T1 Village of Hommlet Guard Tower Terrain Build – 28mm Oldhammer / Greyhawk Campaign Project

The Guard Tower in the Village of Hommlet

 

Over the years I’ve created a number of terrain pieces, many of them focusing on castles and forts, many featured here on the blog.

In that vein, for my Greyhawk Campaign I’m running I decided to make the Guard Tower from T1 - The The Village of Hommlet. The natural question is why not create the Moathouse, since that’s where the adventurers will mostly be plying their trade? The answer is simple: way back in 2006, Paul Stormberg commissioned a scale model version for a wargame of Chainmail which Gary Gygax himself participated in.

So rather than create another one, I settled on the Guard Tower (area #31) and have been working events in my Greyhawk campaign in which the tower will feature. But that is very much in the future, so I will just focus on the construction of the tower itself for this post.

The first step in construction was making a copy of the tower floor plans and taping it to the shelving in front of me on the painting table for reference through the whole thing. This was very helpful as I didn’t have to keep looking over to the module itself.

On that subject the floor plans of the tower were helpful. The illustration on page 7 and the back cover were less so. At least the illustration on page 7 did give me a good idea of the stairs if nothing else for later. The back cover really doesn’t tell much for this nor does the original cover art. This isn’t a criticism per se, it’s just noting for what I needed they would not be used as my guides.

To start the Material List:

• Cardboard
• Thinner cardboard (the types from cereal, snack, or cracker boxes)
• Toothpicks (for the arrow loops and trap door on the middle tower)
• Popsicle sticks (for the drawbridge and flooring of the 2nd floor)
• A round container of oatmeal (serves as the middle tower)
• Small finishing nails (for the studs on the door to the middle tower)
• R4 residential foam (the base)
• Pressboard (for the base of the 2nd floor)
• Posterboard (for the battlements)
• Paint
• Superglue
• White glue
• Glue gun
• Xacto knife
• Stone gravel and green flock for the base
• Coping saw
• Dremel tool
• Small electric drill

Construction

I actually started on the creation of the tower in early November 2025, but got sidetracked. Sidetracked by what you ask? My Citadel Giant, that’s what! When I picked it back up the tower was in the basic state noted here in the first photo. One of the initial challenges I had to work out was creating it in 25/28mm scale. It was going to be big no matter what. As I noted, I’ve created several castles in 25/28mm scale before along with a lot of buildings, but the initial cuts always seem “too big.”

Very, very early WIP

The second challenge is that the interior was going to be a chore to even get remotely passable in terms of usability. For a while I debated on the wisdom of doing so. In the end I knew I’d have to create the interior and made peace with it. At the same time, looking at the floor plans I knew it would be impossible to do exactly as is. It was also at this stage that I decided to omit the lowest level as that was going to add another level of complexity and to the overall height.

The third and final challenge was using flat surfaces in a round structure. Trust me, it’s much more difficult than it sounds. Cardboard can be bent and cut, yes, but some shapes are not easy to do.

The first big task was to get the shape the right size for the tower proper along with the two flanking towers to be circular. I was ideally looking for a circle the size of a bucket but none fit what I was roughly measuring out. Through some trial and error I got it right after the second try.

Once that was done, creating the vertical walls was somewhat easier. The glue gun was invaluable here, keeping everything set while I added the next piece and the next. In short order the basic form was set and I went over the glue gun joints with white glue to reinforce them all. Then the tower sat for a number of months.

When I picked this back up about a month ago, I remembered the interiors would be a chore, but so too would the stone work for the outside. As you can see from the work in progress photos it was a LOT of cutting and gluing with the glue gun.

For the materials to make the stone I fortunately saved snack boxes over the years for construction. The excellent How to Make Wargames Terrain book from Games Workshop is invaluable for this. I have a copy but it has been out of print for decades (the 1996 version is the best in my opinion).

The attaching of the stone to the outer surface was a long process over about two weeks. As you can see it became something quite garish from all the clashing colors as I went! (see the photo to the right). The primary challenge here was containing/corralling the glue from the glue gun. The glue sets quickly and speed is needed to get the part in question into place before it sets without excess glue or wispy strings. The good thing is after doing it so many times it got to be second nature.

The first interior work was the hardest: the ramps. While it works fine for an adventure in role-playing

Color explosion!

games it does not work well for a modeling project, nor for lining up arrow slits. Hearkening back to my Nippon castle from several years ago I was eventually able to get the ramps passable and removable from the interior. Not perfect, just passable. I really, really wish Gary would have done something different here… The interior stones? As said it wasn’t easy, but I did get into a rhythm in some spots and listened to several podcasts to while away the time as I toiled.

The battlements were the next stop after the interior. Once again, a previous project helped here. I have not posted it yet, but I have created an entire Empire castle (see the very end of the post for more on this) roughly based on the Warhammer Mighty Fortress. In that castle project I figured out how to make battlements from poster board and to do it in such a way to expedite the process. Basically the key breakthrough was to lightly score the flat section that forms “in between” each battlement and fold it down. Coupled with a slightly higher battlement section behind, the two were glued together leaving only the sides of each battlement “tooth” to be completed.

The big roadblock here? As you guessed it, doing this on a round surface made it tougher. I had to account for the circumference being smaller on the interior than the exterior. Through trial and error I worked it out and then started attaching sections to the upper tower base.

The next big challenge was the roof and machicolations on the removable tower top. The machicolations took quite a while to get right as the spacing was at best an inexact science. Several times I needed to cut already glued sections off to get the whole to fit right. But after a while—with a lot of putting the top on, marking the under-hang, and popping it off—I was able to add them one by one.

Another point of note was the central tower itself. I’m fairly sure oatmeal containers are not designed with hobby terrain in mind despite being the perfect size and shape (let alone being sawed through). Because of that, getting it to set level took some time and some shims. In the end it worked perfectly with the right shape and diameter.

Removable top and catapults

Once the base construction was done and I repeated the method for the battlements on the upper level, it was also time to repeat the steps for the machicolations on the middle tower to finish it off. The final push of the “stones” commenced, wrapping the middle tower surface all the way to the top and adding the trap door.

It’s important to note that I did not make the middle tower removable like the lower. The interior sections of the lower tower showed me that actually getting my hands into an even smaller diameter was going to be a problem. On the lower sections it was barely possible, and I wasn’t looking forward to that again. At that point I made the executive decision to skip it.

Next up was the base. The base was nothing more than cut R4 residential foam (which can be found at a home improvement store) with a depression hollowed out for the tower to sit in. That got to be quite messy with cutting and sanding to get it to fit right. In the end, like the middle tower, it required a few shims here and there for it to set level. This did not matter too much as I knew they would be covered up when I added the gravel to the base. The base was set with copious amounts of white glue and left to dry overnight.

