Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

N-Spiration - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

About Frieren

The saga that is Frieren started (and continues) as a serialized manga written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe. As of 2025, 15 volumes have been collected - and two have been adapted to an animated series - Beyond Journey's End - by Madhouse Studio: which was my point of introduction. The first season aired from 2023 to 2024, the second making its debut on Netflix in 2026, and a third season is scheduled for late 2027. 

The story follows a protagonist, Frieren, an Elf magic-user, living out her long life after the culmination of an epic adventure. In the interposing years, she travels, adventures, but does not age - unlike her counterparts, whose life-spans are much shorter. The series picks up at the end of their lives - where Frieren picks up a new adventure, trying to connect with and understand the motivations, emotions, and perspectives of the shorter-lived races.

The main characters of the series - Frieren, herself, and her understudy, Fern - are both female: as are several key supporting characters through the first season of the anime. As a result - some confusion (and arguably controversy) exists regarding whether the manga was written by a woman. In truth the illustrator, Ms. Abe, is female - the writer, Mr. Yamada, is male: despite some reference web sites to this day providing a female profile picture for him - e.g. LibraryThing. The identity of the woman in the picture, as far as I can tell, is unknown - albeit consistent. This does not change the nature of the work nor the quality of the production: I just thought it was interesting.

What's to Like?

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - I do not know if it was formally influenced by tabletop adventure gaming, but many elements of its composition lend themselves to tabletop adventure gaming. First among these is the focus on party roles. Our main character is a magic-user (called a "mage" in the show) and her apprentice is also a magic-user: however, they in-universe actively seek out both a priest and a warrior. Their skills and abilities are complimentary to one another and they excel at different aspects of the adventure. Further, later in the first season - they encounter a Monk character: one which is archetypally consistent with the Monk class from adventure games, D&D and D&D-analog. 

Further, of the roles that are discussed - the classes of character - have different gradings. Mages have class rankings - first class, second class, and so on: one of the key plot points near the end of the first season centers around attaining first class - representing a striation of rank based on ability: akin to game player character levels. As an added bonus - likewise - the priest character: there are name based ranks. The Priest that is walking with the party is a Priest, but when Heiter - the original Priest with the "heroic party" Frierien adventured with before the series begins - levels up: he becomes a Bishop. Where have I seen that before...

So far - I've outlined semantic similarities. A lot of shows differentiate characters based on the role they play in the group - thief, warrior, cleric, wizard. What sets F: BJE apart, in that sense, that makes it worth your time? 

PLAYER	MAPPING!

Frieren intentionally instructs Fern to keep a map - and Fern has a magic spell prepared for the task! This scene is from episode 23 - Conquering the Labyrinth - and when it happened, I jumped a little bit in my seat for the excitement of it. This is the first time in my memory that I have seen in any form of visual media an adventuring party keeping a map of their traversal of the dungeon. Following maps made by others? Sure. But creating a map in the moment so as to guide their progress? 

Further on in the same story arc - Frieren doubles back and is able to find a secret treasure chamber: not because she notices something in the hall, not because her Elf ability to "notice secret passages" kicked in: but because she looks at the map and says, "There has to be something here: this doesn't make sense to be empty space." That - among other practices - showcases an understanding of dungeon ecosystems and affinity to how adventuring works: not just meta in-universe (for example, the recurring treasure chest mimic gag: that is unique to F: BJE), but from a gameist perspective. A new player can watch what Frieren and her party do when confronted by situations in the dungeon - thinking cleverly to bypass enemies; mapping - as above, but also as a way to better identify ways into, out of, and through the dungeon; anticipating and counteracting traps; .... In this sense: this anime provides training material - almost as an elaborate actual-play - for the novice player; as well as provides inspiration for the referee, both veteran and tyro.

Lastly, something that caught my attention in the overland travel scenes of F: BJE - a concept I've come to call Tolkienesque Pastoralism. That is, walking through The Shire, you would get a sense of tranquility, of time, and of natural growth. Humans live in the world - part of the world - and the adventure or the adventuring party is no exception. The world that Frieren inhabits is old - feels old - and likewise feels inhabited. It will continue on in the background without us: the world is green in the summer, red and orange in the autumn - a character, itself, as integral to the story as any of the speaking roles. There is a peace "back in town" - a relief from the tension of competition, of battle, of dungeon-delving - that doesn't disrupt the rhythm, fits perfectly into the pacing, that helps me to almost slip into the world with them - a first person observer to the narrative unfolding in real time.

To Be Aware Of

The way that I heard about Frieren was during a controversy around its subject material - certain political implications were inferred from the main character's relentless (and repeatedly justified) suspicion and distaste for demonic entities. Regardless of where you stand on that discussion, the series was portrayed as an action series. Be advised - reader - this interpretation was incorrect. While there are battles - and ample dungeon-delving - the main focus of the series is on the characters, their development, and the emotional journey that they have been through and are continuing on together. Especially in the initial episodes - there are no demon fights in the first ... five? I think? - be aware, similar to the 3d6 DTL Dolmenwood AP - there is more character development than excitement; more role-play than dice, if that jives.

