A look at the 1975 Original Tomb of Horrors

A side by side comparison

of the original 1975 Tomb of Horrors Tournament Game

and the 1978 mass market S1 Tomb of Horrors Module

The deluxe version of the newly released D&D Art and Arcana by Ten Speed Press includes a bonus booklet with scans of the original Tomb of Horrors as run at Origins I. At long last we can now compare the 1978 published version of the Tomb of Horrors to the 1975 original. It is considered a classic of dungeoneering, so a couple of years back I dissected it piece by piece to see what I could learn. This seemed only fair since it was usually the one doing the dissecting.  Acereak’s final resting place has also gotten some new press lately because it plays a big part in the novel “Ready Player One”.

BTW, this article is final part of two articles I wrote on the TOH in 2015. At that time I never thought the original would ever see the light of day. Part one recounts my experience playing as a teen. Part two is essentially a review of the module. I also wrote a swell "choose your own flow chart summary" of playing through. Enjoy!

Tomb of Horrors an Analysis Part one: Introduction (November 2015)

Tomb of Horrors an Analysis Part Two: Classic or Unplayable Meat Grinder? (December 2015)

Let's compare and contrast. What you will find at the bottom of the post is a room by room description of where they are the same and where they diverge. Surprisingly, the mass market version that we all know and love is almost exactly the same as the tournament game run in 1975.

Except for two things:

The first major difference is that the “fake Lich” was added to the 1978 module. In the 1975 tournament version this ruse is not present. Keep in mind it was designed to be played by fifteen players in two hours. One hundred and twenty minutes divided by thirty three keyed areas equals 3.63 minutes of real time per area. The later addition of the “fake Lich” could only exist with the added luxury of having unlimited time to play through the tomb.

The second difference is that the revised version is even more cruel. This dungeon has a well earned reputation of being quite merciless and was specifically designed to spank players who had over large egos. In the 1975 version there are many places where a character could be instantly killed. The revised S1 brings torment to a whole new level by adding tweaks like the Chamber of Hopelessness. With this addition you are transported to a room just beyond the original Portal of Scintillating Violet (also known as the “killing room”) where this message in glowing letters reads:

“YOU WHO DARED TO VIOLATE MY TOMB NOW PAY THE PRICE. STAY HERE AND DIE SLOWLY OF STARVATION, OR OPEN AND ENTER THE DOOR TO YOUR SOUTH WHERE CERTAIN BUT QUICK DEATH AWAITS - WHICHEVER YOU CHOOSE, KNOW THAT I, ACERERAK THE ETERNAL, WATCH AND SCOFF AT YOUR PUNY EFFORTS AND ENJOY YOUR DEATH THROES”.

The chamber is thoughtfully provided with “a small fountain” so that there is always “plenty to drink”. There are “numerous skeletons, rotting equipment and 30-300 each of s.p., e.p., g.p. and p.p. hurled about. Crushed gems and broken magic items are littered about - the work of insane victims and attacking swords”. If players try to pass through the only exit to the south all the swords and shields from the walls will “swoop to attack”. There are 16 swords and 8 shields. The first pair of swords are +1 to hit and damage, the second pair +2 to hit and damage and so on, the last pair being +8 to hit and damage. I calculated a maximum damage of 202, it’s fair to say that each round a character will probably get whacked for an average of 80-100 points. The original 1974 text includes 15 pre-generated characters and the character with the most HP is an 8th level Paladin with 40.

Going through the module again opened a couple of strange doors. Characters who enter the Archway of Glowing Orange within the Evil Chapel have their sex and alignment diametrically switched. When I was playing back in the old days (i.e., before the turn of the century) it would be fair to say most D&D players were male and they played male characters. This would mean that as groups of these good male characters were systematically run through the tomb, that a sizable percentage of the survivors would return as groups of evil females. Maybe they would get together to form some sort of she-woman man haters cult. I think I might make the dungeon they would have made as a response to the Tomb of Horrors. Something to think about.

There is also this thing where you are teleported nude back to the beginning. It's supposed to be a punishment. But maybe it’s more like streaking. What if that was the thrill, not getting to the end and getting a magic widget or sticking to the Lich-man. Think about wearing armor constantly, the infrequent bathing, having itches that could never be reached, the chafing,  the constant sound of metal sliding across metal… And then you get sucked into this devil's mouth and suddenly that tiresome sweaty stinky scratchy burden has been lifted off your back! You can scratch anywhere you want. You feel like a floating bubble and understand now what it's like to be truly free.  Maybe that's the real goal of the Tomb of Horrors, to be able to scratch anywhere you want.

Enjoy!

(good luck with the part below. You're going to need it.)

Link to the document, below as a PDF

A comparison of the

Original 1975 Competitive Tournament Version of the Tomb of Horrors

and 1978 S1 Module Tomb of Horrors

O = the original 1975 competitive tournament version of the Tomb of Horrors

S1 = the 1978 TSR published S1 Special Module Tomb of Horrors

Number of pages in the key:

O: 10 pages and 33 areas

S1: 9 pages and 33 areas

Note the S1 pages contain 3 to 4 times number of words than the original version.

Artwork:

O: 24 full page illustrations (by Tracy Lesch).

S1: 8 full page, 29 half page and 2 smaller illustrations (by Jeff Dee, David C. Sutherland III, and David A. Trampier).

