1d20 Random Lovecraftain Ghoul Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are monsters in the night that haunt the grave ravaged edges of the world, these corpse feeders come at blackest points of midnight from the depths of Hell and the ravaged world of dreams. Adventurers who encounters the foul fiends in the dark of night seldom forget such meetings and often times carry the signs of such events as scars to their own graves.



“There have been times when only a hair's-breadth has intervened betwixt myself and the seething devil-ridden world of madness; for the hideous knowledge, the horror- blackened memories which I have carried so long, were never meant to be borne by the human intellect. ”
― Clark Ashton Smith

Those who dare to tread in between worlds have reported encounters with these feeders of the dead on many worlds and beyond. Here then is a 1d20 encounter table to bedevil your own adventurers with such monsters and their kin.

1d20 Random Ghoul Encounter Table

1. Hmauthavatul The Immortal Queen was once the guardian of a race of Atlantis's finest royals and now has been turned into a feeder of the wretched dead but she remembers her former glory and retains a fourth level in black wizard casting abilities
2. Ithurot is a ghoul who walks between worlds stalking the alien grave yards of gods long dead for paritularly power magic and sorcery as well decayed meat of the gods. He hates adventurers with a passion and is armed with a +2 short sword taken from a fallen prince.
3. Ldurarg is a silent stalker among the stars who seeks to carve out his own niche in the realm of the living and dead by carving the meat from the graves of long dead kings.
4. Nthamo of the Banished Ones is a royal ghoul and on a mission to recover the moldering books of the damned gods from a long forgotten tomb and he is willing to pay in favors and 500 gold pieces. Armed with a +2 short sword named Scaly King he seeks his prize upon a variety of sunless worlds.
5. Orcargl is a silent stalker among the black stars for the livers of adventurers and is quite psychotic as well as dangerous..
6. Hakekeghorsa is the last prince of a dying tribe of ancient ghouls who devour the honored dead of alien worlds. He is on a mission to locate an ancient artifact of his people.
7. Ho-en is a dark priest of the elder ones and looking for adventurers to join him in a quest into the black underworld's hellish depths to recover his queen.
8. Iaiabho is a dangerous monster who seeks a wizard of great power to free his tribe from a curse by an ancient god, he can be very dangerous because of his zeal and hunger. He carries a spear and round shield of ancient design which can slay ghosts and other undead.
9. Igh-saIqugogo is the blind and dangerous priest of the black gods, he is a powerful wizard of 6th level of the blackest aspect who seeks others to help him recover the lidless eye of power from the ancient world of the Re'ruo. He is willing to pay in gold and minor favors.
10. Durg'a is a ghoul princess who looks quite human and yet seeks adventurers to help free her brothers who have been kidnapped by a powerful wizard. She is a 6th level cleric and will turn on her rescuers once her monstrous brothers are free. 
11.  Erdunau Ethalimm is a prince among ghoul kind who is seeking to restore the honor among his family by eating the dead of his royal betrayers but he needs adventurers to help him kill the guardians of grave yard of dead dreams. He promises treasure and relics.
12. Arngo Illiairgobel The Thirty Third is a wizard of ninth level and the former adviser to a court of the the least gods. This being seeks adventurers to help him on a quest into the Dreamlands underworld to make contact with his master and recover a powerful artifact.
13. Ustthla is a priest of Yog Nothroa a powerful ghoul who has ascended beyond undeath to become one with the blackness of eternity. He seeks his master's advice on a matter of royal birth and treasure, he needs adventurers to help him on his quest.
14. Yggg a silent stalker and assassin of adventurers who is on the trail of the party, he eats the eyes and livers of his victims and is armed with a variety of silent and deadly weapons. He hates adventurers with a cold and dispassionate lack of emotion. He loves to take wizards first and cut the heads off as warning of his coming.
15. Yibolog-dhug is a very dangerous wizard in his own right and often stalks lesser beings between the stars to kidnap and sacrifice his victims under the dark unlight of dead god's heads which act as black stars around alien worlds. He seldom bargains and loves to kill his victims in flashy and dramatic ways. He has 1d3 minor relics on him.
16. Zsthust has gone on to become a monster after losing his ability to reason, he has a tower in the dreamland's underworld and upon his person a map to his tower. He has been an outlaw in the kingdoms of the ghouls for centuries and has many treasures and wonders in his vaults.
17. Caurgl Ethan're is a duke among the kingdoms of the dead and seeks some of the living to help him recover the soul of a royal who has passed on prematurely. He is willing to share several maps to minor ruins.
18. Giame Haurng is a masked ghoul wizard who is looking for adventurers to accompany him on an epic journey to other worlds and especially one that has a very wealthy treasure on it. This is all a lie and this ghoul wishes to sacrifice you and your party to a great old one for power and magick.
19. Hururi Iarilathar is one of the last beings from a dying Earth of the far future who has been turned into a ghoul by his exposure to chaos and weird alien radiations. He knows the caches to several high end future treasure vaults but wants help with a quest to recover a 'cure' for his ghouldom. Actually he wants a party of adventurers to accompany him to his ritual death.
20. Irotuthmmabali is a dangerous ghoul slaver and inter dimensional arms dealer who has several caches of artifacts that need to be returned to his black wizard master. Guess whose been elected for body guard work? He will eat any who fall in battle to honor their memory.

