Campaign journals, reviews of TTRPG stuff, and musings on D&D.
| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Suspense |
| Question | Where |
| Mood | Enthusiastic |
| Subject | Art |
Prompt interpretation:
Where can an enthusiastic art collector suspend their art?
There are no art galleries in the Barbarian Altanis.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Tactic |
| Question | Why |
| Mood | Envious |
| Subject | Character |
Prompt interpretation:
Why are adventurers envious of beastmen' tactics?
Because beastmen fight “cowardly” by hiding in darkness and shooting at iron-clad, magical-sword-wielding, divinely blessed, potion juiced, balls-to-the-walls, fearless fightining men, paladins, rangers, and clerics. Of course, the last one come with hammers and maces. Some crazy guys bring flails and sledgehammer, just for the fun of it.
Funnily, the above mini-Gods-of-War bemoan their adversaries, wishing they too could be hidding like little cowards, shooting at their foes from “safe” distance. But there are no safe distances in the dungeons.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Nemesis |
| Question | How |
| Mood | Confident |
| Subject | Lesson |
Prompt interpretation:
How confident is the adventurers' nemsis in his capability to teach them a lesson?
Oh, he is getting very, very confident. Although he initially avoided and foiled them through sheer luck and roll of the dice, he is now actively plotting and scheming against them. It took him a long time to learn of the adventurers' involvement in his downfall, but now that he has their names, his wrath will be absolute.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Challenge |
| Question | Where |
| Mood | Excited |
| Subject | Character |
Prompt interpretation:
Where can player characters find exciting challenges?
Those adventurers that are most capable and most ambitious should seek out the mythical Tomb of Abysthor, the elusive Black Monastery, and the woeful Cyclopean Deeps. And for those most courages, far in the Demon Lands, The Slumbering Tsar awaits.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Reveal |
| Question | Where |
| Mood | Excited |
| Subject | Character |
Prompt interpretation:
Where did you have the most exciting character reveal?
Oh, one of the more exciting character reveals was the reigning Champion of hte Mightiest Supplex that Rhovar was about to challenge:
Rhovar trodden on his precious warhorse, Umber Fury, sporting his cloak and horned helmet, and carrying the Hydra Company banner in his muscular hand.
The outsides of the temple were swarming with people wanting to get in. They were all pushed away by the Windgod's clerics. The crowd separated and allowed Rhovar and his entourage to pass.
“Beat his ass blondy!” somebody yelled.
“Hah, another dead man ridding!” yelled another one.
“Brutus is the bae!” a woman screamed.
Wide stairs led to the sixty feet wide and thirty feet tall iron double doors. They were currently completely open, revealing a huge chamber bathed in sun.
“Challenger, I'm afraid you will have to dismount. We will take good care of your horse.”
...
The grand hall was a circular chamber with 300 wide diameter. Thick marble pillars, covered in motifs of eagles, winged men, and feats of strength, supported the ceiling. They were arranged around the full circumference of the chamber.
Sun illuminated the grand hall, coming down from a huge circular opening on the 30 feet tall ceiling. The eagle statue was in fact hollow. The sun would penetrate it's many orifices, and was somehow guided all the way down into the grand hall.
Looking up, the party could see many balconies on the inside. They were all full of people. The hall too, was jam-packed. Most of those present sported the Windgod insignia, but there were many others as well.
In the center of the hall was a 30 feet wide round ring. To be fair, it was more of a round plinth with colourful mosaic. The ring was warm to the touch. That was hardly surprising given that it was noon and burning hot. The sun rays seemed to be focused on it.
On the other side of the ring Rhovar spotted a man towering above all others.
The man was no freak giant. No, no. The man was perfect; as if Gods themselves made him. Tall, broad chested and shouldered, with elegant, elongated muscles. He moved with such grace that he was more akin to a panther than man. He stood perfectly naked, his dark framing the chiselled features of his face. His manly jaw revealed a heart-melting, pearly white smile.
A gaggle of women, and men!, surrounded him. He smiled at each, and was patient and gentle in his responses. At the same time a trio of acolytes were rubbing his naked body with oil, making sure to cover every inch of his copper skin.
“Our champion, I'm sure of it.”
Read how it went down here.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Recent |
| Question | Who |
| Mood | Proud |
| Subject | Person |
Prompt interpretation:
Who recently made you proud?
My players, who else. And yes, all of them. Yes, the two that have correctly evaluated that scroll is most likely trapped. And yes, the other two whom had opened the scroll case anyway, then unfurled the scroll, and then read it out loud, and then triggered fireball to the face.
Why all of them? Well, the first duo for picking up on my unsubtle clues. And the second duo for daring to risk their characters to see if this is some useful and valuable treasure or not. The risk they have taken was calculated, but alas, it did not pay off.
Illustration by Brulligrum.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Ally |
| Question | When |
| Mood | Nostalgic |
| Subject | Adventure |
Prompt interpretation:
When do allies become nostalgic for adventure?
When they run out of coin and fortune! When they desire far more than they have! When they lust for power and wealth! When they reach old age and are bored to death by their progeny and state affairs!
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Unexpected |
| Question | Where |
| Mood | Envious |
| Subject | Lesson |
Prompt interpretation:
Where can one have a lesson so unexpected it will make others envy them?
What I am about to share is a secret most proper, a ruinous secret that sets the expectation and makes unexpected expected, and yet one should not expect it otherwise it will fail to be unexpected.
On the east coast of the Romilion Sea, beyond the springs, but before the marshes, lie the Gates of Black Sun. Adventurers that venture beyond them will learn such a lesson that will make the living envy them, and the dead pity them.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Enter |
| Question | How |
| Mood | Nostalgic |
| Subject | Genre |
Prompt interpretation:
How does one enter a nostalgic genre?
Is there a genre more nostagic, sentimental, or longing than the OSR? Originally rooted in breathing new life into the earlies editions of Dungeons & Dragons, OSR means a lot of things to a lot of people today. To those interested in OSR I'd recommend to pick their game of choice based on more than rules—consider the vibes, the presentation, the genuiness of invitation to play.
Original Dungeons & Dragons little brown booklets are still very playable, despite their age. They do demand of the Judge and Players to accept the ownership and responsibility for the game—for they will have to fill in some of the gaps—but in return, they also offer great fun, unlike anything else out there.
And for those that would like more modern, I can heartily recommend Swords & Wizardry Complete, a wonderful retroclone of the earliest rules which includes material from the little brown booklets, plus selection of best stuff from Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Eldritch Wizardry supplements. It packs everything in compact 128 pages, and includes plenty of guidance to start playing.
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| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Daily | Destiny |
| Question | How |
| Mood | Proud |
| Subject | Lesson |
Prompt interpretation:
How does one learn about their destiny whilst retaining their pride?
One must pay the price of foresight; nothing in Barbarian Altanis is given for free. Strange folk of Queans Waste yell in reverence of the Great Prophet of P'than; Onsiler of the Temple of Azure Dreams is said to be a marvellous diviner; Minarax of Barath has thus foretold all dangers and led orcs to dominance of sulphur mines; Zantrin of the Grove of Serenity is haunted by a strange prophecy. And lest it be forgotten—adventurers create their own destiny.
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