Character Challenge 2026 - Catching Up - Otto's Ghosties

Ghostie armor is
technological, not magic

This collection of characters is all third-level characters with secret weapons. They are known to Otto, and he fears them with good reason. 

Of course, these characters were created for Old School Essentials, but I am going to link to a copy of Fiend Folio on Drivethru. It fits the vibe of these three characters and their creepy equipment. 

Thomas Reed, Third Level Human Thief

STR 11
INT 10
WIS 13
DEX 15
CON 12
CHA 14

HP 10
AC 7 Leather

GP: 7 SP: 100 CP: 100 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: a small diamond, 100 gps

Spells: None
Languages: Common

Equipment: 
Elven cloak
Ghostie dagger
Ghostie veil

Greta Southpaw, Third Level Fighter

STR 16
INT 12
WIS 11
DEX 14
CON 14
CHA 10

HP 22
AC 4 Chain and Shield

GP: 67 SP: 80 CP: 18 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: None
Languages: Common

Equipment
Ghostie chainmail
Ghostie longsword
Normal shield
Ghostie veil

Marrick Hollower, Third Level Fighter

STR 13
INT 10
WIS 11
DEX 12

CON 14
CHA 15

HP 27
AC 4 Chain and Shield

GP: 100 SP: 25 CP: 25 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: None
Languages: Common

Equipment
Ghostie chainmail
Ghostie axe
Ghostie shield
Ghostie veil

Previously, I mentioned Ghostie equipment. Rather than sketch out these characters, I will describe the Ghostie weapons and armor they have and how they use them. 

Ghostie equipment is high tech, not magical. All Ghostie equipment is old and battered. 

Ghostier armor and weapons have many strange properties. Ghostie equipment is always +1. However, it has many other properties that inspire terror in opponents. Creatures of animal intelligence must make a morale check when the equipment is around. Typically, they will flee rather than stay around to fight someone using Ghostie equipment. 

Let's start with the armor. 

Ghostie equipment cannot be directly sensed. It can only be seen out of the corner of the eye. Once out of sight, creatures forget they saw it. If worn and buttoned up for combat, it stops making any noise caused by movement. Distressingly, the wearer's voice and breathing are amplified. The wearer cannot stop this. If the wearer is motionless and quiet, there is a good chance (a save vs. paralyzation) that they will be mistaken for an empty suit of armor. AND forgotten when the creature looks away. 

Opponents should flee.

If someone asks the DM about this property, the DM should gaslight them: 

"Armor? I didn't say armor. Oh my god, an armored thing sneaking up on you - roll for initiative!" 

If you can manage to get a jolt out of players, do it a couple of times in a row. Don't let the PC's make any rolls except initiative. Do everything yourself. At the start of each round, use a script like this: 

"You're winded and lying on the ground. As you stand up, you can't remember how you came to be on the floor. It seems important. The room is empty except for scuff marks on the ground where you fought...  

"The armored thing is coming at you! You remember it hit you. Roll for initiative!" 

Lather, rinse, repeat. Eventually, this will get old, and you should stop. Assume the terror is weakened by exposure. Animals won't hang out for this type of abuse. After a while, the characters will figure out how to compensate for the forgetting and the terror. Any indirect spell or weapon can easily hit Ghostie armor, such as fireball, magic missile, vials of oil or acid, etc. 

Ghostie weapons are +1 to hit and damage. Since they can't be seen directly, the user gains a bonus of 1 to their AC. On to hit rolls, a natural 20 skips the damage roll. The strike will do weapon type's maximum damage ( and a +1) and forces a roll vs. poison. If this save failed, in 1d3 days, the character will begin to suffer from infection. This is caused by the debris and dirt that the weapon pushed into the wound. 

Ghostie weapons are also invisible to direct sight and are forgotten once out of sight, just like the armor. This creates a curious problem when they get dropped because they affect the owner as much as opponents. 

These three men have a sheet of Ghostie material that they cut up to use as a mask or veil. It is utterly terrifying because their faces are blank spaces, but it doesn't have the full effect of armor or weapons. 

The most common armor is plate and mail, followed by chainmail, and/or shields. There is no such thing as soft Ghostie armors. Weapons come in several types: hook-like daggers, axes, stilettos, and long swords. There are no Ghostie missile weapons, spears, hammers, or maces. 

Let me know what you think. 

Character Challenge 2026 - Catching Up - Pieces of 8

I liked creating Willy Pete and his Merry Gang, so this time I created 8 more characters as a group or party. Six characters are 1st level while the remaining two, Thrain and Elma, are second level. They are currently co-leaders. 

Oddly, the thief, Otto Grimm, pulled the party together. He is a bit perplexing, having low wisdom and modest intelligence with a gift for languages. He was able to fool the other party members into following him until the ideas and cash ran out. At that point, the most experienced characters took over. The Bollin Cay, the fighter decided to call the group "Pieces of 8" since they had 64 coppers, silvers, and gold. 

Let's sketch out this party, starting with the co-leaders, starting with Thrain and moving on to the elf, Elma. 

Thrain Ironfist, Second Level Dwarven Fighter

STR 15
INT 13
WIS 11
DEX 10
CON 14
CHA 10

HP 12

AC 4 (chain, shield)

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: None
Languages: Common, Dwarven

Equipment:

Battle axe

Backpack
7 torches
50’ rope
Iron rations
Pickaxe

Hatchet
Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Maybe Elma has a shield like this.

Elma Strider, Second Level Elf

STR 10
INT 13
WIS 12
DEX 14
CON 11
CHA 10

HP 9
AC 6 Leather, Shield

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: 
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven

Equipment:
Longsword
Hatchet
Bow and 24 arrows

Spellbook
Elevn cloak
Wineskin
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

You will note all the characters have a hatchet, rations, a bedroll, and a change of clothes. They are carrying everything they own on their backs. They do not have much. 