Secondly, be advised - it is an anime, and that anime is based on a manga. There are certain stylistic decisions - the art, for example; or having to pick between subs or dubs - and there are certain story elements that you can't really avoid. For example - the ineluctable "tournament episode" which drags on for entirely too many episodes: in F: BJE's case, the test to become a First Class Mage takes on this role - where the group engages in a dozen episodes or so of activities explicitly in competition with other magic-users in trying to earn the badge. So - while this doesn't really bother me, as evidenced by my recommending of this series - if you are not a fan of anime, you may have a hard time enjoying this series as I did.

Knowing it is from Japan - written by Japanese people for a Japanese audience - makes its observations about the priesthood particularly interesting to me. The church in F: BJE is not Christian - they worship an entity, "The Goddess" - but the priesthood has many esthetic similarities and functional parallels to Catholicism, from the outside. Thus, it becomes interesting - as well - to see how a person from a non-Christian culture perceives, interprets, and retells faux-Western themes and appearances - surely, in much the same way as it must be interesting for them to see us, in the West as we present Shinto or perhaps other ingrained Eastern culture... but that's another article entirely - and I think doesn't change the fundamental merit of the series.

Oh - and magic in Frieren is not Vancian, operating instead on a mana system. However, that in mind - I can't actually recall a fiction wherein Vancian magic was used outside of Vance, himself... so really, that's to be expected.

Where to Watch

I watched Frieren: Beyond Journey's End on Hulu, via our family's Disney+ subscription.

Other subscription-based services that have the option to watch F: BJE include Crunchyroll and Netflix; where other video services that allow the option to rent or buy digital rights to F: BJE include Amazon's Prime Video service, YouTube TV, and Apple TV. 

Unfortunately, I was not able to find this one for free - but I believe it's worth it. While I'm sure there is some sea-sailing that could be done to circumvent this barrier, I also am not sure I would take it. Frieren is a work worth supporting - and even if missing one streaming viewer barely impacts the bottom line a penny - thats still one penny we didn't use to say "We should make more entertainment like this."

For More of the Same

Unfortunately, new material is on hiatus - the creators have been battling health issues: so, as of the close of 2025, the serialized manga has been paused until those issues can be addressed. The schedule had been originally a weekly release - but had struggled in the last year or two: so as a result, it would be best to pray for the creators - for their own good, if not for the continuation of the story.

In the meantime, however - translations of the manga are ongoing - with the 15th compilation in English due out at the end of 2026. If you are the online-reading type, there is a web version of the serialized manga - FrierenMangaFree.com - which has 147 chapters available in English.

As a caveat, I have not read the manga; so I recommend it by association - if you liked the anime, you may likewise like the manga.

Additionally, while this review encapsulates the first season of Freiren: Beyond Journey's End, as second season of the animated version has been released and is available on Crunchyroll and Prime Video (through Crunchyroll) - under much the same terms as the first season. 

Note, again: I have not watched season 2: so like the manga, I recommend it may be worth your time, on the assumption that you enjoy season 1. 

Lastly - be advised - when searching for either season 1 or season 2 of F: BJE - not all providers appear to have all the episodes: at least at first glance. As far as I know - season 1 should have 28 episodes; season 2 is shorter: having only 10 episodes; and season 3: we don't know yet - and won't until it comes out in 2027.

In Conclusion

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a top notch lesson in dungeon-delving. It showcases mostly good advice about the dungeoneering trade; it provides good player habits while engaging the watcher in an immersive world; and it sticks to its primary genre - it is an homage to the adventurer's life: and the life it portrays is one that is compatible with the OSR experience. Based on that assessment, I rate Frieren: Beyond Journey's End 1: Quite OSR Indeed.

I recommend Frieren: Beyond Journey's End both to the aspiring game master and to the aspiring player. Its atmospheric presentation of the adventure inspires the spirit of the gamer - serving to ignite a desire to play, even if not all of the pieces align just right. 

Thank you for reading - delve on!

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the television series, was released in 2023 on Nippon TV, owned by Nippon Television Network Corporation of Tokyo, Japan. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the manga serial, was originally released in 2020, published by Shogakukan of Tokyo, Japan. All stills taken from the series or from the manga are copyrighted property of its authors - Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, all imagery, references, or trademarked terminology - e.g. "Dungeon Master" - thereto related are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Clerics Wear Ringmail makes no claim of ownership of any sort to any of the aforementioned media, text, or images and includes references to or facsimiles of them for review purposes under US Code Title 17, Chapter 107: Fair Use.

The slide-in of Gary... I got from a meme.

An Abandoned Magician's Lair

Wizards are a fickle bunch - coming and going, going and coming: and on occasion disappearing entirely - either in pursuit of some goal known only to them, or on occasion, through some misfortune during magical experimentation or having communed with entirely the wrong abyssal entity. Herein is provided the lair of one such departed magician - whether he (she?) will return or not? Only time will tell - and only the Fates know the answer. 

Regarding doors:

•		A door marked with the letter S is Secret.
•		A door marked with the letter L is Locked.
•		A door marked with the letter J is Jammed (stuck) and must be forced open.
•		A door marked with the letter J is Ajar (slightly open): the party can get a glimpse of what is on the other side without opening it (and what is on the other side will be able to glimpse the party, as well!)

