Gaming From The Fringes - 'Fantasy Gamer's Compendium, Revised and Expanded By Game Science' - Cha'alt/Godbound Campaign Commentary

I'm looking for a stop gap organization that's been observing the 'goings on' of the Cha'alt warp in my Cha'alt/Godbound campaign. The  'Order of the Lords of Mystery' fills the gap nicely & comes from a very prolific & unexpected source namely Game Science. The year is Nineteen Ninety & a new edition of 'The  Fantasy Gamer's Compendium, Revised and Expanded' comes into my hands. Phil Edgren, Dan Bress,  Ed Konstant, &  Ed Lipsett all  Game Science regulars get a compendium of old school goodness published  in one collected source. 

There's a really solid review of the 'The  Fantasy Gamer's Compendium, Revised and Expanded'  on the original Dungeons & Dragons pro board site here.  Now I've talked about using this book in the past but its time to really go to material. According to the Game Science website the book is still available for eleven dollars US & here's what's in it; "THE FANTASY GAMER'S COMPENDIUM

This fantasy gaming reference is actually 7 books in one.

The BOOK OF MYSTERY tells how to find the academy which your character attends between gaming sessions. He learns other languages, how to heal with herbs becomes a kung fu expert, and learns how to complete quests more successfully.

#2 The BOOK OF MONSTERS provides combat states and details of legendary creatures from Aztec, Eskimo and 40 other cultures. Many of these will not be found in the T.S.R. monster manual.

#3 The BOOK OF DEMONS describes 85 demons listed in the Kabala and Bible.

#4 The BOOK OF SORCERY provides 90 4 line incantations which magic users must flawlessly recite to make their magic effective. It also covers miscast spells, and many magic items.

#5 The BOOK OF SHAMANS introduces a whole new cast of characters. They can summon rain clouds, cause mana to fall from the heavens, change themselves into animals and they have 9 levels of skill through which to progress.

#6 The BOOK OF TREASURES describes treasures of legend and antiquity, like Exalibur the magic sword.

#7 The second part of this treasure book, tells of futuristic treasures, like zero gravity lifting device which players can use to haul unlimited treasure, or a stun wand, or time travel machine.

Separately, each of these books cost $5 or $8, and totaled $40+, but now its all in one work for $11."

Now my main concern is  The  'Order of the Lords of Mystery' which is a mysterious & secretive organization that has been observing the Cha'alt warp in California, Nevada, & Arizona. Now in past campaigns I've used them as a mysterious & secret order of monks & librarians who are obsessed with preserving the history & past of certain Prime Material planes & Earths. Who they work for isn't clear but many leaders bow to them. 
Actually the  'Order of the Lords of Mystery' is a 'duck blind' secret organization that works for & is a part of one of the  many facets of a 'space federation of planets'. This organization in my campaigns comes straight from the pages of Goblinoid Games Star Ships & Spacemen second edition. 


This being the Goblinoid Games rpg system fits right into the Adventurer,Conqeuror,King rpg system  paradigm that I've been using for my Cha'alt/Godbound campaign. The idea that the  'Order of the Lords of Mystery' abbots & monks have been helping with relief efforts from deep within my campaign's dragon NPC kingdoms makes a certain ironic sense. What no really knows is that the  'Order of the Lords of Mystery' is trying to ascertain how deeply the dangerous influence of xanthium-183 upon this plane. The brothers & sisters of the  'Order of the Lords of Mystery'  are spread across California. They are accompanied by blade dancer bodyguards straight out of the  Adventurer,Conqueror,King rpg.


This fits some of the byline that I've established in the past using two sources one is Goblinoid Games Apes Victorious rpg because of its astronaut class. But there's also conversion rules for Labyrinth Lord & Mutant Future.  This makes it useful for ACK's because of the fact that ACK's uses Labyrinth Lord as its base system. 


 Goblinoid Games Apes Victorious rpg is very interesting to me because it back slides into 'The Barbarian Conquerors of Kanahu' by Omer Joel, &  Alexander Macris. The   'Order of the Lords of Mystery'  may know far more then they are letting on to anyone! 


The dangers of the black pyramid & the Cha'alt wave across Earth gives rise to both minor cults of Chaos & the dangerous influence of the 'master' out in the desert wastelands as I explained in The Armies of Chaos From X4: "Master of the Desert Nomads" (1983), by David "Zeb" Cook - Cha'alt/Godbound Campaign Commentary over the weekend on this very blog. 

I'm designing may of these cults using Dark Albion's Cults of Chaos because I like the arrangement & solid rules grounding that the Dark Albion setting has. Are there solid rules here that can have a table top level impact! 



The real question is does   'Order of the Lords of Mystery' know far more then its letting on to about Cha'alt. Where does the 'Master' fit into this & what other weird horrors are waiting to be discovered by the player's PC's!?!

