[Secret Santicorn Dungeon] The Dark Keep in the Snow

My contribution for the OSR discord server's Secret Santicorn event! envymania's prompt was simply "The Dark Keep in the Snow". I cycled through several ideas (one was to make a classic murder mystery! I might return to it...) then ended up creating a dungeon.

Frankly, feature creep is always a problem. I could have made something less ambitious. 

Underground dungeons are easy. You only have to care about the interior space... While when making something "architectural", there is also the exterior, and you are under more pressure to make it "make sense".

But here we are, in early February 2025, and The Dark Keep in the Snow is ready!

It's a fortified monastery of sorts, high up in the mountains, populated by Yetis - for a reason!

No stats, you can find all these monsters in OSRIC.

Get your snowshoes on and

DOWNLOAD THE PDF!

THE MAPS IN A SEPARATE IMAGE FILE

(I hope to eventually re-draw the maps. For now, they are here in all their hand-drawn beauty)

[Secret Santicorn!!] A second, more serious oracle for character simulation: The Methodical Oracle

As promised, a more serious offering for Kirt Dankmeyr, based on his request of a "A small oracle for solo OSR play oriented toward simulating party members and not the GM. Tho bonus points for a GM replacement oracle that dovetails with the first one".

The Methodical Oracle!

The point of this small oracle is to aid the solo GM in "in-character" decision making.

Create a Profile for each player character in the party by assigning one of the five Methods to each slot:

Profile types:

Balanced	Focused	Hyperfocused	Method slots
2-3	2	2	Rare
4-5	3-5	3-4	Secondary
6-8	6-8	5-9	Main
9-10	9-11	10-11	Secondary
11-12	12	12	Rare

The five Methods:

Violence	Direct confrontation, brute-forcing
Diplomacy	Smooth-talking, bartering, calling in other parties (e.g. NPCs)
Knowledge	Monster lore, survivalism, arts & crafts, history & politics
Trickery	Exploitation of the space, devices, creative use of objects, falsehoods
Magic	Spell-slinging, prayer to higher forces, decipherment of arcane clues, activation of weird objects

The Procedure:

At any decision point, pick or randomize a lead character. Then roll 2d6 and consult the character’s Profile to see which Method they offer.

To make things more interesting, pick or randomize a second character and cross-check their Method using the same roll result as the lead’s (so if you rolled 6 for the lead, check what’s a 6 on the second character’s Profile). Describe the conflict or the synthesis of their Methods. You can use a standard Reaction roll to see whether the other character likes or dislikes the alternative proposal.

 

Example Profiles:

Bubba the Wizard

Hyperfocused	Method
2	Violence
3-4	Knowledge
5-9	Magic
10-11	Trickery
12	Diplomacy

 

Morax the Duelist

Focused	Method
2	Knowledge
3-5	Trickery
6-8	Diplomacy
9-11	Violence
12	Magic

 

Example Decisions:

Situation 1.

The party enters a cave, the lair of a dozen goblins. The goblins are surprised. Bubba the Wizard takes the lead, and, after some deliberations (2d6: 11 = Trickery), offers to sneak by them. Morax the Duelist (11 = Violence) might offer to take advantage of the situation and charge the unaware goblins.

Situation 2.

The party is looking for their patron’s stolen ring in the big city. Morax the Duelist takes the lead and comes up with the ingenious plan (2d6: 5 = Trickery) to create a fake ring. Bubba the Wizard (5 = Magic, Reaction roll: 9 = Positive) agrees and checks his books for an illusion spell to help with the plan.

[Secret Santicorn!!] Player simulation oracle for solo games

It's Santicorn-time on the OSR discord server!

Kirt Dankmyer requested "A small oracle for solo OSR play oriented toward simulating party members and not the GM. Tho bonus points for a GM replacement oracle that dovetails with the first one."

Okay, my entry here is a bit of a stretch... But to truly replicate the OSR (and RPG...) experience, you need to account for the whims of the players themselves! So, you, as the solo DM, present the situation, then roll to see just how you, the solo player, are interested in this stuff...

THE PLAYER REACTION CHART (2D6)

