The Tentacles & Eyeballs Rpg Horror Miniature Kickstarter

So Dark Platypus Stuidos is doing a kickstarter for this awesome set of minis. They're raising the money for the following : "The goal of this KickStarter is to raise funds for mold-making and production costs to add this pile of similarly-themed monster sculpts to my product line. These tentacled aberrations come straight from the darkest reaches of the Far Realms, and would be at home eating the PC's off of any D&D, Pathfinder, or Old School roleplaying table!  Castings of the models themselves will be the rewards that backers can choose to receive for their assistance in helping me meet this goal. "

The models are very nice & they're old school as well. 

I've got my favorites especially this guy here. 

 I love the description of this one :  The Lensman is a minion monster associated with Eye Abberants. It's face, composed of one huge leering eye and a gaping maw, is centered on its torso, Arnim Zola -style, while a writhing tentacle sprouts from where it's head should be. It favors double-bladed pole arms as weapons, and this one wields a two-headed axe in its hand and tentacle.
 The rewards go up with some awe inspiring hidious monsters but the final one is my all time favorite



Ladies & Gentlemen the DeepMother! This hideous Far Realms horror literally gives birth to other monstrous aberrations as you fight it, 'spawning' them off of its own fleshy mass, or 'horking' them out of its three alligator-like mouths. It's 15' (3") diameter body is festooned with eyes, including 4 that are protruding on little tentacles. Three of its six main tentacles end in the afore-mentioned 'gator-like mouths, while the other three coil to termination, and are capable of holding weapons (there is actually a little hole through the final coil, which you can insert weapon hilts into). The DeepMother 'stands' on its own tentacles over a Huge (3") base, but it's extra-long tentacles reach up and out, making the model almost 7" across at it' widest dimension.

You can read a whole lot more right Here

 I can see using any of the featured miniatures in any of the old school science fiction or post apocalytpis retroclones. There is a metric ton of ideas floating right around with these aberrants. I can see adding these to Terminal Space or X-plorers with no problem. A hive of these bastards could appear in Metamorphis Alpha or straight into the Mutant Future Timeline of your choose. 

Go fund this & get this happening! Just wanted to bring this to your attention with all the activity over at Reaper Miniature's kickstarter. 

Some have said that the OSR is dead or over. If these kick starters are any indication. Things are just starting to heat up baby! 

Preying Mantis Awareness Week On Carcosa

The Mantis Temples of Herrbra  Where stalks the Green Death & its varieties 

The jungles of Carcosa are home to all types of alien predators but none more deadlier then the Green Death family of Mantis. Originally imported in by the Serpent men eons ago these fierce predators have spread throughout the jungles of Carcosa.

The unstable genetic structure of the family allows the mutant mantis to breed rapidly & adapt to changing conditions within  the xeno environments of Carcosa's biosphere.
Number appearing :1d4
Armor Class : 4
Hit dice 5
Special : Psi Mantis 1d4 random psi powers or 1d4 spells 1st level

Pictured is a Psi Mantis on the hunt. 

 There are several unusual mutations that have appeared within recent months upon Carcosa. This includes the Psi Mantis. A very unusal specimen that gains magic or psi powers from eating the whole prey. It gains access to 1d4 random psychic powers that were within the victim & also access to recent memories.
These are used to trap further victims. They possess a keen weird logic intellect  & are able to move through parties of natives & explores with easy. They retain these abilities for 1d4 days after consumption.


The Head Taker  Mantis, this fast moving predator slices the heads from prey with a wick attack of  its claws doing 1d4 points of damage with each strike.  It feeds on the body while taking the head back to its nest. It surgically separates the various systems from the humanoid mind & rewires them as psionic guardians for its young. There will be 1d6 heads at any time guarding its eggs. These will have 1d4 random psionic powers. Many Mythos races covet these artifacts & it is thought that the mantis sprays them with a naturally occurring preservative from within itself.
 
