Gary's Appendix Vol. 5

Hot off the heels of Issue #4, we present a new assortment of articles to inspire your games filled with deep dungeons and horrible dragons. For Issue #5 we're getting slimed with a wide range of sticky content, including an article on what exactly one might find in a gelatinous cube and an expanded bestiary entry for that very same ooze.

Inspired by the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide.

Gary wrote and collected a vast amount of information, rules, and guidance. Its haphazard nature and perplexing subjects makes it as fresh today as when he penned the work almost fifty years ago. Indeed, Gary's Appendix draws inspiration from the past works of the gaming giants. 
Gary's Appendix is about our love for the past and our excitement for the future. We do not have the audacity to believe that we can produce a work that matches the magic of the AD&D DMG. Instead, we seek the spirt of that evergreen work by presenting an array of articles that are enjoyable to read, informative to the GM, and useful at the gaming table.

Here's a preview of the content packed into the issue:

Investigation Themed Adventures, by Travis Miller
The old school play method that encourages players to engage with the diegetic elements of the game world makes games like OSE perfectly suited to investigations even though it isn’t obvious looking at the rules. This is my method of creating investigative adventures.

A Case for Using Wandering Monsters, by John Kaniecki
In the good old days, the DM rolled the die six every three turns, and when a one came up, he smiled as it indicated wandering monsters. The Dungeon Master's Guide had a collection of monsters that were potential candidates for running into. The selection of these monsters and the number appearing were all determined by random. Over time the game improved. It is more fun-oriented as well as complex. In light of this, let us turn our thoughts to wandering monsters. What is the purpose of wandering monsters?

Legends of the Supernatural Pt. 2, by Dave Semark
We return to the supernatural history of Britain and Ireland, with another look at myths and legends that have fascinated me and have often been the source of role-playing hooks and scenario ideas. As with the first installment, these legends are all based on an established history, myth, or legend—or combination of all three—and I have taken a big pinch of artistic license to add to the role- playing game feel.

Hiring a Spy, by John Kaniecki
Spying is a murky world of shadows, or so we are led to believe. In a fantasy role-playing game, it opens the door to intrigue and adventure. How are we to handle spies? 

Governments: Part 1, by Hannah Wolfram
Since the dawn of time, humans have created social structures in order to survive. While these small societies likely started as family groups, they continually evolved and expanded as humanity’s needs changed, eventually developing laws and moral codes under which members were expected to live. To enforce these standards, humans created governments.

What's In the Cube?, by Zac Goins
As go-to dungeon and sewer sweepers, gelatinous cubes spend their days, nights, and weekends picking the bones of an area clean. Since dungeons and sewers are also the favorite haunts of the worst ne'er do wells and the adventurers who stalk them, there’s bound to be a bevy of bodies and gear in near constant supply. Fortunately for adventurers, ne’er do wells and other adventuring parties just so happen to often carry the best sorts of loot. 

The Bestiary, by Jeff Jones
Each issue, Jeff works his way through another section of the OSE bestiary and expands the information and GM toolkit for each entry. For this issue, the following creatures are covered:
* Centipede, Giant  *  Dryad  *  Crocodile  *  Driver Ant  *  Gelatinous Cube  *  Gnoll  *  Harpy  *  Hydra