Matters of Death & Amber - Using X2 Castle Amber By Tom Moldvay & The Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg As OSR & Old School Campaign - Laying The OSR Ground Work

 " Lo ! Death hath rear'd himself a throne

In a strange city, all alone,
Far down within the dim west —
And the good, and the bad, and the worst, and the best,
Have gone to their eternal rest.

There shrines, and palaces, and towers
Are — not like any thing of ours —
O ! no — O! no — ours never loom
To heaven with that ungodly gloom!
Time-eaten towers that tremble not!
Around, by lifting winds forgot,
Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie."
The Doomed City
by Edgar Allan Poe


DM Steve sipped his brandy quite nicely & the pipe smoke waffled around us. 'How would you go about running a successful Modern Gothic dark fantasy game?!' The question hung in the air about our group of players in the after game session fugue. In this case the question was hung out because already the blog entries  on  Matters of Death & Amber here & here.  'The problem is that you, the dungeon master already have campaigns in play some of which are still in play years on. Even if the players have pasted on..'  DM Steve & co. are trying to force me to move on with everything. 

There were murmmerings among the other players at this point & Steve was bringing up the fact that several campaigns had simply 'ended' when friendships had broken up & funerals had occurred. Now was a new beginning & the players wanted in on this purposed  'Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg' campaign with the hooks & chains that it connects with our older campaigns.




 In the past we've used elements of Lamentations of the Flame Princess rpg but not all of the line. And if this holiday weekend's games taught me anything its that we're gonna need vehicle rules & we're not going to wait around for the Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg companion which is due really soon. Fortunately my buddy Dave Miller did OSR Vehicle Rules and those should work out quite nicely. But Simon Washbourne also did his Terror Tales X! rpg rules for his OSR label Beyond Belief Games & these were done for the Swords & Wizardry light rpg. 

Why?! Because there are extra monsters, spells, & equipment that can easily be adapted into this  'Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg' campaign. The players have told me in no uncertain terms that this isn't going to be in their words a WB Supernatural television show. This is straight up going to be a bloody 'R' rated Gothic horror fest. If this is going to be a Gothic horror fest then other resources have to include Jack Shear's  Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque series &  Adventures on Gothic Earth. These are top drawer OSR Gothic horror & adventure campaign world builder stuff. Be sure to check out Jack Shear's blog here. 

And its from here that we've got to pick up with campaigns of the ghost Christmas past. The first thing the PC's are gonna have to do is to clean out the Duley house. The Duely house was the headquarters for a party of supernatural hunters & slayers that was wiped out back in 2012. And that was from the D'Ambervilles influence but we'll get into that one tomorrow. 

Matters of Death & Amber - The Glantri Gambit - The Magi's Agenda OSR Campaign Commentary

So let's look at"Matters of Amber & Death"from another perspective that your a well trained wizard or witch from Nouvelle Averoigne the most powerful occult nation on the face of Mystara. You've got your masters & teachers nipping at your heels to expand the empire, exploit the natives of other worlds, & generally look out for the interests of Glantri. So if it would fall within the perview of one or two very sharp & very dangerous Glantri PC witches, wizards or Magus would they make the crossing to Earth? An Earth where the two of the most dangerous powers on two worlds are playing a human chess game?! Way before this I've talked about Glantri PC witches, wizards or Magi showing up in many of my campaigns before. But that's before I considered the idea of Glantri PC's showing up on Earth whist this horrific competition was going on. But the second that that even rumors of a prince of  the Ambrevilles showing up will attract a number of magi agents. 

The d'Amberville family has agents roaming far & wide enabling its eyes, ears, and mouths to have the attention of royals across the planes. Glantri would be another rather nasty NPC or PC faction in 'Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg' able to transition from villians to sometimes allies at times.



 They would or will move as the supernatural wind dictates. But let's imagine that you're playing a werewolf or even a Dwarf who might be resistence to magick. Glantri magicians might actually be kidnapping Earth's supernaturals or monsters. 

Glantri has a ton of cultures & magical domains, therefore its a perfect location to use as source for magic school locations especially the 'grand school of magic'. Since the grand school of magic is so rife with politic & intrigue  in Glantri perhaps those low level wizards escaping to Earth are actually coming to the Veterans Earth to learn magic. The  province of Nouvelle Averoigne, is a dark reflection of the world of Mystara's codified country of magus. And as such its still under the dark influence of the Ambrevilles. And any hint of  the Ambrevilles activities on Earth will draw both experienced magi & low levels like moths to the flame of the occult.Here are few reasons why Earth would appeal to Glantrian wizards:

1. Earth has an abundence of undead so Glantrian Necromancy might be in demand. 
2. There are a number of places of magic not so well protected. 
3. Lack of clerics, gods, & immortals means that wizards have more of a free reign. 
4. Wizards are not believed in allowing them to operate incogneto & continue operations without interference from rivals. 
5. Plenty of fodder to experiment on. 
6. Earth has a rich history of places to plunder for magical energies. 
7. No immortals.. 
8. There are several Earth bound schools of magic to learn from. 
9. Mystara isn't connected to Earth. 
10. Glantrian magus can grow into their own on Earth. 