1d20 Lovecraftain Space Hazards Random Encounters Table For Your Old School Space Opera

1d10 Lovecraftain Space Hazards Random Encounters

1. A spinning golden pyramid containing the melded essence of 1d4 alien races joined in a spinning vortex of madness and insanity that will do 1d6 points of energy damage to any space craft within a light year. This spinning helix of crazied insanity will try to level drain and merge any crewmen encountered. Has 40 Hit points And an Armor Class of 8. 
2. An avatar of Cthulhu called the Dreaming Nightmare. This creature is a projection of the great old's roaming astral essence. The thing acts a symbol of insanity and will devour anything it comes across. The thing must be avoided at all costs. A powerful cosmic entity may be able to banish it back to the depths of nightmare. 
3. The Vortex of Thom - This vortex of cosmic draining energy is actually the mouth parts of a dimensionally trapped god that wishes to drain any remaining energy it can to free itself from its other worldly prison. It will drain 1d10 points of energy from any source it can per round. Only a burst of proto antimatter will banish this monster back to the depths of dimensional darkness. 
4. The Spheres of Thal - These machines of dust and darkness roam the cosmos for any star ships they can find. These machines are the scattered remains of an AI god now hell bent on claiming the lives of any it comes across. There are 1d8 spheres present. They have an armor class of 6, 12 hit points and attack for 1d4 points of damage per round using particle laser weapons. These things regenerate as per troll. Only stellar matter can burn these alien machines up. 
5. The Colour Out of The Interstellar Gulf - This level draining monstrous cloud is the size of large star destroyer and will suck dry anything present. The monster will then try to possess any remaining crew. The monster is able to travel as a small star ship. A burst of any proto matter may dismiss it back between dead stars. 
6. The Deadworld of Helas -This world moves around the universe filled with astro zombie warriors cursed by the Norse god Hela to wander across the cosmos prying on any ships that it finds. The thing moves across the universe at will claiming more damned for its silent waste filled world. 
7. The Spools of Thrusr'a - These relic weapons of a mad god appear strung between worlds. These monofiliment nightmares are only a molecule thick and able to slice a ship to wreckage in seconds. The things form webs made by alien robotic machines. These weapons do 1d6 points of damage to any ship flying into a star system where they have been deployed. 
8. The Worms of Gr'ura - These giant world destroying worms move slowly constricting worlds of vital essence. The worms of thousands of miles across and each houses 1d20 lesser monsters. The worms are 20 hit points each and can do 1d10 points of damage by expelling a chunk of stellar matter at a star ship. They each have an armor class of six. A nuclear war head at the right spot might damage a worm. There are always 1d4 of these monsters. They are capable of warp flight. 
9. The Eye Balls of Thesvru - These giant interstellar flying eye balls were the eyes of a giant god millions of years old. The gods cut the beast apart and now the eyes roam the universe looking for their other parts. Each 20 hit point eye has an armor class of 6 and can emit a cosmic blast of energy for 1d10 points of damage. Each eye will attack any starship it runs across.  Only a burst of neutrino particles can damage these creatures. Many ancient alien craft had such things on board. 
10. Space Around your vessel ripples and Azathoth appears! What will you do? 
11. The War Ship Of Cirus - This ancient preprogrammed AI Death God roams space hunting down any humanoid races it finds. It will only back down if worship with the sacrifice of the enemy's star ship captain! The ship is armed with xray lasers and particle beam cannons. Within its confines is the trapped mind of a Great Old One. 30 hit points Armor Class 5 Damage 1d8 per round from a mix of particle ray cannons and x ray lasers. Only a cosmic entity of light may have a 20% chance of banishing it back to the wastes of hyperspace 
12. The Monolith of Thel - This blue green twenty foot tall monolith spins through space churning out hard radiation  to any vessels it finds. This uncaring plaything of the gods will bath any vessel in Gamma Radiation and other hard radiations for 1d10 rounds before vanishing back into hyperspace. There is a 20% chance of it reappearing 1d4 rounds later. 
13. Constructors of The Great Race - These fourteen block long grey rectangles once belonged to the Great Race of Yith. They now roam the wastes of hyperspace destroying anything that runs across their path. They will attack with 1d4 point of neutrino energy per round and 1d6 points of laser damage. They will neatly cut up any ship that they run across. These ships will then absorb any wreckage and disappear. They are Armor class 7 and have 30 hit points. 
14. The Swarm of La - This swarm of nanobot nightmares is actually a one light year long cloud. The nano bots will dissemble anything they encounter. All the while they will broadcast praises to the Great Old Ones. These creatures only do one point of damage each. There are billions and billions of them. Anyone eaten by them will live on locked in disembodied hellish existence caught between insanity and horror beyond existence. Only a burst of neutron energy aimed at the central brain cluster has any chance of destroying these things. 
15. The Churning Horrors - These insect like beings are actually the space going remains of a once great alien race now locked forever within the confines of these bio synthetic horrors from beyond space time. Each one is a 10 hit point horror armed with 1d4 energy weapons there are usually 1d20 of these things encountered. They move locust like from world to world. They devour the brains of any being they encounter to add to their insane knowledge. 
16.  The Spinning Robot Nightmares of Trall - These space probe droids have been augmented by merging with the essence of a Great Old One. These monsters now wish only the extinguish of all life as we know it. These 12 hit point beings only wish to end their own existence but they cannot. Their programming will not allow such things to happen. They have an armor class of 5 and attack with mono blades that do 1d6 points per round when they hit. There are usually 1d8 machines encountered. Only a deadly burst of neutron energy to the lead bot will cripple them. 
17. The Trimplenx - This cosmic being is wounded any bleeds chunks of reality altering blood and gore. Each time this giant is encountered bits of him will attack your ship. There are usually 1d4 gore units. Each has 7 hit points and attacks with 1d4 points of damage per round. Should any reach your hull they will eat through within three rounds. After 1d4 rounds this giant diseased god will disappear and there is a 20% chance of him appearing again within the same star system. Only the Hymns of La can banish this slowly dying immortal. 
18. The Mind of Azathoth - An entire light year will be blanketed by the telepathic insanity that will spread across the entire star system. Each being will be possessed to do the most alien and horrid things imaginable. After a night and a day the disembodied mind will move on to spread the insanity else where. 
19. The star system is filled with stellar chucks of Great Old One gore. The entire system swarms with this stuff shunted out from hyperspace. There is a 50% of the stuff being infected with the most lethal monsters imaginable acting as parasites aboard this stuff. The flesh will cause 1d20 mutations to any being that has any contact. After 1d10 days the flesh will dissolve away from the local space time. Any star ship hulls encountering this stuff has a 10% chance of dissolving into soul screaming goo. 
20. A Star Spawn of Cthulhu is encountered off the port bow! 

