Glad you included the slideshow. Art is a huge selling point for me. I collect monster manuals for systems i don't play if I like the art. This artwork makes me think of H.P. Lovecraft. What if the Color Out of Space landed in a vampire's castle?
Great overview Cap and the artwork slideshow is a nice touch. Damn...sure looks like Ravenloft has some serious competition and this adventure deserves the comparison. I can't wait to run this...
The artwork is very creepy and otherworldly and it seems to nail the intended theme. It’s reminiscent of Vampire Hunter D for me with that combination of Undead + Alien feel.
@@mist3rmaniac this would give me a stroke. If GoT can be believably done a VHD series could very well be done. I will now pray quietly in the dark at night for this to happen
Ran this as a 5 hour one-shot foe Halloween in 2023. The group had a good time. Definitely more RP heavy and the hooks and open endednes made it easy for my regular OSE players to have there PCs get swept into the castle for the Blood Moon.
Well, I know what I'm running this coming Hallowe'en! That art also puts me in mind of the french artist (who's name escapes me right now) who did the Elric Of Melnibone graphic novel I picked up earlier this year.
Great episode. That vibrant, lurid art really played well with the slideshow; made me think of Vampire Hunter D given a more sedate blacklight poster treatment. The telescope, lilliputian globes, and even void fungi feel like great launching points for more adventures. The party could "fail forward", possibly to Dungeonland or Spelljammer. Great stuff
Hey Cap! I'm running Tyranny of Dragons for 5e. Can you do a review of other adventures where Tiamat or Thakysis appears? Great review by the way!!!Cheers from Brazil.
We played one of the other new OSE modules, Incandescent Grottoes, over the weekend. While the adventure itself was fine, in play I found the bullet point organization style more annoying than helpful. I'd prefer boxed text in fact. I have this module too due to the KS, but I'll likely avoid future OSE modules for this reason. I still have my old B/X stuff plus plenty or original material so there will be no shortage of potential adventures.
I absolutely love the art in this book. It reminds me of Yoshitaka Amano's art, two has done art work for both Vampire Hunter D (fitting of this module) and Final Fantasy. Considering he's my absolutely favorite fantasy artist, anything that reminds me of that instantly wins me over. I think this might be the first physical game book I end up buying in a very long time.
And the module is sold out! Good for them, though, because this adventure sounds AMAZING. Just the title had me sold. And the cover art. And everything you described in there. It sounds good enough to base a whole campaign around. Thanks for reviewing this!
Captcorajus: "These are not angsty 1990's vampires." Captcorajus: "There is also lord Demetrius, who's soul has been restored by a cleric of law, making his existence untenable." Me: Hears Angel's Theme in my head... th-cam.com/video/gHSFV5IkM5c/w-d-xo.html Me: One is.
The King beneath the mountains, The King of carven stone, The lord of silver fountains Shall come into his own! His crown shall be upholden, His harp shall be restrung, His halls shall echo golden To songs of yore re-sung. The woods shall wave on mountains And grass beneath the sun; His wealth shall flow in fountains And the rivers golden run. The streams shall run in gladness, The lakes shall shine and burn, All sorrow fail and sadness At the Mountain-king's return! TSR returns... Nuff said
This makes me think of Dracula's castle from the anime, with the gears and the teleportation. Maybe I'll add a "science" room with high level technology they've collected from the multiverse and play 'Bloody Tears' while the party explores the halls.
My only real complaint with this module is that the place is too small for the palace of a world holping vampire king. Palaces of real world monarchs have hundreds of rooms; the Blood King's has 33 if you don't include the grounds. I might treat the rooms given as annexes and procedurally generate individual rooms within them.
well, of course the page count is what it is. But as with anything of this sort, you're absolutely free to expand it out. Who's to say that it isn't 100 rooms, and this is just how it appears on this realm currently? :)
You're being conservative on room counts. Windsor "Castle" (which is really more of a palace at this point) has a thousand rooms, and Versailles well over 2000. That said, vampires aren't boring humans and may not need or want the masses of everyday servants, storerooms, and services that occupy a lot of those real-world palace rooms. When you're an undead tyrant who travels the planes collecting blood tithes there may be something to be said for having a palace that doesn't require too large a "landing zone" when it teleports in.
