Review & Commentary On Nuclear Sunset:The Southwest & Pacific Northwest (Mutant Future) From Vigilance Press For Your Old School Campaigns

During the endless parade of titles there are several that seem to always get lost in the shuffle. Nuclear Sunset is one such OSR setting title and its a damn shame. This is one of the better post apocalyptic settings for Mutant Future and I happen to know the author on social media. Basically Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest  is the region around the panhandle of Vegas and beyond with a post apocalyptic Western feel. This is a weird western setting with a modern twist. Sure all of the familiar Westerns sites are there but things have changed a bit. Its a mix between Mad Max & Fallout New Vegas with a twist of Hollywood Westerns burned over a campfire stove of weirdness.


Grab Nuclear Sunset
The Southwest Here
Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest gives the DM a whole bunch of weirdness to play with from factions such as  The Marshalls  who are the law bringers of the wastelands and on the wane to their nemesis Hell's Heart a biker gang on steroids. Add into the mix The Cartel who are wasteland corporate types we've seen a million Eighties and Nineties VHS post apocalyptic films and you can slot in the 88th the former remains of a military platoon and base. Then there's a boat load of ruins and locations that can be dropped into your campaigns. All of this for two dollars and it can easily be used with your favorite OSR game because the whole affair is stat free so you can adapt it as you like. This setting came out in 2011 & its a great example of what can be done with a post apocalyptic region adventure setting. Right so now flash forward to 2016 and we get  Nuclear Sunset: Pacific Northwest along with a  ton more content. Thanks to one of my background patrons I was able to legally get a copy and take a quick look at four A.M. this morning.



 Grab Nuclear Sunset
The Pacific Northwest Here

The Pacific Northwest supplement presents a very different region for a post apocalyptic campaign with similar conceits but vastly different factions and adventure goals. Its a mix of rural woodland adventure mixed in with mutant frogs,tons of factions, and a setting that is as deadly as it is weird. Pacific Northwest adds expanded territories, brand new adventure locations, a ton of factions, and a boat load of new adventure opportunities for post apocalyptic adventurers for Mutant Future or any OSR rpg system including Labyrinth Lord and other retroclone systems. 

Weird factions such as the Samurai Legion, the the Silicon Syndicate, and even more create an established order and setting dynamic within the bounds of the regions here your party are strangers in an even stranger mutated land. Basically adventure and NPC elements are already in play regardless of the PC's presence. This surrounds some very rich ruins and death lands adventure wasteland locations. This is going to keep the pace of adventures moving and keep the players on their toes.
Another aspect of this product is that there are lots & lots of mutant monsters with adventure hooks peppered throughout. This is a campaign setting with an  over time campaign expansion element worked in meaning that adventurers over the long campaign haul can make a real difference for long term play. This also gives the Nuclear Sunset setting an extra in on the wasteland domain level of play something that other OSR products might want to get in on.  This means that there are real campaign gains and benefits for PC's and this gives players a real time stake in play within the setting.  Is it worth it? The books are very well done and generic enough to fit into and slip into the back door of most post apocalpytic old school campaigns.


  Grab Legacy of Ruin Here

Still need more setting and information the Nuclear Sunset setting? Vigilance Press put out a novel set within the same setting called Legacy Of Ruin. The plot is like something out of a Nineties late night movie;"Naomi Oliviera lives in a world shaped by the cruelty of the past. Radiation-warped creatures haunt the sun-blasted wastes that once sheltered the promise of a better tomorrow. She lives day to day by scavenging technology from the ruins of the world that was, until her brother is kidnapped and she finds herself thrust into events much larger than her own personal survival. Naomi must challenge her own limitations and discover how far she is able to go for the one person she's willing to die for.

From an arena of death to a city of murderous machines, Naomi's adventure takes her across the Pacific Northwest on a tour of the post-apocalyptic nightmare. She won't be alone on her trek, but trust is a hard currency to come by in this place and she will spend it sparingly. Through the maze of shifting loyalties and conflicting motives she discovers her foe is no ordinary kidnapper.

For someone has awakened with knowledge born before the great war, a man with a legacy that could reshape the world. His quest could unleash death the likes of which haven't been seen since the bombs fell, since the world was transformed into a living hell. His mission is not simply to awaken an ancient technology.