		Sample quip (1d5)
2	deal with it begrudgingly	1.    “Mehh, I think riddles are stupid” 2.    “Sure, although this is not how Jeff runs it” 3.    “This fight is a slog, I stab myself” 4.    “Ugh, not *another* ‘you start in a tavern’ session” 5.    “This goes against all established lore though”
3-5	scatterbrain	1.    “Sorry, I thought this was still Elsa’s turn” 2.    “Remind me, who is this guy again” 3.    “Wait, what do I roll for that?” 4.    “Yeah, it’s on my character sheet. Or this piece of scratch paper. I just can’t read it” 5.    “Can I borrow your dice?”
6-8	acknowledge & participate	1.    “Yes, this is all part of the game” 2.    “Fair enough, I hit it with my sword” 3.    “I ask the wizard if he knows the location of Castle whatsitsname” 4.    “My thief checks the lock for traps” 5.    “We ascend the stairs”
9-11	honest interest	1.    “Oh, I have this in my notes!” 2.    “Let’s try and befriend these goblins, we need allies against the Fish Lords” 3.    “That blacksmith is quite a character, I’m sure we can ask about her battlescars AFTER we are done with what we had planned” 4.    “What a quirky trap! We reset it to lure the next monster into it” 5.    “And I have just the spell we need!”
12	HYPERFIXATE	1.    “OMG so adorable let’s adopt this random gnome fighter” 2.    “We could make so much money by bottling the healing water from this random pool! Leave dungeon crawling behind” 3.    “I check for secret doors and traps every 5’ instead of 10’. There MUST be something here” 4.    “No, these broken chairs cannot simply be dungeon dressing. The GM mentioned them for a reason” 5.    “Okay, I examine the next book. And the next. The next one too…”

  

[Secret Santicorn!!] Equipment List for Miyazaki-style Science Fantasy Games

It's Secret Santicorn Season again over at the OSR discord server. Vilecultofshapes requested a "basic equipment list for a Miyazaki style science fantasy game"... Great prompt! I love Miyazaki and science fantasy, so I put on the Nausicaä soundtrack and set to work.

Read it here or download as PDF over at my itch.io page!

BASIC AND ADVANCED INDUSTRIES

Basic variants of equipment are produced locally, from all kinds of available resources. Such items are cheaper, more common, easier to maintain and replace.

Advanced variants are either products of skilled craftsmen, or looted from the ruins of former, technologically superior civilizations. They are generally more durable. However, once broken, they are much harder to repair.

The listed trade value is for the basic variant. This value doesn’t fluctuate significantly. Advanced items are worth 5-10 times as much, or even more (make a ruling or roll 1d6+4).

Garments, basic

Basic garments are usually layered and loose, patchwork or handspun, with drab colors. This doesn’t mean that basic garments lack personality. There is usually a detail or item that makes the character recognizable.

Garments, advanced

Advanced outfits are often of synthetic materials, with vibrant or unusual, yet impeccably coordinated colors. Most of them provide additional protection against the elements or even against damage.

	Garments, basic (1d20)	Garments, advanced (1d20)
1	Wide-brimmed hat	Techno-paladin full-plate
2	Tie-dyed poncho	Military uniform with golden braids and epaulettes
3	Utility belt	Slick bodysuit
4	Brightly colored scarf	Moonlit glamour
5	Spiked leather armbands	Exoskeleton with servo-arms
6	Thigh-high boots with spurs	Special agent three-piece suit
7	Oversized bandolier	Mirrorshade visor, body armor
8	Horned headgear	Pulsating tubes and glowing lights
9	Dysfunctional tubes and wires	Decadent courtly dress
10	Pauldrons	Adaptive camouflage
11	Trinkets and beads	Haughty noble
12	Patterned leggings	Returning space explorer
13	Leather aviator cap	Deep-sea diving suit
14	Flowing robes	Segmented chitinous nightmare
15	Fancy belt buckle	Luxurious furs
16	Dangerously dangling scarf	Burnished muscle cuirass and greaves
17	Miner’s helmet	Magnificently starched collar, pristinely ironed outfit
18	Animal mask	Glowing and shimmering aura around naked body
19	Knit winter hat with tassel	Well-tailored suit, heavenly perfume scent
20	Fur-trimmed	Holographic disguise layer

COMMON EQUIPMENT

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Bedroll	2	Patchwork blanket or sleeping furs	Insulated sleeping bag
Container, small	0.5	Small woven basket or wooden box, ceramic or glass vials, pouches	Same sizes, but of synthetic materials, with adjustable straps, safety or locking mechanisms, alarms, traps
Container, medium	1	Medium woven basket or wooden box, flasks, bottles, jars, backpacks, medium-sized sacks
Container, large	3	Crates, barrels, large storage vessels
Filter-mask	2	Hand-made from textile, provides protection against smoke and some toxins	Includes microscopic and chemical filtering
Food, 1 day	0.5	Roots, tubers, berries, eggs, bugs, worms, honey, milk, small game (birds, lizards, burrowers) *double value if preserved (dried, salted)	Synthetic foods from the uncanny valley (“chicken”) or completely unlike anything you’ve ever tasted… *double value if preserved (canned, permafrozen…)
Garments	1-3	*see above	*see above
Goggles	3	Murky glass or plastic lenses, low protection against flashes or glare	Protective lenses, possibly with advanced features (nightvision, zoom)
Light source, 1 hour	0.5	Wax or tallow candle, pitch torch, oil lantern, fireflies in a jar	Torch
Medicine	10-50	Herbs, teas, poultices, simple bandaging	Pills, syringes, advanced bandaging materials, anesthetics, antidotes,
Musical instrument	5-10	Flute, horn, whistle, bell, percussion, non-fretted string instruments; made out of wood, bones, animal parts, sometimes bits of metal	Most “advanced musical instruments” are actually tech. devices of unknown purpose that give off nice beeps and boops when handled; but see also thermenvoxes, touchpad-controlled oscillators…
Rope, 100’	1	Natural fibers	Nylon, fleximetal
Tools, agricultural	10-30	Plough, hayfork, hedge cutters	Motorized equipment, but also artificial fertilizers, pesticides
Tools, crafting	20-50	Hammer, chisel, hand drill, etc., also the pottery wheel and the like	Fine cutting and drilling tools, soldering equipment
Tools, mining	30-50	…or digging… shovels, picks, pickaxes…	Tunneling shield, sounding equipment, seismic devices
Tools, surgical	100	Blades, forceps	Nano-blade, medical lasers

