iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I made this meme long ago:

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Mark CMG Clover @markcmg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Interestingly, Gnolls aren't in (O)D&D or Holmes Basic but are in the 1EAD&D Monster Manual (1977) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_B... www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCnN... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Nat... www.abebooks.com/Zap-Comix-No... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_On... www.acaeum.com/indexes/rule...

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Skylab crashed to Earth in 1979, during the era of Holmes Basic and early AD&D

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Lester B. Portly @patagames.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Working on a 6-panel folding game board for "wilderness adventure" based on Avalon Hill's Outdoor Survival board game from '72; recommend for overland travel in the Underworld and Wilderness booklet from the original D&D box set. #OSR #B/X #OSE #DND #RPG

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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 11/09/2026

On my way to the swamp to do important swamp things (cover credited to “Alex,” D&D/RPG zine Alarums and Excursions #82, November 1982) oldschoolfrp.tumblr.com/post/8274721...

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originalgrognard.bsky.social @originalgrognard.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Some of the loot, from today’s used bookstore road trip! #rpg #ttrpg #marvel #dnd #gygax #usedbooks

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Paratime Tim @paratimetim.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Ghostbusters RPG advert from 1987 #WestEndGames #GhostbustersRPG #GhostToasties #HotRodOfTheGods #RPG #TTRPG

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Just took a close look at the scan of the cover of the unpublished educational module ED-3 Wizard's Dilemma on the TSR Archive, and discovered a purple "Erol Otus 81" signature hidden in the shadows to the left of the front gate. It is pretty obviously in his style, but this confirms it is his work.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

🔥 Watch this discussion with Shannon Appelcline to learn about TSR's unpublished ED (educational) series of D&D modules. I've known of these for a few years but this is a great overview of a lost piece of TSR history. The part on the ED modules starts at about 32:30 ⤵️

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Rindis @rindis.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Issue #8 (ca. March 1974) of Lowrys Guidon magazine is now available in PDF on Wargame Vault! #LowrysHobbies #wargames www.wargamevault.com/en/product/5... www.rindis.com/fox-den/lowr...

Cover of Lowrys Guidon #8 from around March 1974. Upper portion has the return address and the bulk rate postal notice with a space for an address. The rest of it is art of a Sturmgeschutz III by Don Lowry.

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William Gibson @greatdismal.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Knowing that the plastic dinosaurs we played with as kids consisted, to whatever actual extent, of real dinosaurs.

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Somebody wake up Hicks @jonmarkhicks.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

There's an 'I Grew Up 80s' exhibition at the Northampton Museum and it's basically me.

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originalgrognard.bsky.social @originalgrognard.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Which one are you reading first? Today’s thrift store haul! #greyhawk #forgottenrealms #dragonlance #starwars #usedbooks

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Chris P. Wolf 🛸 Mostly Offline @chrispwolf.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Been listening to The Elusive Shift audio book and have learned mostly that you nerds need to find new things to argue about.

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Andy Fix @ajfixer.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Post the 4 Holy Books of your childhood.

Conan, by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague De Camp, and Lin Carter

Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules, by Gary Gygax and Eric Holmes

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Robin Gibson @metalsnail.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Finished a thing I've been stewing on for a while, a lifepath generator for a knight-focused chainmail pbp campaign: metalsnail.bearblog.dev/knight-lifep...

metalsnail.bearblog.dev

Knight Lifepath Generator

This is for a potential chainmail tournament play-by-post campaign I want to run. Name Use the Zenopus Holmsian Name Generator. Age Roll 2d20+10 to deter...

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Urban-nomad @robpr.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Star Wars D6 understood something important: You don't need 37 abilities to feel like you're in Star Wars. Grab some D6s, jump behind cover, shoot at stormtroopers, completely botch the roll, and start improvising. Fast, cinematic, chaotic. Exactly as Star Wars should be. #TTRPG #OSR #D6

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Jonathan Tweet @jonathantweet.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

In early D&D, most monsters had baseline stats with the exception of Armor Class, which varied. If you knew a monster's Hit Dice, you also knew its attack odds, its saving throws, and its damage (always 1d6). Then add special abilities, such as a giant's special ability to deal 2d6 damage. Easy.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

📝 Graeme Davis (Warhammer Fantasy) on creating his first D&D dungeon with Holmes Basic in 1978: ⤵️

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Esoteric Collector @vcreedsabretooth.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Let's take a look at the history of Dungeons&Dragons Dice, a thread. #Dungeons&Dragons #Dice #TSR Part One Continued below...

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Thanks for the reminder of this! I am going to run the Zenopus dungeon at Gary Con next year for the 50th anniversary of Holmes Basic and will use these backgrounds to make things more interesting.

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the girl with Shinigami eyes @diyanddragons.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Your writing is really evocative, Josh! 🔥 I liked when Zenopus Archives used the Normal Men monster listing (plus the hireling list, I believe) to make a list of PC backgrounds: zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2014/08/20-b...

zenopusarchives.blogspot.com

20 Backgrounds for OD&D

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ktrey @ktrey.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

There are *subtle* changes in the D&D ones that I've thought far too much about. Instead of "Friendly" in Holmes Basic...Monsters might end up "Enthusiastic, volunteers help!" Which adds a completely different dimension:

Reaction Table from Holmes Basic D&D. 12 is "Enthusiastic, volunteers help" whilst 9-11 is "accepts offer, friendly"

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Funny, but even for running D&D all I want is a room with one big table and no distractions (screens)!