He seeks to reclaim a legacy of ruin."

Commentary On The Magnificent Seven Teaser Trailer & Domain Level Play In The Boot Hill Rpg System For Your Old School Campaigns

Tonight we got a look at the new Magnificent Seven remake trailer and it looks really, really, well done. I was both surprised and delighted to see it come off as well as it did. The action and cinematography looks fantastic so far.When you begin talking about the original film 1960 then your getting into the real appendix N films for the  Boot Hill rpg.
This remake boasts a damn fine ensemble cast including: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Martin Sensmeier

So the original 1960 film is considered a movie Western classic and with damn good reason; its a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese-language film Seven Samurai. Brynner, McQueen, Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Brad Dexter portray the title characters, a group of seven gunfighters hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding bandits and their leader (Wallach). This is the gist of the 1960 film and it has been remade countless times since including a Roger Corman sci fi film called Battle Beyond the Stars. This film has every single thing that a dungeon master could want for a set up for his own dark fantasy or sword & sorcery game campaign  from how the party can be gathered to the entire set up for a mini adventuring campaign location. Does the new film thread its way over this same area? Yes in point of fact I think that it does. This is going to be a hell of a ride and its got further connotations for old school Western role playing action.  So we all love the scenes in the 1960's film where the various gun fighters are recruited to help save the village from the bandit gang.



But there's a bit in the plot line that always seems to get overlooked and that's this wonderful little bit a subplot; "Arriving at the village, the seven gunmen begin to train the villagers to defend themselves. Each finds himself befriending the villagers. When they realize that the small meal made for them by the women consists of all the food in the village, the gunmen share it with the villagers. Chico is fascinated by Petra (Rosenda Monteros), one of the village's young women. Bernardo bonds with three of the village's little boys.^[4][5] Lee, struggling with nightmares and fearing the loss of his skills, is comforted by the residents. Harry presses the villagers, unsuccessfully, for information about any treasure. Hilario (Jorge Martínez de Hoyos) and Vin briefly discuss nerves on the eve of battle; Vin confesses that he envies Hilario's quiet farming life. Calvera and his bandits soon arrive, sustain heavy losses, and are run out of town by the gunmen and the villagers working in concert. Chico, who is Mexican, follows Calvera back to his camp, pretending to be one of the bandits. He learns that Calvera must raid the village because he is desperate for food to feed his men."
Yeah, that's right a direct nod to the Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese-language film Seven Samurai is the fact that without the village and it lands the bandits can't live at all. This is exactly the send up from the '54 film which is set during the Warring States Period of Japan. And here's where the domain play of The Seven Samurai comes into play for Boot Hill.


This is exactly the point at which when the fight for the village is over that a friend of mine said his PC's would be settling down in the village and using it as a home base. The place is the perfect safe zone for PC's to launch themselves into upper level adventures while taking full advantage of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition Dungeon Master's domain rules for land management and character advancement.



There are a few resources that I would be turning to right off the bat if I was planning on running this style of campaign. First of all for creating and outfitting  bandit NPC's quickly and with minimal fuss is this table from the Hill Canton's blog.
Next from the same blog I'd be looking into and keeping some of these guidelines for a campaign to keep things moving along for the players.
Next I'd be taking a trip over to the OSR libary blog and taking a look into the full range of Western themed resources that David Baymiller offers for running a cinematic Western campaign setting. He's got some  really nice resources to cherry pick from. The 2016 remake has a distinctly classic Western feel to it.

At the end of the classic 1960's film the characters realize their true fate; "The three remaining gunmen help to bury the dead. Chico decides to stay in the village with Petra, but Chris and Vin prepare to leave. The village elder bids them farewell and says that only the villagers have really won: "You're like the wind, blowing over the land and... passing on... ¡Vaya con Dios!" As they leave, they pass the graves of their fallen comrades. Chris says, "The Old Man was right. Only the farmers won. We lost. We'll always lose.""
This is done on purpose because of the very nature of the ensemble cast and the possible acknowledgement of future films. But it also sets up the very nature of these characters, these are not the good guys but the men of violence that are needed for the moment and to get the job done. This logic can also be applied to adventurers and men of action who though they might be honorable are not the good guys per say. Boot Hill allows this sort of thing to play out as it will. The new film's cast appears to have this same ideal playing in the background of the new film:

• Denzel Washington as Sam Chisolm, a bounty hunter, the leader of the Seven.
• Chris Pratt as Josh Farraday, a gambler with a fondness for explosives.
• Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux, a sharpshooter.
• Vincent D'Onofrio as Jack Horne, a trapper.
• Byung-hun Lee as Billy Rocks,^[1] an assassin.
• Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Vasquez, an outlaw.
• Martin Sensmeier as Red Harvest, a Comanche warrior.
• Peter Sarsgaard as Bartholomew Bogue, the main antagonist.

