Astrological & lunar chart / Sorciere 

 Intro / Witch Within Magic Circle

 Solar system / January 1896 - Sabbat

 Sun compass / February 

 Imprecation / March 

 Horoscope / April 

Love potion / May 

Once upon a time, I was promised a beautiful / June 

 Transmutation, the Alchemist / July

 Black Mass / August 

The Harvest of Herbs / September?

 The Sorcerer / October; Evocation 

 Bewitchment / November 

 Judgment of Sorcerers / December; End of Wizards

 All things good or bad for each day

 O You who leafed through these pages / MDCCCXC 

"An occultist calendar illustrated by Manuel Orazi and printed in an symbolic edition of 777 copies to commemorate magic for the coming year of 1896. Each double page emulates the Christian calendar (name days, iconography). The document presents itself as a type of pagan-style almanac to chart the year of magic. The illustrations by Manuel Orazi combine nouveau art imagery with references to occult ceremonies, horoscopes, and tarot. The accompanying text is by Austin de Croze, a French food writer, who was also fascinated by esotericism." - quote source 

Artworks found at the Cornell University Library.

Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is a scenario for Metamorphosis Alpha: Fantastic Role-Playing Game of Science Fiction Adventures on a Lost Starship. The first Science Fiction roleplaying game and the first post-apocalypse roleplaying game, Metamorphosis Alpha is set aboard the Starship Warden, a generation spaceship which has suffered an unknown catastrophic event which killed the crew and most of the million or so colonists and left the ship irradiated and many of the survivors and the flora and fauna aboard mutated. Some three centuries later, as Humans, Mutated Humans, Mutated Animals, and Mutated Plants, the Player Characters, knowing nothing of their captive universe, would leave their village to explore strange realm around them, wielding fantastic mutant powers and discovering how to wield fantastic devices of the gods and the ancients that is technology, ultimately learn of their enclosed world. Originally published in 1976, it would go on to influence a whole genre of roleplaying games, starting with Gamma World, right down to Mutant Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game – Triumph & Technology Won by Mutants & Magic from Goodman Games. And it would be Goodman Games which brought the roleplaying game back with the stunning Metamorphosis Alpha Collector’s Edition in 2016, and support the forty-year old roleplaying game with a number of supplements, many which would be collected in the ‘Metamorphosis Alpha Treasure Chest’.

Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is designed an introductory scenario and campaign starter for players new to Metamorphosis Alpha and the Starship Warden. Ideally this is with the tribe of Mutants and Humans based at Super Shop Mart, but the scenario includes some notes on how to use it in an existing campaign. It consists of three parts. In the first, the Player Characters go about their daily lives as members of the Super Shop Mart Tribe. Sometimes standing guard duty or examining newly brought in technological artefacts of the Ancients, but at others being sent out to find food, water, or other artefacts, raid or see off a raid by another tribe, and so on. In the middle section, the Player Characters discover the remains of a cryostasis facility and a strange artefact—the detached, but preserved head of the very crotchety Professor Cardunkle. Initially, all he wants is a new body for his head—any body will do, which can result in some hilarity because of the incongruity of the head of an old man being attached to something totally ridiculous. Eventually though, he will want his own body back and knowing where it is, Professor Cardunkle both directs the Player Characters and promises great treasure. This third and last part of the scenario consists of exploring the ruins of another facility whose internal structure has more or less been turned upside, which represents a challenge in itself.

All of this, and thus, Death Ziggurat in Zero-G, takes place in a closed environment, a great dustbowl known as the Silver Waste, a desert of polished, silver dunes whipped up and scoured by daily endless sandstorms and nightly freezing temperatures, where several tribes eke out a desperate existence. There is lack of permanence to the region due to the constant sandstorms and no one knows what lies beyond the Silver Waste, though in one direction stands ‘The Great Mirror’, a gigantic, flat, reflective wall which stretches as far as the eye can see left and right, and then from the ground high into the sky. The scenario only describes the Player Characters’ Super Shop Mart base of operations and the scenario’s endpoint, the ‘Death Ziggurat’ of the title in full detail, but several other locations are also described and these, when combined with the table of missions for the Player Characters’ tribe and table of random encounters, should actually provide a playing group with several sessions’ worth of play before it moves on to the scenario’s main plot. The sandbox element of the scenario also means that the Game Master could develop and add her own plots and content if she so desired. This would add depth to the scenario as well.

The plot to the scenario is by no means new, but it is nicely dressed up and layered with its post-apocalyptic future and rough environment. It does provide the Game Master with a fun NPC to portray whilst leaving scope for to develop and portray the other NPCs in the region. There is a not a great deal of treasure or artefacts to be found in the Silver Waste, and in many cases, finding what there is involves a lot of work, but to be fair, the point of Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is not on finding goodies, but discovering its secrets and finding a way out. There is promise of powerful artefact though—no less an artefact than an entirely new colour band with the blessing of James M. Ward, designer of Metamorphosis Alpha—the incredible capabilities of which will have factions beyond the Silver Waste fighting with both each other and the Player Characters to possess!