'Mi Go & Mythologies' More Old School & OSR Campaign Workshop

We've had some pop up thunderstorms & 'what not' weather here so I've been down under the weather today. But my mind's been churning over & over about this Godbound rpg  campaign. I've been writing in the back of my mind between work jobs. One of the primary foes that I had for my early games were the Mi Go. Specifically, the Mi Go of the early original  Dragon Magazine #12 (Feb 1978) which included "The Lovecraftian Mythos in Dungeons & Dragons" by J. Eric Holmes and Rob Kuntz . These Mi Go were very dangerous and according to my notes there's a very good write up on the Zenopus Archives site about 'Holme's Mi Go'. Over the years I've reworked these particular write ups as shock troops for a Stars Without Number game.  As well as a Conan mini campaign using Kuntz & Ward's Gods, Demi gods, & Heroes Conan entries as a set of guidelines. 

But over the years to illustrate the stratification of Mi Go hives I've used Kuntz & Ward's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Deities & Demigods  Mi Go entry from the Cthulhu's Mythos section. I had specifically avoided Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu rpg because of giving the Mi Go an upgrade later on in the campaign. Different Mi Go hives adapt in different ways to various conditions that these things find themselves in. Realms of Crawling Chaos for Labyrinth Lord has a slightly different variant of the Mi Go. But all of these modern take on the Mi Go derive from the D20 Call of Cthulhu released back in 2002. So the Mi Go are now available under the OGL which is where 90% of the OSR content comes from anyway.

For my Godbound campaign I've been rereading through campaign notes where humanity was almost wiped out against the Mi Go. The were great swaths of interstellar battle fields scattered  millions of mecha from across the planes. Many of these valuable mecha were left floating out in the void & now we've got the Mi Go on the move again. But their not the only foes that humanity is facing across the planes.
On the recommendation of a friend I busted out the Teratic Tome by Rafael Chandler. There are quite a few horrors in this bad boy that fit the line of campaign that I'm writing here Rafael Chandler's universe is chilling place with flashes of light coming from those willing to stand against the onslaught of darkness. 




I've got to work out a bit more of the mythologies & backdrops with this campaign but its coming together quite nicely. The balance between the modern OSR vs the old school material meshes very well. The question in my mind do the PC's have a chance? Honestly I don't know yet as it stands.

Edward Burne-Jones: The Wizard  

So this campaign is in no way shape or form ready for prime time at the table top level, yet. Part of the process for me is to keep refining adventures,campaign elements,etc. not to write scripts or stories but adventures that work. Its all a part of the process for me as a dungeon master. 

Review of Mad Monks of Kwantoom From Kabuki Kaiser

This is a book that can be thought of in two ways as one a complete tool kit to run an incredible kick ass oriental adventure campaign & it contains everything your going to need run this for yourself as a solo player.
 And it does contain Ninjas as well. The book is jam packed with everything you need to generate a ton of lost pagodas, a ton of oriental monsters, new PC classes and right now its five dollars.
 Is this title worth it? Yes, and then some. Mad Monks is well written and perfect for the retroclone and traditional OD&D style gamer. The material is really a labor of love on the author's part and I'm happy to have taken a look at this one. 

