Combining David Hargrave's Arduin (specifically, the proposed or developing ruleset of Bloody Arduin) with the streamlined, sci-fi O.G.R.E.S. rules engine of Jason Vey's 13 Parsecs

 Combining the "gonzo," genre-bending, and famously lethal fantasy of David Hargrave's Arduin (specifically, the proposed or developing ruleset of Bloody Arduin) with the streamlined, sci-fi O.G.R.E.S. rules engine of Jason Vey's 13 Parsecs creates a game of chaotic, multi-dimensional, high-risk, "kitchen-sink" science-fantasy.

Since 13 Parsecs is already designed to be highly customizable and runs on the modular O.G.R.E.S. system, and Bloody Arduin is an attempt to create a cohesive, modern (but still brutal) Arduin ruleset, the combination should focus on integrating the flavor and lethality of Arduin into the framework of 13 Parsecs.

Here is a proposed framework for the Bloody Parsecs (or Arduin's Solar Frontier) RPG:

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 Bloody Parsecs: Arduin's Solar Frontier

1. Core Rules: Powered by O.G.R.E.S. (13 Parsecs)

You would use the core mechanics of 13 Parsecs, which is a Class-and-Level system with three main checks:

• Class Abilities/Skills: Roll a percentage (d100) and try to roll under your percentage chance.

• Attribute Checks (Including Combat & Saves): Roll a d20, add your attribute bonus/mods, and try to roll 20 or better.

• The Rule of 2 (GM Tool): For quick, non-critical checks, roll a die (like a d6) and a 1 or 2 is a success.

The Key Arduin Injection (Lethality):

The most iconic element of Arduin is its lethality. This is best integrated by modifying the d20 combat and saves:

• Critical Hits/Fumbles: Use the infamous, highly detailed, and often deadly Arduin Critical Hit and Fumble tables from Bloody Arduin (or a streamlined version thereof). A Natural 20 on an attack roll results in a Critical Hit roll, and a Natural 1 is a Fumble roll. This introduces the chaotic, visceral violence Hargrave was known for.

• Wounds and Damage: Retain 13 Parsecs' vitality (HP) system, but make saves more difficult and failure more punishing (e.g., using a modified Constitution Save from Arduin to resist poisons, radiation, or being instantly killed by a massive Critical Hit).

2. Character Creation: The Gonzo Multiverse

Combine the options, with an Arduin bent:

Component	Bloody Parsecs Integration	Source Priority
Attributes	Use the standard 6 (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha) and add Arduin's 7th attribute: Ego (for psychic/willpower saves).	Arduin/D&D style
Races/Species	Blend them! Include the 13 Parsecs species (Androids, Felis, Saurians, etc.) alongside classic Arduin races (Deodanth, Great Grey Beasts, Lizard Men, etc.). Assumption: Any species can take any class (a core 13 Parsecs philosophy).	Mixed
Classes/Archetypes	Blend the lists. 13 Parsecs archetypes (Augmented, Blaster, Psychic, Slicer) become the core framework. Integrate Arduin classes (Star-Powered Mage, Tekno, Martial Artist, Assassin, Runelord) as specialized subclasses or "Advanced Training" options.	Mixed
Skills & Training	Use the 13 Parsecs Skill System (percentile rolls), allowing players to train Skills from both a fantasy-magic base and a sci-fi/tech base.	13 Parsecs

3. Magic, Psionics, & Technology: The Kitchen Sink

This is where the Arduin flavor truly shines in a sci-fi setting.

• Magic and Psionics: Use the 13 Parsecs rules for Psionics and Mystical Powers. The spell lists, however, should be the famously voluminous, chaotic, and often strange spells from the Arduin Grimoires. A Star-Powered Mage might cast a spell called "Greg Stafford's Dismay" right after a Psychic attempts to hack a starship computer.

• Gear: Blend the tech lists. The players will have access to both laser blasters, energy shields, and advanced cybernetics from 13 Parsecs, as well as the unique, often cursed or insanely powerful magical/technological artifacts of Arduin (like the "Tekno" gear or unique Arduin armors).

4. Setting & Campaign Tone

The setting becomes a "Gonzo Science-Fantasy Multiverse."

• The World: Arduin itself is just one highly-magical, dimensionally-unstable planet within the Solar Frontier (the setting of 13 Parsecs). Characters move between high-tech space stations and deep-fantasy dungeons, often within the same session.

• Tonal Goal: Gritty Sci-Fi Fantasy. The system is rules-light and fast-playing like O.G.R.E.S., but the high chance of a devastating Critical Hit or a disastrous Fumble maintains the unpredictable, high-stakes chaos and danger that defines the Bloody Arduin experience. Death is always a roll away.

