A blog about sewing machine repairs,but mainly my hobbies which include old school role playing games, science fiction,films, horror, and general geekery. Sit down and stay a spell.
The Star Ships & Space Men Hardback arrived today! However I've already being going to town with the pdf which I printed as my working copy. A working copy is what you put down on the gaming table. The thing that Dm refers to constantly during game play. This is a very nice game. So lets talk about the game a bit more in depth. The whole thing reads like a very nice little basic OD&D retro clone set against the science fantasy background of Trek. I've had time to really digest a good portion of it now and not simply review the thing.
Right after I got the PDf I printed the entire thing out so that could read it at my leisure.
The monsters are the really interesting part & are bult along the same lines as the ones in Labyrinth lord & Mutant Future
The organization is very well done & easy to follow. These could be used with Terminal Space game or Crypts & Things as well as fitting right in with the rough & tumble world of Carcosa.
Everything is lid right out where the DM needs it
Un Packing The Hardback
Solid Spine & good binding just the way I like it.
The vortex echoes through out eternity there is a 40 % of a traveler or demon coming through or the vortex could try to suck you in. There may be 1d4 minor Lovecraftian demons waiting for you
This isn't a vortex at all! Its a lure for the great god Arrothari'a the Forsaken One. He is looking for another minion & you'll do! Requires a strength & dexterirty check every other round.
Stable vortex leading across the planes. 40% check of getting lost along the way when the dimensional wind blows you off course.
The vortex is a dimensional inducing mutation factory please make a mutation check here! Save vs death or become a living cancer if you stay in the vortex for more then 1d4 rounds
The vortex vomits 1d4 tons of alien flesh & bone any exposure requires a disease or poison saving throw as your PC is exposed to some really low nasty alien disease that will race through their system. Examples include the Red Death & many others
The vortex takes one random PC away unless a dexterity check but only one. They are lost among the winds
An alien horror beyond the pale of man scouts out your plane. Things such as Throur'ru The Wanderer a merc god roving the planes looking for prime meat for his Outer Dark masters. If the vortex opens for more then 1d3 rounds it steps through
The vortex is only a light show playing tricks on your PCs minds long with a dance number
The vortex deposits 1d6 tons of alien machinery & dimensional floatsome on your plane there is a 60% of 1d4 artifacts
There is a full scale invasion force coming through the vortex. 1d1000 troops are coming ! Run! Now !
Many of the pulp magazines from the 20s & 30s have faded from the public domain. Which is very sad because while I had many on my appendix N for this blog entry their no longer available. Amazing stories Volume 01 Number 03 June 1926 is one of those magazines still within the bounds of public domain. It contains one of the most, if not the most influential Lost World novel Journey To The Center Of The Earth. This version of the story is notable for the striking cover & the very cool interior illustrations showing some amazing scenes. You can see this amazing issue right over Here I didn't despair over the lack of those stories. Here's a chart of 1d30 Random Lovecraftian Dinosaur Mutations 1d30 Random Lovecraftian Dinosaur Mutations Table
Tongue of Savage Fury 1d8 points of Damage Per Strike,Range 60 Yards
The Vile Acid Of Ngyaosh-kiqud - Breath Weapon 1d8 points Of Damage Per Hit
Gaze of Has-nyi- The creature retains the insane fury of
Has-nyi The reptile lord. All creatures within the gaze of the monster are subject to fear.
Spores of Inatlazo - The scales of the beast bubble with spores of the mushroom lord himself. His unholy spores attack anyone who threatens his children's vessel. 1d3 points of damage per round as the malice ravages the target unless a save vs poison is made
Thoughts of The Dragon's Ancestors - The creature is a vessel for the unholy information and legacy of the serpent men
Bio mechanical Skin - The armor class decreases by 2 points and the biomechanical structure of the beast adapts to almost any surroundings
Sleep of The Lzanaqua- The beast requires no water or food when it enters hibernation. This enables the monster to sleep away the ages but anyone examing the monster will think its dead. The beast is telepathically & physically aware of its surroundings as it dreams away the ages. Beware when it awakens!
