dedicated to old school gaming . . .

Bead of Misdirection

updated 01/25/2022 Bead of Misdirection This crystal ball is about 2 inches in diameter, and if examined closely a smoky smudge can be seen in the center. If thrown forcefully against a hard surface, it will shatter, releasing a burst of blinding light and a puff of grey smoke. All creatures except the bearer within […]

Ethereal Cube

updated 01/25/2022 This monster came into being during a game. The party was trying to trap an unknown monster, patrolling the city invisibly at night. A thief tried to mug the one PC who was visible, and was beaten unconscious for his trouble. The party decided to use him as bait, to see if it […]

Darkworld Troll

updated 01/25/2022 I’m not sure where I got the idea for this one, but it may be that the Rock Trolls of the Sword of Shannara inspired me, although these are quite different. Darkworld Troll Frequency very rare No. Encountered 1d12  or 6d6 Size L (7′ tall) Move 150 feet Armour Class 2 Hit Dice […]

Cave Blinder

updated 01/25/2022 Someone on Dragonsfoot needed a low level monster for an Underdark campaign, and this one popped into my head. This monster was originally published in Footprints, and the short fiction that was published along with this description is here. Cave Blinder Frequency very rare No. Encountered 1 (1d6) Size M (5′ tall) Move […]

Glarck’s Remote Spell Books

Glarck’s Remote Spell Books by Bryan Fazekas, published in Footprints One of a traveling magic-user’s greatest difficulties is carrying spell books. By their nature spell books are heavy, and magic-users of any significant experience require numerous books. The books are also extremely valuable, subject to damage or theft. During his long life the arch-mage Glarck […]

Glarck’s Printing Press

Glarck’s Printing Press by Bryan Fazekas, published in Footprints The Archmage Glarck, who for centuries ran the famous wizard’s college that still carries his name, realized early in his career that the main limitations for wizards are the number of spells they can carry in memory, and in the labor required to create scrolls and […]

Revised Undead Turning Tables

The article Extendable Rules for Turning Undead was originally written in 2005 and updated in 2011. It provides a consistent set of tables for turning undead, and consistent rules for determining the turning value of new and unique undead. This post contains just the tables for quick reference. For details regarding how to determine the Adjusted […]

Giant’s Snowballs

Giant’s Snowballs by Bryan Fazekas, published in & Magazine Issue 8 These 2′ diameter snowballs detect as magical, and observers will note that they will not melt in above freezing temperatures. When thrown by a being of 21 strength or greater, they detonate on impact in a 20′ radius blast of ice. Any creature struck […]

Gem of Scroll Reading

Gem of Scroll Reading by Bryan Fazekas, published in & Magazine Issue 12 This small, whitish-translucent gem is greatly sought after by spell casters. The gem is 3 inches wide,1 inch tall, and 1/2 inch thick, with flat bottom and top. It is usable only by spell casters (cleric, druid, magic user, illusionist); if one […]

Gems of Explosion

Gems of Explosion by Bryan Fazekas, published in & Magazine Issue 3 These gems are of 100 gp base value and are noticeable only for the quality of the stone and the cut. They detect as magical and if held for 2 segments will begin to glow with an inner light that illuminates a 5’ […]