The Ancestor Beast - These mantis form rough tribes of 1d8 individuals & work in concert to bring down prey. They will be of max hit points & often use pack tactics. These monsters are semi intelligent are often immune to many psionic powers making them all of the more deadly. Certain parts of prey are saved & modified to be traded with other races. These include Deep Ones & Swamp folk. If at anytime the trade partner shows weakness of any type they are know to attack without mercy. They may trade with adventurers if the right spells are known & communication can be established or any incursion into their turf will be met with pure malice.

 It is known that several alien races export these species to other planets. They may be found within any game world where a tropical climate exists.

All stats are taken from The Carcosan Grimoire available right Here

Seven Old School Science Fiction Resources For Your Old School Campaigns

Back when I was younger I used rummage through the stacks at my local library looking for reference works that could be used for my gaming. Dragon magazine provided a window into a much larger world then what was available.
Sure there were decent book stores around but in the pages of  Dragon, Starlog, & Fango there were hints that there scads of places through out Europe & beyond. It would be years before I visited some of those places. The authors of some of these reference works were able to transport me light years beyond anything that was available in my little town.
Lets start with Jeff  Rovin's works. The man is a machine of pop culture. He churns out book after fantastic book about the themes & ideas near & dear to role players, science fiction fans, & comic book fanatics hearts. I can't tell you the number of monsters I've converted from his works 

1. The Encyclopedia of Super Heroes - They're all there from A to Z this book has some really old school supers & not simply the traditional ones. This book takes from literature to comics plus everything in between including advertising! This is a must have for any role player interested in Superhero gaming. The nice part of many of these books is the price. I've beat the holy hell out of my copy & was able to snag a great copy at Goodwill for 2.00.
2. The Encyclopedia of Super Villains ~ Another companion for the Super Hero Encyclopedia & now a bit dated but still very useful when it comes to referencing some of the really obscure caped criminals. As some one who loves thirties pulps & comics this is another great book. It goes into a bit of science fiction as well. Also on the cheap. Another Jeff Rovin 
3. The Dinosaur Scrap Book By Donald F. Glut - This work is a great overview of dinosaurs from movies through literature. It includes dinosaurs from the works of Willis O'Brian to Edgar Rice Burroughs. This book has a metric ton of old school pictures & will satisfy any old school movie freak or gamer 
4. The Star Trek Concordance  BJO Trimble- Old School Trek at its finest this is one of the best reference works around & a real gem in any collection of the Star Trek Role player. Every plot, working, cartoon, etc. its all here in black & white as well as easy reference
    Simply a must for old school trekers 
5. The Encyclopedia of Aliens, Robots, & Space Ships Jeff Rovin - Looking for a clue to that weird late night alien you saw & need to know what it is? This is the book to go. There are lots of stuff seldom seen in other science fiction works. This book goes into even more detail about the golden age B.E.Ms & everything inbetween. Seriously solid.
6. The Encyclopedia of Monsters By Jeff Rovin - This is the late, late, show bible every creepy crawly from Cthulhu to the Parkland Mutate is here. This is a great horror fan bible of the greats & no so. The problem with many of Rovin's works is that its out of date & out of luck with newer works. That aside this is one for the shelves when you need something interesting, fast, & different. 
7. The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places Brian Stableford - This is one of the best works on the locations of science fiction ever. This book came out in the 90s & there are metric ton of places for use. The book is written like a travelogue & allows the fan to almost visit these places in their mind's eye. Solid quick & easy this is a great book in the tradition of the Dictionary of Imaginary Places (another entry itself). This book has a ton of maps that can be used for locations & whatnot. Very handy & nice for the gaming table.
   
   None of these reference works are going to break your bank account. Amazon has a metric ton of these. They're great references for your old school game. Many of these are available at the local library & you should check them out before buying them to make sure they're right for you. More coming up 

Coming up next a few from the stacks ! 

