Saturday, March 9, 2013

Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn For Old School Space Opera Campaign






The Plot  according to Wiki: 
The movie portrays the story of a space ranger named Dogen (played by Jeffrey Byron), who is in search of an intergalactic criminal with supernatural powers named Jared-Syn (played by Michael Preston). He has tracked this individual to a desert planet called Lemuria. The planet's human population lives in scattered mining towns, gathering valuable crystals which seem to be the basis for their technology and economy. Syn has posed as the leader of a strange group of nomadic humanoids called the "One Eyes" – so named because they symbolically gouge out one of their eyes – who are descendants of a vanished culture called the Cyclopians. The territorial nomads have begun a holy war to drive the human miners from their lands. Syn has instigated this crusade, but Dogen knows that Syn's plan is really to enslave them all and seeks to stop him at all cost. Syn equips his nomads with strange red crystals that drain the life out of touched victims. Dogen searches Lemuria's wastelands for Syn's camp, traveling in an armored vehicle which looks like a road-warrioresque SUV.


The movie begins with Dogen coming under attack by a "skybike", (a one-man, open-cockpit flying machine), piloted by a nomad. Dogen manages to shoot down the bike and finds one of Syn's crystals on the pilot's body. Carved into the crystal is a symbol of a dead tree. Dogen next finds a murdered prospector, whose young daughter Dhyana (played by Kelly Preston) witnessed his death at the hands of Baal (played by R. David Smith), Jared Syn's half-cyborg son. Baal sprayed the man with a strange green liquid that sent him into a nightmarish dream-state, in which Syn appeared and executed him with a crystal. Dogen convinces Dhyana that it's his mission to find Syn and she joins him on his quest.
Dhyana takes Dogen to a man named Zax (played by Marty Zagon) who tests the crystal and identifies it as a lifeforce storage device. Dhyana recalls a tale of the ancient Cyclopians who once used such devices and says the only power against it is a magic mask located in their lost city. Zax confirms the tale and tells Dogen to find a prospector named Rhodes who lives in the nearby mining town of Zhor.
Dogen and Dhyana head to Zhor, but along the way they are attacked by a group of vehicles driven by the nomads and commanded by Baal. Dogen is forced to stop at a road block where Baal sprays him with the green liquid and he becomes paralyzed. Dhyana manages to drive the nomads off and cares for Dogen who slips into the dream world and finds Syn and Baal looming over him. Syn tries to pull Dogen away from Dhyana, but their will is too strong to break. Dogen awakes from the dream but Dhyana is suddenly teleported away and finds herself before Syn in his lair. In her place, a summoned monster appears before Dogen and fires electric bolts at him. Dogen uses water to defeat the creature which shorts out and vanishes.
Dogen then arrives in Zhor and finds Rhodes (played by Tim Thomerson), a washed-up soldier, drinking in a bar. Rhodes denies the lost city's existence and refuses to get involved. Dogen leaves but comes across a group of miners beating up a captured nomad soldier. When Dogen runs to help him the miners turn hostile and a shootout ensues. Dogen is out-gunned until Rhodes helps him and defeats the miners.
Rhodes reluctantly agrees to help Dogen and the two head out driving deep into Cyclopian territory where they come to the lost city. There, Dogen locates an ominous statue of a seated being with a single eye and finds the crystal mask just as the legend foretold. The two are then attacked by snake-like creatures but manage to get away until they are accosted by a group of nomad warriors. Their intimidating leader, Hurok (played by Richard Moll), grabs the mask from Dogen and accuses them of trespassing on their sacred land – a crime punishable by death. Rhodes points out that the nomad law states that a warrior can fight for his freedom so Dogen is put into a dueling pit with Hurok. Dogen fights Hurok, but manages to defeat him and honorably spares his life. Hurok accepts Dogen as a friend and lets him go free.
Meanwhile, Dhyana is still being held in Syn's lair. Syn takes her before a massive crystal and forces her touch it. It begins to glow and emits a sounds like the suffering of hundreds of beings. Syn tells her that the crystal gets its power from the souls he captures including that of her father. Dhyana is disgusted and says her warrior will come for her.
Elsewhere, Dogen and Rhodes conduct a drive-by shooting on Baal's encampment and a chase ensues. Dogen makes good their escape and stops to rest at a lake. There, Dogen looks over the mask. Placing it over his face, he finds himself in the dream world with a burning tree. In his hand he finds an axe and hacks into the tree. The tree moans like the crystal in Syn's camp and trickles a stream of blood. Dogen pulls the mask off his face finding himself back with Rhodes but suddenly, the two are attacked again by Baal. Baal rushes up extending his robotic arm to spray Dogen, but Rhodes pushes him out of the way. Rhodes is knocked out and Dogen struggles with Baal managing to rip the robotic limb from his shoulder. Baal cries out in agony and runs away. Dogen follows the trail of green fluid that is leaking from Baal's severed limb which leads him to Syn's camp. He sees the nomads gathered around Syn and makes his way through the crowd. Hurok is also present and steps forward to meet his friend.
Syn announces to his people that the warrior is here to stop them from their goals, but Dogen states that he has only come for Syn. Syn orders Hurok to kill Dogen, but Hurok refuses and demands that Dogen be allowed to speak. Dogen turns to the crowd telling the nomads that Syn is a liar and that he wants their land so they can serve him as slaves. The crowd begins to protest with anger, but Syn shouts that they are all too late. He activates the crystal and summons forth a blast of energy which stuns the crowd. Syn fires a more blasts at Dogen but he deflects it with the mask. Baal grabs the mask and it shatters on the ground. Hurok then grabs Baal and stabs him in the chest with a knife. Syn shouts in despair as his son dies then suddenly he disappears, teleporting away.
The sound of a skybike alerts Dogen as he sees Syn fly off. He jumps on another bike to pursue. Dogen chases Syn over the mountains and into the desert, but Syn casts another spell that opens an energy portal and he gets away. Dogen returns to the nomad camp finding Dhyana safe with Hurok. Dogen says Syn has escaped where Hurok states that he may return in another place and time. Dogen swears that wherever he goes, he'll be waiting for him. Dogen then fires his pistol and destroys Syn's soul crystal. Dogen and Dhyana leave the camp and walk down a road on foot but they soon encounter Rhodes in Dogen's truck who picks them up and takes them into town.

