No Game This Week

 

No Game This Week

    The three of us didn't game this last Sunday or Monday.  Hopefully the stars align next week!

30 Days Until Halloween 2026!

 

Welcome to Old Bonegrinder

 

 

Old Bonegrinder

 

Origin

• Curse of Strahd: The location was created specifically for the 5th edition adventure module published in 2016.

Lore in 5e

• The Windmill: It sits on the Old Svalich Road between the village of Barovia and Vallaki.
• The Hags: It serves as the lair for Morgantha and her daughters, who make dream pastries out of children. 

 

My Experiences Running Old Bonegrinder in My Campaign

This location was indicated as “of interest” to the PCs because of a Tarokka card reading they received. The card suggested a location for a magic item they were seeking. I telegraphed the danger in a few ways. First, they learned of a dead body found at the crossroads of the Svalich Road and the path to Old Bonegrinder. Then, when they arrived, a raven told Tim about the Hags inside when he cast Speak with Animals on the bird.

The party spent two and a half two-hour sessions at Old Bonegrinder, so roughly five hours of play at the location. That leads me to think this could fit into a Halloween One-Shot for DMs looking for an alternative to Castle Ravenloft. Thematically, Hags baking “treats” in a manner that reminded me of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale gives me Halloween vibes. The Hags and their duplicitous friendliness baited my players into conflict quickly, another useful trait for any One-Shot game, IMHO.

When the Hags had sustained massive damage, they used spells to escape. I had them return about a dozen sessions after their initial encounter, to dramatic effect. They make excellent recurring villains in a campaign.

I tend to disregard level suggestions, and I did so with this adventure, which is suggested for 4th-level 5e characters. My PCs were higher-level Lamentations of the Flame Princess characters, ranging from 5th to 9th level, and the Hags were still formidable.

Here are the links to those sessions:

Session #183

Session #184

Session #185

Session #200 

 

Why I Think This Works for a Halloween One-Shot

The adventure location is nicely contained to a four-level windmill. If you need to have a bit more to explore, there is also the nearby megalithic stone circle. The Hag coven baking psychoactive pastries out of children is horrific. The Hags make memorable and formidable NPC villains/monsters. Their only minions or companions are a Dretch and a Swarm of Toads.

The children still alive and held captive make for an emotional hook to the adventure. Their parents or guardians can be the quest-givers. If children in immediate danger aren't going to work for your group, then finding a dead adult body with a half-eaten pastry at the crossroads of the Svalich Road and the path to Old Bonegrinder might be a way to introduce the situation.

Consider introducing the Hags in their human forms and having them banter with the PCs before any combat; I particularly enjoyed roleplaying the Hags! They’re intelligent, powerful, and intent on their own survival. They should be brutal with their spell attacks, but also willing to bug out if the PCs are getting the upper hand.

After you defeat or drive off the Hags, the structure can be explored, and the children, Freek and Myrtle, can be rescued. Treasure is minimal, which was fine in my case because I added a magic item that was the main hook for my players. Treasure is tweakable; it’s also a great motivator or hook for some groups.

 

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed running Old Bonegrinder in my campaign, and I would love to run it again. It works at the campaign level, but it is simple yet interesting enough to work well as a Short Campaign or Halloween One-Shot.

What I particularly like about Old Bonegrinder is that it doesn't require a lot of preparation or a complicated setup. You have a memorable location, a clear and horrific situation, dangerous villains, and children who need rescuing. If the Hags survive, you also have the beginnings of a recurring threat waiting for you later in the campaign.

A memorable location, a horrific situation, dangerous villains, and a potential recurring threat—all packed into one creepy old windmill.

Ox --->Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake --->Horse Campaign Session #237

Operation Alibi begins...

 

 

 

Session 237- A Return to Barovia Part 87; Borca 14

9/28/2026

• Awakening at Degravo in the morning, Team Rams find invitations 

  to Free Continental Breakfast in the Morning Parlor.  They go 

  downstairs to redeem.

• Alyna presents the letters that have arrived for them that morning.

• The first letter is from Principal Ivliskova disinviting Team Rams to 

  the Ivliskova Summer Garden Party.

