The Free 'The Master Mind of Mars' By Edgar Rice Burroughs From Amazing Stories Annual vol. 1, July 15, 1927. PDF A Retrospective For Your Old School Campaigns

On this date possibly one of the most important of the Barsoom books, The Master Mind of Mars debuted in Amazing Stories Annual appeared on news stands for .50 whole cents in 1927. The adventurers of Ulysses Paxton were far more accessible for me when I had completed the Barsoom novels. The publication of this book is perhaps as important to me as Robert Howard's Conan. The twisting path of the publication is pretty interesting according to Wiki : The Master Mind of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fantasy novel, the sixth of his famous Barsoom series. Burroughs' working titles for the novel were A Weird Adventure on Mars and Vad Varo of Barsoom. It was first published in the magazine Amazing Stories Annual vol. 1, July 15, 1927. The first book edition was published by A. C. McClurg in March, 1928. 

Burroughs had been unable to place the novel in his standard, higher-paying markets like the Munsey magazines and the Street & Smith line. Some critics have speculated the publishers were put off by its satirical treatment of religious fundamentalists. He eventually sold it to publisher Hugo Gernsback for $1,250—only a third of the rate paid by magazines like Argosy All-Story, where the previous book in the series had first appeared. Gernsback chose the novel's final title and made it the cover feature in his newest magazine.

"Edgar Rice Burroughs has written many interesting stories, but we believe, for downright originality and exciting interest, "The Master Mind of Mars" is hard to equal.  There is hardly a page that does not hold your interest.  Once the story gets under way, hair-raising episodes seem to tumble right over each other -- they come so quickly.

Besides this, the science is excellent and no matter how strangely the tale reads, it always, somehow or other, seems to have an element of truth in it."
"If you are a Burroughs fan -- and you probably are -- this new story by the well-known author will not fail to impress and stir you to the roots.  Here is another of his Martian stories, entirely new, packed chockful of adventure and excellent science.  In this theme, Burroughs has hit upon a new idea, which he exploits throughout the story in a truly masterful and expert manner. Nor is your interest allowed to lag for a single paragraph, for Edgar Rice Burroughs knows how to keep you guessing.  You will not rest easy until you have finished reading the story.  It is one of this favorite author's best."

~ Hugo Gernsback - 1927

Grab It For Free From Project Gutenberg Australia
Right Over HERE Note that The copyright for this story was not renewed by December 31, 1955 and therefore is in the public domain.

Numerous times I'd see the Amazing Annual #1 in science fiction encyclopedias, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines, or some issue or other of Star Log.
My preference is for the older artwork and this edition of the book has numerous pieces of R.Paul's incredible artwork throughout it.  This was the book that made me an Edgar Rice Burroughs fanatic for the rest of my life and a life long Barsoom/Mars science fiction and fantasy nut.
The plot in case your wondering goes something like this according to wiki:
On Mars, Paxton is taken in by elderly mad scientist Ras Thavas, the "Master Mind" of the title, who educates him in the ways of Barsoom and bestows on him the Martian name Vad Varo. Ras has perfected techniques of transplanting brains, which he uses to provide rich elderly Martians with youthful new bodies for a profit. Distrustful of his fellow Martians, he trains Paxton as his assistant to perform the same operation on him. But Paxton has fallen in love with Valla Dia, one of Ras' young victims, whose body has been swapped for that of the hag Xaxa, Jeddara (empress) of the city-state of Phundahl. He refuses to operate on Ras until his mentor promises to restore her to her rightful body. A quest for that body ensues, in which Paxton is aided by others of Ras' experimental victims, and in the end he attains the hand of his Valla Dia, who in a happy plot twist  turns out to be a princess.

"And you?" I asked, turning to Dar Tarus as I released the bonds that held Gor Hajus.
For the first time I now noticed that the ugly expression
that I had first noted upon the face of Dar Tarus had given place to one of eagerness.
"Strike off my bonds," he said, "and I will follow you to the ends of Barsoom!"

There are several factors that make this a fantastic OSR sword and planet resource, Ulyssses Paxton assembles a party of adventurers from the experimental dead of Ras Thavas's galleries, we get to see Barsoomian swordsmen, duelists, and an an assassin among the party, we get a half breed giant White Ape as a part of the party, numerous exotic and deadly Barsoomian locations teaming with adventures waiting to happen.


