Wilde Beasties!

Well, well, well. I am finally going to do something about carrying around my last v.3.5 hardbound.

I began work today on the first of probably a half-dozen bestiaries, this one on magical beast found on overland journeys called "Wilde Beasties" (although the cloven-hooved cover could be considered demonic, I will think of it as fey).

Figure to make overland, oversea, airborne, underworld, undead, demonic. Is that it?

My idea is that if you know what class of encounter you'll need, just grab the appropriate booklet.

I'm starting with the SRD, however the Tome of Horrors is completely open source so depending on the length these booklets turn out, I might include some of those. My goal has been, with Underport and the Knights of the All Mind rules variant in general, to reduce stat blocks down to something that resembles days of yore without losing modern developments like segment-by-segment battles, ascending AC, and other little finery. And ultimately carry all the info around in bite-sized books instead of the (literal) SUITCASE full of hardback books that I schlepped around from game to game back in the aughts.

Damn, now I just have one over the shoulder leather bag and a small auxiliary case. Nice. But still that one hardbound monster manual...

Print Copies

My favorite piece of machinery!

I had a couple inquiries about print editions. Many of the All-Mind works available on DriveThruRPG predate DriveThruRPG's "print-on-demand" feature, so they are not set up with the exact formats to get All Mind items in print from DriveThru.

However, each booklet is formatted to print in "Booklet" format in Adobe Reader.

I use a regular HP laser printer (except for color pieces, then I need to use the inkjet), printing the cover on 65 lb card-stock and the interior pages and maps on standard 20 lb paper. Then I use an extended-arm stapler to place 2 staples precisely 5 1/2" (built-in ruler) at the center of the pages. (2 staples are how the old TSR supplements Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Eldritch Wizardry, and Gods, Demigods & Heroes were all bound)

Next, I use the press on my manual machine-cutter to compress the spine down to keep the booklet from fanning out so much.

If you do this at home you'll find the middle pages extend out beyond the cover. I use the manual machine-cutter to trip the edges of each booklet for a professional finish.

These "digest-sized" booklets are perfectly sized for the game table and have held up very well over time. These are my original printings of the Knights of the All Mind rules booklets after around 100 hours of play...

For those of you who aren't prepared to do this at home, and until I get things in the proper format to use the print-on-demand feature, I would be happy to send one print edition of any booklet per each booklet purchased of an All Mind PDF product for $3 printing costs plus $2 for 1st class US mail shipping. Only $5 over the PDF price on DriveThru!

Just forward your DriveThruRPG purchase confirmation email to matroxlusch"at"gmail"dot"com and I will send you a PayPal invoice for each print request. The print product should ship within 48 hours after the PayPal payment is received.

Underport: Abyssal Descent is complete!

Finally finished Underport:Abyssal Descent! (click cover for link to purchase at DriveThruRPG) It only took 37 years.

I do have a continuation, Metropolis of Chaos, an Abyssal dungeon that connects up with Underport. But first I believe I will finish rules for psionics and a set of bestiaries.

Rampaging Planar Anemone!

A new piece of art I drew for Underport: Abyssal Descent.
Serious, only one and a half rooms to go.  :~)

Free "Knights" compatible High-Level Scenario!

Click the image below for a copy of "Descent to the Chasm of the Drow" scenario, completely compatible with the Knights of the All Mind hybrid rules or easily convertible to other OSR/D20 rule sets.

The dungeon is based on a scenario ran for my group back in the mid-1980s and is really an outline for a drow encounter that guards some mythic treasure or important prisoner. It includes both fantasy and sci-fi elements that a game judge can extrapolate upon.

My friend J.A.S. created the original scenario and I borrowed Drow Zippo Knights from a different scenario by my friend Sick Rick.

(Note: An earlier draft of this scenario was my entry to the 2015 One-Page Dungeon Contest.)

One Remaining Dungeon Level!

Yes indeedy. I am finally down to the lowest level, 10th, of the first Knights of the All Mind vintage mega-dungeon. Ha, but this is all what I have to work from...

Gamers Wanted!

     We ran short of players running our regular game with the hybrid Knights of the All Mind rules at DunDraCon XXXIX (we ordinarily game Saturday night each DunDraCon, but we get bumped when Valentine's Day falls on that Sat. Spouses, significant others, you know...), so I posted this advertisement outside the open gaming room. Ha, no one responded to the ad but we did get two fantastic players to join us anyway:

• Jim: Who ran some sort of half-elf efreet thingie whose fireballs probably saved the party; and
• Lionel: A martial dwarf with the most awesome non-magical armor ever invented.

      A good thing there was a full contingent of 6 adventurers. I started the heroes out on the very manageable Fourth Level of the dungeon, however the group (wounded and low on spells) decided to follow a narrow, secret stair nearly 100' further down... to the Seventh Level!

Lot's of fun and excitement, looking forward to our next game in June.