The QuY'reara - Those Which Are Left For Your Old School Space Opera Campaign

 

Théophile Schuler~ Le char de la mort (1848) 

Number: 1d30

Type: Other

Armor Class:0 (19)

Hit dice : 6

Attacks: Bite 1d4,Claws 1d6 

Saving Throw : 11

Specials : Reanimate & Control dead within a 30 foot radius

Move: 24 

Challenge Level /XP : 7/600

When worlds pass away or are destroyed by violence beyond the bounds of the universe those actions sometimes wrench aside the veil of time & space itself. These actions are so devastating that the angles of space itself are disrupted allowing the infinite energies beyond egress into our space. 

The souls of the departed are sucked into something resembling nothing seen in the normal universe. They gain form from the dreams of the damned themselves & cloak themselves with the remains of physics last vestiges. 

These beings gain a hazy existence within the folds of space empty of all that makes life as we know it. They hunger for the experiences of life again yet it is a thirst that can't be sated. So they wander in a limbo of nonexistence only to be called by the psychic vibrations of madmen & fools. Those  who attempt to bind them to their will are bathed in the hatred of a billion souls churning within themselves with self hatred & the breath of madness. 

These beings will appear within 1d4 hours of being summoned from beyond the Darkness of Madness itself. 

These beings must be called from the edge of an asteroid field. These monsters will thunder out from the lost homelands where they once existed.. Any corpse brought within their radius of effect will become possessed by the passions & energies that flow around these monsters. 

They will have to be bound by the summoner with a successful Charisma roll or they may devour those who call them. 

These monsters scavenge the byways of time  & forbidden space. They know many, many secrets of forbidden places, lost alien worlds, the lonely places where the wind s of time howls to itself before becoming the future. Those who call them better have a good reason or they shall tear his existence apart as they snap his soul in twixt between their jaws.   

These beings are said to roam the haunted worlds that rub the hellish world of Carcosa where they are summoned from beyond regularly for their terrifying insights into damned & forbidden things. They're prices there though for such knowledge is high indeed . 

S.H.I.E.L.D Television Show Announced! Shouldn't Shield Be In Your Old School Games Now ?!

"It was revealed earlier this month that Joss Whedon had signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios to, among other things, help develop a new live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. Today, Deadline has revealed that, now greenlit by ABC, the series will be titled "S.H.I.E.L.D." and will focus on the top secret defense organization featured throughout the Marvel cinematic universe.

Whedon will write the pilot alongside his brother, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen (who previously worked with Whedon on "Dollhouse" and "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"). All three will also join Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb as executive producers. The site notes that Whedon may also direct the pilot, but that nothing is confirmed at this time.

It remains to be seen which, if any, actors and/or characters from the Marvel Studios films are planned to appear on the show, though it's very likely that "S.H.I.E.L.D" will have direct ties to future Marvel Studios cinematic entries, including the Whedon scripted and directed Marvel's The Avengers 2, set for release on May 1, 2015.

As always, check back for more details as they become available."  From Super Hero Hype Originally Available right Here" 

Right I can see much rejoicing in the streets about this. Surely there is no way that I can use Shield in my old school space game? Oh there is & its within the old school continuum of Marvel. Shield has been operating in one form or another since the 1930s in the Marvel universe. Don't ask for examples simply go with it folks. They emerged into the cold cruel world of the 90s & then in the 00s. They really got their jump with the 60s.

This is the Nick Fury that I know and love. The ultimate bad ass spy from the 60s. A direct result of the Man From Uncle & James Bond plus the Avengers Tv show..I'm not going to go into the entire history of Shield in Marvel Comics but they've had their hands in every dirty little covert secret this side of Thanos.

So when did the other guy take over? Well because of the Ultimates comic book titles. In the comic book world things are seldom what they seem to be. 

See this emblem on the side of a space ship run like hell 

 

There could well have been 2 Furys running around & no one would have been the wiser. Shield has had its fingers in the space race right from the beginning. There have super hero sized menaces right from the beginning of the deal. Shield has a bio weapons division as well. Beyond Shield is Control an X files style black shadow government organization that was responsible for the radioactive spider that Peter Parker gets, the Gamma Bomb going off, & a thousand other incidents that have happened.

