Swords & Stitchery - Old Time Sewing & Table Top Rpg Blog

Mutated Empires The Relic Final Stage - Actual Play High Lights

2012-05-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

The game was fast, furious, & with an incredible amount of details.

Here's The Highlights

Character Deaths

Out of Ten Players Five Characters Bought It

Explosive Decompression after failure to seal a breach on space suit due to missed dex roll.
Decapitation by Metaluna Mutant Superior
Death by Misadventure after caustic slime melts space suit
Magic user blasted by beholder
Destruction by antimatter in engineering

The seven levels of the Relic

Level 1 Specimen level - The party found itself surrounded by thousands & thousands of men from Carcosa. There entire way down to the second level they found specimens from thousands of other worlds including animals, plants, etc. There was even a faux planet within the confines of the largest chamber
The Environmental level - This was a vast alien jungle created by artificial machines & unknown technologies.. Here the party found the Phosphorescent Celestial. A being of decaying armor waist deep in jungle, decaying materials, & strange slimes oozing between the cracks of his armor. The slimes were 4 hit points each dealing 1d4 points of damage to anything that touched it. There was a tribe of blue humanoids worshiping the giant & another bunch of humaniods warring with them. The villages were ruled over by two females passing themselves off as gods.
The Cryogenics level -Here were ruptured coolant tanks & thousands of weird bio containment vessels as well more slimes, no gravity, & weirder life forms. 5 hit points each & capable of eating a man within seconds. The party opened this level up to space & one of them tore his suit open missing his dex roll.
Specimen storage & Genetics - Here were millions of miles of stored genetic samples from across the multiverse & an awakened serpent man as well as his cult numbering about 40 aliens each 4 hit dice or more. He was in the process of waking more of his kind when the party interrupted him.
Celestial Stasis Chamber - This is where the ships crew was being held within psionic stasis. The party were surprised to find a colony of Metaluna mercenaries living here along with their creepy mutant retainers. The Metalunas were siphoning off the excess energy from the Celestials to power devices, store energy, & run a colony from them.
There were 3 rooms given over to the Metaluna mutants as breeding rooms.These being attended by 4 hit dice male Guardian mutants. One of the fighters attacked the mutants & was decapitated for his troubles.. The party opened fire on the Metalunas. They retreated to the next level
Psionic Engineering - There were hundreds of crystals used for energy storage & psionically powered. There were antimatter vessels here as well. One of which had a crack down its side. The two engineers of the party decided to repair this & take control of the ship on the party's behalf. They began the repairs until one of the players botched his roll with a containment vessel becoming engulfed by the antimatter just as the ship's force fields slammed home. The rest of the party left for level seven.
The Main Drives - These systems were massive & epic in scale. The multidimensional drive systems were in mostly working order but the thing that struck the party was the group of Deviant turned to stone. There were devices & treasures they had left behind. Then the party met what had done the deed. A beholder from one of the upper levels was living in this section making forays up levels to feed. He nailed their elven magic user & took him apart bit by bit.

The party took what treasures they could, the computer data they had, & made it back to their ship minus five party members. The Celestials awakened & took control of their vessel. The departed Io & left as mysteriously as they had arrived with the 1st host!
The party made it out with 5 million credits worth of loot.

They will sleep for a year on their way back to their Earth.

Five Devices of The Deviants & Their Value

Blaster Staff - 1d6 Damage 70 yard radius 5 shots 4000 credits
Psionic scanner/recorder - +2 to intelligence & wisdom rolls when figuring out technology, scanning for lifeforms, & conditions of environments. 1000 credits
Photox crystal amulet - stores 1d20 memories & experiences - Full 1 million credits for the data stored
Cosmic Siphonic Prolotizer - Energy siphon holds 15 charges. Full - 2 million credits
Claw of Decpetion - Destroys 5 cubic yards of organic & inorganic material instantly. 6 charges normally. 4 left. 6000 credits with 30% of replicating the technology

Mutated Space Empire - The Relic - Actual Play

2012-05-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight we've got the final part of the Mutated Empires One shot! the characters are aboard the Relic. A ship(so they think of the Space Gods)

The Relic is in deep orbit around Io. The PC's party of nine has breached the hull of the craft.

They've managed to get onto the first level of the craft where thousands of sleep pods surround them. The party has spread out & secured this level allowing the rest of the party to look for other exits, traps, etc. The design of the ship is some type of mymonic alloy. It transformed before their eyes into other shapes & strange functions. The party is being completely cautious because of several strange energy bursts that have been detected in the higher band EM range, several weird Gamma radiation bursts were also detected last game.
If you wish to now more about this game you can read about it Here
Details Here
Also some other bits Here
A Few other points :

The Relic - The relic is in fact a living piece of technology & responses to the user's needs. The ship is in fact based on the one seen in the X Factor comic more details Here
The party already has several pieces of technology from the Relic aboard their own ship.
The party knows that they're not alone aboard
There are also life forms aboard as well but these retreat away every time adventurers approach.
The relic has been around since the First Host & it means its very very ancient

More Interocitor Models & The Stellar Scope For Your Old School Space Opera

2012-05-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

Incorporating greater advances than hitherto known in the field of electronicsThe Mantra For Unit #16

Created by Unit # 16 the Interocitor has been the main stay of the Galactic community since 1952 subjective Earth Time.The Interocitor is an alien communications device with unusual and strange properties.

The Type V adds +2 to all attempts involving quantum telecommunication across time and space

The Type V may also:

Act as a Telecommunications device
The device can act as a space craft autopilot while the crew is within hypersleep
Surveillance and security controller giving the operator the psionic abilities of Clairvoyance & Clairaudience across a 2 par sec area or 22 light years. There are possibly interference from Mental Barriers & the like.
Directed energy weapon doing 1d4 points of damage to anything within a 60 foot radius of the device. The beam may be directed by another interocitor on the same frequency.
The Interrocitor has a psionic strength of 15.

According to Wiki :

"The term interocitor itself, rather than referring to a specific device, likely refers to a general class of devices that share a common set of operating principles (similar to the term computer). This is inferred from the fact an interocitor is observed or described in many different roles:

Telecommunications device
Aircraft autopilot
Surveillance and security controller
Directed energy weapon

In the film, advanced physicist Cal Meacham first becomes aware of an interocitor when a book arrives at his lab titled Electronic Service, Unit #16. Inside is contained a bill of materials for the interocitor, describing it as, "incorporating greater advances than hitherto known in the field of electronics". From the specifications, Meacham opines, "There's no limit to what it could do. Laying a four-lane highway at the rate of a mile a minute would be a cinch."

Of the 2486 components comprising an interocitor, only three are mentioned by name in the film:

Bead condenser (model #: AB-619)
Cathermin tube with inindium complex of +4
Intensifier disk

The instructions accompanying the components also caution that no interocitor part can be replaced, and to bear this in mind while assembling.

Once assembled and powered, Meacham places the intensifier disk into the right-hand control and rotates it 18 degrees counter-clockwise. Upon doing so, the telecommunication function of the interocitor is activated, and Meacham establishes contact with Exeter, the party responsible for sending him the device.

During their conversation, Meacham's lab assistant, Joe Wilson attempts to photograph the device, but is informed by Exeter that "Your camera will pick up nothing but black fog. Images on the interocitor don't register on film." "

We'll be talking about the the model V21 Model or Type V

Intensifier disk

The instructions accompanying the components also caution that no interocitor part can be replaced, and to bear this in mind while assembling.

The Stellar Scope Model 234
This incredible device allows one's mind to roam the universe & beyond in a bizarre psionic dance of hyper dimensional viewing allowing one to peer into realms beyond human reckoning.
The stellar scope is of Metaluna manufacture & has been in use for over 2000 Earth years.
The user gains :
Clairvoyance
Clairaudience
Dimensional Projection
All abilities function within a 100 light years of the space craft.
A navigator may direct the mind of the pilot controlling the device as they work in tandum to guide the craft using a variation of the Interrocitor

The Astral Transmitigation Galactic Map
The ATGM is allows one to peer into the void between the stars & with a successful wisdom roll to view any point within the local space time continuum allowing one to know conditions, hazards, star density, & up to the second interstellar traffic conditions. The navigator may take no other actions during this time when using the ATGM.

Still More Interrocitor Resources
Fantastic Website For All Interrocitor related parts
A brief summery of This Island Earth Here
The Interrocitor For Human Space Empires Here
Players should beware when dealing with the Metalunas there are hazards Read about those Here

The Rite of The Q'AreRor're - The Stepping Of The Giants From The Unknown!

2012-05-26T08:28:00.001-07:00

The Rite of The Q'AreRor're - The Stepping Of The Giants From The Unknown

From beyond the pale of the Outer Darkness comes the Unknown Ones. This rite must be done with the utmost care lest the sorcerer's soul itself be lost to these creatures of darkness & alien forbidden technology The wizard must go to a ruined temple of Law & gather 42 metal rods of the finest quality. He must bind these around the head of his victim while intoning the secret words of Kro.

The wizard activates the words of power within the mind of the victim as the specially prepared sacrificial dagger is plunged home. The victim will of course with his dying breath summon the Giants From The Unknown. with a song of binary language & mystical energy.
The Giants From The Unknown will arrive within 1d20 hours upon their strange prismatic astral crafts. Originally servants of the Star Gods they have been cast out by their former masters for strange reasons & destroyed by them whenever found.
They will teach the summoner 1d4 spells of Law & weird forbidden super science powers from beyond the pale. There is a 30% of the knowledge being to much for the mind of the summoner however & they may be driven made by the experience. Unless a saving throw versus death is made then they will suffer from temporary insanity for 1d30 days & not remember the experience there after.

The wizard may preserve the skull of the victim & use it 5 more times to summon the Giants From The Unknown. The head must be washed & bleached according to the ancient traditions of the Forbidden Scrolls of Altar Four..