Some doors may have special properties unique to them. These doors will be marked with an asterisk (*) and the nature of the special door will be noted in the description of the room into which the door leads. 

For a PDF version of this adventure - click HERE. 

Map scale is 10 ft. 

A - Ground Level

A1 - Entrance

The floor and walls of the large space are stone - once white, but grown dingy with time. Above, a wooden platform, 15 feet above the floor, rings the room: open in the center, accessible via two flanking stairwells on the north east and north west corners. Dim light pours down from the opening and the smell of oil lamps belies the source.

In the center, under the opening, the floor is tiled - black and white. The black tiles are trapped - any character unknowingly walking across the open space in the center has a chance to trigger the trap: wherein several streams of oil - alight - pour down from the ceiling: save vs Dragon's Breath for 2d6 damage.

Of note of the doors exiting this room - on the north wall are two doors; the one on the left (or, to the west) has no handle nor knob. It cannot be opened from A1: only from A3.

A2 - Votive Hall

Against the west wall is a small shrine - sized for a Halfling. On it can be found several votive statues - indistinct in their character - all facing a central figure which looks like a column of slime. The votive statues can be removed - they are free-standing - but if a character does so, the statue will rapidly melt: any character exposed to the effluvium into which the object melts must save vs Death against its poisonous emission. 

A3 - Skeleton Chamber

Standing at attention in this room are 9 Skeletons (B42) who will attack on sight. On the floor are various bones and torn articles: including - if the party takes the time to gather it up - 300 silver pieces and 60 gold pieces.

The door to the right - or, east - has no handle nor knob from the inside. It cannot be opened from this side once closed. 

The door to the left - or, west - can be opened: but is stuck and must be forced.

A4 - Lounge

In the northern half of this space are luxurious furnishings: a smoking chair, an ottoman, and a wide divan. They are in derelict state - age and wear causing tears and filling to spill out from them. Sniffing about the ruin is a lone Giant Shrew (B42).

A5 - Library

Lining the west and east walls are book cases; a wide, circular wooden table is on its side, as if cast towards the north wall. About one third of the book cases have books in them - the majority of which are ruined with time and mold.

Characters who rummage through the books on the west wall have a chance of activating a poison gas trap: save vs Death for all characters in the room, however any character more than 10 feet from the wall (such as, perhaps, rummaging through the shelves on the east wall or guarding the doors), may re-roll if they fail the first time.

Sufficient rummaging will produce two workable spell-books: one on the east, which contains Detect Magic and Floating Disc; the other on the west, containing Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, and Detect Invisible.

A6 - Trapped Hallway

This hallway is nondescript - with sconces for torches, empty, affixed to the walls at interval. However, 10 feet west of the curve in the hall is a pit trap, 10 feet deep. At the bottom of the pit trap - if triggered - is a desiccated corpse carrying a sword, a satchel, and wearing a mundane horned helmet. In the satchel can be found a set of lock picks, 140 silver pieces, 60 gold pieces, 2 sapphires valued at 50 gp each, and a large emerald valued at 100 gp.

A7 - Foyer Down

A nondescript wooden railing rings the room - bound to the wall with iron hooks at waist height. In the south-west corner, several woven baskets contain cobwebs and dust. In the south-east corner, a stairwell down leads to room B1.

Waiting on the railing near the stairwell is a Spitting Cobra (B42). It is partially concealed by the railing, as it rests on the hooks - so it will surprise the party on 4-in-6; 3-in-6 for a party with at least one Elf. If the cobra is dispatched in a loud manner, or if otherwise a suitable ruckus is raised, the inhabitants of room B1 may hear and send up 1d6 members of their party (re-rolling 6s) to investigate.

B - Lower Level

B1 - Ghoul Crypt

The stone of the floor of this level is darker than on the upper levels - a granite, roughly hewn, by the feel of it. Several defaced statues recessed into alcoves in the wall depict saints. Five Ghouls (B35) occupy the room. A set of stairs descends from room A7 at the northern side.

Wedged in the door on the western wall to B2 is a corpse on which the Ghouls have been feeding. The corpse has nothing of particular value on it.

The door to the south-east, leading to room B5, is sentient: see B5 for details.

B2 - Holding Crypt

Several modest sarcophagi align perpendicular to the room, unopened. There is evidence of human habitation - but in a bare sense. The room is otherwise empty. 

B3 - West Sanctuary

Recessed statuary can be seen in the south and west walls. In the center of the room, a mosaic pattern has been inlaid in the floor to correspond to a hanging decorative candelabra. In the place of candles, six oval-cut diamonds (100 gold piece value each) are inlaid. 

A contact poison has been applied to the settings - so if they are removed, there is a chance the removing character will come into contact with the poison - save vs Death.

B4 - Hidden Connection

Cobwebs have accrued thick in the corners of this small space. Otherwise, the corridor is empty.

B5 - East Sanctuary

Masonry supplies are stored in this space. Trowels, blocks, and so on - tools in the north section, raw material in the south-east corner. A character which investigates the tool section will find, among mundane objects, a case that contains a single Potion of Healing. A table with stools and a lantern - unlit, empty of oil - sits in the south-west corner.

