Updated & Expanded The Starry Wisdom Cult Faction Of Neo England For Your Old School Campaigns

 

The Cult  of Starry Wisdom sect has risen in power in the world of  2889 throughout Neo England, this cult boasts over twenty thousand members from all strait of society. Their worship of a particularly loathsome aspect of Nyarlathotep, the so called Haunter In Dark who is tied to the occult artifact the  Shining Trapezohedron. According to the ancient scrolls and occult grimoires;

   The Shining Trapezohedron was discovered in Egyptian ruins, in a box of alien construction, by Professor Enoch Bowen before he returned to Providence in 1844. Members of the Church of Starry Wisdom in Providence would awaken the Haunter of the Dark, an avatar of Nyarlathotep, by gazing into the glowing crystal. Summoned from the black gulfs of chaos, this being could show other worlds, other galaxies, and the secrets of arcane and paradoxical knowledge; but he demanded monstrous sacrifices, hinted at by disfigured skeletons that were later found in the church. The Haunter of the Dark was banished by light and could not cross a lighted area.

The Shining Trapezohedron is a window into all of time, space, and dimensions. Those exposed to its weird and dangerous energies as well as those of its master will sport some type of weird mutation after 1d10 days. The newest incarnation of the Starry Wisdom Cult operates out of the ruins of Providence Rhode Island. And has infiltrated Neo England society at all levels. They operate as a fifth column within  the post apocalyptic societies to bring about the conditions for when the stars are right for the return of their master. Villages, lone settlements and the travelers  are slaughtered and disappear in the night. The corpses are found weeks and sometimes months latter with weird acidic burns on the corpse's rotting flesh.
They are often 3rd level fighters of incredible zeal and weird faith who are fanatical in their beliefs of their demonic alien god. They are lead by occultists or black wizards of 4th level or better. These expendable members of the cult are often used in operations of terror and maximum chaos to cause as much carnage as possible. There is a 60% chance of the cult's agents possessing a weird super science device, energy weapons  or artifact for the slaughter of innocents. Another faction of the cult is the 'hooded hexmen' a gang of  8th level insane super scientists who often use 'occult tech' devices to steal or transfer mutations or powers from mutants, adventurers, and others to give their operatives advantages in battle or on missions. The hexmen are particularly hated by mutant communities and their operatives ,agents, etc have been found hung from trees as warnings to others. When they've rarely been caught.

Lodges of the Cult of Starry Wisdom operate in small serpentine cell fashion, often under the guise of fraternal organizations or seemingly innocent occult groups, only the inner core members are aware of the group's true missions. These of course are expendable and true lodges keep an eye and maintain their own flocks. The Starry Wisdom Cult also trains its operatives in several ancient esoteric combat roles to be better instruments of terror. These operatives are often used as scouts or as infiltrators within isolated communities which are later attacked. These nick named scary monks have been used for centuries as isolated travelers, lone agents and instruments of terror often ahead of the larger cults. 

The cult of Starry Wisdom often dupes adventurers into working for them recovering certain forbidden or lost relics from ruins, military installations, dimensional zones or other wasteland locations. Many times this patronage is through false or third parties. After several jobs are done the cult removes its expendable asset in the form of a party of adventurers. The Cult of Starry Wisdom remains at best mysterious, dangerous, and something only rumored or whispered about and at worst one of the most insidious threats that adventurers can face.

 
The  cult of Starry Wisdom is not above using Quantum crypto time travel techniques to manipulate various alternative history & Earth time lines across the planes to sow confusion & utter chaos. Their occultists & agents are right now moving among various theaters of Europe causing untold misery & horror. These vile villains are harnessing the power of the Cha'alt wave to unleash dangerous demons & creatures in the back alleys of New York City. When will the horror end?! 

1d6 Random Spiritual Guardians For Your Dungeons Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Wherever a treasure vault or other repository of relics or artifacts are uncovered in the ancient wastes.  There is a good chance that some ancient spiritual guardian watches over these treasures. These spiritual guardians can be very dangerous and tiresome to adventurers because of the dogged nature and sheer will power of these creatures. They will sometimes keep watch over the areas of their charges long after the treasures or relics that the guard sometimes have turned to dust. Here then are six random guardian spirits that will test the metal, minds, and patience of your adventurers with these encounters. 