The style of castle with great wings and hundreds of rooms is a later development. In medieval times, castles were actually fairly modest in comparison to our modern vision of a "castle". (Not to mention "castle" could literally just mean any fortified living space, so a watchtower could be a castle under that definition). Buildings of stone were expensive and time consuming to build, as they required skilled craftsmen, labor, and resources. So for centuries, prior to the later gothic revival, even kings couldn't afford a castle that was too big. For example, the White Tower (aka Tower of London), built following the Norman Conquest, was the (a?) residence of the King of England in London for centuries. Despite this, the castle keep itself is rather compact. Not tiny by any means, but it's not the sprawling mansions of later castle constructions. It has a little over 30 rooms. Meaning the Blood King's castle is actually on par with a real castle fit for a king.
Looks absolutely stunning. Might be a bit gonzo in my Veins of the Earth campaign- but what's a bit of gonzo every now and then? Thanks for making this!
Are you also doing a review of The Incandescent Grottoes? The cartoonish artwork doesn't catch me as much as this one, but still curious about your take on the beginner-level offering as I've not delved into it yet.
Yeah, I've enjoyed Gavin Norman's adventures quite a bit, so I'll be taking a look at it. Its more traditional fantasy than "Hall of the Blood King" is, which is why I did "Hall" first.
I am new to the OSR world.. Could any one answer me the question, if this module is compatible with the "White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game"-System? Thx
Absolutely yes. Old school essentials is based on Moldvay/ cook. You'll find this plays well with Whitebox. MOST OSRs.. Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, Old School Essentials are all cross compatible.
Great RP module... but I personally NEVER liked the retna-burning, psychedelic art work. Didn't know if I was supposed to play DnD or drop acid. If you run this... Bring sunglasses!
@@captcorajus No need to be sorry. It's a personal preference, not right or wrong. Same as if a vegan saw you eating steak and they said: "Steak is disgusting, how can you eat that?!" and you replied: "Sorry, I love steak, it's delicious!"
Glad you included the slideshow. Art is a huge selling point for me. I collect monster manuals for systems i don't play if I like the art. This artwork makes me think of H.P. Lovecraft. What if the Color Out of Space landed in a vampire's castle?
Wow... very interesting concept. I like the wizard in disguise studying vampires as one of the guests. Brave fellow.
Lol... Right?
They wouldn't be a wizard if they weren't willing to brave everything in pursuit of knowledge.
The art, the details, the layout, its all fantastic! An excellent addition to the OSE!
Great overview Cap and the artwork slideshow is a nice touch. Damn...sure looks like Ravenloft has some serious competition and this adventure deserves the comparison. I can't wait to run this...
You're absolutely right! Its phenomenal!
I literally bought this in my FLGS because it gave me Ravenloft vibes but with a clean layout! And the art is top notch!
I just received my OSE-AF KS tomes and modules yesterday! Thanks for the review.
You're very welcome!
The artwork is very creepy and otherworldly and it seems to nail the intended theme. It’s reminiscent of Vampire Hunter D for me with that combination of Undead + Alien feel.
Exactly my thoughts. A psychedelic H.R. Geiger!
I would love a Vampire Hunter D live action mini series. Well, it's depends on how it was done. Same with Ninja Scroll.
@@mist3rmaniac this would give me a stroke. If GoT can be believably done a VHD series could very well be done. I will now pray quietly in the dark at night for this to happen
Ran this as a 5 hour one-shot foe Halloween in 2023. The group had a good time. Definitely more RP heavy and the hooks and open endednes made it easy for my regular OSE players to have there PCs get swept into the castle for the Blood Moon.
