An Abominable Fancy

A fishbowl full of gems and undead snakes! This post documents content from the G+ 1d∞ OSR Obstacles Group, inspired by an article by Arnold K. , which discusses some pillars of OSR-style play, and, in particular, the need for open-ended problems. Goblin Punch: OSR-Style Challenges Goblin Punch: More Obstacles Many thanks to the contributors to this group for your generous creativity! Handy Haversack • Party is hired to steal an artifact from the hoard on a pirate ship tonight before it makes land. The artifact can cause all (demi/)human(oid) types in a logical area (building, dungeon level, ship, room, whatever makes sense in context) to sleep until it is deactivated (made by a *non*human-style species as a pacifier for slave labor). The contractor has someone on the inside on the ship but no way to ID him to the players or vice-versa. Otherwise, lots and lots of nasty pirates on the ship. Party or anyone who can get to it c

My player are not faring well against the Pulex they encountered two weeks ago. Time to send in the rescue squad. Time to introduce the Harpers. In my campaign, the Harpers aren't all-purpose good guys, but an order specifically charged with making sure no-one ever becomes king. Mittel hasn't had a monarch since the days of the Vampire Kings (most of whom were only metaphorically bloodsuckers). Eventually everyone got sick of having to overthrow tyrants, and the Harpers were formed. They are funded by all the landed nobles, who pay up because not paying means maybe you think you should be king, and then everyone gangs up on you, lead by the Harpers.  Anyway, these NPCs are going to show up and get the PC bacon out of the Pulex fire. They're some scruffy, backwoods Harpers. The Harpers Ruscoe, Onocentaur Scout (Onocentaurs are donkey centaurs. They're much smaller than centaurs, and have long, shaggy donkey ears) Tulip, an Awakened Bear Hannah a