For the Game Master, there is some staging advice on running Death Ziggurat in Zero-G, but in general, this is an easy scenario to run. Perhaps the oddest aspect of running the scenario is that to get the most out of Death Ziggurat in Zero-G, it is suggested that the Game Master be multi-lingual or even use coded speech such as Pig Latin. This is to roleplay another aspect of the scenario rather than Professor Cardunkle, and intended to confound the technologically illiterate Player Characters rather than the players. This may prove to be a challenge for the Game Master, so another option might be record some phrases, perhaps done by a computer voice, as part of her preparation. If the Game Master is multi-lingual, then she can have some further roleplaying that aspect of the scenario.

One issue with Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is that beyond the limits set by ‘The Great Mirror’ and the inclusion of the new Colour Ring, it does not necessarily feel like a scenario for Metamorphosis Alpha. This is because its inclusion of base names such as ‘Super Shop Mart’ and ‘Me Depo’ feel more grounded, better suited to a planetside apocalypse like that of Gamma World or Mutant Crawl Classics, rather then being set aboard a giant generational colony spaceship like the Starship Warden.  That said, the Player Characters of the Super Shop Mart tribe will have no idea that they are aboard a spaceship at all, so that is not necessarily an issue for them. Plus of course, the Game Master could just run Death Ziggurat in Zero-G as an Earth-bound starting scenario for Gamma World or Mutant Crawl Classics and no-one would be any the wiser.

Physically, Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is cleanly presented. The maps are nicely done as are the illustrations, and the whole layout matches that you would expect of title from Goodman Games, feeling very much as it does for Dungeon Crawl Classics or Mutant Crawl Classics.

Overall, Death Ziggurat in Zero-G is a solid starting scenario. It has plenty of scope for the Player Characters to explore a mini-apocalypse as well as its main plot, and is flexible enough place aboard the Starship Warden as intended, or else where.

For every Ptolus: City by the Spire or Zweihander: Grim & Perilous Roleplaying or World’s Largest Dungeon or Invisible Sun—the desire to make the biggest or most compressive roleplaying game, campaign, or adventure, there is the opposite desire—to make the smallest roleplaying game or adventure. Reindeer Games’ TWERPS (The World's Easiest Role-Playing System) is perhaps one of the earliest examples of this, but more recent examples might include the Micro Chapbook series or the Tiny D6 series. Yet even these are not small enough and there is the drive to make roleplaying games smaller, often in order to answer the question, “Can I fit a roleplaying game on a postcard?” or “Can I fit a roleplaying game on a business card?” Although a micro roleplaying game, Lost in the Fantasy World fits all of its content on the two sides of a single sheet of paper.

Lost in the Fantasy World is a roleplaying game in which a group of children is magically transported to a fantasy world complete with magic and monsters. Once there, they are each given an amazing artefact by a mysterious Mentor, which enables them to come to the plight of the peoples—and they have many plights—and so become heroes. Yet, they still want to return, and ultimately, will have to choose between going home and the powers that the artefacts grant them. How the children get to the fantasy world—going on a strange ride in an amusement park, being sucked into a weird old book, going through a very small door in a scary abandoned house—suggests the inspirations behind Lost in the Fantasy World. Narnia, perhaps? The Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series? Well, definitely the latter, and that definitely comes down to nationality. 

Lost in the Fantasy World is designed by Diogo Nogueira and Diogo Nogueira is Brazilian. Now where the Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series might not be held in the highest regard in the English-speaking hobby, it had more of an impact in Brazil where it was more popular. To the point the Renault launched an advertising campaign in Brazil for one of its vehicles based on the Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series and it was very well done. Published by Gallant Knight Games, Lost in the Fantasy World is not retroclone in the Dungeons & Dragons sense, but is definitely inspired by it.

A Player Character in Lost in the Fantasy World is simply defined. He has a name, concept, four traits, and an Artefact. The concept, such as ‘Brendan, the quiet D&D geek’ or ‘Emily, the bolshy cheerleader’, defines the Player Character, whilst traits can include a quality like ‘Athletic’ or ‘Good with his Hands’; an object such as notebook and pen, a football, or a torch; a companion like a pet rat or a baby unicorn; some training or knowledge, foe example, ‘Read up on all the myths’ or ‘Works in my dad’s garage’; or a relationship with another character, such as ‘David is my best friend’ or ‘I always have to keep an eye for Andrea’. At the beginning of the game each Player Character will receive an artefact and have some idea of what it can do from its name, but not exactly what. What, exactly, it can do, will be developed during play. For example, the Torch of Unending Light, the Pipes of Piercing, or the Buckler of Shielding.

