The Murder Carnivals - a Post Apocalpytic Encounter For Cepheus Atom & Sword of Cepheus

 In the shadow years of Nineteen Eighty One when the limited nuclear war broke the back of reality weird radiations flooded into the world. And strange mutations began to roam the countryside. Some of these mutations found niches in road side attractions & touring carnivals. 
Travelling from city to city these elaborate rides, attractions, & touring carnivals hide their mutations in plan sight while after hours freak shows & like allow dangerous mutants to target the settlements that they move into. 

Bright eyes, needlemen, & a wide variety of mutants not normally seen among both urban & rural locations are free to circulate among the population. Carrin ring leaders & bosses target likely settlements while ghoul packs clean up after the looting & murdering has been done. There are in point of fact at least three different murder carnivals traveling from place to place throughout the wastelands. These franchises are under the control of a polymorphed Gamma Worm named Mr.Velvet, A Morlock wizard known as Madam Underwood, & A Carrin sorcerer known as Mr. Shaper. 
Each of these beings is under the direct control of a lich lord known as 'The Manager' who over sees the entire operation through his underlings. No one knows who or what the 'the manger' is other then a lich who has surived since the 'before times'. This lich acts to dimensionally gate each carnival from one location to another 1d100 miles away from their last location. This leaves the authorities guessing about the carnival until its too late. 

The most dangerous mutants that work for the travelling murder carnivals are 'Conway's Mutates'. These twisted & highly dangerous strain of mutant has been with this network of murder carnivals for years. Highly motivated, evil, & devilishly twistly violent these mutants have a knack for murder mayhem & violence. 

'Conway's Mutates'
10/20, Move 10m, Armor 3, Spear (melee or ranged 2D damage). Combat-3, Physical-1, Survival-2.

Mutations 
 Thick hide, robust,  infravision, aberrant deformity.

The murder carnivals are actually the cover for a gangs of Koboldoids  & heavily mutated cavemen who operate as the carnival hands & works the attractions or rides. All of the while these workers are scoping out likely targets for raiding & pillaging by the murder carnival.
Cavemen
1D  10/20, Move 10m, Armor 4, Spear (melee or ranged 2D damage). Combat-2, Physical-1, Survival-1  Thick hide, robust

Tonight's blog entry & encounter is inspired by the '91 Tope Hooper classic horror flick Funhouse. 

Techno Wizard SAMAS Armor For Cepheus Atom & Barbaric!

 
Created from the wreckage of several SAMAS  armors the techno wizard version of SAMAS armor is a ramped up magical power armor  suited for the wastelands & post apocalyptic landscape of  Cepheus Atom & Barbaric!
A techno wizardry throw of 9+ is needed to draw the powerful occult energies needed to do a complete techno wizardry revamp to create the feared technowizard SAMAS armor. Only the very brazen or foolish ride these occult tech creations into the lands of the Coalition. 

Techno Wizard SAMAS armor 

• Bolt of Ioan Rail Gun 4D (Auto) damage (Range of 300/6000)
• • Protection 13 
• • Integrated gas mask, communicator, 
•    night-vision goggles, and rad suit now magically enhanced 
• • No heavy armor penalty
• • Flying speed of 40m per combat round

1d12 Star Trek Inspired Random Finds Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Given the amount of weird radiation, odd time warps, unearthly dimensional doors, and other strange phenomenon that the Star Fleet crews of various Federation vessels encounter. There have been any number of odd finds that have slipped through the various dimensional and planar cracks over the centuries.
Here then are a number of weird & dangerous items for your adventurers to stumble upon.



1d12 Star Trek Inspired Random Finds Table

1. Slightly fried Tricoder with memory disks going back to the 1920's with events recorded from before the 1929 stock market crash. The material is all centered around the life of one woman whose name seems erased from every single entry in the tricorder. The machine has been heavily modified with delicate home made repairs but the device while functional is in rough shape. Worth 600 credits to the right collector of military memorabilia. 
2. A flash frozen corpse of a Conbus plague victim, if thawed the thing will spring to life and attack as a zombie the nearest victim which it will try to spread the plague too. 
3. Slightly fried phaser pistol with a fully charged battery, the thing has been recently been fired but there isn't a phaser missing from stores. 
4. A medical kit with a heavy contamination of tacycon contamination. The thing is saturated with weird time radiation and it will cause some radiation poisoning after exposure for more then 12 hours. 
5. Scraps of a sweat stained Captain's uniform. The whole cloth is torn to shreds but its valuable for the DNA of the owner. Its worth about 500 credits to the right collector. 
6. Power couplink from a galaxy class ship the thing has a massive weird radiation check going on. Anyone handling it must make a save make radiation check 
7. Flower slightly phaser burnt, the seeds and darts are still good. They can be sold on the black market for 300 credits for the whole lot. 
8. The time soaked radiation has affected the entire computer unit from a shuttle and now the computer want's it back. Anyone handling this unit will lose 1d20 days of their past and find themselves in a seemingly alternative version of their reality.
9. A +2 double bladed pole arm with a weight at the end that was a part of ritual set. The pole arm is slightly used but otherwise in good shape. 
10. Warp core crystals worth a small fortune at least a 1000 credits. 
11. A medical kit that has several small instruments missing but the main medicines are in tact. They're worth 300 credits. 
12. A slightly used Star Fleet space shuttle that needs the whole thing tuned and gone over. Because these repairs need to be done its only worth 4600 at the moment. The options package for the shuttle is in tact. 