In the detritus to the south-east, 3 Robber Flies (B41) are waiting. Hidden among the building materials is a chest containing 400 silver pieces.

The door to the north is sentient and will typically (4-in-6 chance) speak with a party that takes the time to examine it. Listening at the door - for example - may prompt it to ask what they are listening for; or checking for traps may prompt it to giggle and claim it tickles. When speaking - the silhouette of a face comes across the door, bouncing about depending on whom it is speaking to, a shadow in reverse: the wood grain being lighter, almost illuminated, where the face is present.

The door appreciates polite company. If the party is courteous, it will tell them about the inhabitants of the dungeon who come and go - perhaps of the people who built it in times long to remember. It may tell them about secrets and hazards on level A or B. Its knowledge of level B is complete; its knowledge of level A is only 60% accurate. It has no knowledge of level C. If a party is discourteous, it may lock itself, or become willfully stuck. It is particularly fond of knock-knock jokes (as all doors surely must be) - a referee is advised to have a few on hand for role play purposes.

C - Upper Level

C1 - Upper Atrium

In this space only, the floor is wooden - and with minor effort, a character can hear what's going on in room A1 below. The center of the space is open to A1 - with a railing to prevent an accidental fall. The ceiling is 15 feet above the floor - except in the center above the opening: where a perceptive adventurer will note a protrusion: on which several oil spouts are burning, as lamps, and from which will proceed the burning streams, per the trap in A1.

Two stairwells in the northern corners lead down to A1.

C2 - Whispering Hall

The west wall of the room houses four recessed alcoves. Of the four, three contain busts: each in various states of defacement. Inside one of the busts - accessible if smashed - can be found 2 sapphires, 50 gold piece value each; inside another, 3 rubies, 100 gold piece value each. On the east wall,  north of the hall leading into the room, is an alcove set up to contain candles. There are a dozen or so candles - unlit - present: with room for a dozen or so more.

While in the room, characters will hear whispers - barely distinct: not loud enough to truly understand what they communicate.

C3 - Former Trove

Some wooden furniture appears to have been smashed in this room - and a chest has been uncovered. The lock on the chest appears to have been broken open, and all contents of whatever had been in it before have been removed. 

C4 - False Walk

This room appears to be longer than it is - leading northward. However, after 10 feet or so of walking, the floor gives way as an illusion: dropping whomever is walking on it into room A3: a fall of 15 feet.

C5 - Drafty Hall

The long potions of the halls marked here have a draft to them as the party walks through. When the party first enters this hall, roll 1d4 - and once per hour thereafter, roll 1d6. The draft goes silent for a round when the roll is made. 

On a 1 through 4, one of the four normal doors in the hall becomes a secret door from the perspective of characters in C5 only: fading into the wall. To pass through, the party must search and find the door again - after which, it seems obvious as to where it was. In subsequent checks, doors made secret in this manner are made mundane (that is, not secret) if a different door is rolled. 

On a roll of 5, the existing secret door is not made mundane - remaining secret - and a follow up 1d4 is rolled to determine which additional door is made secret in addition. If the follow up roll would indicate a pre-existing secret door (such as if multiple 5s had been rolled in sequence), the target door becomes mundane instead.

On a roll of 6, no changes are made to the existing secret door - but the door to room C9 will change: becoming mundane if it is secret; or becoming secret if it is mundane.

C6 - Study

The walls of the room have tapestries hung from them - appearing to depict a cloudy night sky. For furnishings, the party will note a writing desk, a cot with no mattress, and a set of three amphora urns.

In the desk can be found antique inks and pens, valued at 80 gold pieces to a collector or magician. In one of the amphora can be found a spell scroll stuffed in: with spells Infravision and Detect Magic written to it.

C7 - Hall of Experimentation

Manacles dangle from chains hanging from the walls. Three tables with hooks and other restraints adorn the space - each with dark stains on and around it. The room is otherwise empty.

C8 - Freezer Room

Meat hooks hang from the ceiling and crates line the walls, containing various decayed materials. The room is cold - inexplicably so - and there are stains ingested.

C9 - Treasure Chamber

The floor is covered by three large, heavy rugs. About them can be found 3,000 silver pieces, 1,200 gold pieces, and a spell scroll containing Protection from Normal Missiles, Dispel Magic, and Polymorph Self.

• When a character first steps onto one of the rugs, however, a timer starts:- After 1d6 Turns, 2d4 Skeletons (B42) appear in room B1: crawling up from anonymous graves.
  
  
• After an additional 1d3 Turns, the Skeletons from B1 will have moved to A1 and an additional 2d4 Skeletons will replace them in B1.
  
  
• After an additional 1d3 Turns, the initial Skeletons will move to C1; the second Skeletons will move to A1, and a Bone Golem (X33) will appear in B1.
  
  
• After a final 1d3 Turns, the Bone Golem will move to A1, the initial Skeletons will walk through C5 to C9, and the secondary Skeletons will move to C1.