A series of simple rituals will summon one of these from the depths of the Outer Darkness.  There is far more to these simple spirits then they first appear their demonic natures betraying them after 1d6 rounds. They will appear to be lawful at first but within six rounds or so they will begin to lose patience & sanity as their chaotic natures erode their facade away. These chaotic spirits will turn on anyone within 20 feet of them. These spirits will often have the powers of a minor demonic spirit  or Abyssal creature. They can temporarily for one hour a day manifest a body of the semi shadowy stuff of the Abyss for AC: 15 & HP:5
They will have the following demonic traits : 

Most demons possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Immunity to electricity and poison.
• Resistance to acid  cold , and fire
• Summon (Sp): Many demons share the ability to summon others of their kind (the success chance and type of demon summoned are noted in each monster description). Demons are often reluctant to use this power until in obvious peril or extreme circumstances.
• Telepathy.

These spirits often use their telepathy to try & torment those who would steal & loot from them.

1d6 Random Spiritual Guardians

 For Your Dungeons Encounter Table

1. This guardian was an ancient warrior whose spirit was sent the Abyss & whose  ghost has been bound to this area, he guards what he thinks is a cache of ancient weapons and relics of the ancients. He apologizes even as he drains away your PC's life force. He is polite to a fault but very dangerous as he will pursue all over the Earth those who plunder his charges. Manifests in full armor and with weird weaponry.
2. A bound Jinn for this area when it manifests it glows with an unearthly light and stands for the soul as it reaches to murder a PC for the sheer malice over his treasure and space being violated. Violence will result over trespassing over its charge. 
3. A shadow spirit of the darkest type that resembles an undead thing of weird aspect when encountered. The phantom thing will manifest when the dust, and power of its status and attack those who came to prey upon its charges of treasure, relics, and items of super science. 
4. This demonic guardian is a form of ghoul who manifests as per an ancient necromancer's curse. The ghouls will act as per the treasure encounter table and its where they can find those who have violated its charge. This will cause the ghoulish guardian to track those who would sell its charges and murder them.
5. A shadow like spirit created from the remains of several fallen demon warriors now forged into a strange shape shifting mass of violence & shadow. The thing will stalk & murder anyone coming near its treasures & charges. 
6. A fallen mane of a great king now brought low by its ancient subjects as the guardian for its own stolen loot. The thing howls silently in rage as it guards its former spoils of war & pillaging. 

1d10 Random Lost Treasures & Artifacts of the Dames Blanches Table For Your Old School Sword & Sorcery Campaigns

We should profane the service of the dead,
To sing a requiem and such rest to her
As to peace-parted souls.
Act V, scene 1, line 259.
William Shakespeare
Hamlet (1600-02)

In the coldest frozen alien Hell shadows in the Outer Darkness are the marrow eaten remains of the servants of the Old Ones. Gods whose time has passed on. In some wizard's quarters they are known as Juffers or Joffers ("ladies"). These monsters are seldom spoken of for it is considered an ill omen. The Wittewijven are all that remains of the witch servants of dead gods passed on into the Eternal Night of the Outer Darkness. Their reflections can be seen in the abandoned & empty Hells & Underworlds of their god worm eaten masters & mistresses.

Under the influence of the triple moons of the deserts & the winds of the Beyond these horrors have all of the abilities of a Hag. Three times per day it can detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, & cast sleep as per the spell 9th level. This monster of chaos has all of the standard immunities of undead including immunity to fire, cold, charm, sleep, and fear, plus spell resistance. At will the Wittewijven can use etherealness at will (caster level 16th) abilities as it hunts the souls of the living to feast on. They often use treasures or artifacts of past victims to lure fools & adventurers to their doom.

This monster can summon 1d30 cats, owls, or 1d10 imps to torment her targets but this is a last ditch effort to corner her prey often within the wrecks or remains of space craft. The Wittewijven can appear anywhere that a cult or former temple of the Old Ones meet or stood. These white ladies are often consulted by kings, beggars, & fools alike for prophectic riddles. Once per day a white lady may dip into the death dreams of the Old Ones to make prophecy of fate & destiny. These statements are twisted & mired in allegory & illusions of fate.