These items are not a challenge nor infringement on the owners of Star Trek the original series. This blog entry is the work of a fanatical Star Trek fan.

1d20 Random Places of Myth & Legend In The Wasteland An Encounter Table For Your Old School Game Campaigns

There are time haunted places that cross the borders of reality bleeding through the very pores of worlds to cross the threshold of our realities and come to create their own dream in the wastelands. These are places of forbidden myth and legend that come into our world in the least expected places. They often have their own rules, peoples and legends. They can offer great riches, great danger to adventurers and travelers in the wastes. Some of these places border Fairy & dream itself some of these places can't be explained in terms of purely intellectual terms. Here is where the most danger greets the adventurer in whose path these places appear.


“White spiders, demon-headed and large as monkeys, had woven their webs in the hollow arches of the bones; and they swarmed out interminably as Nushain approached; and the skeleton seemed to stir and quiver as they seethed over it abhorrently and dropped to the ground before the astrologer. Behind them others poured in a countless army, crowding and mantling every ossicle.”
― Clark Ashton Smith

1d20 Random Places of Myth & Legend In The Wasteland An Encounter Table

1.  An ancient city of people lost in time and space whose souls were swallowed by fairy during the 16th century but who are unaware of their fate. They are guarded by demons and ghouls who harvest the souls of travelers. 
2. An ancient palace time lost to a long dream of a demon god whose awakening dissolves the place back into unreality. There are 1d6 knights who are trapped in between realities. 
3. A caravan of gold and spices that was swallowed by the wastelands whose ancient souls were swallowed by demons of dream and they now manifest during certain days. The gold tempts the foolish. 
4. A palace of criminals and fools manifests upon a ridge above the wastelands and on certain days the smell of food and drink drifts on the wind tempting the foolish. A gnome illusionist's body has been taken over by a demon spirit rules over the place dealing in the souls of those who fall for his poison and drink. 
5. A castle from the depth of Hell itself manifest offering reprise from the heat and poison of the wastes only to claim the damned, the unjust, and the foolish who give into its treasure vaults of damned gold and miraculous artifacts. 
6. A troupe of fairy bards, artists, and entertainers travels the wastelands entertaining villages and survivors but claiming their souls and dreams in the process. They come with each new moon and leave with sunrise. 1d6 ghouls follow in their wake claiming the bodies of those who commit suicide in the wake of these performances. 
7. An ancient temple of faded gods tempts the faithful to use its chambers only to offer horrid demonic interiors filled with murder and horror. There are legends of golden alter relics and chalices that tempt outlaws and adventurers into its bowels of murder and mayhem. 
8. An ancient oasis offers eternal health and youth in one of its pools but it is guarded by 1d8 hook horrors who rest within its sands. They will eat anyone who uses the cursed waters of the pool. These fools are actually those who stay in the oasis over night when it disappears in the morning's light. 
9. There are rumors of a bunker full of artifacts and relics but actually an abode of terrible evil elemental Earth gnomes who claim the souls of those who come here. 
10. An evil humanoid dragon comes down from the stars into the wastelands to claim any farm animals, any souls it can find and worse. A knight will try to enlist adventurers in his fight eternal with the evil beast but both will fade back into the darkness with the coming light. Those who continue to fight the beast will have to remain by the knight's side. 
11. A temple of a chalice of evil appears with the new moons and offers treasure and salvation for the souls of those who suffer from mutation. It does cure them but with the kiss of death. There are 1d20 ghosts who will try to warn any future victims but there are 1d20 relics and weapons from previous victims. 
12. An ancient demon dragon guards a cache of fairy gold and artifacts until the day time ends and then shall these things be used to fulfill a prophecy of legend. Those who brave the dragon may join in the eternal struggle or choose one treasure. Those who try and slay the dragon will join it as its undead minions. There are 1d10 minor undead warriors currently at its side. 
13. An ancient curse causes a city of ancient myth and legend to appear and those who cross its threshold find themselves in a minor heavenly oasis like place of peace and perfection. Those who stay within the walls when the sun goes down find themselves in a city of phantoms and ghosts who might be joining the damned. 
14.  An ancient temple of a goddess of love manifests and the priestess of the place go out into the wastelands preaching their brand of religion and love. They give a single gold coin with the symbol of their goddess on it. Those who take it will gain +2 on charisma temporarily but they feel compelled to visit the temple on the night of the full moon. There they will become the 'golden sacrifices' to the hungry goddess of love and the cycle will begin someplace else. There is also a golden treasure.
15.  A fortress where an enchanted sword of myth has been stored appears and draws warriors and adventurers from far and wide. The blade holds great power and pride for those who hear its siren call. Actually the blade is the resting place for a pit fiend lord and those who draw it will be taken over and possessed by the demon thing. 
16. An ancient temple of three fairy goddesses appears in the wasteland and offers blessings for those who use its services for healing. The goddess's magick can cure many aliments and sicknesses as well as mutation but they want the first born of certain clans. They are looking for someone and murder those who don't meet their criteria. 
17.  This place is the ancient abode of a spirit of wrath and anger trapped within a diamond of the rarest clarity the crystal is actually a cursed god object and will draw in the souls of those who are charmed by its glamour. A cult of 1d20 1st level warriors guards the thing. There is a Type B treasure that is scattered about the ruins.
18.  The ancient spirit of a fairy god mother has been trapped here between dimensions and she manifests as a terrible demonic monster that tries to help travelers and adventurers. Those who can set her free will be granted a minor treasure. But she appears as demon queen of terrible aspect trapped in the ruins of a former palace.
19.  This is a castle made of the sands of time, those who come here may become trapped within the illusions of their own pasts. The place is filled with statues that appear to be ancient adventurers many of which have enchanted weapons but there is a 40% chance of them animating as JuJu zombies during the nights of the full moon.
20.  An ancient warrior's home palace appears in the wastelands filled with pre war relics and ancient servant robots but in actuality this place is an illusionary trap where the wall themselves are made from the flesh and souls of those who tried to take the treasures of this place. Ancient fairies guard the place and feast on those who try to steal its treasures. This place moves around dimensionally.
    
