Thursday, June 27, 2013

Wilds - Wanted: Dead or... Dead!

With the ghouls' remains burned to a crisp the party packs up and starts backtracking along their trail (with a mix of grumbling and enthusiasm). The trail is not particularly hard to follow, at least for a while, but after several hours traipsing generally northwest, the signs grow thin and faint as the dense undergrowth and tall trees give way to more open woodlands. Enthusiasm wanes and grumbling increases. By mid-afternoon, only Maro seems intent on continuing along the possibly-lost trail.

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Wilds - Bring out your Dead!

Dead, or mostly dead? Whatever the things are, it's clear the party is going to have to fight!

Round One - enemy initiative

Ohwatoo begins casting a spell!

As the party prepares swords, bows, crossbows, holy symbols, and spells, the creatures charge, closing on the party's front rank. The mules scatter back along the path, and one yanks Jonquil off his feet as he tries to control it. Thinking fast, Gorvil shifts into the gap left by the fallen Jonquil and sets his trusty pole arm against the charging foes from the second rank.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Dungeons in Blue Virtual Tabletop Tiles

Dungeons in Blue, classic blue geomorph-style maps for the virtual tabletop, are now available on DriveThruRPG! These ready-to-fill maps are packed with rooms, corridors, pits, and caves; all judiciously sprinkled with tricks and traps. Every geomorph tile seamlessly connects to every other tile in the series, providing the megadungeon builder tremendous freedom and flexibility.

Start with The Master List, a free starter kit that includes a set of ready-to-use tiles, the latest and greatest map key, one-third scale summary maps of every Dungeons in Blue tile set, and an index PDF with direct links to the rest of the Dungeons in Blue product line.

There are currently three tile sets available, cunningly named Set A, Set B, and Set C. Each of these sets includes:
  • Four 100x100 foot full-sized tiles.
  • Four 50x50 foot corner tiles.
  • Four 50x100 foot edge tiles.

50x100 foot sample tile
Each set also includes a map key, one-third scale summary map, and a quick readme PDF.

If you're ready to dive into the deep end, all three sets listed above are available in the Triple Pack One bundle.

All maps are rendered at 100 px per five-foot square, in ready-to-use PNG-format files compatible with most virtual tabletops. Two versions of each map are provided, one for players, and one for GMs. The GM's versions show additional features, tricks, and traps. Use them as-is, or combine them into larger maps using your favorite image processing software.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope you'll check out Dungeons in Blue, or take a look at some of PBE Games' other products. Have a great weekend!

50x50 foot sample tile

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Wilds - The Road Home

With a pile of gold, silver, copper, and platinum bars in their hands, greed comes to the fore, and the party decides it's time to head to town. They retreat out of the vault complex, sealing all the doors behind them, and fall back to the camp they used the previous night, near the stream. The hike isn't terribly long, but Durego and Raúguey have convinced everyone that they should load excess personal gear on the mules so they can split the bars and other treasure among party members. That way a mule can't run off with all the loot. It takes a couple hours to wind down off the hill and backtrack along the old road, covering tracks as best they can.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Wilds - Pop the Box

Fully recovered and itching for loot, the party prepares to open the three chests they found in the glowing vault...

Start Date: July 16, Year of the Badger, morning
Start Status: Pop top!
Start Location: In the golden tunnels, deep in the Wilds

The Turn

After a discussion about various ways to open the chests, the party agrees to build a lifting mechanism using some poles, rope, and a grappling hook. Before heading out to gather the needed supplies, they check out the last doors. As expected, they mirror the already explored areas.

Friday, June 14, 2013

The Dwarf Kettle

Finally, the players in my Wilds game have figured out what the iron kettle they've been lugging about does! Now I can post it for everyone.

Dwarf Kettle


This iron kettle was made by the Dwarfs long ago, though it's plain shape and lack of adornment make this hard to discern. When a command phrase is spoken (Kettle Cook - in Dwarf), the kettle transforms whatever liquid it is filled with into a rich, warm broth, just right for sipping. Consuming one cup of this broth is equivalent to a full meal. The kettle can be activated twice per day.

  • The kettle holds four servings.
  • Anyone consuming a serving regains 1d4 HP.
  • Broth produced cannot be stored for more than one hour.

Short and sweet!

The Dwarf Kettle is one of seven items in Items of Power Volume One, available via DriveThruRPG.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Wilds - R&R

With two dead party members and depleted spells, the party faces tough choices. Press on, give up, or regroup. They eventually decide to fall back, camp at a safe distance (whatever that means), deal with their dead comrades (well the one they can recover), and head back in the next morning. Here's how it goes.