Matters of Death & Amber - Using X2 Castle Amber By Tom Moldvay & The Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg As OSR & Old School Touch Stone

" Lo ! Death hath rear'd himself a throne

In a strange city, all alone,
Far down within the dim west —
And the good, and the bad, and the worst, and the best,
Have gone to their eternal rest.

There shrines, and palaces, and towers
Are — not like any thing of ours —
O ! no — O! no — ours never loom
To heaven with that ungodly gloom!
Time-eaten towers that tremble not!
Around, by lifting winds forgot,
Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie."
The Doomed City
by Edgar Allan Poe

Never let it be said that we ever rest on our laurels in my house. For the past couple of days memories of past campaigns have been haunting me. And one particular set of NPC villains has been on rising like ghosts from an old campaign note book.  So let's talk about 'Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg' for a moment which has been on my mind for quite sometime now. Now we've been thinking about running a quick pick up game. 

 



But a campaign needs to be written,a beginning adventure outline, blah,blah, blah, the usual excuses but the fact is that there's a fully fleshed out OSR campaign that I can use. Let me flash back to 2012 or so. Back then Strange Stories From Another World was one of the vintage 50's comic books that was on our plates. Strange Stories From Another World was published  by Fawcett published from  August 1952 - February 1953. Strange Stories From Another World only lasted five glorious issues but the covers were amazing. 

"Painted cover of Strange Stories From Another World, number 5, February 1953, artwork by Norman Saunders. Another World was published by Fawcett from August 1952 to February 1953. Saunders' richly painted cover recalls the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 40s." And Saunders did incredible work but Strange Stories From Another World, number 5, February 1953 is really the issue that jumps out at me for several reasons. Reason one is the inclusion of the Shopkeeper is an NPC  book seller/ propertier of Salem book or antique shop.

 The antique shop pops up in the player's home town & the fun begins. Not so fast there's a Basic Dungeons & Dragons connection. What if 'The Shop Keeper' was playing a game of human chest against a powerful wizard for the fate of the player's home town?! The  wizard-noble Stephen Amber (Etienne d'Amberville) has decided to play another round of his on going game against one of his favorite players 'The Shop Keeper'. The wizard-noble Stephen Amber (Etienne d'Amberville) is of course from X2 Castle Amber by Tom Moldvay. And with shades of Clark Ashton Smith the game is on. 

The  instrument is a book of magick or other artifact that has been circulating in the area.  But this situation is not sitting well with everyone from the Beyond, that supernatural realm of horror between life & Hell. And who watches out for the living maintaining the balance between the living & the dead? Who carries out the laws of the dead? The Judges of the Dead have it as their court to watch over the world of the dead. They have no wish to have their laws violated by this game of chess using the living & the dead. So they recruit the player characters from the living and the dead across worlds. 

One of The Judges of the Dead, as depicted by Sheldon Moldoff (Worlds of Fear #4)

This game will have to play out as the 'Shop Keeper' moves in minor demons, undead, & opposition into the PC's home town or city. Things are going to escalate very quickly. The Ambervilles may take a much more proactive hand as time goes on.  The judges are powerful Spectres ala the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual first edition. 

Just about any type of PC in this style of 'Veterans of the Supernatural Wars Rpg'  campaign because of the use of public domain resources. This isn't our first time using the Beyond & we'll jump more into it as it develops. 

   

The Beyond - A Modern Dimension of Supernatural Horror & Depravity For Your Old School Campaigns

I've been wrestling with my a Godbound/Cha'alt campaign set in Las Vegas especially how the undead lords & the underworld are gonna fit in into a modern occult setting. Funny thing is I've already done all of the heavy lifting with the public domain setting of the Beyond ages ago.

There are weird and modern realms of supernatural horror where Dark Forces can snare the living and adventurers might be forced to deal with the horrors and demonic fury of 'The Beyond'.

Bordering the realms of the Afterlife & the living is 'The Beyond' a place of supernatural horror where the forces of the Undeath and the Demonic draw the living into the cross hairs of this realm. 'The Beyond' can cross dimensions and can draw the living into its clutches. The ancient texts of wisdom define the Beyond thus: 

The Beyond was a mysterious plane of existence which occasionally encroached on the physical world. A shadowy limbo vaguely akin to the Afterlife, it served as the source of the many supernatural menaces which threatened the "Realm of the Living." In a number of cases, it was a gray, lifeless purgatory inhabited by rotting corpses; in others, a place of perpetual torment akin to hell (although rarely defined as such).