The next night I scored the base in several sections and used white glue to attach the stone gravel and let that sit overnight.

Painting

When it finally came time to start painting, the weather does what it always does around here: turns the humidity up to 11. We all know what that means — no spray paint. But as I was contemplating that, I knew it would have to be primed by hand anyway. Spray paint and cardboard don’t usually adhere well. As it was, a solid evening ended up being devoted to priming the tower black. I needed two coats in most places as the “shiny side” of the thin cardboard needed to be facing out (the inner side is too rough and too porous, which would cause warping).

Once primed, the first step was to dry brush the tower gray. Now it might seem like the more straightforward thing to do is simply coat the whole thing gray. While that can be done, it also wasn’t what I was going for. Painting structures like this uniformly gray makes castles/towers look "cartoonish" in my opinion. I wanted the dark shades to come through.

After the initial color, next up was lightly dry brushing straight white onto the surface. This was done very lightly for highlights and not to turn it white. After the white came something that might seem unusual for a color, but something I did with the Empire Castle: a dry brush of a lighter orange. This might seem odd, but what it does is make the rock seem more realistic, especially with what I knew I’d be doing in the final painting step. I went from the base on up to the removable tower top. Once done I did notice the upper level was too "orangish," but no matter.

Why I didn’t worry about “too much orange” was because of the last step in painting the tower: a light wash of black. To achieve this a mix of a very watery black wash was all that was needed. In most cases water and cardboard do not mix; warping can occur. But because I sealed it off with two undercoats I was fairly certain it would hold up well. Rather than simply dousing it with the watery paint, it was applied via brush with broad strokes to cover all the surface areas. I actually did three passes in total to get the coverage desired, letting it fully dry between passes. What this achieved was a surface that looked like natural field stone, the kind that was likely being used as a building component for the small keep being constructed in Hommlet, of which the Guard Tower is part.

The final part for the tower proper was the creation of the stone steps. Through some trial and error I got the foam “stones” to sit right for the most part and it was a simple matter of cutting, sanding, and gluing everything to get to its final shape. The painting process was the same as for the exterior of the tower itself.

Yet to Complete

At the time of posting this the second interior level is fully constructed, removable, and primed but not yet fully painted. I’ll add a followup post to this one when it’s complete. Also, the shield above the gatehouse likewise needs to be finished with the coat of arms of Hommlet.

Closing thoughts

In all I’m pleased with how it came out and it was a fun project to work on in the man cave. There are a few minor mistake areas, but not enough that people would notice unless looking really hard (one section of the battlements has a wider gap than I had anticipated and one arrow slit alignment issue).

One happy accident was the area of the placement for the catapults. I hadn’t set out with placing the engines there but imagine my surprise when the plastic ones from Wizkids just fit inside. Even better was the fact that I got four of them from the local gaming store reduction bin for something like a total of $10. I was originally going to create them out of balsa wood but this saved me time.

Another happy accident? Rufus the fighter who inhabits the tower? I was able to represent him with one of my Ral Partha miniatures which is actually one of the oldest minis I have in my collection. He was not mine originally but got passed down to me when my older brother stopped playing AD&D. There is something cool about the axe-wielding mini from the early 80s paired with the recently completed tower.

Overall, I hope when it’s needed in the campaign it will be a “big reveal” moment and the players will appreciate it. I’m not saying too much just yet as one of my players follows my blog. If nothing else

The finished Guardhouse!

then at least I got to share it with the wider gaming community.

I’m also pleased that in the end I decided against recreating the Moathouse itself. Others have already done it and done it quite well; no need to revisit. In a way it adds to the overall story of folks creating terrain for T1 – The Village of Hommlet… Does this now mean I need to make the Church of Saint Cuthbert too, or the Inn of the Welcome Wench?

One final note: as I’ve done plenty of these projects, one thing that always surprises me every time is the amount of waste material these things generate from all the cutting and sawing. It behooves you, at minimum, if attempting a project like this to clean up at least every night or it gets messy fast. This build I was very disciplined — after finishing each major section I had the hand broom out sweeping and was using the shop vac regularly. The sanding and cutting of the base was even more so. Trust me, your hobby area will thank you for the diligence.

For reference as completed: the tower is about 19½ inches tall, 13 inches wide, and 13 inches in depth.

There you have it — the Guard Tower of Rufus and Burne from TSR’s T1 - The Village of Hommlet.

As I noted about the Empire Fortress project above, that project really was using leftover parts from my abortive attempt to create Castle Von Wittgenstein from the Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play. I stopped that project because of the sheer size and scale along with the limited utility of it. The part I reused was what became the gatehouse. I’ll be posting about that in the not too distant future. It’s also ironic that project was inspired by the Moathouse too.

What are your thoughts on the project or the Village of Hommlet in general? 

End note: as I noted about the Empire Fortress project above. The project really was using leftover parts from my abortive attempt to create Castle Von Wittgenstein from the Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play. I stopped that project because of the sheer size and scale along with the limited utility of it. The part I reused was what became the gatehouse. I’ll be posting about that in the not too distant future. Its also ironic that project was inspired by the Moathouse too. 

When We Were Wizards- The Story of D&D, An Oral History of Dungeons and Dragons

 

I went into When We Were Wizards expecting the usual: a polished nostalgia piece about the “good old days,” a bit of myth-making, and the same recycled narrative about how it all came together like lightning in a bottle.

That’s not what this is.

This is very well done.

Production-wise, it’s tight. Clean narration, strong pacing, and it actually respects the listener’s time. No rambling, no filler. It moves. More importantly, it builds. Each episode adds weight instead of just circling the same talking points you’ve heard a hundred times before.

But where it really stands out?

It’s willing to get uncomfortable.

The story of TSR, and the people behind it, especially Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson isn’t told like a campfire legend. It’s messy. It’s human. It’s full of ego, missteps, clashes, and decisions that don’t always age well.

And here’s the part that’s going to ruffle feathers:

If even half of what’s presented here is true, then the online narrative that paints Gygax as some flawless architect of the hobby is complete nonsense.

Absolute nonsense.

This doesn’t diminish what he accomplished. Not even close. Co-creating D&D is still one of the most important moments in gaming history. That doesn’t change.

But this podcast does something a lot of people don’t want to do: it separates achievement from myth.

Gygax comes across as brilliant, driven…and flawed. Very flawed. Same goes for Arneson. Same goes for just about everyone involved. Which, frankly, makes the whole story more compelling, not less.

Because now it actually feels real.

What you get here isn’t a sanitized origin story. It’s a collision of personalities at the exact moment this hobby was being born. Deals, disagreements, credit disputes, business decisions; some smart, some questionable, some outright disastrous.

That’s the story.

And it’s a better one than the polished version.

Now, is everything in this podcast gospel? Probably not. No historical retelling ever is. There’s always framing, always perspective. But that’s not really the point.

