Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser redux

As a followup to my previous post, here are the covers to the White Wolf omnibus editions of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, with cover art from Mike Mignola. These editions came out in the 1990s and each contains 2 volumes (except for the last, which is The Knight and Knave of Swords under a different title).

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

I recently picked up the Ace volumes 1, 2, and 5 of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series from the 1970s and 80s, and I already owned volumes 3, 4, and 6. I love the art and font used on these editions. While it would have been nice to find volume 1 in the same edition as the rest, I love being able to see the complete cover art.

Of Bounty Hunters, Knights, and Alpacas

This morning my son and I were playing with one of my Star Wars figures--the bounty hunter Dengar--and some toy farm animals. At one point I put Dengar on the back of an alpaca, pretending that he was riding him.

A little while later my wife called me back into the living room, excited about what O had just done. He stopped playing, went into his room and found a library book, opened it to a specific page and pointed to the picture and then to Dengar. The book is from the "I Spy" series, the picture of a knight on horseback. Dengar, looking sort of knightly in his pointed head gear and grey/brown space armor, had been riding the alpaca, which looks a bit like a horse.

I love seeing old and familiar things through my sons 19 month old eyes. Stuff that I have known for most of my life--like Dengar, whom I first encountered in 1980 at 8 years old--can take on new roles when viewed out of context, with no preconceived notions of what is or isn't "correct".

Isn't that really what this gaming hobby I love is really about, anyway? Roleplaying games are just "let's pretend" with a set of guidelines to let multiple people partake of the same story without stepping all over each other. We take something familiar--like medieval knights, mythology, or outer space--and give them a spin with friends to see what falls out. Playing with my son is like gaming, where things old and familiar to me are new again and take on unexpected roles in his hands.

Long live Dengar, Knight of the Alpaca!

Obligatory D&D 5e Post

A Dice Tower?

Over on Grognardia, James has another "Ads of Dragon", this one for the Fair Shake dice tower. He ends the post wondering why someone would spend $ on something that they can do by hand. While I don't have an answer for him, I do own a dice tower. Mine is unique, though. I made it.

I've been taking pottery classes for about 2 1/2 years, and a little over a year ago, I was looking for something a little different, a little more complex than the boxes, bowls, mugs, flowerpots, and plates I had made so far. I wanted to make something big. Something that I could point to and say "Yeah, I made that". Something that was a conversation starter and related to my other interests. I decided to make a dice tower.

Why a dice tower? I don't really know. I never owned one, never really wanted one, and truthfully, thought they were a bit silly. I agree with James-why use something like that to roll dice when using my hands or a cup is easier, faster, and just as good? Still, I had the materials, the time, and the motivation, so I started working on it. My class only met once a week, so it was a slow process. For 6 weeks I rolled clay, cut slabs, fit pieces together, explained to the others in the class what it was and talked about gaming, getting the usual questions like "People still play D&D?" Finally it was ready to be fired. I was afraid it would fall apart in the kiln, or it would get broken at some point. But no, it made it through the firing. One more class spent glazing, wondering if I was using the right colors or what it would look like when completed. Another firing and it was done. It now sits on top of one of my bookshelves, waiting to be used in a game. I'm sure someday I will use it in a game, and I do occasionally take it down and drop a die or three down the chute to hear them bounce around and roll out the bottom.

Even if it doesn't get used, I can still point to it, smile, and say "Yeah, it's a stoneware dice tower. I made it."

What Kind of Box? Another Random Table

To expand upon yesterdays Things In A Box post, below is another random table, this one to determine what kind of box has been found. This one probably should have come first, but the Things table was finished before I started on this one.

What Kind of Box?

