Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
@zenopus.bsky.social
Exploring the Underworld of the original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set aka #HolmesBasic. Doomed wizard. Here for excavating cellars for fabulous treasures.
https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/
(Also bands: indie rock, shoegaze, new wave, punk, post-punk)
https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/
(Also bands: indie rock, shoegaze, new wave, punk, post-punk)
Pinned
Ruined Tower of Zenopus Goes Mithral!
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com
I'm pleased to announce that after five years, the Ruined Tower of Zenopus 5E conversion + expansion has achieved Mithral (2,501+ sales) on DMs Guild! Thanks to all that have purchased it. Read more in a post on the Zenopus Archives blog: zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2025/06/ruin...
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
I bought a stand-alone Holmes Basic rulebook new at a Toys R Us store in 1986 or 87. It must have been gathering dust in a warehouse for years - no idea why it wasn’t returned to TSR or pulped but I was thrilled to find it. I’d never even seen that version before (I started with the 1983 Basic set)
November 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I bought a stand-alone Holmes Basic rulebook new at a Toys R Us store in 1986 or 87. It must have been gathering dust in a warehouse for years - no idea why it wasn’t returned to TSR or pulped but I was thrilled to find it. I’d never even seen that version before (I started with the 1983 Basic set)
Roll for initiative, it's a Cranberry Gelatinous Cylinder!
a can of jellied cranberry sauce is on a table
ALT: a can of jellied cranberry sauce is on a table
media.tenor.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Roll for initiative, it's a Cranberry Gelatinous Cylinder!
This is the way
“Your OD&D will vary.” That’s good and in the spirit of the original game. My foundation is the original 3 books. Then I use aspects of the OD&D Supplements, Holmes Basic, Judges Guild, Strategic Review, and Dragon. I use the AD&D Monster Manual. I also add some of my own stuff to it and experiment.
November 26, 2025 at 7:17 PM
This is the way
New arrival today, via Paperback Swap. This the first in a short series of Zork gamebooks published by Infocom in the early 80s. It's not Choose Your Own Adventure, it's not Pick A Path, it's What Do I Do Now.
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
New arrival today, via Paperback Swap. This the first in a short series of Zork gamebooks published by Infocom in the early 80s. It's not Choose Your Own Adventure, it's not Pick A Path, it's What Do I Do Now.
Had a fun time today starting to explore the ruins of Xak Tsaroth (DL1 Dragons of Despair) in our periodic Dragonlance game. Draconians and gully dwarves! I'm running the power couple Goldmoon and Riverwind.
November 23, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Had a fun time today starting to explore the ruins of Xak Tsaroth (DL1 Dragons of Despair) in our periodic Dragonlance game. Draconians and gully dwarves! I'm running the power couple Goldmoon and Riverwind.
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
"Before I left the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board back in 2022, I created (along with Dan Iwrey and Rob Casimir) what might be the greatest municipal ethics-law-based D&D one-shot module ever conceived… or at the very least the ONLY municipal ethics-law-based D&D one-shot module ever conceived."
www.nyc.gov
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 AM
"Before I left the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board back in 2022, I created (along with Dan Iwrey and Rob Casimir) what might be the greatest municipal ethics-law-based D&D one-shot module ever conceived… or at the very least the ONLY municipal ethics-law-based D&D one-shot module ever conceived."
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
True. Most of the TSR catalogs and price lists from the era list the Holmes Basic rulebook as available separately for $5.
November 21, 2025 at 7:38 PM
True. Most of the TSR catalogs and price lists from the era list the Holmes Basic rulebook as available separately for $5.
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
The Arnesonian model. Even more difficult to map, as everything is on an angle! TSR didn't publish any modules in this style, but you can also see it the Blackmoor Dungeons in the First Fantasy Campaign published by JG in 1977.
November 20, 2025 at 6:36 PM
The Arnesonian model. Even more difficult to map, as everything is on an angle! TSR didn't publish any modules in this style, but you can also see it the Blackmoor Dungeons in the First Fantasy Campaign published by JG in 1977.
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
It's the closest published module map to the style that Gygax, Kuntz and other were using for their home dungeons like Castle Greyhawk. Where almost every square of the graph paper is filled with corridors and rooms.
November 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
It's the closest published module map to the style that Gygax, Kuntz and other were using for their home dungeons like Castle Greyhawk. Where almost every square of the graph paper is filled with corridors and rooms.
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
I'm starting a little readthrough of Dungeon Module B1: In Search of the Unknown! Not a terribly original idea, but I'm interested in finally digging into some of these classic TSR modules to see for myself what they have to offer. I'd really like to pick one of these up to run in a low-effort game.
November 18, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I'm starting a little readthrough of Dungeon Module B1: In Search of the Unknown! Not a terribly original idea, but I'm interested in finally digging into some of these classic TSR modules to see for myself what they have to offer. I'd really like to pick one of these up to run in a low-effort game.
🔥 Awesome blog post alert. My favorite kind of historical analysis of old D&D books ⤵️
Given common complaints against starting MUs, I wondered what the starting spells were for early D&D pre-gens so I took a look at the B-series: icastlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...
