"In the D&D BASIC rules, a blinded creature may not attack."
I had the good fortune of sitting down with DirectSun to discuss putting all the pieces together for a good puzzle dungeon.
We chat about Nightwick Abbey, goblins that sell noses, toes, & teeth, spiders with top hats, thematic alignment of dungeon elements, and how I think the puzzle should either be dungeon navigation or a single "thing."
This series has been really good with videos featuring the likes of Arnold K, Gus L, Nick LS Whelen, and my Designing Dungeons co-creator Josh McCrowell
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! In my last post, I blogged about what I gave for the 2025 Secret Santicorn. On this day of gift-giving, I wanted to post what I received.
My ask was for: Specific level titles for 4th level, and the requirements to earn them. I think you'll agree my secret santicorn delivered!
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| The Nightwatch by Rembrandt An amazing work which is huge! |
I participated in the “Purple OSR”’s 2025 Secret Santicorn and received the prompt “Never Meet Your Heroes: Encountering Infamous Adventurers”. I interpreted these NPCs through the lens of a home setting I’m rolling around in my head. I also tried to make the NPCs reference each other to give them a more grounded feel. I would stat each NPC as 4th level or 6th level, which is “hero” level by OD&D/Chainmail rules for fighters or magic-users, respectively, and a few of them are most likely best interpreted as 9th level.
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| Nicolas Bruno part of a tarot card series |
Voulo the Unseated Or The Chevalier Who Rides The Unseen Horse
Once a marvelous fighter and regionally known as being unseated in the joust from a very young age, Voulo gained a modest sum for himself as a breeder of fine chargers and coursers. His fame rose to great heights such that he was invited to the 10-year Tourney held by Lord Acard, the Black Wolf himself. During the feast, Voulo received a reading from Ysabel the Seer at the table, via haruspicy, that said his 13th tilt would change the world. And true to the reading, Voulo unknowingly killed the young prince who had entered as a black knight. Not believing it an accident, the prince’s grandmother, a powerful warlock, cursed the knight that very day.
Now, Voulo is hated by all horses and is unseated from all he tries to ride save for the one he travels on to this day. But rumors say the stead he rides, draped in a black funeral shroud so it is unseen, moves via necromancy. Even darker whispers say that its a part of the prince’s soul that animates the animal, and it must be fed meat as one would a pard. This story is usually told when Voulo departs from an area, and the stable hand or innkeeper has gone missing.
Want: To make the soul of the prince leave the horse- no priest has succeeded, he slew the last one
Give: Can allow someone to sleep on the “horse” which will carry them to an entrance to the underworld, if they wake during this journey, they will be eaten
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| Mugwort Seer by Erica Peebus |
Ysabel the Seer Or She Who Binds Fates To War
Once a savant with regards to haruspicy of the walking lionfish of the lower lakes, it is said Ysabel washed up on the shore of Lake Brilliant as the child of a naiad. Later, the financiers of Ib put her skills to use by allowing her to lead seven expeditions into the isolated vales of the Copper Kingdoms to the north to find ruins of the serpent empires. On her 8th expedition, Ysabel’s team descended into a shrine of Yg. At the inner chamber, she herself was the only one lithe enough to pass through a crack in the sealed door guarding the chamber. Once in the dark, she took a greatl pearl from the coiled alter of Yg, but reported the chamber was empty when she emerged. And also nursed a feverish bite mark on the back of her neck she told no one about.
Now, Vsabel’s visions have been as clear as ever, however, all of them link any individual seeking a fortune to the on-going Autum War which was touched off by the killing of a minor prince in a joust and a resulting cascade of unlikely involvements, suspicions, double-crosses, and marriages. All foretold by Ysabel before she went into hiding. Her foreign financiers stopped the expeditions but rumors say she’s still on retainer as an agent of chaos. Other stories say people DO seek her out in order to become involved in the war, figuring conflict brings fame and fortune. No one has tallied the success rate.
Want: To know what this “egg”, as she calls it, is and to find the shrine to Yg and to give the pearl back, but can hardly stand to not have it in her hands
Give: Can act as a middleman between contacts in Ib and PCs, will result in money, equipment, and an eventual reading should she be convinced.