Tristian the inquisitive musician
Fine singing voice (Trait), I must protect my sister, Monica (Trait), helps his grandmother with the garden (Trait), Catapult (Trait)
Artefact: Lyre of the Living

Mechanically, Lost in the Fantasy World is direct and simple. When the outcome of a situation is uncertain, both the player and the Mentor—as the Game Master is known—make a Resolution Roll. This is the roll of a six-sided die each to which the player can add a +1 Modifier for any pertinent Trait, the Expenditure of an Adversity Token, a great description of his character’s actions given by the player, as well as the situation itself, the later mostly provided by the Mentor. Whomever rolls highest, narrates the outcome of the situation or scene.

If the player’s roll is lower, then he earns an Adversity Token, which can later be used to gain a Modifier. A player can also Push the roll, which allows him to make the Resolution Roll a second time, but if it is failed, the Player Character temporarily loses a Trait. Use of a magical Artefact enables the player to make the Resolution Roll with two dice—or even three dice if used in a creative and exciting fashion—and the highest result used. Combat uses the same mechanics, the winner of the Resolution Roll narrating the outcome and the loser temporarily losing the use of a Traits. A lost Trait can be recovered in time, but a Player Character or a monster or NPC is ‘Taken Out’ if they lose all of their Traits. They are not dead, but cannot act decisively and are at the mercy of other Player Characters or even their opponents.

For the Mentor there are several suggested opponents and obstacles complete with Traits which she can bring into play and there is also some advice on running Lost in the Fantasy World. The role of the Mentor is actually twofold. First, she serves as the Referee, and second, she actually roleplays the Mentor as character in the game world, who guides the Player Characters to some extent, mysteriously presenting them with both opportunities for adventure and rumours and hints as to the way back to the Player Characters’ home world. Ideally, there should be a balance between the two, a pull and a push, the push to undertake more adventures and help others becoming stronger as the players narrate new and more interesting capabilities for their Artefacts. However, Lost in the Fantasy World does not fully support that notion. There is no mechanical means provided to model the balance between the Player Characters’ supposed desire to help and their desire to get home. Perhaps some kind of countdown or count-up which a player can roll against to determine which of the two desires that his character follows, such that ultimately the pull towards one or the other becomes too much.

Physically, Lost in the Fantasy World comes as a simple pamphlet which folds out to just a single sheet of paper. It is nicely, simply presented and the artwork has a certain charm, but the pamphlet does need another edit for all of its brevity.

Lost in the Fantasy World is a clever little concept which draws upon something often ill-regarded by Dungeons & Dragons fans and develops it into a simple narrative, storytelling game. It is easy to learn and quick to play, but ultimately does not quite follow through on its concept when there was very much room and scope to do so. Hopefully, Lost in the Fantasy World, Second Edition will do that.

Another week, another weekend. The gallery will be closed this weekend because of an impending move, but keep an eye out for the open house on February 5. Until then, music.

Much like the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, the Jonstown Compendium is a curated platform for user-made content, but for material set in Greg Stafford’s mythic universe of Glorantha. It enables creators to sell their own original content for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, 13th Age Glorantha, and HeroQuest Glorantha (Questworlds). This can include original scenarios, background material, cults, mythology, details of NPCs and monsters, and so on, but none of this content should be considered to be ‘canon’, but rather fall under ‘Your Glorantha Will Vary’. This means that there is still scope for the authors to create interesting and useful content that others can bring to their Glorantha-set campaigns.

—oOo—

What is it?
Grungnak Fearless presents an NPC and his entourage, and trinkets for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.

It is a twenty-eight page, full colour, 1.83 MB PDF.
The layout is clean and tidy, and its illustrations good. It does need an edit in places.

Where is it set?
Grungnak Fearless is nominally set in the Big Rubble where the NPC is feuding and scheming to be the fifth ‘Great Clan’ of Trolls or Uz, in the ruins of the city in an event known as the ‘Foreign Bully Feud’. With some adjustments, it could be set elsewhere, and suggestions are included as to where and how to include this NPC in those regions.

Who do you play?
No specific character types are required to encounter Grungnak Fearless. 