1d20 Random Lost Treasures &
Artifacts of the Dames Blanches Table

1.  A goblet of alien design that will detect poison twice a day worth 600 gold pieces to certain esoteric collectors. 
2. Jeweled alien hand made of crystal that can create weird illusions that act as a symbol of insanity once per day. Some think that these artifacts bring enlightenment. Worth 500 gold pieces 
3.   Pipe of the Devil - This strangely carved pipe with the head of devil or demon can create strange smoke covered visions that will act as a charm spell once per day. The pipe is of incredible workmanship & worth 300 gold pieces
4. A golden collar made for a large monster of incredible strength. The gold is Hell's gold and created with steel & gold from the elemental planes. Worth only 200 gold because a signal echoes from the thing to its demonic masters. 
5. A fist sized gem of 'sight beyond other seeing' allows the owner to see through all illusions & weaknesses including true loves. The owner must make a save vs wands or break down into fits of depression for 1d10 days over the true state of humanity and their place in the cosmos. Worth 1000 gold pieces 
6. Power crystal for an alien war machine worth 300 gold pieces but will power a alien battle ship of the correct type. Golden yellow green in color and it smells of rancid pickles. 
7. Golden Devil's Spine - Fossilized spine of a iron devil that allows the owner to cast two levels higher but the spine has alien collector who wants this item. He or she or is it will stop at nothing to get it. Worth 5000 gold pieces if you live to collect it. The golden devil however is also looking for his spine back as well. 
8. Jewelry from the stomach of the god of gluttony- A  mish mash of 400 piece brick of ancient jewelry that has been devoured by a god of gluttony  worth 2000 gold pieces to a wizard. The thing glows with a magical aura but the smell comes through every 30 days engulfing everything in the scent of raw god sewage. 
9. Mini Chest Of La - This chest allows the owner to store a mansion in its tiny confines astrally for 1d20 days. The chest is worth 6000 gold pieces because it contains the lost remains of two kings of the ancient days. But the incantations to release their fortunes are only known to two wizards now among the underworld. 
10.   The golden circlet of Zo - This piece is made from the hair of three goddesses and allows the owner to cross into the triple heavens of Zo. The owner may consult the healers of Zo for matters of medicine & healing for up to two hours or have them cast a cure heavy wounds spell. The healers of Zo are alien & very fickle so they may also experiment on the owner if they are not properly compensated for their time. Worth 4000 gold pieces to the right collector or cult.
    
    
    
    Atlantandria Port City To The Stars is copyrighted & trade marketed to Eric Fabiaschi's  Dark Corner Productions . All artwork used in the blog entries are public domain.  All rights reserved  Monday May 21, 2018. 

Atlantandria Port City To The Stars Phase II - OSR Setting Commentary

"It seems to me that I have lived alone—
Alone, as one that liveth in a dream:
As light on coldest marble, or the gleam
Of moons eternal on a land of stone,
The days have been to me. I have but known
The silence of Thulean lands extreme—
A silence all-attending and supreme
As is the sea's enormous monotone.
Upon the waste no palmed mirages are,
But strange chimeras roam the steely light,
And cold parhelia hang on hilt and scaur
Where flowers of frost alone have bloomed. . . . I crave
The friendly clasp of finite arms, to save
My spirit from the ravening Infinite."

Desolation  (1922)
by Clark Ashton Smith

Across the vastness of the many shadowed worlds there is a former glory of
Atlantandria Port City To The Stars. Between the sinking of Atlantis and the time when mankind reach for the stars there existed Atlantandria Port City to the stars. Atlantandria is a place where super science & magick co exist in an uneasy truce because it has seen the fall of mankind's greatest follies while reaching for the stars. A place whose skies and sea rest with the gleam of space craft. And a place whose ports are crammed with the wares from worlds the likes of mankind has not seen on earth since the time of when the oceans drank Lemuria, Mu, &  fabled Atlantis.

The city is built quite literally on the bones of the Old Atlantis colony city itself; its remains lay beneath its streets, a twisting maze  of strange catacombs, ancient dungeons, and worse lay just below the gleaming city streets. While out in the deserts Elven slavers on their magnetic relic cities ply the sands in search of slaves for sacrifice to their pagan heathen gods!