Looks like an amazing adventure. I'm particularly impressed by the artwork you featured in your slideshow. Excellent use of colour.
Well, I know what I'm running this coming Hallowe'en!
That art also puts me in mind of the french artist (who's name escapes me right now) who did the Elric Of Melnibone graphic novel I picked up earlier this year.
Phillipe Drulliet certainly seems to be an influence on this excellent artwork
Those graphic novels/tpbs, are fantastic
Capt, your videos have become a part of my Saturday morning relaxation routine. Love your videos.
Wow and I mean it wow. I really want to run this adventure in my group. 🤩
You should!
Great episode. That vibrant, lurid art really played well with the slideshow; made me think of Vampire Hunter D given a more sedate blacklight poster treatment.
The telescope, lilliputian globes, and even void fungi feel like great launching points for more adventures. The party could "fail forward", possibly to Dungeonland or Spelljammer. Great stuff
This is SUCH a fantastic module. So original, great art, awesome set ups and rp and combats... AMAZING indeed
Another great review, Captain! Thought I was going to skip past the picture slide show -- glad I didn't:)
Glad you liked it!
Hands down the best art work I've seen in any of the old school modules.
Hey Cap! I'm running Tyranny of Dragons for 5e. Can you do a review of other adventures where Tiamat or Thakysis appears? Great review by the way!!!Cheers from Brazil.
We played one of the other new OSE modules, Incandescent Grottoes, over the weekend. While the adventure itself was fine, in play I found the bullet point organization style more annoying than helpful. I'd prefer boxed text in fact. I have this module too due to the KS, but I'll likely avoid future OSE modules for this reason. I still have my old B/X stuff plus plenty or original material so there will be no shortage of potential adventures.
I absolutely love the art in this book. It reminds me of Yoshitaka Amano's art, two has done art work for both Vampire Hunter D (fitting of this module) and Final Fantasy. Considering he's my absolutely favorite fantasy artist, anything that reminds me of that instantly wins me over. I think this might be the first physical game book I end up buying in a very long time.
And the module is sold out! Good for them, though, because this adventure sounds AMAZING. Just the title had me sold. And the cover art. And everything you described in there. It sounds good enough to base a whole campaign around. Thanks for reviewing this!
Slideshow was awesome. Great review.
Great channel one of my favorites.
15 bucks? I may never run it but i NEED this. It looks fantastic.
Captcorajus: "These are not angsty 1990's vampires."
Captcorajus: "There is also lord Demetrius, who's soul has been restored by a cleric of law, making his existence untenable."
Me: Hears Angel's Theme in my head... th-cam.com/video/gHSFV5IkM5c/w-d-xo.html
Me: One is.
Okay, okay, maybe ONE! lol
Looking forward to this. I am still waiting on my Kickstarter books
Thanks for including that song by Dan Bodan.
I'm always looking for new songs to
steal
I was going through the youtube library for something appropriate. Heard the heartbeat and knew it would fit. You he's great.
The King beneath the mountains,
The King of carven stone,
The lord of silver fountains
Shall come into his own!
His crown shall be upholden,
His harp shall be restrung,
His halls shall echo golden
To songs of yore re-sung.
The woods shall wave on mountains
And grass beneath the sun;
His wealth shall flow in fountains
And the rivers golden run.
The streams shall run in gladness,
The lakes shall shine and burn,
All sorrow fail and sadness
At the Mountain-king's return!
TSR returns...
Nuff said
Let me buy it already !
Great review as always. I like it even more than the one at tenfootpole. Your style is both entertaining and narrative.
This makes me think of Dracula's castle from the anime, with the gears and the teleportation. Maybe I'll add a "science" room with high level technology they've collected from the multiverse and play 'Bloody Tears' while the party explores the halls.
