Chris Strahm (aka One Man and His Dice)

The Mimic: A Lesson in Trust Issues The Mimic is more than a monster. With one chomp, it teaches players that trust is a luxury and curiosity is a risk. It’s the creature that turns every chest, door, and chair into a potential betrayal. This is the OSR at its most playful and cruel.

The Mimic is a warning label for the entire dungeon. A bite-sized masterpiece of paranoia and design.
Read 'The Mimic: A Lesson in Trust Issues'

The Stirge: A Love Letter to the Least of Horrors The stirge is small, simple, and often dismissed. Yet it remains one of the purest expressions of old-school danger. No drama, no grandeur, just a blood-hungry nightmare that turns low-level play into a desperate struggle. This is a tribute to the tiny terror that taught us never to let our guard down.

Small but vicious, the stirge is one of D&D’s purest horrors. A low-level terror that teaches players fear the moment it latches on. Here’s my tribute to the tiniest nightmare in the dungeon.
Read 'The Stirge: A Love Letter to the Least of Horrors'

The Valley of Sleeping Gods The Valley of Sleeping Gods is a secretive and ethereal realm that I have sought after, embodying a metaphysical locale brimming with mystery and philosophical exploration. It challenges conventional views on divinity and faith, emphasizing the unsettling nature of true adventure, where players confront profound questions rather than seek material rewards.

Beneath a blood-red sky lies the Valley of the Sleeping Gods, a vast ring of idols and madness where mountains dream and divinity decays. Step into the myth.
Read “The Valley of the Sleeping Gods”

The Swine-Things of the Borderlands The Swine-Things are unsettling creatures that I introduced in my campaign, merging human and animal traits to evoke primal fear. Their origins link to Hodgson's cosmic horror, symbolizing the chaos beneath civilization. They embody existential dread, altering players' perceptions of wilderness and revealing that horror lies in the unknown lurking beneath the surface.

From the mist-choked ruins of the Borderlands come the Swine-Things. Part beast, part nightmare, and wholly unforgettable. Inspired by Hodgson and reimagined for the OSR.
Read “The Swine-Things of the Borderlands”

Tomb of Horrors: The Adventure That Killed a Generation Tomb of Horrors is a rite of passage – one that teaches players the most valuable lesson in all of RPGs: everything can kill you. It’s also a product of its time, encapsulating both the creativity and cruelty of the early D&D ethos. It’s deadly, it’s iconic, and it’s unforgettable.

Tomb of Horrors is a deadly, unforgettable rite of passage. A masterpiece of D&D design that killed characters and shaped generations. Read ‘Tomb of Horrors: The Adventure That Killed a Generation’

AD&D 2nd Edition: The Edition That Never Stood a Chance AD&D 2nd Edition arrived with lofty goals and a polished look, but its timing was unfortunate. Caught between the rising tide of narrative-driven games and the fading traditions of first-wave D&D, it never truly found its identity. But in that limbo, it left behind some of the most intriguing ideas in RPG design.

AD&D 2nd Edition never quite found its footing, caught between old-school design and the narrative revolution. But in its missteps, it carved out a space for some truly unique ideas.
Read “AD&D 2nd Edition: The Edition That Never Stood a Chance”

MÖRK BORG and the Gospel of Doom Metal Design MÖRK BORG is a scream set to layout. A doom-metal sermon disguised as an RPG, it tears down the walls between art, apocalypse, and play. Beneath the noise and nihilism lies a design ethos so sharp …

onemanandhisdice.wordpress.com/2025/10/21/m...

MÖRK BORG and the Gospel of Doom Metal Design MÖRK BORG is a scream set to layout. A doom-metal sermon disguised as an RPG, it tears down the walls between art, apocalypse, and play. Beneath the noise and nihilism lies a design ethos so sharp it cuts through decades of tradition: beauty in decay, freedom in chaos.

