Review & Commentary On Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner By Michael Johnson For The Earth & Clement Sector & Cepheus Engine Rpg's

 "Everything at your fingertips!"

The Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner is a compilation of all the necessary charts from various sourcebooks that you might need to build a spaceship, small craft, or space station in the Clement Sector universe.  This places all of the charts in one handy location that allows you to exert your creativity with less hassle and chart finding.

Also included in the Ready Reckoner are blank worksheets to create starships and space stations of your own using the "Design Data" method used in the Anderson and Felix Guide to Naval Architecture and all of Independence Games' starship sourcebooks.

Your project has the green light! "

 Imagine that you & your party are in the limitless black of the Clement sector. Out beyond your spacecraft stretches infinite void. And your sensors detect a particularly valuable ore on an asteroid. But there's special circumstances surrounding extraction of this valuable ore. You need a special space craft. Or perhaps you party wants to open a fuel station in the middle of a trade route or main colonization route. You need a craft or station designed as soon as possible! 
The Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner By Michael Johnson supplement is perfect for this because it allows the player & DM to design space craft and space stations quickly with all of the bells and whistles that we've come to expect from the Earth and Clement sector rpg's. Michael Johnson's design here is fast, solid, and tight. The layout and fonts are easy too read. 
Clocking in at forty six pages the Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner By Michael Johnson has everything you need to design the craft of your dreams step by easy step. And it does it in an easy to understand method.. This is something we've come to expect from Cepheus Engine powered rpg games using the classic 2d6 methods that we all know and love. 
 Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner has all of the guidelines and knowhow built right into it to allow your imagination to run free. This is a complete rpg package allowing the DM to design thier own space craft and stations easily as well as completely.. 
There's something oddly satisfying about coming up with and allowing the imagination to take a spacecraft or station concept and then bring it to life on paper for your favorite 2d6 games! And the sky's the limit for bringing your creations to life for the Clement or Earth's sectors where these space craft are in high demand! 
Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner walks you through the entire process step by step to completion! You end up with a complete spacecraft or station ready to use at your next game! Yes, it's that simple. 
Is the Anderson and Felix Ready Reckoner supplement worth getting?! In a word, yes because this is not an overly complex nor complicated space craft or space station design supplement. This a complete tool kit in an 8.00 price point specifically to be used in a wide variety of Cepheus Engine rpg powered games! 

OSR Campaign Commentary On The Red Room's Rpg Darker

 " Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."- Friedrich Nietzsche

So for the last month or so I've been screwing around with the Darker Rpg from the Red Room.  This post Biblical horror game has the powers of Hell seeping into the Earth sinking thier talons into the Earth in modern 2025. Note that Darker is a mature themed game in spades. 
 

Darker presents a world where God is dead or absent completely and isn't coming back anytime soon. This campaign setting world is cross compatible with what I've stated in previous blog entries here. The problem is selling this Biblical horror campaign to the players as an actual viable campaign. The answer of course is the horror film campaign idea. 
The players are the ones that have to hold the line now in the absence of a righteous God. Darker hits the Biblical & the Revelation rpg vibe hard. The Darker Biblical feels like a bold mixture of supernatural & infernal elements in spades.
Sure you can use films such as Legion, Phophecy, and other cultclassics and steal thier plots. 
How about an original campaign idea? It's not quite the end of the Earth but Hell is definitely here and not going away anytime soon. So why not go down in a flame of glory kicking the Devil and his minion's asses back to Hell! 
I think it's that simple to use as a premise for a horror  campaign from the ground up. 
Saving the Earth wouldn't be easy but it could be done. Ask any fan of Supernatural or Buffy which means huge sacrifices on the PC's parts. Could this be used for a long term campaign?
In a word yes I think it could because of the following: 

1. The PC's have personal stake in the outcome of the campaign such as the soul of a loved one. 
2. The core of one of the PC's values is on the line because the world is ending and they don't feel fine. 
3. They watch others walk into the fire and the PC's don't. This trend continues until the PC's actions affect the Earth. 
4. The powers of both God & the Devil could both be monsters. The Darker setting is flexible to allow one to explore these themes.  
5. Cults have been growing in leaps and bounds allowing them to gain both overt and covert power in many countries across the globe. This allows the DM to affect the PC's on a personal level.
6. Biblical threats can hit close to home throwing the status que out the window.Such adventure horror elements  as demonic possession and the like are very nasty. 
7. Straight up destruction of Hell's legions also goes a long way to making the horrors right there and in the PC's face. Use this tactic sparingly. 
8. Horror is subjective and over doing the elements of horror could turn it comedic. 
9. Allow the PC's to have small victories and allow the status que to breath a bit bringing home the gut punches of horror when it appears. 
10. Long term campaigns are possible with horror but it takes a solid group of players who are going to be able to achieve a long term goal. 