Several factors besides the great art and the assembling your party from the dead. Barsoom is on full showcase here, everything from the White Apes to the weird retro technological world of dying Barsoom are all there. Ras Thavas is the poster child for mad scientists, super scientists and doctors everywhere, by degrees he's one part saint and in the next couple of sentences he's talking about some experimental victim as if its the sports page. He's pragmatic and honorable but he's not the kind of character you can leave alone with the family science lab. He's appeared in numerous games of mine as an NPC and I have to say he's been a great character to play with. He also appeared in two other Burroughs novels as well, "Ras later resurfaces in the later novel Synthetic Men of Mars (1939), by which time he has transferred his base to the dead city of Morbus in the Toonolian Marshes. There he has been experimenting in growing monstrous synthetic human beings called hormads. The most intelligent of these turn on him and force him to grow an army of hormads with which to conquer Barsoom. They also force their captive to transplant their brains into the bodies of imprisoned normal Martians. Ras's chance to turn the tables comes when the earthman John Carter, Warlord of Mars and prince of Helium, seeks his surgical aid for his wife Dejah Thoris, injured in an accident. Imprisoned with Ras, Carter and his companion Vor Daj plot with him against the hormads." And then a further follow up in from The Synthetic Men of Mars with, one hormad, Ras's pupil Pew Mogel, is later revealed in "John Carter and the Giant of Mars" (1940) to have escaped from Morbus and established a new base in the dead city of Korvas, from which he continues to plot world conquest using the scientific skills he gleaned from his mentor. His scheme is defeated by John Carter."

Throughout the plot of  'The Master Mind of Mars', there are certain D&D & AD&D touches that would later find themselves in certain adventures. Such as finding the trappings of an ancient Martian king within the inner workings and mechanisms of the great God Tur. Turism itself is a hollow religion whose mummery and rituals run through the narrative of  Mastermind. The hallow statue is classic.
The book ends on a classically happy ending

OSR Barsoomian Gaming
Resources

Grey Elf's Free OD&D pdf's includes 

Dungeons and Dragons Warriors of Mars for the  Original Dungeons and Dragons and its retroclone systems  by 'Doc' from the OD&D forums, this is very different animal then the Warriors of the Red Planet retroclone rpg system.  The free pdf is listed under  'The Age of Conan' and 'Warriors of Mars' almost at the bottom on the site.  When we begin talking about OSR role playing on Barsoom then there are number of options on the table Tur itself got a big shout out in the expanded Petty Gods by  New Big Dragon Games Unlimited along with a good portion of the Barsoomian pantheon and world in one of its appendixes.
Other resources also include this thread from the OD&D Forums but note that several of the thread's links are down or gone. The Warriors of the Red Planet rpg system is a complete OSR rpg system and goes for around 16.00 US and is a complete rpg system into itself covering the entire red planet pantheon of Martian SF rpging. There are four classes in the game: Fighting-Man, Scoundrel, Mentalist, & Scientist Along with a very well thought out monster section  that includes a ton of Martian monsters many of which are drawn from ERB's works. The classes from the free D&D Warriors of Mars pdf includes Fighting Man, Berserker , Scout, Assassin, and Psion. The psychic powers include beast master, necromancer, mesmerist, and telepath. While there are more classes WofR seems a bit more expansive to include more then simply Edgar Rice Burroughs works but also includes many of the the later science fantasy efforts and novels by other writers enabling wider range of OSR adventures. Warriors of Mars is much more narrowly focused on the ERB material

Commentary On Matthew Schmeer's Magic Ring Die Drop Table pdf A Free OSR Resource

Matthew Schmeer of Rendered Press has been making Dice Drop tables based on old vintage comic book adds and these have been two things, 1. free  & 2. Very,very, useful for post modern OSR games. These tables include his Wasteland Emporium & Wonderama Die Drop Table  & the Miracles of the Gnome Workshop Die Drop Table.

But his latest efforts are one of my favorites of his, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for weird adds in comic book pages. Those classics that were the comic book equivalent of the gum ball machines in the middle of comic books. The ones that had to break up the action in order to pay for the adds, surely there couldn't be a dice drop room random monster encounter table based on these old classic adds? What's In the Room? Die Drop Table  does this in spades and then some.  But his latest one is a scream and its based on those old vintage rings from the 40's and 50's. These rings are perfect for a pulpy game of D&D such as what would be found in Trey's Weird Adventures's  City setting. But Mathew's latest one on these magic rings? this is classic stuff, and its free.
He's done some touch up and some new lay out stuff and spiffed it up a bit and well its pure vintage pulptastic magic!
This thing is like the Old Johnson Smith catalog on acid with rings with some really cool properties.
You can find the Magic Ring Die Drop pdf right over here 

Do yourself a favor and grab the pdf, the details are easier to read the design elements pop like a Christmas tree. 

I can some magical sweat shop in the middle of the worst urban fantasy setting imaginable turning these little beauties out and some 6th or 7th level black wizard with two hands full of these magic bastards using em Mandarin style. Personally I can see these bad boys being used in the wast lands of some post apocalyptic game as a cool diversion or minor loot table. The rings are very interesting and the side effects make these rings non campaign derailing. There's lots of potential with this and I think these are well worth your time and effort to download this material! And best of all its free.