Ph'ctho Vessel of The Damned - The monster is a host for a demon god of old. Killing the monster will loosen a curse upon the heads of the slayer & a demon upon the party
Chaos's Lizard Bitch - The beast gains 1d6 chaotic mutations please see appropriate matrix
Yig's Hybrid - The beast is a mix of 1d4 different dinosaurs
Child of The Serpent God - The monster loses its forelimbs & becomes a crawling abomination. It also gains a poisonous bite that does 1d4 points of damage per round
Claws of Carnage - The beast gains +2 on all damage due to their claws becoming unholy weapons of fury & horror
Slime Beast's Revenge - The monster is a vessel for a shaggoth god thing that lives within its skin. Gain 2 hit points & a new master intelligence
Legacy of The Old Gods - The monster is vessel for the knowledge of the old gods. +2 points in intelligence & it may cast 2nd level spells
Boneless shaggothoid - The beast is a collection of of Lovecraftian goo & alien intelligence. Every 1d4 rounds it may take on the characteristics of another dinosaur or creature
Lamprey Mouth From Hell - The beast may suck 1d4 hit points per round from boneless tentacles.
Breath of Azathoth - The beast has been blessed by Azathoth & may now breath unholy jale fire for 1d8 points of damage per strike. Range as dragon's breath
Aura of The Insane - The beast is now partially dream & madness radiating this around it. The target must save vs wands or make a wisdom check or be struck mad for 1d4 days
Beast of Unholy Fire - The beast is constantly surrounded by the fires of the Old Ones. 1d3 points of damage to everything
Birthright of The Elderthings - The beast is a genetic legacy of the Elder Things. Gain 1d4 mutations off of this table.
Poison of Zath - The beast is blessed by Zath & gains a corrosive poison. Everything with 40 foot is struck by an explosive fart of poison that does 1d3 points of damage unless save vs poison is made each round
Blessings of Yag Shagoth - The beast is now a guardian of one of the portals of Yag Shagoth. It will stalk & kill victims as sacrifice to its god who now sustains it . It needs no food or water to survive
Servants of Hate & Insanity - The beast may break down into 1d4 mini versions of itself hell bent on killing anything around it. The beast is psychotic & deadly clever
Breakdown of Logolaeph- The beast is a mass of tentacles & alien fury. Gains 1d4 hit points & becomes a vessel for Logolaeph. It praises the outer god day & night. All within 60 yards must make a wisdom check or begin singing along with the beast even as it devours them for its unholy hunger
Body juice of Ngyaosh-kiqud- The beast's blood swims with the children of Ngyaosh-kiqud which will infect anyone coming into contact with it. Unless a save vs death is made the creature is possessed by a demon.
Blessings of Cachath- The beast will merge with anything within psychical contact with it becoming an unholy amalgam of flesh & insanity.
Rt'phorleibot's Legacy - The beast is a doorway into the universe of Rt'phorleibot. It will vomit forth 1d4 servants of the vile god who will coming screaming for blood & blessings
Ngyaosh-kiqud Colours - The beast's skin silicates with the Outer God's colours. All within 50 feet must make a save vs death or throw themselves at the beast.
Blessings of Ugot-enothaq- The beast is a mass of weird organs that don't belong it may track its prey through out time & space.
The Weirdness of Inatlazo- Each & every piece of the beast is bit of the Outer Gods & they will kill anything around them.
First of all let me say that I have nothing absolutely, nothing to do with any of what's been happening with the formation of the new TSR company. This has been a long time coming though. Gygax Magazine is Ernie Gygax, Luke Gygax, Tim Kask, James Carpio, and Jim Wampler. So what does this actually mean though? Well basically the folks who have been carrying the torch for the Gygax legacy for a very long time have form a company & are going to cover OSR ground & beyond. These folks have all been a part of community for a very, very long time. Here's how the company was formed
"Just to address some of the questions, I thought it was best that I leave a reply. We do own the trademark for TSR, and have since December of 2011. We are a new company, not the old TSR, as they were purchased by Wizards in the '90s. The trademark was abandoned about nine years ago, and we registered it in 2011.
We decided the best thing to release first as TSR was a gaming magazine, because we wanted a way to bridge the traditions of the old guard with the awesome new games that are out today."
Right out of the gate we can see exactly what's going on here. This a brand new take on what came before. I've read interview after interview by the above gentlemen. It comes always comes down to the old way of doing things & they always loved working with Gary Gygax. So it seems to me that the company is going to be trying to pull from that legacy while maintaining the ideals of today. I'm also familiar with the quality of their work independently so it will be interesting to see the product that comes out now. The part that is also is intriguing is the gaming magazine as the heart of the company. The Dragon's Heart if you will. Lets take a deeper look into
Here's a snippet from our ad prospectus..... so now you all the official word there is at this time.
Gygax is a gaming magazine for new and old players alike.
