Zine

Beneath the Black Pyramid 2

/ Dread Lord / Leave a comment

With two weeks before Cauldron Convention 2026 begins I am proud to announce the release of the second issue of collaborative classic adventure roleplaying gaming zine, BENEATH THE BLACK PYRAMID (BtBP.)

This issue is even more jam-packed with adventure than the last, with twice the number of authors, and two more fantasy illustrators. Issue 2 includes:

  • SKYSEEKER MANOR: A brilliant low level dungeon to kick off your AD&D campaign, chock full of kobolds and resplendent moustaches, by Andrew Walter.
  • ABATTOIR OF THE IMPOTENT IDOLATOR: Our first published OD&D adventure site, descending deep into the hellish pits of a terrible abomination, by the never-weary Attronarch.
  • UPON THE OPULENT OPERCULUM: A named-level adventure site of infiltration against a manor nested atop a gigantic snail. This is by Cauldron’s own Best-DM award winner, Grützi.
  • DUNGEONS TO DIVISIONS: a guide on introducing competitive wargaming elements into your AD&D campaign, by Mitch Hyde.

Not only that, but this issue contains amazing fantasy art by Noah Brown, Andrew Walter, and Andreas Polyviou. Their excellent work really tied the zine together and made it pop!

BtBP issue 2 will debut at Cauldron Con 2026, with all proceeds going towards to PESA and the convention. There will also be some copies of issue 1 available. Each zine costs €10. The zine is still only available in person at select gaming conventions which keep the Gygaxian Gaming Spirit alive (and which I happen to be attending), and all money raised goes directly towards those conventions. All materials in BtBP come straight out of A/OD&D campaigns, with the hope to inspire others to run their own. The zine will never be digital, so grab them when you can!

If you are attending Cauldron Con 2026 and interested in getting copy, I have posted a survey on its discord server to gauge how many copies to bring with me. Currently there are only 70 copies available.

Thanks to everyone who submitted and made this possible.

Now for some glamour shots!

Beneath the Black Pyramid: A New Zine Is Born!

/ Dread Lord / 2 Comments

We are just three weeks away from the start of Grellcon — Britain’s only Old School D&D convention. I’ve been busy rolling up pre-gens and re-reading my modules. In the meantime, I am very pleased to announce the publication of BENEATH THE BLACK PYRAMID: a brand-new classic adventure roleplaying gaming zine.

BENEATH THE BLACK PYRAMID (BTBP hereafter) was originally conceived as a means of financially supporting Grellcon and helping to ensure it can flourish. Grellcon organiser Andrew Walter and I dug a few dungeons out of our binders of yesteryear, gave them a thorough spruce-up, and assembled them into a zine that is now jam-packed with adventure material.

BTBP contains forty-four pages of content in saddle-stitched A5 format. It features two detachable cream card covers containing maps and player handouts. Within its pages, you will find no fewer than three dungeons for ADVANCED DUNGEON & DRAGONS campaigns, a short article offering advice on running them, and a selection of pre-generated characters should you wish to tackle the gauntlet scenario as a one-shot.

The contents are as follows:

  • The Coliseum of the Lunar Lion, by Mitch Hyde : Tournament style gauntlet with demons and traps aplenty!
  • The Black Glass Ruin of Sick-Thicket, By Andrew Walter : Explore the haunted terraformer of an arch-mage!
  • A Grab Bag of Approached to Adventure Game campaigns, by Andrew Walter: Start your campaign now, sucker!
  • The Barrow of Boundless Thews, by Mitch Hyde : Kick off a new campaign with this brutal low level dungeon.

But wait — there’s more!

BTBP will only ever be available in physical form and in short print runs. There will never be a digital edition. If you wish to procure a copy, you will need to attend a convention where Fantasy Adventure Games are played (and where I happen to be).

Furthermore, whenever you purchase a copy of BTBP, the full purchase price will be donated directly to the convention at which it was sold. BTBP will only be available at conventions, gatherings, and gaming tables where the Gygaxian Game is flourishing.

It is my hope that this zine will help support the continued growth of A/OD&D conventions such as Grellcon and Cauldron Convention. More issues are already being written as we speak. In the meantime, I offer you a few glamour shots of the zine to whet your appetite.

All artwork was created by the very talented Andrew Walter and myself.

BENEATH THE BLACK PYRAMID is £10 per copy, with all proceeds being donated to the convention at which it is purchased. The first print run is limited to just fifty copies.

See you at the con!