The Wretched Rpg could help to act as a campaign anchor to bring PC's into Darker. But this is going to be a balancing act as the Darker game has no real skill system, level system, or as many rpg PC system hooks as the players might expect.

Retro OSR Review & Commentary On MA1 Children of the Atom (Marvel Super Heroes RPG) By Kim Eastland For The Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Rpg

"Children of the Atom is a supplement for the Advanced Set describing all of Marvel Comics's mutant heroes and villains.^[1] Children of the Atom is an encyclopedia of mutant-kind, detailing their friends, enemies, homes and equipment.^[2] It includes a miniscenario, "Dreamchild."<sup>[1]"

Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Childen of The Atom Wiki entry</sup> 

 

 This retro review is going to pick right up from here on the blog  MA1 Children of the Atom (Marvel Super Heroes RPG) By Kim Eastland came out in 1986 right at the height of 'mutant fever' in Marvel comics. This book was the one that everyone in our group of players wanted! There are lot of mutants crammed into MA1! This is an incredibly useful book for Marvel Super Heroes Advanced. 
MA1 Children of the Atom (Marvel Super Heroes RPG) is also way, way, outta of date! That's alright because I view these Marvel Super Heroes Advanced rpg supplements as mini time capsules of the Eighties. This is a fascinating supplement that goes over the Xmen & the various other mutant teams members, NPC's, villains, equipment, locations and more. Other reviewers have also felt the same way Kevin Derby on Amazon from June 2016 sums up MA1 quite nicely in his review; "Kim Eastland's "Children of the Atom" was written for TSR's classic Marvel Super Heroes RPG some three decades ago but fans of the X-Men will enjoy this book as well, even if they don't play the game. This book offers a great overview of the leading characters on the X-Men, New Mutants, X-Factor and their adversaries and supporting casts. Be warned--this book is a product of its time, somewhere between XMen 200 when Magneto took over the team from Prof. X and before the Mutant Massacre storyline. As such, it's pretty dated. But despite that, it remains a great resource for old school comic fans as well as anyone playing the RPG after 30 years. Highly recommended." I most assuredly don't agree with Pete Tamlyn reviewed Children of the Atom for White Dwarf #84;"Pete Tamlyn reviewed Children of the Atom for White Dwarf #84.^[2] He described the product as, in essence, "Project Wideawake re-done for MSH Advanced, though it is vastly more comprehensive. Nevertheless, as is the way with such things, it is already way out of date, Chris Claremont having sabotaged it by introducing wholesale changes in the X-Men comic whilst the book was in production. Nor is it fully comprehensive, no Power Pack, for example. There is an adventure at the end but it's not very impressive. If you look at it as an MSH Monster Manual you'll get the basic idea. X-Men fans and students of the Marvel Universe will love it, others may find it a complete waste of time, especially as original statistics have already been published for most of the characters listed."" 
This review is incredibly harsh considering those buying it would mostly be playing Marvel Super Heroes or other super hero rpg's. 

Photo stolen from Wayne's books who has an excellent Marvels Super Heroes section here. 

Our own heroes had deep connections to the Xmen as a reserve 'X' team that was cut loose due to budget concerns. This has to do with the formentioned 'Mutant Masscre' that cut a swath through the 'X' titles of comic books. We'd have a rather nasty encounter with 'X Factor' and there was bad blood between our two groups. 

Our own group of heroes were a mercenary outfit that mopped up asignments from the Avengers and even the Xmen. So this book was very handy! We'd later on go on to work for Damage Control and come face to face with the Maruaders. We barely survived that encounter.  In the early 90's we'd run square into a Mr.Sinister lair beneath the streets of Manhatten. But he was revealed in a much later supplement. So is MA1 Children of the Atom worth getting?!  Oh yes and it's available through the Classic Marvel Forver website under downloads advanced tab. 

In Between Here & There - Cities Without Number, Stars Without Number, & Trey Causey's Strange Stars Rpg - A Star Is Born By Joseph Mohr

 "Judas Bautista is an eminent astronomer and physicist at the Sonoran University. His theories on gravitational force and star formation are required reading for young science students at the university. He is the authority on most well known theories involving the subject in the sector."

"While in port the travelers see a job posting which offers good compensation for what appears to be a relatively safe mission for a change. The travelers would accompany Dr. Bautista on an expedition to the nebulae to send out some special probes to measure and study the nebulae" 
 Our session picks right up from where we left off last session!   We rushed our crewmen back to the Station GH-34 & get our injured medical attention. And that's where we picked up  Dr. Bautista on an expedition to the nebulae. This campaign is based on Trey Causey's Strange Stars OSR Rule Book We were in need of money after two of our jobs went South. However we were able to get money up front from  Dr. Bautistaq.
Repairs went fine on our space hauler and we were soon out of dry dock heading into space towards the nebula. We encountered our first ion storm! This played marry havoc with our instruments. 