The goal of these guardians is to prevent the interlopers from leaving. If a party member falls, two Skeletons will drag the corpse down to B3 via the shortest route. If left there, the character's corpse will join the Skeletons' number by the next new moon.

Public domain artwork retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art. Open license artwork retrieved from Pixabay. All artwork has been adapted for theme. Attribution to the piece and artist is provided in alt-text.

Alternative *Alternative* Combat System

What was the purpose of the original Alternative Combat System outlined in the first booklet of original Dungeons & Dragons?

The common explanation by the wider OSR for as long as I've been listening has been, to replace the Chainmail combat system and to provide a universal mechanism for hit resolution - separating the Chainmail game from the original edition in all but a reference. For a long time, I accepted this explanation: it made sense, all of the clones I had seen used the ACS with no mention of mass combat or of Weapon vs Armor, and having not invested in the original booklets, even the inexpensive PDF option - I was playing Basic: why should I worry? Why should I concern myself with it? - I had no reason to disbelieve the gray-hairs who maintained the original edition was a free-wheeling one: an incomplete game which required continuous ruling and referee improvisation to form into a collective experience - later to be completed in the 1st edition, with all (or at least most) of the cracks and crevices puttied.

Since then, I've been disabused of that error.

While there is no reason not to use the ACS in your 0e game as the primary it resolution mechanism - I'm not here to have that debate - it's also not the reason the ACS was included. In Chainmail - included in the same "recommended equipment" section as "dice" and "players" - two tiers of play surface: the normal scale, comprising orcs, men, and the like; and the heroic scale, the fantastic scale - comprised of wizards and dragons and heroes! To fight between these creatures leveraged the Fantasy Combat table: which functioned much like the Man to Man, providing a target number on 2d6 for one side to come out victorious: with the probabilities influenced according to the literature and mythology informing them: Wizards and Balrogs, an homage to the bridge at Khazad-Dum; Heroes and Trolls; to Anderson's Holger Carlsen. Knowing this - the matrix between each disparate type is necessarily as large in both rows and columns as the number of supported monsters: in a game with potentially endless enemies and mythologies from which to draw them, such a matrix becomes untenable! First - competing mythologies may have no overlap: how should the Pondo impundulu bird fare against a Mesoamerican chaneque? 

And second - citing Gary's own rationale from the proto-D&D (or Pre&D, as I like to call it), to create a matrix in that manner would rapidly exceed the available margins. What worked for a tightly bound fantasy wargame - Chainmail Fantasy Supplement - would not be feasible for the new, unbound idea that would become Dungeons & Dragons.  

So - suffice to say - the original combat system being alternated out was the Fantasy Combat system, not the Man to Man or troop combat systems previously defined.

An Alternative Alternative

So - what am I up to?

One of the characteristic elements of Chainmail and of most wargames is their dependence on the d6: specifically, both Man to Man and Fantasy Combat use 2d6 against a target number for hit resolution. By introducing a d20 based ACS, a totally separate mental mechanic is introduced - so, instead, why not stick with 2d6: retaining the curve and dice feel, but producing the same outcome - a universal approach to replace the confines of the Fantasy matrix?

While gaming at home - in off hours with my older offspring (when their mother isn't looking) - I've been arbitrating armed combat against fantastic opponents using 2d6, leveraging the following:

	To Hit Armor Class
Attacker Tier	<2	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9+
I	11	10		9			8		7
II	10		9			8		7
III	10	9			8		7
IV	9			8		7			6
V	9		8		7			6

Player characters advance, as normal, according to class and level, maintaining compatibility, as close as feasible:

	Tier by Level Range
Class	I	II	III	IV	V
Fighting Man	1-3	4-6	7-9	10-12	13-15
Cleric / Thief	1-4	5-8	9-12	13-16	~
Magic User	1-5	6-10	11-15	~

The table could be expanded as far as necessary - 0e provides a mechanism to extrapolate into the 20s - but since adopting this test, the highest level at play is 4, so it seemed premature.

But why?

First, in Chainmail, the Fantasy Supplement is generally assumed to be intended for the Man-to-Man scale: that is, when you were playing a fantasy game, you were using a 1:1 figure scale. In Man-to-Man, attacks are resolved on 2d6, based on the weapon the attacker is using versus the armor the defender is wearing. So as you worked your way across the battlefield - a Superhero may, for example, hack his way across normal infantry according to what he's wearing: rolling up to eight attacks per turn - but once he finishes working his way towards the enemy Troll, he instead rolls a single 2d6. If he succeeds, the Troll is defeated; if the Troll succeeds - he is defeated. As such, if I want to use the Man-to-Man tables in my 0e game, then it logically follows a 2d6 resolution is in line with the spirit of the Fantasy table for my 0e game.

This consistency of resolution mechanic mirrors the Armor vs. Weapon table Gary would provide in the Greyhawk supplement for the d20 based ACS. Gary understood that the unified attack mechanic was easier for players to use and would make for smoother gameplay. If you have multiple attacks and coincidentally have multiple d20s, you can simply roll them all together. Further, while it's easy to add two single digit numbers together, if you are simply reading a number off a single die, that is necessarily smoother and faster at the table, itself. Lastly, from a business perspective - if his game used funny dice while borderline every other game stuck with the d6, the d20 would then be a delineator: a visual and mental distinguishing factor to make D&D stick out from the crowd. So I understand why he went with the d20 - but in the same way he introduced the Weapon vs Armor Class table for Greyhawk to standardize around the ACS, I can also standardize around the 2d6 - conforming the Fantasy matrix to the Man-to-Man: the reverse of Gary's approach.