Using Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn For Your 
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn is one of my post apocalyptic go to interstellar movie from hell. This movie is a cult favorite. Its got a bit of everything. Let's start at the top. The space ranger is a perfect foil for the type of PC that you can find on blogs like Exonauts. Right over here for the Space Ranger Class HERE

Lumeria
 Earth Type Planet
 Shorter Day cycle 
The  desert planet called Lemuria. The planet's human population lives in scattered mining towns, gathering valuable crystals which seem to be the basis for their technology and economy. Syn has posed as the leader of a strange group of nomadic humanoids called the "One Eyes" – so named because they symbolically gouge out one of their eyes – who are descendants of a vanished culture called the Cyclopians. The territorial nomads have begun a holy war to drive the human miners from their lands.
The mega dungeons of the Cyclopians are scattered throughout the planet. Its the type of planet that calls all types. The desperate, the stupid, and adventurers all rage over the face of the planet. 

Jared-Syn is the type of cult leader that one finds in the Outer Reaches. Charismatic, totally insane, and complete megalomaniac. He's used the planet Lumeria's rich psychic history for his own profit.  He's divided the human colonists from the original Cyclopian territory. The Cyclopians are fighters and warrior tribes who roam the wastelands of their once fertile world. 
Most are first and second level fighters who use a wide variety of slug throwers or energy weapons. The race ritualistically laser burns off  their left eye in order to develop the inner eye of  the mind. The modern race usually has some minor telepathic or telekinetic abilities. 
The ancient Cyclopians developed psychic crystal technology which could imprint and store a human or near human soul within it. 

 Jared-Syn himself is a 9th level psychic or mutant from an alternative universe who draws his power from alternative subspace pocket dimensions. Given the right number of human or near human souls. Syn can teleport, open dimension gates, charm person,  use phantasmal force, and a number of abilities up to three times per day. Syn is wanted in over a dozen systems. He also has access to ancient Cyclopian technology. 

Baal's systems are a result of Syn's research into the ancient Cyclopians cybernetic systems. 

His spray contact poison will send a person into a complete nightmare phantasm unless a successful save is made.
 Lumeria makes an excellent starting point for a number of campaigns. The planet is unique with its bounty of psychic crystals providing the basis for its its economy. 

Towns are temporary affairs at best with great psychic and dimensional storms that rip across the face of the planet. The towns often follow mine encampments that follow rich veins of the crystals.

 Many scouting vehicles  are left over from the heydays of this incredible planet which is the only one in the entire universe .These 4 to 10 hit point machines are built with atomic power planets and move with the speed of angry beasts. They have an armor class of 7 or lower. These crates have a  top speed of 120  MPH. 