Map:

They are both essentially identical. The 1978 S1 map includes the addition of room 27a and hallway #20 extends a further 20’ to the east.

Legend:

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Introduction:

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Locale:

Both list out six “random” locations, about half the list on each are the same.

Notes for the Dungeon Master:

Included in the 1978 S1 only. For the original 1975 tournament this was probably verbal.

False Entrance Tunnel (west):

O: #1 / S1: #1

O: 4d10 damage

S1: 5d10 damage

False Entrance Tunnel (east):

O: #2 / S1: #2

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Entrance to the Tomb of Horrors:

O: #3 / S1: #3

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Pits:

In the original 1975 text pit traps are described as “All pits except the green one open if stepped on or pressed heavily. Spikes are poison”. In the 1978 S1 they warrant a separate detailed description which describes how they function and inflict damage.

Door covered by plaster:

O: #3a / S1: #3a

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Message in Mosaic Floor:

O: #4b/ S1: #3b

The 1975 original text reads simply “GO BACK TO THE WALLS OR THRU THE ARCH. SHUN GREEN. FIND BLACK. RED COULD MEAN DEAD. TWO PITS FOR THE WAY WILL LEAD. UPON THE THRONE THE KEY, AND LOOK CLOSELY FOR THE STATUES OF IRON”. The S1 version is much longer.

Two Jackal Figures Holding a Box:

O: #4 / S1: #4

Both same, S1 much more descriptive. 

The Arch of Mist:

O: #5 / S1: #5

In the original 1975 text if you press the glowing stones correctly you go to Great Hall of Spheres. Otherwise you sustain 1d6 damage and teleported to the Lair of the Gargoyle. In the 1978 S1 if you press the glowing stones correctly you go to the room of The Three Armed Statue. Press them incorrectly or stray off the path and you are teleported to The Forsaken Prison or back to Entrance to the Tomb of Horrors.

The Face of the Green Devil:

O: #6 / S1: #6

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

The Forsaken Prison:

O: #7 / S1: #7

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Gargoyle Lair:

O: #8 / S1: #8

In the original 1975 text there can be 1,  2 or even 3 Gargoyles, depending on how big the party is. In the 1978 S1 text there is only one Gargoyle but has additional clues about the tomb on a slip of parchment.

Complex of Secret Doors:

O: #9 / S1: #9

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Great Hall of Spheres:

O: #10  / S1: #10

The red and black spheres lead to the same locations in both versions (red to Chamber of Three Chests and black to Chapel of Evil). The 1978 S1 adds the gold sphere which leads to the room of the Three Armed Statue (an area which is not in the 1975 original version).

Magic Archway:

O: #11 / S1: #10a

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Three Armed Statue:

O: - / S1: #11

Added to the 1978 S1. If you complete a number of complex tasks you will earn an invisible Gem of Seeing.

Trapped False Door:

O: #12 / S1: #12

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Chamber of Three Chests:

O: #13 / S1: #13

In the gold chest the original 1975 version has 10 asps, the newer has 12. In the silver chest the 1975 original has a lift ring covered with a fatal poison, while the newer S1 version does not.

Chapel of Evil:

O: #14 / S1: #14

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Opalescent Blue Alter:

O: #14a / S1: #14a

In the original 1975 text players sustain a base 26 HP damage from the Lightning Bolt and if the altar is only struck by a magic weapon it then explodes for 30 HP more. In the 1978 S1 the Lightning Bolt inflicts 40 HP damage and any object that touches the alter causes it to explode for 60 HP in a 30 foot radius.

Archway of Glowing Orange:

O: #14b / S1: #14b

In the original 1975 text this area reverses players sex and alignment the first time in. The second time in it switches them back and inflicts 1d6 HP. The 1978 S1 has the same effect upon the first entry. However, on the second time in only alignment (not sex) is restored and 1d6 damage is suffered. Entering a third time restores their sex, however they are teleported to area 3, the Entrance to the Tomb of Horrors.

Stone Gate:

O: #15 / S1: #15

In the original 1975 text the stone gate is a one way door, in the later 1978 S1 a stone block sinks into the floor revealing the opening. This area of the tomb is one of the most critical areas because one of the pits in the hallway has a secret door at its bottom which is the only way into the rest of the tomb. In the original 1975 version this is a tiny notation on the map, while in the 1978 S1 this secret doors importance is described in detail.

Locked Oaken Door:

O: #16 / S1: #16

Both same, S1 much more descriptive. In the 1978 S1 can be found the infamous words “snuff them out”. 

Magical Secret Door:

O: - / S1: #17

In the original 1975 version this is noted on the map as “Detect Magic to Locate”. This secret door is the only way into the rest of the tomb, much like the Stone Gate, above. You can find the secret door normally, but must use a Gem of Seeing or Detect Magic to “locate” the magic. Once located a Dispel Magic or Remove Curse must be cast to open the secret door. 

False Crypt Protected by Fear Gas:

O: - / S1: #18

Added to the 1978 S1. The original 1975 does not include the false pseudo-lich. Instead, there is faint notation on the map written here indicating “12 Skeletons”. Keep in mind the original was designed to be played by 15 players in two hours. One hundred and twenty minutes divided by thirty three keyed areas equals 3.63 minutes of real time per area.