We are looking forward to the games of tomorrow and today, while preserving the traditions and history that got us where we are now.
Our articles and features cover current independent and major publisher games such as Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, The One Ring, Shadowrun, Godlike, Labyrinth Lord, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, Warhammer 40k Roleplay, Traveller, and others, as well as classic out-of-print games with a modern following, like AD&D, Top Secret, and Gamma World.
Our features include comics by Phil Foglio (What’s New With Phil and Dixie), Jim Wampler (Marvin the Mage), and Rich Burlew (Order of the Stick). Contributors include Jim Ward, Cory Doctorow, James Carpio, Ethan Gilsdorf, Dennis Sustare, and many more.
As gamers we've seen this lineup before & its a very interesting line up indeed. For those readers of Dragon these are the power hitter old school games : AD&D, Top Secret, and Gamma World. The others named are top DrivethruRpg games : Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, The One Ring, Shadowrun, Godlike, Labyrinth Lord, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, Warhammer 40k Roleplay, Traveller, and others.
The bottomline is that this a very clever marketing strategy & one that's been ignored by others in the hobby. The contributors that they've got lined up isn't an accident either. These are the backbone of the older gamer's bookshelf. The folks involved with this have been supporting GaryCon for a very long,long time. This is a solid marketing move & one that you can see being positioned in such a way to fill a very clear niche in the gaming market at a critical time. I'm not kissing rear in this. I've seen the usual suspects at the moment. Podcasts, interviews,etc. This isn't an OSR organ its a brand new venture. So its a case of wait & see. There are already places to talk about the new TSR right over HereGail Gygax has stated that the project is not supported by the Gygax estate. The bottom line is that some great folks are involved in this project & I wish the Gygaxs nothing but the best. Some material taken from my friend Harvard Blackmoor's blog which can be found Here
So I finally got to my email yesterday & took a look at my updates. And there it was a pass code to Drivethru rpg for this beauty. A download & look into a 100 plus page of familiar Goblinoid style gaming rules later. First I'm off reading the description:
Description:
Boldly explore the galaxy in search of alien civilizations! You take the role of a Military Officer, Technical Officer, Science Officer, or Enlisted Man in the Galactic Confederation. Travel in a starship under your command, on missions of first contact, rescue, exploration, and more in a galaxy full of hostile aliens. Try to maintain the tenuous truce with the militaristic Zangid, and fight the Videni who may look like your Tauran allies, but do not adhere to a philosophy of peace and logic.
Design alien humanoids with either "original series" or "next generation" sensibilities or blend the two approaches! There are 100 forehead shapes that may be randomly rolled when a new alien race is encountered.
This book contains:
Eight player races
Three main classes, with several subclasses
Rules for spaceships and exploration
many alien creatures
...and more!
The Final Frontier So for months I've been dragging my FASA Star Trek stuff out for months & torturing the hell out my players/friends with the various suppliments & prepping out ideas, monsters, etc. for the release of this book. I've looked into both Labyrinth Lord & Mutant Future as possible arrows into campaign away team locations. All the while I've been quietly following the progress of this game on the official blogs & reading the forums. Meanwhile I slid into Stars Without Number. I got pretty damn spoiled with that system. But we're talking about two very different styles of play. That being said this 100 plus page pdf is a great place to start if your looking for a great Star Trek Retroclone. Which is what I'm actually out for & why I backed the project. The quality of art is on par with other Goblinoid Game products, the The system is very playable, contains a fully functional set of rules for PCs, star ships and combat, and has lots of classic trappings of old school RPG design, such as randomly generated alien encounters, planets and stellar anomalies floating around to be uncovered. If your a fan of Trek-styled space opera and rules-lite systems, then this is your ticket to ride.
Space Trucking Across The Galaxy
Reading the whole game makes me want to grab the character sheet that comes with it & start generating NPCs for an encounter. They wrote the game with a weird original/Next Generation feel to it. Its easily doable for both styles of play. This isn't bare bones space adventure its a fun space ride with a sense of adventure built right in. Make no mistake though your PC will die very badly should they run afoul of some of the beasties in here. If you've been using Terminal Space for over a year & want to add some Trek style action here's the route to go. So how's it stack up against the 1st edition? Well the first edition went something like this: "Back in 1978 the second sci-fi RPG ever to be published was released by Fantasy Games Unlimited, Starships & Spacemen, by Leonard H. Kanterman. Inspired by many sci-fi influences, Starships & Spacemen trekked new ground. You could play a Tauran with a machine-like, logical mind, and adventure in space hunting for alien treasures on unexplored worlds. You might face the aggressive Videni who resembled Taurans in appearance, but not intentions. Against that backdrop one might reach an uneasy truce with the militant Zangids." They're all there in the book & its still the same fun game set against the worlds that Leonard H. Kanterman first wrote down. The game works & here's why Ten Reasons For Star Ships & Space Men Adventuring
The game is fully compatible with about 98% of the existing retroclone material. This makes adding aliens & monsters a snap.