Second, and more importantly - bonuses and penalties. As anyone with AnyDice is aware - and as Gary explained in the 1e DMG - any pool of dice (2d6, 3d6, etc) will have a curve to the result. Depending on your target number, adding (or subtracting) from the roll will have a likewise different impact: when rolling against a target 10 on 2d6, you have about a 1-in-6 chance to hit: if you have a +2 bonus to the roll, you're suddenly aiming at an 8 instead: about a 41% chance to hit! That +2 is worth 25 percentage points! Conversely, if you're rolling against a 6, the difference a +2 bonus makes is 19 percentage points: up to 91% from 72%. 

Of course, 19 percentage points is nothing to sneeze at: but because the way curves work, having smaller bonuses can give significantly larger impact: preventing numbers bloat. Vorpal Sword (+5) cumulative with Strength bonus +5? No thanks.

Lastly, as it pertains to bonuses and penalties, consider also that now - there is no need of leveling the bonuses. If I am using Man to Man in one combat and the original, d20 ACS in the other - my +2 sword from before means more in the former instance than it does in the latter - as a +2 is always 10 percentage points on a d20. The argument has been made that this is a good thing - it makes the d20 easier to predict in the head - but honestly: with a bounded curve with as small a band as 2 to 12? It's not hard to figure out "I usually hit when I have a target number of 6, and its hard to hit once it gets above 8." The vagueness of the gut reaction to a curve produces better immersion - if you know instinctively your exact changes, you then can weigh changes with precision: something that doesn't evoke the same emotion as having a notion of "it's hard to hit, but can I make it?"

Target Number Bands

You'll have noted, also - some numbers are more common than others. Target 9, for example, bands over three armor class ratings in all but the highest of attack tiers.

The reason for this is twofold: first, it corresponds more closely to the probability of the d20 on the corresponding OD&D matrix - preserving compatibility with TSR content - but second: it adds some spice to armor. The player is no longer bound to have the best armor he can afford - of course, heavier armor is generally better, but if he's up against low HD enemies who may be attacking as a Tier I or II, if he can get to a 5, he doesn't see improvement again until 2: which frees him up to either invest in that plate mail or to accept an AC 5 - and with it the reduced encumbrance of that armor: he can swim now and not most assuredly die; he can carry more treasure or more equipment, possibly a second weapon - as some weapons work better in some circumstances in Man-to-Man: in contrast to the ACS, where all weapons are effectively equal. That magic ring that offers armor class? That magic shield? Suddenly Warduke's historically absurd attire makes sense! And we're not in history, after all - we're in pulp sword & sorcery!

So that's what I've been up to.

I hope it's provided something to think about - and maybe it gives you a way to include more Chupacabra in your Chainmail at the same time.

Delve on, readers!

 

The Black Cauldron

What Is The Black Cauldron?

The Black Cauldron is a troubled film - a dark animation aimed at both children and adults - based on a series of novels published in the 1960s. 

Released in 1985, it was the product of five years' production: animated, but then re-edited, scenes cut after screen test, for being too intense or too dark for children. It would fail at the box office - earning just less than half its budget - suffering from the fate of many films attempting a multi-generational appeal: differences in artistic direction from the direction and the studio (allegedly, Jeffrey Katzenberg, then the studio chairman at Disney, personally had the film brought into an editing booth to cut it up himself: compromising only when restrained by CEO Michael Eisner at the entreaty of producer Joe Hale). It would be Disney's first PG-rated film - securing its point in history, at least, without regard to the impact this rating potentially had on its reception.

Since then, it has developed a cult following - many of whom are among those who enjoy fantasy adventure gaming - but remains in contention as to its quality: hovering at about 50% on Rotten Tomatoes' combined metrics.

What's to Like?

First and foremost - I enjoyed tremendously the quality of the animation on the film. It is the first Disney animated film to leverage CGI - most notably for the cauldron, itself, in addition to other less notable effects - but the process, itself, leveraged for the film was more traditional: first, with a novel process invented by David Spencer known as the "animation photo transfer". Spencer would win an award, the Academy Award for Technical Achievement, in 1985 following the release of the film for this process - and well earned: the film makes beautiful contrast between warm and cool - light and dark - to set a tone and visually draw in the viewer. The color green - simply - a single color - is put to use in both positive and negative contexts. When still on the farm, vibrant, bright greens are used to convey life, growth, and instill comfort; when in proximity to the Horned King or the magic of the Cauldron, on the other hand, semi-transparent, darker greens convey a sense of sickness, of decay and death - the tunic of the primary protagonist, Taran, is green: which, depending on light and shadow, ties him directly to the mood of the scene. 