Elma and Thrain have hopes of either joining a crew heading to the Isle of Dread or becoming a guard troop for a caravan heading north. If they join a crew, they will have no need of a leader. If they join a caravan, they have decided Elma will lead. Thrain is currently the leader in the port town. 

Bollin Cay, First Level Human Fighter

STR 14
INT 13
WIS 10
DEX 12
CON 13
CHA 11

HP 7
AC 5 Chainmail

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: 
Languages: Common, Elven

Equipment: 
Spear +1
Long Bow and 24 arrows
Short Sword

Hammer
Lantern

Flask of oil
Tinderbox 
Lyre
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes

Nissa the Quick, First Level Halfling

STR 15
INT 10
WIS 11
DEX 16
CON 12
CHA 13

HP 5
AC 6 Leather and shield

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: None
Languages: Common, Halfling

Short sword

Silver dagger
Sling

Backpack

Lockpicks 
Greatcloak
Flask of oil

2 sacks
Tinderbox 
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Alvin, First Level Cleric

STR 12
INT 10
WIS 15
DEX 11
CON 13
CHA 11

HP 6
AC 5 Chainmail

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: Clerical
Languages: Common

Equipment:

Holy Water Sprinkler (1d8) 
Sling +1 30 bullets

Backpack
Holy symbol
Holy water
Prayer book
Music book
Drum
Tinderbox 
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Alvin, Cay, and Nissa make up the heart of the party. They all have an interest in music. They are also the only ones with magic weapons. They are the first to gather firewood and set camp, and the last to leave the camp after cleaning up the dishes. 

They perform whenever the rest of the party lets them. In town, they have busked the party a free drink or ten. They really aren't that bad... at singing. 

They can handle dishes and starting fires, but the three of them are abysmal cooks and worse at hunting. Even picking berries and fruit doesn't go well for them unless under the guidance of someone else. They are the happy little band. 

Morcant the Pale, First Level Magic-User

STR 12
INT 16
WIS 12
DEX 11
CON 10
CHA 9

HP 4
AC 9 Robes

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: Light, Locate Object
Languages: Common

Equipment:

Staff
Knife

Backpack
Bronze torc
Spellbook
7 books, ink & quill
Tinderbox 
Hatchet

Iron rations
Small tent
Hammer and tent spikes

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Lovers under a tree

Dawn'wen Star, First Level Elf

STR 10
INT 15
WIS 10
DEX 14
CON 11
CHA 12

HP 5
AC 7 Leather

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: Detect Magic, Light
Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven

Equipment:

Rapier
Bow and 24 arrows
Dagger
Sling

Backpack
Silver torc
Tinderbox 
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Dawn'wen and Morcant the Pale are the team's unlikely couple. Both are soft-spoken, often quiet but friendly when they get speaking. The two barely speak to each other, but are great friends. They are the only ones who sleep in a tent. Dawn'wen hunts with her bow, and Morcant cleans and cooks what she provides. 

Both wear expensive torcs of matching designs. The rest of the party suspects these are bands of ownership and believe they are escaped slaves. The rest of the party would never dream of asking. The torcs and the couple occasionally attract ill-attention. Such attention is usually handled by Otto Grimm. 

Otto Grimm First Level Thief

STR 13
INT 12
WIS 6
DEX 17
CON 11
CHA 13

HP 6
AC 7 (leather)

GP: 8 SP: 8 CP: 8 EP: 0 PP: 0 Gems: None

Spells: None
Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling, Orc, Goblin, and several others.

Equipment:

A pair of stiletto's
Mithril long sword
Sling
Wire garrot

Lockpicks
Lock grease
Chalk
Vial of acid 
Holy Water
Tinderbox 
Hatchet

Iron rations

Bedroll
Change of clothes 

Otto is a gregarious man of little wisdom. He talks a great game, but when the rubber hits the road, he comes up short all of the time. No one is exactly sure how this moron knows so many languages, but he is great at them. 

In combat, he is extremely wily and dangerous, packing more weapons than anyone else. He has a fine Mithril sword that, by all accounts, should be magical. The party has tested it several times, and it has a distinct lack of magic. 

Dawn'wen Star has a theory about Otto. He is an assassin, one who has been cursed to be good and lawful. Thrain believes her more than anyone else, because he has seen the results of Otto's hand when anybody bothers the young couple.  

Well, let me know what you think of this crazy crew of characters. 

I'll end today with the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials, but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. Or you could taste test it with the Basic Rules. These are free.

Since I mentioned in two posts, here is a link to Isle of Dread on DriveThruRPG. 

New Laser Projects: Boxes and Dungeon Tiles

I have cooked up two different products I hope to sell in the near future: Card Boxes and Dungeon Tiles. 

Let me start with the Commander Deck Box. This link is to Etsy. I receive no remuneration for this. I liked the design for a variety of different projects, so I removed the logo and started cutting. 

The files have a restriction or two. First, the creator didn't license the logos, so I removed them. Second, I can't sell digital products based on this. BUT the creator allows sales of physical items. 

Good enough for me.  

I have no idea how to play Magic: The Gathering, but I have a lot of friends who do. 

Second, this box also accommodates Battletech Alpha Strike cards, so I have personal use for it. I could see this box holding a whole stack of cards, dice, and a lance or two of Mechs. It's even tall enough to accommodate an Atlas, the tallest figure made. 

This is a great design. 

I could also see this box holding thread, needles, and bobbins as is. Additionally, my wife has a ton of oils for a diffuser. This is perfect for that, too. 

