Ok, here’s the first post on my blog.
I decided to start this to track some of my hobby projects. My regular D&D group sort of imploded when my brother, the DM, realized he was too busy with work to run the game for a while, and I started to think about some options of my own, and returned, after some 25+ years, to a pair of games sold by Heritage Models back in 1980-1981 called “Crypt of the Sorcerer” and “The Caverns of Doom.” So, as I find time I’ll begin to document what I’ve done. Coming soon: a redrawn and scaled-up Caverns map, a vastly expanded Crypt, and the new monsters, treasures, and characters I’ve been play-testing. After that, I’ll track a more ambitious project — creating three additional games with themes of Norse, Greek, & Egyptian mythology on new maps with plastic figures, which will ultimately become Christmas presents for some of my nephews and one niece.
First I’ll need to figure out more about how to use Word Press, though…
Swords & Dorkery 
Mike,
I’ve added your blog to my ‘Links’ list on my WP blog, with an additional link to the ‘special links’ text widget.
I’ll be checking in regularly.
-S.
Hey Mike, FOund this from your post in the Disciples of Heritage Group.. Anyways..THe only Heritage figure I know for sure that I own is Smoug the giant Dragon. He’s 3 lbs of metal and sits up on his hing quarters.. ANyways as to your tomb. Pretty cool…I’m not familiar with the “heritage” games you mentioned so I had a question as well as a possible improvement down the road for you..YOu know how we all are… Anyways, the Question. What’s with all the numbers written everywhere on the map..Everyone of those things can’t be encounters are they? Alot of them are back to back to back (next to each other)
Improvement possibility.. I have recently discovered Fat Dragon Games for Card stock modelling caves, dungeons, and crypts..Its crazy cool what they offer and how cheap their stuff is… When I saw your map I immediately envisioned how cool it would look 3D with their stuff…Just my thoughts… But so cool to imagine..
Later.
Jim
Hi Jim.
Wow — that dragon is pretty rare, I think. It must be one of the heaviest minis ever made (especially since most are made of plastic or tin nowadays).
The “Heritage games” as I ‘ve been calling them (there never really was a collective title for the two dungeon games) are quite simple. You can see the scans of all the rules and stats at the “Pain & Play sets rules” link in my links. The numbers on the squares are for placement of monsters — there is a roll every time the characters enter a room, and also a chance for a wandering monster every turn that the characters are in a hall. If monsters appear, you roll a die and they appear on the appropriate numbered square. In retrospect, there is really no reason for the numbers to be so big. I think I’ll use much smaller numbers for future maps. I’ll probably redo the Caverns map at some point anyway because I did such a rush job on all the art.
Thanks for the Fat Dragon tip — I’ve never tried much with printable stuff because they eat up so much ink, but if i ever get a color laser printer it may be more affordable. I also like the Dwarven Forge stuff but it is far too expensive. Maybe when I win the lottery.
A while back I tried making rooms and corridors out of foam core, with walls about 1″ high. They turned out ok but I became discouraged at how long it would take to paint them decently.
There is a really awesome 3-d Caverns of Doom (Scott’s Sorcerers of Doom blog has a link) that I envy too.
But flat maps have a lot of advantages, not the least of which being portability and reproducibility — the ones I make for xmas gifts I’d like to keep the masters and have color, laminated copies made for the kids.
Thanks for the comments!
hi, i was wondering if you have the rules guide book of Caverns of Doom??? and if so can you upload pictures of the book.
thank you,
-Lisa
There is another site with scans of the rule book here. You can everything you need to play there (except figures and a die).
My “Dungeon Delvers” rules are largely derived from those, with some changes/clarifications (there is a link to them on my “rules” page, under “static pages.”
The rules will likely be republished in some form by a guy who is working on a book on Heritage Models, but I don’t know when that will happen.
Also, I have project on the back burner to collaborate with another enthusiast to publish a free clone of the rules, with some more modifications, but I can’t really say any more about that.
oh thank you soooo much!! 😀