Grab It Right
HERE

So what's in it? Well according to the Drivethru Blurb:
In a nutshell, Mad Monks of Kwantoom features a wondrous Asian setting with new character races and classes, crazy unique creatures inspired by matchbox pictures coming straight from ancient China, alternative petty magic items, tables for random dungeon generation and simple house rules for all of this to run smoothly. In addition, you'll find campaign rules to help you flesh your characters out and embed them in the setting, which they can change and mold according to their whims as they proceed to glory, prosperity and — who knows? — immortality.

This material will work easily as well for both Advanced and Basic D&D quite easily. The author manages to capture the look and feel of  a Far Eastern setting with an equal mix of panash and style in equal measure.
This is an expansive campaign tool box with lots and lots of bells and whistles to play with. The fact that's its a labor of love is really something that shines through and a lot of effort went into the setting and background. And all of this is at your finger tips in spades.
The appendixes, background, monsters, dungeon elements add to this one with a twisted sense of  a nod and wink to the DM to put this material to good use. The author knows the ins and outs of  dungeon design and the workings of the Old School asthetic and how to use them to best effect. There isn't a sense of , 'You must use this material this way'. Instead we are given an expansive palatte of old school goodness to design everything you need for a variety of old school far Eastern adventures and an entire campaign setting which you can fill in and DYI to your heart's content. A very well done and fantastic product. This book needs far more attention and is really my go to source for all things Oriental in D&D lately. Do yourselves a favor & grab this one! 

Quick Commentary On S3 'Expedition To The Barrier Peaks' Adventure

There are few modules that say 'Old School First Edition AD&D' as much as this module. No other module is as popular or polarizes the DM's and players as much as this one.
Why? Because of the science fictional elements in this one and it happens to be one my all time favorite modules almost hands down.
The plot according to wiki: 

"It takes place on a downed spaceship; the ship's crew has died of an unspecified disease, but functioning robots and strange creatures still inhabit the ship. The player characters fight monsters and robots, and gather the futuristic weapons and colored access cards that are necessary for advancing the story" 

Delving further into the back story as it takes place in the world of Greyhawk : 

"In the adventure's introduction, it is explained that the Grand Duchy of Geoff is under constant attack by a succession of monsters that have been emerging from a cave in the mountains. The Grand Duke of Geoff has hired the characters to discover the origin of the creatures, and stop their incursions."

I've had a conversation with friends this evening about this module and I have very fond memories about it. Both playing it as a player and running it as a dungeon master. This module has everything you could want from a science fantasy module. Everything from James Ward Gamma World to Gary Gygax in full fun house mode. 

Did I mention Veggie Pygmies? Androids, robots, power armor, laser pistols, mind flayers and need I go on. 

 

This module introduces a possible other worldly origin for many of the usual AD&D monster suspects including 'Mind Flayer' but as we've seen in the pages of Dragon this is perhaps one possible explanation for its origins. That wonderful monster goes back all the way to S&T magazine.
 
Lets not get into the frog mouth and that damn rabitoid on the stump that killed poor 'Gregory The Just' my 8th level paladin. 

Further Thoughts and Notes on Expedition 

 I ran this bad boy a little while back HERE  & tonight talking with players over at my house this evening they want me to run this one again. So I would say a big yes to it being relevant.
There are a few things I've got from tonight's conversation along with comments :

1. This module was released along with others in the 'S' series - Which according to wiki - 'In 1980, the updated version was published as Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. At the time of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks's release, each Dungeons & Dragons module was marked with an alphanumeric code indicating the series to which it belonged.^[10] The 32-page adventure bears the code S3 ("S" for "special").
   
   When Metamorphosis Alpha was updated and expanded into Gamma World, it seemed the right time for Gygax to reintroduce Expedition to the Barrier Peaks to the public. Said Gygax, "What could be more logical than to make available a scenario which blends the two role playing approaches into a single form?"^[5]:2 Gygax updated the scenario to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules, hoping it could serve as a primer on how to integrate science into one's fantasy role playing game
   Basically this module could be run if one were to alter it back to back with say either Gamma World or Metamorphis Alpha First Edition allowing one to use the events prior to the crash and after said crash to do a sort of strange Mayfair Keep adventure. The players playing both roles to give a total history of the Warden. 
2. Look I loath Wiz Bros with all of my being but they did release a very cool map of the Expediation to the Barrier Peaks map that includes many of the major plot points of the adventure. This allows a DM to have an overview of all the major events of the module. Available right over HERE
3. Folks are very divided on the module because of the science fantasy elements and artifacts of the adventure but as I pointed out the artifacts will quickly run out of charge. 
4. The robots don't leave the ship unless the DM wants them too and the invasive species are really nasty allowing the DM to introduce other monsters into their version of Greyhawk. These could keep a party busy for years to come. 