 Psychic crystals may store up to 3 full human souls or 1d4 psychic powers within the delicate matrices. The crystal may be flawed or cracked however there is only a 40% chance of the crystal storing a complete soul. Flawed crystals have a 5 % chance of storing a planar demon within.
 The struggle upon the face of the planet Lumeria continues. Syn is still at large plotting his revenge. The tribes are still at war.
 Happy Gaming. You can find Metal Storm on you tube or at your local video store. 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Treasure Of The Four Crowns Movie On The Dark Corner Blog


Another Trashtastic movie coming up at the Dark Corner Blog! Fear The Power of the Four Crowns! Marvel at the dangers that await your players and hurl into the darkest depths of the world of J.T. Striker right over HERE

New Ernie Gygax Fire Relief Update.


Thank you to the generous people that have donated directly to ErniesTrust@GygaxMagazine.com by PayPal and to those who are auctioning items.

Ernie is actively seeking a new residence while getting ready for Gary Con. The donations are making it possible to replace some of the most important day to day items. We'll do our best to raise more at the Gary Con Auction next week.
lukeandernie
Just incase you don't know from the pages of Gygax magazine : 

Ernest “Ernie” Gary Gygax, Jr. suffered a fire which destroyed his home and all of his possessions. We are asking friends and fans to create eBay auctions, and donate the sale price to help get Ernie back on his feet.
Proceeds from any and all donations or auctions will be placed in a trust to allow Ernie to recover the personal possessions lost due to the tragedy. While his original works of his father can never be replaced, your contributions will ease the loss.
 You can read more right over here and shoot your donations directly to this worthy cause. Right HERE
Thanks for your attention 

Space Hunter Adventures In The Forbidden Zone For Your Old School Space Opera Campaign




 When it comes to High action/Interstellar/ Post Apocalyptic Future action I always turn to an old favorite of mine! 

This is the 1983 VHS release that I've turned to again and again. 



 Plot From Wiki : 
Set in the 22nd century, the film opens with the destruction of a space cruise liner that collides with a meteor. The only apparent survivors are three beautiful women – Nova (Cali Timmins), Reena (Aleisa Shirley), and Meagan (Deborah Pratt) – who get away in anescape pod and land on the nearest habitable planet. There, they are quickly accosted by the hostile natives and taken aboard a sail-driven vehicle resembling a pirate ship on rails.
In space, an alert goes out for the safe return of the women with a reward of 3,000 "mega-credits". A small time salvage operator named Wolff (Peter Strauss) intercepts the message and heads to the planet. Joining him is his female engineer Chalmers (Andrea Marcovicci), who learns the planet – called Terra XI – is a failed colony that fell victim to a deadly plague and civil warfare. Wolff risks the dangers believing the reward will solve his debt problems.
After landing on the barren world, Wolff and Chalmers set out in a 4-wheel drive vehicle called the "Scrambler". Soon, they join a battle in progress between a group of marauders (called the "Zoners") and a band of nomads (the "Scavs"). The Zoners take the women before Wolff can stop them and fly away on jet-powered hang-gliders. Wolff learns from the Scavs that the women were taken into "The Zone" which is ruled by "Overdog" – their sworn enemy. Returning to the Scrambler, Wolff finds Chalmers – who is really anandroid – has been "killed". Wolff continues on alone, but soon catches a teenage Scav named Niki (Molly Ringwald) trying to steal his Scrambler. She convinces Wolff that he needs a tracker if he is to survive The Zone and Wolff reluctantly takes her lead.
In the meantime, the three women are taken before "The Chemist" (Hrant Alianak), the chief henchman of Overdog who administers pacifying drugs to the girls and prepares them for Overdog's pleasure.
Elsewhere, Wolff and Niki make camp, but soon come under attack by a strange plow-like vehicle. Wolff manages to disable the machine and learns the driver is a former military acquaintance of his – a soldier named Washington (Ernie Hudson), who reveals he too has come to rescue the women. His only problem is that he crashed his ship and has no way off world. Wolff refuses to help his rival and leaves him to fend for himself.
Back in The Zone, the women are taken to see the Overdog (Michael Ironside), who is revealed to be a hideous cyborg, almost entirely machine, with two metal claws for hands.
Still led by Niki, Wolff gets into more predicaments – from being attacked by mutated blob-like beings, to strange mermaid-like women and their giant water dragon. He even loses his trusty Scrambler and is forced to continue on foot. Eventually, they are found by Washington and Wolff finds the situation reversed as he now begs his rival for help. Washington assists, but only if Wolff cuts him in 50/50 on the reward.
Wolff and Washington team up and sneak into Overdog's fortress where they find the Zoners entertained by captured prisoners forced to run through a deadly maze of lethal obstacles, hazards and traps. Wolff spots the women being held in a cage and forms a rescue plan, but a bored Niki (who was left out of the rescue for her safety) decides to snoop around. She is captured and sent into the maze. Wolff spots Niki in the maze and tries to rescue her, but she uses her prowess to reach the end where Overdog congratulates her and drags her back to his lair. There, she is hooked to a machine that slowly drains her life energy. The energy in turn recharges Overdog. Wolff comes to the rescue and jabs a sparking power cable into one of Overdog's claws. The power feedback fries Overdog and thus causes cascading blowouts throughout the entire fortress.
As the complex explodes, the three heroes, and the three rescued women, manage to get away. In the end, Wolff invites Niki to stay with him and she agrees since they made good partners.