There is a quiet and casual violence to the land that these films inhabit and they offer no comfort or rest for their characters.
Sam Chisolm: You want revenge?
Widow: I want righteousness... but I'll settle for revenge.

These are lands that really do need not only the PC's but the slow and guiding hands that adventurers can offer the area. Perhaps over time the PC's might move on but somehow after seeing the original film this evening I doubt it. There's also the possiblity here for a Weird Western crossover game with PC's from a D&D game campaign becoming a part of the mercenary band or even using some of the domain level ideas from Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Another Weird Western idea was the inclusion of zombies or a random undead threat to take the place of the bandits. 

Due to the classic nature and set up for the original film offers far too many possibilities and prime adventure location that can be fully exploited by the DM for a distinctive take on the domain level adventure location ideal.. I'm really looking forward to the new film and where it can take the Western genre for 2016.

Using 'The Pay What You Want Adventure' Tomb of the Overfiend From Robertson Games In The Valley Of Forgotten Ones For Your Old School Campaigns

 

So last night I needed something fast, quick, and easy that I could use for a fast play with friends. The game that I had in mind was Boot Hill and everyone quickly agreed. But I was going to need an adventure set up yesterday and I had less then hour to pull this together. I started going through ideas in my head and one was the Valley of the Forgotten Ones. This was a place where entropy & time weapons were tested. Time and space had been shattered. Things, places, and even people had been seen out there in the eight mile stretch of desert. Weird things that sent shivers up men's spines and more then a few cow hands had gone missing in that area. The locals stay well away from that stretch of desert but then again there have been some who have come back with gold in their pocket. But now things were different, the Sheriff's daughter was taken in the middle of the night and dragged off into the valley by outlaws. Not monsters, men, or horrors are going to keep that man from his daughter.


The Valley of the Forgotten ones is a time lost location that I've used several times over the years; its a place of classic AD&D and pulpy fun. Dinosaurs, mutants, marauders, etc. all coming together within a patch of horrid wasteland and desert issues. There's a bunch of locals living on the outskirts who mind their own business and have a few secrets of their own. So yeah its a staging ground for anything that I want to dump into the setting and not wreck it.


The locals know about the gang of the Overfiend whose a lich who traveled here over a century and a half ago. He's got a bunch of orc and half orc outlaws that help him out and he's going to sacrifice the sheriff's daughter to gods of the Outer Darkness.
Tomb of the Overfiend is a one page dungeon and did quite nicely for a one shot game. The tomb has more then enough features to make monster stocking quick and easy with the AD&D first edition Monster Manual or The Fiend Folio. We had seven players including a bard which came in quite handy in two places; one was the fact that he ended up speaking several times with the locals to gain their trust. The valley itself spooked the hell out of the PC's who were quick roll ups from Boot Hill.
Tomb of The Overfiend proved to be very well put together and the players had a blast with it it. They really were very careful to deal with some of the monsters, artifacts, and more into the one page dungeon. All in all this was a really nice one page dungeon which suited the impromptu game quite nicely. They did manage to get the sheriff's daughter Cindy back and two of the cowboys bought it an encounter with a dinosaur.

GRAB TOMB OF THE OVERFIEND RIGHT HERE



The legends of the gunfighter's and cowpoke's deeds will be sung around the campfires for months to come but we're not done with the Valley of the Forgotten Ones by a long chalk. See yeah you all on the time trails.