The point is that it challenges the comfortable version of events.

And honestly? That alone makes it worth your time.

So where do I land?

This is one of the better pieces of RPG history content I’ve come across. Not because it tells you what you want to hear...but because it doesn’t. If you’re looking for hero worship, this isn’t it.

If you want something closer to the truth; even if that truth is a little inconvenient? Then yeah, this is absolutely worth a listen.

And to close? I have immense respect for Gary and Dave. That also does not blind me to totality of the story. 

Stranger Things: The Echo of a Generation

 

To say that Season Five of Stranger Things has been mixed would be an understatement. It has been that and more. I'm not wading into any of that today, but focusing more on the feel of it. Especially for a Gen Xer. You know, the generation that always seems to get overlooked.

But not this time. This time, it was about us. And yes, sorry Boomers — not everything revolves around you. The Wonder Years hearkened back to your childhoods. This recalled ours.

Regardless of which season — One through Five; it was, it felt as if a teleport without error spell was cast and bam, there we were once again. The 1980s all over again.

It’s about a place and time. A feeling, however fleeting, of our childhoods before we got overwhelmed with life. That’s not to say other generations didn’t experience childhood, rather, the one depicted here was ours.

Despite not being Gen Xers themselves, the Duffer Brothers tapped into the zeitgeist of Gen X memory and did it well. As I noted previously, I'm likely not alone in this: Stranger Things very much represented our formative years — or at least a very good approximation of them.

• The dawn of the personal computer age
• BMX bikes
• The end-stage of the Cold War
• No cell phones, no internet
• A freedom almost no generation before or since has had

Playing D&D in wood-paneled basements? Campaigns that seemingly lasted forever? The anticipation of going on adventures with your friends?

The feel.

But layered over all of this was simply not knowing how fleeting it would be. All too soon, life would change: obligations, jobs, cars, driver’s licenses… girls.
 

And D&D would recede.

A Quick Note on D&D and Generation Jones

Now, it can be argued that D&D was experienced by Generation Jones (aka the later Boomers), especially when you look at the age cohort of those who created the game. But that’s not the point.

For a certain segment of us in Gen X, it was smack dab in the middle of our adolescence.
I’m a perfect example: born right at the halfway point.
And I suspect, like a lot of us, I never gave that look back much thought — until Stranger Things came along.

In hindsight, it’s easy to see why.
As Xers, we’ve never been a generation that has really been pursued.

This Isn’t About Attention. It’s About Recognition.

So in a sense, this isn't about attention: it’s about being pleasantly surprised, maybe even shocked, that media was aimed directly at us.

Sure, call it dangling key-chains, memory berries, or whatever.
Whatever it was though? It worked.

And as I noted in a previous post, the thing that's landing the hardest?
It’s the finality of goodbye... again.
It was a return, yes; but a fleeting one.

While it’s true the show lasted for nine years, it’s only 34 episodes in total.
Some might say not enough.
Some will say it should’ve ended after Season One.

I’m not here to argue that.

What I don’t think anyone will argue is the effect. Forget the controversies or the actors themselves and simply ask:

“Can you see yourself here again, in the 1980s?”

I think if anyone is honest with themselves, the only answer is: yes.

The Double Goodbye

With the close of the series, we say goodbye to Hawkins, Eleven, and the party.
But at the same time? We say goodbye again to that piece of childhood we never expected to feel so vividly.

And that’s likely why it’s hitting so hard.

It dropped on New Year’s.
Out with the old, in with the new.

And doubly so for my daughter and I. Every holiday we watch all six movies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In our yearly re-watch, we only have Return of the King left, the most emotional of the six (I mean, Sam, c'mon!") and it hits directly in the feels.

And perhaps that’s why this one’s hitting unexpectedly hard too.

Maybe,just maybe, under our Gen X exterior is something besides nostalgic.
Something that is not so stereo-typically “us” in these moments.

Just don’t tell anyone. We won’t admit to it.

The Grey Havens

So as a door opened… and then closed again…
I'm left simply with one saying I’ve heard and used myself:

“Don’t cry that it’s over, smile that it happened.”

Sure, it’ll linger like something melancholy. But like Frodo and Gandalf saying goodbye at the Grey Havens…So it is with Stranger Things.

Until we meet again.

Gaming, Growing Up, and the Ghost of the ’80s

Glad it didn't happen in my town in the 1980s...

Of Stranger Things

As I reflected on THE CAMPAIGN in (Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI ) , I realized how deeply formative that experience was for me—not just as a gamer, but as a early teen navigating the strange and wondrous years of adolescence. Decades later, the memories are still vivid: the characters we played, the choices we made, the jokes, the deaths, the victories. But more than that, I remember the feeling of it all. The time. The place.

Am I filling in gaps? Romanticizing the rough edges? Probably. But does that matter?

I don’t think it does.

In many ways, these memories aren’t about perfect accuracy. They’re about meaning. About resonance. And as I think about this, I’m reminded of something else that tapped directly into those same feelings: Stranger Things.

Later this year, Stranger Things will come to an end. And while the Upside Down didn’t open up beneath my small Western New York town (that I know of), the show still managed to capture something remarkably true. The way it recreates the 1980s—from the mall culture and cassette decks to the friendships forged over character sheets and Mountain Dew—feels like it was pulled from the collective memory of an entire generation.

It’s often called a “love letter” to Gen X gamers. But I think it’s more like a message in a bottle. Something we threw out to sea decades ago, filled with the thoughts we couldn’t quite name at the time. And now, years later, the tide has returned it to us—weathered, a little warped, but still true.

Or maybe it’s a time capsule. Buried and forgotten, until one day it cracks open and you’re face to face with who you were.

That’s how rereading what I wrote about THE CAMPAIGN felt. Like opening something sealed away by time. Like remembering who I used to be when everything felt new and limitless.

There’s a scene in Stranger Things that stuck with me: Will wants to keep the game going, but Mike is distracted—by Eleven, by the changes pulling them into adolescence and away from childhood. That dynamic mirrored what happened with our group. After THE CAMPAIGN we migrated toward Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Twilight 2000, and 2nd Edition AD&D. By our late teens, we had landed in Warhammer Fantasy Battle. The games were still fun—but the magic of THE CAMPAIGN never quite returned.

Not because we stopped playing. But because we were growing up.

That was our zenith. Our Stranger Things moment. And while everything that followed had its own feel to it, nothing quite recaptured the spell of that first, long campaign.

Like the kids in Hawkins, we changed. The world changed. And that’s part of why the show resonates so deeply. It reminds us of what we left behind—not just dice and character sheets, but a sense of discovery, of possibility, of unbreakable bonds forged in basements and dimly lit bedrooms. And rock-hard stale pizza left over from the week before.