• The second letter is from Vera Nuikin-Tatenna apologizing for their 

  disinvitation to the Ivliskova Garden Party in 2 days.  She promises 

  them they are still invited to the Tatenna Summer Garden Party and 

  invites them to come stay at Nuikin Estate before the Tatenna Party.

• The third letter is from Katya Nuikin-Ritter.  She invites Team Rams 

  to visit her at her new residence at Praetorius Estate.  She says any 

  time works, but suggests it’s in their interest to do so before the 

  Tatenna Summer Garden Party in 9 days.

• Rams discuss what to do next.  They decide that they will infiltrate the 

  Ivliskova Garden Party while simultaneously running an 

  Alibi Operation.

• The party will split into 3 groups:

• Tim and Fecus

• Shelby, Elise, Victor, and Quintinus

• Gugula, the Abbot, and Eogan

• The Shelby, Elise, Victor, and Quintinus group takes the short trip to 

  the village of Lechberg.  They post up at the Wolves Bowl and order 

  wine and lunch.

• Tim, Fecus, Gugula, the Abbot, and Eogan travel south.  Along the 

  way they notice a castle and a fallen sign pointing to “Scholomance 

  Magic School”.  Very late in the evening they arrive at Vor Zyden and 

  the Eels’ Grail is the only thing open that late.

• Watches are set.

Another Monday Night Game!

Happy Belated Aries Full Moon!

   

 

 

   Our usual Sunday night game is rescheduled to tonight, Monday.  The notes from the game tonight should be ready to post tomorrow morning.  Before I get into my game preparation today, I need to go do town errands.

    I had a great Full Moon in Aries on my birthday, Saturday.  Our weather over the weekend was really beautiful and sunny.  I know there will be fewer of those as the autumn progresses.  As an Aries Rising, Libra Sun native, the equinoxes are some of my favorite times of the year.  All that potential and liminality to behold!  The Aries Rising part of my chart wants to tell you to BE BOLD and COURAGEOUS!  NOW!  Lol;)

    Teasers for the week:  on October 1st, you'll find a new article here on the blogger.  It's another installment in my Halloween Haunted Houses of Ravenloft series.  Over on my Substack, my latest Sololoft video was posted last week.  For those that don't know what Sololoft is, I'm doing a mash-up of Ravenloft setting + Shadowdark/Solodark rules.  Heavy emphasis on the Tarokka deck; I'm using it for helping create characters and choose locations.

    Have a great week friends! 

     

Ox --->Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake --->Horse Campaign Session #236

Host of Degravo Playhouse, Ivan Dilisnya

 

 

 

Session 236- A Return to Barovia Part 86; Borca 13

9/21/2026

• Along the way to Degravo, Team Rams give a hype pitch to Quintinus 

  and Eogan and an additional 10 GP each.

• At the bottom of the driveway up to Degravo (the Dilisnya Estate), 

  a family of bears appear to be having a picnic in the last grove of 

  trees before the treeline.

• The dog that followed Team Rams through the Borcan countryside 

  positions itself between them and the Teddy Bear Picnic and barks 

  in a warning way and tries to herd Team Rams away from the scene.  

  Team Rams push forward to investigate a little more closely and the 

  dog runs away.

• As they get closer to the “Teddy Bear Picnic” they realize that the 

  figures are clockwork manikins and their food and drink is spoiled 

  and rotting.  A cloud of insects seems to be attracted to the feast.  

  Team Rams decide not to investigate further and climb up the 

  driveway to knock on the door of the main entrance of Degravo.

• A female voice can be heard on the other side of the door, and 

  the door opens.  Alyna Dilisnya (Ivan’s manikin “daughter”) invites 

  them into the entrance hall and escorts them into the concession 

  stand to pick up snacks before the show.

• Manikins behind the concession counter serve International Delights 

  instant coffee and stale pretzels.  The Abbot casts Purify Food and 

  Water on the refreshments and the pretzels become more palatable.

• Alyna returns, apologizes for not introducing herself and apologizes 

  for her bad manners.  She then leads Team Rams into the Playhouse 

  beyond the concession stand.

• Rams are seated in the front row of the theater.  A curtain opens and 

  a manikin “magician” puts on a magic show.  

• After the magic show, the curtain closes and re-opens to reveal a 

  string quartet of animal headed manikins; Squirrel, Fox, Toad, and 

  Crow play some songs for Team Rams.