Movements are fluid, production value is apparent (that is, you rarely if ever can predict, "Oh, this door is going to open" due to an inconsistency in color - as is common for budgetary reasons in many hand-animated films) - the natural feels natural; the fey feels fey. The Black Cauldron is a thrill to watch, if only for the esthetics it presents.

There are obvious gaming elements. One - overland travel: we see the protagonist, Taran, and his companions adventure across several different biomes overland, each matching the purpose of the location being sought in said overland wilderness; two - dungeon delving: there are several "adventure sites" which the characters have to navigate (one of which being a literal dungeon) - including tricks, traps, monsters (both friendly and unfriendly - reaction roll, baby!) and shifting maps in one case, resulting from falling masonry; but where the movie truly shines - from my perspective - as a gaming resource is in its villains. The villains of the film are a step above most media.

The Horned King.

He is an undead wizard - a lich no doubt - who lives in a tower, commands an army of bandits and brigands, as well as monsters - dragon-like Cliff Racer things to spy and steal for him, then a goblin lieutenant - and then in realizing his goals (spoiler alert) he commands an army of the dead, itself, with aims of conquest and power. He poses a threat at all level ranges: brigands at the low level, undead and dragons at mid level, and himself as a "final boss" at a high level. An entire campaign can be based around this guy.

-- Edit --

Apparently the dragon-cliff-racer monsters are called "Gwythaint"s.

Learned something new today.

Further, the witches. 

Again - spoiler alert - the party, in seeking the Cauldron, finds it guarded by a set of hags. While this could have been resolved with more sneaking or thievery - instead, the witches offer to bargain. Taran being young and naive, they are seeking to manipulate him into giving up something pure and valuable in exchange for something that will curse him, that he won't be able to use or affect: in perfect character of a coven hidden out in the woods! 

The source material draws deeply on Welsh mythology - which, knowing that the original experience designed for TSR Dungeons & Dragons was highly inspired by western Medieval Europe - the mythos and vibe from The Black Cauldron aligns very smoothly with concepts and direction for the default assumed setting.

To Be Aware Of

I personally did not find the film dark or disturbing. 

I watched it with a 2 year old. 

The two year old did not find the film dark or disturbing.

Said two year old, now almost four, has a strange, inexplicable fascination with skeletons now: which may have something to do with having watched this movie with me... but let's not dwell on that too deeply.

The point I would like to leave with the reader - for anyone considering watching this film - be aware: it is a children's movie. It is not a Conan, it is not even a Pirates of Dark Water: this film was clearly and intentionally aimed at a younger demographic, something that is evident in several elements of both the cast of characters and the story itself. For example - the Fair Folk, a very Medieval interpretation of elves, D&D pixies: their interactions are comic relief, even if their magic and contribution is marked. Further, a character - Gurgi - is introduced: an energetic creature that looks like a sloth on fast forward. He annoys me - but he goes through a redemption arc: both as a friend to the party and as an individual struggling with self-doubt - speaking in a funny voice which will appeal to children.

So if these don't bother you - you'll be fine; if you walk into the film knowing about them - you'll be fine. The other aspects of the movie, as pertaining to inspiring your OSR tabletop game, are abundantly manifest. But it is something that I would, as a reviewer, be failing in my responsibility were I not to mention.

Where to Watch

If you are interested in streaming The Black Cauldron it is available on Disney+ with the standard subscription. Alternatively, if you are avoiding subscription services, it is available for rental on most major streaming rental services - Apple TV, Amazon Video, and so on - for a fee that appears consistent between them.

For Further Interest

The film being based on the first two books in the series, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, it might be worthwhile to - for those who enjoyed the world and characters, to pursue the boxed set - which includes five novels:

1. The Book of Three
2. The Black Cauldron
3. The Castle of Llyr
4. Taran Wanderer
5. The High King

Alternatively, one might pursue one at a time to control costs, but as of this writing, the entire collection of five is available together for $20 or less, the book still being in print to date - which puts the risk of cost escalation a bit into the "moot point" category.

Of the movie, the author had the following to say in an interview with Scholastic in 1999:

First, I have to say, there is no resemblance between the movie and the book. Having said that, the movie in itself, purely as a movie, I found to be very enjoyable. I had fun watching it. What I would hope is that anyone who sees the movie would certainly enjoy it, but I'd also hope that they'd actually read the book. The book is quite different. It's a very powerful, very moving story, and I think people would find a lot more depth in the book.

...which, suffice to say, may be sufficient to pique curiosity, if nothing else. I have not read the books - and thereby I cannot pass judgement on them.

Conclusion

The Black Cauldron belongs among the Appendix N suggestions of the Basic / Expert set. It is perfectly suited for adventure, well versed in mythology found in OSR / TSR modular product and the collective consciousness, it contains multiple elements of the game as experienced and played, and it is age appropriate for the target demographic of the original B/X. That is not to say B/X can't be loved by adults - but that had Appendix N been expanding to include film at the time when the Red Box came out, it would have benefitted by including The Black Cauldron in its suggestions - as the movie is great to spur the imagination of an aspiring 10 year old Dungeon Master.

For that reason, I rate The Black Cauldron 1: Definitively OSR.