What do you need?
Grungnak Fearless requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, the Glorantha Bestiary, and The Red Book of Magic. In addition, the RuneQuest Classic supplements, Pavis: Threshold to Danger, Big Rubble: The Deadly City, and Trollpak: Troll Facts, Secrets, and Adventures for RuneQuest will information which will be useful for using Grungnak Fearless in a Game Master’s campaign.
What do you get?
The second volume of ‘Monster of the Month’ presents not monsters in the sense of creatures and spirits and gods that was the feature of the first volume. Instead, it focuses upon Rune Masters, those who have achieved affinity with their Runes and gained great magics, mastered skills, and accrued allies—corporeal and spiritual. They are powerful, influential, and potentially important in the Hero Wars to come that herald the end of the age and beginning of another. They can be allies, they can be enemies, and whether ally or enemy, some of them can still be monsters.
The second volume comes to a close with Grungnak Fearless, a brutal Death Lord of Zorak Zoran, the God of Hate and Vengeance. From her beginnings as a bandit, she has arisen to be a true monster, reveling in murder and mayhem, selfishly pursuing the novel and the new as she schemes, but mostly bludgeons her way to the top. Having amassed a number of followers in her leaden grasp, she is hellbent on taking out her rivals—using any means necessary, but ultimately and preferably at the end of her great hammer, and then eating them. Both as revenge and to see what they taste like. Multiple suggestions are included on how to use Grungnak Fearless. This is as an ally or an enemy and includes a pair of scenarios, one for each option. Both scenario outlines are well written and will help the Game Master develop them further for her campaign.
Grungnak Fearless is herself given full stats and a write-up, including her powerful bound spirits, one of which is a fire elemental! Her darkness elemental is nasty enough, but her command of a fire elemental gives her an edge that is utterly hostile to the outlook of other Trolls. A nice touch is that this is not instant, but takes time and Grungnak Fearless’ Trolkin must carry the wood and kindling to set a bonfire of sufficient size ablaze to summon the fire elemental. She also possesses Stolen Fire, a Zorak Zorani cult artefact which is won by defeating a Rune Master of a Fire/Sky cult in a heroquest, and then drinking his blood. Stolen Fire grants great gifts for any Troll who bears it. 
Grungnak Fearless’ entourage is also fully detailed. This includes her ‘lover’, Bazzik Fineteeth, a Rune Priest of Argan Argar known for the unfaceted jewels embedded in his teeth; the mantis-obsessed Fenhield Mantis-Friend; and Waggul, Fenhield Mantis-Friend’s favouritist Mantis—because he is soooo cute. Stats are also provided for the general Zorak Zorani Warriors and Trollkin Slingers in the would be ‘Great Clan’. As with the other entries in the ‘Monster of the Month’, full stat sheets are provided for all of the NPCs in Grungnak Fearless.
Lastly, Grungnak Fearless details a short-form Rune cult of Gorakiki the Insect Mother in her aspect as Gorakiki-mantis, the subcult worshipped by the Kugurz Clan in the Big Rubble. For use by NPCs or Player Characters, this expands upon the Gorakiki cult with guidelines as to how intelligent manitises can initiate, what is expected of initiates, cult skills, Spirit and Rune magic, associated cults, and a pair of new Rune spells. These are Foreclaws and Transform Head (Mantis), and are as nasty as you would expect, in line with similar transformation Rune spells.
Is it worth your time?Yes—Grungnak Fearless presents a monster of an enemy to face the Player Characters, or a particularly challenging ally to keep on side, especially if the Game Master is running a campaign set in Pavis and the Big Rubble.No—Grungnak Fearless presents a potentially interesting ally or enemy, plus supporting cast, should the Game Master want to include a monster of an enemy to face the Player Characters. However, if the Game Master’s campaign does not involve Trolls or is set in the Big Rubble, and she does not want to adjust the content, it is of relatively little use.Maybe—Grungnak Fearless presents a monster of an enemy to face the Player Characters, or a particularly challenging ally to keep on side, but the Game Master may simply not want to involve the Trolls in her campaign, take her campaign to the Big Rubble, or necessarily make the adjustments to brings it content into her campaign.

Something a little different today.  I am interrupting my regularly scheduled Character Creation Challenge posts with a Kickstart Your Weekend style review.

The Kickstarter for SURVIVE THIS!! Dark Places & Demogorgons Class Compendium has begun and Bloat Games offered me a sneak peak.  I am providing a review of their new book, and a link for their Kickstarter.

The Kickstarter

I am a huge fan of Dark Places & Demogorgons. 

As of this writing the Kickstarter has made their initial goal. They are now heading to the next Stretch Goal of new art.  After this more stretch goals will be announced.  The lowest level to get in $6 and that gets you the PDF.  Not a bad deal really.

The Book

The current version of the book is all complete with layout and art.  Stretch goals will replace some of the art, but right now it looks great.

The book is digest sized, 210+ pages, color cover and black & white pages.  If you are familiar with any SURVIVE THIS!! book you have a good idea of how it looks on the inside.

The book contains all the classes that have appeared in every Dark Places & Demogorns book, all in one place.  The new classes include  Archery Enthusiast, Badger Scout,  Horror Connoisseur, Hot Shot,  Snoop, The Source, Sweet Baby, Thespian, and new psionic classes, Animal Wrangler and The Forgotten. So 56 classes and 10 new classes for 66 in total.  There are also new spells for the magic using classes.