Yes, some of us stayed friends. But life took us in different directions—careers, families, moves across the country. In my case, I eventually found myself back in the town where it all started.

As Season Five approaches, I suspect Stranger Things will be about more than monsters. It’ll be about endings. About letting go. Maybe even about what comes after. But for those of us who lived that era—not just watched it—that ending is going to land differently.

It’s going to mean something.

I’m looking forward to it. But I’ll admit—I’m also bracing myself. Because saying goodbye, even to something that only existed in fiction, still stirs up everything we thought we left behind.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the point.

Getting the drop on the opposition in AD&D, a visual

After playing RPGs and war-games since 1982 I have come across tons of art; some good, some bad and some in between. Of the old school artists from the early days of TSR are Tramp and

But this post is not about that. This post is about something so over the top gonzo. So over the top that it is epic bad/good. So cool that it is hard to quantify. So of course it is something from 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I should also note that despite 2nd Edition being my favorite version of Dungeons and Dragons and how I run it (see here) I am not a particularly huge fan of the Forgotten Realms.

So with that said this cover is nothing short of pure awesomeness. 

At first I never paid this much attention back in the day: I do not currently have or need the book. But the more I look at it I have come to realize just how gob smacking cool this is! All too often over the years I have seen knights fighting hordes of bad guys ad-nauseam, orcs, thieves climbing demon idols, menacing beholders and mighty dragons on the wing and everything in between.

But getting the drop on some town guard flunky in such an unorthodox way? That is the stuff that legends are made of! And to do it with a loaf of ciabatta bread, left-handed? You do not get much more pimp than this move. Imagine the consternation of said city watchman heading back to the guard tower:

Master at Arms at the Tower: "So, William, did you bring the outlaw scum at the Sleepy Dragon Inn?"

William: (sheepishly) "No, I... uhhhhh... couldn't find him."

Master at Arms at the Tower: "Why is your face and neck covered with bread crumbs?"

I mean really who is going to own up to the fact that some dude in a tavern got the drop on you with his freaking DINNER! A plate maybe, a hunk of bread????

You might loathe 2nd Edition AD&D, you might not like the art (I have certainly seen better) you might not like the subject matter. But when is the last time you got the drop on someone in the game with one of your characters utilizing a loaf of bread? I am guessing never.

The Most Craptastic ad ever in a Gaming Mag

Usually I'm a live and let live kinda guy, but this one made me roll my eyes so hard they almost popped out the back of my skull... THE DRAGONMASTER'S RING!!!!

How did I come across this? A brief bit of background: one of my most treasured gaming materials is my run of Dungeon from issues #1 through #81; encompassing the entirety of 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D adventures. in sadi mag. It took my years, but I got them all, Dungeon is an amazing resource. When grogs complain "there are no good 2nd Edition adventures" I point them to this excellent resource.

But I digress: last week I had a flood as the sump pump float in the basement  got stuck. Long story short I thought my Dungeon mags were safe inside their plastic tote and plastic bags to boot. I was wrong there was a small hole in the bottom of the tote. So, I've spent the last week and a boatload of electricity with the fans, the dehumidifier and my wife's hairdryer drying the basement and said Dungeon mags. In the process I come across issue #79 and find this "gem".

Here is the monstrosity of which I speak.

There is so much that is just wrong with this visual. Shouldn't this guy be in one of the man-bands of the late 90s or something rather than playing role-playing games? There are no words other than what ass-hat would be wearing this thing and looking like this guy??? The Franklin Mint really outdid itself with this tool. I really like the tag line: "The Secrets of the Universe are Within Your Grasp." Thanks god for that! Within my grasp you say???? And just $195, exclusively from the Franklin Mint???? Sign me up! And I'm fairly certain most "Dragon Masters" don't look like Vinnie from the club.

Ugh.

Majorian- the last hope for the Western Roman Empire

Or what could make for a really great campaign setting for AD&D.
 

A coin of the Emperor Majorian

As I previously discussed here I am going to look at another idea for a campaign world, but this time through the prism of our real world history. This time out I am going to discuss the last great Roman Emperor in the West, Majorian.

As is my wont, before we delve into the AD&D aspects of this let us review a few basics of the historical Majorian to set the stage. I am also going to delve into counter factual history as from there it is a great place to set a campaign.

Much has been written about the other areas of the Empire during the decline of the 4th and 5th centuries. A good example is Jack Whyte’s excellent Camloud Chronicles which starts around the time Roman Britannia is crumbling, the Groan of the Britons, et al. To set a campaign there use the excellent resources for Heroic Britain from Dragon, namely Dragon #257 and #263

To my knowledge however not much has been written about the last Roman who had a chance to save the Western Empire, Majorian. Certainly not in a gaming sense.

Majorian or more properly Flavius Julius Valerius Majorianus Augustus, lived circa 420 – August 7, 461. He reigned as Emperor in the West from 457 to 461 while Leo I was Emperor in the East. At this time the west was in a deep state of decline and the Eastern Emperor held far more power. It is ironic that Majorian’s rise to the imperial office was in that typical Roman fashion: the unresolved chaos of Imperial succession. Rome never properly established a unified method of succession and attempts throughout the preceding two centuries resulted in varying degrees of disaster and success.

At the time of Majorian’s rise, the true power in the West was Ricimer, a Romanized Germanic

A 5th century legionnaire.

barbarian. Ricimer was able to overthrow the Emperor Avitus with the help of Majorian and the tacit complicity of the Eastern Roman Emperor Marcian. He initially wanted to replace the office of Emperor fully, but the Senate and Roman aristocracy balked. With the overthrow of Avitus he and Majorian were the two most powerful figures in the west. Ricimer who was friends with Majorian apparently thought he could bide his time with no leader in the west with the tacit approval of the eastern Emperor, but eventually Majorian is elected Emperor by his armies. No matter, Ricimer thought he could control Majorian. Unfortunately for him Majorian showed himself to be a very effective ruler.

It is also important to note the condition of the Western Empire at this time. Through any number of factors the West was disintegrating or near non-existent.

• The West was in dire straits by this time; The Western Empire had lost most of the main provinces: Mesopotamia, Hispania, Gaul and Britannia had been overrun by barbarians and the legions withdrawn resulting in the Groan of the Britons. Barbarians are pressing everywhere.
• Rome is sacked in 410  by Alaric and 455 by Genseric.
• The late period Roman Legions: The Roman legions were a shadow of themselves and were being pulled from the frontiers often to fight dynastic struggles.
• Most importantly the West's lands by 455/456 is a few provinces in Gaul and the Italian peninsula. This has the practical effects of reducing taxation to a fraction of even a few decades prior.
• Little aid was flowing from the more prosperous Eastern portion of the Empire. Little cooperation was taking place further hampering efforts.