A Random Table (3d12)

3. polished metal cube, no visible seams except for lid
4. shipping crate, rough wooden slats lined with canvas
5. woven wicker cube on wooden frame
6. oblong box, rough hewn boards with nails along edges
7. rectangular box, paperboard over wooden frame
8. tall & narrow storage box, doors on front, lacquered boards with decorative inlay
9. finished wood cube with brass hardware and feet
10. finished wood pentagon with flat top, lid pivots to the side on one corner
11. oblong box of rusted iron with bolts along edges
12. small, plain pine casket
13. woven wicker basket on wooden frame, decorative silk woven into sides and lid
14. glass display case on metal frame, inside lined with silk drapery to hide contents
15. wood and leather steamer trunk
16. wooden blanket chest with hinged lid
17. large round paperboard hatbox
18. intricately carved stone sarcophagus with slab lid
19. wooden frame covered with stiffened leather sides
20. oblong metal box with enameled overlay and decorative paint, hinged lid
21. finished wood box with sliding lid, inlaid checker pattern around edges
22. bone framed cube with stretched human skin sides, lashed together with leather cord
23. small steel safe, double padlocked door on front
24. oblong storage box on carved wooden feet
25. large round metal barrel with screw top lid
26. lacquered wood pyramid with removable metal cap
27. hastily constructed box of unfinished wood panel sides and rough timber frame
28. short, square box, lacquered boards with copper edging
29. storage crate of wooden panels held together with metal straps
30. woven reed basket on stick frame, tapered towards bottom, lift off top
31. small lacquered wooden casket, decorative inlay on top, brass hardware and handles
32. finished wood chest with single large pull out drawer
33. octagon shaped box of painted wood, top folds open on two sides
34. tall and narrow woven wicker basket
35. plaster covered wooden slat cube with painted pattern on sides
36. cube with frosted glass sides and metal frame
 

Images courtesy of http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/

Things In A Box: A Random Table

Boxes. Adventurers frequently come across boxes while exploring, and think nothing of opening them to see what is inside. Frequently, the answer to “What’s in the box?” is “Treasure!” or "Trap!", although sometimes it’s just mundane stuff like supplies or trade goods, and yes, there is the occasional monster. Who leaves those boxes full of stuff lying around all the time for characters to rummage through? I don’t recall very many times in my life when I walked into a room, saw a box, dug through it until I found something I wanted, and took it (well, except for my toy box as a kid, but that was MY toy box). Even if it’s not a usual occurrence in the real world, there seem to be lots of boxes for characters to dig through as they tramp around the dungeon (or tower, castle, inn, cave, extra-dimensional lair, etc.) Below is my random “Things In A Box” table, inspired by the great random tables found at Beyond The Black Gate, Carjacked Seraphim, and The Society of Torch, Pole, and Rope, among others.

Things In A Box

A Random Table (d100)