If I downscaled the size, it would nicely hold 4 different types of tea. Upscaling would make a nice A5 journal holder with space for pencils or markers. There are so many different options for just one product. 

I love it. 

Next is a design of my own. I made myself some dungeon tiles, something I have done on paper in the past. This 3D dungeon design is more ot my liking. 

Since the box above required several sheets of wood, I added a couple of the smaller pieces as a test print. These are 1" x 1" columns and 2" x 2" walls. They are simply downscaled storage boxes. I also have designs for 4" and 6" walls. I would like to make some doors and other decorations. 

I love how these came out. I could do so much with just these 6 pieces. 

Since this was a test cut, I didn't bother to etch the stone on the surfaces. Although the laser can go faster when etching, the amount of detail really slows the process. 

These 6 came together quickly. After messing with them for a bit, I realized I could do levels, stairs, columns, and corners. They are super light because they are hollow boxes. 

What I envision is a 12" by 12" by 2.5" box containing dozens of pieces. Since each piece is exactly an inch thick, I could put around 121 inches worth of walls in that box, with some space to spare. The lid of the box and the bottom of the box would be etched with stone work to act as a base or platform. 

In looking at these, I was thinking of gray paint or natural wood. But I could also spray them with chalkboard paint or dry-erase paint so people could draw on them. The possibilities are endless. 

Here is what the design looks like in Inkscape: 

I may sell the digital file over on my Ko-Fi page and sell physical product in person. (Insert lament about the price of shipping.) 

I might refine the design. The bottom of each piece has a raised bottom, which strengthens the design. I don't know if that is really necessary. They are so light and strong with just the top end cap. I did this out of habit; large boxes need that extra structure to stay rigid. That doesn't seem to be the case with something so small. 

Let me know what you think in the comments. 

Character Challenge 2026 - Catching Up - Mugwar

Here is a character I reverse-engineered: Mugwar, the Man of Mystery. 

A few years back, I made an impulse purchase of the Dungeon Masters Adventure Log (Link to Noble Knights). I know this is an item I always wanted, but never had. When I saw it at Noble Knight Games, I had to have it. 

The prior owner wrote in it... as they should. Nowadays, I can just scan and Photoshop a new book for myself, but there is a lot of value to me in a pre-loved book. 

Of course, these aren't full-character sheets, but I can guess what they might have looked like. Rangers have minimum stats, and the prior owner kindly wrote some bonuses to AC and attacks. I can also tell this was AD&D e1, but they also had Unearthed Arcana because they had a Caviler in the party. 

One oddity, and I don't find it too odd, is that they had a Halfling in the party. I do the same thing, mixing and matching B/X and AD&D. 

It appears that Mugwar survived approximately 8 modules. He leveled up from 1 to 9. He has used many different weapons and many different types of armor. 

Mugwar Ninth Level Ranger

Strength: 18/76
Intelligence: 13 
Wisdom: 14
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 15
Charisma: 9

Hit Points: 61
Armor Class: Various

GP: 0  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Unknown
Languages: Common

Equipment: 
+1 Broadsword

Usually, I start with the commercial. Today, it's at the end.

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials, but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this by purchasing two titles: The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. Or you could taste test it with the Basic Rules. These are free.

Character Challenge 2026 - Catching Up - Willy Pete and his Merry Band

If I mean to catch up and create 31 characters for January, I need to start doing 3 or more characters at a time. Here we go. 

Let's start with the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials, but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. Or you could taste test it with the Basic Rules. These are free.

When I create characters for myself, I love to create backstories for them. The odder the better. 

Meet Sergeant William Peterson, U.S. Army. He was drafted back in '71 and served in Vietnam, quickly becoming a sergeant. With a name like William Peterson, the jokes flew like crazy. At mailcall, soldiers would "mail" him anything labeled "White Phosphorus": grenades, canisters, box lids, etc. 

Good times. 

After the war, he married his high school sweetheart and started a family. Jenna and William had a daughter named Jane. William became a chemist at a local factory. He kept close ties with his Army buddies. 

In the late 70's, there were strange happenings at the local Army base. All kinds of weird shit was happening there. Lights in the sky, strangely dressed people, creatures no one had ever seen before. Before anything was resolved, the base closed up, and William's former unit was moved clear across the country. 

The former base was supposed to be converted into a public park, but the funding stalled. It was too far from the town. Besides a few picnic tables, a playground, and a lonely OV-01 display, the park was never completed. Jane, Jenna, and William pressed the local government to continue the project, but it was an uphill battle. For the most part, only the Petersons visited the place for weekend picnics as the base slowly decayed.

One rain-soaked morning on their weekend outing, the Petersons disappeared. Again, strange lights in the sky were reported, but like the park, nothing ever came of the investigation. The family simply vanished. 

William and his family awoke on the Isle of Dread, near location 10. The Phanton Settlement. Using his knowledge of jungle environments, William carved out an encampment for his family and hid the family car. They quickly discovered the Phantons and made friends with them. They have a mutual support pact with the little creatures. They have loose contact with the other natives of the island. 

They tried to find a way home, but as time passed, they adopted the ways of the people of the island. William is a Magic User/Fighter. Jemma is a Cleric/Fighter, and Jane has chosen the middle ground, becoming a Druid. 