The Q'AreRor're- The Giants From The Unknown

# Appearing: 1-4
AC: 8
Move: 9/24
Hit Dice: 7
% In Lair: 60%
Treasure Type: H
These imposing monsters may be found within the confines of the vaults of interstellar space & upon the shores of some of the most remote corners of the universe. These imposing figures stand between 7 -10 feet in height & are dressed in strangely wrought space armor of green gold . This armor which gives off a harmless greenish radiation hides the creature (whatever they may be). They have an alien & complete utter devotion to law. Their strange glowing eye patches seem to bore into the very soul of those looking upon them. They communicate telepathically.
These giants have the strength of cloud giants but rarely if ever getting into physical combat. When encountered going about weird scientific & mystical experiments they may simply teleport away. However there is a 30% of them engaging in combat for their own alien reasons . They may use twisted metal blasters of finely wrought star metals to blast the victims with radiation for 1d4 points of damage with a range of 60 yards.
Should they be slain the monster within the armor will melt away within 1d6 rounds along with the armor leaving their equipment & alien implements behind.
Should a Charisma roll be made & a successful dialogue between a party & the giants be established there are ways of establishing communication.
A wizard should present them with five metal rods from a ruined temple of Law. They will circle a party five times & then answer five questions truthfully, honestly, & utterly. They will do this by pulling stray radio signals from the ether & communicate with all present. They will use telepathic communication as a last resort. The minds of lesser beings can be very frustrating to them.

Added Bonus

The Lizard Men of Subterranea For Crypts & Things

2012-05-25T11:39:00.005-07:00

From The Wiki on Subterrnea:

The Lizard Men of Subterranea are a race of humanoid lizards created as slaves to the Deviants. When the Deviants abandoned Subterranea, the Lizard Men of Subterranea grew into an underground society.

The Lizard Men of Subterranea traveled through a system of Earth's cage where one of their numbers became lost in the Himalaya Mountains. They sent a scout with a fur covering out to look for that operative where the Lizard Man in question was mistaken for a Yeti. The scout ended up coming across Victor Cartwright who was faking a documentary of a Yeti when he and his assistant Fred Cooper couldn't find the actual one. The scout took Victor underground with Fred in pursuit. When the Lizard Men planned to kill Victor in order to keep their society a secret, Fred came to Victor's rescue

STATS

Type: Reptilian Mutate Deviant Origin

Hit Points: 3

Attacks : Wicked Short Scimitar (1d8)

The Lizard men use left behind Deviant technology such as blasters 1d4 with a 70 yard radius & 7 shots each.
The Blood hound missiles 1d6 points of damage plus ensnarement

Saving Throw :16

Special: Chameleon hiding ability for Scouts, Also climb sheer surfaces

Move:15

Notes:

For every 1d8 Lizardmen there will be 3rd level fighter as leader. For every 1d10 lizard men there is a 60% chance of a sorcerer of 4th level or higher. These leaders will tower over their lessers. Being 8 foot or larger. They have 1 or 2 more hit points each.
The lizard men are said to live for 1,000 year each & parties encountered will have 1d6 artifacts of Deviant technology.
For more information on the lizard men can be found :
Lizard_Men_(Deviants)

Here
Information on Subterranea Right
Here

This is simply a fan write up & in no way an infringement of the copyright holders. Thanks

The Tanar Class Salvage Star Ship - An Upgrade Of The Icarus Design - For High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure

2012-05-25T10:20:00.002-07:00

Your most exalted excellence as per your request we have acquired the upgrade space craft from the purchasing agent. She is a most intriguing craft sire. Her lines & handling are more inline with your tastes sire. These craft have been in operation for thousands of years & we have investigated at least three different dealers of these craft.
As we have said else where these crafts may have originated upon Old Earth before the Atomic Wars sire. This model "The Tanar" holds between 3-9 crew members & given this design's record of service it is most impressive.
The craft uses the same Contra gravitic generators as the Icarus design but these are built with a much more industrial application in mind. Their is some alpha particle & radiation venting for more long voyages but for your applications sire the craft are quite robust. These craft are quite sturdy & amazingly quick for a salvage vessel.
Our own Contra gravitic systems may benefit from an upgrade of the sort we've seen in these craft. There are literally thousands of variations of these craft within the galactic community sire. In closing are my notes on those upgrades to our own craft

Details about the Icarus can be found Right here!

See your Icarus & Tanar agent today!

The Tanar class ships use the latest in A.I. technologies allowing the vessel to be crewed by one within an emergency situation sire. The primary computer core is shut down & the systems return to the pilot's station

The craft have 5 or more decks allowing the storage of salvage without disturbing the crew's life at all.

There are at at least 23 different varieties of the Tanar class that have been produced. This one has the usual lines for the class but has the addition of Vishnu Contra gravitic pods pushing the craft into the Zeta spectrum of operation! This gives 50% more power to the system.

The crew has a total of 8 sleeper pods on board as standard & additional room for a total of 12 enabling round the clock handling of duties.

Advantages of The Tanar Class Break Down

Larger Contra Gravitic pods enabling faster response & handling time.
Better Drive systems & more power for those bigger jobs
5 different beam/emitter systems giving a wider variety of job opportunities
Optional extra reactor unit for more systems check dealer for details
Matter/Transporter/ Teleporter systems -Industrial grade up to 2 1/2 tonnes of matter instantly at your finger tips
Little Junior science lab with stasis field for those rare specimens
There are 5 decks on the Tanar for all of your needs with room for expansion.

Type: Tanar Class Salvage Ship

Crew :3-5

Hit Points: 90

Armor Class :6 unless optional force field installed

Weaponry : Primary Zeta Cannons Light setting 1d4
Medium 1d6
Heavy 1d10 Laser cutters 1d4

Proton slicers under craft 1d3

Atomic emitters/beamers 1d8
Range :1 light year complete 360 degree rotation around craft
Reactor: Neutronic Beureullum Core Sphere II +3 to all engineering rolls
Minor Drives : Anti gravitic Repulsion Systems +1 to all maneuvering & piloting rolls
Major Drive Systems : Space Time Gate Generators +4 to Hyper Space
+2 to for accessing Space & Star Gates
Interrocitor Mark IV
Stellar Scope V

Psi Enhancement crystal rig enabling +2 to all navigation rolls but the navigator may not take any other actions

2nd level Bio genesis lab
Second level science stations same as the Icarus

Additional levels may be customized according to the client's wishes

Notes about the Tanar

The Tanar is perfect for a larger group of players & I'm using this saucer for my Mutated Empires game with 9 people
No one is completely sure where the design of the Icarus & Tanar models originated. They've been found throughout the universe on countless worlds.. Dm plot hook!
There is a Red code warning - There is a 1d4 radiation damage check that needs to be made to those standing within a 80 yard radius when the Tanar makes a landing. The owners of this blog are not responsible for any injuries sustained when using the time gate drive within your star system. Alien abductions, strange time related manifestations, etc these are all products of your imagination

Meanwhile On Carcosa - The Temple Of The Space Gods

2012-05-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

The Temple Of The Space Gods

The temple sits long abandon on the hill side deserted & mournful. Strange auroras circle run its tips & long abandon songs of alien origin fill its halls.
The place is haunted by the ghosts of travelers a million years dead & the lower levels are given over mutants, mad men, & worse.
The cold green flames still dance in the brazier in the center of the place & will flare yellow jale when they shall return & then shall the Old Ones know fear again!

I'm basing this temple upon a Bulgaria Propaganda Monument is " Construction of the Russian Monument commenced in late 1974, and 27,000 volunteer workers toiled for four years to create both the imposing structure and the 400 square-metre platform on which it stands. More than 10,000 tonnes of concrete, and 1000 tonnes of armature iron were used to create the monument, which measures 23 metres tall and 48 wide. A great bronze cube was constructed in front of the monument, burning with an eternal flame until the fall of communism in 1989. The 15 metre wide “Staircase of Victors” includes a total of 305 steps up to the monument itself, and in the surrounding park more than 20,000 decorative trees were planted to represent fallen Soviet soldiers. A total of 180 floodlights were originally positioned to illuminate the monument at night, so that it would be visible even by ships far out in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, a public address system set up in the park played Symphony № 7 by the iconic Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, on constant repeat. "

You can find everything you want to know about this incredible place right Here

There are these temples all across the universe in my Mutated Empires campaign. Each housing an eternal flame of the Space Gods.
There are also further out posts in the Arctic regions of many planets that house these places

I would imagine that the spawn of the Ones would hunt anyone seeking these places out! You can find out more right Here

Details from the Io9 article include the following :

Designed by architect Guéorguy Stoilov, more than 6000 workers were involved in its 7 year construction including 20 leading Bulgarian artists who worked for 18 months on the interior decoration. A small, compulsory donation from every citizen in the country formed a large portion of the funds required to build this impressive structure that was finally unveiled in 1981 on what was the 1300th anniversary of the foundation of the Bulgarian state.

The Temple Of The Space Gods Random Encounters 1d10

A group of murmuring monks intoning their praises to the space gods.. They are only time phantoms echos of a distant past
A pair of second level warriors blue & black dueling to the death. The space gods as their witnesses
A robotic guardian carrying out its last orders faulty & attacking anything that comes its way. 4 hit points, AC7, claws & heat beam 1d3, 1d4
A ghost lost to the void howling praises to the space gods & crying randomly
A group of 1d10 Greys 3 hit points, AC8, armed with blasters 1d3 40 yard radius
A group of student lost who were just teleported here. Predators are already closing in
A unique spawn 5 hit points AC 7 1d8 acidic tendrils A cross between a gorilla & a snail multiple heads cursing the space gods
A space hero 4th level come to worship & recruit adventurers for his cause
A cleric on a pilgrimage ( a necromancer in disguise) looking for a book of spells
A spawn of the Old Ones hunting adventurers. 6 hit points, AC6 (invisible), 1d4 claws..

These temples could be found anywhere literally where the hand of the Space Gods has touched!

Gang Busters - Atomic Sunrise - An Encounter Idea For High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure

2012-05-23T23:38:00.001-07:00

Years back when fourth edition was just starting to come out this game hit me square between the eyes literally . The box fell on me & I started to look into the game. Its very cinematic & the rules are great for what they do. The big problem I had back then was that the game wasn't OD&D. I couldn't get anyone to play. So rather then let such a great city go to waste its been sitting on the back burner for years.
There are no megadungeons in Lakeshore city right? Wrong with a bit of creative thinking I've put a former salt mine in the city ala Detroit..