The Beyond was depicted as the abode of all of humanity's worst fears; vampires, ghosts and demons existed alongside ghouls, witches and harpies. All seemed generally hostile towards mankind, some periodically crossed over to prey on selected victims or to seek vengeance on former tormentors. The traffic appeared to flow in both directions; mortals could inadvertently find themselves trapped in the Beyond before the end of their natural lives.
The demonic forces of the Abyss & Hell are often recruited by the powers of the 'Beyond' in their machinations and efforts.  The forces of the Beyond often have cults and other organizations of occultists who are in the service of this realm.
The Beyond is a realm that can show up in any number of worlds from alternative Earths to post apocalyptic wastelands. The 'Beyond' is far more influenced by modern technologies and societies boasting demons and undead monsters who both familiar with these modern amenities and capable of using them. 
The Beyond is a supernatural limbo where the souls of the damned and dying are often sent to their final rewards but not before being tortured and demeaned by the  demonic forces that reside there. Often adventurers and outlaws journey to the beyond in efforts to bargain with these demonic monsters often for theses souls in an effort for occult rites of resurrection and a return to the world of the 'Living'. There are forces of ancient order and hellish law that keep such events from taking place. 
The forces of the Beyond have a number of locations within its confines that allow it to interact and yet remain unseen by the average man. These locations include the following : 

 Castle Valord  - A legendary ruin and  megadungeon of epic proportions that is under the dominion of the demonic ruler Countess Siroon who rules a small and ancient European kingdom that calls to adventurers and promises adventure. 

 Thirteen Long Road - The departure point for the haunted Last Express train that roars to life traveling between the worlds of the Living and the realms of the dead, this demonic express train is often caught by adventurers to enter the Beyond and some times the Abyss. Those who find this platform to haunted adventure rarely return to the worlds of the Living. The Last Express is often used as means of traveling from one world to another but because of the proto demonic staff of the train this into itself can be a dangerous and weird experience of a most harrowing nature. 

The Salem Bookstore - This legendary place is an exchange of powerful occult and forbidden knowledge where wizards and witches go trade swap and gain extreme insights into the nature of the worlds of Dark Forces. It is also under the control of the The_Shop_Keeper. To most it appears to be a burnt out vacant lot but to those with the 'sight' and the gift of occult observation it is a business of power and wisdom that calls to those of mystical power. The place moves across the planes and dimensions. 

City of the Fearful Night- This gray and strange urban location often lays itself over an existing city like a shroud, populated by the recently dead this place often acts as an intersection between the world of the living and the limbo of undead. Various demons and hellish forces lurk in the background read to snare the Living and drag them into the clutches of the Beyond. Many occult treasures are sometimes found here tempting and drawing in adventurers. 

The World of the Dead - This is one of the inner rings of the Beyond and the domain of the ghostly souls of the damned; this a grey depressing world within the dominion of the Courts of the Damned who lay claim to those who come under the call of the laws of the afterlife. Those who try to defy these esoteric and strange laws often find themselves at the mercy of these weird and powerful undead lich gods. Powerful undead bailiffs and bounty hunters often work for the The Judges of the Dead enforcing their wills and judges. 

Hell Level - The ultimate circle of torment for the Beyond this realm is under the dominion of  demonic powers of the Beyond.  Known as the 'World of the Evil Ones , this supernatural wilderness and wasteland has portals that lead to both the proper Hell and Abyss. And it is the zone of rulership for the gods of The Beyond.  This region is a place of perpetual torment for any mortal unfortunate cross its boundaries, regardless of their innocence or guilt. Hell appears to have a number of 'masters', including Mephisto Satan,Countess Siroon and The Shop Keeper. The ultimate power in this region appears to be Dr. Death, to whom all others must defer - even it seems, the devil himself.

The Beyond  is a dimension of horror, depravity, and functions as a sort of limbo dimension that menaces the world of the world of the Living. The ancient texts describe it thus : The Beyond was a mysterious plane of existence which occasionally encroached on the physical world. A shadowy limbo vaguely akin to the Afterlife, it served as the source of the many supernatural menaces which threatened the "Realm of the Living." In a number of cases, it was a grey, lifeless purgatory inhabited by rotting corpses; in others, a place of perpetual torment akin to hell (although it was never specifically defined as such).

But even the Beyond while a hellish realm of horror and depravity has its demonic god like rulers. Beings of power who can bring incredible supernatural power to bare on those of the world of the 'living'.

Doctor Death Living Embodiment of 'The Beyond'

 A the top of the pyramid of horror and undeath is Dr. Death himself, an incarnation and avatar of death and unlife. This being is both the embodiment of the concept of Death and its incarnation made unliving flesh. As the instrument of Death itself he has sovereign power over witches, demons, vampires and various other supernatural beings, which are charged to do his bidding. Dr. Death has the ability to assume the form of a human being and even in his human guise retains a good deal of his god like magical abilities and is a able to cow even pit fiends and arch devils  into submission. It is said that "Mephisto Satan") is described as his lieutenant. There is a rivalry between Doctor Death and the demon lord Orcus which has existed for thousands of years. Doctor Death travels between the world of the living and the dead with easy and influences the living in subtle and very dangerous ways. 