Warriors of The Red Planet Second Edition Rpg System Unboxing & Commentary

 So today brought me a brand new gift from the other half The Warriors of The Red Planet Second Edition book from Lulu. The book has left me somewhat speechless, the author and artist did such a great job with the retroclone system. There's a lot happening here for your old school Mars role playing. The box was solid and no cracks or dents, the tracking went off without a hitch.

 Lulu packed the book up very nicely and the new book looks fantastic, the system has gone over a bit of a revision and there are are new PC options on the table along with expanded set of skills for the scoundrel class and plenty of tables for adventure generation. No longer are PC's bound to Mars either, this seems to be the first in an expanded range of interstellar and solar system adventures.

 The cover art reflects the old school OD&D homage right off the bat and there's plenty of self referencing going on in the book. The DM is really in control right out of the gate and there's a ton of old Mars action happening right between the pages. This book could be used as both source book and as rule book for your old school games and even though its a retroclone sort of it takes its own liberties and directions with the old school vibe straight out of the gate.

 As I said the packing job was up to Lulu's usual standards. I think I like the company's books a bit more then Drivethrurpg's and this is a personal opinion rather then fact. Another thing I think that the Pdf doesn't do the physical book half of the justice it deserves. The artwork, layout is gorgeous and very well done.

 The physical cover just pops and has such a vibrance as well as old school edge to it in my opinion.It just makes you want to actually play the damn game. 

 The print is clear and the binding is tight as hell which is nice and since this is my fourth or fifth book from Lulu I'm pretty damned stoked to have this piece of old school retroclone fun. Warriors of the Red Planet brings a nice fresh and upbeat sword and planet vibe to the table top scene.

 All of the familiar faces are there from Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Lovecraft circle including Albert Otis Kline but there's plenty of new material to bring a fresh Martian prospective to life on Mars. The speed of the system is as good as OD&D and  in some places far more clear.

 The racial choices and classes are really very nicely done bringing to life not only a sword and planet but any number of science fictional creations can be brought to life on your version of Mars. The ideas and reflections of the WoRP system are pretty endless and the idea is brought home in the DYI OD&D ethos of the system itself.

The rulebook is really very well done and I couldn't be more pleased on any number of levels. Knowing my passion for old school pulp roleplaying this game has been a God sent on any number of levels and now even more so. Everything here is crisp and very well done reflecting a simple and intuitive D&D style with echoes and touches from the authors making it their own. This marks a nice bench work in sword and planet systems.

 The back half of the book is the meat and bones of the Warriors of the Red Planet system for me. It is taken up by planetart dungeon and underworld design and its very well done. Much of this material could be used to create material and generate old school planetary dungeons for any number of old  school science fiction or fantasy systems.

 Tables and skills have been tightened, equipment expanded, material in WofRP edited & tightened up then dovetailed into other areas. The book does a good job of prepping up any number options for both high test science fiction and planetary romance adventures

 The central affair of this game book is generating the adventure and getting you the DM as well as your players onto the table and rolling some dice. The systems are tight, crisp, and exuberantly old school in both ethos and practice.

 Monsters are well laid out and there's lots of red man action as well as the usual exotic Martian horrors to make your PC's life a red hell on Mars or the solar system choice of yours a real adventure.

 The races of Mars are well represented and easily incorporated on any number of levels of old school adventure play. These races are high test and old school facets of the Edgar Rice Burroughs school and all of his imitators who came after them and they're perfect choices to get the players in the right frame of mind for a planetary romance or old school science fiction adventure romp.

 As I said the binding is very nice and the quality for this book is surprising on any number of levels.

 There are a ton of random tables to get the DM's juices flowing and ebbing with adventure design, there's enough material here for six to eight campaigns with a quick toss of the dice. Did I mention the artwork is spectacular

 There's lots of adventure design choices from weird science artifacts to fully blown horrors waiting in the wastelands to a ton of NPC tables all waiting for your adventurers. There's enough here to transport a ton of D&D or Sword and Wizardry characters into the deep end of the Martian pool.

 Oh I do love the air  ship to ship rules and artwork of Warriors of the Red Planet, it hearkens back to the OD&D wargaming roots while blazing its own trail against the back drop of the planetary tales of Mars.

 They're concise, intuitive and well done and they tie everything in the book together. The whole game is aimed at creating and running adventures on Mars and aboard, I'm really impressed with the other all system and care that went into this product. I have plans for the second edition of Warriors of the Red rpg system.