"For there are worlds beyond worlds, as Kull knows, and whether the wizard bewitched him by words or by mesmerism, vistas did open to the king’s gaze beyond that strange door."
Robert Howard "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" 

The wares of a million worlds are traded here and the seas are alight with the sails from ancient and decedent kingdoms. The power of trade is only now reestablishing itself as tribesmen still wield the relic armor and energy weapons of Mu and Lemuria.Long guns are common among the tribes of the wastelands and mutants, monsters, and worse roam there. Ancient Atlantian battle machines still prowl these places, some only a few hundred miles from the city itself. In the ancient jungles the degenerate remains of a thousand cults & mystery religions have filtered themselves into a wide array of man eating monsters & mutants! These sometimes trade or kill but the alien lizard men are far more human.


 The ancient Valleys of the God Kings are filled with thousands of ruined cities, alien weapons, & the forgotten treasures of when men walked & traded with gods & much worse. When Atlantis sank beneath the waves there were many ruins left within the wastelands. An entire country full of the ancient remains of this once spectacular ruler of not only this world but the once might colony worlds of Mars and Venus as well.But now only the jade lined ruins and gleaming stone works remain above ground.Below are mazes of corridors, dungeons of horror, and far more.These wastelands are the home to roving tribes of barbarians, desert dwellers, and inhuman monsters.


The wastelands of the god kings is the home to numerous ancient pyramids, ruins, and far worse wonders for time itself is broken in these places and many strange things come through the once stable gateways.

The Valleys of the God Kings are places of mystery where tribes of huldra ("hidden being") lead a nomadic life as Lovecraftian demons & horrors harvest & plot their subject's destinies. Heroes rise up grabbing artifact weapons & magic swords to save their pieces from the inhuman appetites of their people's 'masters'.

Hundreds of wizards rule these desert domains and ancient ruined palaces, doorways to a thousand universes open and close with the spinning of the stars. Ancient cults to Lovecraftian entities wander its trails and knights do battle with beings from beyond time and space in the shadow of wrecked space craft. 

From across the wastelands ancient alien traders and mutant adventurers travel with barbarian warriors and knights of old. Atlantandria Port City To The Stars wares leak onto Earth carried by alien traders, black wizards, & jaded royals. The alien technologies & artifacts have been the starting point for a million costumed adventurers & heroes on Earth who save the day!

Atlantandria Port City To The Stars is reborn! My ancient campaign setting  of super science, strange adventure, & sorcery gone wrong is back as part of my on going games! The decision came after a chance encounter with a reader who took issue  with my using & adapting  Troll Lord Games Amazing Adventures! rpg with several classic Dungeons & Dragons TSR adventure modules. 



Well guess what I'm going to be using these adventures with Atlantandria Port City To The Stars especially ACK's  Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu & Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea second edition! 

 The Greys & the Martian Marauders of HG Wells War of the Worlds book assumes the upper strata of  Atlantandria Port City To The Stars alien technologies in this setting. These
races have a vestige interest in this alien world & routinely set down bases & other operations there.



Atlantandria Port City To The Stars is a type four market of alien wares & other wonders. The vassal states around the city are type three & two out in the wastelands respectively.
Since this is a test bed setting I'm going to be publishing a wide range of articles & material to support it! So stay tuned!
Atlantandria Port City To The Stars is a part of the Renegade Heroes, Tyrannical Conquerors, & Wasteland Kings game!
Atlantandria Port City To The Stars is copyrighted & trade marketed to Eric Fabiaschi's  Dark Corner Productions . All artwork used in the blog entries are public domain. All rpg's discussed in today's blog entry are trademarked & copyrighted to their respective holders. This blog entry is not an attempt to violate the trademarks or copyrights of these rpg systems.

'Rumble Below Moscow' A Warlord Of The Outer Worlds Adventure Encounter Actual Play Event

Last night's War Lords of the Outer Worlds's game saw the PC's tracking down the slavers who had kidnapped elves from the villages of Neo England. They had hired a local wizard who was a part of the temple guild dedicated to the Fire Bird. This wizard was decked out in elaborately embroidered inner robes which contrasted with the strange whirled burn patterns on her skin. Her guild were actually a group of elemental war mages who were veterans from the Lovecraftian action out by Jupiter. The guild is considered inferior by the other occult guilds of Moscow because members of the guild have been twisted and mutated by their time fighting and dallying with the forces of the Outer Darkness. The guild hall was part of an Ancient's park and was filled with wooden pagan carvings and tri headed elemental wood guardians that watched the PC's every move.