Cults : A number of modern Lovecraftian ghoul families, necromantic cults, wasteland wizards, and many other black magicians worship this being. Those in service to the Beyond chose from the Grey and Black schools of magic from the Fantastic Heroes and Witchery rule book. 

Areas of influence include: Death, Undeath, Demons, and all aspects of the Beyond plane of existence.
Once per day Doctor Death may a horde of 1d100 undead and damned souls from the Beyond. 

The Mummy

The mummy is thousands of  years old and while a contemporary of Dr. Death retains his independence and dececdantly dangerous sardonic wit. This being is a mummy and lich far out of his time. He is a minor power in the Beyond but is a very active. The mummy has the abilities of a tenth  level occultist and is able to call upon any spell of the black school of magic with easy. Anyone trying to engage the Mummy in hand to hand combat is likely to catch mummy rot with a 60% chance of contracting the disease for every round spent in hand to hand combat with this fiend. Once per hour the mummy can raise dead as soulless zombie warriors

. The mummy may grant 1d4 spells from the Black school of magic to a worthy agent of the Beyond.

 

Countess Siroon

The demi goddess of decadence and depravity, this demonic princess is the custodian of the megadungeon Castle Valord, she was guardian of the doorway to The Beyond and one of Dr. Death's many supernatural vassals. To the casual observer she appeared as an educated and strikingly beautiful woman, but beneath her enchanting facade lies the soul (and appetite) of a bloodthirsty demon. Feared as a vampire by the local population, she frequently lured young men to their doom, torturing her victims for days on end before finally draining their life-forces. She is one of her master's most trusted vassals and rules the Beyond in his absence. Countess Siroon has all of the powers of a succubus and is able to grant vast supernatural knowledge to those who sign a pact with her. She uses a rite of rejuvenation using the blood of the living to allow her agents to regain 1d20 years once they have murdered someone with blood ties to pact signer. The victim must retain close ties with the pact signer. The Princess is one of the Doctors agents who moves freely between our space time continuum and the Beyond. Once per day she is able to gate in 1d6 warrior demons. At the lowest levels of Castle Valord is a gateway between our world and the Beyond. 

The Judges of the Dead

The Judges of the Dead are the spectral and highly dangerous lich kings of an ancient and forgotten set of judges who enforce the ancient and highly esoteric laws of the Beyond and the Dead. They have all manner of agents working among the worlds of the living to ensure that the trust between the dead, the nearly dead, and the undead are not violated. They have a number of supernatural bailiffs and bounty hunters who carry out the will of their court. Not mention the fact that the Judges of the Dead, also retains the status of all souls within their purview for resurrection this includes PC's souls. The Judge's are all knowing as well and are able to see into the past and future. They will advise on all matters of the dead and living. Their agents are granted spells that carry out the will of the court in the world of the living. They may give an agent 1d6 spells and will keep close magical tabs on their agents. 

The Serpent Queen 

This vile villain of the highest order is a fallen goddess of the ancient Atlantis pantheon whose manipulations ensure the agendas of the Beyond in the world of the living continue. She has more then a mere shadow in the real world but is a demonic entity ruling a hidden kingdom within the cliffs of Mount Cudado.

She is a foul demonic princess and under her alluring disguise is a dangerous demonic hell spawned demon. Those who sub comb to her charms are found dead a few days later and from within her hidden kingdom she guards a very dangerous portal into the Beyond. She has influence over the worlds of the living and dead while offering bits and pieces of forbidden or demonic lore. She will grant 1d4 spells per day to her pact signers. Any minor undead will bow and scrap at her appearance and she is a goddess of many minor necrotic cults. 

The Shop Keeper

The patron of wizards, occultists, and other black magicians of all stripes. The shop keeper runs a chain of occult book shops and resource centers throughout the world. The shop keeper appears to be a man in his early sixties but is actually thousands of years old. He will always grant a wizard the proper book of forbidden or supernatural knowledge and is one of the most active of all of the Beyond demonic entities. He will appear to those who seek out his shop in his seemingly human guise and have a wide variety of occult artifacts or spell books of forbidden Lovevcraftian knowledge. The Shop keeper guards one of the many central gates to the 'Hell Level' of the Beyond. And is one most trusted of the demonic powers of the Beyond.
He is served by an army of faceless demonic doppelgangers whom he can gate in 1d6 every three hours. For his agents he will grant 1d8 1st and 2nd level spells. All minor demonic or undead monsters will submit to the Shop keeper and those who interferes with this entity will die within 1d4 days of an encounter with this fiend.He will always have 1d6 scrolls, minor magic items or spell books.

