The Stronghold #1 (Mini-Review)
The Stronghold is a new fanzine by Boric Glanduum. It is a
print-only zine which you can buy for USD $5.00 -
6.00,
depending on your location.
It is named after the author’s
blog. While the content is
old school in spirit the stat blocks are mostly given for 3.X. Delivery
was pretty fast considering it was overseas. The zine comes at 24 pages
plus cardstock cover. The cover art by Jay Penn is freaking awesome! The
interior illustrations are also pretty nice. However, there are some
quirks with this product. One table does not line up properly and
different base fonts are used. I find it a bit strange that the pages
are cut a bit crudely. It doesn’t look as smooth as comparable zines.
That being said, the booklet is easy to read and that’s what matters.
So, what’s in it? There is a random d30 table (yeah, d30!) with found
items. Not the magic ones but those seemingly useless and mundane
items. I like that, it’s a nice idea and pretty neat if you have to come
up with something on the fly.
Next up is the Vat of Variance, a barrel which changes your
physiology. Some random tables determine your alteration, for instance,
serpentine heads or arachnoid legs. I’m not really excited by this one
though it could be part of an adventure where someone uses the vat for
nefarious purposes.
Then there is an entry for the monster type Mimic. It comes with
different sub-classes like Keg and Cask Mimics, Clothing Mimics and
more. Stats are given for D&D 3.X. The information goes way beyond what
you have in a normal monster handbook and is very handy.
Then there is one page with Missives from the ‘Hold, a humorous
table about noses and boogers. Actually, this entry is pretty silly.
What I find useful again is a list of three ready-made Treasure
Tables which come at 1500 gp value.
The zine ends with an entry for a NPC gnoll, Rogka, and a map for
their turf, the Environs of Chot Lake. It’s a good write-up. For me,
the content of the zine varies in usefulness but overall it’s a nice
read. Kudos for using a d30 table. While there is nothing that blew me
away there are some things I can see myself using. I’m a bit on the
fence about this zine. I would say it compares mostly to Tim Short’s
The Manor and I somehow find The
Manor more inspiring. However, this is The Stronghold’s first issue so
it might lose its rough edges in the future.
As things are now, it’s a solid no-nonsense fantasy zine. While I enjoy
those weird and gonzo fanzines much, I’m glad to see that the ordinary
fantasy still gets some love.