Threat from Nowhere is a 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons
tournament module written by Len Lakofka and run at
GenCon 1982. It was the third round (“Round 4006”) of a
three round tournament module written by Len. The first (the events of which are referred to in “The Story So Far” section below) is lost to history (or at least has not been located within the Lakofka Archive to date), and the second was A Minor Threat (“Round 4005”, also released by the Lakofka
Archive).
This module contains various pre-generated characters used
for the module at GenCon. Each of these features three
different levels, apparently intended for use in each round of the module. As such, it is suggested you use the third of those for this module.

Download the PDF here (10MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/lakofka/threat-from-nowhere-4-14-24_FINAL_PDF.pdf

A Minor Threat is a 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons
tournament module written by Len Lakofka and run at
GenCon 1982. It was the second round (“Round 4005”) of a three round tournament module written by Len. The first (the events of which are referred to in “The Story So Far” section below) is lost to history (or at least has not been located within the Lakofka Archive to date), and the third was Threat From Nowhere (“Round 4006”, to be released by the Lakofka Archive).
This module contains various pre-generated characters used for the module at GenCon. Each of these features three different levels, apparently intended for use in each round of the module. As such, it is suggested you use the second of those for this module.

Get the PDF here (12MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/lakofka/minor-threat-4-14-24b_FINAL_PDF.pdf

Above is Lens' oldest Lenedore Isle map and below is his newer version.

You can grab the scans of hem here: https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/lakofka/Len's%20Lendore%20Isles%20Map.zip

Download manager is recommended!

Here is a scan of the old Greyhawk map that was in the trove of D&D material the Len left behind. It is a copy, most likely made back in very late 1970's, of the made that was made to prepare for the upcoming publication of the Greyhawk setting. Len who was a friend of Gary Gygax, but didn't work at TSR, was probably given one to be able to provide feedback, and kept it in his D&D notes.

You can download a high resolution image of it here (23MB; 6531x5009px): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/lakofka/Greyhawk%20Map%20Old.jpg

I'll run my Gary Con seminar again on Twitch tomorrow at 4pm PDT (7pm EDT) on my channel: https://www.twitch.tv/anna_b_meyer

The slides and supporting graphics will be available on my patreon blog https://www.patreon.com/annabmeyer before the show starts.

Welcome to a deep dive into Fantasy Cartography, Worldbuilding, Greyhawk with lots of maps!

If you want to download all the slides as a single zip you can get it here (123MB): https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/other/GC2024Slides.zip

Download manager might be needed.

Got back from Founders & Lagends and Gary Con. 12 days of travel and convention was a blast and so much fun which lasted until the evening I got home. Then I fumbled my con save and got a severe case of something best described as the fly from the nether planes.

After almost a week I'm starting to feel better again. I had intended to take a few days off to do nothing, but this was maybe a bit too much!

I will be on twitch tomorrow, first Gabbin on LordGosumba at 7pm EDT, and the DarlingCreepshow's Gary Con Aftershow at 9PM EDT.

Next Tuesday April 2nd I will have a seminar on my Twitch at 7PM EDT (4PM PDT). I will go over all the stuff I talked bout at Gary Con and anything else that comes up. so please join and ask questions. Slides and more information will be posted, before the seminar.

Do you want to lead your players astray, stall for time or just make them frustrated. Create a map that is wrong, in a weird language, or it needs to be decrypted, needing special magic, maybe it can only be read in the glow of a other planar moon. 

There are lots of interesting map options for a creative DM!

In my seminar I will try and go fairly deep into the Role of Maps in TTRPGs.

The first slide is labeled Canvas, emphasize maps can serve as a good base and reference document for your campaign. 

The map in the background is my test for a hand drawn style to show that any type of map can serve this purpose. In fact a simple map might be preferred, it can be edited easer using simple tools.   

Here comes a look at summoning magic. I like to define things while still trying (somehow) to keep them fantasy themed. 3rd edition D&D tried to define the differences between Conjuration, Summoning and Calling spells. Here is my take on that and an effort to set the ground rules for summoning spells.

Conjured

Created creatures using magic. It is an animated created sprit in the form of a creature.  Conjurations works in places where conjuration magic of the strain used is not suppressed. The creatures can be dispelled and detected as magical creations. New creatures every time with  intellect, INT and WIS that can't be higher than twice the level of the magic. 

Conjured creatures can be injured and killed by means normal for its type. 

Conjured creatures only exists for the duration of the spell, and will have its natural instincts and general abilities and knowledge (up to the level of the magic used to conjure it). Powerful magic can in special circumstances make these creatures persist beyond the duration of the magic that created them. This is one of the way [[Aberrations]] type creatures can be created.

Summoned

Creature projected in from somewhere else. Contact with the place, or plane, the creature exists is necessary for the spell to work. The creature can be dispelled back to where it came from and the projection destroyed. The creature can't be damaged or killed by normal means, only by using some form of hijacking magic. The same creature can be summoned many times, but only deities with multiple aspects can be summoned to more than one place at the same time. 

Called

Creatures need to be present within the spell range, and then come using their fastest rated movement. The creatures are real and can't be dispelled, but their compelling might. They take damage and die as normal. Creatures who are unwilling are allowed a saving throw to resist the call, but really powerful calls might not allow a saving throw during all circumstances.

These rules have made it necessary for me to rename a few spells. All the 5E "Conjure X" spells are in fact summoning spells. I'm going to create some Conjurations spells, and some more calling spells as well, as well as taking another look at their strains and conduits.   

Here comes the first Patreon excusive Gary Con preview - Critwall and my first proper city map with labels and proper renders to go with it.

It comes in two sizes 50 x 44 inch, and 26 x 24 inches, and each are available with and without labels.  You can get them here:

50 x 44 inch labeled (60MB)

https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/Shield%20Lands/Critwall%2050%20x%2044%20inch-1.jpg 

50 x 44 inch no labels (60MB)

https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/Shield%20Lands/Critwall%2050%20x%2044%20inch-1%20NO%20LABEL.jpg 

Isometric (1.5MB)

https://annabmeyer.com/Downloads/Shield%20Lands/Critwall%20iosmetric%20city%20crop.jpg

I'm ending this sneak peak with another look at the city.

More to come!