These entities are only the tip of the iceberg of the Beyond . These entities have all of the minor powers and immunities of demons from the Monster Manual 1st edition. In addition these minor demonic divinities have been known to actively have roles within the various alternative Earths especially where post apocalyptic wastelands occur. The souls of the dead and undead are especially prized by these entities and various forbidden or dangerous cults have truck with these beings. 

These entities are all public domain and appeared in the golden age of comics book 'This Magazine is Haunted' and are going straight into my campaign. 

1d6 Random Border Realm Creatures Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Working their way between the borders of dream and death in the Beyond are creatures that partially demon and made up from the souls of those who have passed far into the furthest reaches of  Pale. These horrors ply the border realms searching for victims and others they can violate, enslave, and trade to far darker powers for the chance to perhaps once again be human or regain the comfort of something resembling humanity. Such fates are often denied to these thrice damned and demented foils for far more dangerous powers. Many times these horrors are seventh level or better wizards who are sporting extreme mutations or alterations picked up in the border realms. 

The border realms serve as short cuts and jump points across the myriad of heavens, Hells, and portals across the Outer Darkness to reach worlds that are a part of the ancient and decaying interstellar empires of humanity. Many of these examples of sub humanity and abhuman corruption have made allegiance with the powers of Chaos and Horror long ago.

1d10 Random Border Realm Creatures Encounter Table

1. A twisted yellow green snake of a tape worm wizard thing with the face of a middle aged doctor, this once man longs to regain his shape and humanity but his demonic patron requires a soul as pure as water that flows from mountain streams. He is a fifth level wizard and has 1d4 spells ready to go. Cunning, dangerous, and completely amoral. Deals in slaves, drugs, and spells.
2. Partially arachnid and undead pig thing with a subhuman face, Cerusa was once a priestess of Troy but has been trapped her for thousands of years. She requires a body and mind, as a sixth level occultist she has the spell of body jumping but each time the body decays and mutates from under her. 
3. Imagine a mating of a weird bio organic machine and the body of an athletic hero of old and you will partially understand the horror that is this being. He has the eyes of a fly demon and tendrils have replaced his hair. He has no name but answers in common to a variate of names. His home plane was scrubbed clean eons ago by the forces of Chaos. He seeks a soul of a wizard to torment and then possess but he is not sure how so he keeps killing anyways seeking the answers in the entrails of others. 
4. Combala the Ancient Thing -An ancient ghost of a long disposed ruler who has become a host to thousands of his subject's souls, he sold his soul to a demon in the hopes that a restoration of his kingdom is in the works, he seeks a witch and virgin knight to bargain with his patron for a return to power and humanity. His ectoplasm writhes with the pain and anger of his subjects. Promises arcane secrets for bargains of power. 1d6 spells at his disposal 6th level and higher.
5. Protoplasmic seemingly mindless mess of a damned soul who is actually a cunning wizard called The Walking One, he has a good amount of his wisdom and power in tact. He is an eight level wizard of dark aspect who hunts and swallows the souls of his prey. He bargains with relics and artifacts of power in return for boons of an uncertain nature.  8th level wizard and 5th level warrior with shape shifting abilities. 
6. Thumba The Ageless Terror - A damned soul whose patron demon is sewn into half of his body and the other half is a sexless, humanless thing of incredibly mutated horror. Hunts the realms and byways for souls and bodies to trade for. Very dangerous +2 on all damage, 8th level wizard with 1d4 spells ready to go.

1d20 What The Border Winds Bring Random Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

The winds of sex and death blow from the Hells across the face of the Beyond into Accursed Atlantis, these winds bring all manner of foulness and Chaos itself to the lands. Only mercenary armies of adventurers and freebooters stand before it and the utter ruination of kingdoms and city states. These winds bring death, change,transformation, and alien demons from the Outer Darkness by the score. Here then is a quick encounter chart of what the border winds bring for your campaigns and what is brought into what passes for the real world of accursed Atlantis.