Free OSR Gonzo Adventure - The Rise and Fall of Zamzer For Your OD&D or Retroclone Style Campaigns

You can find a ton more information about the adventure and the adventure itself over at the Fire In The Jungle Blog HERE

So a couple of days ago, I came across a really gonzo old school adventure for an OD&D set up game. Its quick and short but sweet in what it does. This is a great little adventure if you want to introduce a party of adventurers to one another in a weird pulp setting with a prison break out and a whole bunch of old school elements that are simply awesome to use and work with if you go in for the gonzo element. Its simply a fun, free adventure with lots of little interesting elements to throw at your players. I love the fact that the adventure references an old exploitation Kung Fu classic called Burning Paradise In Hell. I loved the fact that the author referenced this movie because it was a poster that used to be in the background of the video store I worked in back the 90's in Boston on the weekends. The adventure is pretty solidly gonzo and its free, so I hoped you enjoy running it as much as I had a blast reading through it. 

A word of warning about Burning Paradise, this is a cult film of the highest caliber and a truly terrible film with some very weird elements to it. Its an acquired cult taste and consider yourself warned. I believe its out on a few venues for viewing and its rather obscure to begin with.
 According to the reviews -  "Lam gives the story a new twist by envisaging the temple as a kind of Quake-type fortress complete with bottomless pits, traps, poison gases and other nasties that await the two fighters who are assigned to free the monks." You can find out more right over HERE

The Free OSR downloads of Corey Ryan Walden For Your Old School Campaigns

If your looking for a good solid set of OSR downloads then look no further then Corey Ryan Walden's material. You won't find a better set of old school town materials for your campaigns. The gentleman has generously supplied his materials for free and their perfect for your retroclone or old school needs. 

Check them out right over 

HERE 

Free OSR Download - EPG Preview: Tsathoggua From New Big Dragon Games Unlimited For Your Old School Campaign

The Petty Gods project goes a long way back to the original Grogarndia  project oh, so many moons ago. Read about it right over HERE

Basically this project was picked up by Greg Gorgonmilk when the whole Dwimmermount business blew up and I missed that whole OSR issue nor do I care to open old wounds. The Greg has been instrumental in getting this project back on track. What is Petty Gods?  Rather than YE OLDE PANTHEON OF ALL-MIGHTY BEINGS, these are the lesser known secondary minor deities. The goddess of flying insects. The god of lost travelers.

Greg has managed to get several high profile writers on board; Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolfe, and Charles R. Saunders have agreed to submit a petty god from their respective fictional worlds. He's also got a guy by the name of Jim Ward contributing, too. And some artist named Erol Otus. In addition, several major RPG writers and freelancers are also involved, including Tim Hutchings, Ezra Claverie, Kevin Ohannessian, and Michael Tresca.

Rich Le Blanc has been handling some of the behind the scenes stuff according to the press release: 

Now available...

Expanded Petty Gods Preview:

Tsathoggua, Voormi, Formless Spawn

Get your Cthulhu on!

Please note that one of the reasons I've done this through RPGNow (rather than something like MediaFire), is so that as updates, other previews, and the actual Expanded Petty Gods book become available, there is a built in email function for updates, etc. 

Which brings us to the latest release of  Petty Gods and its Lovecraftian installment. Tsathoggua, Voormi, and the Formless Spawn have been released upon us as a free old school pdf. And their really nasty. The stat blocks are AD&D 1st edition or Osric style and sport the background, setting elements, and history for using this Lovecraftian god and his minions for your old school games. I'm happy to report that they live up to the wait. 

Grab it Right
HERE

The material is well done, and every bit as loathsome as you'd expect. Greg and co. have done a wonderful job of evoking the feel and look of this ancient horror god  from Saturn.
According to Wiki : 

Tsathoggua (the Sleeper of N'kai) is a supernatural entity in the Cthulhu Mythos shared fictional universe. He is the creation of Clark Ashton Smith and is part of his Hyperborean cycle.

Tsathoggua (or Zhothaqquah) is described as an Old One, a godlike being from the pantheon. He was invented in Smith's short story "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros", written in 1929 and published in the November 1931 issue of Weird Tales.^[1] His first appearance in print, however, was in H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Whisperer in Darkness", written in 1930 and published in the August 1931 Weird Tales.

You can read more right over HERE

What they didn't do is what I just did, grab the history from Wiki slap it into a monster/god entry and put the title 'Petty Gods' on it. Instead what we got was a helping of original prose given a viable entry in a usible format for your old school games. The god and its followers detailed are precisely as they should be. They're useble and utterly dangerous. Just perfect for your AD&D or OSRIC adventures.
He lives up exactly to his implications in Clark Aston Smith's original tale that he appears in. 

The first description of Tsathoggua occurs in "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros", in which the protagonists encounter one of the entity's idols:

He was very squat and pot-bellied, his head was more like a monstrous toad than a deity, and his whole body was covered with an imitation of short fur, giving somehow a vague sensation of both the bat and the sloth. His sleepy lids were half-lowered over his globular eyes; and the tip of a queer tongue issued from his fat mouth.