Using Space Hunter 

Terra XI – is a failed colony that fell victim to a deadly plague and civil warfare. Its also a perfect location for adventures and a great jump off point into a campaign. 
There are four things you might not realize about Space Hunter. 
The Psi 2000 is a mutated form of water from the planet Psi 2000 that spreads by perspiration (or small cuts in the skin) and causes its victims to act in a way similar to being drunk. However, the effects do not wear off and eventually will cause victims to make dangerous decisions. It happens to appear on both Terra XI and Star Trek The Original series. 
 Are the two universes linked?  They can be if the DM deems it. There's also murdering tribes of mutants, humans, and god knows what else. 
Terra XI boasts a vast space age megadungeon world that seems to on with its own internal ecosystem and mutant tribes. 

You can watch the whole movie
Enjoy 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Mega Dungeons From The Eastern Bloc From The Cold War Era


Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism
Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism


Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, St. Petersburg, Russia (1973-1988)



Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism

Hotel Forum, Kraków, Poland (1978-1989)

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism
(via Wikimedia Commons)

Museum of Slovak National Uprising , Banska Bystrica, Slovakia (1969)

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism
Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism

Riga Diesel Engine Factory, Riga, Estonia (1985)

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism
(via Riga.in)

Palace of Concerts and Sports, Vilnius, Lithuania (1971)

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism

Genex Tower, Belgrade, Serbia (1977)

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism

National Library, Pristina, Kosovo

Strange Buildings of the Eastern Bloc from the Last Decades of Communism
Original Article via Io9 written by Vincze Miklos


Mega Dungeons From The  Eastern Bloc

The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism

Looking for an off beat location for your alternative post apocalyptic world and your players are jaded? Need a time travel Empire with a twist of the off center?  Are your mutants getting sick of the same old locations from the Legion of Gold and Pitz Burke?
 Let me welcome you to the "Eastern Block Era". Here the Soviet/Russian Empire achieved the highest that the West feared. It all came tumbling down of course but the various AI's still maintain the treasure houses of the ancients even in the twenty fourth century. We'll take a quick tour of the ruins of this communist utopia.
Notes 

  1. Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, St. Petersburg, Russia (1973-1988) - This seat of the Cybernetic studies of Russia is riddled with secret passages, weird unique robotic units, and lab after lab of ancient artifacts. The underground bunkers house the unique AI's with their bio drive systems humming away as their atomic piles efficiency keep the mad tyrants playing chess with one another with real robots. The institute boasts some of the richest pickings in St. Petersburg. 
  2. Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Moscow - This artificially staffed house of higher learning runs as it did before the bombs and nano plagues took away the students. Andies and droids run the class rooms as if the students are their everyday. And they are! The hologram of each student has been programmed into the central data pool and the collective A.I.'s run the place from start to finish of each and every school day. The horrors that take place in the underground bunkers are to nasty to mention. The few mutants to make it out of the place alive have reported halls of "sleep teach machines with drugged mutant students, horrid biology labs full of gene spliced monsters, and far worse. The pickings are rich but the price for their retrieval might be your life. The Academy launches expeditions to gather new material for their horror shows. 
  3. Hotel Forum, Kraków, Poland (1978-1989) - This AI controlled hotel is run by an AI with a god complex and infected with decadent Amerika virus. The place is staffed with hundreds of droids and service bots. It keeps hundreds of prisoners and refugees for "guests". These poor souls are expected to act the part of pre apocalyptic guests or the AI will render them down as food or worse. The pickings are top notch.  The place is also staffed with small group of combat drones, guards, and droids who have remained here ever since. 
  4. Museum of Slovak National Uprising , Banska Bystrica, Slovakia (1969) This A.I. controlled temple/museum is a store house of ancient post apocalyptic knowledge now turned into a temple of the "gods". The place is flying mini drones, combat spiders, and worse. The locals protect the place as well due to the trepidation of their "Uncle". The underground bunker boasts a labyrinth maze of tunnels, crisscrossing robotic worker cells, and a small nuclear pile. The place is 23 levels of pure hell. The pickings are excellent. 