Coming out of the storm we came upon a small fleet of pirates! Rather then get into a fight straight out of the storm, we parleyed with the pirates. And things went well we traded for supplies for information about the nebula.The space pirates used the nebula as a cover for thier activities. 

The pirates were interested in the probes we were carrying for launch into the nebula. Our parley yielded some solid exchanges and they gave us charts through the nebula.  Judas Bautista our scientist was especially interested in trading information with the pirates bio computer navigator & got into a deep discussion on star formation. 
We then went about setting up the probes for gathering data and nebula gas samples. And then launched them! Here's where we ended this week! 

OSR Commentary - Original Dungeons & Dragons Along With Gary Gygax's Birthday.

 The other day was Gary Gygax's birthday & it's been a New York minute since I cracked the spine of my copy of original Dungeons & Dragons set. Looking at the original three books it's easy to remember the sheer excitement of the game that I love. 

Quite a few reviewers also felt this same way, according to the Original Dungeons & Dragons Wiki entry; "

Tim Waddell reviewed the original Dungeons & Dragons in The Space Gamer #2.^[8] Waddell commented that "The most stimulating part of the game is the fact that anything can happen. Nothing is impossible."^[8] Andy Pudewa also reviewed the original Dungeons & Dragons in The Space Gamer #2.^[9] Pudewa said that "As a game, D&D is a fantastical outlet for the imagination. It has the quality of being infinitely flexible, and with it comes the reality of impossibility. [...] There are drawbacks to the game however; as there are in any game. D&D cannot even begin to get interesting in less than 20 hours playing time. Hundreds of hours of work must be done ahead of time by the referee, and it takes a fairly long time to prepare on the part of the players." I think it's this anything can happen attidude that keeps bringing me back to original Dungeons & Dragons. And this includes the idea of using monsters as player characters. Original Dungeons & Dragons is a deadly affair make no mistake about this. 

The nice thing about original Dungeons & Dragons is the simplicity about the game. It's an easy game to pick up and then run with. But once again OD&D is a game that takes a lifetime to master. Everything within the game is self contained and according to the OD&D wiki entry:"The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set was the first published role-playing game, a fantasy game system modeled on medieval Europe.^[1] This set introduced elements which would become standard in later editions, including abilities (such as strength, intelligence, and dexterity); character classes (fighting-man, magic-user, cleric) and character levels; races (human, dwarf, elf, halfling); armor class; monsters and treasure; underground dungeons consisting of halls, rooms, and doors protected by tricks and traps; and magic items, such as intelligent swords.^[1] The set also presents rules for travelling through the wilderness by land and sea, hiring specialists as well as men-at-arms, constructing fortifications and establishing baronies.^[1] The set defines movement rates and areas are using inches, like that of the miniatures rules from which the system descended"

Original Dungeons & Dragons literally has everything one needs to run an ongoing campaign. Is it any wonder why I see so many OSR players using original Dungeons & Dragons or prefer it as thier edition. 
What does this have to do with Gary Gygax's birthday?! Quite a bit when I've medated on the subject. Gary was a gamer and a risk taker who played the odds on many things. However, he was also a wargamer and knew how to minimize risk. And his controbutions to original Dungeons & Dragons can't be denied. Sure Dave Arneson laided out so many things but it was Gygax who was the means & the marketing of the grand game. I really appreciate Gary Gygax for bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the public perception & all of his contributions to this crazy hobby of mine. I also miss him and James Ward along with so many other designers and writers from heyday of original Dungeons & Dragons. It wasn't been until I've grown older to appreciate so much of what went into these games. 

Retro OSR Review Marvel Super Heroes, Advanced Set By Author Jeff Grubb

 "This set consists of a 96-page Player's Book, a 64-page Judge 's Book, a 22-1/2 by 33-inch full color, two-sided map, over 40 Character Cards, 80 Stand-Up Adventure Counters and two 10-sided dice. The MARVEL SUPER HEROES ADVANCED SET may be played by itself, but is designed to expand the existing MARVEL SUPER HEROES Game. The MARVEL SUPER HEROES Game is for two or more players, ages 12 and up."