Because its a riff on Trek there's that instantly recognizable brand Trek name allowing PCs to be fully integrated into a quick one night stand adventure
There are at least four or more ways to generate this game into a world spanning mega campaign that could last ten or more years.
The addition of star ship combat gives the scale of this game an almost epic feel & allows the DM to get the Trek style background of an OD&D sci fi adventure right out there into the minds of the players
While the players can think that they know what to expect the DM can use that to his advantage & head off in another direction with a campaign. Brand names work both ways, the Star Trek cartoon was a great example of this. Expand the S&S universe & allow it to grow organically as a campaign setting
Mine the game for bits & pieces that could add colour & Trek atmosphere for already existing OSR campaign worlds like Carcosa, Lamentations of The Flame Princess, & even Stars Without Number
Because this is an OSR style product the whole thing screams customize me. The game is very user friendly & allows the DM to make it his own.
This isn't a perfect science fantasy game product & like all products of this nature the system is very generic in some areas just the way I like it.
The game comes just in time for the long winter gaming nights & with a DM's screen & character sheet with the pdf its great value
Come on its Star Ships & Space Men Second edition & you can purchase it right over Here
I've been fading into the background for the long holiday Thanksgiving weekend. Much of it has been spent with mutant dinosaurs. I'm not talking about the Japanese variety. I'm talking about the pulp hybrids that never appeared on any fossil record. These weird behemoths were an amalgamation of three or more types. They weird things that were often psychically bonded with their companions. They were often seen within their lost worlds & no where else. There were dozens of these tales.
One of the kings of these tales was Robert Moore Williams who wrote over a 150 stories including the Jongar series which takes place in a lost Australian outback setting .Here's a partial biography of him from wiki:
Robert Moore Williams (1907–1977), born in Farmington, Missouri, was an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Pseudonyms included John S Browning, H. H. Hermon, Russell Storm and E. K. Jarvis (a house name).
His first published story was Zero as a Limit, which appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1937, under the pseudonym of "Robert Moore". He was a prolific author throughout his career, with his last novel appearing in 1972. His "Jongor" series was originally published in Fantastic Adventures in the 1940s and 1950s, but only appeared in book form in 1970. By the 1960s he had published over 150 stories.
The Lost War Ship
An excellent example of a pulp era lost world is the The Lost War Ship, this tale concerns what happens when the Idaho is caught in a time space warp instead of being sent to the bottom of the ocean.Mr. Williams provides a great out of time blueprint for just such an adventure.
The Do It Yourself Mutant Dinosaur kit For Your Old School Games There are lots of retro clones out there & even Osric contains stats for dinosaurs. What's a Dm with a player deadline to do? The idea is very simple grab your favorite dino & then this book. Add Mutations where needed decide on appearance & then go to town. Seriously the only thing that might need to be adjusted is the intelligence & make it slightly above animal. Increase the hit points then stat the sucker out. Be sure to give the beast telepathic link or telepathic bond as well. There are only a few classes that might not be able to deal with such a beast. Magic user being one because of the disruption of magic & psychics. Armor class 14 to 16 & Hit Dice 1 to 20 depending on system. Damage could run from 2 to 4 with the addition of mutations A Note On the Various Lost World s There are tons of Lost Worlds out in fiction & role playing games but each & almost everyone is very artificial. There is not a single instance of one of these places simply cropping up by chance but who or what would create such places? Well given that we're dealing with the Golden Age of pulp. I can honestly think of two contenders who would have the technology & the grasp of bio engineering, as well as terraforming . The Great Race of Yith is a sure contender, for the creation of these genetic hothouse projects & they've had extensive knowledge to deal with such things. The novella Out Of Time's Shadow proves the technology backing throughout it. The other race is of course the Elder Things from At The Mountains of Madness They're the more likely of the Lovecraftian races to do such a project. The Earth is their home & they're likely to have traced out routes from the surface into the interior of the Earth. They're also very well versed in the ways & means of bio technology. The fact is that most of their creations are organic based. Creating & maintaining such facilities might even be an attempt to create stable biospheres on the Earth's surface. The various beasties are nothing more then bio weapons bonded to the director. Those PCs who penetrate the inner worlds might be in for a surprise when their tentacle deep in dinos & Elder Things The Elder Things existed at the same time as the dinos & used them for a wide variety of purposes. These lost worlds might even be used for terraforming based warfare with the various races suddenly turning fertile land into living death traps.