Laboratory and Mummy Preparation Room:

O: #17 / S1: #19

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Huge Pit Filled With 200 Spikes:

O: #18 / S1: #20

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

The Agitated Chamber:

O: #19 / S1: #21

Both same, except in the 1978 S1 if the tapestries are burned they turn into Brown Mold.

The Cavern of the Gold and Silver Mists:

O: #20 / S1: #22

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

False/True Door:

O: - / S1: #23

In the original 1975 text what happens is simply noted on the map. Both areas work the same, however in the 1978 S1 original the Shambling Mound is replaced by a Juggernaut.

Adamantite Door:

O: #21 / S1: #24

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

The Pillared Throne Room:

O: #22 / S1: #25

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Devil Face (Green Mosaic):

O: #23 / S1: #25a

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Devil Face (Blue Mosaic):

O: - / S1: #25b

Added to the 1978 S1. It teleports you to The Portal of Scintillating Violet (see below).

Charred Remains:

O: #26 / S1: #25c

Both same, S1 much more descriptive. On the S1 map the “c” is missing from the key.

Ebony Dias and Silver Throne:

O: #27 / S1: #25d

Both the same except that the effects of touching the silver/gold ball to the crown in the 1978 S1 are reversed.  On the S1 map the “d” is missing from the key.

The Portal of Scintillating Violet:

O: #25 / S1: #27

Both the same except that the 1978 S1 is more deadly than the original.

The Chamber of Hopelessness:

O: - / S1: #27a

Added to the 1978 S1. Victims are teleported here from the Devil Face (Blue Mosaic) noted in the 1978 S1, above.

The Wondrous Foyer:

O: #28 / S1: #28

Both the same except that the 1978 S1 key has an Antipathy spell on it.

The Valves of Mithril:

O: #29 / S1: #29

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

The False Treasure Room:

O: #30 / S1: #30

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Bronze Urn:

O: #30a / S1: #30a

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Granite Sarcophagus:

O: #30b / S1: #30b

In the original 1975 text it contains unidentified scraps.  In the 1978 S1 the sarcophagus reads “Acererak” as a ruse. A broken and useless Staff of the Magi is also present.

Iron Chests:

O: #31 / S1: #30c

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Iron Statues:

O: #30 / S1: #30d

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Two One Way Doors:

O: - / S1: #31

In the 1975 original the words “one way” are written on the map. In the 1978 S1 these are Phase Doors and described in detail.

Secret Door:

O: #32 / S1: #32

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

The Crypt of Acererak the Demi-Lich:

O: #33 / S1: #33

Both same, except in the 1978 S1 if you insert the wrong key (gold) there is an explosion that causes 5d6 damage.

The Demi-Lich:

O: #33 / S1: #33

Both same, S1 much more descriptive.

Ready Player One Review Five Years Too Late But Whatever

I saw RP1 last  week. It’s a good film, watchable, over-hyped for sure. It’s a little above the level of Jumanji and Rampage, both of which I also enjoyed. It’s all about expectations. 

So, take a look at this. Well, the trick is not to look. All I recall was, looking is bad. See, look, it’s one of the nice devil mirrors from the dreaded S1. Or demon? Daemon? Is that a burning Styx album?

Last week I got to talking with Grace about the movie and she wanted to know if I knew about the “Tomb of Acer...ekk..whatever his name is”. It’s a ruse. When you meet him...never-mind. Yup. I even have a copy. Usually at this point is when the person to whom you are talking to "hears their mom calling" (Pre-internet texting). Instead I got “Can I borrow it?” Poor girl. 

It was at this point I started talking. Kinda like when my wife makes fun of me about recounting dungeon adventures as if they were something that happened in real life. Not only did I have it, It was the first D&D dungeon I played it in ‘78 and could probably go on and on and on (until I froth at the mouth and fall over backwards). So I talked. Grace is pretty hardy and fairly tolerant. Poor girl.

Next I was asked if I had read “Ready Player One”. I had not. I was informed that I needed to. It appeared on my workbench the following day with a vintage Barbie bookmark informing me I had better read this or die. Well, not “die-die” but the a kind of death a friend can conjure up with soft cushions and Barry Manilow (why wasn’t HE in the book?). My next book in the queue is about the slow disintegration of the Soviet Union in the mid 1990’s. No cushions or Barry needed to start this one.

I began on a Wednesday and finished on Sunday. Saturday I forced myself to read more slowly, once it’s gone, it’s gone. I like the feeling of fighting the whirlpool when reading a story like this. Way way way better than the film. Reminded me of reading Twilight and the Stainless Steel Rat. 

This book is constructed from the trash heap of 80’s pop (and sub-pop) culture. I have a vague memory of passing through that time, some of it brought a scrunchy face, some a gnashing of teeth. Cline handles going through the trash heap well. He stays his temptation to really geek out and keeps the writing focused on the teen boy angsty plot. Getting down into the pop culture weeds has a way of culling out a lot of readers who are just not interested in the fact that you get teleported to a misty room naked. (So, do you like gladiator movies?”)

The non-virtual world in the movie seemed flat to me. In the book it’s more real and is a proper contrast to the digital fantasy. The grayness of the world, it’s blandness, even the dull way one of the characters dies all works. The plot is fast moving and has balls. I believed in Wade's do anything to impress the girl thing. It’s the kind of thing that makes sense when your an 18 year old virgin.

