    • Components: V, S
    • Duration: Permanent
    • Casting Time: 1 day
    • Area of Effect: Special
    • Saving Throw: None
    • Golden Dream transmutes an Elixir of Age into an Elixir of Youth.  The priest can use this spell but once per season.
  • Level 6
    • Corpse Reviver
      • Sphere: Necromancy
    • Range: Touch
    • Components: V, S, M
    • Duration: Permanent
    • Casting Time: 1 round
    • Area of Effect: 1 person
    • Saving Throw: None
    • As Raise Dead, though not reversible and with no need for a resurrection survival check; the magic will be effectuated 24 to 48 hours thereafter. The material component is an especially smooth honey-based beer personally brewed by the priest.
  • Granted Powers:
    • 1) Cakes & Ale once per day; 10) Commune with Kurunnitu once per week; TU Command
  • Followers and Strongholds: The followers are received at 7th level, and consist of one fifth-level priest, three third-level priests, and sixteen first-level priests of the same order. The priest may take the following on adventures: Three priests (only one of whom may be third level) of his choice. The priesthood will pay for half of the cost of stronghold construction at 7th level. Part of the stronghold must be a tavern where visitors may meet with the priests (and where drinks can be brewed on the spot).

I’d like to thank both Siddharth and Derek for sharing their creativity and taking the time to put these excellent deities together! I’ll be contacting you both to see what prizes you desire:

First Place: Siddharth— Ill add your name to the credits for your creation in The Marrow Ravine, AND I’ll give you a copy of our newly released The Coming of Winter (PDF AND pay for cost POD) OR 3 adventures (PDF and at cost POD) of your choosing.

Second Place: Derek— will receive The Coming of Winter PDF OR 2 adventures (PDF only) of your choosing.

I also talked it over with Jonbar and we decided, with Siddharth’s and Derek’s permission, we would add both deities to our growing Pantheon. Also with their permission, I’d like to add components of their deity to the new adventure I’m working on–The Marrow Ravine (Part 2 of Tar Pits of the Bone Toilers). I haven’t started this adventure yet so may be awhile, but I have 90% of the ideas in my head, just need to find some time….

–Malrex