Recently I've used the city with the salt mine in a weird Mutant Future game set during an alternative '30s after an apocalypse. This world is based on the ideas of the FallOut Series & Star Trek. Artifacts are going to be based on retro future technology, diesel punk tech, etc. This world is going into a Mutated Empires game I've recently run. This world will be coming up next week..

This is a perfect location to use with a place like Lake Front City. The perfect spot to stick in Lake Front City C.H.U.D or a mutant menace of your choosing.

So strap on your

Why use This Game

Gang Busters has so much to offer a post apocalyptic game. From ready locations to vast tracks of possible relic locations & its not well known at all. Every Gamma World player has been through the ruins of Pitz Burke & they know the place inside.as well as out. Not so with Lake Front City. The place is perfect because its virgin turf.. Add in the salt mine & you good to go for a mega dungeon of doom.

The mine is the perfect source of monsters, mystery, & molls. The place reeks of the old school charm

The mine may have closed up but what sinister forces could be using the spaces down in the Earth.
The best source for the history of this Here

Salt mines are the perfect place to store that elusive artifact that is rarely seen in post apocaytic settings. Papers, paper goods, warehouses for book & the electronics that post apocalyptic games are famous for.

Everything is controlled & I can guarantee that your party will encounter any number of security robots & droids with a retro punk flare.

This interview gives a nice overview of a storage facility & what you could expect to find in one of these locations Here

Lake Front City & Its Other Worldly Counterparts

Lake Front City is full of dames, gangs, & gangsters! It makes a perfect alternative Earth to visit. Seriously set your star ship crew down & convert the weapons over to Mutant Future! Bam instant example of Person's Rule in action.

The rival gangs, the mob bosses, & of course the book makes the location very comfortable to use. Players will be more then slightly off balance because while they might be familiar with Star Trek. Gang Busters offer alternative gangs, bosses, & adventure potential.

For added weirdness a dungeon master could add in the Lovecraftian monsters of Realms of Crawling Chaos just to add a degree of spice. The cultists & monsters might be taking advantage of the confusion. There might be another book rather then the "Chicago Mobs Of The Twenties" perhaps the Necronomicon

In closing the sky is really the limit when it comes to opening the doors with the classic game Gang Busters
Gang Busters In Other OSR Settings

Lake Front City might be simply another level within the Metamorphis Alpha game. A fancy bit of window dressing for a relaxation world gone horribly wrong. The gangs, etc might simply be victims of memory enhancement gone horribly wrong. Everyone believes that this simply the way its supposed to be.
Mutant Future could use the setting as the basis from everything for a zombe Apocalypses to a lost planet whose population thinks its gangsters & molls are natural & normal.
Classic D&D style adventurers might wind up here from a random time warp or butchered spell. The gangsters, G-men, & private eyes might be warped into the realm of Dungeons & Dragons with some very deadly consequences.
A sword & sorcery world like Crypts & Things offers some very interesting ideas from a Call of Cthulhu style game or even a straight up treasure hunt using the gangsters as both monster && reward.
So strap on your tommy gun, roll up your mutations, & go to it the Chicago way!

Gg'gothatthac Planar Knife & Its Legacy Of Madness

2012-05-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Gg'gothatthac Planar Knife

A knife made from the dorsal spine of the Ihactsarlis species also known as a Tongue Ripper. The spine is polished telkinietically to a devilish psychic sheen by the blind monks of No'rerhand. The knife is then given the rite of the 12 words of the forbidden & foul. The knife is ready to be bound to its user in a ceremony of the 3rd equinox. A client is chosen from a list of more then 666 & then lots are drawn.
The winner is notified telepathically & given the Binding Rite which takes more then seven hours. The knife & the user are now one. The knife may be used as a weapon doing 1d4 points of damage to invisible or intangible creatures. More over then not the knife is bonded to a wizard who may use the knife to curse the shadow of anyone whose blood touches the blade. The knife may also be used to cut the cord of an astral traveler after the owner enters a trance using the dreaded swamp Lotus. The user burns the lotus while his body guards watch over his tranced body for 12 hours. The user has a 60% of cutting the victims cord after the blade has tasted the victims blood 12 hours before.
Should a Ihactsarlis ever encounter an owner of one of these blades they will stop at nothing to destroy both owner & blade. Since the creatures are only partially within this universe they may track a victim over 3 light years. They will stop at nothing to murder the fool who is bound to this genocidal weapon. Ihactsarlis have 5 hit points, attack with claws that do 1d6 points of damage to anything within the local space time continuum. Anything that is astral or upon an alternative plane of existence will take 1/2 damage from their attacks unless save versus death is successful..
The Gg'gothatthac is known to be used in over 22 different unholy rites & adds +2 to all such endeavors through the favor of the many unholy ones who look with favor upon the owner..

3 Geo-Front Cities For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Mega-Dungeon

2012-05-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Far down in the levels below the ruins is another world just waiting to be plundered by your gang of mutant raiders from Mutant Future or Metamorphis Alpha. Dial back the technology level for these cities & stick them on the level of a generation star ship & confuse the hell out of your players..

These cities offer lots of potential for any game really. The lonely streets can be the play ground of retro robots & A.I. engaged in serious century old warfare.. The PC's can stumble upon holy cults still worshiping & carrying out the rites of their ancestors. You can find these cities Here

These retro looking cities look like they stepped out of the movie, " The Shape Of Things To Come", which is essentially where I'd stick them. Friends of mine have been playing the Fall Out 3 video game recently. This always puts me in the mind of the Darwin's World rpg which is Fall Out the role playing game. Yeah, yeah totally different story lines, etc, etc. The point is that the retro alternative futures are in & these are just the kind of cities that would be perfect for those styles of games. Along with zeppelins & mini personal air planes, & jet packs all zipping over head.

This wonderful blog has some of the number crunching involved in this weird retro future engineering nightmare. The earth, rock, & soil that would have to be moved would be incredible. Anyhow the whole mess can be read about here
Finally from Modern Mechanix magazine July 1934

ARE SKY SCRAPERS DOOMED!

You can read more about these fantastic retro future cities right here..Imagine 20 level mega dungeons extending down into the core of the mantle with every monster waiting to tear your party apart.

Retro Future Geo Cities In Other Settings

Don't think that these styles of cities have anything to offer your party of explorers in Mutant Future or Carcosa? Think again!
Some of the artwork within the Carcosa rule book makes it pretty damn clear that there are cities & ruins scattered across the face of the planet like so many ruined jewels. What waits below the surface? Perhaps art deco representations of Shub Niggurath & great Cthulhu?
I've mentioned the Fall Out games earlier in this blog entry. The genre is made from the remains of vaults & perhaps lost cities of incredible technology such as those seen in Metropolis or far worse.
The retro future that these cities represent can give the equal of Under Mount to your old school game. Need a strange colony upon a lost moon or other planetary body here you are. The underground is the limit with this sort of setting. Strap on your ray pistol, suit up your power armor, & take it to the underground.

Ten Random Under City Encounters! Roll 1d10

Cultists of the Blind & Decayed God #1d4 Hit Points 3 1d4 blasters 50 yard radius
Giant Worms Of The Earth # 1d6 5 hit points Damage 1d4 Acidic Bite
Eascaped Slaves fleeing for their lives through the dark
1d20 zombie workers 2 hit points each Armor Class 8 Bite 1d3
Blind Mutant Warriors 2nd level. Armed with swords & Blasters 1d6 damage. Hunt by sonar sense
Angry Genetic Experiment Escaped! #1 Hit Points 6 Armor Class 6 Damage 1d4 Poisonous Bite
1d4 # Snake Men Warriors 1st level with a 2nd level Lizard Man Wizard Armed with a blaster staff 1d4 damage. Full spells as well
Party of Scientists looking for an escaped experiment willing to hire adventurers
1d6# of Molemen warriors 3rd level looking for holy victims for ancient foul gods
The Mole Man 5th level wizard with an army of 1d20 monsters 4 hit points each looking for conquest! Very mad,dangerous, & foul!

Mutated Empires - Highlights & Actual Play

2012-05-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

“The basis of all true cosmic horror is violation of the order of nature, and the profoundest violations are always the least concrete and describable.”

― H.P. Lovecraft, Selected Letters III: 1929-1931

Here of some of the highlights from last night's game with the players for Mutated Empires.

The Brotherhood of the First Eternal are backing Captain Bordon & supplying the Icarus its fuel & supplies. They know far, far more then their telling.
The party had a running ray gun battle with the Brethren of The Starry Wisdom. Several cultist were killed & the party almost lost its navigator/thief of Deep One ancestry.
The wastelands outside of the city are the remains of the New York harbor of this world & the Starry Wisdom has a compound out there. The sea wall past that point teems with dangerous mutated sea life & there are Deep Ones there as well.
There are far more dangerous pieces of technology & energy weapons that the enemies of the party has too but where are they coming from? Could these be of Carcosian origin.
Countries exist in the world that don't in the real world & don't appear in either Marvel Comics or Lovecraft. The League of Industrialized Nations controls space but there are other entities controlling them.
There are any number of reskinned D&D races in this game. Knowledge of Lovecraft, Howard, Marvel Comics could get you killed.
The party had a very brief run in with an group of strange mutates they thought might have been orcs, hobgoblins, trolls,etc. until they attacked with mind blasts! They're wizard saved their bacon that time just before launch.
There is something very unsavory going on behind the city walls that will have to be investigated once the party gets back to Earth. They came across a brothel with some very nasty clients just before they left Earth.
They spotted something with a very unusual radiation trail leaving Peru at a very high rate of speed just as they were exiting the Lunar orbit. It was man shaped
The Temple Of The Space Gods is alive & well on planet Earth. The party thinks they have agenda
Notes about Last Night's Game

I ended up with 9 players because everyone showed up! The character generation took about 1 hour because of all of the options using Labyth Lord, Mutant Future, Crawling Chaos, Carcosa, Terminal Space, & some Holmes
The game went on to 2 am & was very pulpy
There are Deviants involved & Eternals but mostly behind the scenes.
There are ruins on IO of a mining operation from several centuries ago extending down into the depths of the planet!
The party spent a year in hyper sleep on their way to IO
What about the Eternals of Titan? Well wait & see!