Thus the stage is set for the Emperor; Majorian begins to rollback the barbarians to the point of having retaken large swathes of the traditional Western Roman Empire in a relatively short period of time. In this Ricimer becomes more concerned as Majorian is breaking the cycle of weak puppet Emperors in the West that have been on the throne for decades and thus easy to control.

Now we arrive at that crucial counter-factual crossroads: what if the Vandals do not get wind of the plans of Majorian, Majorian acts against Ricimer before he does or both? It is a tantalizing one that begs a lot of questions and makes for a great campaign world (more on that later). It is Majorian who seizes the initiative and has Ricimer silenced. With this a cowed Senate falls into line.

What then? The Vandals do not get wind of the imminent invasion of Byzacena (area and province around Carthage) perhaps it is reclaimed. This is not entirely unreasonable. Majorian was already showing signs of greatness and pluck. The Vandals who have only recently taken over the area do not as of yet have a firm hold on the territory. So it is that Majorian’s enterprise to Africa bears fruit and with the riches and grain shipments of the area secured, the western Empire is back on solid footing, or at least on better footing than before. As an aside Britain is going to be a lost cause for some time, but is more of an outlier of the Empire anyways.

Looking further afield the Eastern Emperor is in his 50s, Majorian in his 30s. Majorian is a dynamic Theodosius did. This is entirely plausible as Leo I was succeeded by Leo II who ruled for only 10 months and then Zeno, neither of which were exceptional and barbarian lineage in the case of Zeno hampered him to a great degree. Majorian is a Roman through and through and a capable one. Perhaps Majorian is skilled enough at the political game to have Leo the Thracian overthrown by the time Majorian is say 40. Now free of the threat of Ricimer, Majorian has at least the opportunity to combine the Empire into one again.

So it is with these assumptions that we have a period ripe for an AD&D campaign: lots of intrigue, political infighting, small scale and large wars/raids, economic chaos and so on. Who wants to adventure in the boring, sedate lands of Cormyr??? The late Roman period offers a wealth of opportunities that a good DM can have a field day with.

A Roman inspired 1st ed image.

In the D&D sense the Roman Empire certainly got the short end of the stick. While the Greeks with their corresponding pantheon in Deities and Demigods have enjoyed support throughout the run of 1st edition and probably earlier, the Romans have been largely not represented. Sure there are a few Dragon magazine articles here and there (like #133) but not much else*. I think in most of the campaigns I played in from 1982-1987 the Greek or the Norse pantheons were utilized but again not in the Roman sense. This changed with 2nd edition for at least we have HR5 - The Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook. Some do not like the historical series, but I think they are one of the better products released during 2nd Edition; certainly suitable for game play.

(* Yes I know the Roman gods are largely/mostly based on the Greek but that is not the point I am trying to make here).

In terms of wizardry and magic a fantasy Roman campaign will be lower powered and certainly not high magic. Superstitions abound and magic could be a powerful force especially in the hands of NPCs but unlikely for the PCs if properly played. Likewise, the campaign is going to be very human centric with next to no demi-human PCs or even NPCs for that matter. Most likely any demi-humans will be thought of as barbarians from the mist filled woods of Germania or Hibernia.

To add a fantasy aspect the barbarians at the gates can be swapped for another race. Instead of the Huns, how about hobgoblins as Huns? From the sea instead of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes sweeping through present day Holland and Belgium on their way to England, how about sahuagin? Do not want to go the Roman route? Have the PCs as barbarians on the other side of the Rhine.

Chapter 6 of the Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook gives great examples of monsters suitable for a fantasy inspired Roman campaign. With the Empire bordering the wilds of Africa it is entirely possible to have any number of magical beasts along with the steppes of Russia and the wild barbarian haunts of Germania. After all it was said by Aristotle in ancient times: "There is always something new coming out of Africa". The oceans are often thought to hold unimaginable horrors for further sources of monsters.

5th century legionaries fighting barbarians.

Of special note the Imperial Navy will not be as great of a force as they were in the preceding centuries so piratical raids are a problem in addition to the aforementioned monsters. The Imperial Legions and the army as a whole are far different as well. They are no longer what one thinks of in terms of the "classic legion" but more infused with barbarian recruits who have been at least partially "Romanized." They are effective but again a different fighting force than the preceding centuries. More so than in most any other campaign the article from Dragon #154 "For King and Country" would work exceptionally well with the PCs as part of the Roman Legions.

Need further inspiration on a military based Roman campaign? While set in earlier times movies such as Spartacus, Ben Hur and other "sword and sandal" epics can whet the appetite. For closer to the period, King Arthur or The Eagle will work, but is more applicable to Heroic Britain campaigns. On the book front the previously mentioned series by Jack Whyte and others like Eagle of the Ninth can be drawn on for further inspiration.

So, tired of the same old traditionally inspired pseudo Europe circa 1300 campaign? Consider the Late Roman period. In this case it does not quite become the Dark Ages, but certainly can be harsh. Just because Majorian might meld the Empire back together it does not have to be a smooth or pleasant process. Conflict is going to be ever present, political intrigue and backbiting, double crossing is at its height particularly in the Western Empire.

To close if you are looking for a different campaign setting you could do worse. A world under Majorian offers a wealth of possibilities and is certainly going to be action packed and deadly. A dash of counter factual history, some logical inferences and some imagination and you are off and running.

The Zaniness of "Classic" Roleplaying Games Threads

General

Some of you may have been wondering why I haven't been blogging about Warhammer (or that much in general) as much lately. This is for a number of reasons. One, as I've pointed out on various Warhammer forums my interest in the game is rather low right now. Two, I truly believe that Games Workshop is circling the drain and while it sucks for the people that work there that are going to bear the brunt of it, the company itself I cannot help but blame. The antics of GW now seem to rival TSR in its death throes, should be interesting to watch. (Edit: as of 7-7-26, looks like I wasn't accurate on that one!)

5 RPG Threads of note

I don't normally like to post about the goings on at various RPGs sites, but since it came up in a thread at Dragonsfoot a while back, I thought I'd list my Top 5 favorite RPG threads from around the web. I''m posting them here rather then potentially ruffle feathers elsewhere, hopefully the coast will be clear later? Whats that you say? It never is? Damn.

Here they are in no particular order. 

1. Progressive types getting their man panties in a knot over the political correctness of artwork in nerd...err D&D books. I still shake my head at that one.
2. THE worst D&D module of all time: The Forest Oracle "These men are not acrobats..."
3. Hissy fits about poopy diapers at conventions. (You have to read this start to finish, classic!)
4. Some who threatened to get his lawyer for hurt feelings over his made up, Übermensch class ? Wow, I mean, just wow!
5. Unreasoning Zeb Cook hate * (later the excellent podcast When We were Wizards pretty much dismantles most of this.)