    

Review & Commentary On Mutant Bestiary One: 173 New Creatures for The Mutant Epoch RPG & Your Old School Campaigns

Good day folks today we're going to change it up a notch and look into the Mutant Epoch rpg  book Mutant Bestiary One which I got courtesy of my wonderful other half when Lulu was having one of its myriad of sales. Just encase you haven't figured it out this is like other Mutant Epoch titles it runs the gamut from NSFW post apocalyptic imagery to adult subject matter.  Mutant Bestiary One isn't for the kiddies or the panty waists. This is an adult title for a mature post apocalyptic game some of the subject matter could be upsetting.
You Can Grab The Book Right Here

 So why I'm I all excited about a book that came out in 2014? Well, this is essentially an extension of the Mutant Epoch rpg book's monster section. It contains three types of creatures mundane animals, their mutated counterparts, and independently created mutant horrors of all types. Everything is keyed here into an almost perfect science fantasy North American campaign detailed fully in the Crossroads Region campaign setting. So what's the book about besides monster and mutants?


The book details a host of additional races, rules, mutants, monsters, biological leftovers and strange inhabitants of the world of Mutant Epoch throughout; "Keep your post-apocalyptic game players on the edge of their seats with 173 all new creatures from Abhorra to Ziagota. Your players are gonna ask “Now what the hell is that!?” Welcome to the much anticipated Mutant Bestiary One! Have your Mutant Epoch players seen it all? Looking for more than the 104 monsters found in the hub rules book? Well this richly illustrated tome is the answer. Dive in and get ready to throw some surprises their way! This is the seventh book in the Mutant Epoch role-playing game line, using the Outland System game mechanic. Of course, any GM can easily convert the stat blocks of these critters to another system. This collection of nasty freaks, from the blood mole to the earth shaking mobilamortus tree, will to challenge and intrigue excavators of low to high ranks. Also included are humanoid and bipedal specimens that can be played as new character types, if the GM allows it, including krenth cat-folk, diminutive devilkins, dog-boys, anthro-tortoises, bipedal raccoons and haughty, pale skinned underfoot. Featured in this book: - 173 creatures, from animals such as sheep and deer ¬- that often exhibit mutations - to terrifying off-shoots, predatory plants, bio-engineered organic weapons, and hyper evolving monsters of the wasteland, bog, ruins and reef. - The majority of these creatures have their own random mutation lists, so making up unique beasties is a cinch! - Encounter tables are broken down into terrain types as well as the difficulty ratings for low, mid and high rank character parties. - Each creature is depicted in either a group or individual illustration with a total of 167 images. - PDF aspects: Fully bookmarked table of contents, clickable page number references both in creature descriptions as well as the extensive encounter tables at the back of the book. - SOE ONLY CONTENT: Online player handout directory. For Society of Excavator Members only, we’ve placed ALL the art in this book as downloadable sheets that you can print off or present on your tablet and show your players when you need to declare “This is what you see!” - Just some of the creatures you’ll meet in this 148 page collection: 16 humanoids 68 Animals of old and their off-shoots 5 new predatory plants 3 Whales 11 New insects 12 Slugs, snails and mollusks 8 Crustaceans 7 New cats 6 New dogs 4 Ape variants 30 Assorted monstrous fiends Demo link shows the first 8 pages of this 148 page book
Keep your post-apocalyptic game players on the edge of their seats with 173 all new creatures from Abhorra to Ziagota. Your players are gonna ask “Now what the hell is that!?” Welcome to the much anticipated Mutant Bestiary One! Have your Mutant Epoch players seen it all? Looking for more than the 104 monsters found in the hub rules book? Well this richly illustrated tome is the answer. Dive in and get ready to throw some surprises their way! This is the seventh book in the Mutant Epoch role-playing game line, using the Outland System game mechanic. Of course, any GM can easily convert the stat blocks of these critters to another system. This collection of nasty freaks, from the blood mole to the earth shaking mobilamortus tree, will to challenge and intrigue excavators of low to high ranks. Also included are humanoid and bipedal