5. Because this is such a polarizing adventure its really easy to get players hyped to play that scoff at the adventure. Of course the science fantasy elements are silly and your PC is cool enough to survive but what if he's not?
6. Players aren't quite as knowledgeable up on the module as they like to pretend they are and boy does that make it easy as a DM to introduce a bit of random or special encounters.

7. As it was pointed out to me this evening, this is a perfect module to get the party into space!


Because after all why wouldn't there be a search effort mission  if the DM wants one to be. Night of the Comet folks? 

8. There could be return missions to gain some insight into the reasons for the ship's crash? Perhaps that mysterious plague isn't simply confined to the ship? Could the PC's become carriers for a mysterious illness and walking disease vectors unknowingly?
Perhaps the 'cure' is only found aboard. 

9. Given the history of the star ship the whole thing might be one toxic waste dump waiting to happen. Perhaps not only could there be the monsters but mutation spilling out into the campaign world meaning another trip into the bowels of the cavernous death trap. 

10. Given the nature of some of the retroclones on the market like Mutant Future, Labyrinth Lord and many others this module suddenly gains a bit more of a venue as the perfect cross over module for moving back and forth from one game system to another!

In closing I'm thinking about running this adventure as one of my possible mid winter mini campaigns with friends once again allowing me to mix and match the science fantasy/D&D goodness!
Game on!
 Much of tonight's entry came from the wiki entry right
HERE
 The Pdf of Metamorphosis Alpha 1st Edition which will be getting a work out as well is available right over
HERE
But I'd wait till it goes on sale.

Free OSR Science Fantasy Adventure - Pyramid of Gorsh From Usherwood Publishing For Your Old School Space Opera or Science Fantasy Campaign

Available For Free Right Over
HERE
  Pyramid of Gorsh From Usherwood Publishing is a seventeen page bare bones adventure that contains the remains of an alien undead tomb in the middle of a very weird desert on some barren nameless rock on a random part of the primal plane.
And that's really the beauty of it . This adventure can be placed anywhere, anywhen or and ported right into an existing campaign.
According to the Drivethrurpg description:

The Pyramid of Gorsh pits the adventurers against an unknown alien race within a mysterious, ancient pyramid.

Return with us to the good ‘ol days when ’plot’ was just a four-letter word that stood between you and the treasure.

Includes forms-activated GM Adventure Log (requires Adobe Reader 8.0 or later)

 Using the Pyramid of Gorsh For Your Old School Campaign 

Believe it or not this actually is a pretty interesting outline adventure for any old school space opera or science fantasy game. There is a pyramid with a bunch of middle school diagram maps that could be stocked with some really interesting monsters.  Given some time, preparation work, a decent copy of the original Advanced Dungeon Masters Guide this could be stocked as a great one shot module. You've got to a. Know that going in this a bare bones adventure and the writer didn't stock it or give much background. 

That's beauty of this one. You can adapt and over come its seeming faults with your favorite setting material.
There are some remains, alien mummies, a bit of treasure, and an attitude. That's about what your going to get but that's not a problem.
The Pyramid might be a time traveling space going wreck moving across the planes appearing here and there to play merry havoc with PCs.
This module can easily and I do mean easily appear as a cross over adventure in a Mutant Future setting along with Labyrinth Lord. The module's pyramid fits right into the Lovecraftian goodness of Carcosa(I see this one being placed in the Radioactive Desert and its environs) or as a small side adventure into the universe of X-plorers or Stars Without Number. 

Given the subject matter and a bit of History Channel Ancient Astronauts this one could pop up in  Star Ships and Space Men Second edition for a weekend pass from some alien Hell.
The module might with a bit of Osric magic port into a regular session as something different. Given the right audience this could be turned into a great one shot or weekend session encounter. Add in Arduin flavor for extra cheesy goodness and your ready to rock.
 Add this one onto a level of the Warden and you've got a bit of old school desert hell waiting to happen. Remember this one is bare bones.
The module a  Includes forms-activated GM Adventure Log (requires Adobe Reader 8.0 or later) is great added bonus allowing the customization factor to go up. I see a bit of potential in this one and I'll be running this one soon. 
 Yeah, yeah I've read some lousy reviews because I don't really think that the reviewers got the point. The module is billed as a throw back to  the writer's days in middle school when ridiculous adventures were the order of the day. That's the spirit at play here and its alright for what the adventure is supposed to do.
The point is to have fun. I like the stripped down, bare bones approach allowing a DM to DYI the heck out of this one. 

