Critical Lit

Keep on the Borderlands Deep Dive 04: Color-Coded Chaos

Our final look at the Caves of Chaos takes 17 man-turns to unpack. The cult fit is very Queen of Hearts and matches the canonically evil furnishings. But the real villain is in accounting. Who else could set up such an enormous slush fund for magic amulets? In this episode: Hobgoblin Lair, Torture Chamber/Playroom/Food Storage, Shunned Cavern, Owl Bear's Den, Bugbear Lair, Caves of the Minotaur, Gnoll Lair, Shrine of Evil Chaos, NPCs, Tips to the Players, Glossary, Final Thoughts. Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit [https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit] Contact us: Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com [hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com] Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/criticallit.bsky.social] Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/dandillon.bsky.social] I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ihsien.bsky.social] Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com [https://bsky.app/profile/ameliasom.com] Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay [https://bsky.app/profile/sal.gay] Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com [https://bsky.app/profile/aramvartian.com]

Keep on the Borderlands Deep Dive 03: Throuple Trouble

Many yawning orifices await as the spelunking finally begins in earnest! The myriad tribes of the Caves of Chaos have complex social hierarchies, tight-knit family units, commerce, treaties, and their own vintners, but their deaths carry absolutely no moral weight. Exterminate at your leisure. But first, we traipse about the friendly wilderness and hunt nothing at all. In this episode: Adventures Outside the Keep, Wilderness Map, Camping Outdoors, Mound of the Lizard Men, Spiders' Lair, Raider Camp, The Mad Hermit, Dungeon Master's tables and insert, The Caves of Chaos A-E, Tribal Alliances and Warfare, Kobold Lair, Orc Lair B, Orc Lair C, Goblin Lair, Ogre Cave. Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit [https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit] Contact us: Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com [hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com] Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/criticallit.bsky.social] Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/dandillon.bsky.social] I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ihsien.bsky.social] Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com [https://bsky.app/profile/ameliasom.com] Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay [https://bsky.app/profile/sal.gay] Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com [https://bsky.app/profile/aramvartian.com]

Keep on the Borderlands Deep Dive 02: An Officer and a Normalman

Dammit granite! If these walls could talk, they'd blush and tell you "murder hole" is not the preferred nomenclature. Gygax continues to wow us with his commitment to verisimilitude (of a sort), but where do all these armored men keep the bathrooms? Fortunately, this keep is at the top of the hill, not the bottom. Just don't ask who's feeding the snakes. In this episode: Rumor Table, Areas of the Keep 1-27, economics, outhouses, switching sides. Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit [https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit] Contact us: Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com [hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com] Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/criticallit.bsky.social] Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/dandillon.bsky.social] I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ihsien.bsky.social] Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com [https://bsky.app/profile/ameliasom.com] Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay [https://bsky.app/profile/sal.gay] Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com [https://bsky.app/profile/aramvartian.com]

Keep on the Borderlands Deep Dive 01: Miserly Business

What if "Do as I say, not as I do" was a D&D module? In 1979 Gary Gygax wrote The Keep on the Borderlands, cribbing plenty of useful GM advice from TSR colleague Mike Carr. Prepare yourself, friends, to experience the full power of mine imagination, for I am the Dungeon Master. I speak eternities into existence, only truths fall from my lips. Oh and there's a big fort on a hill. Don't be mean to the guards! In this episode: Front cover, Caves of Chaos map, Introduction, Notes for the Dungeon Master, using combat tables, How to Be an Effective Dungeon Master, Time, Dividing Treasure and Computing Experience, Preparation for the Use of the Module, Adventure Background, DM Notes About the Keep. Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit [https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit] Contact us: Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com [hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com] Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/criticallit.bsky.social] Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/dandillon.bsky.social] I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ihsien.bsky.social] Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com [https://bsky.app/profile/ameliasom.com] Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay [https://bsky.app/profile/sal.gay] Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com [https://bsky.app/profile/aramvartian.com]

Curse of Strahd Deep Dive 18: This Little Blight of Mine

Everything's vine down at the Wizard of Wines! Chapter 12 is the nexus of nearly every plot hook in this book, but the wine won't flow until this gemless, ravenless, farm-to-table homestead is restored to its former glory. Too bad it's knee-deep in stick monsters and crazed, teetotaling druids. Remember, they're not dirty because they're evil; they're evil because they're dirty. In this episode: Chapter 12 (The Wizard of Wines, stolen gems, Approaching the Vineyard, The Martikov Family, bad blood, Approaching the Winery, Areas of the Winery W1-W20, blights blights blights blights druid, Special Events, Wine Delivery, Wintersplinter Attacks). Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit [https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit] Contact us: Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com [hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com] Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/criticallit.bsky.social] Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/dandillon.bsky.social] I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/ihsien.bsky.social] Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com [https://bsky.app/profile/ameliasom.com] Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay [https://bsky.app/profile/sal.gay] Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com [https://bsky.app/profile/aramvartian.com]