Critical Lit

It's back to Barovia for Chapter 13, and the Amber Temple is sending mixed messages. Does it want us to freeze to death? Burn to a crisp? Get possessed by loot? Maybe this adorably bespectacled jackal-faced creature can help us. Nope, just more fireballs. In this episode: Chapter 13 (The Amber Temple history, Extreme Cold, Areas of the Temple X1-X17, Temple Facade, stealing the statues, Temple of Lost Secrets, arcanaloths, flameskulls, Vilnius, amber golem, mountain folk, Jakarion, staff of frost).

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Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

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

Contact us:

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Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social

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I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social

Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

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

Contact us:

Email: hugepitfilledwith200spikes@gmail.com

Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social

Dan Dillon: @dandillon.bsky.social

I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social

Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

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.

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Contact us:

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Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

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

Contact us:

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I-Hsien Sherwood: @ihsien.bsky.social

Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com