The odds are that there are number of Shield related ships that have been sent into deep space with God knows what on board. These space hulks might have Hulk clones deemed to dangerous, mutants from beyond the pale of man or any number of things to throw at players. 

Shield agents have been showing up in comic cross overs for ages & might show up again. This gives the DM a clever way to throw information with a low ball NPC approach. 

 

 

Shield could be involved in any number of nasty secrets including Xenomorph studies that make anything presented in Promethus look like Sunny Brook Farm. Lets not mention their involvement with extraplanar creatures. The affairs with the Scorpion Key & any number of shady deals. Name any Marvel Character & they've been right there all along.
An extensive history of the organization can be found right Here

You can get a much more in depth look from Dragon magazine by downloading & reading the classic Compiled Marvel Phile. This  has every Dragon Magazine article from Marvel Super Heroes  right in one place.
Why wait for the television show when Shield can be mucking around in your campaign today! 

All Copyrights & Trademarks belong to their respective holders. No infringement is meant here merely fan made fun..The writers of this blog would like to thank Classic Marvel Forever. 

Revisit To A Free Mutant Future Supplement Devastation Drive In

Just last night I reprinted this great supplement from Justin Davis from A Field Guide To Doomsday. Its fifty seven pages of monsters stated up from some really fantastic cult movies from your favorite video stores from the 90s for Mutant future.
Its absolutely free as well. With the recent Star Ships & Spacemen game plus all of the love that Sniderman has been spoiling us with I've began to look back into Mutant Future once again.
I never really left the game but its worth visiting again. The Mutant Future game is a perfect vehicle for those old school original Trek style post apocalyptic games. This is one of the best things that came out that's absolutely free. Go over to the area on the right of the screen marked  Field Guide Documentation use it to your heart's content.. 
 This style of grade z goodness could be used extensively in a space based game . Three monsters spring to mind.
The Astrozombies, the stuffies & the radioactive horror of the Incredible Melting Man these are just a few of the monsters to be found.


I'm not going to lie & say that these are fantastic movies. They're terrible grind house classics that capture exactly the mood of some of the post apocalyptic goodness of the Mutant Future game. 

With the right application they can become pretty damn tough though to the right group..

With things like "The Stuff " a DM doesn't have to work to hard to adapt these movies to serve as awesomesauce to jaded players who know each & every monster around.

There's lots more in the book & you can download it right now Here

 Mutant Future seems be undergoing a mini resurgence over the last 2 weeks & I thought I'd remind some folks about this book. I'll be adapting some of these to my SWN Thursday night group.

Happy Birthday Jack Kirby The King Of Comics !

As far as I'm concerned there was & will only be one King Of Comics ~ Jack Kirby
The man was & is a legend
 For me one of his all time greats was his adaptation of 2001 A Space Odyssey
 Happy Birthday Sir wherever  or Whenever you are!

Please think about joining the Jack Kirby Museum as a member. The idea is to eventually have an actual Museum to visit as well as the present virtual on-line Museum at the website.

His Fantastic Website can be found here:

www.kirbymuseum.org
 

Wreck Of The USS Avánthe On Carcosa - Actual Play

So far the intrepid crew has run from the various colored men of Carcosa. Almost been boiled & eaten. Run across serpent men ruins, had phasers explode, & survived almost being vivisected by Elder Things.. 

This of course isn't counting the deaths of 6 red shirts ala hirelings.. Poison plant darts, Mi Go brain mecha, giant honey bee hives, & falling down a pit trap! 

Smoke break now more in a half an hour

Did I mention the crashed ship? The PCs crawled from the wreckage & were almost sacrificed to a volcano god. A few tricoders & some high tech toys were available but not much else.

 

Oh that wasn't very smart.. Insulting the Deep One champion of the village that their staying in? Opps that claw to the chest is going to hurt for 1d4 points of damage..Running is an option at this point & now the Captain is dead

Yup kids I stuck in a Salt Vampire & yes its lair is the old dilithium crystal mine..Which your going to have get into to power that shuttle to get off this "miserable rock" 

Opps strach another red shirt. Now down to my original 6 PCs! They're looking nervous 

Well they're out of phasers! The family of Salt Vampires served their purpose! Excellent! Everything is going to plan! Hmmmm another smoke break & their trying to come up with a plan to get those crystals!