Liona Autumn-Song Or She Who Sings To Murderers
Once a changeling of the Autumn Court with a voice that has enchanted 99 lovers over her preternaturally long life. With the unrest in the Summer Lands, monsters drew forth from the forgotten places to feast on the distracted population. Since many heroes have gone off to fight the war, Liona found a new stage as a pacifier of monsters. Her songs enchanted them to lay at her feet as would a lamb and eventually saunter off back into the woods. Her fame has quickly risen among the villages and towns along the rivers of the land. Even the clergy praise her non-violent ways as a shining example of virtue.
Now people ask, but never in the earshot of Liona or her many admirers, why the cattle, sheep, goats, and occasional shepherd that go missing where she stays? And why is Liona moved toward the mysterious war that has taken over the lands? She claims she will sing the kings to sleep, but she can’t be that arrogant. The source of this woe, hidden among the smiles, is three monsters that stalk Liona like jealous former lovers. They shadow her life as personifications of ill-fortune. Liona’s gift does not allow her to kill the monsters, and their oppressive presence has worn her down, so she has started working as a mercenary on the side, directing these vicious maws toward whatever she was hired to do all the while promising each of them in confidence she will be their beloved.
Want: To find a way to kill the monsters following her- three manticores named Demetrius, Chiron, and Alarbus
Give: For a price, she is happy to travel to a battle or fight and let the monsters do the work, she hopes someone will kill them– so far the beasts are too successful.
Breudrox the Wind Shepard Or They Who Have Forgotten Themselves
Once the Summer Lands were nothing but swamp, however, a clever wizard yoked the four winds and bridled two rivers to turn the land in between them into a fertile delta. This wizard was hailed for this terraforming feat, which made them the premier sorcerer of the kingdom. Breudrox went on to herd the sea inland, pull out the salt, and create the Lake Brilliant which gave rise to the bounty of walking lionfish the region is famous for as well as the sirens’ songs on the wind. As a final act, Breudrox emptied the riches of the earth unto the surface and tamed tongues of fire to melt them. And this brought forth mighty beasts of the underworld for great knights to test themselves against. Then, with these four great works done, Breudrox departed in a great whirlwind!
Now, Breudrox is known as “The Baffled” and appears often in sudden violent thunderstorms seeking effigies, paintings, and statues of himself. Chaos is seemingly sown, then the magus departs again, with or without sought items. Those who can hear the voices of the spirit world know what really happened. The four lordly winds resented their vassal status and sent 8 minor winds to gently blow away Breudrox’s memories of self. The magus now can’t control the four winds and are controlled by them instead, but they are still yoked nonetheless, and so is flung this way and that, driven mad by the howls of delight from the wind lords.
Place Breudrox the Baffled on the wilderness random encounter table as a “very rare” or as rare as a dragon- for instance, a “2” on a 2d6 roll. And there is a 1-in-12 chance Breudrox will appear when mentioned in conversation outdoors.
Want: Any information on the wizard Breudrox: images, statues, books, locations, rumors and prophecies. Any magic-user who starts with Geometry of Unsceen Potencies will be assumed to be a former apprentice of Breudrox’s and subject to interrogation- whether true or not.
Give: If convinced the PC have information, this Baffled will trade one-time use of magic of a 9th-level wizard for said information/wants. The spell must be employed locally, within the hour, and not require anything that is not immediately at hand. The Baffled won’t kill the king, for instance, as that’s just too much trouble/time. If PCs lie, the Baffled will remember and seek revenge next time they meet.
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| by Zigor Skruggi |
Orry the Second-Sword of Fate Or The Left Hand of Winter
Every man, woman, and child around the Lake Brilliant knows the story of Orry or more accurately knows the story of Érard who fought the First Dragon of the Earth. Or the story of Érard who destroyed the scales of Molock. Or the story of Érard who slew the Greater Tarsque of the Valley. Orry, too, was there to in all instances to provide aid, but never quite delivered the killing blow, which was always by Érard’s hand. But Orry was never jealous in the stories, but always willing to play squire to Érard, and in some recountings was a squire. When Érard died, surprisingly, in the opening battle of the Strange War with No Beginning, it was Orry who bore him across the battlefield on a mysterious, shrouded horse. Later, Orry said that he wanted to deliver the great hero to the afterlife himself and bears a frostbitten left hand as a testament to pushing open one of the 13 gates of Death.