1d20 Random What The Border Wind Bring Encounter Table

1. A wet rain of damned souls and larva rain from the skies along with flesh rotting bacteria save vs death or take 1d4 points per round. There are pools of damned faces and flesh that will evaporate and slink back to the depths of the Beyond in 3d6 rounds as the sun burns away this corrosion. 
2. 3d100 golden copper coins fall from the skies bringing with it chants and shouts of damned not only are you subject to the damage from the coins 2d6 points of it. But the shouts act as a Fear spell. 
3. Huge swath of rotting alien flesh and meat fall from the skies as if some great beast's gore was cut by the planar winds. 1d20 rot grubs for each piece of alien flesh encountered and there are 1d200 pounds per square mile.
4. A massive alien head of stone hurls for the ground only too gently settle into place mere feet above the ground. It regards its surroundings contently and then the insect goblins begin to pour fourth! 
5. A rain of blood and bile pours from the sky lasting 2 rounds. The smell is terrible but mostly harmless. 
6. 1d10 ghosts of change and chaos roar through the skies bringing with them mutation and horror. Save vs death or mutation or gain 1d4 major mutations. 
7. Broken bits of metal fall harmlessly from the sky and evaporate as the sounds of battle and rage echo across the skies. 
8. Swarms of flying monkeys with rainbow colored wings rage across the skies fighting angel like creatures. 1d4 will land nearby and rush your PC to attack, they will fight to the death. 
9. A plague of bugs with human faces that mumble to each other, these mini demonic fiends tear & bite at flesh making the most horrid sounds imitating human speech. 
10. The skies are filled with weird winds and the very clouds seem to form into alien humanoid shapes that mate and fornicate with each other. 2d4 rounds later alien demonic air element things will burst forth from the clouds. 
11. 1d20 twisted demonic half things fall from the sky and land with twisted wings that unfold, use the stats for a vrock but these things have the faces of parrots and old politics twisted into horror beyond reckoning. 
12. 1d20 swarms of bat faced rat things fall from the skies and hit the ground turning into golden flowers. The flowers are a potential contact poison however. 
13. The sky turns purple, there is the sound of trumpets, and the shadows of angels then nothing! The skies return to normal in 2d4 rounds. There is a smell in the air of rotten perfume and stale air. 
14. A light white powder falls from the sky and anyone caught by it is seized by feelings of over whelming lust. Strange round gray rubbery organic seeming objects will be found on the ground every 1d20 feet. They will smell of rubber and flesh, these things will seeming be alive and then begin to decay rapidly turning into a weird smoke in 1d4 rounds. 
15. The skies will crack with thunder and sunlight will be visible, then there will a roaring as the clouds turn to strange phantasmal ghostlike forms of a  weird almost sexual innuendo style of aspect but there is a feeling of overwhelming loss and crippling sadness about these almost ghostly figures. The air will be filled with a strange vanilla like smell and on the ground there will be several strange alien look baby things things attached to plant like growth in the ground. 
16. The air is filled with electricity and the local space time continuum is disrupted, there will be groups and pockets of strange cells of weird demonic old men growing from the ground and bound together with coils of semi living vines. These jelly like forms are the souls of the damned who are bound to the Outer Darkness. They have all of the immunities of the undead but an armor class of nine. They smell of old socks, regrets, and love ones past. They're eyes are pleading and beg for release. They will be gone in 1d4 rounds.  There are piles of odd trash and gold coins here and there. The vines will animate and attack dragging you down with these souls.
17. The skies are filled with alien winged imps who are in the act of mating only to twist turn, and attack anyone with clawed range. They care some treasure and coins, but the ground around you is suddenly turned into planes of bones, rust, and jagged gore. 
18. The skies turn red and the ground turns to quicksand and gore filled mud, odd lightning illuminates the sky and you must past a radiation check as weird energies echo in the thunder and lightning. 
19. Time goes crazy as the sun and moon chase each other in a strange cosmic horror show of weirdness and strangeness! Lose 1d20 years off of your PC's life unless a save is made. 
20. Weird echoes of voices and horror sound and the sky turns an angry purple green. Only 2d4 rounds later do you realize in horror that it is your own voice and you are caught within a time paradox! Welcome once again to your own nightmare.  

The Followers Of Nolan & Johnson - A New Post Apocalyptic Factional Monster For Your Old School Campaigns

The Followers of Nolan and Johnson are alien humanoid travelers from a distant dimension whose home plane was the subject of a sub quantum echo disaster in their own dimension after an attempt to tap into the Beyond as a power source for  time travel to prevent a possible apocalyptic event failed. The attempt resulted in the collapse and annihilation of their own universe and time line as well as the scattering of these beings across several alternative space and time lines; now they are nothing more then mute witnesses to the events across dimensional space. But even in their undead state they have a plan, a dangerous and highly insane plane. Like bugs circling the drain of a sink even as entropy has its way with them, the Followers appear at random times in post apocalyptic wastelands as figures in tattered uniforms of unknown militaries and armed forces. They're pathetically reach out to hold the hands or touch their targets, communicating telepathically pathetic partial messages of impending disaster and horror. Those who respond to their touch often have their higher consciousness and souls absorbed by the sub quantum echoes of the Followers resulting in the birth of another Follower.