specimens that can be played as new character types, if the GM allows it, including krenth cat-folk, diminutive devilkins, dog-boys, anthro-tortoises, bipedal raccoons and haughty, pale skinned underfoot. Featured in this book: - 173 creatures, from animals such as sheep and deer ¬- that often exhibit mutations - to terrifying off-shoots, predatory plants, bio-engineered organic weapons, and hyper evolving monsters of the wasteland, bog, ruins and reef. - The majority of these creatures have their own random mutation lists, so making up unique beasties is a cinch! - Encounter tables are broken down into terrain types as well as the difficulty ratings for low, mid and high rank character parties. - Each creature is depicted in either a group or individual illustration with a total of 167 images. - PDF aspects: Fully bookmarked table of contents, clickable page number references both in creature descriptions as well as the extensive encounter tables at the back of the book. - SOE ONLY CONTENT: Online player handout directory. For Society of Excavator Members only, we’ve placed ALL the art in this book as downloadable sheets that you can print off or present on your tablet and show your players when you need to declare “This is what you see!” - Just some of the creatures you’ll meet in this 148 page collection: 16 humanoids 68 Animals of old and their off-shoots 5 new predatory plants 3 Whales 11 New insects 12 Slugs, snails and mollusks 8 Crustaceans 7 New cats 6 New dogs 4 Ape variants 30 Assorted monstrous fiends Demo link shows the first 8 pages of this 148 page book"

But does the book live up to its reputation as a first rate book of mutants and horrors from the irritated blast lands of Mutant Epoch? But is the book actually useful? In a world? Yes because the entire book has one purpose that is to help the dungeon master fill his or her game adventures with the types of mutants and animals that you want to lay down into your ruins. The index and resources of the book are keyed perfectly to line up with your post apocalyptic adventures. Here's a video break down of the book from the creators to give you an idea of the depth of monster and mutant ecology that we're talking about.


Everything here from stat blocks to layout is done with an eye toward utility and actual adventure design. This is something that designers, writers, etc. need to keep in mind with the other OSR titles. The index is clear cut and actually useful, a fact that I've come to appreciate and use time and again. This book gives you literally everything you need to create mutant menaces from the ground up.  Then drop them into your post apocalyptic adventures. Many of these are mutant versions of existing wild life that have been weaponized over the years after the apocalyptic events of your campaign. This gives a sense of history present within these monsters as each one has a wide variety of variations available to the dungeon master.



But it isn't simply animals that are present within Mutant Bestiary One, humanoid mutants are well represented within the pages as well. This gives the book a well rounded feel as the DM is presented with all kinds of nightmarish variations of humanity and modified bio engineered horrors from the pages of science fantasy as well the author's twisted imagination. There is something very unsettling about seeing every ecological post apocalyptic wasteland niche filled not only by a mutant or mutant monster but one which hails from some branch of the human genome.



This is a book that fills a very nasty and specific need within the Mutant Epoch game; it adds and expands the roster of mutant menaces and wasteland horrors within the gaming system. It does this one three fronts; one it adds a wide variety of garden variety animals back into the wastes. Second it adds in a vast array of humanoid species which the game needs seriously there really was a need for more humanoids in Mutant Epoch. Third it adds in some very decently highly weird horrors from the wastelands that are not easy to classify. These horrors and monsters are not to be taken lightly for many of them will end a party of adventurers quite nicely and adds a certain bit of uncertainty to the Mutant Epoch adventures.




So is Mutant Bestiary One worth the price of admission? Yes it most certainly is! This book is excellent value not only for the Mutant Epoch rpg but also adds another batch of mutant horrors and humanoids to the Gamma World game which this book works very well for. So wait for the next Lulu sale and grab this one for your old school post apocalyptic campaigns.