Now, Orry travels righting wrongs as the Second Hero of the land, a title he acknowledges with gritted teeth and a tight smile. And it's true he delivered Érard to the afterlife, but after he slew him with a misericorde made from the coldest ice, which blackened his hand, then melted away. Ever dawn it reappears in his clenched left hand, cold and accusatory. Never again will anyone stand in the way of Orry the Hero. What Orry does not understand is that his fate was born from a bet between the two fay courts for which child could first deliver a world-changing event. He’s made an unknown spirit very rich.
Want: To accomplish great deeds for greater renown and status, and so seeks quests of importance and note throughout the land. To understand why the gods have cursed his fate so.
Give: Orry knows where a great many things are buried or kept as they come to him in dreams. And with the aid of ever-present magical misericorde, Cain, he can deliver a killing blow to most things both flesh and spirit. The problem is he is often driven to a deep jealousy and hatred of allies at the same time. Often turning whatever new found object on former friends.
The Unicorn Renalaut the Splendid Or The Ruin of Innocence
Once a symbol of hope throughout the war-torn lands, this shining avatar of bravery and justice was noted for its ability to cut down the villainous and champion the downtrodden. Renalaut often chooses riders from among the youth of the troubled delta villages. Renalaut fills their hearts with courage and hardens them against the fear of death all to rally the common people to a cause! These various irregular bands of Renalaut are the subjects of many new ballads in the lands as all of them are noted for their remarkable achievements.
Now, what those who were there will say is that there are never survivors of Renalaut’s irregulars save for the unicorn Renalaut, lamenting the death of the latest rider-martyr. Even the famous singer Autum-Song can’t remember one song sung about Renalaut where the rider lived. It is rumored the unicorn’s latest “victim” was a young prince who posed as a black knight for a joust. Others say this is because Renalaut values the eager and wide-eyed over the skilled. And while the unicorn fills their head with grandeur and goals it neglects to mention the hounds of ruin track which stalk the unicorn– not metaphorically, this is the curse that was placed upon Renalaut.
Want: To be the vanguard for truth, justice, and glory! To help right great wrongs. To vanquish great evil! Bring peace to the common folk of the land! To find a rider of true purpose, clarity, and purity.
Give: All the powers of a talking unicorn, plus the public renown that legendary status can bring.
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| Depiction of 20 heraldic shields |
I find it easier to be creative when I have a prompt or some starting point rather than a blank slate. Its a seed from which ideas spring. And once again public domain (not AI) provides!
Here are a (convenient) d20 heraldic shields which, while lacking historic accuracy, certainly contain easy icon imagery which can be the basis for your next kingdom or set of kingdoms. I like that we have a solid mix of mythic animals, astrological images, crosses, wheels, and tools.
Given that some of these icons are very similar, it is easy to imagine a few are related houses or united through marriage. Or roll 2d20 and mix two icons together. If you get the same one, have them be inverted colors representing a past rivalry now united into one house or bloodline-- or a recent split!
If you own Dolmenwood like I do, perhaps these could also be additional minor nobility under each of the larger houses in the setting. Dolmenwood's heraldic images are only a little more complex so again these 20 would fit right in.
It also has the knock-on effect of forcing players to run 2+ characters, and gives additional reason for keeping a calendar. After all, how do you know your injured leg is healed in 6 weeks if you don't track time?
One thing I've never been happy about is that most tables I've looked at have a much larger sub-table to deal with injuries. I, for some reason, hate rolling on it and always desire a more immediate result. Also, if they lose a hand or whatnot after they leave the dungeon, its hard, but not impossible, to rationalise how they made it out without bleeding out.
It should always be noted, though, that these sorts of tables will decrease the lethality of the game despite their scary-sounding name.
I decided to mainly affect attributes and saves because they are "chunky" pieces of the game that players can see and that have far-reaching mechanical effects, which I think better mimics the loss of a hand or foot than actually putting "loses hand/foot" on the table.
Here, I also included one result that gives a Darkest Dungeon resolve moment. That is always one of my favourite moments in the game.