I half believed I was one of the characters in the book (not one of the stupid kids, BTW). I remembered how I sat in front of the TV with my tape recorder to record Gilligan's Island. I am a purger now, a destroyer, I just don’t have reverence for old unchanging crap anymore. Where are the new ideas? I digress.

The book is a celebration of social gaming: “...As I learned more about how these early role-playing games worked I realized that a D&D module was the primitive equivalent of a quest in the OASIS. And D&D characters were just like avatars. In a way, these old role-playing games had been the first virtual-reality simulations, created created long before computers were powerful enough to do the job. In those days, if you wanted to escape to another world, you had to create it yourself, using your brain, some paper, pencils, dice and a few rule-books. This realization kind of blew my mind…”

On the back cover is a pic of the author sitting on his Delorean. I can still remember seeing one back in the 80’s at a local shopping mall with my dad. ”What a piece of junk…”

So, don't thank me, thank Grace.

Read this book or I’ll be forced to get the soft cushions out.

Remember, we are all standing on the shoulders of giants:

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Rat-Saves-World/dp/B000SJ96F8/ref=bseries_primary_0_B000SJ96F8

BLASTA-DHONN: SM's New 1/42 Scale Kit Will Have Crypt Lords Drooling

I was fortunate enough to have been sent a preview sample of the upcoming Blasta-Dhonn in glorious 1/42nd scale by Chicago based Schwartzpunk Models. This is the latest kit to literally crawl forth from the ichor tanks of their production house and also the 4th offering of the "Classic Creepazoids in Plastic" series. 

The kit comprises of 9 parts molded in grey polystyrene. The fit is excellent for a Limited Run kit, indeed minimal cleanup will be needed to get this critter up and laying waste to hapless crypt openers. The two stalwarts of C-N-C already know the ferocious history of these creepazoids, "they have twin bio-cannons that can discharge super dense fecal matter clods accurately at speeds greater tan 160 feet per Na-nuta...upon birth they take a single breath and live on will power alone...they loathe every living thing". Crypt Lords revel in the raw power these give them in both ranged and close quarter combat.

A shot of the asexual nether regions of this beast. Note the accuracy of the puckering of non-essential biomass.

All nine parts showing the cleanliness of the moldings. This will have the modeler in you totally "stoked".

We have seen two of these kits already, the obsequious Orbo "The Great" and Megamumu. Strangely, SM brought us a Fighting Scroatt, which is not listed. There are rumors that the Hairy Mormon is next to be released. If true we look forward to the backlash ranging from religious groups to the billion dollar hair removal industry. 

Many thanks to Nesbitt Pepperpot who was kind enough to send this preview sample along. It is much appreciated!

The Weird That Befell Drigbolton, A Review

I am a sucker for buying indie RPG stuff, mostly because I eschew the power mad game apparatus and would rather lock myself in a half sunken laundry room to concoct rules governing the chance of parasitic infestation. Close inspection of the cover artwork shows a skull dripping blood from a hole in it’s forehead and wearing a red wig with two ponytails. Enough ribald banter.

The Weird That Befell Drigbolton is really good. Here’s why:

Drigbolton is well organised and not overloaded with bloated text blocks delineating invisible poison needle traps hidden in every third sock. All of the descriptors are perfect for any master running the game who only needs a concise description. I have been analyzing old TSR modules lately and they are overstuffed with lengthy descriptions of how some useless doodad in the background was beautifully carved out of bla bla bla. The makers of Drigbolton unprovides you this needless detail. Thusly shielded, the Master is then free to flesh out mundane details on the spot as god intended.

The prose itself has a certain mocking tone, much like the first few dry lines of a Monty Python sketch. The text itself however, never quite drives into pure parody. This is the perfect manner to offer this up, as it perfectly preserves both player’s and master’s agency to create the style of narrative they see fit.

The artwork is excellent. It perfectly sets the tone of the module and doesn’t over define anything. I have a huge pet peeve for the super slick images you see in the big name offerings. Too much photorealism robs the participants of their own ability to be creative.

This module is not a railroad. Players are dumped in and it’s their job to figure out stuff before the proverbial star stuff hits the fan. The scale of the map hex (at 6 miles) allows players to move around quickly. They just need to decide where they want to go. Information learned within these areas lead naturally to one or more others. Random events also conspire to drive the story to its “unnatural” conclusion. 

There is lots of great Player/NPC interaction here too. The Master will have many opportunities to talk like Thurston Howel the Third, Clint Eastwood and any of the various Rat Bags from MP’s Flying Circus. Make sure a glass of your favorite beverage at hand to keep your pipes lubricated.

There is a lot of weird stuff. Not just weird “Horror” as is the current flavor in the indie RPG community these days, but Drigbolton is just “off”. Like your uncle Carl from the war. And this is how it should be. If everything you encounter is weird, it all becomes the same. There has to be enough of the commonplace to push the odd stuff into the light. There are a host of random encounters in the back, broken up into groups. The designers created a simple and effective bit of mechanics to parse them out as the timer of the module runs out. I promise you will not randomly encounter two goblins with their weapons drawn looking for a fight. Maybe, instead you’ll run into “a maiden of innocence who is merely a lure for…” Let’s not give it away.