"Fire Fight With The Mi Go At Asylum Q" Actual Play Event & Encounter Tables

The other night I finally wrapped up Asylum Q, the PC's managed to rescue all of the Elves from the clutches of the evil medical experimenters who were harvesting the brains and organs. Some 'old friends' of the party of adventurers reared their heads in the form of the Mi Go. Archaic and alien tech was all over the place as the PC's explored the inner tunnels below to the realm of horror below the bowels of the place. Mazes of hallways, twisting tunnels, and weird back rooms all circled around the inner workings.
Elves were strapped in on stretchers, IV's sticking out and diagnostic machines kept track of their lives as organs were harvested for unknown and alien purpose.

After a lengthy fire fire with arrows, firearms, and energy weapons two of the PC's were injured but the rest of the party was able to route the Mi Go workers. But the PC's have no idea who's really behind the kidnapping of the Elves. The vile villain has been one step ahead of the PC's throughout this game. The PC's were able to escape through a gate they had come through earlier in this adventure and had managed to even get a bit of loot in the process. But it cost them at several turns in the form of injuries and problems. By two AM they had jumped several dimensional gates and returned the Elves to their Neo England home.
Yes that's right this was a long game and it took that long to wrap up this leg of my campaign.

Mi Go by Khannea SunTzu

Some of the monsters & inhabitants they had encountered in Asylum Q kept them rather busy and almost ended two parties. The other dimensional adventure location still stands awaiting to cause all kinds of hell for any old school adventurers that run into it. Asylum Q sits there on five miles of twisting hellscape waiting to trap,destroy and twist anyone that runs into it. Here are some of the random encounters that the PC's ran into.

Note that anyone staying in the other dimensional location of the asylum for more then 4 hours must make a save vs magic roll or become mutated by the weird alien radiations that run throughout Asylum Q.
Asylum Q Random Adventure Encounters Table
The Inner Levels

1. 1d8 Apparitions lost in time and space, former victims of the place. They were caught in the events that created the space time accident of the asylum. They hunger for the life force and souls of their victims. 
2. 1d4 giant mutated assassin bugs looking for new hosts for their progeny. These things will sport 1d6 minor mutations. 
3. A dimensional  vortex where 1d4 astral searchers are waiting, these beings are former staff of the hospital and are searching for bodies and victims to possesses. They are unaware of their current state of being. 
4. 1d4 A family of Adherers who are the mutated victims of this place. They are former adventurers twisted by the other dimensional energies of the place. They seek fresh prey but can sleep for decades if necessary. 
5. A blindhem on the loose looking for a victim to drag off and eat. 
6. 1d6 giant blood worms hanging from the ceiling almost in a sort of stasis. 
7. A gang of other dimensional bullywog adventurers who are very lost, afraid and armed with spears, shields, poisoned arrows, short bows, and two laser pistols.They'll attack anything that moves. 
8. 1d6 Cifals on the bidding of their alien masters, they will attack and devour anyone that they come across. 
9. 1d6 Coffer corpses of former staff and other lost adventurers who roaming the halls hungry, dangerous and have been summoned by cultists for a rite in another wing. 
10. Two eye killers who have been summoned by cultists from the Outer darkness but have killed their summoners. They now search for fresh prey. 
11. 1d10 ancient cultists on their way to one of the perverted chapels on the grounds of the asylum. They move through the underground tunnels avoiding the horrors above ground. They are led by 4th level black wizard and his cleric servant.
12. A lone Ettercap whose hunting for its family. He serves a spider cult in another wing of the place. 
13. A gang of Gibberlings 1d10 of the things that have hatched from the bodies of adventurers on another floor. 
14. Protein Polymorph of exceptionally large growth feasting on the corpses of adventurers.
15. Two hook horrors who serve Nicodemous the 7th level black magicians from Azlorth whose become trapped in the Asylum but is making the most of it. 
16. Mi Go workers who were left behind after the colony left this place. 
17. Flay Snail cleaning the floors and corridors of bodies or loot. They feed partially on the other dimensional energies of the place. There are eight of these things who do clean up on the lower levels of this place.
18. A family of 1d6 screaming devilkin are feasting on the corpse of an alien adventurer who ran afoul of a giant demonic spider that they keep out of the way of but steal prey from. The spider will move in for any tasty new prey. 
19. Two shockers who are actually other dimensional adventurers caught by one of the random dimensional shifts and twisted into a creature of alien energies. 
20. 8th level black wizard whose pissed that your adventurers have trespassed into his domain. He'll blast those who disturb him.
    