And he's utterly dangerous, his minions are just as implacable as their god.The formless spawn and the Voormi have appeared in other games and products such as Call of Cthulhu but here their center stage and given all of the attention and the center stage that they need. For any retroclone that uses the AD&D 1st edition engine such as OSRIC these are a must. They give a DM with a bend for the Lovecraftian that edge of Yog Shaggothy that they need without breaking the bank. The quality and work that went into this entry is top drawer. This set of utter Lovecraftian horror is perfect for any game where the Mythos is center stage. The art only adds to the weird alien charm of one of the lesser known god entities of Clark Aston Smith and  New Big Dragon Games did a great job with this one. Grab it and inject one of the lesser known Mythos gods into your games today! 

Free Comic Book Madness Monday : Dagar the Invincible #3 As Fodder For Your Old School Sword And Sorcery Campaigns

Jesse Santos artwork, 1976. via Dennis Ray from Marty Hirchak's COMIC BOOK SHOWCASE on Face Book . 

Growing up, I grew up reading Gold Key's Dagar The Invincible, recently Dark Horse comics produced an exceptional hardback of the adventures of Dagar.
According to Wiki:
Tales of Sword and Sorcery Featuring Dagar the Invincible is a comic book series created by writer Donald Glut and artist Jesse Santos for Western Publishing' Gold Key Comics line.Don Glut wrote the bible for the Heman and the Masters of the Universe cartoon an wrote the mini-booklets that came with the first toys. He had nothing to do with writing the cartoon it self but it is clear his original idea for the show was a lot closer to Dagar than what aired.The basic premise of this exceptional sword and sorcery title according to wiki again :
Dagar was a sword and sorcery series, set in a mythical past of warriors and wizards. There were a few secondary characters (Durak in #7, 12, 13; Torgus in #9, 10, 13). Don Glut also tied in his other Gold Key characters such as Tragg and Doctor Spektor. In #5, Jarn, Tragg's Neanderthal brother appeared. Tragg cameoed in issue #11. In issue #13, the story actually crossed over and was concluded in issue #15 of Doctor Spektor.
I stumbled across this issue earlier this afternoon whist making preparations for the Blizzard of 2015, on the Diversions of The Groovy Kind website, one of my all time favorites.
According to blog this issue featured some awesome plot and setting elements:
Just dig issue #3 (January 1973). "Wrath of the Vampires" give us, not only vampires (duh!), but woolly mammoths, trolls, giant "bat mounts", and beautiful ladies (this issue introduces Dagar's lady-love Graylin).
You Can Read it
HERE


Dagar The Invincible was one of those incredibly cool sword and sorcery comic books. The world of Dagar was a product of the sword and sorcery movement of the time and very easily adapted into D&D style adventures for parties. The high level of the action means a nice challenge for a party of adventurers, the PC's are going to locked into a world where they're not the meanest or nastiest. This is a series where the characters were always challenged by the setting. Because of the nature of the self contained stories of each issue makes this a really nice series to raid for one shot adventures.

The Dell comic books were well written and the artwork was exceptional making this a nice series to clue PC's in on exactly what they'd be facing down. The wizards are particularly mean and dangerous for a sword and sorcery title. The PC's can interact with Dagar The Invincible and his quest by acting as hired muscle, join in for a one shot adventure, cross paths or foil a plot involving the skull faced wizard and Dagar never being the wiser. There are lots of potential for very cool interacts with this title. 
The technology level in this series hovered between the Dark Ages and the End of the Roman Empire but there were glimmers of weird science, genetic tampering, high super science, and a bit of high stakes infernal interference.
Monsters, demons, dinosaurs, etc. were sometimes very unique and should be looked at on a one to one basis per issue once converted over for old school adventures. 

There's a great interview with Don Glut right over here at the Sword and Sorcery Site HERE
Mr.Glut has his own professional website right over HERE
You can find the Dagar The Invincible Hardcover at the Dark Horse Site right over HERE

Note that this post is for educational & entertainment purposes only, there is no copyright or trade mark violation intended here. The characters, setting,etc. are the product of their creators and the exceptional artists who brought this wonderful series to life.
The creations of Don Glut and Jesse Santos 

Review and Commentary On The Free Charlton Comic book Classic Outer Space Issue #18 For Your Old School Space Opera Campaigns

