OSR Commentary - Using Neulow Games Supplements with The Amazing Adventures role playing game By Jason Vey

 

Integrating NUELOW Games supplements (published by Steve Miller) with Troll Lord Games’ Amazing Adventures creates a fast-paced, high-concept pulp comic book campaign. This picks up with me using Tricks, Treats & Terror

NUELOW supplements—such as Stardust the Super Wizard, Fantomah, Lady Satan, Weird Agents, The Power of the Orient, and their classic horror adaptations—pair public domain Golden Age comic strips and vintage fiction with lightweight 3.5e / d20 System / Open Game License (OGL) rules. Because Amazing Adventures is built on an OSR evolution of the 3e/d20 framework via the Siege Engine, converting NUELOW material into Amazing Adventures is seamless.

1. Core Conversion Engine: d20 / 3.5e to Siege Engine

NUELOW supplements rely on standard 3.5e/d20 mechanical conventions (DC ratings, skill bonuses, Fort/Ref/Will saves, and standard spell slots). Amazing Adventures uses the Siege Engine, which collapses these into Attribute Checks governed by a target Challenge Class (CC):

$$\text{Challenge Class (CC)} = \text{Challenge Base (CB)} + \text{Challenge Level (CL)}$$

• Prime Attribute: CB = 12

• Non-Prime Attribute: CB = 18

• CL (Challenge Level): Set by monster Hit Dice, opponent level, or task difficulty rating.

Key Conversion Mechanics

1. Saving Throws: Convert NUELOW 3.5e saves directly to Siege Attribute Checks:

   • Fortitude Save $\rightarrow$ Constitution Check

   • Reflex Save $\rightarrow$ Dexterity Check

   • Will Save $\rightarrow$ Wisdom Check (or Charisma for fear/mind control)

2. Skill DCs: Convert NUELOW Skill Check DCs to Siege Engine CLs:

   • $\text{CL} = \text{NUELOW DC} - 10$.

   • Example: A NUELOW DC 15 Disable Device check becomes a Siege Check with CL 5.

3. Hit Dice to Hit Points: Standardize NUELOW monster/NPC Hit Dice to Amazing Adventures d8 or d10 Hit Dice. Use HD as the base for Attack Bonuses and Saves.

2. Porting NUELOW Golden Age Super-Heroes & Villains

NUELOW specializes in resurrecting bizarre Golden Age comic characters (e.g., Stardust, Fantomah, The Eye, Daredevil). In Amazing Adventures, these characters can be used as Pulp Archetypes, Major NPCs, or Cosmic Nemeses.

Character Mapping Matrix

NUELOW Character / Concept	Amazing Adventures Class Equivalent	Primary Primes	Siege Adaptation Feature
Fantomah (Ancient Jungle Mystery)	Arcanist / Sorcerer	CHA, STR	Transformations boost physical stats; magical curses use Charisma checks against target's WIS CB.
Stardust the Super Wizard	Gadgeteer / Mentalist (High Level)	INT, STR	Treats cosmic ray pistols and weird rays as innate power slots or high-tech gadgets with charges.
Lady Satan (Occult Vigilante)	Raider / Occultist	DEX, WIS	Combines firearm combat feats with warding circles and demonic banishments.
Weird Agent (Government Paranormal)	Agent / Investigator	INT, DEX	Specialized training in occult forensics, firearms, and investigative Siege checks.

Super-Pulp Power Rules in Siege Engine

NUELOW features characters whose powers exceed standard human limits. To handle this in Amazing Adventures without breaking the game:

• Power Check Target: Using a superpower requires an Attribute Check tied to the power's nature (e.g., Strength for super-physique, Intelligence for death-ray devices) at $\text{CB} + \text{Power Level}$.

• Overcharging: A character can take $+3$ to $+6$ to their CL to double the range, damage, or area of a power, but failure inflicts Exhaustion or damages their primary Attribute score by $1\text{d}4$.

3. Adapting NUELOW Horror, Monsters, & Weird Science

NUELOW releases frequently feature vintage horror adaptations (The Phantom of the Opera, Varney the Vampire, Dracula's Guest) and weird science monsters.

Example Monster Conversion: NUELOW Jungle Ghost/Curse Monster
HD: 5d8 (22 HP)
AC: 15
Attacks: Claw +5 (1d6+3) or Spectral Gaze +5
Special Qualities:
  - Spectral Gaze: Target must succeed on a WIS Check (CB 12/18 + CL 5) or be Paralysed with terror for 1d4 rounds.
  - Undead Invisibility: Requires an INT or WIS Check (CL 5) to spot while obscured.
Saves: CB 18 (Non-Prime) / CL 5

Weird Science & Artifacts

NUELOW supplements often contain bizarre period artifacts (e.g., ray guns, freeze rays, mystic amulets). Translate these into Amazing Adventures Gadgeteer Items or Relics:

• Charges: Give devices a limited charge pool ($1\text{d}10 + \text{Level}$).

• Misfire Rules: On a natural 1 on an attack roll or gadget check, the NUELOW device explodes, dealing $1\text{d}6$ damage per remaining charge in a 10-foot radius.

4. Integrating NUELOW Campaign Settings & Modules

NUELOW supplements are designed to fit directly into 1930s–1950s pulp timelines, matching the core era of Amazing Adventures.

Recommended Integration Scenarios

1. The Modern Weird War / Cold War Pulp: Use NUELOW’s Weird Agents or post-WWII superhero concepts alongside Amazing Adventures rules to run espionage campaigns fighting rogue occultists and alien infiltrators.

2. Jungle / Lost World Expeditions: Pair NUELOW's Fantomah or Panther Woman modules with Amazing Adventures Raiders and Specialists exploring unexplored continents.

3. Eldritch Detective Campaign: Combine NUELOW's Gothic horror adaptations (Varney, Gothic Classics) with Amazing Adventures Investigators and Blessed to run urban occult detective cases.