    

Rumble At 'Asylum Q' Actual Play Event Overview & Encounter Tables

In last night's game the PC's were lead to the Asylum Q via the planar trails to the dimensional location by a party of NPC adventurers who refused to deal the five square mile hellish and haunted  location.
Five minutes into the session and the party is dealing with a Hell Dropper or two from the trees. Mobile ooze life forms that explode into acid filled sacs of fun.
The opted not to go into the facility on the trail of their black wizard from Koth  through the front door and instead find another way in. There were 'things' in the underbrush and the party had to deal with them. Wolves twisted by the energies of this other worldly location and events of the former facility gave them a hard time. Almost as if the place didn't want them there. What was really creepy was the 'wolves' flesh trying to flow back together after being dispatched by the PC's.

They finally penetrated the halls of the place via door that somehow opened into a patient's room. The place was spartan at best and in a completely decayed state. There was a wrongness to the place and one of the PC's happened upon a skeleton. After searching the body carefully they made their way into the halls.

They searched room by room coming across former adventurers corpses, confronting and battling unspeakable horrors. Dealing with weird phenomena and they have not penetrated the inner mysteries of the place nor faced the scorpion crab mercenaries.. yet. The PC's are still in the outer locations and are going down into the main areas next week. 

Asylum Q is a temporal wasteland accessible via the dimension time trails that lead to alternative Earths and weird locations caught between the planes. The 'Event' shattered many of these minor realms leading to all kinds of issues.Here are some of the monsters that adventurers might encounter in the halls of the place.

Random Asylum Q Adventure Encounters Table

1. 1d4 dark creeper cultists on a mission, they will be very aggressive and dangerous. 
2. Neothelid wizard and 1d4 slaves with it, on a mission to recover an alien bauble for its collection. 
3. Clock work organ harvester on its rounds through the halls looking for any strays it can get. 
4. A weird floating other dimensional eye acting as an agent for its dark master looking for a damned soul, will yours do. 
5. A bit of an ooze and a primal horror zipping across the ceiling ready to drop on to a party of adventurers. 
6. A group of 1d4  temporal apparitions of adventurers who don't realize that their dead and are going through the motions of adventuring through the halls. If you watch they may reenact their deaths or try to kill you.

Adventure Workshop With Asylum Q For Tonight's OSR Game Event

Sunday I spent the day away from the internet and social media, instead I spent the day with friends doing a bit of brain storming and world building. The location for tonight's adventure was basically a blank canvas and we began by choosing a not too often used AD&D 1st edition book, in this case the Fiend Folio. The next trick was to pick and develop the vile villain of the piece. That's where Venger Satanis's Revelry In Torth came in. As one of the reviews stated from Amazon," Lastly, I really like that Torth was designed with fan participation in mind. If you get inspired and wanna create your own module for this mindf*ck of a lovechild, contact Venger Satanis and tell him what you have in mind. He'll work with you from there.  If your intent is to simply make a module and throw it out there for "unoffically" then go ahead and make it your bitch with no restrictions. After you've made it public, send Venger a link so he can help other Torth fans find it." Given some of the nasty Lovecraftian magick hiding just under the surface of the module this was an easy fit.

The look and feel of the adventure is just as important as the direct that you want to take with it, in this case I'm playing with the tropes of a haunted house style adventure but mimicking the usual fun house style but inverting it almost Silent Hill style keeping adventurers on their toes every step of the way. Death lurks around almost every corner. The trick here is to avoid the usual pit falls of D&D adventure design and tug the players into an unexpected direction. Knowing your players personally instead of the usual convention pit falls also helps with this. In a con your going to be playing with strangers but in a home game the dungeon master is afforded the luxury of dealing with the one on one personal experience. So you can tailor your adventures as needed.

Next came the grounds and how they're going to be put together given the fact that this isn't our world per say and that its a massive sprawling complex with almost a hundred year history in its wanderings I decided to go with a something a bit different on some of the floors, I took out The Star Ship From Hell By Rafael Chandler From Neo Plastic Press  to develop some of the weird alien medical tech medical wings and really give the place an unearthly feel.  From there a few of the grounds and weird phenomena were quickly filled in with some really dangerous wild life from the Teratic Tome and Lasus Naturae which  is now available in PDF at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. The random table were perfect for generating strange life forms and dangerous stuff as needed. One thing I've learned over the last couple of months reading, writing, and doing development work is that you need to keep things tight and keep the adventure to about six pages.

This is the perfect length for a night's entertainment with up to about six players and enables the DM to go through the material to get the PC's in and out of the adventure location, to the conclusion and goal of the adventure and to give the PC's either modest treasure or a minor reward keeping the victim errm heroes on the reel. It also keeps the adventurers hungry for the next adventure!

Asylum Q an Adventure Location For Your Old School Campaigns & Actual Game Event

So tonight I'm wrapping up writing out and designing my new adventure Asylum Q, I've spent most of the day away from the computer and social media getting this bad boy together. So what is Asylum Q? Well, its no place at all simply an other dimensional location five miles square where nature has become a twisted version of itself and it's become 'unhinged' from its world by the 'Event'. The place flutters throughout the multiple planes of existence claiming new victims and unleashing its other dimensional madness on all manner of places. Now its come just in time for the PC's to explore its winding corridors, alien weirdness, strange ghosts, and more. There are twenty five Elves who were kidnapped and now the PC's are on their way to save  them! The question is whose coming to save the PC? They tracked the Elves to an other worldly slave market off planet and a mysterious masked stranger whose led them on dimensional hopping horror fest into a weird five mile stretch of psychic real estate. Welcome to Asylum Q.