In The Eye Of The Shadow World -High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure Actual Play

2012-05-21T00:31:00.001-07:00

NPC Cast - Captain Orloc Bordon - Retired Deep Space Captain & owner of the Innes Exchange Company. Runs the Evil Lady an ion drive hyper space cargo carrier to the Outer Rim colonies.

The captain has spotted an object (The Relic) in deep orbit within the outer atmosphere of Io. The object is giving off a radiation signal that lines up with the radiation signal of the most valuable nuclear fuel for star ships. thus far discovered..

Plot- The crew of the Icarus class salvage vessel/saucer The Solomon Kane are getting blind stinking drunk after the recovery of a Tiberian Gas Outpost salvage from the moons of Neptune. The captain sends his man servant to recover the characters from the Lucky Lady bar in low N'yor Kur. He tells them of his company's deep fly by of Io & the Relic .The craft is the size of the state of Connecticut. Anything could be aboard. The take is 30% of anything recovered..

The action picks up with the crew 19 days out in hyper sleep just entering the outer edge of IO's gravitational/magnetic fields. The planet is 1/6th the gravity of Earth. The ship is operating under the provisions of the League Of Industrialized Nations.

The Party

Mic'hael Bright Web - Elven Spiderian clan hybrid - Wizard & Psi Lord 4th level - Clan Bonded
Greorg're Hairy foot -Thief / Mission Specialist Psi Abilities: Telepathic, Emphatic, Telekinesis 4th level -Paroled In 3 systems
32 of 700 -Mi Go Defector Fighter/Navigator 3rd level Rejected Clutch Brethen Former Miner - Mind Very Alien - Not Effected By Psi Mind Reading
Spider O'Neal - Pure Strain Human - Gene Locked - Fighter/Star Ship Captain 5th level -Veteran Of The Gene Wars -35 Confirmed Kills
Vivian De'fries Spacer/Warrior 3rd Level -Hybrid Mutant -Mutations - Claws -Desity Alteration Others -Dual Cerebellium Mental Mutations -Classified
Father Coleman Mark 4 - Replicant Cleric/Engineer 4th level -Scion Of The Machine God
William Shep'pard -Dwarf assistant engineer -Encasing Military Armor Specialist/ Salvage Expert 3rd level
Lausurro're -Sea Blooded Thief/Navigator Mental Mutations -Classified

The Relic

The size of Connecticut part of this object is dipping into & out of the atmosphere of IO. The spinning object made the crew very nervous. The craft was part biological & part machine. The saucer locked on to it with a tractor presser beam & managed to open a hatch orifice. Crew managed to get 32 & Vivian aboard. The hall way that there were in was lined with thousands of sleeping pods with humanoids from Carcosa of every color of the rainbow. They got thought patterns from each one but a simple buzzing when it came to higher brain functions.

There were plants growing here & there from the ceiling or floor. The rest of the party was teleported aboard after the ship attached itself to the hull of the relic. The crew began to explore the ship. They ran across a room where 30 or more metallic humanoid shapes were floating around the room. The party saw hundreds of thin metallic wires trailing from these bodies. They were however still alive! An eye looked at the party & watched in panic& horror as they heard something floating down the corridor. A high pitched piping echoed through the ship as something rounded the corner

They backed slowly out of the hallway & floated up to another room where the head of a human scientist was waiting babbling to itself about strange mathematical formula. There were hundreds of biological leads coming from the head into a giant quartz style crystal.

Greorg're cut a few of the leads trying to free the head. A screaming was heard & suddenly the halls, rooms, etc. Were filled with weird nasty creatures with some of the nastiest teeth on a blob you ever saw. The party opened up with ray guns & spells as soon as they saw the bastards!

Many blew holes into the 4 hit point antibodies as a player called them! These things began to gain over the energy weapons & now the PCs were on the run! They floated to any place thy could. The party was separated & lost in a strange terrifying star ship from beyond known space!
What was the armored giant that they found as the sound of ray guns echoed through the ship!

This is where we decided to end for the evening!

Who has answers about the relic, its cargo, & the strange, weird monsters roaming the halls. What was the giant encased in armor that the cleric stumbled upon before we ended this adventure? Wait till next time we play coming up!

Mutated Empires A One Shot For High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure

2012-05-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

“The basis of all true cosmic horror is violation of the order of nature, and the profoundest violations are always the least concrete and describable.”

― H.P. Lovecraft, Selected Letters III: 1929-1931

The cosmic rays have violated the very structure of mankind until the Old Ones had walked the Earth once again. What year it is I can not say but the stars are almost right. Mankind, alien, & beyond now watch the remains of the Earth.

Mankind now huddles in ancient walled cities upon the Earth & roams the stars as his very genetic structure has been violated time & again. Some have time locked their genes so that future generations will not know the touch of the elder races or their pollution.
Mankind reaches outward to the stars even as the elders seek to gift them with enlightenment. This is a time when magic & the power of the mind mix to allow man to reach beyond the very fabric of the universe.

“Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod earth's fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread.”

Mankind walks the stars & trades with a myriad of a billion races & watches with dread among the stars as he waits for the stars to be right.
Your players are the wizards who keep them at bay, the clerics who give the people hope & inspire, the fighters who use their skills to put hammer & sword to the tentacles of the horror at man's throat. There are thieves who work the locks on horrors undreamed of, & rangers who stalk the stars.
You have only your mind, your energy weapons, & your magic to hold off the darkness.. for a little while.

The Set Up

A star ship unlike any seen before is in deep orbit around the moon of Jupiter Io. The characters have no idea who or what owns it. It will be a simple salvage mission. The craft is the size of the state of Connecticut. Anything could be aboard. The take is 30% of anything recovered..
Recover any artifacts, report anything found, & survive to bring the information back to your patron within the walled city of N'yor Kur II.
The players will be equipped with a fully stocked Icarus series ship, equipment, & spells.

Appendix N For This Set Up

Mutant Future Rpg
Terminal Space Rpg -Space Ship & Magic Rules
Labyrinth Lord
Advanced Companion
Swords & Wizardry - Monsters, Optional Classes
Realms of Crawling Chaos -Psi system
The Works of HP Lovecraft - The Mountains Of Madness
HG Wells
The Nightlands
The Works Of Jack Kirby - The Fourth World & the Eternals
Carcosa -Especially the Carcosian ideal of Shub Niggurth
The Old School Heretic Blogs & All Their Works
Crypts & Things - Combat, Monsters, Set Up

So this is happening tonight. The Carpathian campaign is on hold until next week. This is happening tonight!

The Rite Of The Augot-iquatha- The Other Ones

2012-05-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Within the Human Empire there is no rite stranger then the The Rite Of The Augot-iquatha. Practiced by a myriad of weird alien races this rite involves the cloning of the body of a prisoner. Several thousand credits of strange alien machinery is needed for the magic of the rite to succeed. 6000 credits or the machinery of the white men of Carcosa.
The wizard must have the physical & molecular form of the prisoner upon whom this rite is going to be cast. The body of the victim is bathed in strange radiations from the machinery for several hours. None of these rays are harmful but strangely a holographic & psychical doppelganger of the victim will begin to form. It will be the perfect representation of the prisoner in 1d6 hours . After it copies & grows to the victims physical specifications within 1d4 hours. The monster is ready to begins its reign of evil. The creature will have 5 hit dice & be proficient in combat even if the original is not. It will fight as a 2nd level fighter & easily recover from most damaging of wounds with a few rounds that would fell a lesser being. It regenerates as a troll & will only be back to action on its feet within 2-3 rounds.
The creature attacks with energy laced punches each doing 1d4 points of damage per strike. Should they continue their nasty battles of violence & destruction over a 1d20 week period.. There is a chance 70 % or better that they will exhaust themselves simply shutting themselves down.
The creatures are in perfect representations of their targets. However they can't copy anything but the merest surface thoughts. Questioning will reveal the monsters for what they are.. These super science monsters can be programmed with 6 different targets or victims
Should the monsters run out of energy they may 40% of chance of telepathically contact the wizard who created them & bargain for more life force or energy. They often have a reserve of 1d20 points of planar energy which will allow the monster to heal wounds, teleport without error to its master's side., & so forth. Should the beast be slain then the wizard will take 1d4 points of damage from magical feed back which will course through the master.body & mind.
There are those who swear to have by what ever alien gods they happen to worship that there are wizard overlords with entire houses full of nothing but these creatures, The expense for such an undertaking would be enormous. The process of creating an Other One takes 73 hours once the machinery is activated

Minor powers

Telpathic rapport with its creator regardless of distance 4 time per day
Teleport without error over 1 light year distance
Energy discharge 4 times per day 1d4 points per strike from their fists
Involuntary shape shifting when within 20 yards of the weird machinery of the ancients
2nd level assassin programming is optional & only available upon request superseding the fighter's abilities

The Rite Of The Augot-iquatha- The Other Ones Within Other Settings

The machinery for the The Rite Of The Augot-iquatha is most easily obtained within Carcosa. There are rumors that this foul right of perverted science & alchemy gone wrong is actually the work of the alien Old Ones themselves. Perhaps an extension of their multi planar consciousness.
Within the Atomic Wastes these rites crop up from time to time. Some lone wizard uses foul dimensional magics to learn these secrets.
Within the Human Empire these rites are stored within the data banks of certain computers that exist on demon haunted worlds far from the usual space lanes. This doesn't stop the rites from being traded at certain forbidden space stations where wizards & alchemists of the foulest bent gather & meet for profit & to plan the downfall of humanity.

The Icarus Class Star Ship For High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure

2012-05-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Most High & Exalted One, we have acquired the craft as per your instructions. The Icarus class star ship are a very ancient design that has seen use in many different territories sire but we are unable at this time track down the original designer or its origin at this time. Frankly sire there is rumors that this design has originated upon old Earth from before the Atomic Wars blacked the sky itself.
The craft is very sturdy & surprising quick for something of its size. The craft will hold between 3-5 crew men including the pilot who can fly the craft himself in an emergency.
The craft uses an anti gravitic repulsion system with very little loss of particle denigration that we've seen in more modern designs. I would take in under advisement when looking at our own Contra -gravitic systems.