Retro Review & Commentary On The OD&D Adventure CM3 Sabre River By Douglas Niles and Bruce Nesmith For Your Old School Campaigns

Imagine that your PC's are relaxing at court and suddenly their pulled into the back end of an adventure head first without warning and you've got the beginnings of CM3 Sabre River by Doug Niles and Bruce Nesmith. CM3 involves an expedition to the Tower of Terror and an adventure romp through an active volcano!
GRAB IT RIGHT HERE

This is a Mystara adventure and not one of the ones that get's much press these days and that's too bad because its a well done adventure that works on the companion level of OD&D style of play and does it very well. The Crones of Crystykk who appeared in Test of the Warlords are back and just as bat %@% cryptic and weird as ever. Every thing about this adventure screams high level and very dangerous, have a few extra character sheets standing by for your players. Lots of treasure but also lots of classic OD&D death to go around.

"You are a guest of the count, one of your allies and the strongest man in the region. Your sojourn has been pleasant, a nice change after weeks of battle. Suddenly the courtyard below your window is filled with the noise of galloping horses. More guests?

You yawn as you look out. But these people arriving look more like tax collectors than guests. You decide to give your attention to something more interesting, like dinner.

Relax while you can, friend, because these new arrivals are about to lead you to a crimson sailor, a cozy Tower of Terror, and a river with an aching heart"
There is literally a ton to mine from CM3 including a good solid dungeon romp and even though this is a part of the domain level of high end play this is one of those adventures that actually lives up to the great cover art. This adventure features an  a dungeon inside an active volcano, an underground river trip, and a new monster called the sabreclaw how cool is that. There's plenty to mine from this module but the actual adventure is quite good, there's plenty going on and enough high level material for at least two mini campaigns within Sabre River. The plot involves;" The waters of the Sabre River have been tainted, bringing death or evilness to all who drink from them." and it does live up to the premise in spades.


There's plenty of action in Sabre River and also plenty of death awaiting PC's around every turn. The action keeps moving and the PC's are joined by Cutter whose a lot more then he seems and pretty damn pivtol to the plot CM3. The cartography is well done, the writing pretty solid, but Sabre River is pretty much tied into the bed rock of Mystara or is it?


Much of Sabre River revolves around the plot elements being present in the kingdom of Norwold, but really because of the very nature of CM3, the events could be moved right into the back part of your own world or even an alternative world or Earth. The Empire of Alphatia might be reconned out of the adventure entirely and the events of CM3 moved onto Hyperborea or some latter day stand in of the late Roman Empire. 

 
There are plenty of pulpy elements to go around in Sabre River and because this is a higher level OD&D module its quite easy to adapt and twist this adventure to suit your own retroclone adventures. Both Lamentations of the Flame Princess and Dark Albion sprang to mind whist reading this one. The DM is going to have to be careful to balance certain adventure elements and expect some PC deaths while moving though the adventure with his players and also even though this is a companion adventure, Sabre River takes full advantage of some of the Expert D&D rules.  All in all Sabre River might be right up your alley if your looking for a high level but differently woven adventure in the old school tradition that mixes high level play and dark pulpy adventure in one package. 

Commentary On The Updated PDF OSR Adventure Resource For The Gang Busters Rpg - GBM-1 Joe's Diner From Mark Hunt

Mark Hunt has been churning out some incredible titles for the Gangbusters Rpg system and he's been a one man OSR when it comes to working every angle of old school gangster Prohibition  era Rpg. If you've already bought a copy of Joe's Diner then you'll want to go back and grab a new updated copy right over here.

GRAB IT RIGHT HERE

If you haven't gotten in on the action well now is the time to do so, Mark Hunt has been providing some amazing support and expansion for the Gangbusters game via his G+ plus community and his adventure  titles. The man has been hitting the streets in a big way and really taking the game in some seriously interesting directions. Joe's Diner was very nice graphically and laid out very nicely before but this takes the adventure source book in a totally new class. This pdf looks like its been completely redone and the material is as good as before if not better. Joe's Diner is a Gang Buster's jump starter resource to put your PC's center stage in the comings and goings of Rock Junction. Rock Junction is Mark Hunt's own gangster era go to campaign setting. Basically Joe's is a local diner with a twist or two. If your PC's start eating there,your suddenly going to be center stage for many of Rock Junction's action. The author puts your PC's  center stage for the going's on in this mini campaign book; "The Diner is a beacon on the northeast corner of Canal and Pipestone Ave, this diner has managed to stick around while other businesses have come and gone.In addition to an extensive lunch and dinner menu, Joe’s diner serves up eggs practically any way you can think of 24 hours a day. The diner attracts city workers, policemen, firemen, business people, college students, politicians, the afterhours club crowd and just about anybody. The mix of people is terrific and diverse. It is an urban oasis where the weary comes to get refreshed. The place is always alive with chatter who knows what might get overheard here? Joe’s bar is down the block from The BLUEBOOK Detective Agency. There are rumors and things  the PCs may have heard about the place at the start of the campaign" The author taps into the DYI attitude of the OSR with this book by encouraging dungeon masters to make Joe's Diner and the environs of Rock Junction their own.
"The Gangbusters™ RPG is set in Lakefront City, a fictional version of
the city of Chicago, but Module GBM-1 Joe’s Diner is set in Rock Junction,
an ostensibly fictional steel town located in the Midwest. The Judge is free to set the contents of Module GBM-1 Joe’s Diner in Rock Junction or take those contents and place them in Lakefront City or whatever location suits his campaign."
According to the author, "POD will be available in March. It was expanded from 17 pages to 36!" Believe me the expansions shows, Rock Junction can be both a touch stone for PC's and a jump off point for further adventures. The place plugs right into the hard boiled pulps of the time, Rock Junction is a steel town sixty miles from the sprawling, brawling metropolis of Lakefront City located somewhere in the American Midwest..
Rock Junction serves a town the players and their characters can get to now and explore, perhaps serving as a home base for when head off to the life in the big city."