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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 22/06/2026

two against a purple worm – By Fangorn, aka Chris Baker, originally drawn for the UK publication of Holmes’ Basic D&D (Games Workshop, 1977) then reprinted in White Dwarf 6, April/May 1978. oldschoolfrp.tumblr.com/post/820141191557431296/two-against-a-purple-worm-by-fangorn-aka-chris

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

This is a very solid and redolent stretch of ‘90s.

Five consecutive songs off of Belly’s album “King” — Silverfish, Super-Connected, The Bees, King, Now They’ll Sleep.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Happy Father's Day to those who celebrate it! Don't forget to designate your "relative" before heading out to the dungeon.

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Mr Jim Moon @hypnogoria.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

One from the vaults! In 1977, Games Workshop got the license to print Dungeons and Dragons here in the UK. While the Basic Box Set by J. Eric Holmes, retained the original cover, Game Workshop also sold the rulebook on its own, but with a new cover by John Blanche

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Kaiju Stew @kaijustew.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Somehow I completely forgot that I own a copy of Holmes’ (the guy who wrote the first take on Basic D&D) weird little dungeon fantasy novella. I should read it!

A paperback copy of The Maze of Peril by John Eric Holmes featuring blue line art of some kind of armored orc

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Complex Oscillator @mfelps.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

We moved from Tennessee back to Texas when I was 10. I didn't know anyone, but testing had put me into the G/T track, so they shoved me in a room during recess with a bunch of nerds doing paperwork and playing with dice. I was running -- Holmes basic bought from a comic shop -- a week later.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Game idea thought up whilst jogging: OD&D but the characters are all advanced simians ala Planet of the Apes. Explore ruined cities of the Forbidden Zone, the only place magic works. Mind flayers, the descendants of humans, live there. Steal liberally from Gamma World and Dark Sun.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

This SubPop ad feels targeted just for me. RPG theme to sell indie rock CDs.

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ianbonnar3.bsky.social @ianbonnar3.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

I coded up in pascal a random name generator using the Holmes Basic reference sheets published on the Zenopus Archives. Some hilarious results.

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HiroProtagonist ☕📚 @jaredramey.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

When it comes to The Cure's b-sides, and this collection specifically, it really is an embarrassment of riches. One of the few groups where the b-sides are superior to many other bands album tracks. imo... #CDFriday 💿 🎧

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

🏰 Last day to back the final part of the Troll Lord Games Castle Greyh---, I mean Castle Zagyg, project. I'm in for the PDFs. Link in the first comment ⤵️ #Zagyg #CastleZagyg

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

🔥 13 years after it was first released on PDF, the Moldvay Basic D&D rulebook (the "B" of B/X) is finally released in print-on-demand at DriveThruRPG. Read more in the latest post on the Zenopus Archives, link in the first comment below ⤵️

Cover of the 1981 D&D Basic rulebook, commonly called Moldvay Basic, with an illustration by Erol Otus of two adventurers facing off against a dragon.

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

🔥 This is the 2nd Level of Castle Zagyg as previewed by @trolllordgames.bsky.social in their latest Backerkit campaign. It looks like it was originally drawn by Gygax on four sheets of paper 🧙‍♂️ ⤵️

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The Odd Rod @rodsalm.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Photo dump from @garycon!

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Great Stone Skull @wiredandteary.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Depends on your vibe, but I have gotten a lot of play out of “The tower of Zenopus” aka the Holmes basic d&d example dungeon

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The only used book store in an airport in the US *and* it has a great SF/F section. I stop in every year as well when traveling to #Garycon ⤵️

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Forge of Ice 🔜 Alaska RPG Con in Wasilla! @forgeofice.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

My yearly pilgrimage to Renaissance Books in the Milwaukee airport has once again proven fruitful. A historical account of actual medieval outlaws that I’m sure will have some cool stuff I can use for RPG’s, a 1st print Moorcock HC, and two pulp hero reprints. Plenty to read on the way home!

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

🧙‍♂️ #GaryCon 2026 memories: One week ago at this time I was trying to become a Knight of the Round Table in TSR's Knights of Camelot. Played on a giant board in the Legends of Wargaming hall ⤵️

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directsun @directsun.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

It's my favorite name generator! Reproduced here with a couple of extra options with permission from the legendary @zenopus.bsky.social puzzledungeon.com/holmesian-na...

puzzledungeon.com

Holmesian name generator

Pick a name! Choose how many you want.

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Daniel Collins @superdan.net · 23/03/2026

Saturday at #garycon I took over a certain table at the Timber Ridge Lodge for a whole day. Some photos from my Wizards Warzone & Scarlet Stockade (aka Wandering DMs Design Dash created 42 hours earlier) games: #dnd

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Last night at #GaryCon I participated in the Wandering DMs live Dungeon Design event with hosts Dan (@superchunk.bsky.social) and Paul. Audience suggestions were encouraged! The dungeon will be run by each of the hosts on Saturday at GC.

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Daniel Collins @superdan.net · 20/03/2026

Today I got to play Search for the Emporer's Treasure with the legendary designer Tom Wham! #garycon

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Zenopus Archives 🧙‍♂️ @zenopus.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

🔥 Advance promos of a Red Dragon metal mini, based on the #HolmesBasic cover by David Sutherland, were given out at GAMA by the manufacturer Sirius. Josh Warduke has already exquisitely painted one! ⤵️

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Scifi Art @scifiart.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Star Wars third draft storyboards by Alex Tavoularis, 1975

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Quarter Past @quarterpast.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Cap off International Women’s Day with this thread and tribute to an early pinball legend. Meet Babe Kaufman — America’s Only Woman Jobber!

A full-page ad from Billboard Magazine, September, 16, 1933, with Babe Kaufman's picture in the center with the headline "America's Only Woman Jobber from Coast to Coast" with lots of marketing text around.

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