Most classes cover two to three pages.  Everything you need to know about each class, but no rules for play. You still need the core rules for that. I am reading through and the classes do look expanded.  For example the Goth in the core Dark Places & Demogorgons book tops of, as all classes do in that book, at 5th level.  The Goth in the Class Compendium advances to 10th level, and there are archetypes of the "Mopey Goth" and the "Supernatural Goth."

The new classes are fun with the Horror Connoisseur toping the list of my favorites.  Though I knew a lot of "Sources" back in High School and they would also be a fun class to play.  Though the Magic Classes are still my favorite.  So I am quite pleased to get a bunch of new spells.

Skills are also updated.  The game moved up and out from the core book so new skills need to be defined and there are revised skills as well. 

There is even some space given to fighting threats from "The Otherside."  I'll try not to take that one personally! ;)

Really is a fun book and a must have if you are playing Dark Places & Demogorgons.  It should even work for We Die Young to be honest. 

So yeah, this is a Kickstarter worth backing.

The Character

Again, I think I need to go with my Drosophila melanogaster of playtesting magic classes and see what my dear little witch Larina was doing in the 1980s (1984 to be exact).  She was my big experiment in my Modern Occult Horror RPGs post a bit back, but let's have a look at her in detail.  I am also including my NIGHT SHIFT character sheet as well.

Click to see larger. 

I love how these two games work well with each other.  Each providing me a a detail I did not have before.

The warning is well known throughout the area. There is a curse upon Thraxford Castle and all who enter its gates. A Curse of rotting flesh, of unlife as one of the undead, for all who die within its walls must rise again at dawn to play out a danse macabre of their lives the day before. It is a Curse lain upon the soldiers and occupants of Thraxford Castle by The Bastard King’s slaughter of his kin. None can leave and all who put a foot within a thousand paces of that accursed place will fall foul of the curse… Bastard King of Thraxford Castle is a macabre, gothic mini-location inspired by both British medieval history, Hammer horror films, and even British Dungeons & Dragons adventures drawn from the pages of White Dwarf magazine back in its heyday, such as ‘The Lichway’ by Albie Fiore (White Dwarf Issue No. 9, October/November 1979). Published by Leyline Press and like The Isle of Glaslyn and The God With No Name before it, Bastard King of Thraxford Castle manages to fit an adventure onto the equivalent of four pages and then present it on a pamphlet which folds down to roughly four-by-six inches. One the one side it provides all of the details of the descriptions of the outer and inner wards, whilst on the other there is a map of the whole of the castle, plus descriptions of the actual keep.

Bastard King of Thraxford Castle is designed for use with Old School Essentials Classic Fantasy and presents a location supposedly on the Isle of Kybaros . Here the Bastard King took his last stand against invading forces after he had risen up and defeated King Hardrada at the Battle of Ashing Hill, and was cursed for his hubris. One of the great scenes later in the scenario depicts this battle—taking place in the castle’s great hall—and if the Player Characters are not careful, they may actually get caught up in the nightly (knightly?) reenactment! The scenario is designed for Player Characters of low to medium Level, and a Cleric, although any party upon discovering the true nature of the situation in Thraxford Castle going full bore slaughtering the undead and attempting Turn Undead, will themselves in a for surprise—the dead rise the following morning, the undead rise again as more powerful creatures of death, and they themselves are trapped for the duration... can the Player Characters discover the secrets  and a way to solve their predicament and that of the inhabitants of Thraxford Castle?
What the Player Characters find within the walls of Thraxford Castle is a theatre of ‘Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol’, in some places a slaughterhouse, in others the inhabitants of the castle now long undead, but still going about a semblance of their former lives. Yet long cut off from the outside world, they have been forced to turn to other means to continue that semblance which resembles a horror show, from the tanner to the food at The Peckled ’Hen, and which should invoke a strong sense of revulsion in the players—if not the Player Characters. Many of these scenes should warrant fear checks of some kind, and it is a pity that not every retroclone does, for Bastard King of Thraxford Castle is very much a horror scenario. Nevertheless, despite the weirdness of undead community to be found in the castle, these are opportunities for roleplay and interaction, and they are the surest means of determining what is going on in the castle—along with exploring both its and its grounds, of course.
Bastard King of Thraxford Castle definitely has Shakespearean overtones—definitely of Macbeth and Richard III—combined with the Gothic, and there is potential for some great scenes during the adventure. The Game Master is given some fun NPCs to portray as well as some good ones to roleplay, including what would be traditionally treated as monsters. The scenario includes a pair of new monsters too, the Giant Undead Maggot and the Giant Undead Botfly. Yet as much as Bastard King of Thraxford Castle makes the Game Master want to run it, there is still a lot that she has to do to get the scenario to the table. Apart from a little background about the Bastard Knight rebelling and defeating, even possibly killing, the previous king, the background to the scenario is underwritten. In a sense, this means the Game Master has a lot of flexibility in dropping Bastard King of Thraxford Castle into her campaign, but it skews too far that way by not giving the Game Master the choice but to do that. There is no explanation of the events of the rebellion and there are certainly no hooks given to help the Game Master get her players and their characters involved.
Physically, and once again, Bastard King of Thraxford Castle is a piece of design concision. It is compact and thus easy to store, and unlike The God With No Name, this makes better use of the format, with the inner and outer wards of the castle described on the one side, and the keep on the other along with the map. Besides the cover, the only illustrations in the scenario are those of the new creatures. Those are decent, as is the map of the castle. The scenario does need another edit though.
Although it needs a limited amount of development to make it easier to even run as a one-shot, let alone add to a campaign, Bastard King of Thraxford Castle makes good use of its format and size. In places weird and creepy, Bastard King of Thraxford Castle really goes full theatre of blood, and turns up the horrifying rather than the horror. If the Game Master r wants a short—two sessions or so—bloodily repulsive horror scenario for her campaign, then Bastard King of Thraxford Castle certainly delivers.