Then we get expansions on the scenarios for Gangbusters. Sure they're still fun but now these adventures get into the dark underbelly of Rock Junction. The place has the feel of the Chicago  suburbs that Al Capone controlled back in the 30's. Each NPC has a motivation and story to them, the adventures plug into the underworld of Rock Junction and take full advantage of the pit of pulp core in it. The book is sprinkled throughout with lots of photos and NPC's to throw at the party and these adventures dove tail into each other with a vengeance.

It's an age of Prohibition and gangsters. A world filled with two-fisted brawls, criminal cartels, fast money, bootlegging and swanky art-deco speakeasy hopping as far as the eye can see and Joe's Diner sits smack in the middle of the action. I can totally see the way that Joe's Diner builds on the elements it lays down and then allows the DM to go in for the DYI campaign angle.
Then there's the fact that the this book has a myriad of other uses. Several of the NPC's, locations, and even the scenarios in Joe's Diner could be used to create a home base for several other old school games such as Call of Cthulhu or a Chill style campaign. Joe's Diner reminds me on some level of the David Lynch Twin Peaks television location with local weirdness laying just below the surface of the place and strange happenings going on just as the patrons of the place stop for their morning coffee. Rumors and stories of murder circulate through the local papers and more get's discussed because sometimes even the papers are a bit afraid to say everything. At Joe's Diner you might get served far more then just your morning coffee.


So do I think that Joe's Diner is worth the second download? More now then ever this is the book that your going to want to launch your new Gangbuster's campaign for 2016. The ideas here are sweet, the coffee hot, and the NPC's , the action hard boiled and the return to those thrilling days hasn't felt so good in years.

Reconsidering The OSR Free Adventure Resource - Fire Mountain For The Basic Fantasy rpg System Or Your OD&D Style Campaigns

I'm always on the look out for a free adventure for the Basic Fantasy Role Playing game, such adventure always seem to have other uses for retroclone systems .. Take 'Fire Mountain' a seventeen page low level crawl that has elements of both old English elements and several lost world features. Now in the play test phase this adventure features several adventure bits that make it perfect as a low level weekend intro game adventure or as a one shot. This is a low level but very lethal dungeon crawl with ruins, pulpy weirdness, and lots great encounters.

GRAB IT RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEB PAGE
FOR THE PLAY TEST VERSION OF Fire Mountain

The set up goes something like this; "an adventure for low level characters. The party travel to a dragons' graveyard located in a dormant volcano in search of an ingredient that will hopefully allow the court magician to cure a plague that is ravaging the kingdom. In the process they must overcome a tribe of lizardmen and persuade a malicious red dragon to let them go"

All of the maps and everything you need are there ready to go straight out of the gate and the adventure needs to be played. Fire Mountain could easily be connected to Cult of the Reptile God's meta plot to provide an intro into that classic's plot line and keep the pulpy fun going. Or the lizard men of Fire Top Mountain might be another arm of the cult from N1. There are several possibilities in the mix to allow the DM to adapt this adventure to their own campagin and this is one of the strengths of the Basic Fantasy RPG adventures, they work on a number of levels.

If the PC's piece everything together in Fire Top Mountain n adventure they might still be in for
a rough time. This is a perfect module to use another 'gag' that I'm fond of doing with retroclone adventures such as Fire Top Mountain is reusing the same adventure location for multiple games.  Often this is so that adventurers from one game of Lamentations of the Flame Princess might find the corpses of PC's from a Labyrinth Lord game. With some adjustment this is a solid module to convert to Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea, you can easily stick this isle right into the back end of any of the warmer temperate environs  of that game. Another way that this adventure might be worked into the back plot of AS&SH is to have this adventure link up with either Taken from Dunwich or .Charnel Crypt of the Sightless Serpent From North Wind Adventures. In the case of Taken From Dunwich Fire Mountain would have to take place after the events of Taken, and there would have to be several adjustements made for certain monsters in Fire Mountain. For the Charnel Crypt several factors in the adventures time line place Fire Mountain as an addition to or side adventure. The various classic monsters from D&D or Basic Fantasy would have to be modified heavily for their stats and might be one offs from classic Atlantis for AS&SH.
For Lamentations of the Flame Princess or other alternative world  historical games, Fire Mountain might be set out in some backwater location with a bit of volcanic activity such as the borders of Russia or certain smaller island locations in temperate waters. This adventure could be used for a lost world location off the coast of Greenland or Iceland where volcanic activity could easly destory any evidence of it's existence to history.