Rear view vision is a fun thing & when it comes too FASRIP, I've got a very special place in my heart for it especially the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set! The Advanced Marvel Super Heroes set came out in 1986 & for our group it was the breath of fresh air we needed. According to the MSH Advanced Wiki page there were several changes; "It contains a more elaborate "Universal Table" which enables a wider variety of results to happen. Character creation involves detailed superhuman powers now in 10 categories (such as Movement, Mental Powers, or Energy Control), and combat is more complex as well and has rules for magic. This set presents statistics for many weapons and vehicles, more information on campaigns, game statistics for 45 heroes, 28 villains, and 9 special entities, as well as character cards and cardstock miniatures" This set was no joke and was very much responsible for an ongoing Marvel Super Hereoes campaign that lasted deeply into '91! This set was designed for sustained campaign play & even Andrew Pearson of the Space Gamer fame agreed:"
 Andrew Pearson reviewed Marvel Super Heroes: Advanced in Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer No. 78.^[2] He rated the complexity as low, and the rules clarity and graphics quality as excellent.^[2] Pearson commented that "As other reviewers have said of the original, the advanced set has realism. The realism of this set is of the intensity one would have if he or she were actually living out a Marvel Comic. A more comprehensive listing of powers and talents is given in the new Player's Book. More exacting explanations of these features are given that can be compared to the realistic spell explanations in TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. Contacts are now the replacement of Neighbors, Friends, etc. Of course this does not mean you cannot have neighbors or friends, it just means that you can have a larger amount of each. Contacts are those who can aid you in a gainful way during a campaign (i.e. support, information, equipment)."

This was no joke of an Advanced set, we played the Hell out of it and wound up buying two more Marvel Super Heroes, Advanced Set By Author Jeff Grubb. 
Marvel Super Heroes, Advanced Set By Author Jeff Grubb came with a map of New York City and to this day it's where we continue to set game campaigns. 
Our own '87 game was set up with our own mercenary super heroes doing 'mop up' for most of the other super heroes groups such as the Fantastic Four, the Avengers,and even the Xmen. Man, did we get ourselves into some major scraps back then. 
Marvel Super Heroes, Advanced Set has pretty much everything one needs to start and drop a MSH's game from the ground up. The character generation is simple, easy to get into and perfect for campaign play. Marvel Super Heroes, Advanced Set By Author Jeff Grubb is  available through the Classic Marvel Forver website under downloads advanced tab. 

Photo stolen from Wayne's books who has an excellent Marvels Super Heroes section here. 

Retro OSR Review & Commentary On The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4) By David Martin (Author) For The Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Rpg system

 " In this book, you'll meet all the heroes who have at one time or another been members of the Fantastic Four, the group's extended family, their friends, and their allies. You'll also find stats for the Fantastic Four's most hated and feared DR. DOOM (both of them!), the PUPPET MASTER, the members of the FRIGHTFUL FOUR, and many others. Details are provided for the old Baxter Building and the new Four Freedoms Plaza, for such locales as PEGASUS, ILIAKANDA, and HANDAR. From the Fantastic Four's first battles with GORMUU and the MOLE MAN to their latest adventures, you can find everything you need to play the Greatest Superhero Team Ever between these covers."

So last night I got out this old beauty because of the fact that I'm planning on introducing some of the classic The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4) adventure elements to our campaigns. 
The first thing that jumps out to me is just how much classic Marvel Fantastic Four elements that the TSR crew crammed into this classic! Ma4 is for the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Rpg system even though it's incredibly useful for other super hero rpg systems. 

 The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4) By David Martin (Author) is way, way, out of date from the Fantastic Four comics. However, Ma4 does cover all of the Sixties through early Eighties classic era Fantastic Four adventure elements.  There's a great Amazon review of MA4 from Kevin M.Derby from June 27,2016; "David Martin hit a home run with the “Fantastic Four Compendium.” While this is a supplement for TSR’s classic Marvel RP from the 1980s, Martin also offers an interesting resource for fans of the team though, after more than a quarter of a century, this is a dated look at the team (so dated that the team included Crystal and Ms. Marvel--not She Thing--instead of Reed and Sue Richards). Besides looking at the main characters and their supporting cast and opponents, Martin shines a light on the team’s various headquarters and other locales, vehicles, and equipment. It’s a fascinating look at the Fantastic Four after John Byrne’s run and the inconsistencies which have mostly plagued that team since then. Highly recommended to Fantastic Four fans." 
So what's so great about Ma4?! Well besides giving us the lowdown on Namor, Atlantis, the Moleman, and more. Is the fact that The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4)  gives out the prime adventure locations like the Negative Zone, and it's inhabitants such as Blasstar and many others. 
Plus we get a wide range of equipment, gimmicks, devices, etc all used by the FF. And these are just waiting to get your PC's into trouble. 
Because Ma4 was designed with this in mind it slots right into the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced book. These design choices go right along with Pete Tamlyn opinion who  reviewed Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set for White Dwarf #84; "Regarding the rules, Tamlyn states: "Jeff Grubb has done a pretty slick job, both in expanding the system without over-complicating it [...] and in explaining it all in an entertaining manner."^[3] He was critical of the set's complexity, "TSR seem to believe in simple, improvisational games for kids and complex, rule-heavy ones for adults."^[3] He continued, "Whether you need MSH Advanced depends on how you like to run your games. If you're starting out, provided it is not your first roleplaying game, I'd go for the Advanced game but be prepared to treat a lot of what it says as guidelines only." All of this can be found within the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced wiki entry here. 

