tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.comments2024-03-14T11:22:59.400-04:00Gothridge ManorGothridge Manorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371740532802642972noreply@blogger.comBlogger10852125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-86586759926869584092024-03-14T11:22:21.731-04:002024-03-14T11:22:21.731-04:00"Snickle" ugh...."Snickle" ugh....matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04998881232495777586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-17408495868584509752024-03-05T17:47:06.031-05:002024-03-05T17:47:06.031-05:00Oh I am SO using the TRIP step. That's a must ...Oh I am SO using the TRIP step. That's a must do. Good and useful info, thanks!Mark Finnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02085303208733639998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-87963573395357201032024-03-05T17:28:47.363-05:002024-03-05T17:28:47.363-05:00I was fortunate to spend 11 years in England and 4...I was fortunate to spend 11 years in England and 4.5 years in Germany, and I toured A LOT of castles. Its impossible to generalize about castle construction, because they were built over a period of several hundred years across most countries of Europe, and beyond. Technology, construction materials, and style varied considerably, even within castles that were updated over several hundred years.<br /><br />The classic tight spiral staircase shown in the article is just one type, which was often constructed within the walls of the castle. I've seen many that were intended for the upper-class residents that were significantly larger than this. The small, tight ones were often intended for servants or guards to move in the background, rather than in the public or family spaces.<br /><br />Also, just because one tower or corner of a castle fell to attackers, it doesn't mean the whole castle falls. Remember, most only fell after prolonged sieges, and the defenders often hung on, hoping for help from the outside. So, defending every inch to buy time was an important design feature.Old Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17031678372808425416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-86731419222040327352024-03-02T12:13:09.026-05:002024-03-02T12:13:09.026-05:00lolololol, elbow grease. lolololol, elbow grease. The Happy Whiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13438469476168485775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-8336225994003101132024-03-01T14:58:06.194-05:002024-03-01T14:58:06.194-05:00I imagine fantasy fortifications have stairs with ...I imagine fantasy fortifications have stairs with random glyphs carved in them and purpose put burn marks on the wall. That's slows defenders down super quick even though it's just nonsense. <br /><br />sevenbastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11961009160456478009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-71925364062491307892024-02-25T12:26:39.188-05:002024-02-25T12:26:39.188-05:00Yeah, none of that is true. It's all (as is of...Yeah, none of that is true. It's all (as is often the case with these things) Victorian 'Just-so' stories that generations of tour guides have blindly regurgitated<br /><br />There's no primary evidence that anybody built the direction of the staircase with defence in mind, and numerous actual staircases in old castles are often the opposite direction from what the myth suggests. <br /><br />Similarly medieval 'trip steps' don't exist. Steps are actually quite hard to get consistenly level without modern tooling and framing. Combine sloppy original work with literal centuries of erosion and subsidence and you get another myth beloved of tour guides and sloppy 'Did-you-know?' articles. Because think about it. A castle is as much a high status living quarter, as a defensive structure. Often more the former. Nobody's going to build stairs that are going to injure or even crack the skull of distracted inhabitants, drunk inhabitants, children, guests and visitors etc for the 99.99% of the time it's not under siege. Deptfordxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12075948711015675524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-67312300664381201432024-02-25T12:14:50.042-05:002024-02-25T12:14:50.042-05:00Fascinating stuff. However, I imagine that tight s...Fascinating stuff. However, I imagine that tight spiral staircases would hinder both attackers AND defenders...the main advantage might come simply from being ABOVE the invaders (forcing them to fight upwards). It would also seem difficult to use an armor-breaking pole arm in tight quarters.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-52680194254810591192024-02-25T05:31:24.070-05:002024-02-25T05:31:24.070-05:00I was on a tour of a fortified building in Ireland...I was on a tour of a fortified building in Ireland and the guide did mention the clockwise stairs and uneven steps being built that way with defense in mind.JerryfromPGHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03426650196602291728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-63677257078615359752024-02-19T09:48:02.034-05:002024-02-19T09:48:02.034-05:00very nicevery niceStar Spectrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14962855548242133861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-60296305307831729472024-01-02T21:51:19.636-05:002024-01-02T21:51:19.636-05:00: ): )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-68713300965698962992023-12-30T14:34:04.100-05:002023-12-30T14:34:04.100-05:00Welcome back :)Welcome back :)Tim Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03845783872464372488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-69795496401811055272023-11-03T09:48:45.926-04:002023-11-03T09:48:45.926-04:00I absolutely agree! The starter set and the essent...I absolutely agree! The starter set and the essentials kit are awesome. And in combination they are even better. I've got a copy of the basic rules printed off and use them often. The main reason I purchased the Essentials kit (other than dice!) was that I wanted a nice shiny rulebook I could use. As well I needed a new DM screen as my nephew stole my other one. Which BTW is totally cool. I can run a 5e game all day long with the basic/essential rules and have a pile of fun. shanepatrickwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09779728578574223142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-58321052792110102182023-01-24T21:17:26.637-05:002023-01-24T21:17:26.637-05:00How much is it? I picked up Essentials for $20 at ...How much is it? I picked up Essentials for $20 at Target.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-42573097830758231842023-01-24T21:16:30.190-05:002023-01-24T21:16:30.190-05:00Wow. Considering the quality of both Phandelver (w...Wow. Considering the quality of both Phandelver (which I have read) and Essentials (which I own) this must be REALLY terrible. <br /><br />Which is kind of sad because, you know, not enough blue dragons out there in the wild. Really.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-62328381239941322362022-09-12T01:16:27.752-04:002022-09-12T01:16:27.752-04:0010 x times better?! Ha Ha Ha! It must be god awful...10 x times better?! Ha Ha Ha! It must be god awful then because I had to combine Phandelver with Dragon of Icespire peak and fix a bunch of stuff that WotC broke! Every single WotC module I have run has been a mess and a let down, that I have to fix!PyroArrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01606091730109420412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-21041040594733160932022-09-11T15:40:23.812-04:002022-09-11T15:40:23.812-04:00The adventure is a let down. I was hoping it would...The adventure is a let down. I was hoping it would be a island sandbox but it has no meaningful choices. Lost Mines was 10 times better than this one. sevenbastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11961009160456478009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-16935190381972541792022-09-11T00:34:38.145-04:002022-09-11T00:34:38.145-04:00Essentials had a full 11 die set, and is cheaper t...Essentials had a full 11 die set, and is cheaper then this one if you grab it on amazon as well.Nathand Christensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04970775977215774943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-85475427030559073102022-01-26T23:19:22.625-05:002022-01-26T23:19:22.625-05:00A date travel EAST? I feel like this is familiar.....A date travel EAST? I feel like this is familiar...matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04998881232495777586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-38701652727807427822021-11-06T09:54:00.762-04:002021-11-06T09:54:00.762-04:00I plan to run it next week at the Pig Faced Orc co...I plan to run it next week at the Pig Faced Orc con in Fresno a free convention to introduce young players to the OSR. Maester Lorenzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05650266508212180204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-38200290074506837622021-10-22T22:01:09.431-04:002021-10-22T22:01:09.431-04:00Been a fan of his work for years now. Been a fan of his work for years now. Brutorz Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10261330634648140358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-45990151777448665782021-08-17T10:15:26.455-04:002021-08-17T10:15:26.455-04:00Very cool and best of luck to you on your Patreon!...Very cool and best of luck to you on your Patreon!Timothy S. Brannanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-15029312220776236952021-08-16T10:28:03.542-04:002021-08-16T10:28:03.542-04:00Super cool.
This also reminds me fondly of the ol...Super cool. <br />This also reminds me fondly of the old TSR Deck of Encounters. DMWieghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03682249561077936507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-49449089356614160782021-08-07T10:40:07.797-04:002021-08-07T10:40:07.797-04:00How do find what you have for sale?How do find what you have for sale?Ozerulzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07363508884369001275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-10906490626848127722021-06-22T12:12:17.367-04:002021-06-22T12:12:17.367-04:00The 3 turn duration for find traps in 1E allows co...The 3 turn duration for find traps in 1E allows considerable ground to be covered if the party isn't mapping. I'd say it's a pretty useful spell, not just mid range.Corathonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15453135801686019143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1954394848487110923.post-61835513298297486172021-06-22T08:36:24.580-04:002021-06-22T08:36:24.580-04:00Also one problem with later edition Find Traps is ...Also one problem with later edition Find Traps is that they are of short duration meant to deal with an immediate situation. <br /><br />In contrast the older edition versions last for 20 to 30 minutes. Making them considerably more useful.Robert Conleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03863009007381185340noreply@blogger.com