Five More Cultclassic Films As Fodder For The Crimson Dragon Slayer Rpg

So today I've been thinking about the Crimson Dragon Slayer Rpg and reading through the pulpy pst apocalyptic goodness that is the CR  rpg system. And back to my glory days of working in the video rental store back in Nineteen Ninety something. Which five other fantasy film would I pull from to bring some weirdly odd nostalgia into the world of Thule. Now the thing about Thule is that its instant recognizable from the usual tropes of D&D but with a ton of awesomeness that gotten thrown into the mix. Your PC's are survivors from the 80's who have been transformed into POA survivors. But the game just begs for 80's weirdness to get tossed in to the deep end of this game system. So right off the top of my head here's what I came up with. 

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So when we're looking into Crimson Dragon Slayer the DM is walking a fine line between nostalgia and sheer high weirdness. The game does this balance very well and Thule really needs to get more of edge on treatment in how it handles itself. Reference Back To The Future is one thing but playing around with the usual tropes of the Eighties is another. For example using one of my favorite true fantasy films from the 1980's. The Never Ending Story has for some folks all of the charm and wit of the 80's fantasy films right at its center. The books are far,far better but that's alright we're more concerned here about the film. 

The Never Ending Story 1984 

So the basic outline in the Never Ending Story has a plot according to Wiki that goes something like this :
Bastian Balthazar Bux (Barret Oliver), a shy and friendless bibliophile child, hides in a bookstore, interrupting the grumpy bookseller, Mr. Coreander (Thomas Hill). Bastian asks about one of the books he sees, but Mr. Coreander advises against it; despite which, Bastian seizes the book, leaving a note promising to return it, and hides in the school's attic to read. The book describes the world of Fantasia threatened by a force called "The Nothing"; wherefore the Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach) who rules over Fantasia has fallen ill, and has summoned Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) to discover the cure. Atreyu is therefore given AURYN. As Atreyu sets out, the Nothing summons Gmork(voiced by Alan Oppenheimer), a werewolf, to kill Atreyu.
When we look at the dire force behind the world spanning affairs in Fantasia. That's really the DM's ticket here. You see the 'Nothing' wasn't exactly pulling out all of its forces right on Atreyu and the Child Empress, instead there were still dark forces that threatened that world. Enter the PC's to help mop up the left over horrors that still lurk on the edges of Fantasia and Thule. Plenty of opportunity to mix in the real world of The Never Ending Story with the high fantasy pop corner  of the film. 
Speaking of working around films and adventure opportunity, the film Time Bandits is another film whose loose ends can easily be exploited full for the DM to involve his PC's from the Crimson Dragon Slayer game. Did all those pieces of evil simply round themselves up and collect themselves into those rubbish bins by the Supreme Being? I don't think so. I think that the very clever and kindly looking Supreme Being whisks the adventurers away from Thule to help clean up the mess. There's also potential for dungeon exploitation by finding out if the weird head vile villain is really gone by exploring that massive castle at the center of the setting. 
Time Bandits 1981 

Erik The Viking 1983 
Plenty of opportunities here as well, the PC's get called in to help fill in some of the gaping plot holes and keep getting shafted by Erik and his crew of misfits. They still gain the treasure and experience but they keep getting shafted by the gods who use them as an adventuring clean up crew. 

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This sort of campaign can walk the line between comedic and adventure. The high weirdness factor of the film certainly fits in with CR's feel. And the none pc nature is in keeping with some of the material that one finds in game. Lots of famous and infamous bits and pieces of legend and mythology make their way in and out of this one.
This isn't a well known film which makes it perfect fodder for adventure creation. 

Big Trouble In Little China 1986 
Lots of potential here and this all begins and ends with two characters, one is Egg Shan and the other is the Oni Troll. There is a history between Lo Pan and Egg Shan stretching back quite a few years.  I get the impression that Jack Burton is only one in a very long line of heroes that the little sorcerer has used to battle the forces of Lo Pan over the years. 

Could the forces of Lo Pan have threatened other worlds in the past? Was he reduced in power since the glory day's of China's mythological period? I think so and in fact that I'd go so far as to say that Thule might be next and that the PC's are in for a very rough ride. And what about that underworld in BTILC? That place is perfect to bring in adventurers to face down the forces of darkness and shake the pillars of Heaven.