Photo stolen from Wayne's books who has an excellent Marvels Super Heroes section here. 

Our own super heroes were known as the 'mop up's' back in the Eighties because that's exactly what we did with The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4) By David Martin (Author). We'd often mop up after the Fantastic Four had moved on and taken out more negative zone or Mole Man monsters after the FF had moved on to other things. Often this was direct result of working for Damage Control. We got paid on a mission by mission basis and were super mercenaries way before it became fashionable. 
Is The Fantastic Four Compendium (Marvel Super Heroes, Ma4) By David Martin (Author) worth the download?! In a word, oh yes and it's available through the Classic Marvel Forver website under downloads advanced tab. 

OSR Review & Commentary On The Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg By John Watts From Independence Games

 Want a rules light version of the Clement Sector rpg? Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg has you covered! All of the Clement Sector rpg Space Western goodness with little over a hundred pages of set up, prep, and all rpg setting!  And thanks to Independence Games I got a chance to take a look at The Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg. 

Ian Stead's artwork is always on point especially for the Clement sector. 

Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg does is provide a whole cloth 2d6 role playing game from the ground up. Is CSL any good?! Well this is the Clement Sector rpg streamlined and managed into a solid rpg package that has the system put into a whole cloth role playing game. It does the job nicely. And it's all you need to jump into the deep end of a campaign. 
According to Wade's Clement Sector review on Drivethrurpg from Febuary 23, 2023;"The Clement Sector had been attached to the Earth Sector before the wormhole (or "Conduit" as it was called) the wormhole collapsed and the Clement found itself left to fend themselves, separated from Earth. The Clement Sector has been divided by twelve sub-sectors with 335 planets (with many planets or sectors haven't actually been discovered). Each planet has a brief of its own government or settlement, it's own militaries, and several planets may have pirate bases. There no living aliens but there are a few planets with alien ruins and there is a great possibility for GMs to use planets which haven't been discovered. Does the GM want to place alien bases or civilizations? All worlds which have been discovered, used or not, each world has thier own "Univeral World Profile" which provides a quick glance at the worlds starports, world size, atmosphere, population, governament, law level, and technology and then provides full charts on how to create and use those stats. Almost all planets are governed by thier own government with the exception of a small group of planets which are governed together (which call themselves the "HUB")." 

And we get this same treatment within the Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg! The rpg spotlight is on humanity allowing the DM to jump start an instantly recognizable campaign with streamlined 2d6 rules. The focus on humanity allows the player's PC's to have a stake in the Clement sector.  The 2d6 system within the Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg is geared towards creating characters and then get them adventuring in spades in the space of the Clement Sector. 

What makes the CSL rpg work is the fact that it take full advantage of the strengths of it's big brother the Clement Sector rpg's PC rules generator & 2d6 elements. Then it builds on those elements! 

These systems then get mixed into weapons, equipment, gear, backgrounds, & more again all from the Clement Sector rpg but streamlined. This streamlining provides on the CSL rpg's strengths. The prep time for PC generation is speeded up from the Clement Sector rpg. Even though you can completely run the Clement Sector rpg with CSL. The Clement Sector rpg campaign setting is there within the Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg with all of it's adventure elements.  And the Clement sector is a great place to adventure! From hunting pirates to straight on exploration or adventuring the Clement sector is a great campaign setting. And the CSL rpg certainly capatures that in spades. 
I personally think that The Clement Sector Lightspeed rpg fills a quite needed niche on the Independence Games rpg campaign setting. That is the fact that many folks don't need to have a six hundred and sevenity three page rpg. And get a much more managable package within The Clement Sector Lightspeed game. Everything is here within this hundred and thirteen page package for you and your players to adventure on the frontier of the black within the Clement Sector. 

Note from Independence Games: 
This is an advance copy of the Clement Sector light rules. This product will not be available until August 1. If you do a review of these rules, please either wait until August 1 or note that you have received an advance copy and that the book will be released on August 1.

Everything In World War Two & Your Mother - The Free Marvel Super Heroes rpg Netbook Adventure 'In The Shadows of Evil'- The Demon of White Chapel Part II - None of That Nun

 We ended up at Ravencroft Ayslum to speak with Jack the Ripper or the inmate who claimed to be the murderer. And then we picked right back up from the last session! The heroes in tonight's game came face to face with the Red Skull's Sisters of Sin right in the Middle of Ravenscore Ayslum! And it was battle royal with the demon Pazuzu right in the middle egging on the proceedings! 

