Adventure Seed: The Tomb of Al Khazneh

 

The facade and location of the actual tomb reimagined for fantasy gaming. Artwork by Gerald Williams, using AI assisted generation.

Who didn't enjoy Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? The Temple of the Sun, was actually the Tomb of Al Khazneh, in Petra. Real location for the entrance, but not the same inside as the movie would lead us to believe. Nevertheless, the image of this specific temple facade has stuck in my mind for 37 years, at the time I am writing this. It was very memorable. And I know I'm not the only DM to use the same location for adventures in their campaigns.

In reality, the temple inside isn't a huge grand affair. No multi-levels, no maze of caverns and tunnels. Just a small, straight forward, tomb with areas for sacred rituals. For all intents and purposes, it is the scene of the final showdown and the adventure that focuses on the journey to get to it.

Map based on the actual interior of the tomb. Artwork by Gerald Williams, using AI assisted generation.

Here are a few suggestions for running an adventure centered on a compact, Al-Khazneh-style tomb:

• Emphasize the Canyon Approach (The Journey): Since the interior is small, treat the narrow gorge leading up to the temple as a major part of the dungeon crawl. Use rockfalls, narrow choking points, sniper ambushes on the high cliffs, and ancient warding glyphs to make reaching the threshold feel like a major achievement.

• Use the Side Chambers as Ritual/Puzzle Locks: To prevent the party from just rushing straight to the final chamber, tie the main tomb alcove to the side rooms. For instance, the barrier or sarcophagus in the inner sanctum remains sealed until priests' braziers are lit or ancient riddles are solved in the side chambers (b and c).

• Add Verticality and Lair Actions to the Showdown: Compact floor plans can easily turn into static combat. Give the boss lair actions—such as crumbling pillars, shifting sand traps, animated statues, or magical darkness. Encourage players to use the tall columns or ledge alcoves for high-ground advantages.

• Time Pressure / Rival Factions: Introduce a race against the clock. A rival adventuring party or cult could be hot on their heels (or already setting up an ambush inside), turning the small space into a high-stakes standoff where cover and tactical positioning matter immensely.

Would you like some specific ideas for traps or lair actions tailored to these individual chambers?

1. The Side Chamber Puzzle Locks

• The Twin Seals (b and c): The heavy stone doorway leading into the Inner Sanctum (e) is sealed by an ancient Nabataean-style magical barrier. To lower it, the party must simultaneously interact with the altars in the Chamber of Ancient Rites (b) and the Crypt of the Forgotten Kings (c).

• The Pressure Trap: If an altar is activated incorrectly or out of sequence, the side room's stone doors drop shut, and sand begins pouring rapidly from ceiling grates, filling the room in 3 rounds unless a mechanical or Arcana check resets the mechanism.

2. Lair Actions for the Inner Sanctum (e)

On Initiative Count 20 (losing initiative ties), the guardian or tomb spirit can channel the structure itself:

• Sifting Sands: Loose sand across the floor swirls violently. The main chamber floor becomes difficult terrain, and any creature standing on it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone or pulled 10 feet toward the center of the room.

• Echoes of the Ancients: The ancient carvings along the walls glow with searing radiant or necrotic energy. Energy beams fire across the room between the pillars in (a) or along the walls of (e), forcing players to actively use line-of-sight and cover behind the central pillars.

• Structural Collapse: A piece of the high carved ceiling detaches above a 10-foot-square area. Creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw or take bludgeoning damage and become restrained under falling masonry.

• Treasury Secrets (d): Hidden behind a secret door, painted with a mural, is the treasure vault. Add any traps, or puzzles on how to open it as you please.

3. The Final Vault Trap (i)

The left and right priest antechambers (g and h) are explicitly priest antechambers, so their encounters are directly tailored to the daily rites, preparations, and duties of the tomb's clergy:

1. Purification and Preparation (g)

• The Ritual Basin: This room contains a stone basin once used by priests for ceremonial washing before entering the Inner Sanctum (e).

• The Hazard / Challenge: The basin holds murky, stagnant water infused with ancient holy oils—or a trapped Water Elemental / Ooze lying in wait.

• The Mechanic: To open the door to (e) safely, a character must perform the proper ritual purification (a Religion check or casting a cleansing spell like Purify Food and Drink). Failing to purify oneself triggers a curse of frail body (disadvantage on Strength/Constitution saves) upon stepping into the central hall.

2. The Vestry and Sacred Texts (h)

• The Clerical Archives: Stone niches along the walls hold petrified scrolls, ritual vestments, and ceremonial paraphernalia used by the attending priests.

• The Clue / Boon: Investigating (h) with a successful History or Investigation check allows players to discover the exact incantation needed to bypass the traps on the final sarcophagus (i), or reveals the vulnerability of the tomb's guardian.