William Peterson Fouth Level Fighter and Fourth Level Magic User 

Strength: 12
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 7
Charisma: 12

Hit Points: 39
Armor Class: 9 He doesn't like to wear armor

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Various fire-related spells
Languages: Common

Equipment: 

Axe
Dagger
Crossbow

Alice Pack: 
2 canteens,
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes
Shoulder Bag
Map

The Peterson Compound
Sans Trees

Jane Peterson Fourth Level Fighter, Fifth Level Cleric

Strength: 14
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 10
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 14
Charisma: 16

Hit Points: 49
Armor Class:  6 Leather Armor and Shield

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Healing spells mostly. 
Languages: Common

Equipment: 

Hammer
Dagger
Crossbow

Alice Pack: 
2 canteens,
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes
Shoulder Bag
Map

Jane Peterson Third Level Druid

Strength: 14
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 10
Dexterity: 11
Constitution: 16
Charisma: 10

Hit Points: 20
Armor Class:  6 Leather Armor and Shield

GP: 117  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: Druidic spells
Languages: Common, Phanton

Equipment: 

Dagger
Spear

Backpack:
6 Torches
Tinderbox 
2 Waterskins
2 Sacks
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes

The Petersons don't have magic items, but William has surrounded their treehouse with working mortars and tripwire flares to defend against dinosaurs. He can make excellent fire-starting tools like firebows and tinderboxes. Jane and Jenna know modern first aid and CPR. The villagers tend to avoid the "weird ones" but will bring the injured and sick to the family for assistance. The Phantons are on very good terms with the Petersons. 

Being a chemist, William has a cave to the west (2 hexes or 12 miles away) stocked with dangerous chemicals and a makeshift lab. Of course, some of this is Willy Pete. He does keep small amounts of materials closer to home, but since the house is wooden, he doesn't like to keep a lot around. 

Character Challenge 2026 - 10 Days Late - Nodonn, Human, Fighter, 4th level

 I've always meant to do the #CharacterChalllenge. And I always miss it. For 2026, I am going to try to catch up with two posts a day. 

Let's start with the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials, but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. Or you could taste test it with the Basic Rules. These are free.

As before, I stole Nodonn from a book. Nodonn Battlemaster is a lord from the book The Nonborn King, a part of the Many-Coloured Land Series. He is an alien, but I cast him as a human. His people, the Tanu, are the prototype for Elves. The link above goes to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Nodonn Human Fourth Level Fighter 

Strength: 15
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 13
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 13
Charisma: 10

Hit Points: 33
Armor Class: 3 Ghosty Platemail (+1)

GP: 12  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 20 Gems: None  

Spells: None 
Languages: Common

Equipment: 

The Ghosty Armor (Plate)
Two-Handed Sword
Dagger
Bow and 24 Arrows

Backpack:
6 Torches
Tinderbox 
2 Waterskins
2 Sacks
7 Days of Rations
Bedroll
Change of Clothes
Shoulder Bag

Aside from the Ghosty Armor, the other special thing about Nodonn is that he is a human with elf-like features. 

Ah, Ghosty equipment is diabolical. 

I'll do a full write-up later, but the basics are: it is hard to perceive. It bothers people. It imparts bonuses because people can't see it. 

This is not magical armor, but high-tech armor. When I run X2, Castle Amber, I will see how well it works out. I have a couple of plans to make it work, plus a few fallbacks because I don't want a passive item to cause too many saving throws. 

We will see. 

Character Challenge 2026 - 10 Days Late - Ana Khouri, Post Human, Fighter, 4th level

I've always meant to do the #CharacterChalllenge. And I always miss it. For 2026, I am going to try to catch up with two posts a day. 

Let's start with the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. 

Next topic: My campaign world is post-apocalyptic, so Ana Khouri is stolen from a series of science fiction novels, Revelation Space. This is a link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Ana Khouri has travelled to the stars before returning home to Earth. She is thousands of years old, thanks to high-tech rejuvenation nanites and time dilation. She has been many things: spacer, soldier, mother, and assassin. 

Ana Khouri Fourth Level Fighter  

Strength: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 11
Dexterity: 17
Constitution: 8
Charisma: 12

Hit Points: 32
Armor Class: 4 Elven Chain  

GP: 34  SP: 0  CP: 0 EP: 0   PP: 0 Gems: None  

Spells: None 
Languages: Common, Elvish, Halfling  

Equipment: 

Elven Chain Armor
The Ghosty Sword (+1)
Dagger
Bow and 24 Arrows

Backpack:
Lantern
4 flasks of oil
Tinderbox 
2 Waterskins
2 Sacks
7 Days of Rations 
1 Flask of Brandy
Bedroll

Special Abilities: Infravision, Starlight Vision, Max Hit Points per level, effectively immortal.

The "character sheet" above is adapted from the ones that appear in BSOLO - Ghost of Lion Castle. 

Since she is a post-human, I wanted to give her some special abilities without making them overpowered. She receives max hit points per level due to her nanites, despite having a low Constitution. Ana receives no bonus hit points for her stats and has lost the hit points she had in her various past lives. 

The nanites also make her immune to the spells Slow and Haste, for better or worse. Her vision is incredible. She can see in the dark like a starlight scope or use infravision. It takes a round to switch. She might be momentarily blinded by a sudden change in light levels, but she is quick to adapt. 

As mentioned in a prior post, Ana probably started with 18 in every stat, but these are slowly falling, leaving her pretty average. She is not subject to aging in the normal sense. Ana is effectively immortal unless killed by something. Ana was once an Assassin, but that was so long ago that she has forgotten all of those skills. Besides, that was another world or two ago. She doesn't have access to those types of high-tech weapons anymore.

Ana Khouri does have one high-tech weapon: The Ghosty Sword. It is a +1 Vorpal long sword. It has one other trait: it is hard to look at or focus on, improving the wielder's AC by 1. I will post more about Ghosty equipment because several of these new characters have them. 