1d6 Dangerous Random Weird Western Encounters Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are times when out in the badlands and wastes of the trails that worlds intersect with each other; dimensional intersections, gate ways to ancient Hells, and all manner of other worldly hi jinks can cross the paths of adventurers, outlaws, cowpokes and ordinary folks out on the trails. Here are six weird encounters of dangerous aspect to confound and terrorize your players
1d6 Dangerous Random Weird Western Encounters Table

1. 1d8 horned demon warriors out to retrieve the a herd of sky going demonic Stench cows belonging to a minor demon lord. They will see if they can snare an innocent soul or two to take back into the Abyss! 
2. A red dragon on the hunt for a lone traveler or an easy mark for prey; he's on the hunt for a thief who has stolen a piece of artwork from his lair down near the Mexican Texas border. He will offer a small portion of Aztec gold coins for information leading to the capture of this desperado. 
3. A very pissed off dust devil that has been gated into this world from the Elemental plane of Air and wants to go home right now. It will attack anything that comes across it. 
4. A ghost of an Indian brave who is looking for his brothers and sisters; actually this is a spirit fragment enslaved by  nearby lich for luring would be heroes to their doom. '
5. A tribe of 1d6 scavenger ogres warriors and adventurers who fight at third level fighters  and are quite dangerous if crossed they are crossed. They ride mutant horses and use large caliber match lock rifles. 
6. A tribe of 1d6 mutant morlocks on horse back armed with black powder rifles, side arms, and dark glasses on mutant horse back. They are looking for slave stock and trouble, they're also hungry and very dangerous.
   
   
   

1d6 Random Lovecraftian Treasures Table For Your Old School Weird West Campaigns

There are treasures and artifacts that defy conventional explanation, things that are far more precious to certain groups of people than can be rightly explained. Some of these things are merely alien artifacts and pieces that other beings have left behind. Adventurers, outlaws, and madmen are most likely to encounter these life changing artifacts. A random table of these weird treasures should make it far easier to deal with the outward madness and depravity that these objects and their works represent.


Out of the unimaginable blackness beyond the gangrenous glare of that cold flame, out of the tartarean leagues through which that oily river rolled uncanny, unheard, and unsuspected, there flopped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things that no sound eye could ever wholly grasp, or sound brain ever wholly remember. They were not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor vampire bats, nor decomposed human beings; but something I cannot and must not recall. They flopped limply along, half with their webbed feet and half with their membranous wings; and as they reached the throng of celebrants the cowled figures seized and mounted them, and rode off one by one along the reaches of that unlighted river, into pits and galleries of panic where poison springs feed frightful and undiscoverable cataracts.
—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Festival"

1d6 Random Lovecraftian Treasures Table

1. A turquoise encrusted skull of a large dog like humanoid, the skull is cover with weird sygils and runic writing. There are 1d6 black magic spells on the artifact, these spells can be used three times per day or gate in one minor demonic life form. The thing is worth 500 gold pieces easily. 
2. A long silver shod wand that has been formed from the twisted bones of some poor wretch. The wand can detect a dimensional breech or rupture within half a mile or more. The wand is also able to case an identify a mutant or aberration of nature when pointed at them. This artifact grows warm in the hand. The thing can also cast a cure light wounds but anyone healed in this way will be marked. Worth about 700 gold pieces for it. 
3. A ring made from the thigh bones of a Byakhee & allows its owner to cast call on dimensional horror The ring allows one to pass among certain Lovecraftian races as their scent of man is covered and masked for 1d4 hours
4. A claw of some ancient wizard and it has 1d4 spells written on the scales and skin of the artifact. The wizard may take over the mind of the victim, allowing the horrors to enter our world
5. A book bound in human flesh and its found with a cover with 70 gold pieces worth of gold work on the front. The book allows its owner to gaze into the myriad of possibilities and alternative worlds around the owner. Once per day the owner can move across time & space. 
6. A weird gem that contains a lost kingdom from thousands of eons ago, the kingdom is watching and having fun. The place is a strange post apocalyptic landscape and allows its owner to cast 1d6 black magics to access black reservoirs of magick and depravity.

1d8 Random Weird Western Finds Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are things that are found along the trail, bits and pieces from other places that seemingly tell a story or lead into another adventure for our heroes. Some of these items don't belong in our world at all. The stuff of nightmares and things talked about campfires. A few of these items are otherworldly or weird, they can make a man question his sanity. Here then are a few items found on the trails that can bedevil or confound adventurers.