1d20 Lovecraftain Space Hazards Random Encounters Table For Your Old School Space Opera

1d10 Lovecraftain Space Hazards Random Encounters

1. A spinning golden pyramid containing the melded essence of 1d4 alien races joined in a spinning vortex of madness and insanity that will do 1d6 points of energy damage to any space craft within a light year. This spinning helix of crazied insanity will try to level drain and merge any crewmen encountered. Has 40 Hit points And an Armor Class of 8. 
2. An avatar of Cthulhu called the Dreaming Nightmare. This creature is a projection of the great old's roaming astral essence. The thing acts a symbol of insanity and will devour anything it comes across. The thing must be avoided at all costs. A powerful cosmic entity may be able to banish it back to the depths of nightmare. 
3. The Vortex of Thom - This vortex of cosmic draining energy is actually the mouth parts of a dimensionally trapped god that wishes to drain any remaining energy it can to free itself from its other worldly prison. It will drain 1d10 points of energy from any source it can per round. Only a burst of proto antimatter will banish this monster back to the depths of dimensional darkness. 
4. The Spheres of Thal - These machines of dust and darkness roam the cosmos for any star ships they can find. These machines are the scattered remains of an AI god now hell bent on claiming the lives of any it comes across. There are 1d8 spheres present. They have an armor class of 6, 12 hit points and attack for 1d4 points of damage per round using particle laser weapons. These things regenerate as per troll. Only stellar matter can burn these alien machines up. 
5. The Colour Out of The Interstellar Gulf - This level draining monstrous cloud is the size of large star destroyer and will suck dry anything present. The monster will then try to possess any remaining crew. The monster is able to travel as a small star ship. A burst of any proto matter may dismiss it back between dead stars. 
6. The Deadworld of Helas -This world moves around the universe filled with astro zombie warriors cursed by the Norse god Hela to wander across the cosmos prying on any ships that it finds. The thing moves across the universe at will claiming more damned for its silent waste filled world. 
7. The Spools of Thrusr'a - These relic weapons of a mad god appear strung between worlds. These monofiliment nightmares are only a molecule thick and able to slice a ship to wreckage in seconds. The things form webs made by alien robotic machines. These weapons do 1d6 points of damage to any ship flying into a star system where they have been deployed. 
8. The Worms of Gr'ura - These giant world destroying worms move slowly constricting worlds of vital essence. The worms of thousands of miles across and each houses 1d20 lesser monsters. The worms are 20 hit points each and can do 1d10 points of damage by expelling a chunk of stellar matter at a star ship. They each have an armor class of six. A nuclear war head at the right spot might damage a worm. There are always 1d4 of these monsters. They are capable of warp flight. 
9. The Eye Balls of Thesvru - These giant interstellar flying eye balls were the eyes of a giant god millions of years old. The gods cut the beast apart and now the eyes roam the universe looking for their other parts. Each 20 hit point eye has an armor class of 6 and can emit a cosmic blast of energy for 1d10 points of damage. Each eye will attack any starship it runs across.  Only a burst of neutrino particles can damage these creatures. Many ancient alien craft had such things on board. 
10. Space Around your vessel ripples and Azathoth appears! What will you do? 
11. The War Ship Of Cirus - This ancient preprogrammed AI Death God roams space hunting down any humanoid races it finds. It will only back down if worship with the sacrifice of the enemy's star ship captain! The ship is armed with xray lasers and particle beam cannons. Within its confines is the trapped mind of a Great Old One. 30 hit points Armor Class 5 Damage 1d8 per round from a mix of particle ray cannons and x ray lasers. Only a cosmic entity of light may have a 20% chance of banishing it back to the wastes of hyperspace 
12. The Monolith of Thel - This blue green twenty foot tall monolith spins through space churning out hard radiation  to any vessels it finds. This uncaring plaything of the gods will bath any vessel in Gamma Radiation and other hard radiations for 1d10 rounds before vanishing back into hyperspace. There is a 20% chance of it reappearing 1d4 rounds later. 
13. Constructors of The Great Race - These fourteen block long grey rectangles once belonged to the Great Race of Yith. They now roam the wastes of hyperspace destroying anything that runs across their path. They will attack with 1d4 point of neutrino energy per round and 1d6 points of laser damage. They will neatly cut up any ship that they run across. These ships will then absorb any wreckage and disappear. They are Armor class 7 and have 30 hit points. 
14. The Swarm of La - This swarm of nanobot nightmares is actually a one light year long cloud. The nano bots will dissemble anything they encounter. All the while they will broadcast praises to the Great Old Ones. These creatures only do one point of damage each. There are billions and billions of them. Anyone eaten by them will live on locked in disembodied hellish existence caught between insanity and horror beyond existence. Only a burst of neutron energy aimed at the central brain cluster has any chance of destroying these things. 
15. The Churning Horrors - These insect like beings are actually the space going remains of a once great alien race now locked forever within the confines of these bio synthetic horrors from beyond space time. Each one is a 10 hit point horror armed with 1d4 energy weapons there are usually 1d20 of these things encountered. They move locust like from world to world. They devour the brains of any being they encounter to add to their insane knowledge. 
16.  The Spinning Robot Nightmares of Trall - These space probe droids have been augmented by merging with the essence of a Great Old One. These monsters now wish only the extinguish of all life as we know it. These 12 hit point beings only wish to end their own existence but they cannot. Their programming will not allow such things to happen. They have an armor class of 5 and attack with mono blades that do 1d6 points per round when they hit. There are usually 1d8 machines encountered. Only a deadly burst of neutron energy to the lead bot will cripple them. 
17. The Trimplenx - This cosmic being is wounded any bleeds chunks of reality altering blood and gore. Each time this giant is encountered bits of him will attack your ship. There are usually 1d4 gore units. Each has 7 hit points and attacks with 1d4 points of damage per round. Should any reach your hull they will eat through within three rounds. After 1d4 rounds this giant diseased god will disappear and there is a 20% chance of him appearing again within the same star system. Only the Hymns of La can banish this slowly dying immortal. 
18. The Mind of Azathoth - An entire light year will be blanketed by the telepathic insanity that will spread across the entire star system. Each being will be possessed to do the most alien and horrid things imaginable. After a night and a day the disembodied mind will move on to spread the insanity else where. 
19. The star system is filled with stellar chucks of Great Old One gore. The entire system swarms with this stuff shunted out from hyperspace. There is a 50% of the stuff being infected with the most lethal monsters imaginable acting as parasites aboard this stuff. The flesh will cause 1d20 mutations to any being that has any contact. After 1d10 days the flesh will dissolve away from the local space time. Any star ship hulls encountering this stuff has a 10% chance of dissolving into soul screaming goo. 
20. A Star Spawn of Cthulhu is encountered off the port bow! 