The PC's learned that a slave auction was going to happen on the third floor of the city but according to the guild's seer. The PC's also learned that a contract had been taken out on them by the slavers with a 'The Changers' an assassins guild that was made up of lycanthropes especially were rat thieves and assassins.



The PC's made their way through a series of access tunnels between the diesel punk style city floors and dodged through some of the elaborate pipe workings only to deal with another mercenary faction the Tcho-Tchoids that had been hired by a cult of vivamancer gnomes whose behind all of this. The Tcho-Tchoids are actually working for the Mi Go to secure the Elves's brains and organs. These Elves were actually created as biological components for space craft eons ago and because of their 'immortal' they're actually worth a small galactic fortune a piece. Each and every part can be used as a part of a drive system or other interstellar craft components.
The PC's almost bought it when they ran into a bio mechanical trap left by the Tcho Tchoids in the tunnels and had a devil of a time disarming the thing only to stumble upon a warehouse where the various forces were loading up a space craft for take off back out to the Outer Worlds. Just as an Aeropile circled over head and the warehouse roof  opened up.




1d6 Random Encounters Among The
Pipe Works Table

1. 1d4 mercenary technicians working on random city infrastructure projects, they may be bribed to 'not see anything' or might be plants working for the city's thieves guilds. There is a 30% chance that they might be  2nd level scientists 
2. Giant Rat pack working its way through the Moscow's interior 
3. 1d4 minor Chaos or infernal cultists using the city's tunnels to get around under the city. Looking for sacrifices. 
4. 1d3 giant leeches dripping from the pipe works attracted by the humidity and weird radiations of the place. 
5. Ghost of a technician who recently lost his life and has been abandoned by his fellows. He's pissed off, angry and very, very hungry for life force. 
6. City sewer patrol armed with small arms and looking to keep places down here clean of infestations of mutant creatures. These guys and gals are 3rd level fighters with hair triggers but may try to recruit PC's for help.

This Week's War Lords
of The Outer Worlds Appendix Z

1. Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future (1930).
2.  William Hope Hodgson, The Night Land: A Love Tale (1912).
3.  M.P. Shiel, The Purple Cloud  1901
4.  Karel Čapek, The Absolute at Large
5.  Arthur Conan Doyle, The Poison Belt: Being an account of another adventure of Prof. George E. Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Prof. Summerlee, and Mr. E.D. Malone, the discoverers of "The Lost World" (1913)
6.  Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Moon Maid (1926).
7.  Edward Shanks, People of the Ruins (1920)
8.   Jack London, The Scarlet Plague (1915).
9. Anything by HP Lovecraft or Robert Howard 
10.  H.G. Wells, The World Set Free (1914).

Wandering Among The Urialian Space Pirate Empire - A Pre Golden Age Science Fiction & Fantasy Campaign

So for the past couple of months in fact close to a year now I've been quietly running my Warlords of the Outer Worlds OSR campaign. Its been a real blast, a healthy mix of post and pre Golden age science fiction and dark fantasy. The PC's recently arrived in Moscow which is under the domain of the Uralian space pirate dynasties. The PC's fought their way through the planes and finally arrived in the city state of Moscow on the trail of some slavers. This Moscow is a multi layered pulpy nightmare of a city with lots happening inside of it. There are levels of urban nightmare above and below, the lower one goes the more black market & alien the landscape gets with contraband cargoes and more for sale.

Russia have become a bastion for all kinds of monsters both from myth and legend and a vast influx of horrors from outside of the dimensional gates and interstellar reaches. Only the machinations of brave warriors and wizards has kept the darkness at bay. The skies are home to vast fleets of skyboats and anti gravity air craft who try and keep a handle on the abhuman mutant tribes out in the wastelands. It is a time of savagery & horror but also great heroism. When heroes rise from among the common man and the monsters claim the night.


 The Urilians control the scattered Russian city states with an rough and tumble organization of councils and petty kingdoms. They sometimes war among themselves but often external threats from without draw the people together. Things from beyond the Outer Darkness wait to feed on the souls of humanity or do worse.



