Into the Borderlands (West Marches Campaign using OAR #1) Session 1

 Two weeks ago I ran the first session of West Marches style campaign using Goodman Games' OAR #1 (Original Adevntures Reincarnated), Into the Borderlands, combining D&D 5E updates of B1 In Search of the Unknown and B2 Keep on the Borderlands. It was set up to be an open table, drop in/drop out, West Marches style campaign, run at a nearby branch of the local library (The Fuller Creative Learning Center, part of the East Providence Public Library system). I'm using Mystara as the campaign setting, so the Keep is Castellan Keep in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. 

     Since the players can change from week to week, the general setup is of an Adventurers' Guild at the Keep with a logbook of leads and rumors to pursue. Whoever shows up to play gets a pregen character (I'm using the pregens created by Goodman Games for this module specifically) and can consult the logbook of the Adventurers' Guild to look for clues and leads. When the players who are present decide a course to pursue, they head out and go looking for adventure. The main leads in the beginning pertain to the Cave of the Unknown/Quasqueton (based on B1) and the Caves of Chaos (based on B2), though I also threw in a lead for the Fifth Edition Fantasy module from Goodman Games FEF #14, Beneath the Keep, which is designed to be inserted into the Keep on the Borderlands (based on B2).

     I had four players show up for the first session. We ended up with a dwarven paladin, a human fighter, a human wizard, and a halfling rogue.  At our first session, the party agreed to check out the Cave of the Unknown first. They arrived at the location of the cave and noticed the Lonely Tower on the cliffs above the cave. They decided to check out the Lonely Tower before entering the Cave, and ended up in a fight with some winged kobolds. The party triumphed (barely), but retreated from the Tower without breaching it. They checked out the Cave of the Unknown and discovered that it did appear to be the long-lost underground stronghold of Quasqueton, the fortress of the wizard Zelligar and the warrior Rogahn. Not wanting to bite off more than they could chew, the party retreated back to the keep and did some shopping for vital equipment (grappling hooks, rope, etc.). 

     At least one of the players said she would not be at my next session in two weeks (tomorrow, now, as I write this) because of a scheduled trip, but hoped to be back for the next one two weeks after that. Again, the campaign was designed for this, so not a problem - players can drop in and drop out at will. The next party may return to the Lonely Tower, or to the Cave of the Unknown/Quasqueton, or do something else entirely. It will be fascinating to watch how this campaign develops organically!

Barrowmaze 5E Session 7 - Back to the Dungeon! Zombies, Rot Grubs, Crystal Statues, Sons of Gaxx, and the Gaunlet of Palantis!

 

Saturday (10/18/25) we played our seventh session of Barrowmaze 5E. The party decided to return to the dungeon this times . . . 

The roster of characters:

• Tanya - Sariel Moonblossom (Half-Elf Cleric of Arcantryl 3)
• Eli - Omarion Zolond (Drow Necromancer 3) 
• Aidan - Alivin O'Harris (Human Ranger 3)
• Christopher - Feles Pugnat (Tabaxi Fighter 3)
• Hireling - Freelik of Glossimir (High Elf Fighter 2) - 2 gp/day
• Hireling - Brother Binford (Human Cleric of St. Ygg 2) - 2 gp/day
• Mongrelmen Hirelings: Kasmut, Kenamon, Qalhata, Somintu, and Werenro

10th Day of Hardfrost, 1000 GCY

     The party set off for the Barrowmaze early as usual, and arrived without any random encounters. They had decided to return to the dungeon and explore the edges of their map. They fought some zombies, and dealt with rot grubs.

     They battled two animated crystal statues and discovered a secret chamber in which they discovered a powerful relic of Law, the Gauntlet of Palantis. Based on their research, the party believes this magical gauntlet could be a key to destroying the Tablet of Chaos, should they ever locate it. Unfortunately, it can really only attune to a Lawful Good cleric or paladin, so the only character in the party to whom it could attune is their hireling, Brother Binford.

     The party found a couple of runic tablets in an otherwise empty crypt. Remembering that most such tablets contain curses, the party placed these tablets into a bag without attempting to read them, and decided to offer them for sale to their patron, Mazzahs the Magnificent, when they get back to Helix (if he has any interest in such things). 