1. 1d10 pp, 1d100 gp, 1d1000 sp, 1d20 ep, 1d12 cp
2. a very fine 6” glass sphere, cool to the touch, resting in a velvet “nest”. Any application of heat (including body heat) will cause it to explode in 1d4 minutes into thousands of tiny shards causing 1d6 damage, + 1 additional point due to shards buried in flesh every turn of movement until healed. If transported without damage, sphere is worth 600 gp.
3. an 18” lump of lodestone, adheres to nearest iron or steel object, can be removed with strength check. If stuck to armor, -2 to armor class until removed due to awkward size & weight.
4. 1d6 random books, non-magical
5. a 12” wax figure of the person opening the box, perfect in all details
6. a monocle on a 24” silver chain
7. a severed medusa head, person opening box must make saving throw or be petrified
8. 1d4 random potions in correctly labeled metal flasks
9. a slightly smaller box, same construction as the original box. Roll again for contents.
10. small leather bag filled with sand
11. a well used hand of glory (non-magical) and a braid of long blond hair
12. hornet’s nest, swarm of hornets immediately attack all within 30’ radius
13. 10 iron spikes, a metal hammer, and 100’ of silk rope
14. 14 copper discs, 6” across, with text written on one side in an undecipherable script
15. an imp dressed in motley, on opening box he jumps out, yells “BOO!”, then flies away. If caught, he answers to the name Jack.
16. a cloud of purple dust puffs out, causing all in 10’ radius to save vs breath attack or sneeze violently for 1d3 turns. make a random monster check due to noise
17. large leather-bound book in an unknown language
18. bones of a small human child
19. large bundle of dried leaves from a rare medicinal plant, heals 1d6 damage if burned and smoke is inhaled
20. small gold plated goblet studded with semi precious stones
21. silver hand mirror with monogram “L.C.“ on the back
22. burlap sack containing strips of salted meat (2d4 days rations)
23. a portal to elsewhere in the dungeon, appears as a miniature staircase inside the box leading down into darkness
24. a hand drawn treasure map on a 3’ square piece of sheepskin
25. small carved stone idol of a many armed, winged humanoid with a horse head
26. copper torc with a small ruby set on each end, resting on a stone slab. If worn around the neck it will immediately adhere to the wearer’s skin and the rubies begin to heat up, doing 1d2 damage the 1st round, 1d4 the 2nd, 1d6 the 3rd, 1d8 the 4th, 1d10 the 5th, 1d12 the 6th, and 1d20 the 7th. After 7 rounds it will immediately cool down and can be worn with no further damage to that person. If removed and worn again later or worn by a different person it will once again adhere and heat up.
27. a smooth egg shaped stone, with a blue 8 pointed star painted on it. If touched it will cause 1d10 points of electrical damage
28. a pair of silver dueling daggers wrapped in very soft leather and tied with a braided cord, worth 200 gp each or 500 gp as a matched pair
29. 6 white candles, 6 brass candlesticks, and silver tinder box
30. a folded tapestry depicting the first meeting between the king of the lizard people and the queen of the troglodytes
31. pair of lightweight blue crystals, 6” long and radiating very slight magic. If placed in water and allowed to float, one crystal will always point towards the location of the other crystal, regardless of distance.
32. small, simple platinum hoop earring. If worn in right ear will allow the wearer to hear soft sounds as if they were at a normal volume. if worn in left ear it will amplify all sounds to a painful volume causing 1d3 damage per minute, if not removed it will cause permanent deafness in left ear in 4 minutes.
33. a pair of well made black leather boots with 3 shiny steel buttons on the back, 2 pair of bright purple socks
34. green woolen cloak with carved wooden clasp in shape of a star
35. sack of smooth, fist sized river stones
36. 36 bloody teeth, freshly pulled
37. small red cloth-bound book, “Rites and Sacrifices of the Lost Children of the Crow”
38. 4 random holy symbols, all crudely carved from wood
39. femur and tibia tied together in the shape of a cross, wrapped in red velvet
40. set of 96 wooden building blocks in a variety of shapes
41. 8 plain but sturdy clay mugs, matching decanter with wax stopper (full of sweet wine)
42. a package wrapped in fancy paper, labeled “For Victoria”, containing a variety of ladies undergarments
43. ogre sized loincloth, heavily soiled. if handled save vs poison or become ill, lose 1d4 points of Con for 1d4 days
44. large sack of glass marbles. There is a weak seam on the sack, 15% chance per round of splitting open if roughly handled (ie. combat, running, strenuous movement)
45. 15 scrolls, all containing the same random 1st level wizard spell
46. poorly made wand of healing. Recipient must be wacked hard on the forehead, causing 1 point of damage then healing 1d6 points, 2d10 charges remaining
47. a paralyzed goblin, regains movement 1d6 turns after opening box
48. a large metal bucket with a padlocked lid, contains an ochre jelly which bursts free if the lock is opened
49. 14 twigs tied together in a bundle with rotted cord
50. a mummified hawk
51. a trapped wraith bursts forth and immediately attacks when the box is opened (automatic surprise). Inside the lid is a painted rune of undead entrapment.