Lastly, the whole thing is easily mutable, allowing the Master to easily change things to suit his/her/its group. Sadly most of the stuff I buy is useless or too much of a PITA to alter for my game. Drigbolton will fit in perfectly within my world of Yogi-Rabbis, royal mobile armored thrones, and rectal port miss-fires.

When I convert this adventure to run, I’ll post my notes as a public service. The fine makers of Drigbolton promise more material in the future. Assuming this is not a hollow threat, I will gladly buy the next. Empire was better than the original, right?

The Weird That Befell Drigbolton

Suitable for Labyrinth Lord or any other fine FRPG

Gavin Norman, Greg Gorgonmilk writing and design

Andrew Walter illustrations

Kevin Green cartography

I got mine at http://www.drivethrurpg.com/

A Review of Playing at the World by Jon Peterson

For the last couple of months I have been scribbling notes in my copy of Playing at the World. Every few days my wife says “aren’t you done, yet?” It took three pencil sharpenings before I could even consider my next projects, either WN62 (a biography of a WW2 german machine gunner on the beaches of D-day) or Dune. I thought before becoming consumed by either of these I should savor a few moments of freedom and write a few words about Playing at the World.  

Before I get off track, trying to sound all clever and stuff, Here it is: I really really like this book. I have always been enthralled by the design history of games. I have read many and there are not many good ones.

Playing at the World has a lot of damn pages, 698 to be exact. There’s a narrow passageway in the middle where going back was too treacherous, so I hunkered down and slashed my way through. Not to worry, it passes quickly and I managed to dispatch a few goblins, earn a few xp and find an old boot. In some ways this book is like a long murder trial in which a lot of evidence must be presented to insure a faithful reconstruction of the crime. Additionally, it goes in depth regarding games that came before, such as Kriegspiel and Diplomacy. All good games are built on the shoulders of giants and Peterson’s exhaustive research shows that D&D is no exception. He wisely limits his source material to Fanzines written before D&D’s huge success and the revisionist history that followed. By combing through contemporary sources, Peterson accurately reconstructs the events that give rise to the birth of RPG’s. One of the many things I found amazing is the well documented exchange of ideas in fanzines. They read like a three legged slow motion version of today’s internet. I also appreciate that he presents E. Gary Gygax without judgement and allows the reader to form their own conclusions on the Man, the Myth, the Legend.  

For me this book scratched two itches:

The first was an itch I did not know I had, namely laying out what exactly was appropriated from Arneson, Kriegspiel, Diplomacy, Leiber, Tolkien and Dr. Strange. Gygax combined many disparate ideas to make D&D.  This fusion was incremental and like many category starters, he had no idea what this thing really was or what it would become. He simply thought it would be just another product in the TSR line. I never had the pleasure of meeting Gary Gygax, but I did meet Dave Arneson. In that brief encounter, I could sense the bitterness he harbored, not getting the billing he probably thought he deserved. In reading interviews with him, this is certainly a thing. (Spoiler: not very many people who worked at TSR  ever seemed to be happy). Playing at the World sheds light on Arnesons creative role in D&D and it’s a mixed bag for sure. I still have issues that Gary Gygax always seemed to take more credit than he deserved. Certainly he could have been more upfront about where his inspiration came from, but that’s water under the bridge. I liken it to the credit Stan Lee heaps upon himself in creating the Marvel universe, delicately omitting his fellow creator Jack Kirby. Unlike Kirby, however, Arneson sued TSR and got paid millions (yes, actual royalty numbers are quoted) for basically doing nothing. Bitterness is it’s own reward, I guess.

The second itch I’ve had for a while. It has to do with reconciling the terms “role-playing” and “game”. Technically a case can be made that an RPG is not a game at all. As a game designer this is the Burning Question and for me, Peterson has insight on this dilemma. He lays out the things that make D&D and role-playing unique: a player controls a single character (essentially defining game scale), these characters advance in power through “stratified progression” and one player must take on the role of referee who reveals secret information as the world is explored. But, lastly, and by far the most unique aspect of RPG’s is the agency allowed by the players, in that “anything may be attempted”. I danced around this bit in my own game rules about the Crypt Lord: “This is the magic of role-playing. It cannot be explained to the uninitiated, or simulated by even the most technologically advanced main frame-computing device”. Nothing on this earth except the pulpy mass of the human brain can deal with that kind of free agency.

Yes, “it’s a fine wine, it has a bouquet like an aborigines armpit”. I highly recommend this book to anyone who really wants answers about the history of D&D. Now, if I can just find six more people to play Diplomacy...

Achtung! Secret Hitler!

I found a game about Hitler on my porch today.

Peerless quality.

Any game that has Ja! and Nien cards is a winner in my book.

Just so you know, I have not had a chance to play it yet.
I'm taking it to work to play with my fellow schweinhund.
I'll let this part of my world how it turned out.

He had a dog...with no nose".
"How did he smell?"
"TERRIBLE!"

POSTSCRIPT: This arrived the day before:

This is a 70's era Rummikub game...note the similarities in terms of proportions, materials and quality...
Fascinating to be sure.

Change Your Head.

This is more or less an open letter to the creators of Maze of the Blue Medusa.

To Zak Sabbath & Patrick Stuart:  This thing, Maze of the Blue Medusa, which you have created together is stupefying. Assimilation could change your brain.  I think it changed mine.