The Sisters of Sin didn't manage to kill any of our heroes but they did manage to injure at least three civilians and proceeded to make life very hard for the party! 
We mnaged to cut a deal with the demon but this was after mopping the floor with the Red Skull's nuns! We did manage to avoid burning down the Ayslum and secured the statue of Pazazu! This was after making a deal with the demon who continued it's tirade of absuse. 

The brawl spilled into the streets of London & the Sisters of Sin decided to murder the party to get what they wanted. And in the meantime we had Pazuzu whispering in our colllective ears the whole time! Bargaining, tempting, & conjoiling the PC's in thier heads.  Dr. Jones tripped up & then brought some rubble down on the sisters ending thier threat for the moment. 

Enter The Psycho Warriors - Ascendant Rpg Session Report - Capital City Casefiles #2: Served Cold By Karl Gustav-

 The PC's have been called into a new mission as they've made a cosmic entity report after encountering the High Evolutionary last session. Now the PC's are to perform a raid on an illicit drug lab except when they got there all they found was victims being tortured. And here's where things got sideways after a hovercraft comes for a landing at the illicit lab!  The illicit lab had been taken over from the cartels by some forgein concern! 
`

Immediately the PC's took on gun & energy rifle fire! These guys were playing for keeps! 
The PC's were confronted by a battlion of Psycho Warriors who looked like rejects from an S&M club combined with future soldiers uniforms. Even grievously wounded these guys kept coming! 

A few carefully placed grenades and the speedster Racer rolled really well! A small group of seven Psycho Warriors were taken out! Or they would be if the demonic entities that were animating them didn't keep them going! 
This freaked the players out as these things didn't stop! Plasma bursts and laser vision blasts later those same warriors were taken out! And so it went! There was no retreat as the warriors poured over the party and rained energy fire on them! 

Two of the player's PC's were wounded causing the PC's to retreat to get medical attention from a local Doctor's House lab & depot! 

Star Labs was closed on a Sunday! But our Plasma based hero Hothead was incredibly unstable. But the PC's got him medical attention on time getting our resident flaming hero into a magnetic containment tank in time! The players are pissed that they had to break off the action! 

Powder Keg - A Quick Examination of the Tau Ceti War For The Hostile Rpg & Campaign Update!

 This week has been a huge operation for one of our family's cats & so gaming for the weekend has been put on hold. Instead, I met with some of our Hostile players to discuss getting on another mercenaries aspect of the campaign. This would take place on Tau Ceti as the latest battlefront from Zozer Games Colony Wars

Tau Ceti has a lot of possibilities for expanding the battles and warfare for mercenaries within the Hostile rpg. And this leaves the door open for doing a Dirty Wars Campaign from Zozer Games set on Tau Ceti 

Why?! Because of the fact that Dirty Wars is geared for creating  experienced veterans - the perfect PMC candidate whose connections from the military allow the PC's to have history together. 

This ties in with recent game sessions in which our main party found out that Tau Ceti is a powder keg. It's waiting to drag in the rest of the corporations into a protracted series of brush fire wars that will end in the first intergalatic conflict. 
There are hints about this immending conflict all throughout Zozer Games Colony Wars. And this could drag the Earth & it's colonies into the next major recession. And then the rise! Earth is on a wartime economy and it's trickling down into every major aspect of the Hostile rpg. 

This is something we see time and again in Hostile.. The corporations have stablized life but it's a clock ticking down to corporate on corporate warfare. Will the Earth or it's colonies  survive?!Suggestively only those that are absolutely on the outer fringes might survive. But where will these colonies get thier resupply?! Only those societies that are entirely self sufficiant will survive such a coming war.  
So we settling into creating our own colony for our party as an end game goal. The fianances have been very hit and miss for our own mercenaries. The party has been stoking the fires of this coming war! 

Our party has invested in several colonies and had good returns. We've also illicitedly invested in other ventures through our party's hackers & cybersneaks for an added layer of fiancial security. 

