tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730123128890512802024-03-16T11:52:38.314-07:00Savage Swords of AthanorA blog following the development and background for an old-school role-playing game of swords-and-sorcery planetary romance using the Swords and Wizardry Whitebox rules.Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-6832849872180020132020-01-06T13:22:00.003-08:002020-01-06T13:22:48.822-08:00New start, new blog.
This bad boy has been neglected, and now I am leaving it behind.
I'm starting fresh at http://douglaseasterly.blogspot.com with posts featuring art and gaming, with posts coming soon.
Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-9214111097115157442016-09-06T12:52:00.001-07:002016-09-06T12:52:14.322-07:00
Oh, for crap's sake, it's been nearly a year and a half since my last post. In the meantime, my wife and I bought a house, I had a huge pile of projects at work, and I ran a lot of games of Estarion.
Inspired by Christian Walker and his two-page Iridia zine, I have turned the notes I have for the game into a series of 13 two-page zines, the Glory Road, which I am putting up soon for free Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-59941299057666049882015-04-08T19:41:00.002-07:002015-04-08T19:41:57.822-07:00Estarion, Games 15 and 16
Game 15
After several weeks of hiatus (I moved across town and some other life events), we returned to the table with a simple dungeon crawl.
Jarrett began reading the Book of Ebon Bindings, and investigated a trapped magical box that held bits of pinkish fleshy substance, still apparently alive. Since it was alive, it wasn’t really in his wheelhouse, but a journal in the box tied the Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-76800824137169722242015-02-20T06:14:00.000-08:002015-02-20T06:14:24.639-08:00Fiend Folio Friday: Firenewts
Firenewts
Firenewts are distant relatives of lizard men who live in sun-baked rocky hills, volcanic regions or any other locale which tends to be hot, dry and sometimes sulphurous, whether above or below ground.
A typical firenewt is a mottled sepia colour, darkest along the spine and fading to near-white on the belly. The smooth flesh and features are eel-like, though the flesh is dry. Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-68210801630249630492015-02-13T06:38:00.000-08:002015-02-13T06:38:40.533-08:00Fiend Folio Friday: Dark Creeper and Dark Stalker
Dark Creeper
The dark creeper (a folk name for the race since the race name is unknown and the race language incomprehensible to linguists) is a humanoid, slightly-built creature about the same height as a dwarf. Members of the race always dress in sombre, dark-coloured clothing, concealing as much of their pallid skin as possible. They detest light and dwell deep underground — usually leadingDoug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-80796596059348557492015-02-12T22:09:00.001-08:002015-02-12T22:23:51.346-08:00Magic Item: Book of Ebon Bindings
The players in my game recently found a magical book. It's a bit powerful, even though I don't use many magic items, but its role is pretty limited in granting power to the character. (All respect to Dr. M.A.R. Barker, from whom I stole the title of the Book).
BOOK OF EBON BINDINGS
Wondrous Item, legendary (requires attunement)
The Book of Ebon bindings was granted as a gift to the wizard Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-54219743325415186682015-02-11T22:52:00.002-08:002015-02-11T22:52:34.891-08:00Estarion, Game 14
The heroes investigate what leads they have, not quite to a dead end, but to the point that they are convinced that the Intellect Devourer is part of a very heavily covered up attack, but it isn't clear who is behind it.
While investigating at the library to learn more about their foes, Jarret, Arturius, and Carver find the brothel of Tatiana Scaevola is on fire. Calling on divine powers to Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-52642568248992075802015-02-07T20:28:00.001-08:002015-02-07T20:28:16.749-08:00Current projects I'm moving forward on...
So I am thinking about making more thoughtful and a bit less amateurish work of my previous free settings and putting them up for sale:
I am working on a revised and expanded Estarion: City of Knives with some expanded background, short adventures, and a pile of tables to guide ad-libbing at the table. I can't say the book will be able to aspire to Vornheim-level innovation, but I think it Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-91361221219532980542015-02-07T15:51:00.001-08:002015-02-07T15:51:54.623-08:00The benefits of using Roman (and pseudo-Roman) names for one of the cultures in my campaign...
...is that I can slip in scientific names for plants and animals to amuse myself. The characters ran into an NPC named Brassica Oleracea, or example.
But in all seriousness, use of a real language as an inspiration can, if used well, help as a shorthand for understanding the culture of a group. The Aquilans are pseudo-Romans. This gives a sense of how bureaucratic they are prepared the Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-9168889569829130882015-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:002015-02-06T07:00:06.547-08:00Fiend Folio Friday: Crabmen and Dire Corbies
This week, my Fiend Folio entries focus on basic grunt monsters from the original Folio. My rewrites give little twists to both of these monsters, but keep them as low-level thugs with a little different flavor.
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Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-14146513598776207092015-02-05T20:56:00.000-08:002015-02-05T20:56:05.738-08:00Estarion, Game 13
The game was one of those tie-up-loose-ends games. The heroes mostly spent some time reviewing clues at the party before doing some research and follow-up. The heroes abscond with the body of the intellect devourer and its erstwhile host. They used their magic and skills to carry the body to the priestesses of Astarte to get them to use Speak with Dead to find out what the host knew.
The Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-73230380331371559372015-01-30T06:34:00.000-08:002015-01-30T06:36:53.230-08:00Fiend Folio Friday: Berbalang
I yet again revisit my love of the Fiend Folio in order to provide a new adaptation of a Fiend Folio creature for 5th edition. I'm going to try to do this once per week for a while, skipping to the creatures I actually like or wished I could like and loosely going in alphabetical order.
I will certainly alter details to suit my own idea of what would be improvements to the creature, so while Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-79958175794111577962015-01-28T22:04:00.001-08:002015-01-28T22:04:37.519-08:00Estarion, Game 12 (plus a mansion map)
The PCs are invited to a party at noblewoman Julia Martus' house. While mingling with a cast of colorful characters, they are embroiled in the investigation of the murder of Nevius Albanus, Imperial Master of the Keys and Orcus cultist. The death is blatant hit job, and Jerrit's ridiculous passive perception helps them quickly identify the main suspect.
A confrontation eventually follows, Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-14926416939996868212015-01-22T13:14:00.002-08:002015-01-22T13:14:41.155-08:00Estarion, Games 10 and 11
Game 10
We returned from a real-life holiday break to the heroes still talking to the priestesses of Astarte to learn that the Night Hag had stolen a key from the basement of the temple, one that would open an ancient enchanted tower under the bay. The coming night, a once-a-millenium low tide will make the top of the tower rise above the waves and lower the magical wards around the entranceDoug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-70885104024944155732015-01-09T13:44:00.001-08:002015-01-09T17:48:04.864-08:00Gratuitous Dungeon Map
A simple map of a headquarters in the sewers, loosely based on the maps in one of the Slavers modules from AD&D.
Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-41530222137943549542015-01-07T20:16:00.000-08:002015-01-07T20:16:20.750-08:00Sketchbook: Aboleth
A quick sketch of an aboleth, inks on brown paper.
Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-68973634967170039852015-01-03T20:22:00.001-08:002015-01-03T20:22:42.978-08:00Converting Fiend Folio Favorites: Caryatid Column
Caryatid columns are created much like stone golems. The column appears to be a column incorporating the form of a slim woman bearing a narrow, old-fashioned sword, about 7' tall.
Defensive functions. A caryatid column will always have a specific defensive function such as guarding a treasure-chest or preventing intrusion into a particular area. This task will have been set by the creator.
TheDoug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-25643391047770646642014-12-15T20:53:00.001-08:002014-12-15T20:53:10.714-08:00Three Sentient Magic Items: a rough draft.
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mso-font-signature:0 0 65536 Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-6393645138289982242014-12-14T20:03:00.001-08:002014-12-14T20:03:26.930-08:00Languages in Estarion
One of my players wanted to know about the kinds of languages spoken in Estarion. I decided that in addition to the usual racial languages, there are several different human tongues:
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Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-923060543656553802014-12-03T06:54:00.002-08:002014-12-03T06:54:16.172-08:00Estarion, Game 8
Another game without combat and heavy on the roleplay. That actually wasn't what I had planned, but these players constantly go left when I plan to go right.Regrouping at the temple, Arturius brings back some friends, Timonitus the Invoker and Anakis the Tiefling Bard. The group began investigating further into the activities of the Cult of Orcus, but moving cautiously. They begin three Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-34878376949925276062014-12-02T12:43:00.002-08:002014-12-02T12:43:45.428-08:00D&D's Magic Item Problem
In the days from OD&D through AD&D 2nd edition, magic items were an essential part of the game. Not only did magic items differentiate characters, but they filled in important abilities such as extending spellcasting for magic-users and clerics, overcoming the immunity of magical creatures to normal weapons, or granting special abilities to characters.
However, starting with Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-37243625419155201152014-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:002014-11-28T07:30:01.087-08:00Sketchbook Friday
Some creepy stuff from my sketchbook: some sort of sorcerer's hand-monster servant; a worm naga inspired by Vornheim, a variant Grell-creature, a bat-spider-snake creature out of some people's nightmares, and a spider-headed thing that could fill in for illithid in someone's home campaign.
Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-33669978806087434722014-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:002014-11-27T07:30:01.208-08:00Inspirational Art: I still love that old Russ Nicholson and Erol Otus
Of all the artists in those old D&D hardcovers I got on Christmas 1981, my favorites remain Russ Nicholson for his work on the Fiend Folio and Erol Otus for his work on Deitities and Demigods, mostly in the Cthulhu Mythos section.
If you are to young or just joined the hobby after the period of AD&D 1st Edition, you can catch up on your Russ Nicholson art work through his blog at http:/Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373012312889051280.post-86308905020007021212014-11-26T20:20:00.001-08:002015-01-22T13:10:09.986-08:00Estarion, Game 7
A few days pass and Arturius and Carver find themselves called to work with the church elders, leaving Jerrit and Meadow to investigate. They spend a couple of days investigating the people on the list of names they captured in game 3:
Finding the tomb of Vitus Pontius, they end up attacked by his corpse, revitalized as a coffer corpse, which the pair defeats after Jerrit suffers a little Doug Easterlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07861680803540365438noreply@blogger.com0