The craft is powered by a Neutronium Beurelluim sphere core & will retain power for over 400 years or more sire.

The primary drive system is similar to our Inferogulator but uses space time gate technology that has our department mapping some rather unknown hyperspace corridors & passages.

The craft are very versatile & can easily be used in a great variety of roles. The science model is perfect or exploration or mapping sire.

The craft which is in our possession was equipped with both a Mark IV interrocitor & a Mark V Stellarscope.
The Icarus series is perfect for salvage, mining, & a wide variety of roles. We are concerned however. The Icarus is ugly by interstellar standards, the craft is has been used by a great number of less then savory types, & there is the matter of who designed the craft.

The Icarus is equipped with a zeta beam cannon for both offense & defensive purposes.

The weaponry of the craft can be used for peaceful purposes however & primarily seems to be used for salvage & asteroid mining.
The craft is a 3 level affair your lordship with the top being used for pilot, navigator, gunner, engineer, etc.
The lower half of the craft that we have acquired has a bio-genesis lab second to none. The second level is given over to the lab & engineering. There are hyper sleep chambers, specimen sleep chambers,quarters (are spartan if at all). These ships run silent & deep into the hyperspace passages of course.

The third level is the core & drive systems of course. The computer systems are a redundant A.I. of the Jerry series sire.

A holo picture of our Icarus Dealer

In conclusion your Exalted One I have strong reservations about purchasing any more of these craft. I should say that the dealer of these craft wasn't trust worthy & would not reveal his source of stock at this time.

The Icarus Class Flying Saucer For The OSR

The Icarus class of flying saucer is a perfect small party craft perfect for a wide variety of rolls in your old school game.
Here are the stats :
Type: Shepherd's Class
Crew :3-5
Hit Points: 80
Armor Class :6 unless optional force field installed

Weaponry : Primary Zeta Cannons Light setting 1d4
Medium 1d6
Heavy 1d10
Range :1 light year complete 360 degree rotation around craft
Reactor: Neutronic Beureullum Core Sphere +2 to all engineering rolls
Minor Drives : Anti gravitic Repulsion Systems +1 to all maneuvering & piloting rolls
Major Drive Systems : Space Time Gate Generators +4 to Hyper Space
+2 to for accessing Space & Star Gates
Interrocitor Mark IV
Stellar Scope V

2nd level Bio genesis lab
All labs are micro

Biological Specimen lab with 2 hyper sleep chambers
Astro physics
Holo-navigation
Psi enhancement station & chair
Fusion & Energy Lab
Gateway Technology/Hyperdimensional station

The Icarus In Other Settings

The Icarus are a mysterious design in any universe. They are cheap to produce, easy to obtain, & maintain, very friendly to use.
From Carcosa they make a nice craft that can easily be used by adventurers without overpowering the setting. The craft can be seen within a post apocalyptic world ala the Fall Out games or Mutant Future. They can easily be inserted into something like Terminal Space or Human Space Empires where their being sold by Metaluna used space ship dealers. To what purpose is unknown at this time. However these craft come in a wide variety of designs & are readily available. I've left the price out so the DM can create his own! Have fun & remember to take her for a test spin!

Down Into The Ruins - Post Apocalyptic Mars Actual Play!

2012-05-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Level One & Between!

The party proceeded down the stairs into the Dwarven ruins after navigating a secret passage they found before.

They heard voices echo through the passages winding around them & throughout the great halls. They had weapons at the ready!
They came across a group of orcs exploring the ruins & looting the corpses of some green warriors..

A party of five had been dead for two days & the orc warriors were looting the bodies. This was no way for a group of warriors of honor's corpses to be despoiled & befouled by orcs

The orcs pinned the party down with submachine guns & hand lasers! It took spells from both the Dwarven cleric & wizard to get them to even stop firing.

The party slaughtered them without remorse after that. They looted the money & then set the corpses on fire!

The cleric was able to find the next secret passage & pass through its winding stair case! Down, down into the depths did they descend until they were half way down.

That's when something with a blue glowing nasty head came out of the wall right next to them!

A fat black slug reared its head out of a crack in the wall right near the party

The Bard of the party opened up with a needler he had picked up back in the city. The needler's ammo was explosive & flamed on as it hit for a solid hit! This had the effect of waking the other six slugs in the area who were feeding on the lichen growing from the walls
The slugs attacked & the party really had a hard time with them

Acid was spit & hit the bard as one of the bastards died! It continued to burn moment after moment eating away at his clothing!

Finally after 6 rounds of combat they were able to finish these monsters off. The cleric was out of healing & the acid was still eating away at him!

Down to more sets of stairs they raced until they came to a fountain!
There were no checks or anything the bard dove into the fountain & stripped off his cloths as the last of his vest was eaten away!

The wounds & burns were still there even after diving into the waters.. The bard was talking to the rest of the party about a mysterious ring he had picked up.
Ring Of The Negative Planes
This simple ring of unoriginal design allows the user to take on the appearance of a zombie or similar creature. Physical harm shall not come to the wear within this undead state but if worn for more then 1d4 rounds consecutively the person shall become a zombie within 1d3 days as the curse of this ring takes effect.The victims intelligence will lower to that of a zombie as well.

He got the ring on just as he was dragged below the waters by a water weird!

The party rolled initiative & went after him! Needless to say that the encounter was interesting to say the least!
Who knows what the combat will bring, did he get the ring on in time, what treasures wait the party in the bottom of the fountain!

5 Lesser Known Cosmic Entities From The Marvel Universe

2012-05-17T10:01:00.002-07:00

The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 (May 1965), and was created byStan Lee and Jack Kirby. He appears to be a scientist cosmic level whose origins are shrouded in mystery. He's great for studying characters & causing cosmic level problems. The character has all kinds of uses if a dungeon master is willing to put in some time with him. He's got a whole star spanning world of mad science. I can see there being shrines to his mysterious greatness across Carcosa in mad wizard's labs & temples
You can find even more information on him here

Atum is the perfect entity for when your campaign has way too many gods! Seriously this pantheon eating machine is perfect way to clear out the game table of all those pesky do gooders! The character is loosely based on the god Ra of the Egyptian pantheon. Very,very loosely based. He's got more in common with some of the ideals of Theosphosy then Ra but that's another matter. Basically he shepherd's gods like sheep then harvests them!

He basically eats the Elder Gods in the Marvel Universe! This includes the ancient pantheon includes Chthon, Cthulhu, Set and Gaea (the eventual mother of the Thunder God Thor).
This entity can be a campaign builder or destroyer depending upon how he's used
More information about him Here

Kronos another Jim Starlin creation. The character first appears in Iron Man #55 (Feb. 1973) and was created byJim Starlin. This entity is an ancestor of Thanos & the creator of Drax the Destroyer. Basically an eternal rendered into an astral form form with cosmic level abilities some of which have to do with time & perception. He's been known to employ heroes for various missions of cosmic importance & is on level with Galactus & Thanos. Originally one of the immortal Eternals ofTitan, and led a rebellion against his tyrannical brother Uranos.
More information There's more information

Franklin Richards is possibly the most powerful mutant on planet Earth & has been Psi Lord, A member Of The Powerpack, etc,etc, etc. He's basically super hero royalty being the son of Sue Storm & Reed Richards. His powers include:

Reality warping and manipulation Psionic powers Telekinesis Telepathy

He's possibly one of the most dangerous mutants ever.You can bet some Skrull or alien has a little shrine for him in their little hut someplace. The character has gone toe to toe with Celestials,Ultron, & others. Make no mistake this character is a demigod of Epic proportions. Talk about the kid with the gun. This is that kid & the gun in question is the power cosmic. Use him sparingly in your games lots of information Here

]

Perhaps one of the most dangerous threats to any team of adventurers is this villain who came out of the minds of Dave Thorpe and Alan Davis for the Captain Britain stories in Marvel UK comics and later developed by Alan Moore.
The character is/was an anti superhero crusader who well? He then created The Fury, a highly adaptable android created to exterminate superheroes. Within two years all the superhumans of the world (many of them referencing classic British comic characters like Marvelman and the Steel Claw) had been killed by the Fury. The only surviving superhero of this world, Captain UK, had fled to Earth-616 and abandoned her heroic identity. However, the Fury was programmed not to kill Jaspers, who himself had the ability to warp reality to his will at the cost of his own sanity.
He then went on to wreck any number of universes & might be appearing in yours soon! More information right Here

Jim is a reality-manipulating psychic whose powers can effect just about anything & his avatar is the Fury.

There's more information about the fury & its victims right Here

Notes For The OSR

With the release of the new Avengers movie & its making a billion dollars I figured I'd dust off some old concepts that I've used in the past for super hero gaming. Yeah I know your thinking this is way too gonzo for my D&D campaign. Time & again I've used adventurers to do minor quests against & for entities! The players have had a blast with these!
I can see small shrines across Carcosa & beyond where the only hope for some is laying one's faith in distant entities who might deliver some hope in a very dark world. Since these are cosmic entities they can pop up just about anywhere. Most of the entities I've named can actually be found right in the Marvel Handbooks of The Universe for the Marvel Super Hero Rpg right Here

This is a fan work & everything I've posted about belongs to its respective copyright holders

High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure Encounter -Random Artifacts Of The Space Gods Passing

2012-05-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Random Artifacts Of The Space Gods Passing

The corpses of several thousand encased with vibaranium & crystal lattices 40000 credits value
The remains of a city street of alien design & aspect its angles leading to different times & places.
Several Dozen Space Craft fused into one mass their power sources still salvageable 10,000 credits
Twelve ancient buildings spinning through space. 1d4 Space Spiders 4 hit points each feeding upon the corpses. Save versus poison or be infected with a nano plague of dissemblers 50000 credits in loose treasure & goods
1d6 cosmic machines left behind within an asteroid field that was a planet. They are a radiation hazard but very,very valuable. 50,000 credits each but they each weigh 40 tons. Take 1d4 points of radiation damage per round unless save versus poison is made every 4 rounds
A field of uranium laced meteors that used to be a planet. Radiation hazard of 1d6 points of damage per round. The place contains 1d10 ancient computers with 5d100 gigabits of data upon them. There are also 1d4 space going zombies within the field
A swarm of 1d20 guardian robots stands watch over an alien temple containing the spirits of 1d100 ghosts who cry out for vengeance. There is a container with 1d30 artifacts valued at 200 credits each. The ghosts will ask for a boon however & curse those who don't follow through.
A nuclear bomb awaits those who disturb this space ark. Its A.I. will ask for help & then begin countdown can you escape its wrath. The ship is worth a cool 20,000 credits
A Star Destroyer has witnessed the passing of an entity. The crew are now undead but the ship is worth 20000 in salvage
A small moon sized battle station spins through the void. Who knows what secrets it contains. Dm's choose

5 Alchemy Super Science Swords For Your Old School Space Opera

2012-05-15T09:31:00.001-07:00

I your humble & most trusted sword smith would present you with these five treasured blades created from the finest materials from across the Human Empire. The sword doth cut both ways & its blades are of the sharpest that the hand can wield.

