The Valley of Stone & Fire - Thundarr and Fantastic Heroes and Witchery - Campaign Set up #2

 The valley of Stone & Fire was a post apocalpytic game that I had ran ages ago using Fantastic Heroes & Witchery as a one shot back in 2015. You can find that here on the blog. And lately I've been having a hankering for doing a post apocalpytic Western style game. 
This morning I met with my players at our usual diner for breakfast. I needed to do this fast for the weekend. 
And the over all feeling among the players was positive. They wanted a Thundarr The Barbarian style post apocalyptic game. Since we already had a campaign ready to go that wasn't a problem. We were using Tim Snider's Thundarr The Barbarian sourcebook (see below). 

The reason for using Fantastic Heroes and Witchery is the fact that the base damage is at a lower weapon and dice threshold. This is closer to B/X and original Dungeons & Dragons. 

That damage threshold is exceeded in Mutant Future (not that Mutant Future is a bad game). The fact is that the B/X and OD&D damage system are easier for some players to deal with. 

Tim Snider's excellent free Thundarr Sourcebook for Mutant Future

Available right over
HERE 
Free 

The Petrified Forrest contains the remains of a former US Military base that's still being run by androids. The whole affair is where the former PC's disappeared. And here's the hook that gets the ball rolling. The former base is known far & wide for churning out monsterous cyborg horrors. What no one knows is that the base is a former Cryo prison. The androids have been converting the prisoners into bio weapons.. The cryogenic facility's inmates in the section that the PC's were in was drawn from Fishwife Game's 100 Male Inmates available right HERE

OSR Commentary - Going 2d6 Fantasy Dark Ages In Your 2d6 Old School Science Fiction campaigns!

 So I've been considering doing a failed colony world in my Stars Without Numbers rpg game/Cepheus Engine rpg campaigns  & yes, Other Dust is an option. But the players actually know that resource front to back. So I drifted back to Michael Brown's Afterday &  Cepheus Atom. This blog post is going to pick right up from this one here. 

Afterday presents quite a few resources that line up with a limited post apocalyptic world. And its great for Cepheus Engine powered campagins. Cepheus Atom brings the 2d6 gonzo to the table in spades with its mutations, & other post apocalyptic resources. 
The wastelands of our colony world may have access to  entropic  weaponry and so this brings the dangers of those reality warping weapons to the table. It also explains the mutations and mutant monsters. 
Here we're thinking of going full on Cepheus Atom mode, adding in Atomic Age Barbarians, tribes of mutants, etc. 

The wastelands may have magick but I'm not sure about adding a full range of  the Sword of Cepheus fantasy rpg, here. But it might be an option here as a fantasy Dark Ages world existing in the same sector as a failed entropic wasteland world tells volumes. 

I'm thinking of forgoing the Barbaric Rpg route & going on full Sword of Cepheus because the presence of high magick adds a lot more to such a strange twist or two to the campagin mix. Could all of this be added into an Independence Game Space Western campaign?! Think 70's Dallas mixed with Game of Thrones level politic moves coupled with family politics. 

The Exterminator Series of Cyborgs - OSR Commentary - Weird Tales Judges Guild Wilderlands of High Fantasy - Campaign Set Up

 For tonight's game the players are going to be encountiner two bounty hunter NPC's. A J.A.K.E. Unit which is taken from David Baymiller's OSR work up of J.A.K.E.'s from Weird War Tales for Operation White Box.  And his Exterminator unit partner Lewis Ulysses. Here's an updated in campaign history of the Exterminator series of cybernetic units & their Arduin rpg connection. This campaign blog entry has been updated. 

From "The Vault of the Weaver's"  Caliban  adventure copy right Emperor's Choice Games 

Ecology of Dave Hargrave's Exterminator Series of  War Droids 

The war frame of the Exterminators series of  war droids were originally built on the J.A.K.E. Unit technologies of World War  II. The Jakes units were used extensively throughout the European & Pacific theaters. But they also saw action in Vietnam war. 

"The Exterminator war droid looked down on to the smoking remains of the latest series of adventurers or targets without pity or remorse. The smoking remains burnt merrily to themselves speaking volumes of warning to others who would venture into the confines of Caliban. The "Flying Dutchmen of Megadungeons" winged its way between the planes. The wardroid slapped its clip home into the 50 caliber weapon and began its rounds again and wait. Waited for the next batch of fools to cross its path and its guns. It took a certain grim satisfaction in a job well done. Even as it whirled on its treads conscious of someone or something waiting it from far off. "  

 The Exterminator series of Cybernetic Organisms From  A Future Darkly Introduction 

The Exterminator series of cybernetic organisms isn't simply a collection of devices or government sponsored assassins moving across the face of this scarred Earth of ours. The Exterminator series is one of the most important cyborgs ever to roll off of an assembly line.  The "Exterminator Force" created these super efficient killing machines for the purpose of removing certain genetic defects that resulted in mutations that were incredibly dangerous to future generations.
A number of these modules were were lost throughout time and space to many different alternative Earths and timelines. These cybernetic killers were drawn from the ranks of the desperate and the damned. Sometimes condemned political criminals and sometimes ordinary citizens were encased in the shell of the Exterminators.