Stars Without Numbers rpg : Campaign Pitch: The Red Dawn of Sector X- War of the Worlds Update - The Martian Manta Ray Craft From 1953's War of the Worlds Move

 

Here's an update to the Stars Without Numbers rpg : Campaign Pitch: The Red Dawn of Sector X- War of the Worlds & that's the Manta ray craft from the 1953's classic War of the Worlds movie for this campaign. The Martian War Machine from the 1953 War of the Worlds film, often described as a "stingray" or "manta ray" craft, is an iconic piece of sci-fi.

Since there are no official Stars Without Number (SWN) stats for this specific vehicle, We can create a custom profile for it using the rules for Alien Craft or as a specialized Walker/Grav Vehicle from the SWN core rulebook (Deluxe Edition, or adapting from the standard vehicle/robot rules).

Here is a proposed stat block and description, focusing on its unique features:

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Martian War Machine (1953 Film)

This sleek, manta ray-shaped craft hovers on three invisible energy "legs" and is an incredibly resilient and terrifying war engine of an alien race.²

Trait	Value	Notes
Class	Grav Vehicle, Very Heavy	Treats Rough terrain as Normal. Ignores difficult terrain.
Crew	1 Martian Operator (Single Occupant)
Speed	50 kph (Standard), 200 kph (Max)	Standard for tactical movement; max for rapid travel.
Armor	15 (Force Field)	Invulnerable to all non-nuclear conventional weaponry.
Hit Points (HP)	40 (Structure)	Structure can only be damaged if Armor is bypassed/disrupted.
AC	10	The craft moves too smoothly to be targeted by small arms.
Hard Points	2 (Fixed)	Heat Ray (Fixed Fore), Wingtip Pulsars (Fixed Broad)
TL	5 (Alien)	Represents the Martian technological superiority.
Cost	Priceless (Alien Artifact)	Cannot be bought or replicated with known technology.

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Special Features

•  Invisible Energy Tripod: The craft hovers on three invisible "legs" of magnetic or energy force.³ Any attempt to ground the vehicle by damaging the earth beneath it is ineffective, but the energy emissions leave three scorched areas beneath the hull, briefly visible at takeoff or in wet terrain.

• Molecularly Cohesive Armor: The craft's hull, and more importantly, its powerful force field (represented by the high Armor score), is nearly impervious to conventional weapons. All attacks from TL0-4 conventional weapons (bullets, rockets, kinetic weapons) do no damage unless a Critical Hit (Natural 20) is scored. Even then, the damage is halved. Only nuclear weapons, extreme TL5 energy weapons, or the unique vulnerability (see below) can effectively damage it.

• Siren of War: The machine emits a terrifying, wailing siren sound when attacking or maneuvering. This can impose a -1 penalty to Morale checks for any troops within 100 meters who are actively aware of the machine.

Weapons

The Martian War Machine fields two devastating alien weapons:⁴

1.  Heat Ray (Mounted Fore, Cobra Head)⁵

   • Range: 1,000 meters

   • Damage: $4\text{d}10$ Energy

   • Special: The Heat Ray is a focused stream of energy capable of rapid molecular disintegration. It ignores 5 points of mundane Armor (but not the machine's own Force Field). Against objects (buildings, vehicles), it deals $\times 2$ damage. It is a slow-to-fire weapon and can only target one vehicle or area per round.

2.  Wingtip Pulsars (Broad Arc/Point Defense)⁶

   • Range: 300 meters

   • Damage: $2\text{d}6$ Energy

   • Special: Two pulsing ray emitters, one on each wingtip.⁷ They can target two different opponents or one target twice per round. These are primarily used to incinerate infantry or lightly armored vehicles.

The Vulnerability (Spoilers)

In the source material, the Martians and their technology are vulnerable to terrestrial bacteria.

• Infectious Failure: If the Martian occupant is exposed to the local planetary environment for a significant period (minutes/hours), their biological systems will begin to fail. This is a progressive threat. Once the occupant dies, the machine immediately becomes inert, its force field and systems shutting down. Its Armor drops to 5 (Structure) and its HP is now its main defense, allowing it to be damaged by any weapon.

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This stat block should give you a terrifying challenge for your Stars Without Number players, respecting the machine's near-invulnerability while keeping it within the system's framework.

Batsquatch: Terror from Mount St. Helens Mega Cryptid For Nightshift Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg

 Batsquatch: Terror from Mount St. Helens

 

The Batsquatch is a powerful, flying cryptid often reported near Mount St. Helens and other mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest. It combines the massive bulk of a Sasquatch with the chilling features of a gigantic bat. As a Game Master (GM) for Nightshift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars, you can use the following stats and extended material to challenge your players.