Here's some of my mental appendix Ns for my retro role playing science fiction and fantasy rpging this morning. First up some of the 60s stuff & then some of the paperbacks from the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Finally we've got a selection from the late 80s & 90s the Golden Age of the video store. These are movies so bad that their good. There's a few I'd for gotten about below.
The Ho'cthactegy -The Slayers Of Men Type: Other Armor Class:0(19) Hit Dice : 8 Attacks: Two Claws (1d6), Stinger(1d10 +Poison), Bite(1d10) Saving Throw :8 Special:Infernal Poison Spray 40 Yard Range Move: 12 Challenge Level/XP: 10/1,400 The Ho'cthactegy are the products of the mating of human royalty & the High Lords of the Outer Darkness. These monsters from the deepest nether hells of the psychic winds are kept in reverse for special occasions. These beings are called down to a world by the psychic discipline of Mmmaauakegot. The supplicant twists his mind around forty two truths of damnation & perversion. The final outcome is reasoned madness beyond the furthest gates of the White Wall. These things will come when a" final great truth" is betrayed. "The slayers of men" will accept nothing less then the sacrifice of a capitol city of a major space colony world. The bitch worm demonness will gate in her sisters to share in the feast of slaughter. They will not stop until every last being is dead or meat for these beasts. They attack with two claws that can rend steel, a bite powerful enough to rend a man in half, & a poison so foul that a save vs death must made when they sting a man. They also have an infernal poison that will render a man like bio acid. The foul pool of sludge they leave behind is very dangerous as well. The horror does not end there however. The monsters will befoul areas they have been summoned to with twisting poisons that will taint worlds for generations to come. The water tables, wells, ponds,etc. will all be drenched in their demonic foulness. This stuff will last 1d4 generations unless expensive super science techniques are applied. There are rumors that certain techniques of primitive druidic rituals may banish or clean these poisons from the very foundations of the universe. Psychics have a 10% chance of telepathically shaming or dismissing these beings but a failed attempt means that they will attack out of pure malice or spite.
The Twisted Logic clerics & psychics of Mmmaauakegot are given over to the tender mercies of the The Ho'cthactegy for year & one day. These beings are hunted and killed by all right thinking sentients lest they call their mistresses down from between the dark of stars of damnation.
On the Dark Corners blog I've been for months now playing around with the ideas put forth in Dark Conspiracy rpg . The ideas have been going round my head for ages. One of the most successful game campaigns that I've run has been my At The Earth's Core campaign set within the worlds of Edgar Rice Bouroughs seen through the science fantasies of Richard Shaver. You can read about that campaign right over Here
So over the past couple of weeks I've been itching to return to the bowels of the Earth. And I'd like to go balls to the walls crazy with it. Injecting the Derro, the ufo mythology, as well as lots & lots of mutant Dinosaurs. I'd like to tear into Carcosa & really though the PCs into the deep end of things.
