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May Every Day Be Another Wonderful Secret

2025 Update

 Despite all signs to indicate otherwise I continue to plow forward in life and the hobby, if at a reduced rate. This year I hope to transform this site from inactive blog to a library of my TTRPG resources.

Ulysses

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known; cities of men

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

For ever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

Of common duties, decent not to fail

In offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods,

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,

Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—

That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

EZD6 Goblin Gully Conversion

 Minor additions, revisions...

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qEzIbrYXGydzcErn_VZFLLe-MD-DSpNh/view?usp=sharing

EZD6 Tomb of The Evil Philosopher v3b

Minor revisions, monsters scaled back

https://drive.google.com/file/d/160j5OlGv2KdJqE3x_z-DmJvzXraXyvim/view?usp=drive_link

EZD6 Goblin Gully Conversion

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qEzIbrYXGydzcErn_VZFLLe-MD-DSpNh/view?usp=sharing

Goblin Gully EZD6

An Adventure by Dyson Logos

Conversion Notes to EZD6 by Mark Tygart

Download at https://dysonlogos.blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/onepagedungeon-goblin-gully.pdf

Background

Everyone in the area knows of the old slave pit in the ravine outside of town. It fell into disuse with the collapse of the Old Empire, and only the occasional group of adolescent would-be adventurers ever goes there anymore. But then a nearby farm was found ransacked; and that family is now missing. And now someone or thing has rebuilt the bridge between the two sides of the old slave pit.

Why should the players care? Well it seems that each has a truly monstrous bar tab at The Merry Mermaid Tavern after an epic night of drink and debauchery with little or no funds to pay in the brutal light of dawn. Fortunately the tavern owner is willing to forgive the debt if the players will investigate the ravine and determine the fate of his sister’s family.

Rumors

Roll 1d12 for rumors on the table below. Each adventurer from town knows one rumors, while visitors can learn 1d2 rumors by asking around.

1-2. The pits have been taken over by goblin raiders. (True)

3. There are secret areas in the old slave pits that have never been explored since they were abandoned. (True)

4-5. The family had a magic axe among their stolen possessions. (False)

6-7. The slave pits are run by abandoned mutant slaves. (False)

8. There is a secret entrance into pits at the bottom of the ravine. (False)

9. Creepy leftovers of ancient imperial experiments still lurk in the depths of the slave pit. (True)

10-11. The main entrance to the pit is a cave now overgrown by a huge tree. (True)

12.It's not goblins or mutants in the pits, but one of the boys in town who was abandoned there and has gone feral. (False)

1. Entrance – two goblins are up in the tree watching for approaching trouble. The downside is they can't do much about it except attack – their position makes it unlikely that they will be able to get down warning their companions when attacked.

2. Empty Antechamber

3. Grand Hall – this 40-foot-wide chamber has columns along each wall and is home to 4 goblins. The entrance to area 4 requires climbing through the mouth of a relief carving of a huge demon.

4. West Bridge Room – 2 goblins with short bows in here fire into any battles in area 3 and otherwise guard the bridge (area 5).

5. The Bridge – this rope and wood bridge was built by the goblins, but the supports for it are ancient carved stone. While dangerous looking, the bridge is quite sturdy and safe. Moving on the bridge is at quarter speed at best and can only be done in a single file. Falling into the ravine will cost a player a strike.

6. Gully Floor – looking through the reeds along the stream at the base of the gully will reveal the long-decomposed body of an adolescent male, missing from town for 2 years after being pushed into the ravine by his “friends” long before the goblins rebuilt the bridge.

7. Empty Chamber – a goblin in area 8 watches for intruders to spring a surprise attack on them – preferably when they head down to area 11.

8. Boss' Chambers – the goblins climb in and out of this room through a narrow shaft, usually using a rope attached to a ring in the floor. There are 4 goblins here as well as their leader: an enormous Bugbear. This Bugbear has been around for a while. He has cobbled together a full suite of armor for itself. The smaller goblins will follow him without question, at least while he can fight.

The second room is the leader's personal room The farm family (father, mother, daughter) is tied up within along with an unlocked chest holding two healing potions brewed by the goblins and a scroll that should be randomly rolled by the GM. There is also a map to another dungeon! The Bugbear has not decided whether to devour the family or sell them to slavers. Currently the family is terrified but unharmed.