Son of The D30 Low Life and Galactic Scum Table For Your Old School Space Opera

Son of The  D30  Low Life and Galactic Scum Table

1. An ancient astronaut infected with a parasite is seeking his apprentice to pass on his knowledge and the parasite to a worthy individual.  Actually the parasite wants to breed and needs some fool to do so. 
2. A bald Tybarian slave trader is looking to unload a bunch of unwanted stock because some religious zealots want to roast him alive. 1d100 slaves are in the offering. Are you that fool?
3. A green Artruicus puzzle maker is selling his shoddy wares and is looking for some fool to buy them. These psychic puzzles are capable of warping minds and sanity into the psychotic and gullible. 
4. Gas Giant Miners looking for a "good time" with any sex of any species. Actually space pirates casing out a prospective mark to steal and use their ship. 
5. Valicrtus ambassodor on a mission from his god. He's actually a human under that antique armor and a drug runner looking to expand his market. He's on the run from bounty hunters. 
6. Adrenaline Trafficker looking to expand his influence and & markets. He rips the brain fluids and glands from living beings for the most potential and potent drugs. 
7. AI Slave merchant looking for buyers and new copies of some wares. Very dangerous and wanted being. 
8. Threebreen healers selling their arts to the highest bidder. Able to cast a cause wounds to drum up more business. These healers are wanted beings with the death sentence in 22 systems for malpractice. 
9. Death powder junky looking to make a score. Willing to kill for such. Actually an undercover cop whose gone way under cover. Warrant out for his arrest for his own good. 5k credit reward from family. 
10. A "Space Shepard " priest spreading the good word and looking for potential sacrifices to the space gods. 
11. Meta morphic prostitutes looking for clients(actually assassins looking for a target) selling information and favors. 
12. 1d8 first level fighters/space scum looking for alien cultists who took their women folk. 
13. A group of down and out mercs infected with an alien bacteria looking for a cure that doesn't exist. Will work for anyone promising such a cure. They've been cursed by a wizard from a post apocalyptic world. 
14. A group of third level fighters who seek an ancient foe. The foe is aboard this station disguised as a tailor. 
15. An artist and forger of memories seeks an alien queen from among the stations passengers. Actually a 3rd level fighter programmed ala The Manchurian Candidate looking for his royal target.  He has light esper abilities and pissed off the wrong guild. 
16. "Azul The Cunning" a not so good space pirate who is looking for crew while on the run from the local bounty hunting guild. Has a very rare artifact of alien origin and another group after him. 
17. Durbreian VR merchant is hosting a gladiatorial/pay for view even and offering 1200 credits to all comers. Actually he's a VR pirate stealing memories for the black market each time your hooked up to his machines. 
18. A cyborg warrior 5th level retired seeks an apprentice. He is being hunted by his masters from the Holy Corporate Empire 
19. An ancient esper minder reader is on the run with a head full of Star Mob secrets. She has at least four assassins after her. 
20. A 4 hit point flesh amalgam in disguise as a nun of the church of light is looking for new victims. She is armor class 6 and now taking 'confessions" and enlightenment  She has level drain. Only attacks when alone. Quite charming even as she eats your soul. 
21. A thief on the run from his former employers who want his cybernetic hand which contains a boat load of corporate secrets of theirs. They have a 1d8 clean up crew after him. He's fourth level and likes to drink. 
22. A kidnapper with the soul of an AI. This AI is of his son and his former wife whose now the head of the corporation wants it back. There are 1d6 combat robots after him which look like his fair haired little boy as well. 
23. A group of rent a thugs is now open for business. The small micro guild is made up of 1d4 3rd level fighters who mostly like criminal work. They each are actually pieces of an AI whose mind wiped and down loaded his mind into each to experience real life. He's not actually aware that he's only an expendable copy whose taken on a life of his own. The AI has sent out handlers to get these back. 
24. A weapons merchant is open for business with no lethal hardware that does more damage to the target and causes extreme pain but leaves the target alive. The merchant works for himself and there is a minor bounty on his head. 
25. TA' psychic assassins are looking to pick up extra cash. So called security consultants with minor esper abilities. These folks sell their services for human blood and gore not money. 
26. The esper hunter is coming to town. This 6th level cyborg assassin wants as many minds as he can get. He is however an ethical assassin with an alien outlook on life and the universe. 
27. This walking roach is actually a great healer and educator but he happens to be a very disgusting roach. This creature is not welcome by 75% of  galactic beings who want his services. They see him as a monster. He's actually quite nice for a roach. 
28. This being is a very plain looking psychic rapist who is preying on those he feels he wants. He will not only strip the memories from your mind, he will black mail you and sell them to the highest bidder. Now looking for new targets. I can't remember what he looks like. 
29. A group of peaceful alien sentient flower humanoids. These very colorful and timid people are actually the vanguard of an alien invasion. They will use a combination of realistic nightmares and hallucinations to rip any information from their targets that they can.
30. A map seller offering your heart's desire for the price of your soul. Which he will store in a crystal matrix aboard his star ship. Please sign here.  