The Followers Of Nolan & Johnson
Frequency : Uncommon 

No appearing: 1d4 

Armor Class: 3 

Move:12/24 

Hit Dice: 5+4
Dex: 7 

% in Lair: 20% 

Treasure Type: E 

Number of Attacks: 2 

Special/Attacks: Energy Drain
Special Defenses: Silver or Magical weapons to hit  

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., daylight powerlessness, incorporeal traits, +2 turn resistance, undead traits, unnatural aura

Magic Resistance: 10% 

Intelligence: Very 

Alignment: Lawful evil 

Size: M

Psionic Abilities: low level telepathic abilities in a 40 foot radius 

Attack and Defense Modes : Nil 

There is speculation that there actually only two real followers, and that those souls that they drain an absorb are being used to fuel their attempts at resurrecting their own original universe and timeline. Those who have survived the chilling touch of these beings have gotten telepathic glimpses of their mad plans;very little hard information exists on these beings. They appear when, where, and how they wish, what is known that because they anchor themselves with negative planar webs to local space time, clerics can turn these beings as they would ordinary wraiths. The Followers of Nolan and Johnson notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of their life force automatically, as if it had cast deathwatch.These abilities are automatically on always. Only a holy word may banish these beings from the local space time but they may eventually creep back in to the ordinary universe as a bug under the cracks between dimensions. Demons and other higher or lower dimensional beings loath and fear these beings but will not reveal why. The followers of Nolan and Johnson remain a hateful and dangerous presence within the post apocalyptic wastelands across many dimensions but they seem to especially infest the wastelands of Accursed Atlantis but why is not known.

Giant Abyssal Moth Men For Your Old School Science Fantasy Campaigns

One of the more dangerous mutated monsters that came about because of the Mythos wars of the twenty forth century. These horrors combined the worst aspects of men, spiders, and the demonic. These horrors are often crossbred by the wizards of certain Mythos cults and sold to Drow space pirates. But they are normally native to the horrific supernatural plane The Beyond where they prey upon anyone foolish enough to be caught by these predators. They are ever so adaptable and make their nests in a wide variety of locations.
These horrors make their home in former high rise and skyscraper ruins where they prey upon the locals from their nest points. They are vicious predators likely to found in dungeons & ruins due to their adaptability. The giant abyssal  moth men attack with a hidden stinger tail and vicious clawed hands able to rend metal, flesh, and bone with a single swipe.



Frequency : Uncommon on certain 

outer solar system worlds

No Appearing: 1d6 

Move: 15"

Hit Dice: 5+5

% In Lair: 20%

Treasure Type: D 

No Of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attacks: 1-10/1-10/1-4

Special Attacks: Poison Sting 

Special Defenses: None 

Magic Resistance: Standard 

Intelligence: Low 

Alignment: Chaotic Evil 

Size: M 

Psionic Potential: Non 

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

They attack with two vicious claws and then a quick sting from their tails. The victim hit by their sting takes 1d4 points of damage and must save vs poison or die immediately. The victims insides melt as the vicious poison goes about it's work. Because of the Abyssal  nature of these creatures they have several weird mutations including have a web generating set of organs  that allows the spinnerets under the arms to produce a strong web. Only those with 18 or better strength may break the webs in a round or with a 17 strength in two rounds. Usually prey is stung to death long before this happens.
The giant Abyssal moth men are clumsy flyers and have flight class C abilities at best. Because of the weird nature of these monsters hypernatural senses they are able to sense weakness and are drawn to the chaotic nature of human and near human beings. Wizards and black occultists of certain insane Lovecraftian gods from the Outer Worlds often turn their enemies into these creatures through ancient and lost rites of the blackest magicks. 

The Beyond Part II - Demonic Powers For A Modern Dimension of Supernatural Horror & Depravity For Your Old School Campaigns

The Beyond (see part I right over Here) is a dimension of horror, depravity, and functions as a sort of limbo dimension that menaces the world of the world of the Living. The ancient texts describe it thus : The Beyond was a mysterious plane of existence which occasionally encroached on the physical world. A shadowy limbo vaguely akin to the Afterlife, it served as the source of the many supernatural menaces which threatened the "Realm of the Living." In a number of cases, it was a grey, lifeless purgatory inhabited by rotting corpses; in others, a place of perpetual torment akin to hell (although it was never specifically defined as such).

But even the Beyond while a hellish realm of horror and depravity has its demonic god like rulers. Beings of power who can bring incredible supernatural power to bare on those of the world of the 'living'.

Doctor Death Living Embodiment of 'The Beyond'

 A the top of the pyramid of horror and undeath is Dr. Death himself, an incarnation and avatar of death and unlife. This being is both the embodiment of the concept of Death and its incarnation made unliving flesh. As the instrument of Death itself he has sovereign power over witches, demons, vampires and various other supernatural beings, which are charged to do his bidding. Dr. Death has the ability to assume the form of a human being and even in his human guise retains a good deal of his god like magical abilities and is a able to cow even pit fiends and arch devils  into submission. It is said that "Mephisto Satan") is described as his lieutenant. There is a rivalry between Doctor Death and the demon lord Orcus which has existed for thousands of years. Doctor Death travels between the world of the living and the dead with easy and influences the living in subtle and very dangerous ways. 

Cults : A number of modern Lovecraftian ghoul families, necromantic cults, wasteland wizards, and many other black magicians worship this being. Those in service to the Beyond chose from the Grey and Black schools of magic from the Fantastic Heroes and Witchery rule book. 