A preamble on the enclosure backstories: Once, it and its people were teachers, guardians, shepherds, surrogate parents. They worked with innumerable sentiments reaching toward the stars and showed them the wonders and terrors of the universe, letting them know that … Continue reading →

Today's character could work with either my Victorian setting or Spirit of '76 for a lot of the same reasons.  

I have always been a big fan of Bruce Lee.  I first saw him on the old Batman series as Kato and then later in interviews.  I am not sure what the first Bruce Lee movie I saw was, but likely it was "Enter the Dragon."  Later I learned of his legacies of how Asian-American actors were treated in Hollywood, his invention of Jeet Kun Do, and his atheism.   He was in every respect of the word, an icon and all-around good guy. 

He was huge in the 1970s, especially after his death, and he was central, or at least he heavily influenced the TV series Kung-Fu.   That gives him an "in" to both eras I am gaming with this month.

So in the tradition of the series(es) Kung-fu I have a character idea that would work for both times.  This is an alternate world (NIGHT SHIFT) where Bruce Lee's "Jun Fan Gung Fu" (just Gung Fu from here on out) was a classical style (and totally missing the point of what Lee was trying to do I know...).  

Victorian Era

Here a young British Lord and his Chinese wife had a son, Lee Jun-fan.  But they were killed in the Taiping Rebellion. Their son, whom they feared would also be killed, was left with monks where he was raised to learn Gung Fu. Here he trains for his first 30 years of life.  He returns to his father's home in England where he deals with the racism of 1880s Victorian England.  He is protected by title and wealth, but still, things are not easy for him. He is also a master of Gung Fu and learns of the vast Occult Underground London has to offer.  

Think of it as "Kung Fu by Gaslight."

Spirit of '76

In 1976, Lee Jun-fan's great-grandson, also named Lee Jun-fan, but going by "Lee Young" (yes, I know Lee was a family name) now lives in America, but his legacy will soon be tested.

Here he is (both versions use the same stats) for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Lee Jun-fan (Lee Young)
6th level Mystical Martial Artist (Human)
Archetype: Martial Artist in a Strange New World

Strength: 18 (+3) P 
Dexterity: 19 (+3) S
Constitution: 16 (+2) 
Intelligence: 13 (+1) 
Wisdom: 14 (+1) 
Charisma: 16 (+2) S

HP: 33
Alignment: Good
AC: 5
Attack: +3# Attacks: 2

Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +4/+2/+1Melee bonus: +3 Ranged bonus: +3Saves: +2 to Constitution and Dexterity saving throws
Martial Arts Powers+3 to Dexterity; Free Running; Instant Kill ("Gung Fu Death punch"); Lightning-fast; Danger Sense, Supernatural Attack, Pneuma Blast

Skills
Athletics, Steady Hands, Body Control, Insight

--

In both campaigns, the emphasis for this character is he is close enough to the world he living in at the time, but still an outsider.  But he is also an outsider with this amazing power.

In both cases, I would want to feature his sense of humor. Bruce Lee had a wicked sense of humor and my Lee Jun-fan would also.  I also want a character who despite all the hardships and reversals he has faced wants to believe that people, in general, are good and they act how they do out of fear.  

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

A preamble on the enclosure backstories: Xenoarchaeology is a risky endeavor under just about any circumstance. In the field, researchers face hostile wildlife, fascinating new diseases and parasites, and the ever-present danger that a billion-year-old artifact might be carrying a … Continue reading →

Going to a character today that was one of the first (though not the first) Spirit of '76 characters I came up with.  

Megan O'Kelly came to me from a variety of sources, but the main one was the idea of this college girl wearing a Led Zeppelin U.S. Tour 1975 t-shirt, oversized sunglasses, old hiphugger bell-bottom jeans, and carrying a burlap messenger bag where she kept all her witch gear.   She was a young, recent UC Berkely grad with a freshly minted degree in Psychology and she was going to change the world.