52. 4 random gems in a silk pouch
53. 7 dwarven made hoods (2 yellow, 2 green, 1 purple, 1 tan, 1 brown) and 1 shiny red apple
54. 3 small wooden boxes, identical except for a number branded into the top (1, 2, 3), and a scroll tied with blue string. Scroll reads “Will you fly, will you fall, will you go through the walls? Choose carefully, you cannot choose again”. When a box is opened the contents of the others immediately disappear forever. #1 contains a ring that immediately teleports wearer to random location in the dungeon before crumbling to dust, #2 contains three potions of flying, #3 contains a 6” steel orb, if touched a 10’x10’, 20’ deep extra-dimensional pit opens directly beneath it, containing 3 skeletons that immediately animate and attack any who fall in. Pit will close in 5 rounds.
55. A desiccated dwarven corpse, arms and legs have been cut from torso to fit in box
56. Box full of mirror shards, a mirror inside of the lid reflects a distorted image of the opener. Mirror shatters in 1d4 rounds (even if lid is closed) and a duplicate of the opening character, identical in all respects but of the opposite alignment, appears directly in front of the box and immediately attacks the opener, ignoring all others. If either the duplicate or the opening character is killed, the duplicate and all it’s possessions disintegrate into black dust. Closing the lid will reset the sequence, and it is possible to have multiple duplicates of the same (or different) characters at the same time if the box is opened again. Under the mirror shards in the box is a 3” high crystal pyramid pulsing with a faint white light. If removed from the box the pyramid will cease to light.
57. heavy leather sack with 12 caltrops
58. 18” iron cauldron full of live frogs
59. Black metal, open faced helmet with a chrome spike on top
60. 40’ of heavy iron chain
61. wooden bucket with cover, full of 3” iron nails, 2 wooden mallets
62. 3 old wool blankets
63. 6 vials of oil, bundle of rags, 2 torches
64. 8 animal skulls-2 dog, 2 monkey, 1 bear, 1 snake, 1 cow, 1 tortoise
65. a finely woven black cape, wrapped around a pair of men’s black leather shoes
66. box is ½ full of dirt, 2 garden trowels and a small bag of pumpkin seeds are lying on top
67. 12 arrows with dried black liquid on the tips (poison, save or vomit for 2d6 rounds) in a leather quiver
68. 5 hand towels, a hair brush, 2 combs, and a bar of flowery smelling soap
69. 2 magical cloaks of protection +1, infested with disease. save vs poison or suffer severe internal pain and bleeding beginning in 1d3 days, lasts 2d4 days, causes 2d6 damage per day, all damage heals at ¼ normal rate, contagious to any who come in contact with infected character(s)
70. 14 decks of cheap playing cards and a pair of silver dice
71. 3 shrunken heads (2 elf and 1 gnome)
72. rats nest made of clothing, 5 rats, hole chewed through rear of box
73. hand drum, 3 tambourines, and a pair of silver hand bells, all with symbols of chaos crudely painted on them in purple paint
74. 3 dried gourds on a bed of straw
75. 6 pots of paint, wooden pallet, 2 large paint brushes
76. black doctors bag containing 4 vials of holy water, 6 wooden stakes, a wooden mallet, 5 dried garlic bulbs, and a note-”I waited as long as I could but they were trying to break down the door. I’ll try to lead them away. Sorry. -J”
77. large glass jar full of iron shavings
78. padlock and 97 keys (none of which match the lock)
79. empty saddlebag, bit & bridle, and riding crop
80. carved wooden toys-2 boats, 1 horse & wagon, 4 soldiers, 1 dog
81. well used mandolin with broken neck
82. 2 small oil lamps and a flask of highly explosive oil. if oil is used in any lamp it will explode for 2d6 damage to person lighting lamp
83. charred human skull with a large quartz crystal in it’s mouth
84. well used set of alchemical tools, 2 glass beakers, and 4 empty glass bottles with corks
85. sack of dried apples, in bottom of sack is a severed human fist
86. four 10” stone statues of minotaurs and a wooden model of a maze
87. 2 red candles and a 2’ wooden wand topped with a halfling skull. If both candles are lit and the wand is held there is a 10% chance of Orcus taking notice
88. basket full of dried mushrooms
89. set of well made men’s clothing, folded and neatly stacked
90. helmet shaped like a fish, the inside is always cool and clammy to the touch
91. pair of 6’ white feathered wings on a shoulder harness, folded and wrapped in white silk
92. miniature pick and shovel, 30 rocks painted gold
93. opening box causes a vacuum, if room has doors they immediately slam shut and characters will suffocate in 2d6 rounds unless box is forced shut (strength check)
94. stuffed porcupine
95. bundle of sheet music composed by Vin of Telarine, tin flute, brass kazoo
96. severed human head, will open eyes and attempt to speak but makes no sounds
97. plague doctors mask, wide brimmed black felt hat
98. roll twice and combine results, ignoring rolls of 98-100
99. roll three times and combine results, ignoring rolls of 98-100
100. roll four times and combine results, ignoring rolls of 98-100

I want to thank Professor Pope and Roberius Rex for giving the table a read through and for providing me with feedback and a few corrections.

Images courtesy of http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/