Since a direct stat block for Batsquatch is not available in the core rules (based on my search), this is a custom block built using the conventions and mechanics of the Nightshift: VSW system, particularly its d20 checks and percentile skills.

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 Batsquatch (Mega-Cryptid)

Stat	Score	Bonus (P/S/T)
Strength (STR)	18	+3
Agility (AGL)	14	+1
Toughness (TGH)	17	+3
Intelligence (INT)	8	-1
Wits (WIT)	12	+0
Persona (PRS)	10	+0
Defense Value (DV)	14 (Natural Armor)
Vitality (VIT)	80
Attacks	3 (2 Claws + 1 Bite or 2 Wing Slams + 1 Bite)
Melee Bonus	+5 (STR bonus + Hit Bonus)
Ranged Bonus	+1 (AGL bonus + Hit Bonus)

A gargantuan figure, nine feet tall, with thick blue-gray fur, massive leathery bat wings spanning up to 50 feet, and a face that is a nightmare blend of wolf, bat, and ape. Its eyes glow an unearthly yellow or red.

Special Abilities and Skills

Ability	Base %	Notes
Hide	30%	Difficult to spot when perched in dense forest.
Perception	60%	Excellent hearing and low-light vision.
Fly (Movement)	85%	Its primary mode of travel; high maneuverability.
Intimidate	50%	The sheer horror of its appearance.

Attacks

• Claw (Melee): $1\text{d}8 + 3$ (STR) Slashing damage. The Batsquatch attacks with two claws.

• Bite (Melee): $1\text{d}6 + 3$ (STR) Piercing damage.

• Wing Slam (Melee): $1\text{d}10 + 3$ (STR) Bludgeoning damage. Used in place of one or both claw attacks; can affect all targets in a 10 ft. cone (see Extended Material below).

Saves

Save	Base	Notes
Death	+6	High Toughness and Vitality.
Mental	+3	Resists psychic powers and mental manipulation.
Physical	+5	Resists toxins and physical ailments.

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Extended Material and GM Notes

1. Mythology and Habitat

• Origin: The first prominent sighting occurred shortly after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Some believe the volcanic event somehow freed or awakened the creature from a deep, subterranean lair or perhaps a forgotten pocket dimension.

• Habitat: Primarily mountainous forests, deep canyons, and cave systems in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and occasionally extending to California). It prefers areas with low human population and high forest cover for hunting.

• Behavior: Highly predatory and aggressive. It hunts deer, livestock, and occasionally lone humans. It is generally a solitary creature, making it difficult to track.

2. Unique Powers

Electromagnetic Interference (Supernatural Power)

• Effect: The presence of the Batsquatch generates a powerful field of paranormal energy that disrupts electronic and mechanical devices.

• Rule: When a Batsquatch is within 50 feet of a vehicle (car, truck, snowmobile, etc.) or complex electronic equipment (radio, computer, advanced weaponry), the device has a 50% chance of suddenly stalling, failing, or malfunctioning at the beginning of each round. If a vehicle stalls, it takes a successful Toughness check (DC 15) to restart it in the following rounds.

Grasping Talons (Special Combat)

• Effect: The Batsquatch can use its massive feet/talons to grapple a medium-sized or smaller creature and lift it into the air.

• Rule: If a Claw attack hits a medium or smaller target, the Batsquatch can forgo damage to initiate a grapple. The target must succeed on a Strength or Agility check (DC 16) to avoid the grapple. Once grappled, the Batsquatch can fly up to its maximum movement (40 ft.) per round while carrying the target. The grappled target is considered Helpless for all other Batsquatch attacks, taking an automatic Bite attack in the next round.

Sonic Wing Slam (Area Attack)

• Effect: The Batsquatch’s wings are so large and powerful that a single flap can create a stunning sonic boom or a powerful gust of wind.

• Rule: As an attack, it can replace its two Claw attacks with a Wing Slam targeting a 10-foot cone or a 10-foot radius burst. All targets in the area take $1\text{d}10 + 3$ Bludgeoning damage and must make a Toughness Save (DC 14) or be Stunned for 1 round.

3. Weaknesses

• Sonic/High Pitch Noise: Being a creature of the night with oversized bat-like features, it is highly sensitive to extreme acoustic stimulus.

  • Rule: Any loud, high-frequency sound (a Sonic Weapon, a specialized scream, or a loud explosion nearby) forces the Batsquatch to make a Toughness Save (DC 15). On a failure, its DV is reduced by 2 and its Ranged and Melee Bonuses are reduced by 1 for $1\text{d}4$ rounds as it is disoriented.

• Silver: While not a true lycanthrope, its supernatural nature means it reacts poorly to refined silver.