Ana Khouri's daughter and several husbands are presumably alive, someplace out there, just not on Earth. She hopes to see them again someday, but doesn't have the means to search the galaxy for them. As you can imagine, this fact has created several weird conversations with the normal people of Earth. She only brings it up when speaking to true friends, and rarely at that. This topic of conversation gives her a headache. 

Laser Cutting - What I Use

I purchased a Falcon2 22W Laser Engraver last year and it's been a blast. I have done a dozen or so project types over the past year, trying to figure out what I can and can't do. 

This is the exact model of laser I have from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

It's 22W, which seems good for any home project I care to do. It comes with goggles/glasses, a card reader, an SD card with data files, small tools for assembly and maintenance, and a gauge for setting the laser height. It came with some starter materials for doing your first project. It says it comes with an air assist module, but this is integrated into the laser itself. I would not count this as a separate device. 

I also ordered a tent, a metal backplate, and a grill. 

You can read about my setup here. 

I did not provide an Amazon link for the enclosure tent. It seems like they upscaled this part, and I don't see my for sale. What I do see is much better than what I have.  

I hate my tent enclosure - I have three cats that think it's a bed. They have broken it 10 times already. Don't let your cats sleep on the laser enclosure. This is the dumbest safety advice I have ever given. 

However, I would strongly suggest you purchase one. Mine has a fan and duct system to blow smoke outside. 

While the box is reasonably accurate that this laser is ready to go out of the box, realistically, you'll need a couple of things: 

1. A way to vent the smoke and gases
2. A table
3. More materials

I'm not going to talk about the first two. These things are particular to your situation, which is different than mine. I will talk about the material later. 

The next couple of things you need are for measuring. Get yourself the following measuring devices: 

• Calipers
• Rulers
• Mechanical Pencils
• Speed Square

Again, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Those are Amazon links. 

The calipers are to measure the thickness of the stock. You can use a ruler, but it's a low-quality situation can be prevented by a $20 tool. I suggest metal rulers because they could dent or bend, but not as easily as wood or plastic. You might be tempted to get carpenter pencils, but you can use mechanical pencils for both marking and drawing designs. Get used to drawing and sketching now. 

I have a zillion carpenter pencils from every local shop and you probably do, too. The speed square is a very handy tool, doing angles and alignment tasks. Every workshop should have one. However, while I love mine, it could be the last item you should buy. I often use it for project assembly but never for project prep. 

You can buy MTG stuff online, 
but mother-fucker, you need to shop local.

As far as materials go, I use 1/8 inch plywood. I can buy 8-foot by 4-foot sheets from the big box store, but to be honest, I order smaller sheets from Amazon. This is about consistency, waste, ease of use, not transporting the stuff, etc. 

I use 2 different kinds of materials from Amazon to avoid cutting 8-foot by 4-foot sheets down to the 400x415 mm size of the laser bed. Plywood is usually marketed in inch increments, but when they arrive, you'll find they are metric. For sanity's sake, I order sheets that are sold as 12" x 12" x 1/8" and larger sheets that are sold as 16" x 16" x 1/8". They are a touch off, but as long as they fit on the laser bed, I don't care.

A layered effect

I like my 1/8" inch thick boards for laser cutting. It's strong and it can be layered for strength or design elements. I am not making structural items. 

The laser will happily knife through 1/4" sheets, but the smoke and time are incredible. I personally cut 1/4" wood on the tablesaw. It's faster and cleaner. 

For smaller items, I move down to 1/16" plywood, but the use case is particular to me. I don't suggest either 1/16 or 1/4 inch unless you actually have a use case for them. I made bowls out of 1/16", but the process is mind-numbing. They are cute, but not really fun. 

You will need one more thing that I am not suggesting. Laser goggles or glasses. Make sure you are wearing those. The reason I don't suggest a brand or type is that I would be guessing as to what you need. Get yourself a second pair, just to cover drops or loss from the company that sold you the laser. They will be exactly what you need, but always more expensive for that certainty. You can't fix your eyes, so make sure you have laser-safe goggles. 

The next few posts are going to hop from lasers to D&D and back again. Stay tuned. 

Out of Order in the Court!

I keep mentioning how I want to run X2 - Castle Amber as a solo adventure because the characters in my last solo adventure lost all of their gold and equipment. This state disallowed X2 - Isle of Dread. No cash for a ship. This also creates a couple of side issues. 

First, the Bills are in the playoffs. Second, the party is too small. Third, I have a bunch of laser crafts to finish. And suppose that someone should do the dishes and laundry. 

Ok. Laundry and Dishes are done. 

I'm back to the main issue at hand. 

I need more characters. So I rolled up a few to reach the 36 levels needed for X2. I'll describe a few of them after the list, because I stole their names from good books. 

Yes, this is turning into an Amazon Ad. 

• Merry the Halfling, Paladin, 4th level
• (Ana) Khouri, Post Human, Fighter, 4th level
• Lance, Human, Fighter, 1st level
• Alexei, Elf, Bard, 2nd level
• Pizzaballa, Elf, Cleric, 2nd level
• Nodonn, Human, Fighter, 4th level

I stole the following names from books: Merry is from The Lord of the Rings, Ana Khouri is from Revelation Space, and Nodonn Battlemaster is from the Many-Colored Land Series. Pizzaballa was stolen from a real person: He is a Cardinal at the Vatican. I find that hilarious. 

Let's start with Merry. In every edition of D&D that I own, Halflings are not allowed to be paladins. In 3.5 and beyond, it is possible. The reason I allow Halfling Paladins is, according to LotR lore, by any imaginable measure, Merry, Pippin, and Sam all became powerful heroes and leaders. Technically, they do not remotely match a D&D Paladin except in name, but I allow it. Here is a link to the books. This is a link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The next two links are also Amazon ads.  

