I recently finished the series of Heroic Relics , which I made to give a D&D’ish feeling with Into the Odd. I’m currently running a new Curse of Strahd campaign for my coworkers using Into the Odd. For that reason I’ve also come up with a sort of table set that will scatter the Heroic Relics across the sandbox in Curse of Strahd. At character creation, I ask the players what class they want to play as, and provide the list of classes that was used in D&D 5e. Once they decide, I ask them to roll a d6 to see which of the six Heroic Relics they start with. The rest are then “generated” into the sandbox as needed. Image generated with Midjourney. First off, note to the player that there is a strange sigil on the item they start with. You can draw this out if you want. The idea is that each relic has this sigil on it, identifying it as a piece of the set. Second, cause an event for each player which clues them in on the existence of the rest of the items. A ghostly figure appears in...

In the Heroic Relics series I've been writing a set of items adapting the class abilities found in Dungeons & Dragons as items for Into the Odd. In this part, I take on the Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard. This is the final part of the Heroic Relics series. The entries are as follows:     Barbarian, Bard, Cleric     Druid, Fighter, Monk     Paladin, Ranger, Rogue     Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Sorcerer Image generated with Midjourney. Staff of the Elemental Channeler: This enchanted staff allows the wearer to channel elemental power. When activated, the staff can produce a specific elemental effect (e.g., a bolt of fire, a gust of wind, or a surge of lightning), which can either deal d10 damage or cause a local change (i.e. light something on fire, knock something down with wind, or power an ancient electrical device). The staff depletes its energy after three uses, but regains it at dawn.  Amulet of Sorcerous Blood: Thi...

In the Heroic Relics series I've been writing a set of items adapting the class abilities found in Dungeons & Dragons as items for Into the Odd. In this part, I take on the Paladin, Ranger and Rogue. Enjoy! I'm doing the full array of classes found in 5th Edition, so the order of appearance will be the following: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric Druid, Fighter, Monk Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Paladin Image generated with Midjourney.   Pendant of Divine Sense: This pendant helps the wearer detect powerful evil or good forces nearby, showing their direction and nature. Gloves of Lay on Hands: These gloves let the wearer heal with a touch, providing a pool of healing points equal to their Willpower score per day. Spend 1 point to heal 1 HP or d6 points to regain 1 Ability score point. Sword of Divine Smite: This sword can smite up to three times per day, dealing an extra d8 damage on its next attack. If it deals damage to an undead’s STR, they must pass a WIL s...

Last week I wrote some items that adapt class features from Dungeons & Dragons and places them in an Into the Odd context. Here is the next set in line, this time for the Druid, Fighter and Monk. I'm doing the full array of classes found in 5th Edition, so the order of appearance will be the following: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric Druid, Fighter, Monk Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Druid Image generated with Midjourney.   Staff of the Wild: This magical staff allows the wearer to communicate with animals and plants, understanding their feelings and emotions. Upon passing a WIL save, the wearer may view the memories of the creature they touch.  Robes of Nature's Ward: These robes provide the wearer with a natural resistance to harmful environmental effects such as extreme temperatures or poisonous plants. Up to three times per day, the wearer may use the robe to sprout a plant that entangles an opponent and causes their attack to be impaired.  Circlet of ...

So me and a few of my coworkers decided we want to start a new campaign. Almost all of them have never touched an RPG before, so I want to run Into the Odd for them, but still sprinkle in a bit of the fantasy-element found in Dungeons and Dragons. To that effect I've started making some items that are themed after the classes in D&D. This will be a series of posts, essentially, where I post 6 items per class. I'm doing the full array of classes found in 5th Edition, so the order of appearance will be the following: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric Druid, Fighter, Monk Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Barbarian   Image generated with Midjourney. Belt of Raging Strength : Wearing this belt grants +d6 Strength. Once per day, the wearer can tap on the belt to gain bonus HP equal to their Willpower.  Bracers of Wind: Wearing these bracers grants the wearer d12 HP. Once per day, the wearer may re-roll the d12. The bracers do not work if worn along with armor.  Great...

The following is inspired by Wonder & Wickedness and the Powder Mage triology. It's written for  use with Into the Odd. I intend to use it in an upcoming gothic horror campaign for my coworkers.  Image generated with Midjourney. The Sulphur Mage is a magic user of modern times, capable of influencing firearms and harnessing the power of acids and explosives. Sulphur Mages start out with either a brace of pistols or a carbine. Sulphur Mages appeared in an era when muskets were in broad use. Gunpowder Essence Ingest one charge of gunpowder, which would otherwise be sufficient to fire one shot with a musket or pistol. One charge yields an Essence, which can be spent on the following: Gain binocular sight. Guide a single bullet, rolling the damage die twice and pick the best. Detonate a gunpowder container. The Sulphur Mage must save vs. Magic or suffer 1 Acid Damage per container that detonates as a result of the initial detonation. After using this spell, roll a d6: 1...

The following are intended for use in a playtest campaign set in Netherlight, an Into the Odd expansion I’m working on. Netherlight takes the adventurers to the stars in magical spaceships, exploring alien worlds and crossing into the shadowy dimension of the Nether. In these odd places, the characters may find new gear and artifacts. 

The following is for my Netherlight project. It's meant to give a vibe of some populated worlds you could find in the setting. Feel free to join my discord , where I post more regular updates on the project.  The Galaxy The Galaxy is vast. There are as many worlds as you can imagine. Some are settled, while many more are unexplored.  The Galaxy is old. Humans have built their cities for millennia. Each world has legends and myths. The Galaxy is thriving. Explorers and traders set out every day. Diverse spacecraft ply its expanse.  Image generated by Midjourney AI.

I’ve been running and playing in various 2400 and Into the Odd games lately. These are two games that exist in the rules light part of the roleplaying games spectrum. Both games are quite ruthless in their approach to combat. 2400 doesn’t have combat rules per se, but offers a catch-hall saving throw rule. Into the Odd famously has auto-hit with some damage reduction based on armor. I've got some thoughts about both games. Illustration by Richard Duijnstee , used with permission.