For a couple of years I have gone back and forth on whether what you were doing was actually good or just artsy trash.  Deep Carbon Observatory was getting rave reviews.  How could something that was so sloppily put together garner such acclaim?  Posts on “Playing D&D with Pornstars” often made me want to smash my chromebook, in spite of the fact that I often agreed with you. What’s your problem?  More importantly, what’s my problem?

I’ll tell you: Ego.  I had written my own RPG and was writing a blog of my own.  Didn’t I deserve some of this acclaim?  Come on, my game was as good as this stuff.  When would the cool kids teach me the secret handshake?

The long and short of it is, I was able to contain my insecurities and better manage my ego.  Just plain owning it helps.  Realizing that I’m not in a competition with you gentlemen works too.  When the Medusa gets acclaim and attention, it raises all boats, right?  

Blue Medusa goes way, way beyond Deep Carbon and Pleasant Land.  

This is not a review, I am still processing Medusa.  Generating a genuine review is no simple task, the subject matter must be methodically picked apart, logically commented on and compared to other like offerings.  It takes more energy than running it. Right now, however, this is not the point.  I feel as someone who is a part of this community and a game designer to acknowledge the importance of this thing.  You should know it, and the rest of us, too. 

As I write this I am only about a half of the way through Blue Medusa.  No small task- even written in the shorthand they have championed it is 368 pages of dense material with many interlocking parts.  Writing a proper review is going to take time.  Instead, while my excitement is still fresh I would like to offer these thoughts:

1) It has a great beginning: Medusa starts immediately with a cool device and NPC interaction.  Right away this sets the tone of the whole thing, which is very important.  What the players do, say and ask all matter.  Nobody's mom is there to read out the plot intro. Why would anyone want to begin by hacking away weeds for 45 turns just to get to the entrance?  OMG, kill me now, please.  

2) Doesn’t have a “Plot Rut”:  Usually module creators build their adventure around a predetermined narrative path.  If all you want is to fill a few hours being marginally entertained, this is the easy way.  Simply drop your wheels in the rut and get pulled along. This method of play is thankfully missing from Medusa.  You’ll have to work a bit to play this one.  (Or run it).

3) Truly Magical: Medusa has a lot of really cool, mysterious magical stuff in it that is not the usual corporate stuff spat out by committee.  A game about imagination that actually is. Imagine that.   

4) The logic is explained: The gametic logic of why things are the way they are is explained.  This is a great help to the DM if they are expected to make informed changes of the module.

5) Give me more toys: One of my pet peeves is that the “powers that be” are so stingy.  It’s like playing 007, but being forced to drive a Pacer.  Aren’t we punished enough in real life? Lighten up and give me some cool toys.  Everyone is afraid of “imbalance” and that the game world will get broken.  You should be so lucky.

6) It’s not static: Things are happening and depending on what you do NPC's, whole areas or even the whole thing can be affected.  The idea that things are changeable either by time or by your actions is powerful.  You can blow it up.  You could blow up.  Or not.

7) Great artwork: The artwork is absolutely correct.  The technically over-executed cookie cutter fantasy illustration you see these days hurts the game experience by defining things too much.  A looser style of artwork allows the participants to fill in the gaps and define things their own way.  Why does everything need to be so defined?  (I’ll tell you, so Disney can own it and make more $$$).

I have been working on my own game.  Things like Medusa allow me to frame the whole RPG design experience differently.  I have been rereading various “classic” game modules, usually it is an arduous experience.  Not so with Medusa.  Each time I’ve come away with a new take on how to make something I am working on better or with a new idea entirely.  A rare thing indeed.

Keep up the good work gentlemen!

STAND BACK, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! HE'S GOT A ROTTEN BRAIN!

I have dabbled with Epic Warhammer and 40k.  Flames of War.  I like miniatures games but they are cumbersome and expensive.  I have always been a little jealous of those well dressed gentlemen sliding tiny European men with muskets across what looked like small train layouts sans railroad track.  My Warhammer stuff is all gone. Flames of War is soon to be on Ebay.  Oh it's time...  

I am lucky that I live near one of the best Game stores in the nation.  One day, out of pure foolishness I asked if they could recommend a good Napoleonics table top game.  They said, "Funny you should ask that...because Honour is publishing a new Napoleonics game soon".    That was a few months back, since then I have ordered the book and the "Hundred Days" expansion.  However, I promised myself no painting rows and rows of tiny men.  No, no, no.

Imagine, a miniatures game designed to be played with pre-printed unit cards.  Genius.  Finally someone who understands how to make their game accessible.

Again, I am a game designer by trade.  Slogging through a poorly written rule book is a big pet peeve of mine.  There are a lot of great games out there with poorly written rules.  It is no small thing to 1) create an excellent game and 2) write the rules so they are concise and clear.  Blucher succeeds on both counts.  Not only are the rules spelled out (the author makes no assumptions that you understand the genre) but he also includes design notes that explain why such and such a rule was designed the way it was. Bravo! Understanding the core logic makes playing the game so much easier.

As a gamer, I WANTED MINIS.  It was like having a tiny Angel and Devil sitting on my shoulder, "Relax, after you get started they will be easy to paint" and "You don't need another hobby to waste your time on".  I duped myself into thinking that the armies could be beans glued to card stock.  I experimented with various colored rice, lentils and toothpicks.  To my surprise it took a lot of work to glue them down in neat little rows.  And I also wondered if I was crazy.