DEATH & INJURY
Roll 1d10 on the following table when a PC reaches 0 hp and add any negative hp and CON bonus. For attribute statuses, either (a) lose any bonus or (b) if no bonus, gain a -2.
9 | RESOLVE! Gain 1d4+1 hp and immediately counter-attack!
8 | SHAKEN! Standing with 1 hp, but auto-fail the next 3 saves
7 | VICIOUS BLOW! Go to 1 hp, but go last in initiative order the rest of this combat
6 | BRUSH WITH DEATH! Go to 1 hp, but reduce your max hp by 1d6+1 (no lower than 1)
5 | BONE FRACTURED! Unconscious for 1d6 turns; 1d8 weeks invalid, then roll 1d6 and you are: 1-2 Feebled (STR), 3-4 Off-balance (DEX), 5-6 Sapped (CON) for an additional 1d8 weeks
4 | SKULL FRACTURED! Unconscious for 1d6 turns; 1d8 weeks invalid, then roll 1d6 and you are: 1-2 Concussed (INT), 3-4 Forgetful (WIS), 5-6 Terrorised (CHA) for an additional 1d8 weeks
3 | MORTALLY WOUNDED! Dead in 1d12 rounds unless healing is applied; 2d8 weeks invalid, then increase all saves by +2
2 | FATALY WOUNDED! Dead in 1d6 rounds unless healing is applied; 3d6 weeks invalid, then increase death save by +4
1 | YOU DIED.
0 | GHASTLY DEATH. Oh wow. Geez... So much blood... (All hirelings make a loyalty check)
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| Its not *always* trial by combat... |
How law and order work in medieval societies can be used to enhance our pseudo-medieval fantasy games by providing important constraints.
I am not trying to run some authentic society any more than I try to make a dungeon perfectly architecturally sound with all proper support columns, ventilation, and oxygen content. But having a simple, referee-friendly construction of law, much like dungeon walls, can enhance play somewhat paradoxically by constraining choice, but increasing decision impact.
I think a system of law and order can provide some of the same choice-enhancing constraints. More directly, a system of law and order might provide:
Again, I’m not trying to weigh a DM down with some crazy social structure, but just basically incentivize PCs to behave more rationally and realistically when in town. I think this is of particular importance in old-school oriented games where PCs are not “the heroes” but roving adventurers and fortune seekers who break a social order by simply being so.
Most of the below is drawn from a single, but very excellent, gamable resource: Ian Mortimer’s The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century. The author has put together a book that pretty much explains what a modern person would need to know to survive a week in medieval England. This includes everything from the people and their character to what to wear, what to say, and of course, the law. I also supplemented with Wikipedia, which also happened to cite Mortimer a lot.
I’m going to try to intersperse the historic pieces with “Gameable Component” to call out where some interesting fantasy adventure game rules can be. I’ll use BX, but I’m sure you’ll get the gist enough to insert whatever particular rule will cover it for your bespoke ruleset.
THE LAWFUL PEOPLE
Mortimer opens with the law being very visible during this time. Heads on pikes, people locked in pillories in the town square, and hanged bodies of thieves are about. Its not all at once, but PCs will see signs of justice.
A second relevant thing that Mortimer points out is that everyone belongs somewhere and that people live communally:
“Whether they live in town or country, whether they are free or unfree, villeins and freemen alike are known in their hometown. People worship in church together. They work the firleds together. They attend the manorial courts together. Even times of celebration and relaxation are spent in one another’s company.”
So your “adventurer” PCs are strangers when you roll up in some village or town. No one knows them. No one will speak for them. And when trouble starts, they will be the first to be blamed. Why? Because they are unknown and therefore expendable.
Gamable Component
THE TITHING & CAPITAL PLEDGE (or one village)
Cops won’t be invented until the 1900’s, so law enforcement begins locally with every member of the village (age 12-60) is part of the tithing, sworn to uphold law and order, and are led by the “capital pledge”. It is the responsibility of the village tithing to bring any lawbreaker to the township constable. If they do not, all of them will be heavily fined and required to report to the manorial or the hundred court.
If a crime is observed, a “hue & cry” is raised, and interestingly, the sounds used in the “cry” correspond to different types of crimes. Everyone, regardless of being in the tithing or not, is required to participate in the apprehension of the criminal. The crime is also reported at the next hundred court, so all surrounding villages will know. Again, if a tithing is seen as failing in their duty to apprehend the accused or seen to have given them aid- they are subject to a hefty fine as a collective.