  5. Riga Diesel Engine Factory, Riga, Estonia (1985) - This A.I controlled factory complex turned out some of the last advanced hover tanks,power armor, and Russian E cars. The place is highly dangerous and patrolled by a death machine of incredible ferocity. The A.I. is paranoid and is planning some type of military action. There is a slave work for that works around the clock on several projects. Those who have escaped from the confines of the factory speak of vast under ground subfactory levels. There are at least  eight or more levels. A fusion reactor powers the place. 
  6. Genex Tower, Belgrade, Serbia (1977) -This building is infamous known by many names. The Tower of Terror, The Tower of Hell, And the Watch Tower of Oblivion are some of the names of this foreboding edifice.  There are three rumors that circulate about this place: 
A. A group of occultist/terrorists summoned something from beyond the Outer Darkness and the thing slew them all. It has made this tower its home and waits for the stars to be right again to call down its brothers and sisters from beyond. 
B. Creature from Serbian legend makes its home in the tower surrounded by its army of mutant freaks and nothing escapes its notice even as it feeds on the blood of the living surrounded by treasures from a forgotten age. 

C. The tower is alive, its very walls pulse with the forces of hell. The tower preys on those who venture inside digesting them slowly as the centuries roll on. The highest level opens to an abyss like dimension and the tower calls across the stars to forces from beyond. The tower now waits for its next victim.

There are a series of forty combat drones that patrol the skies surrounding the place. Many would be adventurers are cut down before they even reach the tower. There are rumors of deep sub basements and lower levels constructed by party officials before the war and the rumors of the precious treasures that they contain. 

7. National Library, Pristina, Kosovo - An ancient treasure trove of art, pre holocaust literature, holo tapes, knowledge cubes, and more. This place is guarded by a dangerous A.I. called Nanny and the mini drones that serve her. There are a network of combat drones found through out the ruins of Pristina, Kosovo. These monsters kill any adventurers that they find with impunity and operate as Nanny's eyes, ears, and mouth.  There are networks of secret tunnels beneath the city however that lead into this treasure palace. 



Treasures of the The  Eastern Bloc ibeching:

Space Elevator concept art from Tehnika Molodezhi, USSR 1970
Space Elevator concept art from Tehnika Molodezhi, USSR 1970
 
This space elevator operates still upon Titan and is waiting with its ruined colony of  robots and ruins for the right group of adventurers to claim its mine and equipment. 
The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism
 Pre war floating city out in the Caspin sea still operating on auto pilot just waiting for some brave souls to claim her.
The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism
Northern Siberia Bubble City - This wonderful sealed city of the dead is someplace in the wilds of Siberia still sealed against the outside world. A small population of mutants is said to rule here. 
The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism

The People's Maglev Train - This underground wonder once ran from Moscow to China. The artificially intelligent A.I. Trains still run and maintain themselves but the secrets to their operation is lost except within the National Library, Pristina, Kosovo. The rumbles of their passage is still said to echo through the darkness. 


The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism

The Lost Garages of Moscow - These incredibly complex garages dot the landscape of the ruins of Moscow. There is a king's ransom in pre Apocalyptic vehicles locked within the hermetically sealed cells of this garage. Only an intrepid group of adventurers might brave this ruinous death trap. 


All illustrations from from the Io9's article "The groovy socialist world of 1970s Soviet futurism" by Vincze Miklos. You can find even more madness right over HERE.




 Using the Mega Dungeons From The  Eastern Bloc For Your Game  
Genex Tower, looking up..jpg

These locations boast so much for a game set in the wilds of a post apocalyptic Russia. For many games this means a change of pace completely .
 The Logan's Run Television show is  great for a Soviet post apocalyptic landscape. Simply gather your party, give them a vehicle and a map of Russia and go. Mutant Future is the perfect venue for this style of play.
However the locations could be easily converted over to a "Quest For The Star Ship Parts" this works a bridge gap from Mutant Future over into the wilds of Stars Ships and Space Men Second Edition.
For Stars Without Number - The soviet era buildings make excellent alternative Earth ruins. A reminder of a time now lost as colonies have moved on. 
Terminal Space allows a  DM to move the horrors of Lovecraft and OD&D into a different background entirely.
 Metamorphosis Alpha first edition allows one to move the action into the world of the Warden as it clashes with the Soviet Era.
X Plorers can allow the exploration of this alternative universe as both time line or as relics of a bygone age. These relics should not be without traps of various types just waiting for players to trip them up. They might even be left overs from the Atomic Wars of the twenty fourth century.
 Happy Gaming. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Featured Artist of The Day - Bradley K. McDevitt On The Dark Corner Blog


Featured Artist of The Day - Bradley K. McDevitt 
Veteran writer,designer,artist, and illustrator extraordinaire lends his art over at the Dark Corners blog right HERE