  • Rule: Attacks made with Silvered weapons deal an additional $1\text{d}4$ damage.

Stars Without Number Rpg Combined With Zozer Games Rpg For Campaign Play

 Can the Stars Without Numbers rpg and the Hostile rpg work together?!  Stars Without Number (SWN) and  Zozer Games' HOSTILE RPG can work together exceptionally well, primarily because they share common design DNA. This combination is a fantastic way to blend SWN's robust sector-building and sandbox tools with HOSTILE's gritty, blue-collar sci-fi atmosphere and its roots in the  Traveller/Cepheus Engine  family of games.

Here is a breakdown of how they mesh and the best ways to combine them:

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The Synergy: Why They Work Together

The compatibility between SWN and HOSTILE is strong, falling into two main categories:

1. SWN's GM Tools + HOSTILE's Gritty Setting

This is the most seamless and popular combination.

SWN Feature	HOSTILE Application	Benefit
Faction Turn Rules	Track the movements of mega-corporations, the  Hostile military (USAAF), and emerging threats like alien life (e.g., the Martians in your campaign).	Gives the corporate-dominated setting of Hostile a dynamic, moving political landscape.
World Tag Generation	Use SWN's tables to create the history, problems, and cultural background of planets within the Hostile setting.	Provides deep, sandbox-ready hooks for the frontier worlds, deep space stations, and colonial outposts that are the heart of Hostile's flavor.
Pretech/Maltech Rules	Easily classify the powerful, rare gear and ancient alien relics that often become the focus of a desperate  Hostile crew's mission.	Provides mechanics for powerful, dangerous gear without disrupting the low-power feel of the standard setting.

2. Mechanical Proximity (OSR vs. 2d6)

While SWN uses a d20 for combat (with ascending AC) and 2d6 for skills, and HOSTILE (based on the Cepheus Engine) uses 2d6 for all task resolution, the systems are close enough to be easily converted.

• Skill Check Conversion:  Both systems have relatively small modifiers. It's often simple to take the skill rating from a HOSTILE resource and use it as a modifier to an equivalent SWN skill check.

• Stats and Saves: You can easily use HOSTILE's  Equipment and NPCs directly, substituting the SWN character's relevant Attribute Save (Physical, Mental, Evasion) whenever a HOSTILE rule calls for a Characteristic check.

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Three Ways to Combine the Games

1. The SWN Core with HOSTILE Flavor (Recommended)

This is the easiest path for a GM already familiar with Stars Without Number.

• Core System: Use Stars Without Number: Revised Edition rules (Classes, Skills, d20 combat, d6/d8 damage).

• The Blend: Import the entire HOSTILE Setting (lore, corporations, equipment lists, and atmosphere) and use it as the backdrop for your SWN sector.

• NPCs: Use the SWN monster/NPC creation guidelines, but describe their gear and motivation using  Hostile  material (e.g., a "Warrior 3" is an unarmored, desperate Colonial Marine with a pulse rifle).

• Benefit:  You get to use the excellent SWN faction tools and character advancement, while ensuring every place the party visits feels like the gritty, dangerous world of  Alien and Outland.

2. The HOSTILE Core with SWN Tools

This approach favors the 2d6 resolution system and skill-based nature of Traveller-likes.

• Core System: Use the  HOSTILE  rulebook for all player actions (character creation, combat, skill checks).

• The Blend: Use the  Stars Without Number GM Section  exclusively: the World Tags, Sector Generation tables, and the Faction Turn rules.

• Monsters/Aliens:  For entities like your Martian Tripod, use the detailed Mecha/Vehicle rules from SWN, but translate the attack bonus and damage numbers into the HOSTILE/Cepheus  system (e.g., a +8 attack bonus in SWN is roughly equivalent to a skill of 4 or 5 in HOSTILE, depending on the target number).

• Benefit: more uniform, hard sci-fi mechanical feel (2d6 for everything) with the organizational and storytelling power of the SWN sandbox tools.

3. Seamless Conversion (Hybrid Gear/Enemies)

For adding specific gear or enemy stat blocks:

• Gear:  Convert credits/prices loosely. A gun's damage in SWN can be roughly doubled and converted to a HOSTILE damage code (or vice-versa) to keep the lethality consistent.

• Monsters: For a creature like the Martian Tripod, use the HP and Armor Class (AC)  from SWN, but let the players attack and roll for damage using the  HOSTILE rules. The high SWN AC (like AC 16) is a good stand-in for the high difficulty/Armor Points found in the HOSTILE rules for tough enemies.

In summary, the settings complement each other perfectly, and the rules are close enough that you can mix and match the best parts of each without complex math.