So the source material for Asylum Q includes The Tetratic Tome from Raphael Chandler (which is on sale from Drivethru along with all of his other titles go check em out), the first edition AD&D Fiend Folio, Venger Satanis's Revelry In Torth, and Fantastic Heroes and Witchery. I'm also planning on using this adventure location with  Dungeon Crawl Classics as well.


The facility covers five miles of park like land now gone to wilderness, this includes various kitchens, laundries, chapels, entire pond for drinking water, other buildings for care facilities and more. In addition the facilities are interconnected by miles of underground tunnels. The entire place was powered by massive set of boiler rooms which if the rumors are to be believed are haunted by demonic Lovecraftian elemental life forms.


At Asylum Q its always night and there are three moons in the sky, the grounds surrounding the place are dangerous as well. There are weird and twisted animals and phenomena which can easily kill the unwary. As the location travels interdimensionally it picks up stray travelers, monsters, mutants, and worse. The kitchens and dining rooms are always stocked leading some to speculate that perhaps the place is run by some sort of minor god or power. The chapels serve a wide variety of weird gods and there always seem to be new statues and symbols being added with dimension visited. Haunted doesn't even begin to describe the place.
The grounds themselves team with a whole bunch of weird twisted number of beasts. There is a 30% chance of a random encounter per hour spend on the grounds. Here's a quick list of random encounters for your old school campaigns that a party of adventurers might run into.



Aslyum Q Random Adventure Encounters Table

1. Pack of 1d6 devil dogs sporting 1d4 additional chaos mutations on the hunt 
2. A lone dimensional shambler looking for a soul to take with it back to the planar wastes 
3. An adventurer's apparition on the prowl for a victim feeding off of the vibe of insanity and horror of the place. 
4. The air is filled with the buzzing of a thousand wings as a hungry swarm of mutant vampire bats takes flight 
5. A lone twisted were wolf is on the hunt sporting 1d3 additional mutations 
6. Pack of Lovecraftian ghoul warriors, 2nd level fighters have crossed over into this world

There are always weird phenomena that accompany the wanderings of Asylum Q, the place attracts strange almost alive things that wander the planes, not quite monsters, not quite elements, and always alien. Very dangerous to encounter for PC's. Here's a 1d6 weird phenomena encounter table to bedevil your adventurers further. 

1d6 Weird Phenomena Encounter Table

1. Spinning Jennies - This crystal swarm of flowing energy cascades across the target's vision and surrounds the victim in a hail of fire fly like yellow green energy. The target must save vs wands or take a mutation check as weird energies play merry havoc with their bodies.Electrical devices take a point of damage each round exposed to the Jennies.
2. Black diamonds - These weird black crystal shards grow from the ground and splinter into millions of tiny barbed crystal growths. Those exposed to the slightest cut from one of these crystals must save vs poison or death. The crystals multiply in the blood stream with two rounds erupting from the skin of the victim in an explosive spray of blood and gore. Black crystals grow from every orifice of the victim. 
3. Chain webs - These growing and glowing lattices form from the alien energies of the dimensions and siphon off the carbon and chemicals from the skins of victims. The form strange spore like growths which if breathed in grow from within the victims unless a save vs poisons is made. Cure disease or light wounds will halt the horror in its track otherwise the victim takes 1d4 points of internal damage per round as the chain webs coat every surface within the victims. 
4. Sad Marys - These strange weird stick figure like things grow on the surfaces of flesh and bone etching themselves on any flesh they come in contact with. Victims take three points of damage from the acid filled bacteria that these things living in symbiosis with. Sad Marys disfigure their victims lower charisma scores by two points from the horrific scars that they create. 
5. Volt path clouds - These are created from the horrific discharges of violet energy that certain blue green mist clouds create. Five or more clouds gather then there is a twenty percent chance of a violet hard radiation discharge being created. Mutation and radiation checks must be made when this happens. 
6. Blood snow - This stuff falls from small purple grey clouds that form in hallways and outside the weird vents to the steam tunnels below the asylum. Blood snow creates false memories with its targets and thoughts of suicide or murder can occur if exposed to this blood red snow like growths. Targets must save vs magick or spells to resist the effects. The target will be in a horrid mood with a pounding headache after being exposed  to Asylum Q's energies.