BASIC MAGIC: What Was Top Choice Among Starting Spells for Early Module MUs?
from Wizard of Barge Due to playing a long-running, well, 6th level anyway, BX magic-user , I've had a lot of thoughts over the years abo...
icastlight.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
🔥 Awesome blog post alert. My favorite kind of historical analysis of old D&D books ⤵️
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
Given common complaints against starting MUs, I wondered what the starting spells were for early D&D pre-gens so I took a look at the B-series: icastlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...
BASIC MAGIC: What Was Top Choice Among Starting Spells for Early Module MUs?
from Wizard of Barge Due to playing a long-running, well, 6th level anyway, BX magic-user , I've had a lot of thoughts over the years abo...
icastlight.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Given common complaints against starting MUs, I wondered what the starting spells were for early D&D pre-gens so I took a look at the B-series: icastlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/basi...
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
Overall, it's neat to see someone recognizing gaps in the rules and filling them in themselves. I did this myself in the same place in my original Holmes Basic rules, adding things like a Grappling Hook, Bracers and Scroll Tube. Some of which I had come across in other sources like AD&D.
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Overall, it's neat to see someone recognizing gaps in the rules and filling them in themselves. I did this myself in the same place in my original Holmes Basic rules, adding things like a Grappling Hook, Bracers and Scroll Tube. Some of which I had come across in other sources like AD&D.
New on the Zenopus Archives, more about the forthcoming metal minis set based on the #HolmesBasic cover from Sirius miniatures:
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2025/10/meta...
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2025/10/meta...
Metal Minis based on the Holmes Basic Set Cover are Forthcoming
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com
October 30, 2025 at 9:19 PM
New on the Zenopus Archives, more about the forthcoming metal minis set based on the #HolmesBasic cover from Sirius miniatures:
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2025/10/meta...
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2025/10/meta...
New metal minis based on Sutherland's art for the #HolmesBasic cover are forthcoming! See this post & discussion thread on EnWorld:
October 30, 2025 at 8:30 PM
New metal minis based on Sutherland's art for the #HolmesBasic cover are forthcoming! See this post & discussion thread on EnWorld:
🔥 Cool blog post alert:
Microblog: A simple, two-row combat matrix which highlights the contrast between mortals and the unknown!
dungeondoll.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-sm...
dungeondoll.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-sm...
A Small Combat Matrix
This was inspired by my recent read-through of Holmes Basic. When I've played older versions of d&d previousl...
dungeondoll.blogspot.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
🔥 Cool blog post alert:
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
drew my friends character, we're playing as cowboys but in B2 Keep on the Borderlands
he's a lizardman hireling called Henry who got upgraded to player character and ended up taming a giant ant
he's a lizardman hireling called Henry who got upgraded to player character and ended up taming a giant ant
October 10, 2025 at 8:18 AM
drew my friends character, we're playing as cowboys but in B2 Keep on the Borderlands
he's a lizardman hireling called Henry who got upgraded to player character and ended up taming a giant ant
he's a lizardman hireling called Henry who got upgraded to player character and ended up taming a giant ant
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
I love this era when half of natural history books were based on scientific observations and half of them were straight-up cryptids
🧜♀️ Historiae naturalis de quadrupedibus libri: .
Amstelodami: Apud Ioannem Iacobi Fil. Schipper, MDCLVII [1657].
[Source]
Amstelodami: Apud Ioannem Iacobi Fil. Schipper, MDCLVII [1657].
[Source]
October 6, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I love this era when half of natural history books were based on scientific observations and half of them were straight-up cryptids
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
a little wut from Das Schwarze Auge RPG
October 4, 2025 at 10:12 AM
a little wut from Das Schwarze Auge RPG
Zenopus Archives Flashback ⚡️ M1 Blizzard Pass: Dungeon Design. I wrote about my love for the short group D&D dungeon in the back of this solo module:
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2020/11/m1-b...
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2020/11/m1-b...
M1 Blizzard Pass: Dungeon Design
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Zenopus Archives Flashback ⚡️ M1 Blizzard Pass: Dungeon Design. I wrote about my love for the short group D&D dungeon in the back of this solo module:
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2020/11/m1-b...
zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2020/11/m1-b...
Reposted by Zenopus Archives 🧙♂️
In two hours, we'll get to chat with NY Times bestselling author @rasalvatore.bsky.social about playing D&D, the legend of Drizzt, and the new book about his daughter, THE FINEST EDGE OF TWILIGHT. Join us with questions in the live chat! #dnd #books #drizzt www.youtube.com/live/uyBVG-M...
R.A. Salvatore | The Finest Edge of Twilight | Wandering DMs S07 E32
YouTube video by Wandering DMs
www.youtube.com
September 28, 2025 at 3:19 PM
In two hours, we'll get to chat with NY Times bestselling author @rasalvatore.bsky.social about playing D&D, the legend of Drizzt, and the new book about his daughter, THE FINEST EDGE OF TWILIGHT. Join us with questions in the live chat! #dnd #books #drizzt www.youtube.com/live/uyBVG-M...
💡 Interesting idea for a wizard's abode ⤵️
One way to do a wizard's manse might be using modern floor plans in a "medieval" setting. This one might make a pretty good ~30-room dungeon.
@riseupcomus.bsky.social and I have just the course to help design it: dungeons.hismajestytheworm.games/docs/chapter1/
@riseupcomus.bsky.social and I have just the course to help design it: dungeons.hismajestytheworm.games/docs/chapter1/
September 27, 2025 at 8:08 PM
💡 Interesting idea for a wizard's abode ⤵️