Eventually, I decided to use painted wooden blocks.  A lot of searching did not find a source for the size I wanted, so I bought 3/8ths strip from Home Depot and carefully made each block.  The blocks were then painted to represent French and Prussian units.

I redid the card graphics, here you can see samples of the units. Ultimately this will allow me to create what ever units I need for what ever battle I plan to play.

I made clear bases for the cards so 1) they could be flipped showing the concealed side and 2) be sturdy enough to be picked up with the units on them and moved around the battlefield.  The top of the clear base is lightly sprayed with a re-positional glue to hold the card in place.

Here's the first game, the starter scenario from the website "Along the Danube".  Before I made anything else, I wanted to make sure everything worked.  So far so good.  My son and I got through the rules and we are ready to play again, probably tomorrow.

Everything is designed to be modular.  Here is a close up shot. The blocks represent "Elan" (basically the unit's strength).  Blucher has three kinds of units, Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery.  For Infantry the blocks are arranged in rows parallel to the front edge.  For Cavalry they are turned 90 degrees and the Artillery I cheated and used scrabble tiles.  The purpose of this is so you can see at a glance what a unit is and how strong it is.  I have some ideas on improving the overall look by possibly adding flags to show the Corps. We shall see.  My son gives Blucher a big thumbs up (keep in mind he is a video gamer).  So looking forward to the next battle!  I also like that this game is independently produced by Sam Mustafa.  Long live the independent game designers!

BTW, Blucher scores an 11 out of 10, for me.  You can find it at: Blucher

Finally, a miniatures game that actually works!

Frau Blücher: I came to tell you that your fiance should be arriving any second! 

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [shirtless] Elizabeth! Here, tonight? 

Frau Blücher: I suggest you put on a tie! 

Tomb of Horrors an Analysis Part Two: Classic or Unplayable Meat Grinder?

Part 1 of the series was definitely a fluff piece. I will apologize tomorrow.

Time to look at the Tomb of Horrors in detail. For my own (questionable) amusement I created a 6 page flowchart chronicling the entire dungeon path:

Here is a link to a PDF of entire 6 page document:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4SbN-rtbAlgNTU3cGhMSlRpWjg/view?usp=sharing

Relive the horror! I thought at first it would be pretty easy to plot out. Huh! After several pages of scribbling I realized how complex the module really is. You must be excruciatingly familiar with the area descriptions and how they all interconnect. Otherwise when you run this beast it's going to be a mess. TOH is not something you can run “off the cuff”.

Yes, I asked myself why I have done this. One must be wary of the word “classic”. My goal was to strip away the fond memories and descriptive nonsense. Once denuded, I would then be able to objectively scrutinize the design using “player agency” and see how it holds up. I was very surprised by what I discovered. “Horrors” is not exactly how I remembered it. In the intervening decades I conveniently forgot the tedious parts (of which there are many) and remembered only the exciting stuff. Just like real life. “Horrors” has the good stuff, but there is a lot of being kicked around and getting bitch slapped too. Time to rip this baby apart.

Lets begin.

Stats: The text is svelte at 9 pages. There are 36 descriptive areas, which comes down to about four per page. A Quarter of a page clocked in around 350 words or 15 very long sentences.  E. Gary’s sentences tend toward the lovecraftian. Let's not forget the 20 page book of illustrations. They are the coolest thing ever and the artwork perfectly sets the tone.  I especially love the green devil facades and the hand drawn title on the cover. Wikipedia says Gary wrote the adventure to “challenge some of his more expert players”.  This makes sense, in going through it I couldn’t figure out why things had to be solved in very specific (and peculiar) ways. But now, I realise these are artifacts of how his group played. Lots of hardcore mapping, pits with mechanical trap doors, the constant smacking stonework with poles and the DM rolling d6’s to see if your stupid elf found anything. It’s a an anal play style that I am glad is long forgotten. Gary expresses his thanks to a “Mr. Alan Lucien” who was kind enough to submit the idea for this dungeon. Is the Siren room his? I'd love to see the original tournament key as run at Origins I.  (If anyone has access to this original version I would much like to see it). The module gives no clear indication what level it is or how many players should attempt it. Looking at the Pre-Gen character list is no help either. Typical.

Ahem, added in March of 2019: A look at the 1975 Original Tomb of Horrors

Now that TOH is firmly lodged in my brain it’s time to reread C. Campbell’s Hack & Slash blog series “Slaying the Quantum Ogre”. When he discusses “Player agency” it is more often wrapped around sandbox play and macro decisions players would make in that context. TOH is as opposite a sandbox as you can get. Surprisingly, even with Horror’s narrow, no saving throw allowed mentality, it has lots of player agency. Specifically:


INFORMATION

“This is the key to player agency, since it informs the players choice. Without information, they cannot make a choice with intent.” Courtney Campbell, On Slaying The Quantum Ogre

Horrors has lot’s of information. The main chunk is the 8 line riddle hidden in the mosaic tiles on the floor in room 3. Only part of one line doesn’t seem to relate to anything (“...and beware the trembling hands and what will maul”). But if you've taken the bait and decided to stick it out and score the big treasure, this verse gives you most everything you need to know. It also clues players in on the trap theme (I counted 84 traps) and that the big “A” is going to try and trip you up by faking you out. Sounds like a challenge. You can choose not to go in. If you're a chicken. Bwak….bwak...bak! I have designed a number of crypts that use the riddle format to inform the players. It’s a great device and encourages a lot of social interaction. (Shameless plug: The Towering Inferno of Death has a riddle).