1d8 Random Weird Western Finds Table

1. Steamer trunk that contains a family's belongings and a human hand holding a stone knife with tattoos all over the hand. The thing is warm to the touch and seems almost life like. There is a sack of gold coins in the trunk as well, there are twenty two coins. The coins have an odd greenish glow about them. 
2. A child's  doll, the thing is beautifully put together but the eyes of the doll seem to follow you and a peak inside will reveal a small six inch scroll inside of the doll. There is a summoning spell on one side of the scroll and a cure light wounds on the other. There is also an address three miles away from your present location indicating the owner. 
3. A stone tablet with the summon Byakee spell written in Latin on it, the thing is covered in fresh blood and a gang of outlaw/cultists is seeking out the artifact. They'll murder anyone to get it back. 
4. A sack of 12 humanoid skulls wrought with copper and silver wire across the foreheads. Handling these causes the owner to go dizzy and weird. PC's names are written on four of them. 
5. A quartz knife with fresh ichor and bile is buried in a corpse that lays on the side of the trail. The thing is so badly decomposed that your not sure if its even human. There are however several pieces of jewelry on the thing worth a total of 500 gold pieces including a wedding ring, earrings, and a man's bracelet. 
6. A small silver whistle on a silver chain, blowing it produces no sound but it will summon an elemental demon of the air. There are protective sigils on the whistle.  But the demon will try to rip the summoner apart. 
7. A jade box containing eight stone circle carvings with astronomical signs and symbols on them. A presence seems to follow the owner, and just out of the corner of your eye you can see the outline of a presence. A dimensional shambler tracks these objects and seeks to take them and the owner back to dimensional zone. 
8. A three foot long carved tablet depicts an ancient sea monster and the writing is a summon spell for a horrid aspect of Thulu. A local cult wants the thing back and will murder for it.
   
   
   

1d6 Deep Badlands Weird Western Encounters Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are horrors in the hills on the trails into the badlands, places where civilization stops and hell begins. Monsters see these places as prime opportunities to grab a meal and adventurer. The wilderness is a weird and dangerous place with all kinds of horrors waiting around the next bend in the trail. Adventurers have to rely on themselves, their skills, tools and weapons to survive both the elements as well as the monsters.




1d6 Deep Badlands Weird Western Encounters Table

1. A stage coach has had a terrible accident, the bodies have already been looted by a local gang of cut throats and most of the valuables have been stolen except for the strong box. The violence of the accident has created 1d4 ghostly horrors who seek revenge against the living for desiccation of the victim's corpses and the theft of their goods. The ghosts will drain anyone they come across to continue to anchor themselves to this plane. 
2. A dust digger has secreted itself in portion of a rock wall and is feeding on passersby and their horses. Skeletons and remains are spit into the cliffs below. The the thing is able to camouflage itself with the soft rock of the cliff side trails. This thing is a mutation of a standard dust digger and may represent a band new species. 
3. A family of Formorian giants of 1d6 has moved into the area and is feeding off of the cattle, stray ranchers (including hands), and travelers. They've amassed quite a trove of treasure and have secreted it in a nearby cave. The locals Indians hate these things with a passion and are recruiting adventurers and gunmen to hunt and kill these mad bastards. 
4. A hang man tree is picking off lone travelers along the trails and everyone is sure bandits are operating in the area. The thing is very dangerous but careful, it strikes with the speed of a murdering fiend but almost seems to pick and choose its targets. 
5. A school of 1d8 land dwelling rock land lampreys has been preying on travelers and lone strangers along the trails. Bodies found are horridly marked and scarred by these attacks, locals think that this area of the trails are haunted. They are looking to hire adventurer and investigators. 
6. A tribe of 1d10 fungus men have taken to robbing, eating, and murdering travelers because they've recently warped into the area from an other dimensional gate. Already over 10 travelers have gone missing, they've mutated into chaotically evil fiends because of their trip. They have become expert camouflage artists and hide right in plain sight. The locals are convinced that a cult of demon worshipers are operating in the area. 

1d8 Bounty Dogs NPC Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

If your PC's cross the wrong people, destroy the wrong properties, or anger the authorities in too many trail or border towns then a reward is going to be put on your PC's heads and these folks don't stop. Down the trails and onto  the rewards come these unusual bounty dogs ready to collect their rewards.


