OSR Review & Commentary On Axioms Issue 10: Grim Heroes and Night Terrors By Alexander Macris, Omer Joel, & David Kickasola For Adventurer, Conqueror, King Rpg Or Favorite OSR or Old School Fantasy Rpg

 "Axioms is Autarch's quarterly supplement for the Adventurer Conqueror King System. Each issue of Axioms offers a mix of short content updates for ACKS, such as new classes, new sub-mechanical systems, explorations of specific themes within the game, short adventure scenarios, and more.  "

"In this issue, macabre monsters, twisted temples, and grim guardians await...

• Grim Heroes: because a grimdark world needs grimdark heroes.
• Terrors of the Night: a pair of new undead creatures inspired by monsters of legend
• The Fetid Crypt of Anatu the Defiler: a dark and haunting dungeon in the Auran Empire's borderlands." 

When it comes to the Adventurer,Conqueror, King rpg, I've been a fan since the release of the rpg. Why?! Because the AKC's has always been just that wee bit different. And this is carried over into  Axioms Issue 10: Grim Heroes and Night Terrors By Alexander Macris, Omer Joel, & David Kickasola For Adventurer, Conqueror, King Rpg. This issue's content's will work with other OSR style rpg's. And in this issue we get three new classes which includes the flagellant, the Revenant, & the sorcerer. So let's begin with the martyr for Law the flagellant; "The flagellant sees pain as the pathway to penitence and spiritual purity. He views martyrdom as the pinnacle of faith a believer can achieve, and wounding the mortal flesh as a road to clearing one’s soul of dark Chaos. He marches through the corrupt mortal world to call the sinful to repent and flogs his own flesh to ward away the bestial call of the carnal body." What good is a flagellant in a game of ACK's?! Flagellants are not as they appear; "Flagellants are trained combatants and they fight with holy fervor. At first level, flagellants hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. Like fighters, they advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every three levels of experience. Flagellants increase their base damage roll from missile and melee weapons by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th levels" Basically these holy zealots are out to combat the forces of Chaos regardless if these forces are slavers or even Chaos cults. The class goes to 20th level & plugs right into the feeling of 'grim dark' domain play nature & terror. At the end of the road the flagellant found monisteries and temples. This plugs into the flagellant being from the salt of the Earth and pleasant classes. Next up we get the reverant as a PC class, that's right you can play an incarnation of the undead spirit of vengence cast into undead form; "The holy teachers claim that death brings final respite to man. But some spirits cannot rest. Drawn to the living world by an oath unfulfilled or a mortal sin unconfessed, these revenants emerge, restless, from the grave to right the wrongs of their former lives. Many are monstrous undead, acting in vile ways to pursue the crimes they committed while living. A few, however, evade the dark grasp of Chaos and retain their free will. Some retain their own morality. Revenants are undead, albeit free-willed undead. They must consume the blood and flesh of living or recently dead sentient beings to heal and exist." This class goes to nineth level befitting its undead state where they built a fortified mosleum dedicated to housing an army of desparate & degenerate mercenaries. Yes this PC class is not on the side of light & Law. 
Finally we have the sorcerer and its a class that plugs into everything nasty about Sword & Sorcery PC's; "Sorcerers: The dread of normal men, who huddle behind their walls muttering prayers against those who wield unearthly power. The scourge of the stalwart warrior and barbaric brave, who cower from the sorcerer’s eldritch might. Horror of eternity, steeped in the occult in life, terrifying in eternal undeath when they transcend the grave. Sorcerers are the latter half of “Sword and Sorcery”, the first half being the courageous sword-wielding barbarian who dares face such magical power." This class is shaded drawing its power from both the Black & the White spell lists. And this class sucks at combat and so it relies heavily on the ACK's magical formula for his protection or as the class puts it; "This is the reason the archetypal sorcerer relies on others – henchmen, allies, pets, or summoned creatures – for facing his foes, while the spellcaster uses his sorcerous might to bring doom upon his enemies from afar. A sorcerer may use any magic items useable by mages." The occult  might of a sorcerer is not to be underestimated at higher levels; "However, unlike a mage, a sorcerer’s magic is shaded. This means that spells his are categorized into White, Grey, and Black Magic. Grey and Black magic can cause Corruption. Use the rules from the Shades of Magic article in AXIOMS #1 for the use of such spells and the resulting Corruption. In return for this shading of his magic, the sorcerer gains two advantages. First, he may rebuke and control undead as a Chaotic cleric of his level. Second, he has access to a more varied selection of spells than a mage or cleric, from summoning to healing." 

The Sorcerer plugs directly into the ACK's domain rulership axiom with Sorcerer Kings being the  final level of fourteen level power. A kingdom ruled by dangerous magicks & power can be yours. 

We then bounce into the world of the undead with the nosferatu  a powerful variation of the undead capable of ruling a cult, graveyard, or complete kingdom of the undead. These are extremely dangerous monsters & caution on the DM's part should be excercised. These undead horrors are more then mere vampires and have their own variations within. And then we get into one of the undead horrors that I personlly loath the Psychofágos. What is a Psychofágos you might ask?! The Psychofágos is more then a mere undead monster and instead is a fiend from the deepest depths of the Negative material planes; "When the priestesses of the chthonic god of death eventually die, they do not always stay dead. When the burial grounds where the priestesses are buried become shadowed pits, they can rise as Psychofágos or “Soul Eaters”. Psychofágos are intelligent undead creatures that lurk within the tombs and graves that they were buried in. These twisted grey-skinned humanoids will roam the nearby countryside, preying on unwary travelers and villages. Once slain, their victims rise again as flesh-eating ghouls or zombies under the command of the psychofágos." And these undead fiends are extremely dangerous especially within fringe or urban enviroments. The monsters here flex to the level of the PC's without getting dull or repeatable. They each have their own quirks to bring home the terror. 
And this issue of Axiom Issue Number 10: Grim Heroes & Night Terrors rounds out with a lair or small dungeon for PC's levels 3-4 in the form of The Fetid Crypt of Anatu the Defiler. This is a straight forward adventure encounter or hex location that brings home the grim dark nature of this issue. And its a rather nasty little affair at that. Use the The Fetid Crypt of Anatu the Defiler with some caution or your might end up with a TPK. 
Is Axioms Issue 10: Grim Heroes and Night Terrors By Alexander Macris, Omer Joel, & David Kickasola worth getting for ACK's or your favorite OSR system?! Yes I believe it is. There's plenty of original content to add to your ACK's campaign and enough here to bring home some solid OSR weirdness. 

Axioms Issue 10: Grim Heroes and Night Terrors By Alexander Macris, Omer Joel, & David Kickasola For Adventurer, Conqueror, King Rpg Is Available Here