The Dynasties of the Urilian Pirates

 The space pirates of Uralia, led by its ruler Boris Zandrozov, create valuable anti-gravity fuel sell it throughout the galaxy. The Uralian pirates are descendants from Russian and European space colonies from after the Atomic Wars on Earth. Their name is a play on the Ural Mountains, a Russian mountain ridge that serves as the dividing line between Europe and Asia.
They have been a thorn in the sides of many corporate scavenger fleets over the centuries and continue to plague the space lanes well into the 25th century. 
These brave men and women create portable star ship bases within the ionospheres of gas giants throughout the intergalactic stage. Many ship captains will not risk the potential loss of life and limb to capture these madmen of the star ways. The usual tactic for these daring bastards is to stage several hit and run raids on caravans then retreat. They have been known to sell back the stolen cargoes to the mega corporations that they raid from. 

The Uralian Space Pirates use several "Long Haul" Deep Hyperspace ships designs to venture into the richest areas of the Chasm. They are combination of spacer, space pirate, and mercantile combine. They manufacture some of the fastest ships in the Talon Sector. 
They are a force to be reckoned with and have been resisting the Corporates for centuries . Some of their most influential members include : Boris Zandrozov, General Gubovich, Colonel Valdov, Colonel Sklar,


The royal dynasties use every trick in the book to try and gain the upper hand in a world gone mad even as they reach for the stars for the next innovation. The darkness waits to swallow them up even as they wait patiently for some lone adventurer to unearth a relic or artifact from the wastes that will allow them to move two steps ahead in their race against the darkness. Only you brave adventurers might help to uncover that next one piece of the puzzle to turn back the darkness at least for a little while. Will you be that brave warrior?

Further Notes On Running
Warlords Of The Outer Worlds
This is a post apocalyptic setting drawing heavily from both Russian fairy tales and pre Golden Age science fiction with a healthy mix of OSR material. Many of the Pre Golden Age resources are public domain and readily available.   The majority of people are simply struggling to stay alive as black magick and Chaos cause all kinds of havoc at the outer edges of reality. This is a setting in need of heroes and that's where  your PC's come in. Walking the razor's edge between tyrants, mad men and wizards they hold back the night at least for a little while.



Among the Uralian Empire's nights there are many monsters and strange things from other worlds hunting the human population especially at night. The night has become a place full of dangerous monsters and ancient things of sorcery whose turned back by the light of heroes. Men and women try to help where and when they can. They don't always succeed.

Six players are now braving the wastelands in search of adventure and old school pulpy science fantasy fun. More to come!

Free OSR Adventure Resource - The Lost Lady From Sacrosanct Games For Your Old School Campaigns

So before we begin I've been reading on G+ & Facebook about my review, actual play and adaption of the Palace of The Silver Princess Thanks all of that but part of the problem is just dropping your party of adventurers into the middle of dark fairy tale weirdness is that sometimes you need a mid point adventure that can introduce your adventurers to some of the conventions of the dark fairy tale. Don't worry there are several options out there that can help to do exactly this. The Lost Lady is an old school one page adventure design that can easily introduce your players into the deep end of the forest or fairy tale as you see fit as the DM.
Grab It Right HERE


This adventure features several adventure elements that can help to flesh out a brief introduction into a dark or even a Gothic dark fantasy adventure. There are some quick monsters encounters that could be spill over from from a nearby adventure location to this adventure to work as stop gap from your current campaign and into a transition adventure with your PC's taking part in the events of The Lost Lady. I don't want to go too much into the adventure but there are several key reasons why I chose this adventure to write about. Right from the Drivethrurpg blurb:
* Meant to be one-off sessions whenever something comes up that you can't do your main campaign
* generic in listed stats to be compatible with most versions of the most popular RPG with little conversion needed.
* a quick, low prep adventure for whenever the desire to game grabs you
But is this a good adventure for a sort introduction  fodder into a dark fairy tale style of campaign? In a word yes but there are a few things that need to happen.
A. The monsters need to be spun in a slightly different style, think Bryan Ford here and less Monster Manual. B. Adjust the monsters so they fore shadow the monsters your party of adventurers will later encounter. C. They can't too deadly or your player's greed will not over come their sense of preservation for their PC's. This is something that alot of dungeon masters forget about; players somehow always feel connected to their player characters and they don't like having them killed off. Even if its by their own hands,no especially by their own hands. This is a conceit that seems to escape many new school players who venture down the dark paths of the old school. Anyhow,  The Lost Lady  is very well laid out, doesn't spare any fluff on extranious stuff. You get the whole adventure plot line in a quick nut shell and then you get several options for your table. These details make this thing go off like clock work making this a great adventure to run with Advance Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition. This adventure is one that I've also used as fast filller or a mid point stop gap for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. The background of this adventure became part of some of the victims of the Green Death. Read the adventure then you'll under stand. By twisting the monsters and NPC stats this adventure became a part of a Lamentations of the Flame Princess encounter fore shadowing both the events of Tales of The Scarecrow & Lamentations of the Ginger Bread Princess. The survivors of all of these were later on drawn into A Red And Pleasantland but that's a story for another day. Grab this one and get going onto a jump off point into a twisted fairy tale campaign of your own design.