9. Secret Chamber – the goblins have not discovered this secret room. The secret door is trapped and drops a heavy rock in the opening a few seconds after being pushed open. Whoever opens the door must make a save or suffer 1 strike of damage. The room holds the skeletons of two elven guards equipped with rusted (worthless) chainmail, helmets and each has a magically preserved (but otherwise non-magical) enchanted sword that glows with continual light (as per a nimbus of light). It will harm creatures that require magical weapons to damage them but otherwise provides no bonus.

10. Secret Storage – this room has barrels of ancient, ruined arrows and there are the remains of bows and swords on the walls. On the back wall of the room is a crystal statue of an elven warrior that will animate that will attack anyone who disturbs the contents of the room.

11. Barracks – another 6 goblins live down at the base of these spiral stairs. The goblins in area 8 will sneak down to attack anyone heading down the stairs. The door to area 12 is barred from this side.

12. The Pit – the bottom of this room is flooded and 50 feet below the entrance. A set of narrow spiral stairs lead down to the alcoves just above the water level. Once the door is open a gurgling, sloshing sound can be heard from below. The pit is home to a putrescent mutant mass of flesh – the last remnant of an arcane experiment. It is treated as a black pudding but is far more terrifying, looking horrific as its putrescent appendages grow and are then continually reabsorbed. Players seeing it for the first time must make a saving roll or flee. If they do not think to bolt the door, the creature may be free to destroy the town...

Monsters

Bugbear

2 Strikes, 4 to Hit

Large, hairy humanoids that crave battle.

• 1 attack (Morningstar, javelin)

• Boon to melee

• Quiet and stealthy, likes to ambush targets (boon to stealth)

• If a bugbear surprises a targets and scores a hit, it crits on a roll of 5+

Crystal Statute

Magical guardian from a lost empire

2 Strikes, 3 to Hit

• 1 attack (crystal sword)

• Slow

• Mindless construct blindly following arcane commands

• Requires neither food nor drink

Goblin

Small humanoids that are individually weak, but powerful in numbers.

1 Strike, 3 to hit

• 1 attack (sword, bow)

• Hide - boon to hide; may use this effect after an attack if reasonable cover is available

Terrifying Putrescent Mutant Mass of Flesh (Black Pudding)

See above

3 Strikes, 4 to Hit

• 1 attack (Pseudopod)

• Corrode Metal - any non-magical or non-silvered weapon corrodes; player takes Bane on all melee attacks using that weapon

• Pseudopod - if target is wearing non-magical metal armor, target must take a bane to all armor save rolls

• Splatter - if hit with normal weapons, the ooze splatters onto nearby characters and dissolves any armor making all armor saves 6 with a bane. Also, the ooze splits into 2 different oozes, each with 3 strikes each.

• Sensitive to Fire - fire damage does 2 strikes per hit to the black pudding

• Fear-the first time a player sees the pudding he or she must make a saving roll or flee.

EZD6 Tomb of The Evil Philosopher Revised

A little more roleplay, a little less deadly. Better suited to new EZD6 players...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/160j5OlGv2KdJqE3x_z-DmJvzXraXyvim/view?usp=drive_link

The Tomb of the Evil Philosopher EZD6 (v3a)

The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.

“To His Coy Mistress” –By Andrew Marvell
(Engraved on the door to the Evil Philosopher’s Tomb)

An EZ D6 Adventure by Mark Tygart. The EZ D6 TTRPG may be obtained from DriveThruRPG.com.

(Map from https://stonewerks.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/a-burial-crypt-its-been-way-too-long/)

Introduction

A six decades or more has gone by and the tomb carved into Unholy Hill has refused to yield its treasures. Scholars can attest to its antiquity but little else besides that and the fact that a few groups of adventurers have tried to raid it and have never returned! Can your bold group of tomb robbers do any better?