Spaceways 1953 Movie For Your Old School Space Opera Campaign

There are some classic movies and then there are movies that become classic for another reason. This is one of those sci fi classic cheese fests. I happen to love this movie.   According to Wiki: 

Spaceways is a 1953 British-American, black and white, science fiction film co-produced by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. and Lippert Productions Inc.. It was filmed entirely inEngland by the Hammer company, with Michael Carreras as producer-of-record and American Robert L. Lippert as uncredited co-producer, from a screenplay by Paul Tabori and Richard Landau based on a radio play by Charles Eric Maine.

The Plot: 

The film starred Howard Duff and Eva Bartok, with Alan Wheatley, directed by Terence Fisher. It was distributed in the UK by Exclusive Films Ltd. and in the USA by Lippert Pictures Inc.

The plot dealt with the first manned spaceflight (piloted co-ed by Duff and Bartok) against the backdrop of Duff's character's failing marriage, his wife's infidelity and murder (for which Duff is suspect), and his budding romance with Bartok, who plays a renowned mathematician working on the space project.

Some of the special effects shots of the rocket taking off were taken from Rocketship X-M.

All of the classic sci fi elements are there from the "space leathers" to the classic rocket ship. 

Using Space Ways For Your OSR Campaign 

Elements of Space Ways from 1954 has gotten recycled into endless movies and other science fictional magazines etc. For the various campaigns I've run elements of this movie have becomes the back bone of low rent spacer districts. The suits, the rockets,etc. are all found on backwater planets still in operation and still being manufactured. 

For a game like Explorers and Stars Without Number. The "Space Leathers" seen here are considered old fashioned and slightly out of fashion among spacers but still offering superior atmosphere holding. These suits by modern standards allow a spacer to put a small sensor suite on the suit. 

These wonderful rocket ship/space planes have been switched over to an ion/nuclear drive combination allowing them to be used for planetary landing. In more advanced quarters a small Spike drive 1 has been installed in a Stars Without Number style planetary system.

These rocket ships remains have been seen orbiting within the Carcosa system and other known areas of Lovecraftian space. 

Within the Star Ships and Spacemen second edition universe these ships never went out of service. They form the backbone of mining outposts and the less then savory  corners of the universe as mining vessels and rocket jockey's ships. 

In a game like Mutant Future or other post apocalyptic style games these rocket ships might still be orbiting the Earth just waiting for a group of adventures to make the great leap outward. 

The Type 78 Ion Rocket Plane For SWN
Power 3/2 free  Mass 5/0
AC :8
Hit Points : 17 

Crew 1/20

Speed:2 

AC:9 

Fittings : Spike Drive -1, Atmosphere Configuration, Extended Life Support, 6 tons of Cargo Space

Based on a centuries old design these work horses have seen action in every system within the Talon Sector. A very reliable and versatile design. Many times the owners of these ships strip out two tons of cargo space and equip these ships with extra sensor suites or for personal defense Sand thrower batteries. These rocket planes are also used for Capital class drop planes for atmosphere configurations.