Grab It Right Over
HERE

Way back in the late Fifties and early Sixties, space exploration was a very trick thing in the public imagination and television such as the Twilight Zone and comics reflected this. Same as this cover with a test pilot getting his cock pit widow punched in by a sky ogre something related to that gremlin thing that terrifies William Shatner's character on that famous plane right through the skies of the Twilight Zone.  And a much slicker version later tortures John Lithgow's  character in the Twilight Zone movie which brings us to this issue of Outer Space issue #18 by Charlton Comics.
Outer Space was a comic that was chalk full of science fantasy anthology goodness in the Charlton comics tradition. Now free in the public domain this issue can be used as fodder for any number of  mini adventures or quick encounters for your old school campaigns. This issue starts off with 'First On Mercury'. the story starts out with some vintage comic book rocket sci fi porn. Love the design of the rocket ship, it looks like an atomic drive or an ion drive for inter system planetary exploration. We get a look at a pretty nice little Mercurian life form that could be used for any number of encounters but this story makes an excellent 'quick encounter' for Xplorers.
'The Old Robot" introduces an obsolete robot and his upstart replacement, things don't go well for the upstart as the original unit Robbo gets a new body by story's end. If you need an experienced robotic NPC unit then Robbo just might be your unit. According to the story he served a variety of masters and might come into your party's hands. He might also be out in the wasteland of some lost post apocalyptic wasteland. Not bad NPC style characters but the story is a bit insipid.
" For  Amusement Only" introduces a quick mutant plant apocalyptic world wide event, this might make an excellent alternative Earth encounter point or as another Prime Material plane infested with a variety of mutant plant menaces. The story also introduces a nice generic planet of super science villains in the form of Zoba in the sixth magnitude. A whole planet that a DM could easily write in the background of his choice.
 Space Dictionary gives a whole cloth background of science terms and such from the comic book's astronomical background. Vintage but of little use to me except as a curiosity.
 'Assignment Treason' is perfect old school pulp sci fi fodder for an adventure encounter with a twist. The villain is vile if minor in this one and a party could make short work of the plot. This a good one for either a vintage Stars Without Number or an X plorers interlude mid game encounter.
 'Repair Stop' is an amusing little story with a nice little cross over potential with an old school D&D style adventure but it might mean breaking the story's actual premise. Shrugs. The other bit here is a nice design for a technological race in the form of the wooden faced humanoids. They might actually be a cool NPC race for players to encounter.
 All in all Outer Space issue #18 is a pretty good little download, the stories are not going to spark a science fantasy revolution.But they  make some clever and interesting mid level gaming encounters and minor adventure events between major action points in a science fantasy campaign. All in all not a bad download for a free comic book from Charlton. 

Review and Commentary On The Free Post Apocalyptic Monster For The Mutant Epoch Rpg Or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Grab it For Free Right Over
HERE

The Quasi is a great mid level free monster tribal species from the Mutant Epoch game to challenge your adventurers in the post apocalyptic wasteland. The author does a fantastic job with this monster and sets a tone of penance and high weirdness that makes this horror from the Mutant Epoch game stand out.
All of the Free Mutant Epoch game's free monsters have been mini post apocalyptic monster kits with a small variety of options that really keep the players on their toes and add a bit a random customization factor to each one with treasure tables, random mutations, and a bit more. The Quasi keeps this tradition up. This is a fun monster to play around with.
According to the Drivethrurpg blurb:

Its play time with Quasi!

Try to avoid getting your character mangled by this hunch backed humanoid. It means no harm. It just has to squeeze its beloved pet so tight!

The Quasi, written by James Butler, is so named after the literary character of Quasimodo. The difference here is that this powerful, childishly curious and moody freak has none of the nobility, empathy or wisdom of the hunchback of Notre-Dame. It instead spends its life making traps, harvesting foodstuffs, and obsessing over a pet or object. Woe to any excavator who becomes the focus of its all-consuming attention, as the Quasi is likely to manhandle, toy with and eventually shatter the person, abandoning the broken pet in some filthy hole or ancient room before turning its attention to whatever takes its fancy next.

     This, our 8th Free Creature of the Apocalypse, comes in a 5 page PDF with a list of Quasi mutations as well as sampling of random pets and items the humanoid currently obsesses over. Also included is a full page, text free image of cover art for use as a player handout.  

     Although crafted for The Mutant Epoch role-playing game, using the Outland System Game Mechanic, a GM can easily modify the stats for the Quasi and use the beast with another post-apocalyptic game system.

Using The Quasi
In Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign 

Think of these monsters as the ultimate tribal  stalkers, the obess over their latest acquisitions and pets, namely the PC's. A combination of mutant hill folks and 'Hill Have Eyes' rejects these monsters present a perfect set of guardians for the DM's latest ruins.
These monsters also make excellent urban encounters for the edge of ruined cities, small towns, and other frontier style adventures. They present a weird combination to torture, taunt, and play hide and stalking games with a party of adventurers. That being said these mutants can be an absolutely ruthless set of challenges for a group of adventurers.
Because this is a five page free pdf there's lots of potential to use these mutants as mid level encounters players. Use them carefully as they can and will cause plenty of mayhem for a group of characters.
Because of the almost human nature of the Quasi the skin crawling factor of the monster is strong. There's a feeling that these horrors are just around the corner in the wasteland of your favorite PA game system. This is one of the marks of a classically made mutant monster in my opinion. All in all these horrors are something that are at once something to be avoided in the wasteland and an asset for a DM.
These mutant monsters are a nice addition to the free mutant monsters that are  available for the Mutant Epoch game. They can easily be converted to your favorite old school post apocalyptic OSR games as well. The stat blocks, ranges, etc. all given for the Quasi are great baselines to use for your favorite game systems.
The author does a nice job capturing a monster who is both menacing and weird by turns that can easily crush the life out your adventurer while seemingly capturing the essence of the Mutant Epoch rpg in one free sample package. 