Originial Dungeons & Dragons Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes - Of Lovecraftian Archnid Gods & Primordials - Yezud's Linage

Tonight I was reading through original Dungeons & Dragons Gods, Demi-gods, and Heroes. Because I'm doing a bit of research & prep work for an up coming campaign. I came across the Hyboria section on the Conan Mythos. And I came across the entry on Yezud the spider god of Zomara. Yezud is rather nasty according to Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes; "YEZUD Armor Class — 3 Magic Ability: (See Below) Move: 16" Fighter Ability: 12th Level Hit Points: 225 Yezud is a giant black spider able to consume energy levels, as does Stormbringer, and use all the powers of a phase spider. Its evil priests keep it in human sacrifices and for this is supplies them with tiny hand-size pearls. These black pearls, upon a mental command, will turn into a poisonous spider, biting for 2 dice (10-sided) of damage. These pearls are usually placed in the center of a piece of jewelry that the priests give to high officials and other people of importance"



 

And my question becomes where did Yezud come from!? If the Earth has seen cycle after cycle of mythological ages & history according to Robert E. Howard . Then what if there's a deeper connection between the works of Tolkein and Robert E. Howard?! What if the ages of Middle Earth are but another cycle of Earth. Working with hyposis is it possible that we already know the origin of Yezud?! 
 

"But still, she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadow; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness."

—The Two Towers, "Shelob's Lair"" 
What if Shelob was the distant grand mother of Yezud?! Shelob was a great Spider and the greatest offspring of Ungoliant, the primordial spider. Ungoliant,was the offspring of an archnid god even old in the form of Ungwë-Tuita, the 'Spider of Night. Now if these archnid gods remind you of Stephen King's 'It'? There's a reasom for this. King borrowed quite a bit of material from Tolkein especially for his Dark Tower series of novels. And 'it' seems to have a lot in common with Ungoliant; "The origins of Ungoliant are unspecified, except that she had been a spirit, entering Arda and taking the form of a giant spider. As a spirit being, she would only be perceptible to those that could perceive spirits and the spirit world. It is implied that her spirit form was one of pure darkness, reflected in her physical form. Since the Valar, Maiar, and other spirits in the physical world freely took on forms that reflected their nature, Ungoliant's terrifying and monstrous form did the same. While her form was described as being that of a giant spider, and she is credited as the "first" giant spider, the narrative indicates that" 

Both Yezud & 'It' also feed on life force or the souls of thier victims indicating more common linage. And this also plugs into Ungoliant once again who was in point of fact a primordial. 

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Depiction of Ungoliant in her lair by Max Duran artwork used without permission. 

In the face of this speculation, I'd also go so far to say that could on the indicators of this archnid god linage that the Great Old One Atlach-Nacha is another member of this branch of primordials. The giant purple spiders of the Dreamlands are the last remains of these horrors and hates of old. The original god like horrors had a purpose. 
This branch of primordials spins out the great web of existence while feeding on the human prey of reality. Thier function seems to be to mark the great epochs of Earth's cycles while feeding on humanity in stages. We get the following from Ungoliant's entry:"Considering that the Ainur passed through the Void while venturing from the Timeless Halls to Arda, it is likely she was simply a powerful Ainu in the form of a spider, or a being from the Void itself." 
These are not beings to trifle with an only the most fool hardy or high level adventurers should trifle with these beings. 

Everything In World War Two & Your Mother - The Free Marvel Super Heroes rpg Netbook Adventure 'In The Shadows of Evil'- The Demon of White Chapel Part I

 There are times where you really don't want to mess around with the forces of evil! And in tonight's Marvel Super Heroes Rpg adventure that's exactly what happened! Tonight's adventure had the player's PC's picking right up from last week's  game session  right after the PC's recovered the Jewel of Ozymandias. This came at great personal expense as two PC's ended up in hospital. The PC's did manage to complete the first leg of thier mission but now it was back to White Chapel district of London. 

The party was off to the White Chapel section after a gristly series of murders & they stumble across the occult bookshop Panpipes &  the proprietor of Panpipes, Edward Wingate. Mr. Wingate specializes in Jack the Ripper brick- a - brack. But the book store is really devoted to the occult in all it's sorted aspects. He knew all of the legends of the occult items of power that the PC's seek & he also knew of a recent inmate who claims to be Jack the Ripper himself. Mr Wingate set up the inmate's backstory himself; "“There’s a fella now, though, that came out of nowhere claiming to be old man Jack. There have been confessions all over the place for decades, but none have held up. But this fella, if the stories are to be believed, knows things that even the most astute followers of the murders wouldn’t know. There are still secrets that only a select few know, and this crazy bastard knows them all." 
Of course the heroes wanted to meet this inmate! 
“They have him holed up right now in the Catholic home for the Insane, St. Michael’s Asylum down on Montague Street.”Of course the party wants to interview 'Saucy Jack ' and they have no idea it's actually the demon Pazuzu! We ended here as they took a long time speaking with  Mr Wingate about Jack The Ripper & the items of occult power they were seeking. 

