Kickstart this: Infinite Crypt dungeon terrain system

On thing that I've always pined for is a cost-effective terrain system. RPG terrain, in general, can be really pricey. I've substituted with cheaper alternatives like aquarium terrain, toy playsets, cardboard and paper sets, etc., but it's often hard to find specific pieces (can I just get a freakin' secret door?).

I know there are molds out there, but frankly, that's a lot more work than I've currently got time to pursue. Luckily, there's now this awesome laser-cut dungeon terrain system on Kickstarter, called Infinite Crypts!

The sets come flat-packed, like Ikea furniture. They're precut and you just pop 'em out and build. The system is modular so you can arrange as desired. But don't take my word for it...





It's in the UK and the dollars-to-pounds conversion stings, but you do get quite a bit for the money, regardless.

Dungeon terrain systems are a bit of an investment. I've looked at Dungeon Forge sets and the like, but I've always come back to just having a few key pieces on the table: furniture, rocky outcroppings, pillars, and stalagmites (you get the picture). Enough to help with tactics but not over crowd the table too much. But damn, this looks enticing.

I can see more than a few pieces I'd like to have. What about you?

• Infinite Crypt website
• Images: Infinite Crypts

Wizards: TONS of classic D&D adventures & books now online

IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Wizards of the Coast has re-released PDF versions of classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures at their new site www.dndclassics.com.

The even BETTER news is that the purchase system is run by DriveThruRPG. Which means for those of us who already have an account, we don't need to go makin' a new one. Starting today, more than 80 files are for sale, inlcuding the '81 Basic Game (the one that came in the red box). Prices are supposedly start at $5, which is quite nice, considering this is all out-of-print material.

Word is, these are fresh scans folks--and searchable too!

Big 'ol hat tip to Geekdad over at Wired.com

Images: Wizards via Wired

UPDATE: The site seems to be overloaded, I'm sure due to the announcement this morning. This is surprising since DriveThru is usually pretty reliable. So looks like patience is in order. If anything, it's a great sign that so many people want to play OSR-style D&D!

They've posted an announcement to watch their Facebook and Twitter channels for updates.

Inexpensive, stainless steel dice ring!

We've all seen those nifty spinning rings before, yes? And I think dice rings have actually been around a while. But these dudes have a cool stainless steel model for $15 through Kickstarter.

You can pay more and get more of course, but for that cheap--plus a few chuckles from their charmingly low-budget elevator pitch video--it's well worth it.

 Better move--there's less than 72 hours left in the Kickstarter!

Kickstart a collection of teen, homebrewed D&D modules from the 80s!

Now here's a crowdfunder for the ages! The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord & Other Adventures is a new kickstarter compling homebrew D&D modules from ye "goode olde days".

The project aims to publish those long-lost adventures of kids from the 80s using their original, hand-drawn illustrations and maps and painstakingly typed text. Here's the gist of it, from the project's creator:

In 1981, 13-year-old Gaius Stern wrote and illustrated The Habitition of the Stone Giant Lord in imitation of TSR’s Dungeons and Dragons adventure modules. The Habitition is a true labor of love, typed and drawn as a DIY addition to the “Against the Giants” series of modules, part time capsule and part outsider art.

As art, its text and image show how a creative teen made his own contribution to the genre of roleplaying adventures, but where most such books were the work of a writer, a crew of play-testers, editors, and a stable of artists, Stern went it alone. As a time capsule, it provides a window on a particular way Dungeons & Dragons was played at a particular time.

PlaGMaDA and The Hutchingsonian Presents are putting together a collection of adventures written by young people in the 1980s. The focus is on game modules written by players, including their carefully made maps and painstaking illustrations, framing the sort of adventures we played back when we were kids. Help us print this full color book, it'll be great!

$10 gets you a PDF of the book, print copies are $30. This ain't no retro clone folks, this is the stuff of nerdly dreams brought back to life with a 21st century resurrection spell!

And YES, they're still looking for material for the book--so go get your Trapper Keeper from 1981 and start scanning those loose-leaf notes!

Cool 3D-printable dungeon crawler

So here's a cool thing that couldn't exist until the 21st century--a dungeon crawl tile game you can print out of resin. Here's what you get to make a complete game:

-6 delvers (Warrior, Wizard, Elf, Dwarf, Thief, and Priestess.)

-10 dwellers (2 Skittering Fiends, 2 Restless Spirits, 2 Hogboglins, 2 Shambling Corpses, 1 Cave Gronk, and 1 Ancient Guardian)

-40 dungeon tiles (print the tile set twice)

-6 door markers

-13 counters (6 Treasure counters, 6 Hazard counters, and 1 Stairs counter)

-12 six-sided dice (6 red Offense dice and 6 blue Defense dice) (These weren't printed, though I suppose you could)

All you need is a 3D printer. So if you've got one--or you're handy with that hacker/maker stuff-- then you've got yourself an endlessly printable dungeon!

Check out the full set-up. Props to Boing Boing for finding this little treasure.

M.A.R. Barker Memorial set for May 5 in Minneapolis

Here's an important announcement for any Tekumel fans out there. There's going to be a memorial for the creator of Tekumel, M.A.R. Barker here in the Twin Cities--including some kind of A/V presentation. Below is an email that I received this morning from the Source Comics & Games (my FLGS) weekly update. Pasted verbatim:

ANOTHER GIANT HAS FALLEN!
Professor M.A.R. Barker Memorial From the Tekumel Foundation: Mrs. Ambereen Barker and the Tékumel Foundation invite you to a memorial celebration of the life and work of Professor M.A.R. Barker -Saturday, May 5th, 2012 -5PM to 9PM -Sheraton Midtown Minneapolis Hotel -2901 Chicago Avenue South -Minneapolis -Minnesota -55407.An audiovisual presentation will begin at 6:30pm, with stories and memories to be shared afterwards. Special announcements to follow. We hope that Prof. Barker's devoted fans, friends, colleagues and former students will be able to attend and share in this celebration. Please RSVP to the Tékumel Foundation so we may keep you informed of any changes. E-mail:info@tekumelfoundation.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there you are--just FYI in case you're out of town and looking to make the trip.

EDIT: I should have guessed there'd be more info at Chirine's Workbench blog.