I've addressed these ideas before right over Here But I'd like to really challenge the players & with the help of several of you folks out there I've got an idea. Yes Bill, Trey, & others I'm staring in your general direction. I'm going to take a few PD super heroes down into the depths. There's more coming soon. Here's the sort of craziness I'm playing with! Hold on its going to be a bumpy ride! You can find a complete Appendix N of ideas in some of my past posts. The game will be set in an alternative Pellucidar. You can see a ton of links & such right over Here
Intro Jack Deth! The name is legend in the annals of Trancer hunting. Throughout time, space, & beyond Jack Deth has been hunting the psychic parasites known as Trancers. Jack Deth is a wisecracking policedetective (or “trooper”) in Angel City (the future Los Angeles) and is portrayed by Tim Thomerson in five out of the six films, as well as having a cameo appearance in the movie Evil Bong. History According to Wiki: "Jack Deth is a cop who originally was from the 23rd century, c. 2247 in Angel City (the renamed Los Angeles, following an earthquake) and he was married to a woman called Alice B. Stillwell, who was also his partner, until she was killed by zombie like enemies called "Trancers" after an operation went wrong. After seemingly killing his arch nemesis (Trancer guru and psychic mastermind, Martin Whistler) on Mekon Seven, Jack briefly quit the force to go into retirement, when he was thrust into a new assignment by the council of Angel City, who wanted him to re-capture Whistler, who had unknowingly escaped back to the year 1985 using some kind of drug induced time travel technique, with a plan to assassinate the ancestors of Angel City’s three ruling governors; Van Zandt, Ashe and Spencer." When we first meet Jack he's already a 4th or perhaps 5th level fighter moving through the mean streets of Angel City. He's pissed off, sort of cynical, & ready for a different direction in his life. Because of his involvement with the entire Whistler/Mekon affair he's looking for an entirely different direction in his life. There are two possible places to run into Jack's rough & tumble form of justice. Mekon Seven & the death trap it almost becomes for Jack with the PCs helping to pull his ass out of the fire. Or '85 Los Angeles as he's hunting down Whistler. The '85 affair allows the PCs to offer support without playing around with his timeline . Trancers II takes place six years after the first movie & this is a more polished Jack Deth. This is the true fifth level fighter waiting for the next shoe to drop in the Tracer war. This comes in the form of Whistler's brother, E.D. Wardo (Richard Lynch), has gone back in time and created a "trancer farm" under the guise of an environmental organization. GreenWorld strives to 'clean up the world', but they are kidnapping the homeless and mental patients to enslave in a trancer army. Green World is a perfect foil to bring the PCs into the Jack action happening. The Trancer movement is on the rise & this film allows the PCs to get in on the action. Green World could well survive ED Wardo with little problem & come to menace any number of PCs & the organizations that they work for. This is where the PCs could come in as both clean up & support. Trancers II is one of the most accessible of the series & really throws the hammer down as far is the roots of this problem. Trancers III is the one that finds Jack cruising toward 6th level fighter. Jack (Tim Thomerson) is now a successful private detective, catching cheating lovers in the act. Angel City begins to come apart at the seams as the Trancers War breaks out fully. To save Angel City from its future destruction in a massive war Jack is pressed into service. His mission - find the origin of this new wave of trancers and end it with extreme prejudice.Here's where PCs come in & offer support & really take the fight to the enemies of Angel City! We get to see the extent of the destruction these things cause. Jack is really at his cynical best here. The introduction of an android partner allows the Mutant Future roots of this 90s cheese fest to show right through. Allow the PCs to really shine in the spot light & while Jack gets the glory the PCs get the gold & adventure.
Trancers Four is 90s cheese at its best & gives us a Jack Deth at Level 7 when the DM decides to mix it up a bit. We get a new dimension in the form of the planet Orpheus & a brand new monster in the form of the Trancer Nobles. This caste of Trancers are mutant psycho zombie overlords. They're similar to another species seen in the Richard Band movies Subspecies. Critters who feed on the psyches of their victims or simply monsters who drain the levels from the poor fools.
Jack manages to assist a rebel group known as the "Tunnel Rats" crush the rule of the evil Lord Calaban. The Tunnel Rats are great as a cell for the PCs to be thrust right into the middle of the good fight for Orpheus & its environs. The planet is someplace that's seemly ripped from the pages of Arduin or some other OD&D cheese fest. Perfect material for a Mutant Future or even a Carcosa project. There are several megadungeon locations to be mined from in this movie. Pure awesome Brand name cheese! Sudden Deth or Trancers five is one of the best of the series because its where the movies introduce new elements, characters, & the most D&D like of the Trancer movies. Here's a plot summery of Trancers 4&5 according to wiki :
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords
"After Harris scolds Jack for allowing Shark to be destroyed during a mission, Jack was about to reconcile with Alice when he learned that Alice and Harris had began a relationship (Trancers 4: Jack of Swords) while Jack and Alice were apart. Very angry over this, Jack leaves and is rubbed the wrong way by a woman in a bar called Lyla. Unable to remain out of work for any length of time, Jack returned to Harris’ lab, where Jack was assigned by Harris and (to Jack's surprise) his new supervisor Lyra to journey to Kansas using the TCL chamber. During this assignment, a stowaway creature called a Solonoid caused Deth’s time machine to make a crash landing on another planet, which he later learned was called Orpheus.
On Orpheus, Jack gets caught up in a war between the surviving humans and the never-before-seen vampire like Trancers called Nobles, as well as their fearsome leader, Lord Caliban. A prophet named Farr predicted Jack’s arrival in Orpheus.