• When the string quartet finishes, the curtain closes.  Team Rams hear 

  some thumping and mechanical noises before the curtain opens 

  again.

• When the curtain opens for the last act, Ivan Dilisnya is there in his 

  mechanical hospital bed.  He is excited to meet his guests and quickly 

  proposes they “play a game” with him.

• The game he proposes is a convoluted scheme to embarrass his 

  cousin Vana Boritsi at a future Garden Party.  He dangles the location 

  of a piece of the Vorpal Sword Team Rams are searching for in Borca 

  as the reward for participating in the game.  

• Although Ivan’s appearance is quite monstrous, Team Rams seem 

  charmed by him and politely discuss Ivan’s schemes with him.

• Ivan invites Team Rams to be his guests at Degravo between the 

  upcoming Summer Garden Party Series events.

• Ivan’s mechanical bed starts making an alarming sound and it takes 

  him away from the playhouse.

• Alyna shows Team Rams to the guest rooms of Degravo.  They are 

  decorated according to gender.  If you are in a “boys room” the color 

  scheme is blue and the toys are an adult sized rocking horse and a 

  set of toy soldiers.  If you are in a “girls room” the color scheme is pink 

  and the toys are the adult sized rocking horse and a doll house set.

• Rams set watch.  On the first watch, Tim does stretching and memory 

  exercises in the hall to pass the time.  A soldier in a wagon toy comes 

  rolling down the hall past Tim, cruises to the end of the hall, trunks 

  around and moves past Tim, noting his position, before returning from 

  whence it came.

• On the second watch, Fecus sorts inventory and uses his X-Ray Ring 

  to peer into the surrounding rooms.  He is able to detect all of his team 

  members sleeping in their rooms, except the Abbot, who is meditating.

• Elise sits the third watch and it is uneventful.

Game Tonight; Notes Tomorrow!?!

 

 

 

    One of the players had to re-schedule due to workload.  Instead of the usual Sunday night game, we will play tonight!  Later today, I'll be working on my preparation of Ivan Dilisnya's estate, Degravo.  The actual play notes from the session should go out some time tomorrow.  

    Today's the last day of astrological summer for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  Here in the PNW, it has felt like autumn since September 1st, almost like a switch got flipped.  From the hands of Virgo to the Claws of the Scorpion (an ancient term for Libra!), we slip into spooky season.  I'm celebrating my birthday later this week with a Full Moon in Aries to beam down upon my aging bones;)  Have a wonderful week friends!

Star Notch Stories Session #6

Man Bats attack!

 

 

 

Session 6- Taking a Gander at Yander Mountain

9/6/26

• Boy and his team bury Beavis and Kevin in Sour Springs Hollow.  

  The morale rolls for Anders and Tarp are poor; they’re grumbling 

  about the loss of their friends.

• Boy decides to take the long way home.  He takes the party to 

  Ugly Bottom to cash in an invitation to hospitality from the Farlow 

  family.

• They sell a Snakeskin Alter Cloth for 100 GP to the Smith.

• They travel the next day to Hark to investigate the rumors of 

  “Fetch Lights”.  In Hark they learn the road around Yander Mountain 

  is dangerous.  A few massacres have occurred in the closest farms 

  to the road around Yander Mountain.

• They walk up to the mountain and discover caves above the road.  

  They investigate 1 that contains old bear bones.  Krishka tells Boy 

  that the exploration should be put on hold until morale improves 

  among the party.

• They leave the area and have a dicey bridge crossing over the 

  Drowning River.  Luck is spent crossing it.  Closer to home, they 

  see a Giant Buzzard flying above Carrion Peak.

• At home, the Hendershot Farm, the corn harvest is in and the still is 

  getting set up.  They remain a few days to help with the Moonshine 

  batches.  Everyone has a chance to heal during this time.

• They travel to Green Downs to hire 4 farmboys (10 GP each) and sell 

  100 GP of gems.

• Travelling back towards Hark, they see the Giant Buzzard over 

  Carrion Peak.

• Later on a ridge they are attacked by 5 Man Bats.  One of the Man 

  Bats picked Ciba up and dropped her, injuring her badly.  Boy renders 

  aid to Ciba, stabilizing her.

• We ended mid-combat.