MÖRK BORG is a doom-metal hymn to chaos and creativity. Beneath its screaming yellow pages lies a design philosophy as raw as it is brilliant. Read “MÖRK BORG and the Gospel of Doom Metal Design”

The Secret Brilliance of The Black Hack The Black Hack looks deceptively simple – a few pages of minimalist rules that strip D&D to its bones. Beneath its scrappy DIY surface lies one of the smartest pieces of game design in the OSR: a system that remembers what made the old games great, and what made them human.

Don’t let The Black Hack’s simplicity fool you. Beneath its scrappy charm beats one of the cleverest OSR hearts in modern gaming – fast, human, and beautifully brutal. Read “The Secret Brilliance of The Black Hack”

Catching My Breath (and Catching Up!) After a few weeks away (thanks to work, illness, and life being life), I looked up and realised OSR October was already half over. Here’s my complete list of prompts and responses for the month – from overlooked rules to misunderstood magic – with promises to expand each in the coming weeks. Consider this a quick resurrection roll and a reminder that the dice are still rolling at One Man and His Dice.

Back after a few chaotic weeks (work, illness, life!) and surprised to find we’re halfway through #OSROctober2025. I’ve posted my full list of prompts – from The Black Hack to Vancian Magic – with essays coming soon! #OSROctober2025 #OSRtober2025

Only lawful orders must be obeyed. Officers: your oath is to the Constitution, not a man. Enlisted: unlawful orders — like targeting civilians — must be refused. Always.

#MilitaryOath #DutyNotObedience #DefendTheConstitution #UCMJ

‘The Game That Changed the World’: A Conversation with Harold Johnson In this wide-ranging conversation, TSR veteran Harold Johnson pulls back the curtain on the birth of Dragonlance, the roots of the A-series Slavers modules, and the improbable path that took him from theatre and biology into shaping the game that changed the world. Along the way, we touch on TSR castles built from paper, conventions past and present, and the enduring secret that makes Dungeons & Dragons thrive: the creativity of the players themselves.

From TSR castles made of paper to the creation of Dragonlance itself, Harold Johnson has stories you won’t want to miss. I sat down with one of the unsung architects of D&D’s golden age to talk Slavers, Dragon Days, and the secret of why the game still works 50 years on.

When Empires Fall Before Dungeons & Dragons, before Chainmail, before the TSR juggernaut, there was War of the Empires. A ditto-printed postal wargame run by a “Master Computor,” complete with newsletters, medals, and cosmic aristocracies. Gary Gygax himself once role-played as Sub Commander Gygax, bearing the “Curse of Yig” in a galactic struggle. The game died, revived, and died again, but its DNA can be traced through the entire evolution of the hobby. This is the forgotten prehistory of sci-fi gaming.

Before Mordenkainen, before Greyhawk, Gary Gygax was Sub Commander Gygax, sallying forth with the “Curse of Yig” in a galactic postal wargame called War of the Empires.
Read how this obscure 1966 ditto-printed experiment foreshadowed RPG culture as we know it today.

Imagination as the True Currency of Play Imagination is the true currency of fantasy gaming. Dice and rules are scaffolding, but it’s fiction – the myths, stories, and half-baked pulp tales we absorb and remix – that fuels the OSR and NuSR. The broader your influences, the richer your game becomes.

What really fuels the OSR/NuSR? Not the rules. Not the dice. It’s imagination, composted from pulp, myth, metal, and even the trashiest zines. The broader your influences, the richer your game.

A Critical Retrospective on OD&D Supplement IV: Gods, Demigods, and Heroes Gods, Demigods, and Heroes is one of the strangest supplements TSR ever published. Less a rulebook than a statted-out mythology handbook, it dares to reduce Zeus, Odin, and even Conan to hit points and armour class. It’s gloriously audacious, wildly inconsistent, and ultimately more interesting as a cultural artifact than as a play aid. Yet within its messy pages lies the spirit of 1970s D&D. It’s reckless, playful, and unafraid to cross boundaries.