Until that is, she discovered the supernatural.  Or more to the point, the supernatural discovered her.

"Megan" began as "Stephanie" in an older game back when "Spirit of '76" was "Summer of Love" and took place in 1968.  I wanted to keep Stephanie where she was but I wanted to do the Summer of 1976 as well, so Megan was "born."  Eliza Roberts, the actress to "play" her, was suggested to me by my NIGHT SHIFT co-creator Jason Vey.   Megan would go on to have more adventures in other games, namely Chill (from last year) and the Buffy RPG.

Here she is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Megan O'Kelly
4th level Witch (Human)
Archetype: 70s Occultist Witch

Strength: 11 (0) 
Dexterity: 14 (+1) 
Constitution: 15 (+1) 
Intelligence: 18 (+4) P
Wisdom: 17 (+1)  S
Charisma: 17 (+2) S

HP: 14
Alignment: Lawful
AC: 8
Attack: +0

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/0Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: +1Saves: +3 against spells and magical effects
Witch AbilitiesArcana, Supernatural Senses, Spells, Arcane Powers
Arcane PowersPrecognition, ESP (Clairvoyance)
SpellsFirst Level: Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Protection from EvilSecond Level: Cause Fear, Suggestion

Skills
Research, Insight, History, Science (Psychology)

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Megan is my gift to that younger version of me that discovered witches in pop psychology books and magazines and always had crushes on girls older than himself. She is the "psychic witch woman" of the 1970s.  She has crystals, she always consults her horoscope, she has "feelings" about things, and she can be a lot more powerful than even she gives herself credit for.  

She has more history in my games later on, but this is college grad Megan. This is young Megan. She is excited, and eager and wants to take on the world. Her future is so bright right now that she needs those knock-off Marlo Thomas sunglasses.   Is it possible to love an NPC? Because I think Megan is great.  I almost feel bad for all the shit she later goes through by the time the 80s roll around.  Almost. Swords are forged in fire and magic is forged in pain.  But that's not till 1979 at least and Megan here has a lot to do before then!

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

 Sorry about the lack of posts in recent months, my computer went down and I had a devil  of a time getting it fixed.  That's past now.  will have something to post again soon.

 finally, after a really much too long time, I have a nice computer instead of an awful tablet that couldn't run the blogger app. 

and so, something fun; a Vovelle for finding what stars are shining by month in  Eldorath. clearly it isn't finished yet, but you get the idea. vovelles were a common astronomical item in old books.

It may be a bit premature, but it’s been two years since the gallery has seen a Lunar New Year open house, predating the current nightmare by a month, and it’s time to bring it back. The next Triffid Ranch … Continue reading →

I’m not much for selfies, but the first Triffid Ranch open house of 2022 was a perfect time to debut the new look: as one friend joked, “New regeneration, new rules.” The harshness of the red dye back on New … Continue reading →

Continuing my "Spirit of '76" mini-campaign I want to get some more details on who my "big bad" might be.  I say might, because I am not 100% sure yet what I want to do with her save for being the mastermind behind the plot.  I know I want to make what she wants to do sound reasonable and something that most people would want to support. That is if her plan didn't involve the death of millions. 

Given the name of the series, I figure she would fit in fine as the first person of European descent born in the colonies.  She is also the reason I have scrapped many of the ideas I had for Spirit of 76 (including other NPCs) in favor of newer ones.  Still planning on four adventures, but I only have the first two figured out.

I spoke about Virginia Dare briefly before. She is the immortal enemy of Valerie Beaumont. Though their relationship is quite a complicated one. She wants to kill Valerie, but Val doesn't really want to kill her.  I liken their relationship (as it is growing in my mind now) as similar to Holmes and Moriarty or The Doctor and the Master.  

Here she is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Virginia Dare
14th level Survivor (Supernatural, Immortal)
Archetype: Immortal Mastermind

Strength: 12 (0) 
Dexterity: 14 (+1) 
Constitution: 16 (+2) 
Intelligence: 19 (+4) S
Wisdom: 17 (+2)  S
Charisma: 18 (+3) P

HP: 77
Alignment: Neutral (?)
AC: 8
Attack: 4

Fate Points: 1d10

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +6/+4/+2Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: +1Saves: +5 to death saves. +2 to all others.
Immortal AbilitiesImmortals regenerate 1d8 hit points every minute. +3 to Intelligence+5 to all saving throws against magic, poison, disease, and death-based attacks.Arcane Powers: Charm Person, EmpathyUnique Kill: Can only be killed by Valerie Beaumont
Survivor Abilities
Stealth skills; Climbing; Danger Sense (1-5); Sneak Attack +4, x2; Read Languages 80%, Ritual Magic

Survivor Skills (8th level)

• Open Locks: 145%
• Bypass Traps: 140%
• Sleight of Hand: 150%
• Move Silently: 150%
• Hide in Shadows: 140%
• Climbing 105%
• Perception: 105%

Skills
Research, Insight, History (x2) 

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Virginia Dare has survived some of the worst times this country has seen.  She is brilliant and her own special abilities to understand and charm others to get her into positions where she can leverage her intellect the best.  She learns what people want and she finds a way to get it to them, for a price.  