While its target audience is young, yet the game, itself, can be appreciated by young and old, this does not disqualify it as inspirational material: nor does it take away from the fundamental fantasy adventure that makes up the foundation of The Black Cauldron's screenplay. With a runtime of 80 minutes, honestly, you don't have much to lose - even though, if my own viewer's senses are to be trusted, you have a fair bit to gain.

Thanks for reading - delve on!

The Black Cauldron was released in 1985, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, Burbank, California, and produced by the Walt Disney Company, now Walt Disney Animation Studios, Burbank, California. All stills taken from the film are copyrighted property of Walt Disney Studios. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, all imagery, references, or trademarked terminology - e.g. "Dungeon Master" - thereto related are property of Wizards of the Coast.

Clerics Wear Ringmail makes no claim of ownership of any sort to any of the aforementioned media, text, or images and includes references to or facsimiles of them for review purposes under US Code Title 17, Chapter 107: Fair Use.

The slide-in of Gary... I got from a meme.

Secluded Cloister

For a PDF version of this adventure, click HERE

Regarding doors:

•		A door marked with the letter S is Secret.
•		A door marked with the letter L is Locked.
•		A door marked with the letter J is Jammed (stuck) and must be forced open.

Suitable for inclusion as a side-level in dungeons of 1st level.

A – Entrance

The ceiling is high in this room – vaulted, such that the contour matches the odd pointedness of the space’s North and South extent. The floor is stone and has a stickiness to it – odorless.

The door to the South-East corner is trapped. It opens inwards, towards a character, and when opened, a grey, viscous material burbles out – bubbling and popping – prompting a Save vs Dragon’s Breath for any character within 20 feet. If the save fails – the failing character must then make item saves for any metallic articles they carry – excluding coins or precious metals – lest it rapidly oxidize and fall to the floor, useless.

A generous referee may allow items lost in such a manner to be repaired in town – costing half the value of a replacement.

B – Chapel

Four Acolytes (B30) chant in the company of an evil Village Priest (Cleric Lvl 3). Against the north wall, there is an angular shrine, in which can be found a dead bird. The priest is reading its entrails.

Along the East and West walls are engraved alcoves in a similar pattern to the shrine, albeit apparently for ornamentation rather than function – and against the South wall can be found a table with reagents and incense. The incense is worth 30 gold pieces, if collected, 500 silver pieces is contained in a lockbox under the table, and 1 ruby gemstone (valued at 100 gold pieces), is set atop the table beside.

C – Mosaic

An ornamental mosaic floor depicting a circle inlaid by many angular shapes is laid in the floor. In torchlight, the floor has an odd green-ish glow to it: harmless, and also of no particular use.

At interval are four alcoves, in which four skeletons stand at attention, spear in hand. The skeletons are long dead – not animate – and behind one of them, hidden with a false brick, is a pouch containing 100 silver pieces and an emerald worth 50 gold.

D – Pit and Bypass

A pit trap – which will always open if one or more characters is at least halfway across its 20’ length – is flanked by two secret doors. The pit is 30’ deep, causing 3d6 in falling damage to any character caught on it when it opens.

There is a 3-in-10 chance of a Crab Spider (B43) having taken residence at the base of the pit.

The hallway hidden by the secret doors has a deep burgundy rug along its length and smells vaguely pleasant. From within the non-trapped hall, the secret doors are obvious and easy to open.

E – Skull Shrine

A deep groove is cut in the floor at an angle, such that it is difficult to stand in the space. This comes to a T near the East edge of the room, where a human skull sits in the center. Along the walls are abstractly painted shapes depicting irregular, sharp edges.

If the skull is disturbed, a choking and burning gas emits from a nozzle underneath it: any characters caught in the room must Save vs Poison or die – although a generous referee may allow a bonus to the roll for characters closer to the door than to the trap. 

F – Bunk

Bunk beds capable of sleeping six are crammed into the Southern part of the room. On the Northern side is a desk – no chair – and supplies for writing. Three spell scrolls can be found: between which the Cleric spells Detect Magic, Protection from Evil (x2), and Cause Light Wounds can be read.

G – One Way Stair

A set of stairs leads upwards – atop which is a trapdoor. The trapdoor will, if climbed through, deposit the climber into the pit in section D, but will not re-open once the character is on the other side: the seam of the door being supernaturally flush and undetectable if viewed from section D.

H – Unfortunate Traveler

The body of a less fortunate adventurer is slumped in the corner – stinking with decay: unrecognizable. On its person, the corpse has some rudimentary equipment – a sword, leather armor, a helmet – and a backpack containing 1 potion of Water Breathing and 50 gold pieces.

Within 20 feet of the corpse – due to the smell – the chance of wandering monsters is doubled at each check. Whether this is twice as often or twice as likely when checked is at the discretion of the referee. 

I – Pendulum Trap

Hidden in the ceiling at this junction is a bladed pendulum which may trigger as characters walk beneath it. If triggered, the blade swings down, automatically resetting itself if not prevented from recessing into an opposite groove: rolling to hit with a THAC0 of 17 for 1d8 points of damage on hit. 

 

 

 

Public domain images retrieved from OldBookIllustrations.com and the National Gallery of Art and adapted for thematic use. Attribution in alt text.