The Singing Swords Of Cor'ra - These blades are forged by the blind alchemist priests of Cor'ra your honorable one. They are created from the silicate crystal flowers of that world as they cry unto the sky. Shaped by the alchemist so that a single breath will cause them to vibrate with a high pitched mournful whine. They will slice through most materials with with ease. There is a 5% chance of shattering the blade however should a blade encounter a rare low frequency vibration. The blade deals id3 points of damage to the material it hits. There is also a 20% of the blade reflecting energy attacks made against the host if a dexterity roll is made & the wielder is aware of it. This may only be done 2 twice a day your honor.
The Tab'ra Blades - These blades are very rare your honor for they are forged from the heart of rogue planetoids! These blades retain the rage & anger of their forging. The blade is made with psycho sensitive materials. It will react to aggression & anger to its owner. It glows a soft ruddy color of rage & anger. A cornea of star like energy will surround the blade adding a +2 to the 1d4 points of damage that the blade does.
Spacer's Shive- This is a common spacer's blade your highest & made by spacers from the wrecks of battle cruisers. The blades are adorned with the names of comrades who have fallen in battle. They are often used as weapons of combat & warfare. They are treated planet side by the mad priests to resist chipping & wear. These blades may be passed for hundreds of years through families for generations. This one is blank as you can see honorable one. 1d4 points of damage per hit. The blades are resistant to most damage. Any exposure to raw antimatter will destroy the blade however.
Commoner's Blade - As a contrast your honorable one I have included a commoner's blade. This blade is made from a simple piece of Ersonite steel forged by the nuclear industrial fires.. They may be treated by alchemy to be unbreakable however. They come in a wide variety of styles & types. 1d3 points of damage & it will penetrate most styles of shield honored one.
Riot Blade - The last blade I would show you is of course, the so called riot blade. Forged from a single space spike it is a weapon to be respected. A weapon of hate & rage These weapons carry with them the psychic imprint of their owners in a single psy-chip. One would think that these weapons are cheap & dirty. One would be wrong notice the shine of the blade & its balance. The weapons are created by the blind alchemist veterans of the Imperial service. They use small hand nuclear reactors to forge the blades to utmost sharpness & balance. These weapons can often be found sticking from the rips of some upstart noble who has abused his officers & soldiers. They can also be found in the hands of sons given to them by their fathers before going off to war. 1d4 points of damage & the psychic chip carries with it a record of the battles the blade has been in.

Super Science Swords In Other Settings

These blades of course can be found throughout the wilds of space. Hidden within the treasure hoards of booty & plunder among the ruins of alien civilizations. These styles of blades can be heirlooms passed down through the generations each one with a story to tell.
Upon Carcosa they are still forged in the stillness of jungle huts where the nuclear piles continue to glow with the ringing of hammers & the mad bastard mutterings of priest alchemists. These blades being the only thing that stands between you & the beasts of the Outer Darkness.
These blades may be enchanted but there is also a price in blood & horror to be paid.

The Tarot Of The Human Empire For Your Old School Space Opera

2012-05-14T23:52:00.001-07:00

The turn of the cards may signal fortune or disaster for your crew captain. You would be wise to harken unto my abilities with the cards. For one turn of the card means the difference between adventure & ruin, life & death, infinity & beyond.

The last words of Skiuiri Slim the navigator aboard The Galaxy Queen
The Tarot Of The Human Empire is a set of random (some would say chaotic) cards laser etched into complex metallic designs that change even as one looks at them. These cards are used to navigate the planar byways & gates across the universe when the Three Light Drives will not function because of lower Astral interference. The card allows one with the psychic or super science powers of the mind to focus upon the possibilities of the near when or now to look at both shadow & substance with a flip of a card. These readings can determine how long an interstellar trip may take, the fortunes of a crew or a change of events. The cards give any precognition rolls a +1 or +2 determined by the DM. Many cards are relics of ancient times handed down across the ages in families. Cards may infarct appear to a user when a time of great need arises. These relics of ancient days should never be refused for they carry both a blessing & a curse to the wielders.

The Tarot Of The Human Empire roll d100 For The Major Arcana
01 - 12 The Radiant Star - Your trip will be delayed for 1-2 days
13-19 The Dawn of Space Ships - Your trip will be ahead of schedule 3-5 days
20-26 The Hero of The Stars 5-10 delay
27-29 The Path Of Into The Black 5-10 days along a different route
30 The Wanderer of Infinity 6-12 days with a cosmic event in the works
31-34 The Emperor of Humanity 12-15 days with an engineering issue aboard ship
40-41 The Roads of The Planar Stars 16-18 days ahead of schedule but with someone important waiting at port
42-50 The Cup of The Star Destroyer 18-23 days behind because of Imperial trouble
51 -53 The Sword of The Road Of The Stars The cards are unclear & there are unknown circumstances surrounding the trip
54 -62 The Time Passages Through Darkness - Lose One Day as time slips back into itself
63-75 The Skull Of The Infinite - The trip will arrive on time & fortune smiles upon you
76-78 The Stars Of The Gods 1-2 days ahead of schedule & a priests is waiting to meet with you 79 The Flames Of The Afterburner 3-5 days behind schedule & there is a tariff upon your cargo. Take A different Route!
80 -89 The Opener Of Ways 5-10 days behind but there is a wreck & possible salvage
90-00 The Adventurers 10 20 days delay as you are going to have a side adventure. Wealth, danger , & change court your ship

The Minor Arcane Roll 1d10 These cards point Out Meanings & Conditions Along The Way

The Droids - A meeting with cybernetic beings
The Psychic Dagger Of The Mind -An encounter with a super science power
The Book Of Ebon Bindings - A chance meeting with a planar demon
The Princes - A minor noble will cross your path
The Heroes - A minor rebellion will catch you
The Knight Of The Planes - Dimension travel or The Way is clear
The Outer Darkness -A change Of Events
The Infogulator - A Space event major or minor
The Interstellar War A chance of combat in space roll initiative now
The Moisture Farmer - Nothing good happens when this card is drawn!

The Secondary Arcane Minor Areas 1d10

The land speeder - The ship is in no danger
The astronauts - The route ahead is good
The smugglers - An unexpected cargo
The wavium pistol - Conflict & Adventure
Cross Of the Floating City - Its a trap!
The Ancient Teacher - An ancient teacher from one of your pasts comes to call & offers wisdom
The Knight Of The Empire - There is imperial trouble ahead & you might avoid it
The Space Axe - The road ahead is cloudy & bared to you!
The Planar Demon - There is a supernatural or trouble in your future
The Psi sword - Make weapons ready for there is trouble ahead!

Other Worlds

Time & again these cards have led travelers & star farers to distant worlds, To seek out new life & new civilizations. Upon old Earth the cards led mankind to the stars! Upon Carcosa these cards have enabled certain peoples to escape danger & damnation. With Human Space these cards are always within the hands of navigators or those with the gift.
Those who do use the cards should be aware that some of them lie at times. For each five or more suites of these cards used there is a 40% of the cards out right lying. These lies are never life threatening but will result in more adventures.
These cards can also be found as part of an ancient device that will display 1d4 images of the tarot & supply the user with 2 spells each day from the magic user list at 1st level allowing one to change their lives for both good & ill

H'zsandh - Phasic RNA Dagger - The Assassin's Choose

2012-05-14T10:23:00.003-07:00

H'zsandh - Phasic RNA Dagger

This is not merely a piece of etched glass but rather a piece of artistry of the high planar sciences. Within the molecular walls of this glass are the realigned planar energies of the deepest depths of the Outer Darkness held within the atoms of glass itself.
One single cut of this weapon is enough to poison & damage the atomic structure of the victim. The H'zsandh - Phasic RNA Dagger have been used for centuries to deal death to its victims but it comes with a price to both target & murderer.

The target will take 1d4 points of damage upon a successful attack & there after 1d3 points every round their after unless a save versus death is made successfully. Should they survive this attack they're intelligence & wisdom will begin to slowly drain away at one point every 6 rounds there after as the Outer Darkness consumes their memories & souls. The victim experiences their own lives as a series of slowly ticking away visions of their pasts. Their greatest triumphs & tragedies all in small minor increments of deadly memories.

The murderer himself loses 1d4 points of wisdom & intelligence after the attack as the energies course through him with an alarming rate. Should he make his saving throw versus poison he will only take half damage but his genetic structure is ravaged by the Outer Darkness

He will have memories & flashbacks of his attack upon the victim & be visited by memories & visions belong to his victims themselves.

The Super Science Rite of H'zsandh - Phasic RNA Dagger

Only an alchemist priest of the 3rd level or a scientist of the 4th level may have the equipment to create one of these weapons. It will require 1d6 weeks & 2000 credits to gather the super science equipment necessary.
The person creating these instruments must spend 1d6+1 days without food or water creating the dagger & concentrate their very thoughts & essence towards its creation. Upon the seventh day the glass & energies will align. The name of the target will appear within the glass itself & now the assassin must be called upon.
They will be blessed, telepathically made ready to receive the weapon which will take 1d4 rounds.
All is ready & prepared! The target's death is assured!