Nodonn Battlemaster is a lord from the book The Nonborn King, a part of the Many-Coloured Land Series. He is an alien, but I cast him as a human. His people, the Tanu, are the prototype for Elves. 

The last character I stole is the most interesting, in my opinion. My campaign world is post-apocalyptic, so Ana Khouri is stolen from a series of science fiction novels, Revelation Space. She has travelled to the stars before returning home to Earth. She is thousands of years old, thanks to high-tech rejuvenations and time dilation. She has been many things: spacer to soldier, mother, and assassin. 

With that background in place, she should have all kinds of superpowers. I decided against that. She does have some special abilities: She has infravision and vision like a starlight scope. She has machines in her blood that make her immune to two very particular spells: slow and haste. This is because she has been engineered for long life. She also receives the maximum number of HP per level. 

Mechanically, she started life having 18s in every stat, but as she ages and becomes more removed from the high-tech society that did this to her, all of her stats are falling. She appears typical for a human fighter of this epoch. Her highest stat is a 17 in Dex. She is agile like a dancer, but not inhumanly so. 

Having described these new characters, I can list off the remaining characters from my B2 sessions: 

• Solvo, Elf, 3rd level
• Thomas, Cleric, 3rd level
• Jude (aka Punch), Knight, 2nd level
• Rety, Thief, 3rd level
• Dorian, Cleric, 3rd level
• Sybil, MU, 4th level
• Belaphon (aka Bel), MU, 3rd level

In reading over the module, there are no particular items the player characters need. I have decided that the party has 6 healing potions. The old party will keep all of the items they used to have, but have accidentally misplaced the Eyes of the Eagle. They lost those, like I do with my glasses, 3 times a day. 

The new party members will have magical main weapons, but they lack other magic items. Two of them have an elven chain, which is AC 4 due to the craftsmanship, not magic.  

The only magic item I had my eye on was a Staff of Healing. But it felt unnecessary as the party has 3 clerics and a paladin, plus those 6 healing potions. Castle Amber has a lot of nooks and crannies to hide in for healing. A magical healing device is pointless. 

The next challenge will come soon enough. I need to plan a dinner for 13 people at Chateau d' Amberville. I shall consult with my family. 

One of the issues with this meal plan is how time-consuming it is. Each and every character is being offered 10 items, for a grand total of 130 choices, and 36 of them don't mean anything. It's like going to Panera Bread on Hangover Day. The line is long and grumpy. I need to find a way to streamline this. What I had in mind doesn't seem very good. I will get back to you once I finish this deadly meal plan. 

The DM's Rubric - X2 Castle Amber as an Example

In my last post, I said that X2 Castle Amber made me a better DM, but I did not fully explain why.

What makes a good DM and good players is understanding the assignment. There is a reason that meme exists. Most role-playing games give players and referees specific roles, often resolved through specific die rolls. Understanding which choices matter, which rolls apply, and what the consequences are is critical to fun and successful play.

I used to be a teacher, and one of the hardest lessons to learn was how to create a good rubric.

X2 Castle Amber made me a better Dungeon Master because it forced me to understand the difference between player agency and railroading, and how inconsistent expectations around choices and die rolls undermine good play. In teaching terms, Castle Amber shows what happens when a game’s rubric changes without warning. Learning to recognize that made me a better DM in every game I now run.

A rubric, as I like to define it, is this:

“A scoring guide that clearly defines the criteria, expectations, and levels of achievement for an assignment.”

In role-playing games, this means understanding how different roles and different die rolls are meant to work. When those expectations are clear and consistent, play improves.

I have touched on learning before. The White Box Set teaches gameplay through tangible examples. My five-star review of the 2000 Dungeons and Dragons movie is about how not to run a campaign (or a movie). My earlier X2 post describes a real learning experience at the table.

The first thing a DM needs to learn is what is and is not a railroad.

In my Keep on the Borderlands series, I ran the same end scenario three times. I prepared over one hundred monsters for a large fight. Two runs ended in total party kills. One did not. The difference was player agency. In the successful session, the players did the unexpected. I did not force them into a fight simply because I had prepared one. 

Players do not know or care what the DM prepared. If they show agency, they should not be pushed into a predetermined outcome. The thief might back away. The wizard might find a clever solution. The cleric might use magic. The fighter might decide the fight is not worth the cost. That is not avoiding play. That is play.

From the DM’s perspective, this should be a success. The players are engaged. It's a consequence of having great players, not a failure to anticipate what is needed or desired. 

Yes, it is frustrating to prepare material that does not get used. Too bad. That is part of the job. Having those monsters ready does not mean they must appear exactly as planned. Presenting the same material in a different way is not railroading.

If the party disguises themselves as enemies and talks their way into the leader’s tent, only a few of those creatures might ever be used and probably not in a fight. If they encounter the group of 100 creatures in smaller pieces and defeat them through magic, logic, or trickery, that is also not a railroad. In each case, the party made meaningful choices despite what the DM planned. 

De-escalating a railroad situation is not railroading.

X2 Castle Amber works differently. It presents a series of changing criteria and expectations. It uses alternating rubrics, and structurally it is a railroad. The players are trapped and pushed from scenario to scenario like a movie. The fun comes from recognizing the railroad and finding the exits. The module describes only one exit, but players are savvy and smart. They might come up with 3 exits. 

This only works if the players are competitive and willing to play that kind of game. If they are not, the DM should not run it. The same warning applies to “you wake up in a prison,” “the king summons you,” or even “you meet in a tavern.” Any of these can become a railroad if handled poorly.

At this point, you are getting spoilers for a 44-year-old module. I don't feel bad, but if you don't own this, perhaps you should stop reading here and buy it at DriveThruRPG.  