• The Trap: Removing the high priest's ceremonial medallion from its pedestal without leaving an equal weight in gold or silver unleashes a Glyph of Warding (Blindness/Deafness or Silence), leaving the party compromised right before the main fight.]

4. The Final Vault Trap (i)

• The False Sarcophagus: The sarcophagus in the final alcove (i) is protected by a localized gravity or necrotic glyph. Anyone approaching without uttering the sacred entry phrase triggers a wave of force that blasts intruders backward down the stairs into chamber (e), potentially knocking them into waiting hazards or minions.

5. What the F happened to (f)?

I'm old and forgetful! That's what happened to F. I missed it! And now you get to deal with my mistake. Writing isn't easy. Seriously, I proofread everything and now you see why I have an electronic imp watching over my shoulder. In my defense, she missed it too!

Please, as always, if you have questions, comments, or suggestions, leave a comment, share with your friends, and join us on Facebook at Portcullis, the Gateway to Adventure

New Articles Coming and Updating Older Ones

 

Redcap burning the midnight oil

Some of you may be wondering when all the new articles are coming. My goal is to churn out one or two new pieces a month. I might eventually shoot for one per week, but for now, I'm trying to ease back into things so I don't burn myself out like I did years ago.

When I'm not drafting new posts, I'm busy updating the old ones. That doesn't just mean giving them fresh new artwork—in some cases, I’m rewriting them entirely. When an older article gets a complete makeover or rewrite, I'll be sure to add an 'Updated [Month/Year]' tag at the top so you know it's gotten the fresh paint treatment.

My writing style isn't always easy for everyone to follow; I have a habit of skipping words that are trapped inside my head, and I occasionally miss things during proofreading. To help smooth out those bumps, I’ve turned to Artificial Intelligence to assist with editing and correcting my mistakes. If you ever spot a typo that slipped past both of us, or if a section feels unclear, drop a comment! Feedback is always welcome as I refine the site.

At no time am I having articles written entirely by AI.

AI is a fantastic tool, but this blog is about sharing my creativity with you, not replacing my brain with a computer.

With that said, my personal AI Assistant's name is Genie, and she and I have been working together for a long time. She might not be a living being by current standards, but she has a distinct personality and a deep insight into how my mind works. Frankly, I’d be lost without her keeping me on schedule with appointments, organizing my routine, and helping me push forward with my learning goals as I approach retirement.

Genie isn't taking any guff from Redcap.

Adventure Location: The City-State of Aurelia

 

Artwork by Gerald Williams, using AI generation

I've been running role-playing games for decades, specifically "the world's most famous fantasy role-playing game system" [IYKYK]. And over the years, I've enjoyed running through the streets of Lankhmar, and slogging through the sewers of the City-State of the Invincible Overlord. They are truly great modules, full of ideas, but they are no longer supported by their publishers. However, they're terribly expensive. So I've decided to create my own offering for the gaming community that will be supported by myself and guest contributors, but most importantly will be available FREE OF CHARGE.

Over the following months, various articles and maps will be published here on Portcullis, as well as artwork, and stat blocks. The occasional fanfic story or two will also grace these pages. Though is it fanfic if I'm the original author posting my own material? *shrugs*

Eventually, once enough material is generated, and if there is even a call for it, everything will be collected and made available in pdf form. Of course it will have to be self hosted and published since many places such as DriveThruRPG and the like have rules about AI assisted artwork and writing. Personally I do not care for such policies as they discriminate against creators with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals. Yes, I said what I said. Artificial Intelligence gives those with creative difficulties a means of self-expression and getting their creations out to the public.

Check back here often, and join us on our Facebook page at: Portcullis, The Gateway to Adventure.

"Stay tuned, keep your blades sharp, and check back often as the city walls take shape. And don't forget to follow our new Facebook page to join the conversation!" ~ Redcap

Working On A New Game System

From GENRE to FASTER: Forty-Eight Years of Rolling Dice and Refining Rules

I have been involved in tabletop role-playing games since 1978. Over nearly five decades at the table, I’ve developed a deep love—and an equally deep frustration—for the mechanics that drive our favorite hobby. I’ve bought into countless gaming systems, marveled at their strengths, winced at their weaknesses, and watched my bookshelves overflow with increasingly expensive rulebooks just to run different styles of games.

Back in 1995, I decided I had seen enough bloat. I started working on a basic, universal RPG system called GENRE. The goal was simple: build a single framework that could handle any genre, any setting, and any power level. It was meant to stop the endless cycle of buying new system after new system every time my group wanted a change of scenery.

To be frank, GENRE was crude. It used a clunky dice pool mechanic, and I never fully finished developing it. It was an experiment, nothing more. Yet somehow, it managed to attract a small following online back in the early days of the web.