Here's another not so quick choice that comes to mind when we're talking about Crimson Dragon Slayer. Flash Gordon from 1980. Yeah, this might not seem like the obvious choice at first but Mongo has a ton to offer. Besides a killer soundtrack, the film has a great world to threaten Thule with. Lizardmen, Hawkmen diving from the skies, War Rocket Ajax, imperial Mongo kinkiness, and its an icon of the 1980's just waiting to be plundered!
Flash Gordon 1980 

Because its going to be the last thing that players are going to be expecting. Flash Gordon has a ton to offer. There is plenty of megadungeon its and lots of sci fi adventure just waiting to be added into the world of Thule and let's not mention that there are ton's of gadgets, NPC's, treasures, and more. 

Five Cultclassic Eighties Fantasy Films As Fodder For Crimson Dragon Slayer Campaigns

Well, Venger Satanis  released Crimson Dragon Slayers what seems like an eternity and it sits on my hard drive mocking me. But the pulpy and weird adventure apocalyptic world of 80's awesomeness called Thule is a bit of a conundrum for me. What sort of campaign is going to work for Thule when your 80's stereotype is transported to a world dripping with pulpy gobs of danger and adventure around every corner. What do you do? Well you turn to the awesome films of the 80's for help.Here are five possible candidates for adding a bit more weirdness and nostalgia echo to Thule. I chose five films that are not the usual sword and sorcery films that get slapped onto every list of Appendix N fodder.

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So right off the bat is one of the classic vampire flicks of all time. Lost Boys 1987  brings a ton of stuff to the table that can be mined to create some very interesting and compelling adventure fodder. Re skinning the locations, characters,etc. can turn this film into an instant campaign jump start.

The village of San Demingo has a problem with vampires and the PC's have stumbled upon this little corner of paradise. Well at least at least until sun set when the vampires come out like flying nuns. A series of caverns around the coastline hide a mega dungeon secret or two. Put the Lost Boys soundtrack and let your imagination run wild.

Vacation 1983

Look hear me out before you go dismissing this film right out of hand. Take the family from this classic comedy lock, stock and two smoking NPC's and add them right into the background of Thule. Then reskin the Los Angeles amusement park Walley World, billed as "America's Favorite Family Fun Park" as a megadungeon run by your favorite dementated monster or demon lord and your set ready to go. Add in traps and classic fantasy tropes as needed. For even more fun add in bits of barely recognizable Advanced Dungeons and Dragons cartoon bits as needed. 


Fun for the whole party awaits in this re skinned classic with classic adventure bits for the whole family.

Legend 1985 
The Fey have come to Thule for a little fun and to challenge a demon lord whose going to shut off the sun. Weirdness and demonic hi jinks await the party as the entire world is a frozen snow globe of goblins,elves, and fey awaiting the party of adventures. Or is it? Could all of this epic weirdness be happening inside some wizard's snow globe and all of this epicness being nothing more then a trick by a demon lord?

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There's enough milage in this film for at least three different campaigns for Crimson Dragon Slayers. And enough challenges, treasures, and boldness to mine this one for months of play.

     Beetlejuice 1988 

What happens when the dead of the 80's get miss placed into the background of Thule? Can they adapt to a world of fantasy awesomeness? Will they be able to escape the vast desert that surrounds their afterlife? Will the sand worms claim your adventurers or will they joined those living challenged NPC's? Are there answers to these questions in the megadungeons of the afterlife of the ghost with the most? Only your DM can answer these questions and how will things ever be the same again? 

Crank up the VCR and let your ideas flow and bleed into Thule changing and modifying this world of pulp adventure to suit your twisted needs.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988 
Classic toons, toon town, weird characters, twisted NPC's and lots of fun is what this film has to offer. Adding in toons to Thule brings home the twisted strangeness of the location. And there's plenty of opportunity to have tongue planted firmly in cheek with this one. Add in random adventure locations as Toon town bleeds into Thule at random intervals. Maybe there's an H.P. Lovecraft's  Dreamland connection or some lost child has suddenly found themselves in Thule and brought a bit of Toon town with them.

Don't be too quick to dismiss this Eighties classic film of animated fun, there's lots of weirdness to mine as you realize that much of this film offers some truly interesting and unique NPC's if some of the background of Toon town is researched and explored. These films offer some really strange and interesting ideas to add into as solo or one shot adventures or unique encounters for Thule.