Revisting The Free Post Apocalyptic Monster For Mutant Epoch - Scraplurker: Creatures of the Apocalypse 6 From Outland Arts

Grab It Right
HERE

Part picker, part Morelock, and all post apocalpytic nastiness is the the Scraplurker. This horror from the minds  of Outland Arts is perfect for a trap for all kinds of adventurers. These are a fully fleshed out horror just waiting to be injected into your old school post apocalyptic games. They've even done three sizes of the horrors for a whole lot of weird adventurer bashing family fun in the wastelands.
Here's the write up from Drivethrurpg: 

Watch your step, wastelander… that pile of loot ahead might just be a trap!

Designed and written by Brandon Goeringer, this is the 6^th free mutant freak in the Creatures of the Apocalypse line and the first to be offered in three nasty sizes: Juvenile, Adult and Brute!

The Scraplurker is a dweller of the ruins, old war zones and rubble strewn bogs. Although humanoid, these pack hunters view mankind as nothing more than the next meal. Their favorite trick is to wait in ambush, face down, exposing their junk and relic strewn backs to entice excavators and scavs in close enough to make a quick kill. Of course, what ruin looter can resist the often rare and valuable treasure items just laying in plain sight?

            This 8 page PDF offers the Scraplurker in three sizes, a mutation list, full page player handout version of the cover art, as well as a d100 Loot table showcasing items that one might find stuck to the back of these gruesome ambush predators.

Although crafted for The Mutant Epoch role-playing game, using the Outland System Game Mechanic, a GM can easily modify the stats for the three size variants shown into another post-apocalyptic game system

Using The Scraplurker in Your Old School 
Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

The Scraplurker is a monster and trap waiting to happen all in one for your post apocalyptic campaigns. The fact is that loot is one of the prime motivators for PA adventuring and these mad bastards are perfect fodder for your adventures.

The monster adds a bit more of a razor's edge to looting all kinds of locations such as abandon malls, military bases, air plan hangers/airports, and more. Anyplace you need a family of cannibalistic horrors to terrify your PC's this is one of the perfect fits.
With the loot list this monster class can add in a whole other feel to a location. These are an 'evolved' mutant that will use mutations, pack tactics, and strategy to cause merry havoc for an entire party. There's lots going on behind those beady eyes of these horrors. Add to this the list of random mutations and there's enough to keep your PC's guessing. There's  lots of potential for customization with these horrors. 

Free OSR Adventure and Resource - From The Makers "&" magazine Comes 'Rage From The Waves' For Your Old School Campaigns.

Grab it Right
HERE

Rage From The Waves is a huge forty page free adventure that packs a lot of old school punch into a solid free download that can be used for a variety of old school styles. The adventure is oriented for either OSRIC or AD&D first edition but with a bit of work it can be adapted to any number of styles.
The Blurb from the '&' site basically give a pretty good plot overview without really spilling the beans on the adventure: 

Lost ships. Missing crews. Disappearing cargo. The King is not pleased, and it’s your job to find out what happened and bring a stop to it! To do so you’ll have to unravel a mystery that’s stumped the king’s advisers.

Clues? one ship that made it back with a stabbing spear of unusual design and some odd blood on the deck.

Four to eight characters of 4th to 7th level will figure out the mystery. The adventure includes two completely detailed businesses, a full set of deck plans for a carrack, a second set of partial plans providing design variations, and an island with room for additional adventuring if you so desire. Add to this over 80 fully documented characters for use in this and other adventures, including several ship’s crews, and you have an adventure that is also a resource.
Basically this is an OSR resource wrapped around an old school adventure with lots going on. There are a few reasons to look into this style of adventure: 

• This is a solid waterborne adventure with some really nice nautical action. 
• There lots going on for PC's to deal with and the resource persented in the adventure can be adapted into a number of old school campaigns. In fact I would say to use those resources in other game adventures so that PC's become familiar with them. This way the events of Rage foreshadow what is to come their by getting the PC's more involved. 
• There are a boat load of NPC's that can fill an entire campaign world all by themselves. Many of these can and do have reasons to hook the PC's into other parts of your adventures. 
• The nautical businesses have lots of potential for use in other adventures all by themselves and with little to no work can spawn several spin off adventures and lines into other areas of old school campaigns. 
• This is an adventure with the potential for months of play and lots of high AD&D style weirdness. 
• This is a very well written adventure, concise in its details but with lots of customization by the DM to really fill in some of the finer points of this adventure by making it a part of their world. 
• With all of this acreage of supplemental material in the background there's lots of room for extra play and with a bit of work there are several plot points to spin off all on their own. This enables a DM to have plenty of room for more campaign expansion while putting their own spin on the material from 'Rage'. 
• The old school curve here for level and hands on action is solid so be advised the writers and designers mean the material presented here is old school. There are several key points where PC's could die rather messily. 
• Given the chance there are several other '&' resources that could be slotted into the background of 'Rage' to make a mega campaign lasting months of air play. Did I mention that this was a free resource?
  All in all Rage From The Waves is a very well done and solid old school adventure with lots of action happening within its pages. DM's who use a bit of caution, pay attention to the encounters, and play this one right could get months of old school action with their players. A very well done adventure with lots of potential and high weirdness. 