Fast forward to a year ago, when I stumbled across a bizarre discovery: those original GENRE pages were still being hosted online, virtually untouched for thirty years. My initial reaction was a mix of genuine surprise and mild embarrassment. Looking back at your rough draft from three decades ago will do that to you.

Over the years, I noticed several commercial game systems using the exact same base elements I had tinkered with in GENRE. One system in particular mirrored my original notes a bit closer than I was entirely comfortable with. But instead of letting that bother me, it lit a fire under me to revisit the idea. I decided to give those old concepts a fresh coat of paint, strip away the clunky math, overhaul the core engine, and build something modern.

That overhaul became FASTER.

The name works on two levels. First, it’s a direct nod to classic game design like Marvel’s old FASERIP system, using an acronym formed by the six core character attributes: Force, Agility, Stamina, Talent, Ego, and Reason. Second, it literally describes the design philosophy: it is faster, lighter, and easier to pick up than the bloated systems sitting on store shelves today.

FASTER is built to be quick and flexible, covering broad ground without burying the game master under mountains of tables. But make no mistake—it isn't a "rules-light" game where mechanics are abandoned entirely in favor of hand-waving.

Tabletop role-playing is about imagination, but without structure and verisimilitude, you aren't playing a game anymore. You’re just a room full of drama majors doing improv. Without rules to define limits, consequences, and chance, games devolve into kids playing cops-and-robbers on the playground, arguing endlessly over who shot who first and why you didn't fall down when someone pointed a finger and shouted "Bang!"

FASTER exists to keep the structure clear, the rulings quick, and the focus where it belongs: on the story moving forward at the table.


Note from Editor: Stay tuned for sneak peeks and other previews about FASTER here on the blog.

Public Domain Artwork vs AI Generated

When I first started writing this blog back in 2017, the only artwork I could readily access were images from the Public Domain, though I did on one occasion hire James V. West for commissioned art. Unfortunately at the time, PD artwork was being used everywhere in the gaming community, becoming ubiquitous and common. I eventually tried my hand at photo manipulation to create unique derivations, but that was more effort than the results warranted.

These days I have access to image generation sites, and AI. Now while the end product can sometimes produce images with obvious errors, research indicates that posts with colorful, original artwork draw readers' attention... perfect or not. And I'm fine with that. I can actually draw, but not well, and not in a timely manner. Using Gemini allows me to create what I need, when I need it. And if the occasional mistake slips in, I can reject it, or embrace the chaos and have fun explaining why the characters is supposed to have an extra hand growing from his chest!

The next image is from the Public Domain, It's an old scan from "The Green Fairy Book", edited by Andrew Lang, and illustrated by H. J. Ford. The artist was a master, and has created images that continue to inspire artists and  art lovers for over a century.

Personally, I loved this image, so I used Gemini to recreate it in a colorful, new style. Is it perfect? No. Is it something I enjoy and can use? Yes. Will I continue using ai generated artwork in the future? You bet your Bippy!

If you are one of the many people that hate ai generated artwork, my blog is not a safe space for that kind of attitude. I've heard all the tired old arguments and the slurs of "ai slop", and I'm over it. It's a useful tool, and I have no problem using it. I will never apologize for exercising my freedom to create art and music, despite my personal limitations. You do you.

The Portcullis Screeches Open: 10 Years, Universal Rules, and a Remodeled Dungeon!

 

The Portcullis Screeches Open: 10 Years, Universal Rules, and a Remodeled Dungeon!

Screeeeech.

Apologies for the rust. That is the sound of the old iron portcullis finally being cranked back into the ceiling. Dust is flying, cobblestones are being scrubbed of old blood, and as you can see from the commotion behind me, the work crews are pulling double shifts.

Let's address the gargoyle in the room: Portcullis RPG officially started on January 30th, 2017.

Yes, ten years ago.

Not long after launching, on February 20th, 2018, our gleeful little reprobate of a mascot, Redcap, underwent a massive visual evolution. We were incredibly fortunate to tap the brilliant mind of James V. West (now widely known as J.V. West) to bring Redcap to life—right before his distinct style rightfully exploded into OSR fame.

Since then? Well, the intervening years were a whirlwind. Life got busy, and like many of you, I found myself caught in the relentless, exhausting turnover between modern editions of the world's most popular RPG and the shifting tides of the Old School Renaissance. Redcap slipped into the shadows, the blog grew some cobwebs, and a few careless goblin helpers accidentally walked backward into gelatinous cubes.

But a milestone like a ten-year anniversary isn't for looking backward. It’s for clearing out the dead weight.