Gamable Component
THE BALIFF OF THE HUNDRED (or many villages or a town)
A step up from the capital pledge overseeing a collection of tithings is the bailiff, or if a manor lord is in control of the area, then a steward of the lord functions as the bailiff. The bailiff will answer to either the sheriff of the county (meaning to the sheriff of the king) or if the hundred is private, meaning a specific lord owns the land, then the lord.
Court at this level is a bailiff holding a hundreds court about once a month, composed of themselves and 12 freemen to hear all claims. Many are from fights where blood is drawn. But other cases are fraud, debts, theft of household goods & animals. Terrible wounding and murder is reserved for the sheriff’s tourn.
Gamable Component
THE SHERIFF IS THE KING’S CHIEF OFFICER (or all the villages, towns, cities)
The sheriff issues the king’s writs, summons a jury, gathers fighting forces, and makes arrangements to feed said forces. And also maintain the country's gaol. In terms of the law PC might be under, the sheriff can arrest you, imprison you, and send you to the county gaol. But not hang you for a serious crime unless they directly catch you trying to evade the law! But even then, a coroner must be present. At this level of law, a judge is still required to find anyone guilty of a crime. These judges might be drawn from capital cities or might be local, but generally will be from an educated background.
The Sheriff is required to hold county court every 4 to 6 weeks, which is for official swear-ins, “small claims” courts, and preliminary Crown pleas. Important for D&D, this is also the court where a person can be declared an outlaw if they are at-large. Once an outlaw, they may be beheaded on sight. The county court is where you can also adjudicate via trial by battle, which also covers land disputes. This last bit has benefited the church.
The Sheriff’s tourn (basically a traveling court) is held at a hundred’s court twice a year in order to handle cases and business that needs to be presented to royal judges and makes sure all massive fines are levied against tithings failing in their duties.
Gamable Component
JUDGES, CORONERS, AND EXECUTIONERS: TO TRY THE BUTCHER, BAKER, AND CANDLESTICKMAKER
Judges are required to find someone guilty, its not decided by the bailiff or sheriff. At the level of the hundreds court, a bailiff will draw 12 judges from the surrounding area- notable members of the community or those thought to be wise. In a manorial court, the lord can be the judge.
To kill someone, the presence of a coroner is required to attest that the proper procedures had taken place, including a trial. Also, a coroner was the person to answer a hue and cry about finding a dead body.
The Executioner might be combined with the gaoler who controls the running of the jails and the conditions therein. Interesting, they can also refuse to take certain folks into jail as well.
Gamable Component
APPROVING: OR HOW TO GET EVEN BEFORE YOU HANG AND OTHER MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE
One can name their accomplices once caught, either in hopes for leniency or in the case of death, to get even. After you are hung, those you named are brought to justice and if found guilty, then they hang too. Not surprisingly the gaoler, sheriff, or bailiff might try to get someone to accuse their enemies in return for a favor or just better treatment in the remaining days.
Mortimer makes a very good point that given the above, when a review of those indicted of serious crimes is performed, most are strangers and vagrants. Villagers are cautious and fearful of strangers and very quick to point a finger at them when a crime is committed.
If a justice comes under the jurisdiction of a lord’s court, then a lord can appoint their own coroner. Since a corner is present, the bailiff can proceed with hangings or beheadings. The lord can deny a king’s sheriff access. And so it is then also to commit crimes and pin them on an innocent person under the threat of torture and death, and use approving to shut-up anyone else who would know about the crimes.
Gamable Component
SUMMARY
What I hope I’ve laid out here is a demonstration of a fairly simple framework for law & order for your pseudo-medieval game based on English foundations of law. Other European countries at that time had different variations.
I’ve not really gotten into the implications of magic on said system, but you can quickly see how even low-level spells like charm person would be very disruptive, but also how the same spell could be employed for law enforcement.
I want to do a PART 2 of this where I look at how I might set up this structure for Dolmenwood. And how I might interpret, from a gamable level, the difference between a human and breggle court. Also, how the fairy might run a court as well.
