They Walk Among Us: The Giant Series D&D Modules

Greetings to you my faithful fellow old salty dog soldiers! Back for another installment of my D&D blog...

I can remember the awe & wonder I experienced at looking at the "Against the Giants" module cover...you love these modules too? Excellent...lets set the controls of the "Way-back machine" for the early 1980's...and off we go...

The "G-series" of D&D modules. Created by Gary Gygax himself! Have to say...I 1st laid eyes upon the 1981 reprint "Against the Giants" 3 module combo...a friend owned one. Probably our favorite modules...at least starting out...great cover by Bill Willingham.

Some great art in this version that wasn't in the original versions...Willingham, Jeff Dee & Diesel LaForce!

I upgraded my collection this summer...and purchased the 3 Giant modules in their original versions...

Let's look at G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief...

One thing I've learned from looking over these old modules...we must have simplified them in our youth...these are some flat out deadly adventures...and each module gets more so...Great art by the usual suspects: Sutherland & TRAMP...have to love the Kool-Aid pitcher on the shelf in the drawing of the 2 female Hill Giant's in the kitchen!

Yeah...I remember sneaking around those halls...trying to not run into too many Hill Giants before setting the torch to the place! Great fun!

G2 The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl...okay, I ponied up the extra dough for a 1st edition of this module....check out the Lizard man TSR logo...OLD SCHOOL BABY!

Some excellent art from both Dave's (Sutherland & Trampier)...some not included in the later 1981 reprint. Have to love the Halfling's feet in the mouth of the Remorhaz! Also a big fan of the Jarl's trophy room! Being a collector of TRAMP's work I couldn't pass up this old copy!

Another module that I vivdly remember running through....though I'm sure we didn't face the amount of Giants that the module describes! Another great adventure!

G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King

I really don't recall this module from my playing days....maybe it was too tough for us. Maybe we got distracted by the time we got this far into the combined adventure...maybe we just ran out of time!

Very challenging module...great art, maps & challenges. Love TRAMP's Fire giant...which came 1st...the Monster Manual or G3? Love the back cover with the hippogriffs, too! The Trolls as well...nightmares come to life! Stellar stuff!

Great memories of days gone by...Autumn always make me think of D&D...the smell of burning leaves...the crisp air. Does my heart good to hang on to these old treasures...hope the same for you.

Stay safe & well...

Be seeing you again soon...

Excelsior!

D&D Summer Quarantine 2020

 

Greetings fellow plague survivors! Hope you're all staying safe & well during these strange days. I've taken the longest break since starting this blog 2+ years ago...lets jump back into the mix, shall we?

I've been back to work all summer...staying isolated & keeping myself free of the virus...I have picked up a few D&D related items in my down time...

I replaced the reprint versions of the monochrome modules that I owned with the "real deal". The Giant series and White Plume Mountain...even went as far as to pick up a 1st print "Frost Giants" module...Tramp cover did it for me! Dig the original TSR Lizard man logo!

Picked up the "Blueholme" books & module to check out...I'm a sucker for "Old School" style D&D. I'll review the books & the "Necropolis of Nuromen" in the next blog entry!

Same with Dungeon Crawl Classics...picked it up to see what its all aboot...review in the near future...

I bought some more old Dragon magazines...as much for the original Dave Trampier art as anything...those old Dragon mags are far superior, in content as well as style, to anything that came afterwards.

I even purchased a print from Jeff Dee...who has been reproducing old works that he did for TSR back in the early 1980's...I got the Elric from Deities & Demigods

Brings back some great memories for me!

And I painted a slew of minis this summer...finished the LOTR minis...didn't find the time to finish my blogging about them, though! Drats! Here's the finished fellowship...along with a Gollum mini from the same period!

Other minis...

Here's the giants, from Otherworld Miniatures, that I painted this summer...all are based on Dave Trampier's drawings from the Monster Manual! 

Well that mostly brings us up to speed...hopefully I'll find more time & inspiration to blog with the weather turning colder & the days getting shorter. 

Excelsior!

Quarantine Mini Painting Project #3 Bill the Pony

Day #3 of my LOTRs painting project...Bill the Pony! 

Fun mini to paint! 1st time painting any kind of a pack animal...I looked at the 1978 Bakshi film...'ol Bill seemed to be a pretty plain brown pony. Went with brown with a black main...added some burnt red highlights & dry brushing...
Viola! 
On deck for tomorrow....Merry Brandybuck! Too bad I forgot to take any pics of the mini before I started painting him! So here's a generic "stock" photo of the mini...

Ah well....'till tomorrow....EXCELSIOR!

Quarantine Mini Painting Project #2 Legolas

Greetings fellow virus survivors! Here's another quick blog entry!
Day #2 of painting my old Grenadier 1985 LOTR "Fellowship" minis...Legolas was next up...

Again, since these minis are based on the 1978 Ralph Bakshi LOTRs film, I stuck to some basic colors. White, Grey, Tan & brown. The 1978 Legolas wasn't quite as dashing as Orlando Bloom...regardless I'm happy with the way this mini turned out. Woodland base for the Woodland Elf!
On deck for tomorrow's (today!) painting: by popular demand....Bill the Pony!

Stay safe & wash yer dirty meat hooks!

EXCELSIOR!!!

Quarantine Mini Painting Project: 1985 Grenadier LOTR Fellowship miniatures

Greetings fellow shut-ins! Need to pass a few idle moments? Check out my latest mini painting adventure!
Having been furloughed from work...I've got some time on my hands.Thought I'd get down to painting these Grenadier 1985 LOTRs "Fellowship" minis!

Well preserved vintage treasure right here! I'll do quick post on each figure...however long it takes me to complete the set. Never know when the job is going to start back up...
Anywhoo...these minis were based upon the 1978 Ralph Bakshi film LOTR

....loosely I'd say, since many of the figures look nothing like the characters in the film!
Starting with Boromir ...

Nice detail...Sword in hand, blowing the Horn of Gondor...
I wanted to paint these minis as they appeared in the 1978 film...or some representation of the film. Thus Boromir isn't wearing pants...he had a loincloth covering in the film. Tried to stay close to the colors (Dark Brown, Brown, Burnt Red) he was sporting. And I went as far as to fashion horns for his Helm...just to try to stay a bit closer to the film representation of Boromir!
Finished mini...just need to clear-coat him & he'll be completed!

A rugged outdoor base to compliment Boromir was the final touch. Thought I'd start with the tragic Hero of Gondor...***As a side note...I always felt (and still do) that Sean Bean would have made a better Aragorn in the 2000s Peter Jackson LOTR films. He was the more mature/rugged version of Aragorn that Tolkien envisioned. The 1978 film went as far as to make Aragorn look Native American! Really a rugged looking character!***
And as a "sneak peek" to the next mini...here's Legolas!

Stay safe out there!
Excelsior!