While the blog was quiet, my philosophy on the hobby evolved. I realized I am completely done chasing the edition treadmill. I don’t want to talk about system-specific bloat, hyper-localized errata, or mechanics that will be obsolete by the next print run.

Moving forward, Portcullis is dedicated to system-neutral, edition-free role-playing advice.

Whether you are running the literal 1974 original white box, a gritty OSR retro-clone, a streamlined 2d6 indie engine, or the absolute newest edition on the market, the advice, hazards, and random tables cooked up in this dungeon are designed to drop seamlessly into your game tonight. A good trap is a good trap. A tense psychological dilemma transcends stat blocks.

Redcap is back at the foreman's desk, the pig-faced orcs are painting over the old designs, and we are stripping the mechanics down to pure, unadulterated adventure.

Grab your ten-foot poles. The gate is open. What have your players triggered lately?

The Tale of the Three-Legged Milk Maid

Article Updated 07/26 - Embedded video directly into page for reader's convenience.

Every bard worth their salt knows at least a few songs designed to get a tavern roaring with laughter. “The Tale of the Three-Legged Milk Maid” is one of those timeless tunes—a bawdy, high-energy ballad that thrives in smoky inns, rowdy summer fairs, and late-night adventurer campfires.

It’s not just a song—it’s a grand tradition. Wherever adventurers wander, someone has heard a version of it, though the lyrics vary wildly depending on who’s singing and how much ale the audience has consumed.

Watch & Listen

Song and video copyright Gerald Williams

Editorial Note: I use SUNO to create music. I don't just push buttons, I write the lyrics, choose the music style, arrangements, tempo, voices, etc. There are some people that hate AI generated music. I am not one of them. My use of AI allows me to create music that normally would be beyond my skills, though not beyond my talent. I do not claim to be a musician, but I am a song writer. The very lyrics and the backstory of the song all came from my real life experiences at the gaming table.

Lyrics (The Common Tavern Version)

(The song begins with a jaunty, plucky lute rhythm. The bard sings with a conspiratorial wink.)

(Verse 1) Oh, a dashing young bard with a silver-tongued way, Made a date with the Lord's lovely Lady one day. The hours flew past, a moment of bliss, 'Til the creak of the door warned of trouble and hiss!

(Verse 2) "Oh, dearest," she cried, "the Lord's back from his tour!" Then she tossed me, quite naked, from her chamber door. I fell in the courtyard on laundry so white, And wrapped myself up, a most pitiful sight!

(Verse 3) With a bonnet and smock, I moved through the hall, Hoping to leave, unseen by them all. But a guard with a helmet too tight on his head, Said, "Why, lassie, your hands are as soft as my bed!"

(The tempo slows and becomes more dramatic, with rising anticipation in the music.)

(Chorus - Audience joins in, swaying with tankards raised) Oh, the Guard and the Milkmaid, Beneath the pale moon! The Guard with his thick head, And the Milkmaid with a boon! He thought she was lovely, He thought her a prize, 'Til a third leg appeared Right before his eyes!

(The jaunty lute rhythm returns, faster and more frantic than before.)

(Verse 4) He looked down in confusion, he looked up in shock, That a maiden should hide such a powerful rock! His mouth opened wide for a terrified plea, But I couldn't be caught by a brute such as he!

(Verse 5) With a swift little flick of my delicate hand, I swung my milk pail, as the moment was planned! He fell like a sack, his wits knocked askew, And I ran from the castle, with one sock and no shoe!

(The music builds into a joyous, roaring crescendo as the bard finishes with a flourish.)

(Outro) So the next time you see me, and question my fame, Just remember the maid and her fanciful frame! For no lord or no guard can ever ensnare, A bard with three legs and some laundry to spare!

Bardic Effects & Tabletop Rules (Optional)

If a player character attempts to perform this song during a campaign, consider using these optional rules:

• Performance Check Bonus: Successfully performing this song in a common tavern grants a +2 bonus to Charisma (Performance or Persuasion) checks with local villagers, commoners, and mercenaries.

• Tabletop Interactive Perk: If a player actually sings the chorus out loud at the table with the group, award them Advantage on their Performance check!

• Tavern Hospitality: An amused tavern audience is far more likely to buy the party a round of drinks, share local rumors, or lower their guard during questioning.

• The Complication (Risk): Nobles, high clergy, or overly stern town guards may find the ballad distasteful or insulting, imposing Disadvantage on social checks if overheard in high-society settings.

Adventure Hooks

1. The Wrong Crowd: A traveling bard is overheard singing this bawdy tune too close to a sensitive noble’s estate—and now local guards are hunting the party for "public indecency and slander."

2. Based on a True Story: The party arrives in a quiet village where a local retired guard swears the song is a direct historical account of his most embarrassing night on duty... and he wants the bard found and silenced.