These Mushrooms are Glowing!

Classic dungeon master moves on Gelatinous Cube this week, as we consider Rosie's dingy encounter "These Mushrooms are Glowing!" 

The humble mushroom provides inspiration for all manner of folklore and fantasy. This time they're touched with a little magic to create a low-level trap that introduces an entire world. Then it's over to the Gelatinous Cube for a woodland trance party and the psychedelic offerings it yields. 

Full encounters here!

Lots of references this week:

Frank Dugan's excellent article on mycophobia and mycophilia:

Dugan, F. M. 2008. Fungi, folkways and fairy tales: mushrooms & mildews in stories, remedies & rituals,from Oberon to the Internet. North American Fungi 3( 7): 23-72.

Rosie also discussed her deep and abiding love for the Exile and Avernum series of games, created by Spiderweb Software. 

And finally if you would like to encounter a Machine Elf (seems inadvisable but you must follow your own path) you can find out more about them here. 

This Prize Pig Talks!

We're in double figures!

For Gelatinous Cube #10 we're e-i-e-i-o'ing our way through Adam's dark fairytale encounter "This Prize Pig Talks!"

We discuss why the weird is privileged over the uncanny in RPG creation, horror in the familiar, and motivating players through moral appeals. Plus over preparation and what do if your players sidestep an encounter than you've spent an age crafting.

Then we hurry over to a baleful dinner party, where the Gelatinous Cube is about to serve up a very talkative fish.

Full encounters here!

This Egg has a Fairy in it!

Time to take a trip back to Dolmenwood, as Adam unveils a very jaunty pub garden in "This Egg has a Fairy in it!"

We discuss whimsy in RPGs, micro-sandboxes, the magic of taverns and the pleasures and perils of roleplaying downtime.

And as for the cube? A merry little egg companion who may help or hinder, and a very mean birdwatcher to follow it. 

Full encounters here!

This Daimon is Drunk!

For our second act we discuss Adam's encounter, "This Daimon is Drunk!" 

We talk daimons, decisions, and drunken quests, as we visits Necrotic Gnome's beautiful Dolmenwood setting and happen upon a very intoxicated guide. 

Then over to the Gelatinous Cube, who has a hell of an addition this week; with a huge, soul-puking, devil.   

Full encounters here!