Areas of influence include: Death, Undeath, Demons, and all aspects of the Beyond plane of existence.
Once per day Doctor Death may a horde of 1d100 undead and damned souls from the Beyond. 

The Mummy

The mummy is thousands of  years old and while a contemporary of Dr. Death retains his independence and dececdantly dangerous sardonic wit. This being is a mummy and lich far out of his time. He is a minor power in the Beyond but is a very active. The mummy has the abilities of a tenth  level occultist and is able to call upon any spell of the black school of magic with easy. Anyone trying to engage the Mummy in hand to hand combat is likely to catch mummy rot with a 60% chance of contracting the disease for every round spent in hand to hand combat with this fiend. Once per hour the mummy can raise dead as soulless zombie warriors

. The mummy may grant 1d4 spells from the Black school of magic to a worthy agent of the Beyond.

 

Countess Siroon 

The demi goddess of decadence and depravity, this demonic princess is the custodian of the megadungeon Castle Valord, she was guardian of the doorway to The Beyond and one of Dr. Death's many supernatural vassals. To the casual observer she appeared as an educated and strikingly beautiful woman, but beneath her enchanting facade lies the soul (and appetite) of a bloodthirsty demon. Feared as a vampire by the local population, she frequently lured young men to their doom, torturing her victims for days on end before finally draining their life-forces. She is one of her master's most trusted vassals and rules the Beyond in his absence. Countess Siroon has all of the powers of a succubus and is able to grant vast supernatural knowledge to those who sign a pact with her. She uses a rite of rejuvenation using the blood of the living to allow her agents to regain 1d20 years once they have murdered someone with blood ties to pact signer. The victim must retain close ties with the pact signer. The Princess is one of the Doctors agents who moves freely between our space time continuum and the Beyond. Once per day she is able to gate in 1d6 warrior demons. At the lowest levels of Castle Valord is a gateway between our world and the Beyond. 

The Judges of the Dead 

The Judges of the Dead are the spectral and highly dangerous lich kings of an ancient and forgotten set of judges who enforce the ancient and highly esoteric laws of the Beyond and the Dead. They have all manner of agents working among the worlds of the living to ensure that the trust between the dead, the nearly dead, and the undead are not violated. They have a number of supernatural bailiffs and bounty hunters who carry out the will of their court. Not mention the fact that the Judges of the Dead, also retains the status of all souls within their purview for resurrection this includes PC's souls. The Judge's are all knowing as well and are able to see into the past and future. They will advise on all matters of the dead and living. Their agents are granted spells that carry out the will of the court in the world of the living. They may give an agent 1d6 spells and will keep close magical tabs on their agents. 

The Serpent Queen 

This vile villain of the highest order is a fallen goddess of the ancient Atlantis pantheon whose manipulations ensure the agendas of the Beyond in the world of the living continue. She has more then a mere shadow in the real world but is a demonic entity ruling a hidden kingdom within the cliffs of Mount Cudado

She is a foul demonic princess and under her alluring disguise is a dangerous demonic hell spawned demon. Those who sub comb to her charms are found dead a few days later and from within her hidden kingdom she guards a very dangerous portal into the Beyond. She has influence over the worlds of the living and dead while offering bits and pieces of forbidden or demonic lore. She will grant 1d4 spells per day to her pact signers. Any minor undead will bow and scrap at her appearance and she is a goddess of many minor necrotic cults. 

The Shop Keeper

The patron of wizards, occultists, and other black magicians of all stripes. The shop keeper runs a chain of occult book shops and resource centers throughout the world. The shop keeper appears to be a man in his early sixties but is actually thousands of years old. He will always grant a wizard the proper book of forbidden or supernatural knowledge and is one of the most active of all of the Beyond demonic entities. He will appear to those who seek out his shop in his seemingly human guise and have a wide variety of occult artifacts or spell books of forbidden Lovevcraftian knowledge. The Shop keeper guards one of the many central gates to the 'Hell Level' of the Beyond. And is one most trusted of the demonic powers of the Beyond.
He is served by an army of faceless demonic doppelgangers whom he can gate in 1d6 every three hours. For his agents he will grant 1d8 1st and 2nd level spells. All minor demonic or undead monsters will submit to the Shop keeper and those who interferes with this entity will die within 1d4 days of an encounter with this fiend.He will always have 1d6 scrolls, minor magic items or spell books.

These entities are only the tip of the iceberg of the Beyond . These entities have all of the minor powers and immunities of demons from the Monster Manual 1st edition. In addition these minor demonic divinities have been known to actively have roles within the various alternative Earths especially where post apocalyptic wastelands occur. The souls of the dead and undead are especially prized by these entities and various forbidden or dangerous cults have truck with these beings. 

These entities are all public domain and appeared in the golden age of comics book 'This Magazine is Haunted' and are public domain.