She prefers to work behind the scenes but she has amassed a powerbase that when she decides to play her hand it will have devastating effects. 

I just need to figure out what that is.  I have an idea, but not sure how to make it work just yet. Both in-game and for the game. 

Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more! 

January 15 started the way it usually does in Dallas: with massive gusting winds blasting out of the north, promptly dropping temperatures to within freezing. Inside the gallery, though, those who braved the winds found warmth, light, and, most importantly, … Continue reading →

Between October 2003 and October 2013, Chaosium, Inc. published a series of books for Call of Cthulhu under the Miskatonic University Library Association brand. Whether a sourcebook, scenario, anthology, or campaign, each was a showcase for their authors—amateur rather than professional, but fans of Call of Cthulhu nonetheless—to put forward their ideas and share with others. The programme was notable for having launched the writing careers of several authors, but for every Cthulhu Invictus, The Pastores, Primal State, Ripples from Carcosa, and Halloween Horror, there was a Five Go Mad in Egypt, Return of the Ripper, Rise of the Dead, Rise of the Dead II: The Raid, and more...

The Miskatonic University Library Association brand is no more, alas, but what we have in its stead is the Miskatonic Repository, based on the same format as the DM’s Guild for Dungeons & Dragons. It is thus, “...a new way for creators to publish and distribute their own original Call of Cthulhu content including scenarios, settings, spells and more…” To support the endeavours of their creators, Chaosium has provided templates and art packs, both free to use, so that the resulting releases can look and feel as professional as possible. To support the efforts of these contributors, Miskatonic Monday is an occasional series of reviews which will in turn examine an item drawn from the depths of the Miskatonic Repository.

—oOo—
Name: The Hammersmith HauntingPublisher: Chaosium, Inc.
Author: Kat Clay

Setting: Cthulhu by Gaslight London
Product: Scenario
What You Get: Fifteen page, 12.17 MB Full Colour PDF
Elevator Pitch: Who stalks fog-enshrouded fears in Old London Town?Plot Hook: When the most punctual of men is not on time, there has to be a good reason... or a bad one.Plot Support: Detailed plot, staging advice for the Keeper, three maps, four handouts, four NPCs, one new Mythos entity, and four pre-generated Investigators.Production Values: Excellent.
Pros# Delightfully crotchety old lady# Delightfully crotchety even older lady   # Good staging advice for the Keeper
# Solid straightforward investigation# Good period feel and sense of history# Diverse cast of NPCs and Investigators# Multiple outcomes explored# Handouts for failure and success
Cons
# Requires a slight edit# Mechanics underdeveloped and presented# Too linear and too straightforward an investigation for experienced players?
Conclusion
# Engaging period piece of horror# Delightfully crotchety old ladies two# Solid straightforward investigation to begin a Cthulhu by Gaslight campaign?

Going forward in time to another campaign I have been tossing around for a while.  This one is set in the Summer of 1976.  I don't have much planned yet save that it involves an increased upswing in demonic and supernatural attacks and related phenomena.  

Ideally, I'd love to be able to use a lot of weird shit that made the 70s one of the best decades for occult happenings.  My goal here is to try to figure out what this campaign/set of adventures is all about.

So let's start with the character that made me want to do something in this decade;  Carl Kolchak, The Night Stalker.  Besides, it is the 50th Anniversary of the Night Stalker TV series.  

Here he is for Night Shift. NIGHT SHIFT is available from the Elf Lair Games website (hardcover) and from DriveThruRPG (PDF).

Carl Kolchak 
3rd level Survivor (Human)
Archetype: Corespondent

Strength: 10 (0) 
Dexterity: 13 (+1) S
Constitution: 16 (+2) 
Intelligence: 13 (+1) P
Wisdom: 14 (+1)  
Charisma: 15 (+1) S

HP: 15
Alignment: Light
AC: 9
Attack: +1

Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+1/0Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: +1Saves: +4 to death saves. +2 to all others.
Survivor Abilities
Stealth skills; Climbing; Danger Sense (1-4); Sneak Attack +4, x2; Read Languages 80%

Survivor Skills (8th level)

• Open Locks: 35%
• Bypass Traps: 30%
• Sleight of Hand: 40%
• Move Silently: 40%
• Hide in Shadows: 30%
• Climbing 75%
• Perception: 50%

Skills
Research, Insight, Notice (x2)

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Want to see more of the #CharacterCreationChallenge? Stop by Tardis Captain's Blog and the #CharacterCreationChallenge on Twitter for more!