The Gothic Film in OD&D

Whether due to Appendix N being the popular mélange of fiction considered key to understanding old D&D’s genre emulation or other reasons, discussion of the 1974 rules seems to bypass their debt to gothic movie cycles a lot. It’s one thing to recognize OD&D’s origins in the Blackmoor campaign and give passing note to the cheesy horror movies Arneson watched on a given weekend (very likely The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle). Quite another to read the booklets as a document that emerges in that period of gothic revival in popular film, between the ascension of Hammer, Dark Shadows and others.

Gothic old D&D has been practiced, from Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque to Ghostly Affair and many others. I’m interested in seeing how much of the writing in the original booklets evokes those movies by themselves, if briefly as I prepare a campaign around it.

Modern Dungeon – Doctor’s Orders

A small dungeon for modern times. Note: the above map uses the architecture of the first floor of the Alchemilla Hospital in Silent Hill 3, redrawn for utility.

There’s a medical unit hidden in a back alley, for members of a paranormal organization that can’t go to the hospital without raising questions. An agent, Alec Proust, was recovering here after bringing from a mission a blue velvet briefcase that supposedly can open ways into any place the owner has visited before.

A couple hours ago, something happened. Agent Agatha, a doctor, sent a desperate message to the organization asking for help. Silence after.

Node Dungeon – Cave Paintings

An improvised node dungeon. Slightly revised for sharing with extra description but unchanged gameplay wise.

The Fighter Who Was Promised

(Inspired by a conversation earlier today)

Fighters aren’t boring.

As expected from a game about simulating challenges in a fictional world, old D&D is informed by the logic of genre emulation (and a very idiosyncratic potpourri in its case), even when we aren’t using a game philosophy that tries copying the structure and dramatic beats from narrative media. Even in an adventure game, we understand things by what movie or comic or book made us excited to play that setting. I want to use the perceived Fighter’s blandness as a toll to understand the assumptions we can use for old D&D, and also how a campaign is set.

Notes on a Desolate Mythic Underworld

Art by Wayne Reynolds

In my preparations for a megadungeon game I have among my list of Play-by-Post (or, hopefully, in real time whenever possible) campaigns I need to get out of the ground (heavily influenced by Lost Carcosa from my friend Tristyn), I gave consideration to what I want out of that, aesthetically and creatively. A game that doesn’t speak to my worldview and artistic interests is not one that I should be running.

So I set a few goals that would keep me busy and entertained both during preparation and the actual game. I gave consideration to megadungeon theory and referred back to Philotomy’s Musings, which still lays the ground of my approach to D&D as a game.

Three Campaign Settings From the Drawer

Bit of a slush post. This is a list of a few campaign settings that, like so many, linger on the hidden drawer, expecting for the kiss of life or for me to just face them solo, without a group to see me pratfall on the street. So it goes.