Ever wondered what happens when you give Zeus hit points? Or when Elric of Melniboné gets written up like a goblin with better hair? My latest retrospective dives into Gods, Demigods, and Heroes (1976) – the strangest, most audacious of the OD&D supplements.

Damage, Expertise, and the OSR/NuSR Divide The eternal debate over weapon damage is more than a question of dice. Should every weapon strike for the same? Or should swords, spears, and morning stars feel distinct, bound by reach, heft, and mastery? This piece explores how old-school rulings on expertise, dual-wielding, and weapon length still echo in today’s OSR and NuSR design debates, where the balance between simplicity and realism shapes not only combat, but the very soul of the game.

Steel, shadow, and dice – what makes a weapon truly matter at the table? My latest post dives into the old-school debate over damage, mastery, and dual-wielding, and why it still sparks fire in today’s OSR/NuSR circles.

Johnny Nine-Fingers Reviews S1: Tomb of Horrors The Tomb of Horrors isn’t a dungeon. It’s a grudge. Every wall, pit, and false door is Acererak’s way of sneering at your pride and daring you to press on. Johnny Nine-Fingers ventured inside and came back with fewer eyebrows, more curses, and a story to tell. This is about surviving the cruellest puzzle-box in RPG history.

Some dungeons hold dragons. Some hold treasure. Then there’s the Tomb of Horrors, which holds only your hubris and a demi-lich with a very dark sense of humour. Johnny Nine-Fingers went in so you don’t have to (but you probably will anyway).

Tomb of Horrors: The Killer Dungeon That Refused to Die First published in 1978, S1: Tomb of Horrors is less a dungeon crawl and more a cruel puzzle-box built to humiliate adventurers. With Acererak’s traps, illusions, and the infamous green devil face, the tomb became a rite of passage – and a graveyard – for heroes. This essay explores its origins, its publication, and why, nearly fifty years later, we still return to die within its halls.

There are dungeons… and then there’s Tomb of Horrors. The killer dungeon that tested egos, devoured characters, and made legends out of survivors. In my latest blog, I dive into the history of S1, Gary Gygax’s cruel masterpiece, and why it still matters nearly 50 years on. Dare you enter?

RPG a DAY: Day 31 – Reward The final reward of RPGaDAY2025 isn’t treasure or XP – it’s community, reflection, and the joy of creating stories together. Thanks to everyone who joined in. See you next year.

Day 31: REWARD. Not treasure, not XP – the real reward is the people we play with, the stories we share, and the chance to look back at the journey. Thanks to everyone who took part in #RPGaDAY2025. See you next year!

Catching Up: RPGaDAY 2025 (Days 11–30) I’ve been away from the internet for most of August, so here’s a whirlwind catch-up on #RPGaDAY2025 prompts 11–30. From flavour and mystery to destiny and nemesis, plus a peek at my own challenges, inspirations, and origins.

I’ve been offline for most of August, but here’s my whirlwind tour of #RPGaDAY2025 prompts 11–30: flavour, path, mystery, darkness, destiny, suspense, and more. From Moldvay nostalgia to imposter syndrome, and why Dolmenwood feels fated.

Catching up on #RPGaDAY2025 with four prompts in one go: Journey, Explore, Inspire, Origin. From salt-flat expeditions to Moldvay nostalgia, from Hodgson’s haunted horizons to the sound of dice at 3 a.m., this is what keeps me playing.

RPG a DAY 2025: Day 6 – Motive Gold might spark a quest, but it’s motive that keeps the dice rolling. From zealots convinced they’re saving the world to gamblers dodging debts, everyone wants something, and every choice sets the next adventure in motion.

Day 6: MOTIVE. Gold starts the quest, but why you want it shapes the story. Two d6 motive tables, a look at villainous conviction, and my own reasons for starting new games. #RPGaDAY2025

RPG a DAY 2025: Day 5 – Ancient In the east, the Silent Observatory of Quagmar houses the Sidereal Gnomon, a shadowless “sundial” that points to whatever you seek, for the price of a memory. Fortune favours the bold… and forgetful.