     The party had a hard-fought battle with a Son of Gaxx before deciding to retreat to a "safe" room in the dungeon and camping there until the next morning . . . 

Current PC XP: 1590 XP

Current Hireling XP: 1123 XP

Valhalla (R.I.P.)

•  Imeni the Mongrelman, beheaded by Varghoulis the Dread Knight and his Crypt Knights of the Black Legion (1/3/1000)
• "Killer" Kelg Barrelgut (dwarf fighter hireling), killed by a Son of Gaxx (and subsequently the corpse was burned for fear he would arise as a new Son of Gaxx) (1/9/1000)

Barrowmaze 5E Session 1 - Into the Barrowmaze (8/3/25)

     So we finally began our D&D 5E Barrowmaze campaign! We set aside some time on Sunday afternoons to play - in slots of about 2 hours, because the kids do not have great attention span - and then had to wait another week after character generation (session zero) because Eli was out of town. 

     The roster of characters:

• Tanya - Sariel Moonblossom (Half-Elf Cleric of Arcantryl)
• Eli - Omarion Zolond (Drow Wizard) 
• Aidan - Alivin O'Harris (Human Ranger)
• Christopher - Feles Pugnat (Tabaxi Fighter)

     We started with some framing stuff - the characters are already in the town of Helix, have procured lodging and such (at a lifestyle cost of 2 sp/week), and have been hired by the local wizard, Mazzahs the Magnificent, to investigate the Barrowmaze and bring backs treasures and lore, and to seek out more information about the dungeon said to lie under the burial mounds. Also, I'm using the calendar presented in Michael Curtis' Adventurer's Almanac from Goodman Games, and starting the game in winter, in the beginning of a new year - the first day of Hardfrost. There is no built-in year for the GCY calendar (Grand Concourse Years), so I arbitarily assigned the date as 1000 GCY. 

First of Hardfrost, 1000 GCY

     The party got an early start from Helix. It takes about four hours to make it from Helix to the Barrowmaze. They picked out a burial mound to investigate - it turned out to be a covered mound that would require excavation (fortunately they had stocked up on shovels and picks). It took about eight hours of work to excavate the mound, so the sun was getting really low before they entered the barrow. At this point they realized they had not stocked uop on torches or lanterns, and had no light source, but they made makeshift torches from branches, and descended into the tomb. They found a crypt with four sarcophagi - and several giant centipedes, one of which surprised the human fighter by dropping onto him as he entered! This was their first fight, and they did OK. They killed the centipedes, looted the barrow, and headed back to Helix to heal and sell their loot to Mazzahs. 

2nd Day of Hardfrost, 1000 GCY

     Having stocked up on supplies, including a new lantern, the party again got an early start. Four hours to the Barrowmaze. This time the party followed a path of cairns to a large central barrow and entered it. They found a rusty old tripod and rope descending about 35' underground. They didn't trust the tripod, so instead used their own grappling hooks and rope to descend. They found thmselves in the dungeon about which they had heard speculation back in Helix! 

     The party began to carefully explore the dungeon, deciding to favor passages to the right. As they entered the first door to the right, they were set upon by some wandering giant rats! The rats landed some painful bites, but the party prevailed!

     The party continued their exploration and came upon a party of six mongrelmen who were apparently descendents of the original builders of the Barrowmaze. They apparently live in fear of The Necromancers of Set. The party recruited these mongrelmen as guides and helpers, offering them protection. There are three males (Imeni, Kenamon, and Somintu) and three females (Kasmut, Qalhata, and Werenro) - they agreed to help, but not as combatants. 

     After this, the party decided to retreat back to Helix to plan their next moves! 

DM's note: The Barrowmaze text gives no names for the mongrelmen and precious little info on their culture and such. Since there are some ancient themes in the ancient background of the setting (Nergal is Mesopotamian, Set is Egyptian, Orcus is Roman, etc.), I decided to give the mongrelmen Ancient Egyptian-flavored names. I rolled these ones randomly on some tables in the back of Xanathar's Guide to Everything. The party was non-threatening to these mongrelmen and immediately offered to protect them from The Necromancers of Set when they learned of the mongrelmen's fear of them, so I decided that they were recruitable as followers - this makes a bit more work for me, but seems worth it in opportunities for role-playing! 

