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On the Ecology of the Doppelganger
"But you see, I'm not the Duke of southern Ostland at all." -Last words heard by the knight Fineous, as replayed by the crypt necropticonNomenclature: double goer, doppelgänger, etiäinen, vardøger,...
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On Interesting Treasure, Jade Bowl
You didn't find anything but some dirty humanoids no longer living and some sort of ancient kitchen.An ancient kitchen where apparently they all ate off jade dinnerware.Jade bowl, 800 gp
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On Theory, Defined: Railroad
Games are very specific, very quantifiable things.Name any game!Whatever the game, there are very specific rules. And even for those situations where the rules don't clearly cover a corner case, the...
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On the Blue Mage
A Blue Mage is a Spellcaster that gains abilities by experiencing monster attacks. This allows them to use attacks exclusive to monsters or enemies. The downside is that they must be subject to the...
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On Reader Mail, Your Favorite Version
Christopher writes in "I've been doing a lot of reading on Hack & Slash, and I was wondering what your favorite style of Dungeons & Dragons is. Do you prefer Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,...
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On Early Tropes, Castle Greyhawk
Mortellan's Greyhawk ArtIt was a time long ago, when Old Greyhawk Castle was 13 levels deep."The first level was a simple maze of rooms and corridors, for none of the participants had ever played such...
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On Oozes, Slimes, Jellies, and Puddings
"They don't eat us and excrete us. They eat us, and then we become them." -Reynard Illvar, Former Templar, Patient in Ostoff SanitoriumNomenclature: Blob, Slime, Jelly, Pudding, Glop, Goo, Gook, Gunk,...
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On Early Tropes, A Comic Adventure Part I
Perhaps, in the past, the advertising department was more creative, or perhaps they just had less oversight.The artist on third and fourth comics is Bill Williamson. The second comic is drawn by Jeff...
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On Reader Mail, Assimilating The Textbox Description
'J' writes in, asking:"The problem is dungeon descriptions. I feel that I provide the necessary information, while leaving room open for exploration. I always choose my words carefully and provide,...
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On The Top 10 Underplayed FLAILSNAILS Classes
For those that don't know, the Flailsnails Conventions are an implementation of the idea that you can take a single PC from game to game.On with the list!Too many fighters! Too many wizards! Let's see...
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On the Ecology of Elementals
"The earth itself stood against us. Fire walked. What can we do against such enormity?" -Cadrene Sergeant Allanso Illon, shortly before his execution.Nomenclature: Elementals, Mephits, Primordials,...
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On Reader Mail, The Comprehensive Search Bypassing Play
'J' writes in again with another question."One of my players wants to bypass the game-play by saying 'I search everything'. I've responded in the past by asking them to be more specific, but this isn't...
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On the Top Ten Types of Magical Currency
You know, after a certain point, money just doesn't cut it anymore. When you have access to limited wish, can summon outer realm creatures and have any enchantment you wish on your weapon, what exactly...
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On the Ecology of the Flailsnail
Art by Zak Sabbath"Bwaak!" - An mage who thought it would be a good idea to polymorph a flailsnailNomenclature: Flailsnail, Conchlias tribualis, Conch HydraDescription: terrestrial pulmonate gastropod...
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On Early Tropes, A Comic Adventure part III
The above appear to be the work of Jeff Dee.And a final 2 unfinished parts:The series of advertisements was canceled due to a perceived lack of interest and the fact that they didn't stand out enough...
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On Reader Mail, Love of THAC0
Jason Kirby writes in"I think that THAC0 is awesome, but I can't exactly say why or properly articulate to my friends why it is better."And then he follows with:"Here is my dirty little secret, I am...
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On the Thursday Trick, The Dividing Ladder
Dividing Ladder (Restraints/Hazards)Trigger: Mechanical: Latch or SwitchEffects: Never MissMultiple TargetsSave: DexterityDuration: InstantResets: AutomaticBypass: DisarmDescription: This ladder...
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On Early Tropes, The Pit Trap
"Those orcs were Robilars servitors, his guards in a manner of speaking. Although he forced them into service, they were paid and so generally were wiling troops. Of course in the Tomb of Horrors they...
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On the Hexbraken
In the Old School Gaming community, the games consist of two separate, yet equally important groups. The characters who investigate hexes, and the hexes they investigate. This is one of their...
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