Consider the boxing match in X2. It is a straightforward sequence of attack rolls with the option to quit. The rules are clear and the odds are fair. The very next encounter, the dining room, is completely different. Survival depends on a chain of choices and saving throws. A saving throw is not the same as a combat roll.

An attack roll rarely kills a character outright. A saving throw often represents a single moment of survival or death. In the dining room, players are given chances to avoid those saves, but they are not told that those choices matter. The consequences are not clear. If the DM presents this poorly, the players may never realize they had a choice at all.

From a teaching perspective, combat is a series of connected decisions that lead to random outcomes. Each result feeds into the next choice. The character has agency.

Dice are uncertainty. Don't roll them
if everyone is certain. 

A saving throw is one roll with no follow-up. X2 makes this worse by mixing saves that grant benefits on failure, events with no rolls at all, and standard save-or-die effects. The rules change from scene to scene. When players face many such challenges in a row, survival becomes unlikely, not because of poor decisions, but because of constant uncertainty.

This reminds me of another lesson about rubrics.

In school, passing is often set at sixty-five percent. That may not sound impressive, but context matters. On a spelling test of seven to twelve words, that threshold makes sense. It balances difficulty, memory limits, but not the fairness. 

Problems arise when teachers scale assessments without adjusting expectations. A twenty-word spelling test with a ninety-five percent passing requirement allows only one mistake. That is unreasonable. It also confuses failure with consequence.

I remember having to write misspelled words ten times each. That was not failure. It was reinforcement. I was not retested, but I learned the words. That is a consequence, and it is good teaching.

The passing bar stays at sixty-five percent because some people have advantages. Some know spelling rules. Some do not. Knowing when to apply “I before E” is like knowing what the Deck of Many Things is before drawing from it. The situation is stacked whether you realize it or not, and there is nothing hard and fast about applying rules of thumb. "I before E" is often wrong and a Deck of Many Things is usually a deal from the bottom. 

In role-playing games, failure and consequence are often treated as the same thing. In real life, they are not. Surviving Castle Amber’s infamous meal, where the rules and consequences change from roll to roll, is hard. It can work, but only if players understand the choices they are making.

I have already scripted out the meal and the boxing match to conform to how I should have done the meal years ago and to match how I really handled the boxing match. One is what I wished I had done and the other will be a retelling of a good experience. I hope you roll with the creative drama. There will be spoilers warnings on the dramatic turn in my posts. And hopefully some sage advice. 

To survive Castle Amber and enjoy it, both the DM and the players need agency at the table. Once you understand what choices are available, you can make decisions that lead to success as a player, a character, and a DM.

I hope you will follow my future series on Castle Amber. I will be running it solo so I can explain the choices I make from both sides of the DM screen.

And now for the overt commercial: 

I use Necrotic Gnome's Old-School Essentials but picked up the boxed sets from a Kickstarter. You can approximate this with two titles: 

The Referee's Tome and The Player's Tome. 

I hope that I can replace my original D&D books someday. 

You can get the Basic PDF from DriveThruRPG, and they offer both The Expert Book and B2 as print-on-demand. I cannot tell you how nuts that makes me. Why offer parts 2 and 3 as POD but not part one? Pull it together, WotC. You do crazy stuff. 

And for that matter, if they had the BECMI titles in POD, I'd own those, too. But alas, WotC. 

Erase-Rewind X2 Castle Amber

 When we last left Rety and the gang, I promised an adventure to X1 Isle of Dread. 

Erase and Rewind, because I've been changing my mind. 

The problem with X1 following B2 Keep on the Borderland is that my party lost nearly all of its resources in exchange for survival. They have no means to get a ship, short of some divine intervention. I could just make it so because it's my solo game, but I really don't want to do it. It seems like cheating. 

I have been replacing all of the modules and books I lost over the years. X2 Chateau d'Amberville was next on the list, and by providence, it arrived today. I've spent 3 hours poring over it. It's as good and crunchy as I remember it. I have to say, this was massive good luck. I don't think I waited more than 12-14 days for the POD to arrive. 

Thank you, DriveThruRPG. 

This module shaped my DM style. It's one of those modules you MUST read to understand. It has some warts, but if you're a good DM, you can make those sticky points pure magic. This is why you must read and re-read the whole module to understand where you are going. 

I want to write a review of this module so bad, but I will have to wait until I have some time off. In the meantime, check out Tim Brannan's The Other Side Blog post on Castle Amber. Tim covers all of the various iterations and many of the source materials, which are just as good as this module. 

Today, I will share how this one module changed my DM style. 

I purchased this at Kay-Bee Toys in the mall. The X2 came out in 1981. It was years before I saw it in the mall. I would guess the summer of 1985. At the time, I played in three very different groups. Group one was older players, like my parents' age. They focused on tactics and combat like a wargame. The second group consisted of all my friends' older brothers and sisters, who were familiar only with D&D, not wargaming. And then there was my Kiddie Table D&D group, us tweeners who were still learning how to play. 

The first time I played this module, it was a disaster. In the first two encounters, three-quarters of the party died. And they didn't understand what was happening. This is a 44-year-old module; you're getting spoilers. So if you don't want that, "Please stop reading now," as the good book says. 

The party wandered into John-Louis Amber's Salon. One character died of blunt force trauma, and two more were knocked out.  

I didn't know that could happen. That wasn't really an option in previous sessions or modules. I should have read the whole thing through. But I didn't. I figured the textboxes would be enough. It worked before.  

Magic in a Bottle

In the next room, the killing really began. As the party ate, they dropped like flies without ever really knowing why. They didn't know I was secretly rolling saving throws, and the food was the cause. They were baffled because I simply read the text to them, and they accepted everything I said without really making choices. No agency is deadly in and of itself. 