Free OSR Resource - "&" magazine issue #9 For your Old School Campaigns

 Grab it Right Over
HERE
Click on the magazine cover to down load.

The latest issue of "&" magazine is out and its a great one. This issue covers spells, spell casters, wizards, Greater Fae, magic shops, old school adventures, magic items and more. The issue is pretty jammed with AD&D style first edition inspired goodness and can be used for OSRIC as well as about 90% of the retroclones with some modification that are currently on the market.
There's also an interview with Ernie Gygax and more! Check it out, download it, get a bit more for your magick in your games! 

Review and Commentary On The Free Post Apocalyptic Resource The Junk-Mobster: Creatures of the Apocalypse 4 From Outland Arts For Mutant Epoch or Any Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

When it comes to post apocalyptic mutant monster races these guys are right up there. A weird combination of spider like mutant mixed with humanoid and some less identifiable make the Junk Mobster a creature of the wastelands to be feared and loathed. The violent and nasty nature of these horrors will make even the most hardened adventurer to take a second glance and check his laser sword. But this is only the beginning of these horrors. 
Junk Mobsters are tribal horrors that use a combination of pack tactics, humiliation, violence and worse to take down their opponents. 

The worst part, they take potential mates from among adventuring parties and their not very choosy. 

Grab It Right 

HERE 

This is a very concise and well written post apocalyptic monster with some very disturbing elements here and there.This thing is the stuff of nightmares in the post apocalyptic wasteland. Seriously these things can mess up an adventuring party because simply put. They'll take prisoners and the hellish nightmare has only just begun.. 

As hated as is it is feared, the disgusting, vaguely humanoid, multi-limbed and many headed Junk-Mobster is here.

 Our fourth and most disturbing creature of the apocalypse yet. This thing is the stuff of nightmares. Not only can it eviscerate opponents with its elongated, clawed arms, but it often tries to subdue potential mates with net and club, meanwhile unleashing a barrage of mental mutations. Although terrible, mercenary bands, bounty hunters and excavators alike often seek these mutant monsters out, eager to claim the lucrative bounty on them, as well as free prisoners and loot the Rubble-Gangsta’s trove.

 Get it free today! Also, make sure you claim our three previous Creatures of the Apocalypse: The Spikeback, Red Harvester and dreaded Sickle Foot.

 Although crafted for The Mutant Epoch role-playing game, using the Outland System Game Mechanic, a GM can easily modify this freak’s stats over into another post-apocalyptic game system.

Using the Junk Mobsters In Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

Junk Mobsters are setting monsters, meaning that these tribal mutant horrors can be placed around locations where there is  plenty of loot. These horrors actually have a reason to appear around a mall, military base, vault, bunker, or other loot location.  Given their obsessions and mutations these horrors are the perfect road block for a party who would like to get their hands on the powerful artifact hidden in the rubble. There are at least two additional  loot list tables and random mutations lists for these horrors that will keep players guessing. These can be a really nasty horror waiting to happen to a party. Given that their a free resource these guys are perfect for adding right into an existing adventure location or as a placed danger for a hidden valley, military base, or any place where artifacts might be found. Given their loathsome habits, demeanor, and personalities these horrors will give even the most seasoned post apocalyptic adventurer pause. Just time enough for their claws to make short work of your heroes. 

Review and Commentary On The Free Post Apocalyptic Monster For Mutant Epoch - The Red Harvester

Grab It Right
HERE

Need a Lovecraftian style horror able to dissolve flesh, rip apart PC's, tale punishment, still come back for more with an element of the unknown for those jaded post Apocalpytic PC's who've done it all in the wasteland? 
We've got you covered with the second free mutant monster download from Outland Arts. The Red Harvester is a nasty piece of work with a set if random mutations built right into this five page download. 
 The Drive through blurb: 

The red harvester is so named for its ability to appear from seemingly nowhere and reap a bounty of flesh.

Welcome to The Mutant Epoch, where humankind is no longer the top of the food chain. The Red Harvester is our second free Creature of the Apocalypse, and worse then the first critter we made available and defiantly not for the squeamish.  

With the success of the Sickle Foot, we at Outland Arts plan to release more of these nasty freaks to delight and horrify your players. Our third mutant monster is the Spikeback.

While designed using the Outland System Game mechanic stats, any game master worth his or her title can easily port the stat block over into whatever PA game system being used at his or her table.
 So this is one really nasty piece of work that is able to dissolve PC's into puddles of flesh goo with a really nasty bite as well.The monster is oriented for the Mutant Epoch rpg but with a bit of work it could be used with any old school POA style game. The stat blocks are well laid out, the biology is twisted beyond compare, and this nasty has a real comic book style appeal to it. All in all I was really surprised at how versatile this beast really is. 