Background

A century ago, the followers of the twisted theologian known only as “The Evil Philosopher” entombed his remains, treasure, and a few of his “lucky” students into the Unholy Hill. Unfortunately for them the Evil Philosopher’s cult was an esoteric and intellectually demanding one and the fashions of evil have recently evolved to favor gross physical vices and simple bloodlust. As the consequence the Evil Philosopher is currently undisturbed in his tomb and now long forgotten…

Unholy Hill

The hill is surrounded by an untended “potter’s field” graveyard where the destitute, suicides and executed criminals were buried long ago. Recently the last of the Evil Philosopher’s followers was buried here and a group of three drunken graverobbers are digging up his grave, searching for rumored treasure buried with corpse. Each Graverobber has only a single strike and attacks with a bane and hits only on a 5 or 6 due to extreme drunkenness. If they open the fresh grave, they will free a mindless and hungry Zombie (Strikes: 2 To Hit:3 Slow, Undead +4 hit players/no crit) which will attack everyone present. The robbers have a case of rotgut hooch the players could use very effectively later against the Hanging Tree as Molotov cocktails. (Award karma for thinking of this and/or creative ways to nonviolently neutralize the Graverobbers.)
The Hanging Tree stays inanimate (unless attacked) if the group approaches until they are at the riddle door and fail the riddle.

The Hanging Tree

A huge and ancient withered tree with corpses hanging from it…

Strikes: 7

To Hit: 2

∞ Attacks: Two nooses will try to grapple a target and a strangle. If the “target” takes all its strikes it is not dead but merely unconscious. The target is undamaged the first round but takes a strike every round thereafter if not freed by a save or another player using a strike to cut them loose (which does not usually damage the tree). Players will be transformed into an undead monster of some sort in three days if not otherwise rescued.

∞The tree is terribly slow, and fire does double damage. Also when aflame the tree will automatically suffer a fire strike per turn while aflame. It is fairly easy to retreat and destroy it from a safe distance with either magic, missiles or flame.

The Evil Philosopher’s followers planted this horror to guard his tomb and sacrificed students of evil here who failed their exams for many years to honor his memory…

This is an undead tree formed by the hanging of the innocent from its limbs during a magical ritual. It will try to strangle its victim with various ropes and nooses from its limbs and drain them of all life. Bodies that eventually fall from the tree often become undead monsters as well (Game Master’s choice). The tree is currently dormant and will only awake if attacked or if someone is trying to enter the tomb and fails the riddle.

Tomb Entrance (Riddle Door)

The tomb’s door is sentient and magical. It will only allow entry to a group that can answer its riddle. Otherwise, it does everything it can to misdirect, confuse and block the party from the tomb. It can be destroyed like an ordinary heavy stone door, but it will scream like a young woman being attacked. If this happens awakening the slumbering undead Hanging Tree which will creep up from behind and attack the group.

Door’s Riddle:

Imagine you are in a dark room. How do you get out? (Answer: Stop Imagining) The player who correctly guesses this should be awarded karma.

Created to guard the tomb, this magic door will only open to the answer of the riddle. The door will tell its riddle and the party can guess the answer as many times as it wants. Otherwise, it will delight in foiling intruders by sending them on false quests, directing them to traps or simply wasting the party's time… Also, the slumbering undead Hanging Tree will eventually attack from behind.

The entire tomb is dimly lit with eerie blue flames from magic torches which may not be removed from the walls.

Level One

Corridor of Pillars and Calligraphy

A hall elaborated decorated with treatises carved into the walls with beautiful calligraphy and pillars in multiple languages about the “Problem of Evil.” The Problem of Evil refers to the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God. An argument from evil posits that the co-existence of evil and such a God are unlikely at best or impossible because evil exists, and innocents suffer. Besides philosophy of religion, the Problem of Evil is also important to the field of theology and ethics. If any player engages with the issues and mentions a solution to the problem that player will be blessed with all their rolls gaining a boon for the rest of the adventure along with character gaining a halo (Glowing Nimbus) for the same period. (In this case any decent answer to The Problem of Evil will do. An example would be: Free Will.) This will only apply to the first character or player that provides a solution and only if it is said when the player is in this room.

