Critical Lit

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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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

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Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social

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Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

Everything's vine down at the Wizard of Wines! Chapter 12 is the nexus of nearly every plot hook in this book, but the wine won't flow until this gemless, ravenless, farm-to-table homestead is restored to its former glory. Too bad it's knee-deep in stick monsters and crazed, teetotaling druids. Remember, they're not dirty because they're evil; they're evil because they're dirty. In this episode: Chapter 12 (The Wizard of Wines, stolen gems, Approaching the Vineyard, The Martikov Family, bad blood, Approaching the Winery, Areas of the Winery W1-W20, blights blights blights blights druid, Special Events, Wine Delivery, Wintersplinter Attacks).

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

It's a Dance Dance Execution at the door of this wizard tower. The wagon nearby is as volatile as a meth lab, and werewolves wait to finish off any survivors. Plus, we take another look at Strahd's potential enemies. In this episode: Chapter 11 (Van Richten's Tower, Khazan's backstory and tomb, Approaching the Tower, Khazan’s Spell Drain, Area's of the Tower V1-V7, Ezmeralda's Wagon, booby trap, dance seal, tower floors, Special Events, Pack Attack, Ez's Retreat) and we revisit the Strahd's Enemy list from Chapter 1's Fortune's of Ravenloft.

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Bluesky: @CriticalLit.bsky.social

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Amelia Som: @ameliasom.com

Sal Tamarkin: @sal.gay

Cover art by Aram Vartian: @aramvartian.com

Sure, Strahd had one mother, but what about second mother? In Chapter 10, Baba Lysaga is a boy-mom wannabe, with a parasocial fixation on our titular vamp. To impress him, she wages a never-ending blood feud against Barovia's goat and raven populations. Adventurers are another matter. In this episode: Chapter 10 (The Ruins of Berez, the sad tale of Marina, Baba Lysaga backstory, Approaching the Ruins, Area of Berez U1-U6, Baba Lysaga's Hut, the gemstone, Baba Lysaga's ritual, Goat Pen, Standing Stones, Special Events, flying contraptions).

Support us on Patreon to hear monthly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/CriticalLit

Contact us:

Email: [email protected]

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