Using The Red Harvester In 
Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

The Red Harvester is one of those rare POA monsters with a myriad of uses. From nasty style assassination weapon to full on full horror critter waiting in the toxic dump. This nasty can pretty much fit the bill for a full on party wipe if used correctly. This thing has camouflage abilities as well as a streak of the unpredictable about it. Place it inside ruins for maximum coverage or a whole load of these for a total TPK.
 This is one really nasty piece of work and could easily be at home among a horror themed POA game or campaign.The things methods of stalking, killing, and taking out its prey are like something from a 1950's or 60's horror movie. There is more then a bit of the Lovecraftian about it, and because I've got an upcoming Mutant Epoch game I've decided to dust off some of my notes. 

Out popped this nasty just waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting party of adventurers. This is a great free download and only the second in a series of monsters that can be encountered in the wastelands from Outland Arts.

Free Classic Science Fiction Download - The Avon Science Fiction Reader Issue 001

Don't let the 'good girl' art fool you this is a great little download that reprints some classic science fiction by some of the great authors of the pulp era. 

Grab Your Copy 

HERE

Here have we some classic science fiction with the Avon Science Fiction Reader, this is the sister publication to the Avon Fantasy Reader. They were later merged into the Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy. 
According to Wiki: Avon Fantasy Reader was a digest size magazine (sometimes classed as a series of anthologies) which reprinted science fiction and fantasy literature by now well-known authors. It was edited by Donald A. Wollheim and published by Avon. The magazine had one spin off, Avon Science Fiction Reader, with which it merged on its cancellation to become Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy Reader."Avon strived to bring readers little known stories by then little recognized writers such as H. P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, C. L. Moore, A. Merritt, Murray Leinster and William Hope Hodgson. Avon Fantasy Reader was published from 1946 to 1952 and had 18 issues in full."

• fep • Love Was Treason in That Future War • essay by Donald A. Wollheim
• 3 • The War of the Sexes • (1933) • novelette by Edmond Hamilton
• 25 • Green Glory • (1935) • shortstory by Frank Belknap Long
• 34 • The Immeasurable Horror • (1931) • shortstory by Clark Ashton Smith
• 45 • The Morrison Monument • (1935) • novelette by Murray Leinster
• 65 • The Incubator Man • (1928) • shortstory by Wallace West
• 71 • The Dark Side of Antri • [John Hanson] • (1931) • novelette by Sewell Peaslee Wright
• 88 • Blind Flight • (1942) • shortstory by Donald A. Wollheim
• 95 • Rhythm of the Spheres • (1934) • shortstory by A. Merritt
• 105 • Madness of the Dust • (1930) • shortstory by R. F. Starzl
• 116 • The Cosmic Express • (1930) • shortstory by Jack Williamson

Review and Commentary On The New X men Days Of Future Past Trailer And It's impact on Your Old School Super Hero Campaigns

This looks like the X men movie that we've been waiting for? Or is it? It's really interesting looking and with so many Marvel properties in the mix now a days things are very busy for an old comic book fan like me. It's nice to see Bryan Singer returning to the directing chair. The reason I say this is because from a  cohesion of storyline stand point I've gotten a bit tired of redo's and recons of Marvel properties.

I would love to see a tie in with Agents of Shield or some of the other Marvel properties but the problem is that these properties are scattered to the four winds by the various studios. A fact that seems to escape some folks. Here's a break down over HERE

Many of the players here are from the X men First Class movie and as we wander down the movie version of the Days of Future Past, things are starting to look up for this movie. I like what I see with this one. There's a vibe of the humor, pathos, and of a hint of a great movie or its it a great trailer? Hard to tell but I did enjoy First Class so we'll see what happens.

So we're going to get the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in this one and we get another round of Magneto and Charles friend ship tearing the whole tapestry  of Earth apart. Will we see a Scarlet Witch tie in with Age Of Ultron? Color me curious to say the least. 

 My criteria for these  films is that they should make me want to run an old school super heroes rpg campaign. 

So far things are sounding really solid but I just can't seem to get into the design of the new Sentinels.

There's something classic about the comic Sentinels to me. 

The Sentinels look like an I phone or tablet technologies not horrid cybernetic units  that are capable of ripping PC's apart. 

The one important point here is that the Xmen comic book is classic. And this is a movie and there are all sorts of issues putting onto screen a story line with this many comic fan's expectations. Will they nail it? 

That's going to be the real heart and soul of the matter. TSR had a very nifty way of dealing with the marketing that appealed to the fans of the Marvel comic and the game. But it always falls back to this. 

The comic book vs the movie is real the issue. The old school Marvel Superheros Heroes rpg had a very nifty time of marketing itself. Especially the Days of Future Past Adventures, they took place within your home town. The  dystopianism was knocking right on your campaign's front door and it was coming to kick your PC's teeth in. 

As the adventure story line continued your PC's were hunted, exploited,humiliated, and almost sentinel bate at least a couple of times. That's only in the first adventure BTW and I ran the hell out of this one back in the nether reaches of my misspent youth.
 Surviving such a programme is isn't easy but the fact that these now classic adventures are available for free makes me very curious to run em and see how they hold up.
They're all available right over HERE