At the end of the hall is a carefully concealed secret door to the Mummy’s Lair. It can only be opened by the Mummy inside. The Evil Philosopher’s girlfriend and best student was “honored” by being transformed and set here to guard her boyfriend’s crypt. She will rush behind the adventurer’s once they descend the staircase and try to engage the last party member from behind when the group is distracted by the false tombs on the next level. Her lair has her nest, a map of the tomb and three levers that if pulled will disable the traps on Level Three. It can be easily accessed once she has opened it. The Mummy (Strikes: 3 To Hit:4 Slow, Silent, Undead 1 Her strangle attack will automatically damage her victim a strike in next round unless monster is hit) will pursue interlopers relentlessly until destroyed.

Level Two

Corridor of the Two Tombs

This level includes two elaborate and trapped crypts designed to distract the party so the Mummy can eliminate while the party is distracted looting them. The crypts are enchanted to radiate magic strongly and both are trapped with a heavy mist release that will cloak the Mummy (Strikes:3 To Hit:4 Slow, Silent, Undead 1 attack strangle will automatic damage victim in next turn unless monster is hit) adding a bane to hit it in this chamber if the trap is not disarmed. If they open any of the tombs, they will free a mindless Acolyte Skeleton (Strikes: 2 To Hit: 3 Slow, Undead) which will attack. Each was a former student of the Evil Philosopher but has no treasure.

Level Three

Corridor of the Three Traps

This hallway has three deadly traps: A pairs of Swinging Scythes, a Collection of Crushing Ceiling Spikes, and a Spike Filled Pit. All three may be disabled by the hidden levers in the Mummy’s Lair and cause a strike of damage if activated.

Level Four

Tomb of the Evil Philosopher

The Evil Philosopher will arise from his throne and confront any foolish enough to enter his lair!

Evil Philosopher

A cloaked skeletal figure with glittering red eyes of flame dressed in a tattered cloak and garments orbited by fluttering ghostly creatures…

An Evil Philosopher is the undead spirit of an evil cleric who died with some important philosophical deliberation yet unresolved in his or her mind. In its undead state, this creature does nothing but ponder these weighty matters. The philosopher appears as a seated, smoke-colored, insubstantial figure swathed in robes. It always seems deep in thought. Flying surrounding the philosopher are a number (1d4) of tiny, luminous, wispy incorporeal creatures known as Malices. They have vaguely human faces, gaping maws, and spindly, clawed hands. These vindictive creatures are the philosopher’s evil thoughts, which have taken on substance and a will of their own. They are constantly muttering the vile musings of their creator. (In this case “Why does evil exist?) The Evil Philosopher (Strikes 5, to Hit 4 or 5) cannot be turned but has no attack of its own; it will not defend itself. Unlike the philosopher, Malices constantly search for victims on which to vent their petty but eternal spite. Malices do not stray more than 120 feet from their philosopher but may pass through the narrowest of openings in their ceaseless flight. A Malice is immune to being turned and may not be damaged while its creator exists. However, all these creatures vanish instantly if their philosopher is turned or destroyed. When an Evil Philosopher falls, it looks up with an expression of malicious enlightenment on its face, and then vanishes with a lingering shriek of evil delight. This will also happen if someone gives it answer to the question that created it, in this case the question of evil. Any Malices will regenerate within a few hours if the philosopher is not destroyed.

The Treasure Vault

Upon the extinction of the Evil Philosopher the secret door behind the tomb crumbles to dust revealing a treasure vault holding a massive chest of gold and gems, enough to make the entire party wealthy.

The unlocked treasure chest also includes three famous magical items:

The Illuminating Eye

An unbreakable crystal sphere that holds a mystical arcane eye floating closed in mysterious amber fluid. When commanded to open by its owner the sphere levitates and acts like a Nimbus of Light. The illumination reveals secret doors, traps, invisible creatures, hidden objects and detects illusions.

Babylon Candle

How many miles to Babylon?
Four score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
There and back again.
Yes, if your heels are nimble and light,
You can get there by candlelight.

A player must light this black candle’s brilliant white flame, thinking of where they wish to go. The user crosses leagues with a flash, bringing them to their destination far quicker than if they were to travel on foot normally. Players holding hands can transport an entire group.

Codex of Mysterious Magic

The first adventurer to read this mysterious runic text successfully will gain the talent “Hedge Wizard.” After which the tome vanishes in a puff of lavender smoke and blue flame. It will appear to have blank pages to adventurers that already have that skill.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.