Vague Countries
@vaguecountries.nl
DIY D&D enthusiast. Interaction design researcher by day. www.vaguecountries.nl
Returned to Viriconium for the third installment of the series. Things get weirder and weirder. But was there ever a more gifted prose stylist working in scifi and fantasy? M. John Harrison's writing is so beautiful it's almost physically painful to read.
December 24, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Returned to Viriconium for the third installment of the series. Things get weirder and weirder. But was there ever a more gifted prose stylist working in scifi and fantasy? M. John Harrison's writing is so beautiful it's almost physically painful to read.
After a short break, I am resuming my sword & planet reading project. Cracked open REH's Almuric last evening. In the first few pages, the protagonist punches a baddy in the face so hard his head is described as cracking like an egg. And also, as a man born out of time. Never change, Two-Gun Bob!
November 5, 2025 at 9:50 AM
After a short break, I am resuming my sword & planet reading project. Cracked open REH's Almuric last evening. In the first few pages, the protagonist punches a baddy in the face so hard his head is described as cracking like an egg. And also, as a man born out of time. Never change, Two-Gun Bob!
Just completed the first actual game of D&D with the seven-year-old twins. Maze Rats worked like a charm.
August 8, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Just completed the first actual game of D&D with the seven-year-old twins. Maze Rats worked like a charm.
Leave it to the French to produce the edgiest of all the covers produced for this book. It also is the most accurate depiction of what goes on in the book, though.
April 10, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Leave it to the French to produce the edgiest of all the covers produced for this book. It also is the most accurate depiction of what goes on in the book, though.
Acquired a near pristine copy of Outdoor Survival for next to nothing. Can’t wait to give this a go and see where D&D got its hexcrawling start from.
April 5, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Acquired a near pristine copy of Outdoor Survival for next to nothing. Can’t wait to give this a go and see where D&D got its hexcrawling start from.
Conquest (1983) deserves special mention as genuinely imaginative and transporting despite its jankiness. More CAS than REH. Prehistoric, mythic, weird heroic fantasy shot through haze and glare. I can dig it.
April 3, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Conquest (1983) deserves special mention as genuinely imaginative and transporting despite its jankiness. More CAS than REH. Prehistoric, mythic, weird heroic fantasy shot through haze and glare. I can dig it.
Got two of JP Coovert’s zines. Very charming, and very infectious. Immediately makes me want to go off and draw maps for my game.
February 25, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Got two of JP Coovert’s zines. Very charming, and very infectious. Immediately makes me want to go off and draw maps for my game.
Still hunting for an affordable paperback with this delightful cover.
February 10, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Still hunting for an affordable paperback with this delightful cover.
Leveling up my classic D&D pedantry with Eero Tuovinen’s Muster.
February 1, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Leveling up my classic D&D pedantry with Eero Tuovinen’s Muster.
What a pile of 400+ Roman-era gold and silver coins looks like.
January 27, 2025 at 11:17 AM
What a pile of 400+ Roman-era gold and silver coins looks like.
Could not resist getting a hardcover copy of the revised edition of Bebergal's Appendix N. Such a gorgeous package. Looking forward to reading the new additions and maybe revisiting some of my favorites.
October 8, 2024 at 6:50 AM
Could not resist getting a hardcover copy of the revised edition of Bebergal's Appendix N. Such a gorgeous package. Looking forward to reading the new additions and maybe revisiting some of my favorites.
After many detours it’s finally time to get cracking on CAS’s Hyperborea.
September 23, 2024 at 1:57 PM
After many detours it’s finally time to get cracking on CAS’s Hyperborea.
The latest addition to my board game collection. One can never have too many Matagot dudes-on-a-map games.
April 22, 2024 at 7:20 AM
The latest addition to my board game collection. One can never have too many Matagot dudes-on-a-map games.
Having a bit of fun with DALL·E 3. Generating an image to go with the most recent play report of our sword & planet & sandal campaign.
March 5, 2024 at 4:37 PM
Having a bit of fun with DALL·E 3. Generating an image to go with the most recent play report of our sword & planet & sandal campaign.
Celebrating OD&D’s 50th anniversary all year by listening to BÖC’s Secret Treaties on repeat. The album came out a couple of months after the game. It helps that it’s one of the most perfectly sequenced rock albums ever made.
February 4, 2024 at 7:27 PM
Celebrating OD&D’s 50th anniversary all year by listening to BÖC’s Secret Treaties on repeat. The album came out a couple of months after the game. It helps that it’s one of the most perfectly sequenced rock albums ever made.
Might be time to finally watch The 7th Voyage of Sinbad this weekend. I have a Harryhausen itch that needs scratching.
February 2, 2024 at 8:22 AM
Might be time to finally watch The 7th Voyage of Sinbad this weekend. I have a Harryhausen itch that needs scratching.
New Knock! has arrived. Very chuffed.
January 31, 2024 at 8:05 PM
New Knock! has arrived. Very chuffed.
Next time your MU player complains about their limited repertoire of spells, remind them about poor Cugel.
January 20, 2024 at 7:11 PM
Next time your MU player complains about their limited repertoire of spells, remind them about poor Cugel.
I now also have a complete set of Vance's Planet of Adventure paperbacks. A series that I have come to adore. The exotic landscapes, the truly weird alien cultures, the smart and determined protagonist. All of it is so great.
January 19, 2024 at 7:59 AM
I now also have a complete set of Vance's Planet of Adventure paperbacks. A series that I have come to adore. The exotic landscapes, the truly weird alien cultures, the smart and determined protagonist. All of it is so great.
I enjoyed Michael Moorcock's "History of the Runestaff" so much that I had to buy the paperbacks.
January 11, 2024 at 10:14 AM
I enjoyed Michael Moorcock's "History of the Runestaff" so much that I had to buy the paperbacks.
I’m reading the free epub of Arcturus. I went on to isfdb to see the paperback cover art. This is the one folks would have been most familiar with around the release of OD&D.
January 7, 2024 at 11:58 AM
I’m reading the free epub of Arcturus. I went on to isfdb to see the paperback cover art. This is the one folks would have been most familiar with around the release of OD&D.