DMSamuel's Avatar

DMSamuel

@dmsamuel

RPGer, Writer, Biologist, Professor

180
Followers
199
Following
50
Posts
28.09.2023
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by DMSamuel @dmsamuel

Let's hope it devolves into a Lord of the Flies-esque power struggle but an ending in which they all have very strong consequences for their behavior... you can decide which character JD Vance is...

30.08.2025 13:20 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

It's fun art Friday! We're proud to team up with designer Carol LaGrow & artist Faith Shaffer to bring β€œThe Six of VIII” back in a brand new edition for retail release next year.

It will be available to purchase early as part of our upcoming KS campaign.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/cha...

29.08.2025 23:04 πŸ‘ 42 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 8

I personally think OSE is the easiest thing to run, which is why I chose it instead of C&C for AV. Regarding 5e, in both C&C and OSE the PCs are much lower powered & have fewer abilities, even when leveling up to mid/high levels, so it's a rough switch no matter what you go to. Get buy-in first 2/2

11.08.2025 22:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Also @beer-n-pizza.bsky.social I use Foundry and am unfamiliar with the C&C setup on R20 so I can't give an opinion on it one way or the other. Arden Vul was written for OSRIC/AD&D and has enough new creatures, spells, and items that no matter which VTT you use there will be some work. 1/2

11.08.2025 22:50 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

C&C is a great system - I played it for years. The issue with C&C with respect to a module like Arden Vul is that C&C has no exploration rules. That is, no framework exists in the rules as written to support exploring a dungeon methodically. I have some I wrote up for C&C if you want them.

11.08.2025 22:46 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you! I agree, the text is very wordy and hard to parse, which is why I do the highlighting with 3 colors. Even with that deficit, the product is a tour de force of great gaming

03.04.2025 00:41 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I try to keep my posts as spoiler free as possible- if there are obvious spoilers I usually note them… I’m glad you are enjoying Arden Vul - I’m loving it!

02.04.2025 12:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
OSE House Rules For My Arden Vul Campaign Continuing my series of articles about OSEΒ and Arden Vul, this week I am going to talk about some of the houserules that I decided on as I prepped to start the campaign. This post is #3 in the seri…

Wrote some more stuff for my OSE Arden Vul Campaign... what are my house rules? #dnd #rpg #OldSchoolEssentials #ArdenVul rpgmusings.com/2025/04/ose-...

02.04.2025 05:46 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Old School Essentials – Imperial Goblins Once I decided to use OSE as the game for my Arden Vul campaign I needed to make a few decisions. These decisions were made in the two or three weeks that I was also reading the first part of Arden…

I wrote a thing about Imperial Goblins from Arden Vul and their use as a PC class in Old School Essentials rpgmusings.com/2025/03/old-... #TTRPG #rpg #DnD

26.03.2025 22:09 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Crazy... and batshit crazy

18.03.2025 00:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Prepping To Run The Halls Of Arden Vul I am finally running a consistent game again, and it is fabulously fun. Now that I am running again, there are a lot of things I want to write about. So here I am, after more than a year, starting …

I wrote about how I prep for running The Halls of Arden Vul (using Old School Essentials)... rpgmusings.com/2025/03/prep... #dnd #ttrpg

17.03.2025 23:40 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Haha - sounds like a ton of missed opportunity there... apropos for Eve of Ruin, or so I hear

02.01.2025 16:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The Evernight info in 4e was just fantastic - I haven't bothered to look at Eve of Ruin because I'm just not interested in it... can you tell me what it says/has in it related to Evernight?

02.01.2025 15:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I love reading Jared's thoughts on what @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and I say about some elf games...

02.01.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

It allowed us to have much richer games in a living setting - even if our current adventure had nothing to do with the tensions between nations, and the possibility of war, if we have to travel through a place or negotiate with someone from THAT saber-rattling nation it was a whole different thing.

02.01.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I don't NEED alignment to be in the game & I know it causes problems for a lot of people, but we haven't replaced it with anything nor have the designers given DMs advice on it. Making divine abilities just available in perpetuity because taking away divine power would be mean is not a good answer.

31.12.2024 00:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

do not need to adhere to ANY code, whether it's an oath promise or stated fealty... those classes should get their powers and retain them evermore as well... which, for me personally, just guts the divine power source of any meaning. Removing alignment made way for this 3/3

31.12.2024 00:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

And if you suddenly make it a RULE that once a cleric (or other divine caster) just retains their powers no matter what for the life of that PC, you have really reduced the 'meaning' of what a cleric is. And it then would follow that paladins and druids and other traditionally non-arcane casters 2/3

31.12.2024 00:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I think you heard a harsher statement than I meant - I wasn't saying alignment should be the primary way that divine caster's should have their casting adjudicated. What I was trying to say was historically clerics needed to be the same alignment to ensure favor with their chosen deity 1/2

31.12.2024 00:02 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?

Jason Mendoza: THIS is the bad place

Interviewer: Even Jason gets it?

27.12.2024 15:46 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Picture this: party of 4 PCs making a group check. Two roll and they get 17 & 18. Why should the other two even roll?
Answer: they don’t need to, which negates their PC’s choices/actions.
That’s the problem with 50% pass = group succeeds. I like Saltmarsh version you brought up.

27.12.2024 00:30 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

pointy codpieces then!

26.11.2024 03:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Dragonlance, the story of the Knights of Solamnia and some large pointy sticks

26.11.2024 03:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

LOL - cheeky lad - 2024 D&D uses Greyhawk CY 576... no wars, no Rary betrayal... no lost Almor - ALMOR HAS BEEN RESTORED - I repeat - ALMOR has been restored! The Almorian Patriots have prevailed!!!!

26.11.2024 03:28 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I helped create this great revised GH gaz! Check it out! It's free!

26.11.2024 03:12 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Felt the earthquake this morning (I'm in downstate NY, but not NYC)... I grew up in CA so am familiar with the feeling and knew immediately what it was, but didn't believe myself until the official notification. Hope everyone affected a safe rest of the day!!!

05.04.2024 16:34 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Six of VIII - PREORDER β€” New Mill Industries This is a pre-order running through the end of February, at which point we’ll place the order with the printer. Games will likely ship in early May. Any games ordered with The Six of VIII will be ...

My awesome wife @indigopotter.bsky.social has designed a game about Henry the 8th and his many wives! Pre-order page is up!! #boardgame #cardgame #boardgames
www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/the-...

02.02.2024 01:42 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I’ll help you - Cal Poly SLO is Elturel… now you can find BG

10.01.2024 22:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Truth! They usually don’t allow you to reappropriate funds to different areas based on local needs, instead it’s β€œoh here’s a bit of money but you have to spend it on paint and door handles” even though you don’t need it there. And whatever you don’t spent they cut by that amount next year

10.01.2024 22:08 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah - I hear you... There were so many spells that got left on eth cutting room floor of this series. Tasha was a choice that was made, but it doesn't mean Bigby wasn't/isn't iconic.

05.01.2024 18:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0