Note * I'm surprised the thread still exists. I thought it had been deleted to protect the guilty. It's amusing on several levels, but the best is the posturing by a certain person who claimed he knew more then the people who were actually there at the time, classic! 

Mike Berualt (aka Zotster) dispelling notions that grognard chapter and verse is built on for decades is impressive.

I should point out, I frequent a number of sites but only post on a few. There are probably even crazier threads out there but these one strike me as comedy gold.

Enjoy?

Poker, Chess and Breaking the game with Monty Haul

While the later editions suffer from "builds" when players think about characters, the earlier editions are not immune to their share of munchkinism. In fact, if one looks at just the Player's Handbook in 1st edition its easy to break the game, using the Unearthed Arcana it gets even easier. It bears repeating, although its tougher to do with just the PHB in 1st it can be done. Enter the Monty Haul aspects of the game. I don't beleive that Gary intentionally did this, after all I truly believe the game grew organically and fast.  I also think how he played was much more high powered then those that consider themselves "Gygaxian".

2nd edition avoids this to a degree in my opinion as one of the prime areas for abuse in 1st, weapon specialization is toned way, way down. This is not to say combat can't be broken, fighting with two weapons anyone, and then specialized?  (Of which there are ways to tone this down too). Point being   that 1st is open to more abuse in my opinion. So in a round about sort of way what I'm saying is that the cat was really let out of the bag even with 1st edition. The later editions *cough* 3rd *cough* really drove it home.

So without further delay here is breaking the game 1st edition style lifted from my response at dragonsfoot. The point of this exercise is that with some "creative thinking" the power curve is already bent/broken at the mid levels of the game.  

"Now swap that sword for a warhammer????"

Rules: 100,000 Xps for each character. 6 characters and no race or class can repeat (the original OP on Dragonsfoot said five characters, but in true munchkin fashion I ignored that limitation). Here was my stab at it, not meant to be the best, but certainly in consideration for munchkinism. Dual classed and multi-classed are ok when the limitation of no class repeated is considered.

Half Ogre, 7th level Fighter (Dragon #29/73)
Only single class in the lineup. Forget the duelist; of any of the NPC races/classes from Dragon that people think are uber-munch, this is it hands down. High possibility of an 18/00 strength (check the rules) double specialized in bastard sword (which he can use one handed) and attacks 2/1. He is attacking at +5/+9 with that sword before factoring in any magical items. Read that again, that's 4d4+9/4d8+9 before any magical items... This brute also starts at 2d10 for hit dice at 1st level, so just like the ranger, but better. This is of course coupled with his natural con of 18. He skips missile weapons for the most part, but when needed throws spears, but due to his high elf buddy below doesn't really need to. Damage reduction of the full plate is a nice boon and iff magical even better.

Even without magic he is encased in full plate armor and can wield a shield, of course by this level he has several magical options. Ring of fire resistance is standard as it allows him to confront a red dragon, head on... or tool him up with a girdle of giant strength, of course its the storm giant variety. Probably has the best magical shield in the group too, say +2/ or +5. Boots and cloak of elvenkind (which are fairly common magical items) negate the full plate penalties.


For added fun consider: if this were not enough, half ogres can also be clerics. Rather then "waste" nearly 30,000 XPs towards fighter (in this scenario) that would still leave him a7th level fighter; re-purpose them to a multi-class. Half Ogres  can be clerics but their spell casting is only average even with a 12 wisdom, but he's likely the last resort cleric or healing himself only. He can still use edged weapons as multi-class clerics are allowed to or use the above mentioned hammer/girdle/gauntlets combo. It will impact his hit points some, but it might not be worth the consideration.

Gray Elf 6th level Druid/ 5th level Ranger/ 5th level Magic User
(per Gary's errata in Dragon #96)
Ranger is included for no other reason then to be specialized in longbow in
order gun down enemies with a frightening rapidity (1). 19 dex + elven
bonus for bows + abilities for specialization and oh, fires 3/1 and each
arrow in point blank that does 6-16 points of damage before factoring
magical arrows and weapons he's sure to have. If anything is caught in
it's "reaper zone" (trademark- pending) that's 18-48 points of damage
per round. Further he wields a bow that allows him to gain his natural
strength bonus up to 18/90 range; and if still not enough he gets to fire one more arrows prior to initiative making that 4 arrows in a single round. Hit points are pumped up due to his ranger class adding 2d8 hit dice to the mix at 1st. Throw in a bow built for his 18/90 strength and skip the
magical bows? Between him and the half ogre they might kill a red dragon in a single round by themselves.

Because his hit points are pretty good can be the 3rd or 4th line fighter. Could go toe-to-toe with bigger baddies when needed by fighting long sword and hand axe (short sword makes more sense) and with his dex he can pull it off. Pile in his animal helpers who are subject to the senior druid's animal growth spells.

Wears magical leather armor  or bracers to preserve his stealth abilities as an elf. Sits back and takes out targets of opportunity. Can also cast as needed. He is the junior druid to the dual classed one below and his animal followers bulk out the party. Later levels will start granting additional magic user and druid spells. That leaves him with the potential for unlimited druid, 18th level magic user and 14th level ranger.

For other magical equipment the poorly worded quiver of Elhonna (2) is a must. If you really want to make it "worse" make him a Archer-Ranger from Dragon #45 (shudder). Oh and he can cast druid and magic user spells...

(1) and (2), yes I know there is errata for both, but we can skip that little bit.

Dual classed Human, 1st level Fighter/9th level Druid
That's not a typo, the druid drop kicks everything's ass in 1st edition. Read "Underestimating druids (is a bad practice) in Dragon #119 until it sinks in. A revelation happened in this thread when
people realized that animal growth is one of the most bad ass spells a druid can cast. Couple this with the fact that he double specialized in scimitar at first level when he was a fighter. When really in trouble, dual wields with a flame blade spell in the off hand. I see no issue with this in munch-land as its not actually a weapon, its magical flame! Probably has the group's bracers of defense.

He is the 2nd line fighter and with animal growth on his furry companions of his traveling zoo complements the ogre in the melee and possibly outshines him in hand-to-hand, which is no small feat. Also as a dual classed fighter he gets access to % strength. Spell casting outpaces both cleric and magic user at this XP level as he has access to 5th level spells.

Half Orc 6th level Cleric / 6th level Assassin
Arrrrgh, 1 XP away from 7th level assassin! In true munchkin fashion I'd bump him one more XP and behold, 7th level assassin! 18 strength is a natural here as is a 19 con. He gets included due to being not being able to duplicate races per the rules, still he is a viable character for the roster. Hit points might be impacted here due to the multi classing but with the half orc and the druid and his pets he doesnt have to go toe to toe with foes often.