There are 12 cults within Human Space that sell the services of their charges for these types of missions. They employ scientist & alchemist priests of the darkest turns.

The Lesser Known Rites

There is another much more peaceful use for these weapons but equally as violent but in a spiritual way. The dagger is created but left empty of the energies of the Outer Darkness. This is a level 3 rite of super science & alchemy.
The alchemist priest may use the dagger to trap a planar demon within its confines to be used at their own opportunity another target. These rites are always taught to the acolytes of the various temples rather then rites of the assassin.. The demon will resist with a 40% of escaping its fate & will seek revenge at another opportunity.
Should the monster be drawn into the molecular prison of the dagger however its true name will appear upon the blade. It will however kill anyone with the knowledge of its name & nature. Those with telepathic abilities may commune with the demon at any time to gain advice or knowledge. These are demons however of the most vile nature & they may try to possess the victim with a 30% of doing to to escape its prison.

It should be remembered that the dagger is a dagger of the mind & cuts both ways

The Lesser Scroll Of Those Who Watch The Outer Darkness
May their vigil never stop

H'zsandh - Phasic RNA Dagger In Other Settings

It is said that these weapons remember their targets through the centuries. They have been seen on a myriad of worlds. The rites for these weapons were first discovered upon Earth before the atomic fires fell from the sky.
They have been used on human & mutant ancestor alike through the centuries. The rite was first discovered in Nepal upon the forbidden Wheel of Khai brought back to the West & was thought to have been been created by the Elder Things (may their names be cursed in the Darkness)
The rite is still known upon Carcosa where it is said to be used against rival sorcerers & wizards of the most vile nature.

These rites have been used on the counter Earths as well where wizards keep humans as nothing more then slaves & animals. The rite is used to declare war upon other wizards as a human slave plunges the dagger home into the blackened soul of another!

The rite is also used within the space ways as a way of having one house declare its independence from another.
It has also been used to release a planar demon upon the bridge of a warship during the Trials & Battles of Gehri.
The rite is also still practiced to trap demons & rip them from the bodies of the innocent.

May the blessed Autocrat protect us all. May his comings & his goings allow us to flourish among the stars.
Your servant De'vero Priest Alchemist Of Servri Five 3rd Order

Otulinchauroba- Planar Glass Spiders

2012-05-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Otulinchauroba- Planar Glass Spiders

Frequency: Rare

No.Enc: 1d4

Alignment : Inimical(very aggressive & dangerous)

Intelligence:Animal & Highly Alien (Hive mind existing in 6 or more dimensions at once)

Size:Large 7' long

Movement :120'(40')

Armor class:3

Hit Dice:6

Attacks:3 (2 claws,bite)

Damage:1d8/1d8/1d6

Special:poison(see below)

Save:W3

Morale:11 (Utterly fearless, Uses pack Tactics)

Hoard Class:A (From Past Victims)

Experience: 500 each

The Otulinchauroba- Planar Glass Spiders are a rare hazard in Human Space. These multi poly dimensional life forms exist within 6 or more dimensions spinning complex webs of shifting reality matrices. Ships passing through these webs may snag or even become entangled within these strange glowing strands of reality.
The spider itself can easily pass through several layers of reality allowing it access to ships & personal who may not even be aware of its existence until its too late.
The Otulinchauroba- Planar Glass Spiders lays its egg sacs within the aural energy vortex of life forms within this universe. The eggs hatch allowing the Otulinchauroba time to feed upon the life energies of its victims. The monster gains knowledge & a limited awareness even sentience for 1d4 days. The creature's intelligence fades away.
The creature's fangs carry a sub nano poison which slowly brings its target out of phase with the normal space time continuum allowing the monster to interact with its prey at its whim.
One variety of these sub planar monsters feeds off of the energies within the Three Light Drive as well as the human life force.
Super science or psionic abilities of a 4 th higher order can drive these monsters back. Only expensive super science medical applications have a chance of restoring those who have been exposed to the monster's poison.

The webs of the Otulinchauroba- Planar Glass Spiders have a 40% chance of randomly dimensionaly teleporting a victim to one of the other realities the monster is currently inhabiting. Only an eye or similar artifact will restore the character to his home reality.
There are smaller versions of these monsters that have been summoned as guardians or worse by various foul beings & scientists of the darkest turn.

These monsters have been seen on Mars & were used in the past to be harvested for their phasic sacs which used in the Three Light Drive systems.
They have been brought to Carcosa as well by the various alien races as a living resource to be harvested for their strange organs & for their use in foul rites of the darkest type & finally as living artifacts & weapons.
The monsters have been used for centuries within Human Space as its well documented!
These monsters have also been seeded by the various old one races on many worlds & they continue to thrive & seek prey out one way or another.

Barrowmaze II Indiegogo

2012-05-13T07:59:00.001-07:00

So Barrowmaze I was quality & pretty damn good! This one is shaping up to be finer yet! Here's some of the stuff from Indiegogo

Secret Doors? Check, Deadly Traps? Check, Hidden Treasures? Check, Terrifying Monsters?Check, Slim Chance of Survival? Check.

Where Do I Sign Up?

(p.s. Don't forget your 10 foot pole.)

(p.p.s Ummm, yeah. Forget the pole, it won't really help you against THAT.)

This indiegogo campaign is designed to support the creation of Barrowmaze II (BMII) and, while doing so, provide supporters with exclusive extras and cool bonus perks.

Barrowmaze II is the second part of a two-part exploration-style megadungeon for Labyrinth Lordand other classic fantasy role-playing games. BMII is a continuation of the initial "dungeon sprawl" concept presented in Barrowmaze I (BMI) and is intended for mid-and-high level characters.

BMI was a self-funded project published in early February for introductory to mid-level play. You can find it at rpgnow.

Barrowmaze I and II combine into one large megadungeon. However, they can also be played independently and are self-contained. You can find links, updates, fan-creations, and freebies at theBarrowmaze website.

“I’m hard pressed to find any real faults with Barrowmaze. Nearly everything about the product is well done, from the layout to the artwork to the content and cartography. Indeed, Barrowmaze is nearly a textbook example of how to make a compelling, well-presented dungeon module.” Grognardia

“I had never heard the acronym OSR stand for “Oh S!@t! Run!” before reading Barrowmaze, but it certainly fits.” Tenkar's Tavern

“Barrowmaze is the dungeon I wish I had written, and I can’t offer any higher praise than that.” Tales From the Flaming Faggot

“The author has used some interesting techniques to reinforce the theme of plundering long sealed tombs. There are frequent calls for excavation, or smashing through bricked up walls, to reach the hidden room beyond; much of the treasure is interred in burial catacombs (niches) carved into the walls, which require careful searching. Time is always a factor.” Dreams in the Lich House

Despite the success of Barrowmaze I it was a self-funded project with limited resources. There were things I wanted to add to the dungeon - including maps (print and digital) and additional art - but couldn't given the budget. Your support in this campaign will help me to address both issues and make Barrowmaze II bigger and better.

In terms of the dungeon itself, BMII includes the following new sections:

The Secret Shrine of Set: This section details the Necromancers of Set, a powerful faction in Barrowmaze. They continue their exploration of the dungeon in the hope of claiming the Tablet of Chaos as their own.

The Forbidden Crypts: A collapsed burial mound has given entry to a new power group that has aligned with the Acolytes of Orcus.

The Temple of Orcus: Militant, well-armed, and devoted - each of these describes the Acolytes of Orcus. They recently added some muscle to their ranks and hope to destroy the Necromancers and their "false" god Set. They must obtain the Tablet or face the wrath of The-One-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The Vault of the Unholy Relic: The followers of Nergal entombed the Tablet of Chaos deep in Barrowmaze - in a set of crypts covered in traps, illusions, and death. Nergal's most powerful followers remain to guard the relic, including the reclusive Keeper of the Tablet.

The Lair of Ossithrax Pejorative: Long after the flight of Nergal's followers from Barrowmaze, but centuries before the arrival of tomb-robbers intent on plundering the tombs for gold, an ancient black dragon lived and died on his hoard beneath a great burial mound he carved out as his lair. This great evil has heard the call of the Tablet of Chaos...

In addition to these dark and fascinating areas to explore, Barrowmaze II is loaded with new, interesting treasure types, traps, and monsters.

Art that celebrates classic fantasy gaming and dungeon-exploration is very important to me, and is central to the Barrowmaze project.

For Barrowmaze II artist Stefan Poag returns as does the talented Zhu Bajie. The wonderful Trevor Hammond illustrates a number of the undead for BMII. Trevor's style is so dark, macabre, and strange that it just would not be Barrowmaze without him.

In addition, several new artists are contributing illustrations including Scott LeMien, Alexander Cook, Stephan Thompson, and Cory Hamel. Cory, a reader of my blog Discourse and Dragons, commented on one of my posts and since that time we have been working together on BMII. He is Canadian, insanely talented, and a big TSR geek like me - all good.

Also, Cory will draw the digital map for BMII from my notes in both classic blue and black and white.

Alongside a bunch of new full and half page illustrations, I'm thrilled to report that every entry in the monster section will have a corresponding illustration - and I mean all of them. It will be a sight to behold.

WAIT! There's more!

I was always very interested in having one of the ex-TSR artists I grew up with contribute to BMI, but as I mentioned funding did not allow it. Undeterred, I recently contacted ex-TSR artist Jim Hollowayto see if he would be interested in contributing to Barrowmaze II. Jim worked on First and Second Edition, as well as both Dungeon and Dragon magazines, and illustrated one of my favorite classic modules of all-time - B4 The Lost City, by Tom Moldvay. Much to my surprise, he was very keen and interested in the project. We worked out the details and I am thrilled to announce that Jim has signed-on to contribute several illustrations for Barrowmaze II - including a colour cover illustration. Woot!

I will start posting some of Jim's illustrations as soon as they are available.