1d10 Treasures From Lovecraftian Ancient Flying Saucer Table For Your Old School Space Opera


File:Arnold AAF drawing.jpg

 1d10 Treasures From Lovecraftian  Ancient Flying Saucer Table 
  1. Time Drive Of The Great Race - This portable time drive is malfunctioning and there is a 50% chance of your PC's getting caught within a time space rift. There is also a 30% chance of a dimensional shambler or Hound of Tindalos catching your PC's scent. The drive is worth 30000 credits. 
  2. This is a living navigation system that belongs to the Elder Things. The creature is someplace between an amobea and a protoplasmic device. As soon as the PC's find this creature it will try to attach itself to their nose, throat, and eyes. A telepathic probe will reveal deep and dangerous secrets of the Elder Things. Alien experiences, times, places, and weird interstellar destinations. 
  3. A strange weird knobby green glowing set of crystal rods. This is actually the inner heart of an Outer God that glows with alien radiations. Any character whose exposed to to these strange rays will take 1d4 points of damage per round exposed to this. The core is unstable and may explode for 1d10 points of damage. Worth 4000 credits to the right collector but must be stored in a four foot long lead lined box. 
  4. A time space computer belonging to the Great Race with a bit of enslaved shaggoth to see the horrid vistas of the Outer Darkness. The computer is malevolent and very dangerous. The thing will try to kill any PC's if hooked into a network of any type. There are 4 million interstellar maps stored within it.Should it smash a 4 hit point shaggoth will grow to full size and hit points with four rounds. 
  5. Lens of The Deep Ones - This flat oval bone like plate is only twelve inches around but shows scenes from the deep astral seas of the Outer Darkness. There is a 40% of Father Dagon or Mother Hydra noticing anyone handling this object. It will enable telepathic communication with a deep one twice per day. Worth 300 credits. 
  6. This is an alien cube of plasic steel belonging to an unknown alien race. The cube will create very realistic holograms of ancient sanity wrecking vistas. Anyone seeing one of these must make a successful wisdom check or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Once per day the cube will try to teleport a holder of the item away to some alien location. The trip is one way. The cube sometimes sings to itself at night in a high pitched alien language.
     The cube is worth 400 credits. 
  7. Image of Thulu - A strange tendril covered statue with hundreds of wires finely sewn into the base of this object. The statue can shock anyone once per day handling it for 1d4 points of damage. The statue will give horrid nightmares to anyone handling it. Once per day the statue may be used as a symbol of complete and utter insanity.
    This will act as a symbol per the DM's guide. Worth 340 credits to a collector of Mi Go artifacts.  
  8. A strange black prism - This strange prism will separate the various shades of reality form one another. There is a 40% chance of anyone wandering into the weird light from this prism being lost to the Outer Darkness forever. The prism can cast a dimensional door spell without error once per day. Worth 4000 credits to the right buyer.This prism can also be used as part of a primitive hyperspace jump system. 
  9. Preserver Box - This small, heavy box contains an item sacred to the Outer Gods but no one is sure what it is. The box is just big enough for a human head. The box has a "slow time" spell cast on it. Anything placed within the box will not age or decay in any way or shape. The box's enchantment can last thousands if not millions of years. Priceless. 
  10. The Preserved Head of An Elder Thing - This head will croak out the secrets of the universe to the right sorcerer  The thing may cast a psychic blast three times per day and can get very testy. The thing was originally a POW in the war between the Spawn of Cthulhu and the Elder Things. It is now part of a biologicial navigation system. Worth 40000 credits. 

Gethsemane Games Indiegogo And More Over At The Dark Corner Blog



Some of the best in UK dark fantasy role playing today we are featuring the Gethsemane Games Indiegogo  campaign and the ins and outs of some of what these great folks are doing! Check it out right over HERE!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Planning A Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition/Carcosa Mash Up

Metamorphosis Alpha



 I've been contemplating a Metamorphosis Alpha/Carcosa mash up for quite awhile now. I looked into some of the Appendix N of MA and their are some pretty strikingly interesting ideas in some of the following books.
Fiction with a similar background as M.A. include:
* Orphans of the Sky (Robert Heinlein)
* Non-Stop (Brian Aldiss)
 * Captive Universe (Harry Harrison)
Rereading the back of the reprint booklet I get very nostalgic for the games of MA with my best friend. 
Have you ever encountered a moose with quills? Or a teleporting woodpecker with a double brain and a poison beak? How about a nearly invincible jaguar, complete with the ability to change its body density and emit a sonic shriek, but which fears birds? These are but a small sampling of the mutations which could inhabit the many worlds of METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA.
A vast starship, a virtual world in itself, carrying colonists, livestock, and the flora and fauna of Terra is struck by a cloud of an unknown form of radiation while enroute to a distant star. Chaos reigns when the radiation kills most of the crew, and in the ensuing madness the knowledge of what the ship is and where its destination lies is lost to the survivors - and there are many survivors. Intelligent mutated animals and plants now populate the vessel, and these compete or perhaps cooperate with the humans aboard.
In METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA, you are aboard the stricken starship and struggling to survive, trying to gain knowledge of the strange devices and mechanical apparatus of the vessel, attempting to learn the secrets of the strange world you inhabit. As a player, you may be a human or mutant - human or otherwise. Your course is up to your skill and imagination.
METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA is a role-playing game in the grand tradition of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. If you enjoy the worlds of medieval swords and sorcery, you will love what you find in the fantastic and fascinating worlds of science fiction!"

