OGL and OSR Publishing

It has been interesting to read the discussions about publishing and the OGL going on right now across the interwebs.

I'm interested because I'm literally dealing with similar questions right now.

I plan on using the OGL for my Barrowmaze Megadungeon. I'm specifically wrapping my mind around Section 6:

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

So, by my limited understanding I must include each and every Section 15 (in their entirety) in my own Section 15 for each piece of OGC I employ. Correct?

So, say for example I've pulled OGC monsters from the Labyrinth Lord Core Book, The Advanced Edition Companion, the S&W Core Book, the S&W monster book, The Tomes of Horror I, II, and III, as well as various OSR modules and blogs - I will have a ginormous Section 15. Moreover, this section could potentially be filled with material that I don't even use in my dungeon but need to include to stay within the confines of the license. If that makes sense. God help the people who have to cite my Section 15...

Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I won't be posting for the next week or so, but your (somewhat) regular blogging schedule will return thereafter.

I've got some exciting plans for both academic and RPG self-publishing in 2012 and I look forward to sharing those shortly.

All the best to you and yours.

Hirst Arts Double Doors

One thing has always bugged me about the Hirst Arts fieldstone molds - they only have single doors. Now, the doors across all the HA molds are quite good. However, the mundane sameness of single doors really started to bug me after awhile. So, I decided to make some from scratch.

I miked a two square arch and then cut a piece of hardboard to size and then cut that in half (this is the same hardboard I use under all my HA pieces). I then bought some wooden stir sticks from the dollar store and glued them on, and cut off the extra. I added some cross beams and some on the bottom to serve as a base. The stir sticks give them a natural look of wood. I made a mold of the mock-up and then poured them in excalibur plaster yesterday. I should have used resin plastic but didn't have any handy (and I'm impatient like that). So here are some pics of the final product. Still need a bit of sanding here and there, but not much. I'll post some painted pics (probably after Christmas).




(As a complete aside, I'm playing in my fantasy football championship this weekend coming up. $500 bucks on the line. Just thought I'd share.)

Wanted: Old School Artists

I'm looking for old school artists to provide interior illustration for my Barrowmaze dungeon.

I've contacted a couple and combed a few forums, but I'm sure there are others.

Stefan Poag and Pete Mullen are obvious no-brainers.

I'm looking for good black and white line art.

Do you have a favorite OSR illustrator or can you make a suggestion?

Hirst Arts: Custom Pieces

I've been pecking away at some unique pieces for my Hirst Arts Dungeon.

I'll spare you a narrative and just put a few notes below where appropriate.

I wanted a few floor pieces with sewer grates and trapdoors for the odd situation that might come up. These were custom done using some tiles from Megaminiatures (please support them). These were slightly less than one inch HA tiles, so it took some fine dremel work to fit them in. I made the prototypes and then poured a mold.


To break the monotony of simple walls, I created some pillared and decorative walls. These have different styles on both sides.




I may re-make all my doors without arches for easier gaming (and less sanding). This is a test piece.

To provide some floor variation, I created four 3x3 pieces that can be turned to create different 30x30 room patterns.





This is a one piece floor. The previous pieces can be added to extend the pattern.


Here are two kinds of columns that can be used for a variety of purposes.


Finally, here's a pick of all the new pieces in action.


Thanks for checking out the blog. Please leave comments :)

Jeff Dee's Kickstarter Project: Queen of the Demonweb Pits

In case you haven't heard, former TSR artist Jeff Dee has initiated a new Kickstarter project wherein he will re-create his artwork from Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits. How great is that? Be sure to have a look.

Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to post a Happy Thanksgiving to our American neighbours.

As a kid, my older brother hooked me on the Dallas Cowboys. So with the 'Boys always playing on the US Thanksgiving, I adopted the holiday long ago. Going to school and working for a time in the US helped things along too.

The Canadian Thanksgiving is in early October (because our harvest is earlier) but I always try to do something to mark the American Thanksgiving.

I'm taking it easy today and looking forward to the game this afternoon.

I have a bunch of Cowboys on my fantasy football team, so hopefully they have a good outing. The Lions/Packers game should be pretty sweet too.

Love/Hate: AD&D Dragons

Dragons occupy a strange space in D&D. The game is Dungeons and Dragons, after all, but you really don't see them until of sufficient level - and if your group is anything like mine you won't be facing one in the foreseeable future (we just had a TPK in Session 25 of the Northern Reaches - but I digress).

I always loved the dragons from the original Monster Manual. I suppose my fondness for them - particularly the evil dragons - came from the consistency of their representation. An AD&Der knew a black dragon from a white dragon. I liked the straightforwardness. AD&D modules carried forward the aesthetic of the blue, black, green, and white dragons. This was particularly true of the Dragonlance modules. Yes, I know they get grief, and rightly so in some instances, but I adored the depiction of dragons in the early DL adventures. Spot on.

The proliferation of dragons in subsequent editions really bugs me though. I play D&D because im interested in playing archetypes and battling archetypal monsters. Now, to be fair, the proliferation of exotic dragons began in AD&D. Did we really need a Cloud Dragon (MMII)? Or how about the "Oriental Dragons" from the Fiend Folio? Carp Dragon anyone?

The aesthetic of the evil dragons mentioned above remained somewhat consistent in 2E although the inclusion of "Gem Dragons" (Amethyst, Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire, Topaz) gives me a big rubbery one. And who could forget the legendary Brown Dragon? Deep Dragon? Mercury Dragon? Mist Dragon? Steel Dragon? Yellow Dragon? Someone should have made the madness stop. The one redeeming feature of dragons in this edition was the inclusion of age categories - it was nice to biggy-size your 8HD black dragon if so desired.

Do you have any particular thoughts on dragons in the game? How many have you actually faced/set against your players over the years?

Moldy Vale Keepin' It Real

The Moldy Vale is keeping it real on the WotC Legends and Lore column.

Check it out.

D&D Art: Examples of Dramatic Irony

I'm looking at examples of dramatic irony in the art of TSR D&D - and you don't need to go very far to find some :)

By dramatic irony I'm referring to examples where the viewer possesses more knowledge than the character(s) depicted in the scene.

This is perhaps the best I can think of 1) because it's Trampier, 2) because the guy off-camera to the right points at the spider and thus "freezes" the exact moment prior to the fighter getting his ass handed to him, thereby heightening the suspense. Given the legion of examples across TSR and Old School D&D these could also classify as comedic irony within the subculture.

I think this is the most iconic example, although there are examples in the AD&D PH, DMG, and MM.

Do you have any favourites?