Celebrating International Heraldry Day

Here at Gamers & Grognards, Grognard the Dragon and I are having great time digging into family history and Coats of Arms in celebration of International Heraldry Day!  I have managed to turn up A coat of arms (or more than one) for each of my grandparents.   The authenticity of at least one is currently in question, and I may update as I delve further into my lineage.   What does this have to do with gaming?  Not much outside of the interest in heraldry that should play some part in fantasy games.

This is the Coat of Arms of the family of my grandmother on my mother's side, Rohde.  It may be in question.

This is the Coat of Arms of my grandfather on my mother's side, Jurkiewicz.

This may be the Coat of Arms of the Mazi side of my father's lineage, his mother's family.  This Coat of Arms is in question, as I have found several others and all seem to have crossovers with other families in the same regions.

Any of these three may be the Coat of Arms of my family.  The first is from England, the second may be English or Irish and the third is Irish.  I am not entirely certain, but I believe we are Irish Thompsons.  I must investigate this further.

FIGHT ON!

Yet Another Treasure Horde of TSR Ads

Treasure Trove of D&D Ads Part the 3rd: The Sears Catalog

Behold a time when RPG's were available in the Sear's Holiday Catalog (which I used to make check marks in to show relatives what I wanted for Christmas.) 

R.I.P. Last Man On Earth...

The world has lost yet another great literary mind.  In the wake of the loss of Jack Vance, we lose yet another extraordinary Science Fiction author, Richard Matheson.  For those who may not know who he was, Matheson authored such great pieces of fiction as "I Am Legend," "What Dreams May Come," "Hell House," Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," and "The Box."  He was assuredly a thinker's writer and he will be missed.

Tor Eulogy

In Memory of Jack Vance

It seems to me that many have not yet heard that over the weekend we lost author and D&D inspiration Jack  Vance.  From http://www.jackvance.com/:

"Jack Vance passed away at home on the evening of Sunday May 26, 2013, ending a long, rich and productive life. Recognized most widely as an author, family and friends also knew a generous, large-hearted, rugged, congenial, hard-working, optimistic and unpretentious individual whose curiosity, sense of wonder and sheer love of life were an inspiration in themselves. Author, friend, father and grandfather – there will never be another like Jack Vance."

It seems a bit of a shame that we have lost to of the great influences on old school gaming at once.  Harryhausen and not Vance.  You can write a memorial to Vance here.

List of Ray Harryhausen Memorial Blogfest Posts

Well, it is Saturday afternoon. Our grand total for the blogfest was 19 Posts in the Blogfest! You can read them below.  Really it wasn't so bad considering that I gave everyone less than 48 hours notice!


Gothridge Manor 1

Gothridge Manor 2

HeroPress 1

HeroPress 2

Save VS Dragon

The Other Side blog

From the Sorcerer's Skull

Greyhawk Grognard

Raven Crowking's Nest

Raven Croking's Nest post 2 (DCC)

Tales From the Flaming Faggot

The Watch House

Dungeon Fantastic

Bat in the Attic

Kaijuville

Once More Unto the Breach

Roleplay-Geek

The Hammer Strikes

Zenopus Archives

Gamers & Grognards

Ray Harryhausen Memorial Blogfest: Teeth of the Hydra

It is a famous scene in the film and may have influenced the way that fantasy and gaming handle the un-thinking  undead in general and skeletons in particular!  We all remember Harryhausen's skeletons from Jason and the Argonauts well. They were summoned up by Aeëtes who sowed the teeth of the hydra, slain by Jason, after praying to Hecate to help him get his revenge for the theft of the Golden Fleece.  If you are reading this, I would say that the scene that followed provided much inspiration for games early in your life in which PC's battled against skeletons.  So here, in honor of the late Ray Harryhausen, I give to you instant necromancy in the form of the Teeth of the Hydra!

Teeth of the Hydra

It is known that there are rites which can garner the aid of certain dark deities to enchant the teeth of a hydra, slain by man, that they might be sown and grow into skeletons that may serve the ritualist.  A powerful magic-user might discover these secret rites.  However, it is said that many such teeth already exist, forgotten in the world.  Anyone who discovers these can cast them to the ground in the hope of gaining undead servants.  If the teeth are found, rather than created, there will be 1-10 such teeth.  When the teeth are thrown to the ground they will wriggle into the soil like worms.  Within one round skeletons will claw their way out of the earth.  These skeletons will be ready to fight upon the second round of their existence. The skeletons spring from the ground armed with scimitars or short swords and shields.

There is an 80% chance (+1% per point of the user's Charisma) that the skeletons will obey the commands of the user upon their creation.  The remainder of the time the skeletons will instead attack the user of the Teeth of the Hydra.  If the skeletons are not initially hostile, the check must be made again one hour later.  If this check is successful the skeletons will serve for a day, at which point a third check must be made.  At this point the skeletons will serve for a week.  After one week of service the undead servitors, and their equipment turn to dust.