Backstab from this guy would cut most things in half as its not explicitly stated that a fighter/thief is limited to weapons on a backstab... Since he doesn't have access to weapon specialization he uses a two-handed sword and runs around in magical studded leather armor. Don't like the cleric combo? Add fighter instead and he does gain access to specialization! Backstab with a magical, poisoned,
two handed sword of night lives stealing (or sharpness); if figther, double specialized? Yes please! For the math a two-handed sword is: 1d10 +4 to hit/+5 to damage (with an 18 strength). Back-stab would then be 1d10x2+9, plus poison, plus any magical bonuses... at mid levels that's nothing to sneeze at. One more assassin level means bakstab at x3.

If people are going to be really "sticky" on this then go with long sword instead or some such or convert to fighter/thief, plus ring of invisibility and boots of elven kind. He also has assassination abilities and can provide the party with thief skills.

The limitation of 14 wisdom means that one of the wishes off of the party's ring of wishes might be allocated to raising it to 16... In any event his cleric spell casting is the last resort with the druid and the drow's casting being better. If the half ogre is dual classed these two equal one whole caster in my opinion.


Dark elf female 6th level Cleric/5th level Cavalier/ 5th level Magic User
Packed with innate magical abilities, superior infravision and the ability to fight with two weapons at no penalty, this is a fearsome combo. Here horseman’s maces (magical of course) will work well, but consider magical long swords abound in the game and Dungeon Masters Guide so have at it. She wears full plate armor for protection (remember the damage reduction) and still casts magic user spells and can wield a shield as needed.

Has  a wide variety of weapon abilities and immunities to spells, mind
effecting spells, bonuses to weapons like longsword, lance (a few death lances from the vault?) and horseman's mace, etc. Oh and can increase her strength, dex and con.

Her steed at 4th level is some sort of gigantic spider of course (no namby-pamby unicorn riders here). Then add in clerical and magic user spell casting to good effect. She probably has a retinue of undead fodder following her around via animate dead.

Of course if the party gets girdle of giant strength of some sort or gauntlets (unless the went to the half ogre above); she gets them as the other PCs all have very high strength scores; barring that gloves of missile snaring. Poisoned weapons go without saying here.

Deep Gnome 6th level Illusionist/ 6th level Assassin
Double AARRRRGGGH 1 Xp away again for 7th level assassin! However I'd say apply the "fix" outlined for the half orc above and he has 1 more XP, boom 7th level assassin. The deep gnome
special abilities really push this over the top even at mid levels: camouflage, bonuses to saves, spell abilities, etc.

Assassination abilities and poison are another benefit here along with minor thief skills to back up the half orc and hopefully catch anything that was missed. He can scout with the ranger/druid/mu listed above with spells at his disposal, especially bending the curve with the vague phantasmal force... In a way he is the "utility infielder" of the group: jack of all trades, master of none.

Has access to weapons such as dagger+2, Longtooth and bracers of archery to provide a secondary archer for the group; shortbow+3 and a few choice arrows of slaying. Since he  is not part fighter and can't have specialization he fights withshort sword and dagger both of which are envenomed as mentioned above. 

Recap

• Spellcasting- In short this setup has overall spell casting down pat: Magic User class on two of
  the characters, illusionist on one, clerical on two (potentially three), druidic spell casting
  on two. That's a tremendous amount of raw magical power at mid levels. Consider, two characters hurling 5d6 fireballs... the 9th level druid has access to spells like animal growth, insect plague, wall of fire, transmute rock to mud... The magic users probably have multiple scrolls with dispel magic. Magic User spells might be a bit weak, but at this XP level druids are far batter anyway. An  overlooked part is with the druids rapid rise their spell casting which is superior to the clerics so their healing is just as good as the drow  female.

• Melee- Both of the main fighters are extreme examples and complement the other, one melee, one missile and if the half ogre goes the hammer route, both. The druid/ranger/magic user fires his bow while the half ogre closes to melee. The druid gets specialization too since he is dual classed and overall three of the characters are specialized; the dark elf getting weapons of choice due to her cavalier class. Between the characters two of them have assassination abilities, two with back-stab and three of the characters are using poison regularly; I could see the case made for all of them, the half ogre hurling poisoned spears? Three or possibly four are attacking with two weapons when it comes down to melee. When it gets rough the dual classed druids animal growth spells on his and the druid/ranger/mu animal companions can get nasty.

• Stealth- This group will be tough to surprise (the druid/ranger/mu) and has a good stealth capability. Notice I didn't go too overboard with some of the items. Boots and cloaks of elven kind aren't artifacts after-all and in this party coupled with the natural stealth nature of
  the members? When needed they can sneak around just fine and the gnome
  thief/illusionist is there to help further. The druid/ranger/mu, thief/illusionist or the half orc cleric/assassin can all play the role of scouts. The half orc in particular can mow down opposition with a well placed back-stab or assassination, he is rarely if ever in the front line fighting it out but waiting for the right time then BAM!!!

• Mundane- when considering munchkinism don't neglect the mundane: the longbow is the best missile weapon in the game doing 1d6 points of damage per arrow, but its RoF of 2/1 makes it even better. Looking at this group there are four characters that have potential access to this weapon with one specialized in it. That means the half ogre, dual classed druid/fighter and half orc can fire six shots a round. Damage is 6-36 or the equivalent of a wand of fireballs. Now add in 3 or 4 shots from the specialized archer? That's ten arrows in a round. For further fun this might actually be a use for flame arrow which might be one of the worst spells in 1st edition, but in this context? Gives the drow something to do while polishing her nails. If that doesn't work, all of them firing poison arrows instead? Oh and the gnome can use a short bow boosting this to 12 arrows in a single round. While not quite as bad as 3rd edition build malarkey for archers this is nothing to scoff at.

Another advantage that might not be readily noticeable is that this group is redundant in almost every area. There is at least one other character that can back up the other. This also means that in a lot of cases there is a good degree of success should say one of the assassins fail to unlock a chest, find a trap, etc.

The only alignment issue is the druid/ranger/magic user, but make him CG with CN tendencies and everything works out.  I know Dragon #100 says theyhave to be Neutral Good, but we will fudge that a bit too.

An interesting bit is no dwarfs or halflings need apply for this group; nor do thief-acrobat, paladin,
single class thief, barbarian or monk. Bard is the odd man out as he would be next off the bench in IMHO. If anyone gets replaced its probably the half orc with the bard. The lack of a single class thief
really points out there is no real need for them as the assassins and the clerics can take care of  this role.

Magic items are modest and nothing that a band of 6-7th level PCs wouldn't have access to... well with a bit of stretching here or there.  ;)

So there you have it, pretty easy to get a munckin build in 1st edition AD&D, its simply easier in 3rd and 3.5.

How about your munchkin party(ies), lets hear them.

The coolest monster in AD&D- Derro

Despite the fact that the game is called Dungeons and Dragons; Dragons are not the coolest monster in the Monster Manual/Monstrous Manual. The title instead goes to the...