1d8 Bounty Dogs NPC Encounter Table

1. Julian Otega - The gentleman bounty hunter is a rarity, an adventurer and gun hand with an eye on the money and a bring them in alive attitude to hang. He's a 7th level fighter armed with two Colt Single Action Army revolvers.  and a lever action rifle
   He's familiar with both magick and technology, he's not fazed by ether and only the reward matters to him.
2. 'Hanging Jack Catch em' this 4th level thief is a bout as dangerous as they come, he always needs a shave and a bath. His speed with his revolvers  is only matched by the his knives. He loves to kill to match the dead or alive part of a reward. 
3. Steven Lightning Amor - Steven is a 5th level wizard who uses two wands frost and cold. He also has a staff of stunning that does 3d6 +2 temporary points of  subdual damage. His patron is a god of justice.  He specializes in child murders and missing kids cases for personal reasons. He loves to fill his time with common criminals and bail jumpers between his 'special cases'
4. The Black Fox - A 5th level Elven gun hand and tracker who loves to hunt down genocidal maniacs and murders. He is a added by a third level wizard named Fred. 
5. Stubby Johnson - A fat little man of seemingly innocent face, once an actor whose been possessed by the spirit of a 10 level wizard. The man proved surprisingly willful and has become a fifth level wizard in his own right; he has turned into a rather ruthless and dangerous bounty dog using tactics and magick to bring his prey to  justice. The two inhabit his body in a rather uneasy truce of sorts. 
6. Phase Callahan - Phase is a 5th level thief /tracker who uses a variety of disguises and identities to trace her prey across the plains. She uses daggers,derringers, and a canny intelligence to take down her quarry. 
7. Gentleman Jones Dunnahue - Former secret service agent whose exploits make him the center of attention. Jones uses a vast network of contacts and go betweens to spy on the underworld. He's a 6th level fighter who uses a variety of guns and knives to get the job done. He is on a quest for vengeance against the gang who cost him his job. 
8. Piper Truhold - 5th level cleric and priest of the One Way, this seemingly innocent preacher is actually Michelle Piper who has taken her grand father's identity. She travels through the trails looking for his murderers while tending her rural 'flock'. Her cane is actually a +2 mace of disruption and she uses it often to collect the bounties on the way ward and dangerous. The charges she brings in have 'accidents' so she can collect the reward.
   

1d6 Random Weird Western Encounters Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are times when planes & dimensions can touch in rare cross rift dimensional anomalies, adventurers can run across all kinds of rivals, horrors, and terrors. Here are a few of the many weird things that adventurers might run across while on the trails.


1d6 Random Weird Western Encounters Table

1. Dune stalker recently summoned by a cult of cannibalistic degenerates now seeking victims after they've been cleared out by local Indian braves. The thing will attack anyone it runs across, it returns to its former master's camp every night at sun down. There is a bit of loot left from sacrifice victims that have been left behind. 1d20 dollars and jewels are buried under the camp stone. 
2. One giant scorpion mutated by planar energies is on a rampage, the mutant horror is taking down any one  that it comes across and is a menace to locals. It hides itself in the sands nearby. 
3. 1d4 hook horrors have recently warped into the area they have established themselves in a local ruin in the nearby foot hills and are eating travelers in the area. 
4. Two headed troll and family of four has come down from the mountains searching for food and is using the local game trails as a foot hold into this country. They've attacked a local rancher and massacred his family. Local Indians are aware of the situation and are seeking help with these horrors. 
5. A pack of 1d8 mutated wolves are attacking local cattle and anyone they come across, these horrors sport 1d4 mutations. They are vicious in the extreme. 
6. A grove of Yellow Musk trees has warped into the area's forest or shrub land. A stage couch, and several settlers families have gone missing and become the Yellow Musk zombies serving the horror. They have begun the process of building a minor temple and have attracted a dark shaman to their cause.

Third Wave OSR Western Retroclones, Boot Hill, & The Return of the Pulp Western For Your Old School Campaigns

I have a keen interest in post apocalyptic gaming as anyone who reads this blog well knows.The crossover point is of course the Western. The sweet spot are three areas the pulp western, dark fantasy western, and the horror western mixed in with a fair dose of science fantasy.  And lately I've been paying very close attention to the re emergence of the Western rpg in OSR circles because of certain writers in the OSR. Namely the retroclone Tombstone (Alpha Version) By Corey Walden  which has a ton of potential because of its background as a sort of clone of  Boot Hill third edition with lots tweaks by the author to make it solid. You can get a free play test version of his game right over HERE .