     The session ended there, with the PCs earning 118 XP each. Since 5E requires 300 XP to reach 2nd level, it seems likely that if the PCs survive and continue a similar trajectory, they'll level up in about three games. The combats went more smoothly than they did on my previous attempt at 5E - maybe it is just that the kids are a little older now and better able to figure out the math and what is going on? Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it flowed. DCC RPG is still my go-to game, but 5E doesn't seem that bad! 

P.S. I later created NPC sheets for the mongrelmen with Loyalty scores and space for equipment and such. I gave them all personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, based on the tables for the "Hermit" background from the Player's Handbook, as this seemed the most applicable. It was a bit of work, creating separate sheets for 6 different NPCs, but I think it will pay off down the line . . . 

Barrowmaze 5E - Edition Wars and Preparing for the Adventure

      My son Christopher really wants to learn to play D&D. A lot of his peers play D&D. They play D&D at groups he attends. I have been into D&D since about 1985. The problem? What do we mean by "D&D"? 

     Honestly, I loved D&D as I played it back in 1985. Back then, a lot of us played "Basic" D&D (as most of my friends called what is now generally referred to as BECMI) and/or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, or AD&D. It was a glorious mess of a game - or games. D&D and AD&D were not technically the same game, but a lot of us didn't distinguish between them, back then. 

     Then came AD&D 2nd edition (hereafter 2E), which tightened up and cleaned up some mechanics. Slightly less messy, but a lot of people felt it was slightly less glorious. This was the era when I really came of age, though - 2E was what I ran through high school and college, and the nostalgia factor is strong for me.

     When D&D 3rd edition came out (they dropped the "Advanced," and now all D&D was just "D&D"), I wanted to hate it. To resist. But it was so cool. They had revised the mechanics to make sense. A version of D&D that made sense all the time! No more glorious mess! But . . . less glorious altogether? Hard to say. My gaming group did make the switch, even upgrading to the "3.5" version a couple of years later. I was out of grad school and teaching in high schools by then, and had less time for gaming, but my friends and I made time when we could. And we had fun.

     The best part of the 3E/3.5 era, for me, was when I discovered that there was a lot of AD&D nostalgia among publishers of 3E games. One company, Necromancer Games, actually published with the slogan, "Third Edition Rules, First Edition Feel" - and wow, did they deliver! But my favorite was a new series of modules under the Open Game License (OGL) published by Goodman Games called "Dungeon Crawl Classics." Let me tell ya - the nostalgia factor was off the charts with these bad boys! The DCC line was made up of modules that evoked the feel of the glory days of Basic D&D and AD&D, but used the new rulesets. It was the best of both worlds for me - the new rules that made sense, and the wild, glorious feeling of classic D&D games. Despite their brazen claim to be "dungeon crawls," there was plenty of roleplaying to be had - these were not just stupid slugfests! These felt like everything I had been missing since 2E and 3E began . . . a golden age!

      Before the dark times. Before the Empire. 

     Then came 4th edition - 4E - and . . . I don't know what to say. It isn't D&D, as I understand the term. This is my sole concession to Edition Wars. I don't do Edition Wars. I don't believe in BadWrongFun. Play whatever makes you happy! But . . . please don't think if 4E as D&D. It's . . . just not . . . It's kind of like if someone tried to make a board game, inspired by video games, but then tried to pretend it was a TTRPG . . . yeah. Actually, 4E did result in some cool board games, like the Ravenloft-inspired one. It was a cool board game. But not D&D. 

     My group did try D&D 4E. We tried it. We just couldn't get into it. One of my best friends has a sister who started with 4E when she was in high school. She said they loved it and had a lot of fun. Good for them! But it was not for us . . . Alas, Goodman Games intially tried to make the leap from 3E/3.5 Dungeon Crawl Classics to 4E DCC, but . . . it just didn't sell well. No one I knew at the time wanted to play the thing. It just . . . flopped. And not just for us. Despite my friend's sister and her peers, sales were low, and it kind of flopped in the market. 