Confused, they wandered back to John-Louis and questioned him. This ended up in a brawl where most of the rest of the party died. The 3 survivors wander back to the foyer, desperate to find a way out. 

No one was happy, but no one was exactly angry. I muttered something like, "Next time, let's do something different." 

In the next session, I declared that events in Castle Amber had been a dream, and everyone was still alive. However, I also took the time to read the whole damn module. I was going to be a great DM, and this was the module that would make it happen. I could feel it.  

The party went on a side quest or four. At the end of each session, the characters found themselves dreaming about fog hemming them in. In the follow-up session, I never mentioned the odd dreams but ended again with the dreams of fog. I kept this up for a while. 

Through this series of adventures, the older kiddos were watching. Sometimes mocking, sometimes helping, but hardly very interested. They weren't intentionally mean. They were just 18 to 20-year-olds watching 12 to 13 play a game they had mastered to the point of near boredom. They probably would have quit playing D&D to move on to all of the things young adults do when they hit college age. 

Stuff, I was trying very hard to learn myself. I worked up the courage to introduce X2 again. 

First, I told my players I wanted to replay X2 Chateau d'Amberville. But this time, I wouldn't screw it up. They nodded in assent or maybe agreement that I had screwed it up.   

I gave them a piece of paper that looked similar to the one below and ducked outside for a cigarette. 

My five friends examined the paper, perplexed. Perplexed because no one in the 80s would smoke outside, not even a 13-year-old kid. They were left to stew for a few minutes. Just outside, below the window, were the older kids. I grabbed my bag out of the garage and pulled out a rope. 

I asked my friend's older brother to pull the rope when I opened the window. He thought it was odd but agreed. 

Back inside, I suspect the players had been going through my notes, as I planned. I adjusted my notes and handed my would-be girlfriend the end of the rope and took my place. I didn't have a screen. I just had the seat next to the window because I smoked. 

Maybe this is how Castle Amber looks.

I described the approach to Castle Amber, with the fog and darkness that they had all dreamed of closing in for real. One of the mules wandered off into the mist. 

I lit a cigarette. I used the smoke to describe the fog hemming the foyer in. As the smoke got too thick, I opened the window. 

The rope jerked. 

Howls erupted from the table. Followed by laughter from outside. The rope jerked again. 

"Something has the mule," I said calmly. 

Evil cackles came from the window as the rope jerked again and again. Who couldn't resist going overboard? Older teenagers, tormenting younger siblings and their friends, that's who. 

I told the party something evil was in the fog, mocking and laughing. 

Before long, the gang outside had to see what was happening and came in to watch. 

The party advanced to the Salon and the makeshift boxing ring. I lit up the table by having John-Louis remember them. He mentioned it was not that odd for the dead to walk the halls of Castle Amber. 

That's when I had everyone. 

The older siblings and friends wanted to play this, and there was a mad dash for paper, pencil, and dice. Suddenly, I had 11 people at my table, hanging on my every word. I didn't just hook the kids at the table. I had adults wanting to play my game. 

The party boxed again, but under slightly different rules. 0 HP would not kill you. I declared it was non-lethal damage that could turn deadly if they were too injured. Being forewarned, the party was more careful. 

John-Louis tutted at them when one of the Clerics healed a downed fighter. "Cheaters never prosper," he said. 

I knew what I missed before. I needed to paint pictures with words, and nothing drives that home like making an NPC step out of the pages. 

A Boxer, Demos Magen.

More fireworks went off in the next boxing session. The players had lost most of their money to John-Louis, and they combined all of their cash and resources to fight again, this time with a magically enhanced fighter. Bless and Strength gave the fighter the win. 

Then poof! It happened. A cleric cast cure light wounds on the Demos Magen, and it rose again. 

"Why would you want to do that?" asked John-Louis. "I wouldn't waste my time if I were you." 

The table went silent. My friend's older sister hissed and ran from the table, grabbing her bag from the closet. She pulled out a book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. (This is a link to Amazon.com and the book in question. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

"You have got to read this!" she said. 

When you are 13 and an 18-year-old woman hands you a book, you accept. She dog-eared several pages and took us all on a tangent about "Quality". I had brought Quality to my game.  

"This is so cool," her boyfriend said. "What happens next?" 

I agreed, it was cool. I was being praised by adults. Not for the first time, but in the most high-quality, public way. 

John-Louis was not impressed. He ordered the defeated, but healed Demos Magen to the corner and had it switch places with one of the guardian Magens. Two more fights, and the party was better than even with John-Louis. Pleased with the gold they won, they made their goodbyes. 

Knowing what would happen next, I gave the party a cruel parting gift. John-Louis ordered the two defeated Demos Magen to go with the party, as if they were somehow damaged, less than what they were. He was throwing them away. 

Bastard. 

The party encountered a wandering monster in the halls, a half-dozen Rakasta. The party ran to the study and crashed through the door. 

The lead Rakasta bellowed, "Get out!" 

Before the party could act, the six Rakasta from the hallway came in and ejected them. Now, I didn't roll reactions. I just thought the whole idea was intriguing and so did the players. 

Not everything has to be super deadly here, especially the still living creatures. They could be dangerous, but they are because the world they live in is dangerous. Why take needless risks? 

The party just left John-Louis and his totally dismissive attitude towards kindness, mercy, and compassion. Why couldn't the next room have people who were gruff but not cruel? 

It certainly piqued the party's interest. They were looking for the next challenge, the next would-be villain, the next hook. We played this one module for months. Since we played this one module for months. I could go on forever, but I won't. When I come back, I will have that review and a series of solo sessions in Castle Amber.