1976 ... 32 pages ... TSR SF18-R / 3001 (later printings)
The description from MA comes from right here
 The reprint is available right over here HERE
 One thing to remember about Metamorphosis Alpha is that it takes place in the 24th century. The echoes of it ring throughout Gamma World especially The Albuquerque Starport" and written by Paul Reiche III. The module was a reminder of the bizarre world of Gamma World where a complete space port still lurked under the New Mexico desert complete with working shuttle ready to take the characters off to the ruins of a space station floating above the Earth. 
A space station that is haunted by the victims of the "Canopus plague". The module is now largely forgotten but between the artwork of Otis and the kick ass one shot adventure. This was a world that felt squarely within a twenty fourth century gone very wrong. As if the WW III from Star Trek had gone on and the timeline continued to sputter until we got to Gamma World. 
It always felt like Gamma World 1st and 2nd editions were half games and that there was a monstrous" Post Apocalyptic Space Opera" just lurking in the background. Recently I've been rereading some of the "Gamma World" issues of Ares Magazine and Polyhedron.

 This pretty much brings me to Carcosa. I'm planning on taking a bunch of Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition PC's and dumping them into the wilds of Carcosa.
City Of The Ancients has some ideas in it along with a location for introducing OD&D PC's into the  Carcosa setting. The Dungeon From A Distant Star is an excellent one shot for getting the PC's into the spirit of the Carcosa location. Both adventures, along with some very interesting house rules are all available right over HERE
Jack Shear is really to blame for some of this madness as well. He's got a different take on the setting along with new drugs, ritual rules, some ideas on the function of tribes within the setting, and so forth. You can read about his take right over HERE
Jack's World Between setting even has doorways that lead into Carcosa from his world's post apocalytic fantasy land known as Scar. The descriptions of which remind me of the war torn ruins of Poland from Clive Barker's Damnation Game. Shattered buildings, weird megadungeons, and strange weird monsters. Everything is just waiting to slice into PC's.
 This is all right now simply in the planning stage but I've got players who want to play this game or short campaign right now. One location that I really want to get into this up coming game is this one. 

The Citadel Skyscraper Fortresses of Nyarlathotep in hex 0211, you can read more about the uses of these locations right HERE

Five Years Without Gary Gygax and The Gary Con Auction



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Its five years gone now that we lost Mr.Gygax now and sure doesn't seem that way. It was only recently that we almost lost his son to fire. Now preparations are under way to help Ernie and coming at Gary Con is this auction. I can't go but at least I can pass the word along. Thank you for attention. 



 From the desk of Luke Gygax :

Many thanks to Tim Kask
He is digging deep to help raise money for my brother Ernest Gary Gygax Jr. who lost everything in a recent house fire. I appreciate the many people that are donating items to the Gary Con Auction for Ernie e as well: Jeff Easley, Erol Otus, Rob Kuntz, Frank Mentzer, Tom Wham, Jeffrey P. Talanian and others.

If you are coming to Gary Con and want to bid on these items for Ernie's fund, the auction is 5 PM Saturday. Bring your checkbook folks there will be some unique items available and this is an rare opportunity.



You can find More information right over HERE


For any that wish to donate directly, the PayPal is ErniesTrust@GygaxMagazine.com

Please direct any further questions to Gygax Magazine which can be found right over Here

Sunday, March 3, 2013

100 Places To Stumble Upon In The Post Apocalyptic-Age Review


Dave Woodrum of Fishwife Games has been cranking out more old school gaming goodness then lots of other small RpgNow retailers. This is a very small cross section of places  to use in a post apocalyptic setting. 
100 Places To Stumble Upon In The Post-Apocalyptic Age
Want to sprinkle a few locations of interest on that barren, post apocalypse wasteland? At a loss at the moment for ideas? Just roll the percentile dice and consult the chart below. Most places have immediate, obvious use while the potential of others may require a bit of further investigation and creative imagination.