In Between Here & There - Cities Without Number, Stars Without Number, & Trey Causey's Strange Stars Rpg -

 The crew of our space truck enjoyed some R&R after last session but got a hot assignment from from an R&D group of Ibglibdishpan. The assignment is to check out an unknown hyperspacial gateway! The crew got the coorandantes from the bio computer data banks and then hit hyperspace in thier space rig. This session picks right up from where we left off last session!   This campaign is based on Trey Causey's Strange Stars OSR Rule Book

So the party had a weird encounter in hyperspace with some rather nasty parasite like creatures. They weren't prepared to deal with the onslaught of the creatures! There were some injuries and 2 infections from the horrid Xill from the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition Fiend Folio. Navigator Kim and ensign Ohara were both infected by the Xill's machinations. 

So they ended up in medbay & the rest of the crew dealt with the horrors on the outside of the ship. Both of the party's wizards quickly banished the Xill but it took precious time! Both crew members were put into cryosleep. The ancient hyperspacial ring looked very creepy. And the crew had to delay exploration as the ship needed immediate repairs. 
The ship was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of glowing humanoids. The Tav of Sharing are a flock of Voidgliders Vacuum-dwelling sophonts who offered the party much needed assistence and medical care. 
The party took full advantage of the Tav of Sharing's offer & a surgeon among the Tav looked too the two crewman. Shara of the Sharing is a surgeon & doctor who had spent time among humans training on thier biology and other alien species. 
The Xill embroyies were removed in a grueling eight hour operation and then disposed off. 
In the meantime the Tav of Sharing's members were questioned about the ancient  hyperspacial gate. The Tav basically consider the gateway thier terrority & said that it was a part of an ancient intergalatic war. It has not operated within thier lifetime and it used too belong to an other ancient alien race. 

Because the crew are now out a navigator, the oped to try and recruit a new navigator as a new hire on. Green Myra a voidglider navigator stepped into the position as pay and board were ironed out during the game. Crew is thinking of heading back to the  Station GH-34 to drop off thier injured crewman who are now in need of serious medical attention. 

Octogorilla At The Ancient Fort - Bloody Arduin mixed with classic Castles & Crusades - Session Report

 And we're back after I came down with a 24 hour illness! The cobwebs are cleared & I got a chance to run a bit of Castles & Crusades mixed with Bloody Arduin. So I took over a C&C game from DM Charles and the players were exploring an 'abandoned' fort on the edge of a frontier era. Think late Roman Empire mixed with Castles & Crusades. It's just a little past sunset & the party is getting ready to clear out the first level of this fort! 
The party awaits outside the fort to see what predators are awakening. Suddenly there is a shrill cry & the party see the shape of an octogorilla shimmy down the outside of one of the fort's towers! 

The party has zero desire to mess with this apex predator! The sound of it's heavy breathing and shrill cry echos across the field and then it speeds off into the under growth and there is the sound of a scream from a nearby elk! The fiend has brought down a buck! And it powerful tentacles wrap around it's kill and head off into it's alternative lair! 
The party skulks off into the darkness toward the ruined tower on the left & have on good information that fantastic treasure was left behind because the forces of Chaos bore down on the fort too quick. They overran the place and moved on. Thus leaving behind the guadians of Order's banner, spear of destiny, and most of all the treasury. They had this on good authority after paying a veteran soldier of the fortress for that info and a map. 
The party made it's way to the ruined tower and the gapping hole that was the side wall. They planted spikes, ropes, and immediately lowered themselves into the gloom. The smell was unbearable as the scattered bones and remains of dozens and dozens of humanoids were visible all around them. There toward the back were the chests, banner, and spear glowing in the gloom. As they made thier way too them. Two blackish rays and beams hit the party square sending the fighters balling across the carnage. 
The thing that rose in the gloom looks decayed and horrid a moster covered in eyes from a nightmare! There are few words to describe the thing but it rises from under the bones a vision of terror made real! 
The party has the advantage and needs to press it! The Eldritch Eye takes stock of it's latest victims and begins to dish out punshment. The eye rays crack the air in three places as the party's magus attacks with a fire ball! The illusionist uses a rapidly revolving light show for a distraction and there's one of the fighters making a rapid recovery. 
The beam hits the Dwarven warrior turning him instantly to stone and skins the hand of the Elven prince. Darius is able to shrug off most of the effects but his bow is rendered useless and he only aquired it three towns back! 
The thieves scramble over the rubble and quickly check the treasures and give a thumbs up in the torch light! And this is when the party's  violence brings the shrill hoot & squak of a familar octogorilla back! 
 Tentacles begin slowly lowering into the gloom of the bone choked room! The party is trapped between these two titans! This is where we ended it until next week! 

The undead  Eldritch  Eye of course comes from James Mishler Games's Expanded Monsters: Eldritch Eyes!  The Eldritch Eye was left behind by the forces of Chaos as they moved through the area as a sort of living landmine.