Jack is injured trying to escape from these new bloodsuckers, and passes out in the woods. He is found by a kindly peasant, who nurses him back to health and then sends out a carrier pigeon, alerting Caliban of his whereabouts and betraying Jack. The man is killed when the Trancers show up with Caliban, despite being loyal to Caliban, and Jack is captured after his time freezer watch fails to do its job, resulting in the Trancers humoring his predicament.
From then on, a woman Jack called Lyra (because she resembles her namesake from Jack’s own time) involuntarily served Jack, at the order of Caliban. Jack eventually escaped from Caliban’s castle with the help of the Trancer lord’s son, Prospero, and a rebel group called the “Tunnel Rats”. Jack was able to foil the diabolical plans of Caliban, thanks in part to the deceased wizard Oberon, and Prospero (who had chosen to align himself with Jack, so he would not end up like his evil father).[5]"
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth
"Unfortunately, one of Caliban's men uses an art work of Caliban to somehow bring him back. Caliban figured that Jack Deth would head for the Castle of Unrelenting Terror. After learning of a talisman that could allow the possessor to cross dimensional realms, Jack and Prospero journeyed to the Castle of Unrelenting Terror to obtain the Tiamond, so that Jack could return to Angel City (Trancers 5: Sudden Deth). Prospero also saw this as an opportunity to distance himself from Shaleen, a female rebel who he was falling in love with. Prospero understood that he may have hurt her during an uncontrollable feed, and also due to this, Jack does not fully trust Prospero, even if he is now on the good side. This causes Prospero to become offended, as he explains to Jack his ruthless methods of killing Trancers causes Jack to be uncaring. After this argument, Jack allows Prospero to act as a guard during the night, while Jack rests up, perhaps proving that Jack has gained some trust in the very thing he has hunted all his life.
Jack and Prospero were unknowingly being followed by the returning Caliban, who disguised himself as a wild dog and saved them from a hostile refugee in the woods. Once inside the castle, Jack and Prospero were able to overcome all challenges that the castle threw at them, which included being tricked with fake food and female company, and yelling at some ghosts, causing them to simply back off, and Jack defeating his evil doppelganger, which then ultimately awarded him with the Tiamond. Just then, Caliban returned and threw Jack and Prospero in two separate cages, locking them inside, before he escaped with the Tiamond, and due to its unique power, he could return to his castle.
Jack used his special switchblade to cut through the bars and they hurried back to Caliban’s castle on horseback. During the final showdown with Caliban, the Nobles and the Tunnel Rats, Jack was severely wounded by Caliban, leaving only a limited amount of time to get back to L.A. As many rebels and Trancers fought each other, Prospero faced and killed his father, allowing Jack just enough time to use the Tiamond to return to L.A., somehow bringing Prospero with him. Jack stepped out of the TCL chamber with Prospero and overheard Harris and Lyra talking about him, and they were surprised to discover that he was still alive. Prospero chose to stay in L.A. for a while, as he now felt ordinary, while Jack asked Lyra for a fresh start. Meanwhile, in Orpheus, the other Lyra realizes she is pregnant with Jack's child."
We've got more information on the Trancers of Orpheus, we've got background on the "Subspecies" like Nobles, half Trancers like Prospero, the Castle of Unrelenting Terror megadungeon along with the artifact the Tiamond, & we've got a whole new campaign world to mess with. Orpheus allows the DM to play hard with the Trancers saga without touching or messing with the Dethverse at all. This is where we've got Jack at 8th level & going strong with his Trancer partner, rebel love interest, & son on the way. The PCs can follow in his foot steps, save his bacon, assist with the rebellion or simply go adventuring on Orpheus. Trancers 6 is where the DM loses it completely Plot according to Wiki
"In the year 2022, Jack learned from Dr. Jennings that he fathered a daughter called Josephine, after Jennings witnessed her being attacked by an unknown female assailant, while he was doing a routine check of the timebelt (Trancers 6). Although Jack had met the girl in 2005, he did not know they were related. As it turned out, Josephine was in danger because she saw a meteor fall to the Earth, and her boss happened to be Mr. Castle, an alien Trancer who came to Earth inside the meteor. Castle's assistant Shauna Wilder is put in charge of recruiting new Trancers.