I've always been a huge fan of lizard men and this adventure takes advantage of those reptile bastards. There is plenty of potential for lots of PC mayhem with Fire Mountain. So do I think that  this adventure is worth your time and efforts? Yes, yes, I do. I think that there is a ton of potential for a DM with a little bit of imagination and some time  to craft this adventure right into the background of their own game campaigns.

DAT artwork not used in Fire Mountain
but since I love lizardmen, its pretty damn iconic

Fire Mountain is a solid old fashioned adventure that hearkens back to older time in gaming and even though is outlined and advertised for the Basic Fantasy Rpg is a nice addition to any old school dungeon master's arsenal of adventures. This is a solid four out of five in my book and needs wider appreciation to get out of the play testing phase and out onto the Basic Fantasy Rpg's roster of polished adventures.

Retro Review & Commentary On The OD&D Adventure Module BSOLO Ghost of Lion Castle By Merle M. Rasmussen For Your Old School Campaigns

So what do you do when the snow storms  start coming in the middle of Winter and you can't get together with friends? Grab a solo module and get playing by yourself, keep your DMing skills sharp, and get some quick alone game time.  So let's take a quick look at  (BSOLO) Ghost of Lion Castle.



"'A great cat sits upon the northern grasslands, my friend, waiting to pounce on adventurers just like you.' As you part the tall grass with your sword, the words of the tavernkeeper echo in you head.

'He was the mightiest wizard we'd ever known, and that Lion Castle was his home.' Your friends' voices mingle with the tavernkeeper's. 'He's but a ghost now, haunting those halls, and waiting for an heir.'

The ground rises slightly. A strong wind rushes through the field. Suddenly, the grasses part, and Lion Castle rises majestically before you!
'Magical riches await those who enter!' 'Beware of man-beasts!' Voices flood your head again. Will you brave the haunted castle? Can you afford not to? It's all up to you in this D&D Solo Adventure.

Ghost of Lion Castle is for one player only, but that one player makes all of the choices and enjoys all of the rewards. An entire castle and courtyard await your exploration. The adventure also includes a complete solo combat system."



Merle Rasmussen, of Top Secret fame created a surprisingly huge castle and this isn't actually that bad of an adventure considering how its put together. The  wizard Sargon created an enormous stronghold of untold mystery and a surprisingly large castle in the shape of a giant lion. Your going to be facing down werebeasts, spiders, stirges, orcs, and the ghost of Sargon himself in search of an accursed treasure. Merle Rasmussen doesn't do a bad job with this module at all and there's surprisingly a good moving and quick adventure here. The maps are clear, the plot concise and the presentation is well done.



But could this module be used with a larger group of players and perhaps expanded upon? Yes as a matter of fact it could easily be worked into a larger party of adventurers and the hard work has already been done for you. Several map expansions are available right here


I also think that Sargon and his machinations could easily be adapted to several retroclone systems including Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Hear me out before you might dismiss me out right. Given the placement of the ruins of Lion Castle its very possible that Sargon and his works might have been left overs from the Green Death. There's a feel to the solo adventure that this place has been brooding for a long time. Since The Ghost of Lion Castle isn't that well know the dungeon master has a perfect venue to modify this module for their own retroclone system.

It wouldn't take a lot of modification to move Sargon's digs to the border areas of Hyperborea and given the nature of the monsters of Ghost of Lion a DM shouldn't have any problems using the AS&SH referee's book to reference about ninety percent of them for their own evil  purposes. For other games such as Lamentations of the Flame Princess or Dark Albion's pseudo historical settings might mean making the castle a part of Fairy or a similar location of legend. But given the brutal nature of some of the elements  of Ghost of Lion's Castle its not that hard of a stretch for a DM to modify it out for a more horrific feel.

So is Ghost of Lion Castle by Merle M. Rasmussen worth your time and efforts? I can honestly say that I think so, given how easy it is to modify, the story and background that the author has put into it. There's plenty of room to DYI this adventure for your own needs. There are copies going for fifteen dollars on Amazon and there seems to be plenty of copies of it. Its actually a nicely made and tightly created adventure for what it does which is solo play and choose your own adventure style.

'Down & Out In Golonor' A Warriors Of The Red Planet Rpg Actual Play Event

So last night I set up PC's for The Warriors of the Red Planet Rpg system with six friends, since everyone has read the Edgar Rice Burroughs books I decided to fall back to another plan. I set the game in the back yard of Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation as well the polar swamp city of Golonor. The city is home to a thriving population of outcasts, wanderers, and traders from both the Hither tribes ( an ERB Orovar's people with well developed psychic abilities) and the the Thithers who are a red man deviation. Golonor is a floating city state in the extreme north of Mars and still boasts some of the lost Martian technologies that Green and red tribes have lost making it a destination for fighting men, scoundrels, mentalists, and scientists alike.

Character prep and roll up took no time at all as I was playing with experienced OD&D players and though I brought along my hard back of the White Star Rpg rule book it really wasn't necessary at all. Warriors of the Red Planet Provided us with every thing we needed. Golonor is a rough pirate and outlaw town with lots trades going on and floating   wretched hive of scum and villainy right in the heart of the Martian polar region. Just about anything goes including PC's if your not careful.