     At this point, some important developments happened. I moved from Rhode Island to Arizona. I found a new gaming group there. Our game? Pathfinder - a game designed to be "D&D 3.75" - the idead was to have a game that continued and expanded upon the D&D 3E/3.5 with a "3.75" - it was crunchy, in the way that 3E had become. Too crunchy, really. People called it "Mathfinder" (and that's when they were being polite!). But we had a heckuva lot of fun! 

     Around the same time as my gaming group in Arizona adopted Pathfinder as our system, Goodman Games decided to publish their own system, inspired by Appendix N and the Dungeon Crawl Classics line of modules. They called it the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. This is far and away my favorite TTRPG system, and I can't get into everything awesome about it right now. My original AZ group didn't want to try DCC RPG, so we stuck to Pathfinder for years, but I started other groups to play DCC RPG. 

      Eventually, Wizards of the Coast, the publishers of D&D in the modern era, got tired of losing money on 4E, and announced a 5th edition. I have to confess, I had minimal interest. When it came out, it looked good enough, I guess - definitely a step in the right direction, going back to traditional TTRPGs and away from something that felt like a messed-up hybrid of board game and video game. But . . . did we need 5E? Not really! DCC RPG was my go-to system, but I loved what I was seeing with OSE (Old School Essentials, a cleaned up version of B/X, or Basic and Expert D&D, before BECMI) and the Dolmenwood setting. And in recent years, ShadowDark has provided a really cool alternative to D&D, and I got my hands on it right around the time my family moved from Arizona back home to Rhode Island. 

     So when someone says, "Want to play some D&D?" . . . well, I usually think, "Sure! How about some DCC RPG? Or some OSE? Or ShadowDark? Heck, Dolmenwood (now its own system!) looked like it is going to be really cool!" But when a kid says, "Can we play D&D?", they mean D&D 5E. Actually, it's a bit of a mess, because now there's a 2024 revision to D&D 5E. But whatever. It's 5E. 

     So myyoungest kid, who turns 11 this week, wants to "learn to play D&D." That means 5E. Also, my 23-year-old son wants to try it, for much the same reason - their peers play 5E (although he plays DCC RPG with me already). So I'm going to learn to run 5E.

     I've been looking forward to trying out the massive megadungeon called Barrowmaze. I even got the 5E version (it was originally published in a more generic "OSR" version that worked well with games like AD&D and retroclones of AD&D like OSRIC). So I'm prepping to run Barrowmaze for 5E. We had a "session 0" to create characters a week ago Sunday (7/20/25). We had no game this week (7/27/25) because my older son was visiting Arizona. So our first game is scheduled for Sunday, 8/3/25.

     Prepping for Barrowmaze 5E has presented some challenges. For example, a lot of "old school" play is very adult in content - like, I'm modifying how I present the "town" setting of Helix, because there is a lot of reference to prostitution and such. I needed to present the "story hook" with some hard framing - e.g. "Your characters are in the town of Helix. You've been hired by the local wizard, Mazzahs the Magnificent, to explore the Barrowmaze." The characters have lodging at the local tavern - I don't mention that it is called The Brazen Strumpet - and have the mission already. I even have built-in recommendations from Mazzahs that they acquire some sledgehammers and digging equipment for excavating the barrows (rather than gp through the tedium of having the PCs go to the Barrowmaze, discover that they do not have the proper equipment, have to return to Helix to buy the equipment, then travel back to the Barrowmaze, etc.). So when we start, we can jump right to exploring the Barrowmaze! I look forward to seeing how it goes! I'm really hoping, to paraphrase the slogan of Necromancer Games, that our game is "Fifth Edition Rules, First Edition Feel!" Admittedly, part of the "old school" would be letting players go through the tedium I mentioned (and learn a valuable lesson or two from it), but I also want it to be accessible to my 11-year-old and jump to the fun part. There will be plenty of time to learn lessons facing the horrors of the Barrowmaze!