There are other bits of information given out, some lines on a scrap of paper, several magic mouths that taunt you. Let’s not forget the illustrations. Not only do they further immerse the players in the experience of the Tomb itself, they also provide a way not normally used for the players to interact with the situation. Half the illustrations must be studied carefully for clues. They also provide a different way for players to ask the DM questions. I remember we spent as much time looking at them as rereading the riddle. “Wait...does that box stick out of the wall?”

TRICK/TRAP AGENCY

“There is an appropriate way to run a crushing ceiling. This is the one area of the game where you can have a gotcha moment... First, you must make it very, very, clear that they are in an area where something like this can happen”. Courtney Campbell, On Slaying The Quantum Ogre 

This part of Player Agency fits Horrors to a “T”. Once inside, it doesn’t take long to sink in that this place is infested with deadly traps. Undisturbed rooms with broken furniture. Misty hallways leading off to other dimensions. A pit filled with 200 spikes. Locked chests, urns and boxes. Poisonous asps. Dead end corridors with sounds of people laughing that dump you into lava. Right. The place is riddled with secret doors hidden in secret places. Only one trap in particular bugs me. In room 21 (the Agitated Chamber) are two tapestries, which when torn turn instantly into Green Slime, fall on you and turn you into Green Slime, no save. WTF? Oh wait a minute, if you burn them they turn into Brown Mold and give off poisonous gas. x2WTF? There are no clues to warn the players that these tapestries “are specially anti-magic creations of green slime and brown mold”. Fortunately, this trap is an exception in Horrors. 

“Trick/Trap Agency is designed to avoid the gotcha. It doesn't mean you have to dumb anything down. The general idea is that players must make the choice to engage with the trap and there must be some way for them to become aware of it.” Courtney Campbell, On Slaying The Quantum Ogre

So this gem is just lying there. Sure, it’s surrounded by carnage. Looks like a bomb went off. Look how shiny. Probably cursed. We should leave it alone. Right? This is a perfect example of players making a choice to engage with the trap. They know it’s a trap. That’s the point. Same with false entrance #2. “You hear a rumbling sound….slowly count to 10…” Again two big fat clues to act fast before the stone slab seals you in. Another: “The face has a huge “O” of a mouth; it is dead black. The whole area radiates evil…” I mean, come on. I employ the counting method, although I prefer a 30 second sand timer. When I whip that baby out you should see how everyone suddenly starts talking fast and loud. Sometimes they know what’s up, sometimes they don’t. Doesn’t matter, something bad is going down and it’s time to hustle.

FREEDOM
“This is ironic, but in order to encourage freedom, you have to limit options. You have to say, here are five tasks, so they can make a meaningful choice between the five - or reject them and forge on their own. If you were to tell them “do anything they want” the excessive freedom limits their agency by making their choices meaningless”. Courtney Campbell, On Slaying The Quantum Ogre

Yet another bizarre way this 35+ year old dungeon still works. It’s pretty obvious from looking at the dungeon flow chart how interconnected the areas of the dungeon are and in multiple ways. Connected by corridors, tunnels and inter-dungeon TP zones. There is no one path. Some paths are better than others, but if you can just get to the end, isn’t that all that matters? To be fair, once you're past the Pillared Throne Room (area 25), there is just one route to the big pay off at the end. Here is something interesting: I read that at least one group at Origins grabbed the crown, put it on Acereraks’s head, touched the silver end to it and “snuffed” out the Demi-Lich. As the legend goes, Gary was present and was asked to make a ruling on the matter. He congratulated the players on their clever solution. Bravo! (Note, in later versions of the module the powers that be rewrote the area so that the crown cannot be removed from the pillared hall). Most of the chambers offer up several obvious choices for the players. Players also learn however that these obvious choices will not be enough to crack the tomb. There is always the implicit understanding that the players can do anything…”freedom”. Playing through the tomb is as painful as it can be rewarding. I highly recommend it. Some advice: when you do finally get to the last room, if you can just resist the urge to pry those shiny, candy-like gems out of the motionless skull sitting there you’ll be in good shape. 

Good luck!

You're going to need it.

In conclusion, Tomb of Horrors holds up remarkably well. It is definitely tough love. I would call it a classic in my book. Every DM should locate it somewhere in their campaign so players may test their mettle against Acererak the Demi-Lich.

BTW, here are some very interesting links pertaining to the TOH. Enjoy:

A Look At The Original 1975 Tomb of Horrors (The final part of this series)

This one is a nice discussion thread:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?306672-Tomb-of-Horrors-example-of-many-or-one-of-a-kind


This one examines the riddle:

http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2011/08/p-is-for-poetry-in-tomb-of-horrors.html


Here is a cool 3D map of the complex:

http://mockman.myshopify.com/collections/walkthrough-map-prints/products/tomb-of-horrors-walkthrough-map-print-pre-order

And of course the Wiki page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Horrors


Lets not forget Hack & Slash.  (Many thanks to C. Campbell for his kind permission to use text from On Slaying the Quantum Ogre):

http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/