The roster of PC's went something like this; Mike playing Falazgl Up Lifted Animal Wolf stock fighting man 2nd level, Billy taking a Hither outlaw scoundrel 1st level called
Inglandurgodo The Ripper, Jackie playing her 3rd level mentalist
Chalimmabel Of The Open Mind whom she ported over from the beta version of WoRP, Kelacathono  Of 'Bloody Wrench' 3rd level scientist and renegade philosopher (former member of the Hither tribe) played by Jason, Zs'nal Up lifted Insect Fighting Man 2nd level played by Robbie, and Ugughogurug The Undying a second level scoundrel played by Billy's brother Brettly. The group was brought together in a Martian villa by
Gugot-zakrsh Loghagn-stau A Hither tribal merchant and mentalist of some renown. The party  got  together and they were given funds to equip themselves for a mission in the Greater Swamp near  'The Ice Valley of the Dead' where the lost temple of Thuris is situated. Find the temple and recover relics belonging to the merchant's family to restore the family honor. Rshasignot was their patron's agent and monitored their purchases and provided the party with a swamp boat to get to the temple and a bit of coin to get a few extra bits and pieces of equipment.


A quick roll on the random encounters chart below and the PC's were in the middle of a melee with some swamp pirates.

1d20 Random Encounters In The Greater Swamp Table

1. 1d6 Greater swamp pirates (1st level fighting men) on the hunt for easy prey and rich pickings in a medium sized swamp runner. 
2. 1d3 hanging giant carnivorous plants capable of eating a man sized victim. Their vines drape over the swamp waters. 
3.  Martian swamp mold  on the hunt for  victims and perhaps your PC's!
4. 1d3 swamp plant men! Same stats as wasteland version see WoRP rule book 
5. Pack of giant telepathic serpents on the hunt for prey, woolly and very poisonous 
6. Floating poisonous violet fungus colony that will attack when it gets within 20 feet of the party
7. Swamp Silan nest that lashes out at prey, very venomous and dangerous 
8. 1d3 Giant Sith hornet nest 
9. Hither mentalist out with his bodyguards on their way to one of the floating city states 10% chance of attacking. 5th level mentalist with some dangerous abilities. 
10. Greater Swamp troll on the hunt 
11. Giant swamp spider with double hit points on the hunt for prey to feed her babies. 
12. Alien  Umpalla tree attacks as an ent for those venturing through its territory
13.  Rykors trader fighting man with 1d6 2nd level bodyguards on swamp boat
14. Giant malagor on the hunt for man sized or smaller prey (giant hawk or eagle)
15. Tree hanging arbok of double hit points on the watch for prey and with a poisonous bite. 
16. 1d6 Swamp dwelling ogres
17. 1d5 Hither Traders on swamp boats 
18. 1d6 mercenaries on an a mission for a rich overlord 
19. Swamp ghouls pack of 1d8 muck dwellers
20. Swamp dragon attack a monsters straight out of myth and legend.

The Greater Swamp isn't a place for the faint of heart and the PC's tangled with some second level swamp pirates who were watching them in the markets equipping themselves and after shots were fired and the PC's came away with a bit of coin for their troubles and some very dead pirates . Next comes the lost temple of Thuris.

Note that I used quite a bit of Swords and Wizardry to pad out the regions Golonor and also all of the minis were from Bronze Age Miniatures.

1d12 Random 'What The Space Adventurer Left Behind In The Bed' Table & The Random "What's In The Space Police Evidence Auction' Table For The Alpha Blue Rpg System Or Your Old School Space Campaigns

Adventurers of all walks of life pass through the halls of Alpha Blue & once done with the dirty space deed often forget or leave behind pieces of equipment, space treasures, and other forms of payment for the staff of the space brothel. Here then is a D12 table to help a DM fill out the rates of starting equipment as the staff of Alpha Blue often has some rather unique things for sale often times keeping an item or two on the back afterburner for sale to make a quick blue buck or two.
1d12 Random 'What The Space Adventurer Left Behind In The Bed' Table

1. A pair of matching synthetic pearl handled laser pistols and a quick draw rig done up for a typical biped. These beauties have matching high end tracking sensors that gain a +2 on attack rolls and trick shots. Don't mind the stains on the triggers. 400 blue bucks for the pair and rig
2. Wrist blaster with quick release for delicate limbs, they have a hair thought trigger on them. Very quick and deadly. 300 blue bucks
3. A motion sensor badly acid burned but very reliable 60 blue bucks 
4. laser sword finely made with a red blade and a slight cut above the hilt but +1 weapon 
5. star book of forbidden spells of Thule (See Crimson Dragon Slayer for spells or your retroclone of choice) mostly grey spells with a smattering of black spells. 200 blue bucks and finely bound in leather and humanoid flesh 
6. Weapon or tool +1 made for tendrils and slightly slimy to the touch, it moans when handled
   