  

WEAPONRY

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Bargaining and diplomacy	N/A	Gift offerings, looking for common ground, asking questions, listening
Deescalating the conflict	N/A	Calm voice, true innocence, sincerity *see also Bargaining and diplomacy
Running away	N/A	Good timing, fleetness of foot, instinct of self-preservation
Weapon, stun	3-10	Blackjack, club, holding traps, poison needles, stunning arrows	Shock batons, nerve toxins, sleeping gas, sonic wave
Weapon, lethal	5-50	Pointy sticks, blades, bullets, fire	High-precision rifles, lasers, explosives
Weapon, mass destruction	1000-10000	Conscription, mercenaries, siege engines	Nuclear warheads, chemical weapons, war machines

 

MOUNTS & GROUND VEHICLES

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Beast, riding	100	Flightless bird, bipedal lizard, giant cockroach or stag beetle *double value if combat-trained	N/A, or possibly a genetically engineered or robotic equivalent
Beast, of burden	50	Large lizard, woolly beast-thing with two or more pairs of legs, giant centipede
Beast, flying	500	Flying lizard, giant dragonfly
Cart	75-200	Two- or four-wheeler, dune buggy, covered wagon; animal-drawn	Broken-down advanced vehicles are often repurposed as animal-drawn carts
Ground vehicle, small	1000	N/A	On wheels, tracks, antigrav pads… Fits up to 4 people.
Ground vehicle, medium	3000	N/A	Fits up to 10 people.
Ground vehicle, large	5000	N/A	Fits up to 30 people.

 

WATERBOURNE VEHICLES

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Boat	300	Wooden rowing or sailing boat, fits 4-12 people	Engine-propelled, with a metal or metalloplastic shell
Raft	50	Something simple, carries 4-8 people	N/A
Ship, small	1500	Wooden rowing or sailing ship, fits up to 20 people	Engine-propelled, with a metal or metalloplastic shell. Might include submersibles or hovercrafts. Capacity same as the Basic variants
Ship, medium	4000	Fits up to 50 people
Ship, large	8500	Fits up to 100 people

FLIERS

Item	Value	Basic	Advanced
Flier, one-person	1000	Only if created by a mad inventor, possibly hand-driven or drawn by flying beasts…	Motorized glider, antigrav skiff
Glider	150	Tarp or skin suspended on a light frame. Used by one person, maximum two	Same, but of advanced & durable materials
Hot air balloon	750	Woven basket suspended under a textile balloon, roping and nets everywhere, dangerous open fire to heat the air, ballast to control ascent…	Same, but of advanced & durable materials; with finer control of flight direction, ascent and descent
Aircraft, small	5000	N/A	Engine- or jet-propelled small aircraft (scouts, hunters) or blimps. Fits up to 6 people
Aircraft, medium	10000	N/A	Same, fits up to 20 people.
Aircraft, large	20000	N/A	Giants in the air… Zeppelins and “The Flying Fortress”… Fit up to 100 people.

 

SAMPLE SPECIAL ITEMS

Cleanwater Lichen

Beat-up tin box, once colorfully painted, now only the rigging of a sailing ship visible. Inside, there are six small balls of dry lichen. This special lichen absorbs all toxins and appeases miniscule water spirits. Each ball can purify a gallon of water.

Memory Disk

Palm-sized stone disk with labyrinthine engravings. Can eternally store and holographically project any kind of message, up to a minute in length.

Multiprism

A pristinely cut rock crystal prism, capable of transforming light rays in many ways: breaking down monochromatic light into its spectral colors, or changing the color of a ray into a different one. Useful when interacting with arcane technology.

True Compass

The thin, trembling needle always points towards the owner’s home.

Universal Translator

This silver helmet taps into the wearer’s brainwaves and translates all languages to pure thought. It is rumored that more advanced versions can help understand animals, plants, and even stones.