DERRO!
"Scrawny, pale, little psychos", that is a great appellation for the race!

Scrawny- (from the Monstrous Manual): "Derro are one of the most dexterous of humanoid races (averaging 15-18), and their Armor Class must be adjusted for this." Usually, those that are dextrous are not depicted as hulking brutes...

Pale- (from the Monstrous Manual): "Derro are short, with skin the color of an iced over lake (white, with bluish undertones), sickly, pale yellow or tan hair (always straight), and staring eyes that have no pupils." When one considers most dwarfs in AD&D that's certainly off the beaten path.  

Psychos- (from the Monstrous Manual): "The derro have made a name for themselves by their marked cruelty. It is said that a derro lives for just two things: to witness the slow, humiliating death of surface demihumans, and especially humans; and the perversion of knowledge to their own dark ends." And? they are chaotic evil to boot. 

Tired of dark elves being overdone, "angsty" and lame? Throw them out the window or at least out of the Underdark. That's basically what I've done with my "legendary" World of Galena. (1) With the derro in place there is no need for namby-pamby dark elves. In all seriousness I like dark elves just fine, I just find them overdone or at least the cat is out of the bag when one considers "the big reveal" of G3- Halls of the Fire Giant King. Most often I do not feature dark elves in my games and usually steer players away from them, I'd otherwise they prefer they play gnome illusionists (1). Thus enter the derro.

Derro are a creation of Gary Gygax and first make their appearance in S4- The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. It is possible that the derro are based on "deros" in the stories of Richard Sharpe Shaver which appeared in Amazing Stories, a pulp mag from the 1940s. Given that Gary didn't elaborate too much on this I'm inclined to believe the probable origin. Also given Gary predilections towards pulp for his sources and the fact that he was a well-read man? More then likely for their origin.

Whats not to like? To start with from the strategic level, derro are very scalable. I think one of the most overlooked aspects of them is a DM could use them not just at low levels, but at high levels as well. As the PCs rise start throwing some derro with class levels at them, have them tote out more charmed umber hulk and other various slaves. Spell casting via the higher level savants is another boon and an effect that the DM can use strategically.

At the tactical level Derro, properly used can be tough to combat, taken from short companion guide I threw together a few years back called "The Menace of the Derro" here are some of their main high-level tactical pros:

• 30% Magic Resistenace
• Small in size (S); this is not an obvious advantage, but they may take less damage from certain weapons; plus not being large creatures they do not take large damage obviously. This is of prime importance as the character rise in levels. An ancillary benefit to their size is the fact that unless the group is entirely composed of dwarves they are going to have a hard time using derro sized weaponry and armor; selling these items is fine, but this has the practical effect of them having lots of high powered armor. This functions in a manner similiar to how Gary gave the dark elves magic items without having worrying about the PCs having tons of extra magical items.
• Automatically possess the Blind Fighting proficiency due to superior hearing (see above). Additionally due to their keen hearing a derro of any HD may Hear Noise as a thief, with a 10% chance per Hit Die, example a 3 HD derro may hear noises with a base chance of 30%. A secondary function of this ability is that all derro possess the sound analysis proficiency from the 1st edition Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide. With this, derro are very difficult to surprise.
• They are cunning and intelligent in combat; play them as such.
• Savants have genius level intelligence use that as well.
• Savants have spell-casting capabilities; these are increased in my campaign world.
• Savants can use any magical item, even if they don’t know command words (where applicable).
• Savants can have weird magical effects to their spells; feel free to make them unusual
• All derro savants and apprentice savants can instinctively use read magic and comprehend languages an unlimited number of times per day.
  Derro high level savants will often have 2d4 Umber Hulks as servants through charm monster spells. 

In terms of Cons or negatives? There are only a few:

• Only have a Movement rate of 9; players will most often be able to outrace them.
• Infravision is only 30’; lowest of all the underground races.
• Derro are chaotic evil; As such they can be prone to the strife this alignment is known for. Another issue to consider is if your PCs have a paladin and he gets the inevitable holy avenger...
• Sunlight- the effects of sunlight are vague in the 2nd edition Monstrous Manual. However Dragon #241 has a much more complete discussion of effects: All derro are nauseated by direct sunlight touching their skin, losing 1 hit point per hour of exposure and suffering a -2 to all combat rolls, defensive adjustments, and saving throws while exposed. Hit-point losses are slow to heal if curative magic is not used; only 1 hit point per day maximum will be healed by complete rest, so a derro left outdoors will lapse into a coma and die after a few days of a condition resembling heatstroke. All spells and magical powers that duplicate prolonged sunlight (such as continual light) have this same effect, though the light spell, flashes of bright light, and normal bonfires, torches, and lanterns do not.

Although they are ambushing types, with their weird effective weapons, magic resistance and a host of other abilities and tactics to boot the are tough customers. Derro also have great unique weaponry in the derro repeating crossbow with poison bolts, a specialized hook-fauchard,  and aklys (which is useful in cramped, underground settings). They can also be beefed up by tooling up the "elites", that's what I call the derro sons and daughthers taht comprise 10% of any derro war party armed with heavier armor, spears and military picks (although I'd have them use the hook-fauchard).

All in all, these monsters are bad-ass. On top of that they got their own box set, the Night Below. That's enough for a adventure and a campaign setting all in one. Need a review of Night Below? Here is a pretty balanced one. Derro appear in a number of modules and articles, here are but a few (this is by no means complete):

• Dungeon #20 “The Ship of Night”
• Dungeon #44 “Train of Events”
• Dungeon #79 “Cloudkill”
• Dragon #241 “Legacies of the Suel Imperium”
• Greyhawk Ruins
• WGA3- Flames of the Falcon
• From the Ashes- Greyhawk boxed set
• Doomgrinder

Another great point about the derro? They appear in the best module of all time: UK4 When a Star Falls. I think I might need to write up a blog post about that, my favorite monster and my favorite module? "Two great tastes that go great together." (3)

So to recap. Your players lamenting the drow and you need a different race to take their place in you games? Look no further then the derro. I also think that properly panned out, a TPK could very easily be accomplished in my not so humble opinion.

Another great avenue is that they hate humans and demi-humans this gives them even more reasons to be raiding on the surface then the deep dwelling dark elves. Throw in that a local communcity of derro are undergoing a Uniting War and a lot of upheavel can be thrown into a campaign, of which the PCs can be stuck in the middle of. Couple this with the events of Kingdom of the Ghouls in Dungeon #70 and a DM has all of the Underdark political intrigue he could want.

(1) If you know anything about me you know how much I like illusionists or gnomes, or both...

(2) In joke- as in Dwimmermount is/was "legendary" (chortle).

(3) Hey I was a pre-teen in the 80s? What do you expect?