7. +2 staff of malice with some light carbon scoring half way up the hilt. 
8. A light weight vest that hides the wearer's IR and UV signature from sensors. 2000 blue bucks and its purple with green Eighties highlights 
9. War bot head that has laser eyes and mini flame thrower in the mouth, carried like a Jack O lantern with a handle on the head. The thing works and has an internal mini energy battery. 
10. Pulsing pink and green cube that flashes orange when danger is approaching. 100 blue bucks and it may have other functions but damned if the space hooker knows what those other functions are. 
11. Pleasure Pistol that creates a massive orgasm in its target rendering them helpless. Works as a stunner in the Alpha Blue game. 400 blue bucks and it needs a bit of TLC and cuddling after it hits its target. 
12. A cybernetic hand with a mini A.I. built within it, this thing used to belong to a space tyrant but he's been murdered in a round of palace rebellions. It has a stunner, laser pistol, wielder and ray pistol built into its fingers. The thing is called Frank and has an agenda of its own but is more then willing to work for a new owner. 2000 blue bucks and it has papers to prove its heritage. 

The Federation and many of the intergalactic police departments hold annual evidence auctions and many adventurers use such operations to fill out the ranks of equipment and weaponry. Many of these departments make a quick buck and follow the trail of these items so they can once again arrest the perps and start the cycle of profit all over again. This does not stop adventurers from taking full advantage of the circumstances.


The Random  "What's In The Space Police Evidence Auction'
Table

1. High end space coupe perfect for adventurers on the run, and exploring in pimping style. Able to handle six adventurers in style. It used to belong to a high end intergalactic drug lord but don't worry he's dead and none of his family would want this sweet ride back. 30,000 blue bucks and its yours. 
2.  A set of high end blasters hardly used for 5000 blue bucks with power packs. Perfect for those adventurers on the run. 
3. A set of high end bounty hunter armor with some add ons don't mind the carbon scoring and the bits of powder in the joints. 
4. bio engineered android body guard who might contain a treasure map or three. 4000 credits for this man servant and butler unit. Answers to the name Reggie
5.  Astro mech robot that has seen some serious stuff, he's an ER 306 unit that has served aboard three or more pirate vessels 600 blue bucks and he needs some work. 
6. Sporting blaster rifles, intergalactic hunting gear and android bearers all recovered from a high end hunting party some months back. The previous owners were turned to powder. 7,000 including a small shuttle for interstellar big game hunting.
7.  Unlicensed nuclear accelerator and paranormal traps and these are full. Used in a heist of some crown jewels from an alien space dungeon. The guardian entities are still in them. 600 blue bucks and disposal is your problem.
8.  Nasty 5 inch silver murder bot that has a proto humanoid brain inside of it and wide variety of psychotic weapons. The thing is programmed for body guard duty and has been known to go a bit hey wire. 300 blue bucks 
9.  A red star sword that was used to murder a diplomat from an extinct planet. +1 sword and it has evil tendencies.
10.  Purple hued evil sword from Thule with an agenda of its own and a typical +2 blade. It can use 1d3 spells per day on its own. 500 blue bucks because its still mourning its previous owner.
11. Demonic hover board with an array of dangerous weapon systems on it. 400 blue bucks for most of the collectors of this sort of thing. The owner will have to dominate it to control it. 
12. Fist sized magic ruby from Thule containing the soul of a black magician it allows  its owner to cast 1d3 spells but the owner must contend with the black magician's own agenda. 5000 blue bucks

1d20 Random NPC Mephits Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

Created in the spaces 'in between' the dimensions where the elemental planes pull and tug each other's essence. The Mephits are grand beings in their own minds born of the elemental quasi souls of the life that exists on several alien places at once. These beings are utterly alien to the human mind and yet somehow mirror the human and near human souls. They can be bonded to a wizard of extreme cunning and twisted conscious but each time they will try to being such fools to their own alien needs and wants.

The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.

H. P. Lovecraft

Some of the most dangerous of these elemental beings are those who have gained free will from their elemental master gods and now haunt the plane prime as agents of their own. Slightly less dangerous are those mephits who have broken free  or been released from the service of their wizardly masters. Some of these beings have carved out small empires and operations all on their own and should be dealt with the utmost caution.
1d20 Random NPC Mephits Encounter Table