Sample Rolls Include:
01- Airport
15- Brickyard
30- Courthouse
45- Gas Station
60- Lumber Yard
75- Power Plant
90- Tattoo Parlor
00- Wealthy Mansion
Author: Dave Woodrum
Page Count: 1 page.

For A dollar you get a ton of places that can appear in just about any POA setting. There is some detail but this is pretty much a blanket product for a DM to fill in very quick details. The price point is very nice for those of us strapped for cash. 
Simply download, grab some friends, fill in some details,  roll your PCs, and go. 
This is a nice product to fill in some fast details and get the ball rolling. 
Its a very quick product for even the middle of a game when PC's are in the middle of the wasteland and you need to fill in background. 
All in all its a very well put together list. 
Four stars and just last night I used this product to really put a spin on a Carcosa one shot that really confused the hell out of some players when a Gas station appeared in the middle of an alien jungle. 
You can get your copy of 

100 Places To Stumble Upon In The Post Apocalyptic-Age
Right over HERE

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Mummy's Hand 1940 Mega post Over At The Dark Corner Blog


 The howl of the Jackals sounds once again and the Priests of Karnak summon you to the Dark Corner blog for The Mummy's Hand. This one looks under the bandages while the Tana leaves burn to animate this often forgotten classic!
Right over HERE

Ten Ancient Wisdom And Secret Sects For Your Old School Space Opera

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  1. The Argotur -  A brotherhood of intergalactic adventurers and thieves who oppose the rich and elite. This group has ties to every major human and post human world. They pay 40% mark up on certain alien artifacts and have ties to the most powerful of banking cartels. There have been charges of demonic/forbidden god worshiping. The charges are only rumors. They may help certain PCs out or act as patrons but will only accept those of tenth level or higher into their ranks
  2. Bangorg or Preservers of The Devine Geometer - This secet is interested in maintaining the universal balance of good or evil. They help both sides and cause more chaos then anything else. The Bangorg are identified by their signet rings. They act on both sides of the law and deal with evil on their terms. A very mysterious group of adventurers and spacers if there ever was one. 
  3. Etuli- The Three Philosphers  - This group encourages intellectual growth wherever it needs to nurtured. They create apprentices  overseers, and elders of the ages. The sect works from within governments to create and further its own agenda. No one is quite sure what type of "intellectual growth" that it might be creating. They have been a patron to adventurers for centuries
  4. Gororngi- "The Tree of the Illuminated" - This sect creates and nurtures colonies across the cosmos enabling its colonists to dream of a better tomorrow. Those dreams are recorded on "psy holographic interface" and sold for thousands of credits. The colonists are slowly trained in the ways of the psychic should they show the temperament and sent out into the cosmos. They nurture the "Tree of Knowledge among mankind and post mankind.  
  5. Kobanarona- The Pruners - This sect deals with the roots of evil found among the "Tree of Life" . Its members are all adventurers who have tired of not having a cause to believe in and travel the stars setting things right again. The "pruners" are also a traveler's society helping travelers and pilgrims among the stars. They have a banking system and guild second to none among the stars. 
  6. Uglath- An order of worshipers of stars who have mutated themselves with rare herbs which react to stellar energy. These mutants are able to heal, create energy, and are considered by many to be demigods. There have been several scandels associated with this sect. They support certain groups of adventurers who further there agenda. 
  7. Uingbeturill- "The Heads of Fertility" -This sect spreads life giving nanites to its members in order to help "heal" the cosmos of the imperfects of non-life. Killing one of its members has been known to spread the "Uingbeturill" a cloud of nanite death across the face of a planet.  These sect is both reviled and held in esteem by certain galactic forces. They hire adventurers to help them find certain types of alien artifacts. 
  8. Unangw - The Fallen Chemists - These monsters travel the galactic space ways spreading plagues, mutation, and horror in their wake in order to advance mankind along a path of glorious destruction and final evolutionary perfection. They kill millions in order achieve their goal. They have the "death and disembody" mark within seventy worlds. 
  9. Vaurith - The Wanderlust - A travelers society that will help anyone they find with food, water, and all the essentials as long as the "saved" swears to give up procreation in all its forms and gives in to genetic castration on the mocular level.  Found in every galactic shelter they can find. They hand out pamphlets and holograms. 
  10. Welrorntha- "Those who Worship The Serpent"  A group of like minded adventurers who roam the universe creating a path of supreme power wherever they go. They are the patrons of civilization  and power. This group has been known to help smaller groups in need with patronage and knowledge. Their price is eternal promises of power and membership. This sect has been involved in several galactic upheavals and scandals  They pay very well for certain alien artifacts however. They have also been the money behind several failed expeditions into the outer voids.