Then of course there's DCC's excellent swords and sorcery six gun fanzine, Black Powder, Black Magic which I've heard nothing but good things about the zine from everyone that's gotten into it. There's a ton of potential for near retroclone crossover potential for Crawling Under A Broken Moon with this other resource for DCC.

What really kicked this off today was Mike 'Wraith of Zombie' Evans writing up a copy of High Noon. Apparently its a weird west style OSR game and it looks really nicely done. Very much in keeping with the DYI mentality of  OD&D style Westerns. According to him there are several PC Classes, "Here are the Weird Classes: Knight of Faith, Shaman, Sorcerer, and Weird Scientist.  Oh and if you want to come back from the dead- well here’s that too." You can find that whole package on his blog right over HERE

There's also the OSRIC retroclone system Revolvers & Wizardry: The Discordant West (MOBI) From Usherwood Publishing  Which has a sort of Weird West playing options for your OSRIC high-fantasy campaign. Basically you can bring clerics, magic users, rangers and thieves to the wild west to face off in showdowns against minotaur cowboys, half-gnoll NPCs or even against the likes of the notorious Jesse James.

There is also the free retroclone system called Go For Your Gun which is one of my favorite Western systems. This system has eleven character classes and some of the better put together systems. This is a great system to play with. Lots of fun and very pulpy material in the game. Did I mention this is free.



Ok, my own experiences with Western old school rpgs goes back to Boot Hill 2nd edition which I became roped into by friends & family. My dad has a keen interest in Westerns and his friends got me involved & taught me the crossover potential with all of the other AD&D 1st edition games. I was late to the party on this game but we played the hell out of this game. Nothing was safe from the group I was involved in, Gamma World, AD&D, & Boot Hill blended together especially with the material from early Dragon Magazine. To say nothing of Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition.

The intro is what got me interested in the game,
"You step from the cool shade of the Long Branch Saloon into the midday heat of Promise City. Loosening your Colt in its bolster, you look down Main Street and spot the leather and denim-clad stranger who called you out. Citizens of the town scramble for cover as they sense the forthcoming battle. The outlaw doesn't look fast enough to match your draw, but... wait! Your keen eyes catch the unmistakable glint of the sun against gun metal from the roof of the dance hall - the yellow coward has a buddy who's going to shoot you in the back! What will you do? Think fast, or you'll be the next resident of... BOOT HILL!" The Lost Conquistador mine became part of the underworld that connected to any number of campaigns for me over the years. We've used this module again & again to connect with various game worlds over the years.

Today Trey of Dream's From The Sorcerer's Skull fame  has put up a review of the new Kurt Russell movie Bone Tomahawk and has begun to tick off my Western bug again. This is a very vicious and yet entertaining film according to friends who have seen it. This is probably the Western horror film that would lend itself to a Lamentations of the Flame Princess adventure.


So for me this film signals the return to the pulp Western into the mainstream and I have to think we're going to see a ton of new Western retroclones into the wild. I have to say that I'm curious to see what comes down the pike. There are some other great Westerns that I've seen coming down into the mainstream. I now can't wait to see this one!

Commentary on The Free OSR Tombstone (Alpha Playtest) Rpg System By Corey Ryan Walden

So Western Rpg's are slated to become the next big thing in the OSR and I've played Boot Hill over the years with Gamma World because of the AD&D 1st edition appendixes and all of that. Now Corey Ryan Walden, whose one of  the smartest and cunning young writers I've know has thrown his hat in the Western retroclone ring. Look there have been a other OSR retroclone products before but this is an Alpah Test of  what I think is a very good set of intuitive and interesting retroclone rules. And its freely available right now.
Do yourselves a favor and go get it right over HERE