Using The Dark Albion OSR Setting Book & Stars Without Number For Your Old School Science Fiction Campaigns

Its been a very long while since I've dipped my oar into the Dark Albion OSR setting book by Rpg Pundit. The book is a dark fantasy campaign set within his dark and twisted version of a fantasy England and Europe during an alternative War of The Roses campaign. The work is sprawling, massive, a work of passion and love. And its been created to work with just about any of the editions and retroclones of OD&D and AD&D on the market. The fact is that its a bit intimidating but that's never stopped me before tackling OSR books.



As I said the book is expansive and creates an entire Dark European realm of incredible detail and filled to the brim with adventure possibilities. But the various D&D clones are not the only rule sets on the block. Lately I've been looking at Stars Without Number From Sine Nomine Publishing  by again because its sitting on my shelf staring at me. Stars Without Numbers handles hard science fiction very, very, well. It includes everything  you need straight out the gate to run a campaign from character classes to space ship rules. It also includes a free version for download. It will work with Dark Albion very easily and there's a reason that I bring this mash up in point of fact. I've recently been reading the Russian science fiction classic   Hard to be a God (Russian: Трудно быть богом, Trudno byt' bogom)  a 1964 sci-fi novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky set in the Noon Universe.  Its a dark and bloody universe that the book was set in and its myth soaked, tyrannical planet of the novel reminded me of the setting of Dark Albion.
According to wiki, 'the novel follows Anton, an undercover operative from the future planet Earth, in his mission on an alien planet that is populated by human beings whose society has not advanced beyond the Middle Ages. The novel's core idea is that human progress throughout the centuries is often cruel and bloody, and that religion and blind faith can be effective tools of oppression, working to destroy the emerging scientific disciplines and enlightenment. The title 'Hard to be a God' refers to Anton's (known as his alias Don Rumata throughout the book) perception of his precarious role as an observer on the planet, for while he has far more advanced knowledge than the people around him, he is forbidden to assist too actively as it would interfere with the natural progress of history.'  Dark Albion is a setting that doesn't play it safe and never talks down to its audience, its by Kasimir Urbanski aka Rpg Pundit. The setting is dark, weird, and plays with the author/designer's passion as both historian and rpg designer so its the same with 'Hard To Be A God'. The novel goes for the audience's jugular vein and its relentless in both its setting details, message, and work as a piece of science fiction. The system of Kevin Crawford's Stars Without Numbers easily works with Dark Albion drawing as they do from the same well of the D&D system.  As always there might have to be some modification on the dungeon master's part but for one experienced in this sort of a thing this should be pretty easy.



The darkness of the Dark Albion setting echoes the details and fire of the setting itself. This is a Europe where the myths and legends of an alternative historical  age are in full effect. This is a mythic place where the forces of Chaos and Hell nip at the heels mankind at every turn. The flames of ignorance threaten to turn into the bonfires of war at any moment. The visuals of the Hard To Be A God film from 2013 are stark, brilliant, and have some of the same style. The film is worth seeing for the visual reference into itself. Here's the film Hard To Be A God's trailer.

The stakes in the novel have never been high for a society and Dark Albion plays on the idea of the soul of mankind being at the center of its campaign. The PC's are movers and shakers of society regardless the social strata that they find themselves in. All of this is of course a thought exercise because I already have a campaign in play but in terms of match up this isn't a bad marriage at all. This  campaign could be carried out using any of the retroclones with Dark Albion. But the inclusion SWN I thought lent a certain ring of science fictional respect and yet maintained the weirdness of the Dark Albion book itself. This is not a campaign idea for the faint of heart. Its a dark look into the underpinnings of a planetary society on the edge with a razor to its throat and its waiting for just the right push. Science fiction and dark fantasy never play it safe but for a break from the hum drum of the usual this might make an excellent alternative. I'm filing this one away for a future date.