Although you saw it at the top of the page, I would like to take a moment to talk about Stefan Poag's painting. This was a lot of fun to do and highlights the terrible Ossithrax Pejorative!

We started with the characters from the cover of Barrowmaze I. We decided that several were eaten by ravenous monsters. With the exception of the magic-user, we pulled the other characters from the interior art of BMI. It includes my personal Poag favorite - a paladin from the Holy Order of the Field Goal. He also gets channel 6 with that snappy headgear.

The second illustration depicts the tragic-character Dhekeon - the Skeleton Warrior. He plays an important role in the dungeon (I'll say no more) and is illustrated by Cory Hamel.

Estimated Delivery Date: October 2012.

All Supporters: Everyone who supports the campaign will be listed in an appendix at their level of support.

Devil Horns: You will have my thanks for helping out. All support, regardless of the level, is greatly appreciated.

Ravenous Dead: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF of Barrowmaze II

Son of Gaxx: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF and hardcover of Barrowmaze II. This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom.

Crypt Knight: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF and numbered hardcover of Barrowmaze II. You will also receive a printed poster map (17x21) and the digital maps (classic blue and black and white). This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom. EDIT (April 26): In addition, all those who contribute at the level of Crypt Knight or higher will automatically receive the custom Barrowmaze Dice!

*Numbered hardcovers will include a certificate that indicates the publication number of your book (__ of __) in the first print run. Numbered hardcovers will only be available to those who participate in the Indiegogo campaign (at this level or higher).

*The printed poster map, crafted by artist Cory Hamel, will be approximately 17x21 and printed in classic blue only. The map will be neatly folded and placed inside your hardcover for shipping to your location. Print maps will only be available to those who participate in the Indiegogo campaign (at this level or higher).

*The digital map will be handy for those of you who want to use your tablets or laptops at the table. You receive the digitial map in both 1) classic blue and 2) black and white.

*Barrowmaze Custom Dice (see Updates for more information)

Barrow Wight: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF and numbered hardcover of Barrowmaze II. You will also receive a printed poster map (17x21) and the digital maps (classic blue and black and white). Your hardcopy will be signed and inscribed by the author. This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom.

*If your book is signed/inscribed, I will sign, date, and provide an inscription, dedication, or epigraph (or epitaph!). If you have something specific you would like written on the inside, or intend it as a gift, just let me know.

The Barrowmazening: This Perk includes everything at the Barrow Wight level plus a hardcopy of Barrowmaze I signed and inscribed by the author.

Keeper of the Tablet: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF and two numbered hardcovers of Barrowmaze II (EDIT: or a copy of Barrowmaze I and II). You will also receive a printed poster map (17x21) and the digital maps (classic blue and black and white). Your hardcopies will be signed and inscribed by the author. This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom.

*In addition, and in the spirit of old school lethality, I will place the name (or remains) of one of your favorite deceased PCs in Barrowmaze II. A number of Barrowmaze game reports are available online. I've linked to many of these at the Barrowmaze website and Discourse and Dragons. If you already had a character meet their fate in Barrowmaze I (or elsewhere), and want their name placed in a crypt or their bones reanimated for BMII, be sure to select The Keeper of the Tablet perk. I'll work with you to create something cool that reflects your former PC's untimely demise. If you would prefer to have an anagram of your name, that would fine too.

Ossithrax Pejorative: At this level you will receive the bookmarked PDF and two numbered hardcovers of Barrowmaze II (EDIT: or a copy of Barrowmaze I and II). You will also receive a printed poster map (17x21) and the digital maps (classic blue and black and white). Your hardcopies will be signed and inscribed by the author. This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom.

*If you want to take part in the creative process, and have an interesting monster idea, select Ossithrax Pejoritive. I'll work with you to include the new monster in Barrowmaze II. You can choose the artist of your preference (Stefan Poag, Zhu Bajie, Trevor Hammond, or Cory Hamel) to illustrate your custom creature.

He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named: At this level you will receive two bookmarked PDFs and two numbered hardcovers of Barrowmaze II (EDIT: or a copy of Barrowmaze I and II). You wil also receive two printed poster maps (17x21) and two copies of the digital maps (classic blue and black and white) your hardcopies will be signed and inscribed by the author. This includes shipping to your location in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom and five sets of the custom dice.

*In addition, I will work with you on the following projects:

1) to insert the name of one of your deceased PCs (or an anagram of your name) into BMII.

2) to create a monster employing an artist of your choice (Poag, Hamel, Hammond, or Zhu).

3) to create a full page B/W illustration employing an artist of your choice (Poag, Hamel, Hammond, or Zhu)

I have a Bonus Perk currently on double-secret probation. I will reveal the perk if we reach the first goal of $4,000.

If we pass the $7,000 mark all those who pledged at the level of Crypt Knight or higher will receive a Tomb of Horrors-style printed illustration-booklet depicting special keyed dungeon rooms.

If we pass the $10,000 mark all those who pledged at the level of Crypt Knight or higher will receive a map-as-art print illustrated by Cory Hamel. This map will be done from the perspective of the dungeon-explorers and will make a great wall-print. These maps will only be available to those who participate in the Indiegogo campaign at the stated level or higher.

Additional Perks are ready in the event we exceed these goals.

If you are located outside the above three countries please get in touch and I will do my best to find a shipping rate that works for you. Please keep in mind that postal rates are higher in Canada than the US.

Greg Gillespie has been playing role-playing games since the early 1980s. I am a university professor and PhD graduate from The University of Western Ontario in the fields of cultural history and cultural studies. I recently supervised a Master of Arts student who examined aesthetics and the OSR, and in 2011 taught a course on the history and culture of role-playing games. I also maintain the OSR blog Discourse and Dragons and am co-creator of Meatshields! The Classic Fantasy Hireling and Henchman Generator. I live in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada with my wife, daughter, son, and our dog Max.

Thank you for taking the time to read this campaign. Those of you who purchased BMI know that it was a labour of love and can expect the same level of creativity in Barrowmaze II. If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment or get in touch. Please be sure to spread the word via your social networking outlets - blogs, forums, facebook, twitter, etc. The grapevine is the best way to spread the word to the OSR community.

Thank you, Greg \m/

Go here to learn more & support Here

Harryhausen Dragon For Your Old School Space Opera

2012-05-13T00:46:00.001-07:00

Taro may his comings & his goings be ever joyful.

May you never fall under the gaze of the great destroyer

Never be caught within his sharp claws, the teeth that catch or his breath that burns.
May Taro bless you & always guard against the evil of others.

Be ever so joyful within the confines of his cavern
May he guard us all until the end of days
Amen

The Book of The Ever Vigilant & Dangerous
Daily meditations & sayings Chapter 3

Frequency: Rare
No. Enc.: 1d3 (1d6)
Alignment: Chaotic with evil tendencies
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Size: Large 40 -70 Feet long
Movement: 60' (20')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 6-8
Attacks: 1 (bite),claws, tail swipe,bite, & breath weapon (fire)
Damage: 1d4,1d3, 1d4, & breath weapon Fire
Special: Fire breath
Save: M6
Morale: 9
Hoard Class: XVII
Experience: 600- 800

This species has been found on over a dozen worlds seeded by the clone masters who use this monster as a terror weapon. The chaotic dispoistion & outright danger of these creatures makes them the perfect choose for guardians. They have become outright tame around some who use them to guard treasure, raid remote colonies, & use them as tools of out right terror.

Built on the genetic frame of the greater reptiles such as the dinosaur genomic structure. These monsters can be found on many worlds. They're preferred environment is a tropical or subtropical jungle environment. They consume vast quantities of livestock, humans, or worse. They are surly & vicious monster blood thirsty to a fault.
They will attack with claws capable of rending flesh from bone within seconds. These creatures will attack s natural enemy with abandon. They have very little regard for themselves during these times.

The clone masters have engineered a superior predator capable of surviving within the harshest climates, They have several extra organs & sytems. These include a series of gas ducts & nerves which produce a large amount of material that some are calling a breath weapon.
This is a 90' long, 30' wide cone of fire & flame 4 times per day

These monsters are not intelligent per say but display a vicious animal cunning which is unpredictable & very dangerous. For over 6 centuries these monsters have been the terrors from beyond the pale causing strife & another kink within the armor of the Human Empire.

The enemies of mankind call these things Chrair'l meaning "Long Mean Teeth Who Walk" They have been seeded on numerous worlds in order to cause death, & panic among the imperial citizens.

Many adventurers have found these monsters guarding ancient alien fortresses left over from ancient alien societies who have disappeared into the annals of history. These worlds are perfect where they thrive on local fauna & flora.

Many Imperial royalty have taken to hunting these beasts only to find that these creatures hunt them instead. They are truly the prey of the gods themselves. May Toro guard your hoard in times of need!

Terror In The Wasteland -Post Apocalyptic Mars -Actual Play

2012-05-12T07:30:00.001-07:00

Note: I had to move my game to Friday & due to work, commitments, etc. Two of my players didn't show. That didn't stop the rest of the players however.

The remainder were driving through the wasteland of Mars & nearly smacked into any number of tripods! The hover truck continued North & the first thing that happened is that the players almost ran smack into a group of red warrior slavers 2nd level fighters looking for prey. They pursued them for 3 miles before a tripod made short work of them.

The party however hid from the tripod as it gathered up the remainder of the red warriors

Their flyer was destroyed in a burst of heat rays & blinding 8th rays exploding !

50 miles later another encounter came up as the party reached the edge of the perimeter of the ruins.
Around them nothing but miles & miles of desert or so they thought

A party of green men raiders was waiting for prey & opened up on the party with radium rifles

The party's hover truck was pinned down by gun fire & exploding radium bullets. It took the players the better part of 2 hours real time to deal with these green warriors! 3rd level fighters they were armed with the traditional Martian weapons!

The party got into hand to hand with them & conditions around them seemed to get worse as the night wore on!

Then a sand storm blew up & that's where we ended just as they dived into a cave!

Will they secure the hover truck, kill the Green Martians, What's happened to the missing party members, & why are the tripods numbers increasing?

Tune In Next Week!

Same Martian Channel!