Jack inhabited Josphine’s body when the newest group of Trancers appeared in her time and began using the energy from the meteor to mass-produce the deadliest Trancers ever seen, in an attempt to take over the city, and ultimately, the world." Basically this is the end of the Trancer era where the saga has always had gender messing with & odd stuff this sequence take the action in several directions. The Trancer menace is now an intergalactic as well as inter dimensional mess. There are several places where the PCs can get involved. Since the threat is intergalactic & growing the Dm can ignore the problem of a missing Jack Deth move the action to his favorite colony world. He could pigeon hole the game into helping Jack in his mad Trancer conspiracy in the alternative world of '05. However there's an alternative to all of the above. What about Angel City? Sure Orpheus is cool & the nobles are awesome but what the hell happened to Angel City? Certainly the council is going to have to find Jack! They're sitting on their collective rears & just waiting for the menace to strike yet again.
Using Jack Deth In Your OSR Game
Jack Deth is a cop who originally was from the 23rd century, c. 2247 in Angel City (the renamed Los Angeles, following an earthquake) and he was married to a woman called Alice B. Stillwell, who was also his partner, until she was killed by zombie like enemies called "Trancers" after an operation went wrong. After seemingly killing his arch nemesis (Trancer guru and psychic mastermind, Martin Whistler) on Mekon Seven, Jack briefly quit the force to go into retirement, when he was thrust into a new assignment by the council of Angel City, who wanted him to re-capture Whistler, who had unknowingly escaped back to the year 1985 using some kind of drug induced time travel technique, with a plan to assassinate the ancestors of Angel City’s three ruling governors; Van Zandt, Ashe and Spencer. The fact is that Jack can show up anywhen or anywhere. Seriously its all a matter of hunting Trancers wherever they rear their ugly heads! The whole series allows PCs to thread in & out where they're needed. What ever happened to Orpheus? Jack can't be everywhere or can he? Well because of the nature of parts 4 & 5 the question of happy ever after is never settled. The Tunnels Rats could be fighting their Noble masters even now! What bout Jack's son on Orpheus & the evil Nobles who want to twist the mind or spirit of that child? Jack is completely unaware of him or her! Then of course there's Angel City naked, cynical, & complete unprotected from machinations of those Trancer nobles & their human psychic thralls. What about Mekon seven? Is there a loose end or two there? Trancers left behind in the 85 period still out there waiting, plotting, or hatching at this very moment? Jack ends the series at 8th or 9th level. The cameo in Evil Bong is possibly the last we see of the Mr. Deth we all know & love. The Tools of Deth
Like all cool science fiction or fantasy heroes Jack has all the cool gadgets. Here's a complete listing of them according to wiki :
Jack Deth is equipped with a plasma powered gun called a “Heater” in his own time, but uses a .38 Special when he is sent to the 1980s. He can identify a trancer by scanning them with a bracelet (only seen in the futuristic opener of the first film). He is later given awrist watch that can temporarily halt time, stretching one second to ten (although this appears to be inaccurate on-screen). This trick can allow for a quick getaway. This was referenced in The Matrix.[6] The time travel drug was phased out and replaced by the TLC chamber, but the original premise returned in Trancers 6.
His other supervisor “Lyra” (Stacie Randall) later supplies him with a new gun that can be powered naturally with sand, small rocks, etc. He also receives a new wrist watch that can still slow down time, but with unlimited use. However, this trick backfires on him in Orpheus because Orpheus uses magic.
The most important item he receives from Lyra is an ordinary looking switchblade, that is designed so it can cut through just about anything. This saves his life on more than one occasion. Jack Deth is a fan of vintage cars, and is also a smoker, as Jack (as Josephine) receives a case which includes a pack of cigarettes.
Trancers 6 tries to be like the original Trancers, by only including the original movie's time freezer watch. Although including this is probably a plot hole, as Trancers 6 ignores parts 4 and 5 completely, and therefore, it does not make sense to be using the old one. There's enough in there to keep a Mutant Future DM jumping for quite awhile. Well this concludes our Trancers coverage. Thanks for the cult ride. We've got more fun coming up.
For a Complete Biography of Jack Deth go right over Here
Right after I got the PDf I printed the entire thing out so that could read it at my leisure. 
The monsters are the really interesting part & are bult along the same lines as the ones in Labyrinth lord & Mutant Future 
The organization is very well done & easy to follow. These could be used with Terminal Space game or Crypts & Things as well as fitting right in with the rough & tumble world of Carcosa. 
Everything is lid right out where the DM needs it 
Un Packing The Hardback 
Solid Spine & good binding just the way I like it.
Game Porn Artwork shots 