Day 5: ANCIENT. An ancient man leads you to the Silent Observatory of Quagmar, home to a sundial that points to what you seek… if you’ll trade a memory. Also: oldest RPG? Braunstein, maybe? #RPGaDAY2025

RPG a Day 2025: Day 4 – Message Johnny Nine-Fingers and I discuss the kind of message that’s not carried on a dagger tip, but through a pub window: an invitation for newcomers to join the game. No rulebooks required – just curiosity, a chair, and the courage to roll the dice.

Day 4: MESSAGE. Johnny Nine-Fingers and I talk about the one you don’t find on a dagger tip – it’s an invite to join the game. Bring curiosity, we’ll handle the rest. The lantern’s lit at The Hanged Goat. #RPGaDAY2025

RPG a DAY: Day 3 – Tavern At The Hanged Goat, luck is made with every roll of the dice, every coin tossed, and every drink raised in the shadows of Quag Keep. This tavern, nestled within the heart of a shifting stronghold, is the birthplace of adventure, whether it’s braving the wilderness or defying the gods.

Day 3 of #RPGaDAY2025 : TAVERN. Adventurers seeking luck need look no further than The Hanged Goat in Quag Keep. Between a dice roll and a tankard of ale, fortune – and peril – await. #Tabletop #Adventure #IntoTheBorderlands

RPGaDAY 2025: Day 2 – Prompt Gary Gygax never told me to use a GM screen, but he showed me how to use it well. From the filing cabinet ‘judge’s screen’ of his early playtests, I learned it could be more than cardboard. It could be drama, mystique, and a tool for immersion.

Day 2 of #RPGaDAY2025 : Prompt. Gary Gygax never told me to use a GM screen; he showed me how to own it. From filing cabinet fortresses to cardboard battlements, the right screen is more than a shield, it’s a stage.

RPG a DAY 2025 – Better Late Than Never In 1982, my older sister Tammy introduced me to the Moldvay Basic Set and unknowingly changed the course of my life. My first adventure in the Caves of Chaos involved kobold disguises, wild sack-swinging, and the moment I found my true home in tabletop roleplaying.

Day 1 of #RPGaDAY2025 : Patron. Mine wasn’t a noble or a wizard. It was my older sister Tammy, who gifted me the Moldvay Basic Set in 1982. From kobold disguises to wild sack-swinging, my first adventure was pure magic.

Savage Frontiers: The Pulp Roots of RPG Storytelling (Part VII) In pulp, treasure is never just gold – it’s a debt waiting to be paid. Every crown, every gem, every bloodstained coin carries a curse. The best RPGs know this: the treasure whispers, it watches, and it weighs. And when you count your winnings, something always counts you back.

Savage Frontiers: The Pulp Roots of RPG Storytelling (Part VII)

In pulp, treasure is never just gold – it’s a debt waiting to be paid. Every crown, every gem, every bloodstained coin carries a curse. The best RPGs know this: the treasure whispers, it watches, and it weighs. And when you count your…

Savage Frontiers: The Pulp Roots of RPG Storytelling (Part VI) There’s always another door, another depth, another hell. In pulp, the otherworld isn’t a place on a map – it’s a trap sprung by guilt, sin, or bad luck. Step through, and reality twists: the landscape mocks you, the air stinks of your secrets, and something is always watching from the throne.

There’s always a deeper pit, another door, another hell. Part VI of my dungeon deep dive explores the otherworlds of pulp fantasy – realms that twist reality, mock the soul, and never let you leave clean. Step lightly. Something’s watching.

Before Discord servers and hashtags, we found fellow adventurers by post – letters, maps, and house rules typed on creaky typewriters. My latest piece reflects on the corkboard of the mind, where names of strangers once meant friendship. Come pin yours beside mine.