My only real complaint with this module is that the place is too small for the palace of a world holping vampire king. Palaces of real world monarchs have hundreds of rooms; the Blood King's has 33 if you don't include the grounds. I might treat the rooms given as annexes and procedurally generate individual rooms within them.
well, of course the page count is what it is. But as with anything of this sort, you're absolutely free to expand it out. Who's to say that it isn't 100 rooms, and this is just how it appears on this realm currently? :)
Well, the Blood King might not travel in their official abode, and use a summer house manor to travel through the planes? :)
You're being conservative on room counts. Windsor "Castle" (which is really more of a palace at this point) has a thousand rooms, and Versailles well over 2000.
That said, vampires aren't boring humans and may not need or want the masses of everyday servants, storerooms, and services that occupy a lot of those real-world palace rooms. When you're an undead tyrant who travels the planes collecting blood tithes there may be something to be said for having a palace that doesn't require too large a "landing zone" when it teleports in.
The style of castle with great wings and hundreds of rooms is a later development. In medieval times, castles were actually fairly modest in comparison to our modern vision of a "castle". (Not to mention "castle" could literally just mean any fortified living space, so a watchtower could be a castle under that definition). Buildings of stone were expensive and time consuming to build, as they required skilled craftsmen, labor, and resources. So for centuries, prior to the later gothic revival, even kings couldn't afford a castle that was too big.
For example, the White Tower (aka Tower of London), built following the Norman Conquest, was the (a?) residence of the King of England in London for centuries. Despite this, the castle keep itself is rather compact. Not tiny by any means, but it's not the sprawling mansions of later castle constructions.
It has a little over 30 rooms. Meaning the Blood King's castle is actually on par with a real castle fit for a king.
Ooh nice new release from captcorajus!
Nice video.
I love these reviews! Nice module, with a creepy (and great) artwork!
Looks absolutely stunning. Might be a bit gonzo in my Veins of the Earth campaign- but what's a bit of gonzo every now and then? Thanks for making this!
This looks & sounds *AWESOME*
You had me at psychedelic HR Geiger
Krull vibes
Are you also doing a review of The Incandescent Grottoes?
The cartoonish artwork doesn't catch me as much as this one, but still curious about your take on the beginner-level offering as I've not delved into it yet.
Yeah, I've enjoyed Gavin Norman's adventures quite a bit, so I'll be taking a look at it. Its more traditional fantasy than "Hall of the Blood King" is, which is why I did "Hall" first.
I'm in love with the intro of your videos hahahaha
Great review!
The artwork seems to be inspired by HR Geiger.
Fantastic review as always :-)
Is this a concert for a metal band? It looks AMAZING!
I am not a fan of horror, I won't be using this, but it looks like something that is really cool for those that enjoy that sort of thing.
Will you be covering TSR coming back from the dead and their kickstarter?
We'll see. This is a BIG wait and see unfortunately.
I am new to the OSR world.. Could any one answer me the question, if this module is compatible with the "White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game"-System? Thx
Absolutely yes. Old school essentials is based on Moldvay/ cook. You'll find this plays well with Whitebox. MOST OSRs.. Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, Old School Essentials are all cross compatible.
@@captcorajus Thanks a lot! Im looking forward to introduce my group in to some of that good old stuff!
Is this the first 19? The first Amazing?
It looks great, and it certainly has a psychedelic look. Purple haze all in my eyes!
Just purchased this on Halloween and by an odd quirk of fate the money remaining in my Paypal account was £6.66.
Alrighty then! lol
Sounds like something straight out of Vampire Hunter D
Love the art slideshow
Great RP module... but I personally NEVER liked the retna-burning, psychedelic art work. Didn't know if I was supposed to play DnD or drop acid. If you run this... Bring sunglasses!
Sorry, but I absolutely adore the artwork. The shear intricacy of the design.... and the colors I find appealing.
@@captcorajus No need to be sorry. It's a personal preference, not right or wrong. Same as if a vegan saw you eating steak and they said: "Steak is disgusting, how can you eat that?!" and you replied: "Sorry, I love steak, it's delicious!"