Will they find the fully charged phaser in the shuttle nearby? Will they remember to use their tricorders or simply look? HMMmmm Poker face, poker face, poker face DM..

"Wait wait where are original crew of this shuttle?" 

Roll 1d10 zombies show up from the undergrowth... MMMMMMmmmm Star Trek personnel 

The PC finished off the zombies.. They're back at the cave..They got the crystals.. Will they find that last zombie in the back of the shuttle? 

 

New tactic throw the Doc to the zombie! We don't need him anyway! Then blast them both!

 with art by J.C. Maziu.

"Wait that's no moon!" Actually its the wires trailing off a derlict space station! What you thought it was a Great Old one? Well so did the PCs! 

MUAHAHA
 

And then these guys showed up! Now we end! HAHAHAHA

 

Crap now the players have started up with the Klingon..Maj rahm, yIQongchu'!

RIP Neil Armstrong A True American Hero

God Speed sir you really were the right stuff. The Earth shall not see your like again.

These Are The Voyages of The USS Avánthe - Star Ships & Spacemen Actual Play (Sort Of)

I've got a Carcosa game tonight but with only 6 players..They want something different so I'm going to mix a few elements from Star Ships & Space Men into a game using the Goblinoid Games engine.

Well with Realms of Crawling Chaos I no longer have a sanity problem

"You all wake up within your rooms & something is wrong. Very wrong. Everything around you is at an odd angle. What has happened to the ship?"Just got the phone call its a confirmed seven folks now

..

So I'm taking some of the Elder Races from Realms of Crawling Chaos & inserting these in as the Elder Trek races.. Then using the Carcosa model for some of the stuff. I'm moving the Star Ships & Space Men 1st edition time line to sink in with my SWN game. This gives the whole game a Trek feel without violating the principal. 

I'm throwing in some of the elements from the 1st edition to pad things out. The blue prints for tonight's game will be from Here

Monsters will be drawn from 

 

And given a Lovecraftian twist from 

 

 The only thing that really pissed me off about Realms of Crawling Chaos? The Mi Go aren't given more coverage as a PC race  & there's no ghouls as a PC race.. However that's easily remedied 

with Terminal Space which will also be providing me with additional fungal ship resources... All downloadable right over Here

 

There's a subplot involving the Space Rangers here. Wait you've never heard of the space rangers? Well I've been waiting months for the right opportunity to throw this in 

 

These are not my creation at all but I love this class so much. These guys remind me of the reprints of Weird Adventures & some of the EC comics.. 

You can find out all about them over Here 

The Plot : Your ship is about to crash into Carcosa ... 9.. 8.... 7... 6.... 5...4... 3... ....................................................................................................

I said sort of because second edition Star Ships & Space Men isn't out .. Yet 

 

More Free Mutant Future Adventures & Review

 

Gimme Shelter - Run at Gen Con 2011

 

Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job - Run at Gen Con 2012

 

Weed World - Run at Gary Con 2012 and Gen Con 2012

These are a good solid set of Free adventures from Sniderman over at the Savage After world. They're convention sets meaning that the objectives go from points A to B to C to D "D" being the boss monster.
I've been to a number of players houses lately & personally there needs to be more Mutant Future games out there. With the announcement  & release soon of Star Ships & Space Men second edition there needs to be more coverage of these games.
These adventures make a perfect introduction to the game & an excellent medium of jumping into the post apocalyptic gene pool. They're not complicated to the infinite degree but they'll get the players jumping over themselves in your world. With some window dressing their perfect intros & take down adventures..
Personally I think that Sniderman doesn't get enough credit for the excellent job he does promoting Mutant Future. I never feel reading these that the gonzo factor is turned up to 11. Head over to here & grab a copy, print it out, & run it over the weekend!
 Go right here to Here download them & thank 'em.