More coming up in part II

1d6 Random Encounters With The Trolls of Pappa La Zo Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaign

The bio creation matrix of the elder things inspired by the artwork of Virgil Finlay

 He's had many monikers and alias over the centuries but the crime lord La Zo came to Accursed Atlantis on the black winds from the Outer Darkness. A seventh level thief and eighth level alchemist with a level or three in super scientist , Pappa has had many schemes and nefarious plans in the wastelands of the deep wastes then anyone suspects. He's a crime lord without mercy or morals and the head of over forty different thieves and freebooter organizations. His rules these organizations with six of the most dangerous creations you'll ever run across of the bio fungoid trolls of La Zo. Pappa has his lair in a hidden mountain dwelling where he it is rumored found an Elder Thing bio lab. Here the mad and mutated vile villain grew the original horrors from spores and he was able to isolate the life material of these monsters. Now he leases his army of troll creations to the various guilds and clandestine organizations. Should they not cooperate Pappa simply has his creations obliterate any present and execute all witnesses. Of course those rumors of his horrors mutating and budding off are strictly that simply rumors. Just because certain mutated strains of troll looking like Pappa's have been found in ruins and dungeons in the waste. Those are simply vicious lies created by the competition.

Pappa's trolls have all of the standard abilities but where most trolls have a low intelligence; Pappa's boys as he calls them are average but display an animal like cunning and horrid tendency to hold a grudge. Sometimes for years and they have long memories. They hate, hate being killed as well. All cloned troll warriors share a telepathic link enabling them to have a sort of racial collective store of memories and these beings often pull on their collective knowledge for tactics, strategy and murder. They can be greedy unpredictable and very, very dangerous. They also have 'special' talents.

1d6 Random Encounters With The Trolls of Pappa La Zo Encounter Table

1. Baluldobarchag The Ravager - This troll has an incredibly evil and jovial outlook and its skin is incredibly hard. He or rather it has the ability to shape shift into any shape within the volume of its nine foot tall, five hundred pound frame three times per day. It uses this power for assassinations and for surprising its enemies. Baluldobarchag has a taste for human and near human flesh of an extreme type and often indulgences in its 'bad habit' as it calls it with some regularity. It also likes to steal earrings and pretty jewelry as trophies to its murders. 
2. Melandeg The Invisible One - If trolls had large vocabularies and never shut up this being would be it. A virtual motor mouth, this being often uses its ability to go invisible three times per day to raid book stores, wizard's libraries, government offices and palaces. Melandeg is a spy, murderer, and poisoner indulging in all manner of foul play. Melandeg can also three times per day become intangible as a ghost allowing the giant monster to pass through walls and practicing  in its habit of gathering intelligence and secrets. It claims to like to be in the 'know'. The beast is dangerous, intelligent, and highly educated in a twisted and chaotic fashion. 
3. Ulauror The Mist - A troll whose specialty is controlling certain elemental forces, Ulauror fancies himself a planner and strategist of the gang. He has weird blue green skin and the ability to  3/day—levitate (self plus 2,000 pounds), obscuring mist; 1/day—fog cloud as per the spells. He uses these abilities to cover his tracks of both himself and his compatriots. Ulauror is a born kleptomaniac and uses his abilities to steal anyone blind, the troll is a 4th level thief and is often seen moonlighting for the various thieves guilds as a second story man used for difficult targets. He also loves the sight of other people's blood. 
4.  Grgothangba is able to bend stretch and is almost indestructible except to water. This troll will melt down into an elemental puddle of ooze and has the abilities of an ooze and often sneaks into place to murder and cause mayhem among rival gangs and thieving guilds. Grgothangba loves to play pranks on its fellows causing papa to send the creature on long range assignments. Grgothangba is a skilled scout but loves its 'family' and will seek revenge for the slightest insult or joke against the other trolls. They often have fun at the creature's expense by pouring buckets of water over the creature's head causing its abilities to activate. 
5. Miriakalazgor The Smart One - A troll with a near genius IQ and the ability to hypnotize a target at sixty feet as a vampire. This troll is a born stalker and tracker often picking a target to terrorize, hassle, and bring to the edge of madness. The troll only murders its victim after carefully planning and savoring its target's misery then moving in to finish the victim off. This troll is a careful hit man and con artist of the gang using its abilities to single out targets and then using careful schemes to take down dangerous foes. This troll can shape shift into a man sized target once a week but it must carefully study its target over the course of three days of observation. Miriakalazgor is a rabid chess player and gambler through proxies. 
6. Ungornim The Evil - This troll has made a pact with a demonic patron and has the ability to command and rebuke undead as a 6th-level cleric three times per day, malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a -2 penalty on all saving throws once per day, and cause darkness three times per day. Ungornim is  fanatical, dangerous, & unpredictable to his enemies. Ungornim The Evil is used as a strong arm enforcer for the various gangs. It also has a petty and cruel streak about its evil and it enjoys torturing and tormenting its victims. It also loves gold and relics; it often shakes marks down for their valuables.