This is an alpha version of the rules but from what I'm seeing here this is a fifty seven page love of the genre with some very intreresting bits and pieces under the hood. Corey has been quietly dealing with this book for a couple of months on the side and it shows. He's got something very good here and its interesting to see where DM's and players take this. The PC creation is as fast as B/X and there are a few interesting options. The inclusion of fire arms into a setting makes this a gritty and interesting choice for a DM who wants a fast pick up Old West Style game. This game could emulate everything from 1950's Westerns to the gritty neo Gothic of Dark Tower by Stephen King but it would take some work.
This rpg is a work of love and the man has poured a lot of ideas into its black box and there needs a bit more work to flesh out the backgrounds and setting material but what's here is solid in my opinion. There needs a bit more meat on the bones but the interesting thing about Westerns is that the gunfighters are often the monsters. And the more colorful the NPC's then the more of a good time that the players will have with their PC's. Much of what Corey has done is take rules, ideas, & strip everything back down to basics. All in all this is a fine out of the gate set of OSR rules that while in the Alpha stage has the potential to be a very solid game if things keep going with it. Personally I'd love to see this used for a wide variety of settings and applications. My recommendation is to download, grab it, and take a look at where Corey's going with his vision for this game. Then by all means give the man some solid feedback on it!
Corey please pal keep up on your writing and designing pal, this is looking very tasty indeed.

Review and Commentary on The Free Post Apocalyptic Western 'High Noon Under The Demon Sun' and Adapting It To Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

High Noon Under The Demon Sun is a Free Savage Worlds download from Jack Shear's Tales From The Grotesque and Dungeonsque blog. The setting is part spaghetti western and part occult nightmare. Did I mention its free?!
Right Over
HERE
Download it under the heading campaign settings.
Even though its set up for Savage Worlds there's little reason why the fluff of the setting material can't be added and fleshed out in your favorite retroclone.
The material is well written short, concise, and gives the barest of bones campaign settings but allows the DM to customize the setting for PC's easily. That means all you really have to do is pi
I'm reminded of these great minis from Displaced Minitures and I've been looking for an excuse to buy some of these. 

 There are a number of options for adapting this material, to an old school setting and a few retroclones that could do the job of allowing PC's to interact with some critters, nasties, and horrors from beyond space and time.
One option to run this is of course the Mutant Future book Nuclear Sunset -
Jack's setting injects in a very dark setting into this book and allows the DM to really kick it up a notch. Because Mutant Future can be used with Labryth Lord this makes mixing and matching a snap. Pick your Monster Manual up and turn to the Demon Lords for some really wild NPC creation or pick a demonic patron who will turn your PC into an anti hero. Think the Demon from DC comics. 

Available right Over
HERE
The Rpg Now Blurb: 

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is the first installment in a post-apocalyptic campaign setting.

Though written with Mutant Future in mind, this campaign is almost 100% mechanics-free and could easily be adapted to any post-apocalyptic rules set.

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest contains a map of the region, description of settlements and ruins and a full slate of post-apocalyptic organizations, including:

Hell's Heart: This enormous biker gang strikes terror into the entire southwest as they move from town to town, raping and pillaging with impunity.

The 88th: This pre-war military unit was considered a great experiment in fielding an all-synthetic battlefield command. They have bided their time since the apocalypse and know the time is ripe for them to take control of this shattered world.

The Cartel: This crime family has maintained the family business since before the Earth was destroyed in the great war. In fact, for these ruthless criminals, business has never been better.

The Marshalls: In the dark days immediately following the great war, a group of self-appointed vigilantes rose from the darkness to maintain justice.

In a land where law is often a comforting dream, the Marshalls settle for justice, even revenge, striking fear in the hearts of the wicked and cruel.

 I don't own this setting but have thumbed through it for countless hours over at my buddy Peter's place. It's a good starting point for what might take place.
 Another option is to use Mr. Robertson's Weird West Role Playing Game 
Available right Over
HERE
 This is a solid game for a slim buck and it does the job nicely.
While its got the look and the right feel for the setting, I like a bit more old school crunch to my campaigns.
The other idea that springs to mind is to grab your old copy of Boot Hill, The AD&D first edition of the Player's Guide and your DM's Guide along with your Monster Manual then convert as you will. Add in your favorite bits of Gamma World where you will. This may or may not work depending upon how much or how little of the setting may work for you.
 The best option in my opinion is to adapt the material to your favorite set of old school retro clone post apocalyptic mayhem. Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord with the advanced Companion give the DM lots of options on this horror style setting. There is enough here to really allow the DM to go to town in this one. In the near future I'm going to be running this one with my players!
 All in all this is a setting that really set my imagination on fire. As always your mileage may vary.