1. Robaro The Grand Flame is a being of both extremes and a dangerous temperament, he is a small time loan shark and protection artist who has working for him several small fire elemental based monsters. He fancies himself a small time elemental prince and deals with several minor elemental royals.
2. Kotundur The Wet One a steam mephit who uses several others of his own kind to operate a high end spy net work and information brokering service. He also specializes in black mail of the lowest order.
3. Ldugo Two Step is an ice mephit who uses his abilities and charm to run a high end messaging service for black wizards and a body guard service for organized crime figures.
4. Lkoril The Wise is a dust mephit that uses a combination of guile and cunning to run an artifact recovery service with workers scattered throughout the elemental planes. He's got a nasty disposition though and works his points in the elemental courts. He has a small cache of jewels and treasure for a rainy day.
5. Magobaun is a water mephit that runs a small time assassin's ring with nine other water mephits. They specialize in liquidation of adventurers and outlaws when others can't touch their prey.
6. Igy-dephu is a magma mephit who takes on construction jobs for fast underground works and infrastructure jobs especially drow and dark elves who find its abrasive personality ideally suited for their environs. He turn sells the inside information to outlaws and adventurers.
7. Kenatt is a frost mephit who loves to bargain in magical knowledge and guild mystical back and forth gossip. 
8. Phoggoisa is a being interested in dealing with so much forbidden knowledge that his elemental god masters are taking an unnatural interest in him. As a fire mephits he is able to travel from flame to flame at ease and uses this ability to persue his hobby of the forbidden with gusto
9. Salo is an ooze mephit that hires his crew out to dungeons to clean out human infestations out. He works with both fire and ice mephits for a dangerous combination
10. Thalotul lZhokibo thinks of himself as a prince among mephit kind and he may be right. He takes his services as a professional envoy seriously and uses his position to travel in place mephits aren't normally able to go. He keeps a small cache of treasures for emergencies.
11. Zhugo is a water mephit specializing in sewers, pool cleaning, and dungeon design on a vast scale. He sells some of his clients out by selling maps and charts to adventurers.
12. Honyugo-nya is a frost mephit dealing in drugs, specializing in kidnapping and black mail; these are things that he learned from his black wizard master. He loathes adventurers and kills them when ever possible. He's kept all treasure for himself.
13. Meharteph is a water mephit who uses illusions and double dealing to create money making opportunities for himself and his family. He loves to trap adventurers and others while the blood flows and he can watch at a safe distance.
14. Mol-zat is a salt mephit who loves to crystallize and destroy adventurers as works of elemental art.
15. Rlotaraak is a hot headed steam mephit who loves to hire himself out as a top flight wet works man.
16. Ruliqut is black wizard in his own right after swallowing the soul of his master. He's black wizard who knows the danger of out plane travel and yet loves to act as guide to those far off dimensions but he is not to be trusted.
17. Ammirngia is a petty and dangerous tyrant who loves to put the screws to adventurers as a he acts as guide in the other world. He often leaves his charges in very dangerous circumstances.
18. Baenae is a water mephit for a dangerous water based black wizard who may or may not be related to several elemental god princes. He takes his job very seriously and calls on  his master should things start going wrong. He is often found accompanying his master as they wander the planes together.
19. Denguirdrillil Durg is a manger for mephit talent who loves to place his charges in dangerous dungeons and other dire situations where they must fight for their very survival. He is an outspoken steam mephit who puts others in constant danger. He's a thrill seeker and get's off on the scares and terror of his clients
20. Tashonephig is a recovery and rescue.specialist who works for the elemental rulers and himself. He loathes adventurers and out laws. He eliminates them as they hinder his job. He can sometimes  be found ordering fire ales and burning precious documents for an extra high.

Review & Commentary on Stark Space By Magic Pig Media For The White Star Retroclone Rpg System and Your Old School Space Campaigns

 White Star has a dizzying array of products out for that stand alone retro clone rpg system. Magic Pig Media comes out with a solid amount of products from pulp era titles to fully realized enemies. And now they've created another thirty nine page interstellar  humancentric, dystopian universe for your PC's. Stark Space basically gives the DM all of the cyberpunk style options and tools  for an interstellar back water world or sector for the  sort of dangerous and sleazy adventure locations, NPC's, new PC options, races, a cyber add on system for White Star and other dangerous adventure ideas all boiled down to their cyberpunk gritty foundations and it does it with a  style all of its own. In many ways Stark Space reminds me of West End Game's other Star Wars titles the ones that showed what was happening in the other not so nice parts of the 'Expanded Star Wars' universe map. That's not a bad thing as we shall see.

GRAB IT HERE


Stark Space boils down the PC's into the template like menu of PC class types that White Star uses; here we get : The Brains, The Face, and The Muscle which are then customized as the player sees fit and then assembled into PC's. We have genetically modified combatants called  Max-Gene's, Simulants who are androids so close to human it hurts, and finally the  Psi are humans with powers who have been main streamed into  society and whom the corporations have main lined into interstellar  society.
   This is the setting  of hundreds of late night latterial Nineties  and early two Thousands cyberpunk movies and television shows and White Star is in bad need of this type of setting. Sure your PC's can play 'Star Knights' and 'Smugglers' at will, but in Stark Space these folks are out on the edge of intergalactic society struggling with the high octane of real down and dirty adventure life. This is straight mainline Adrenalin material and quite frankly lately White Star is starting to bore me. Stark Space is just what the cybernetic doctor ordered! For three dollars you get everything you need to plunk PC's right down into a failed colony or feral cyberpunk dungeon world. There are more then a couple of new  optional combat rules, equipment, and antagonists all waiting to tear into your PC's. Stark Space contains everything you need to bring your PC's right over into a high end intergalactic world of adventure without the BS of having another twenty books to nickel and dime you to death.
Stark Space  is a a fully developed set of tools straight out of the gate to create a high tension and dangerous world of cyberpunk dystopian adventure against the backdrop of the interstellar setting of White Star. I highly recommend this product and actively encourage Magic Pig Media to continue this title line  with other product adds on's for Stark Space.