These cyborgs were made for doing two things: To act as assassins and to remove the threat of genetic mutations in all its forms giving mankind a chance to survive against the coming onslaught. 

Anatomy of An Exterminator Cyborg  

Each and every Exterminator series robot is a blue green spindly humanoid war droid body. Its head consists of an oval over sized set of sensors built into a suite and a mouthpiece that resembles an aviator's oxygen mask. 

Exterminator cyber systems are usually linked to advanced AI personalities that actually control the robotic bodies up a one hundred fifty miles. The human minds are put into the robotic bodies because because only the "human killer instinct" is needed to create the perfect robotic killers.

 These robots were used extensively in overpopulated alternative Earth future timelines in the Warrenverse.

These robot use conventional military weaponry and specialized Exterminator  weapon systems. This innovative cybernetic systems were used in both military and private sector security systems as well as black ops weapons shop. These borgs are complete total conversion organisms. The Exterminator systems are immune to many forms of magic and psionic abilities.

 The human torso, nerve clusters, spinal column, eyes, skull, minor skeletal structures,and any other human elements  are incorporated where needed.

All cybernetic systems are there to offer computer council, also assure loyalty to the US government.  They also have massive bio storage memory capacity and able to have real time human experience memory interaction.    

They have both advanced optics and sensor systems. They have high supernatural threat assessment systems and complete mutant extermination data bases.

 The first of the Exterminator series was launched in its alternative timeline future on February of 2014.

 The second of the Exterminator series of cyborgs is identical to the first except that he is attached to a tank like vehicle which also has computer systems counter measures, advanced AI assist,and advanced communications systems.  The Exterminator series was in operation for three hundred and eighty years. 
Surprisingly these Exterminator units have been found throughout both the Wilderlands & Hyperborea. Why they were deployed in these theaters is unknown at this time. 

Variations on a The Exterminator Platform 

There is speculation that the Exterminator series was the basis for the "Bakshi Peace Project Android Units". These cybernetic systems developed by the "Exterminator Works" scientists also found their way into the advanced android systems of the Peace units. 

Leaps in the private medical and security sector in the alternative 2014 came as a result of the government sponsored cyber soldier programs. "Adjusting the alien vampire threat" became a top priority during this time.  As time went on the Exterminator units were programmed to work with minor mutated beings against Alpha level threats.

" Project Mandroid" developed parallel with the various incarnations of the Exterminator Cyborgs. This more human variation on the technology allowed a greater platform for quisi civilian and and private sector armed forces. This allowed cybernetic conversion of wounded armed forces or condemned criminals into the Mandroid units.

 

The Mandroid units paved the way for "switch and go" weapons options, and extensive off road capable tank tread platforms. These weigh in excess of 3000 pounds or more.  Because of the greater human to machine index on the Mandroids there is a much higher empathy level in these cybernetic organisms. There is also the built in obsolesce factor. These units would only last one hundred years as their human organic parts wore out. 

 

The real innovation to the Mandroids is the direct mind link interface. This allowed "direct memory" downloads onto any human computer from the human mind of the cyborg. This was a direct result of studies conducted on a captured Exterminator frame. 

Because of the direct memory interface technology, the Mandroids came with a complete data base of human culture and history. This made them perfect time space explorers. They paved the way for later improvements into the Exterminator series of cybernetic machines 

In the post apocalyptic horror world of 2394 the Exterminators and even their variations saw extensive action. They were used against all types of Alpha level mutant supernatural threats from vampires, werewolves, even some minor Lovecraftian horror races. The "Exterminators" were the perfect killing weapons. A final nail into the coffins of the so called mutant menace. 

 Behind the helm of the Exterminator War Droids

The Vault of the Weaver contains monsters not normally found within the Arduin rule books . These "boss monsters" are several grades above the traditional monsters of "Bloody Arduin". The war droids seem to be computer controlled hit men from the same alternative worlds as the Warrenverse . So I simply married the character created by author Bill DuBay and artist Paul Neary.

The Exterminator One unit appeared in "Eerie #69, in 1974 and is trade marked to Warren publishing Co.

 The Mandroid is from The Elimators film. Since I'm doing the Horror VHS campaign I figured this was a perfect fit. 

I wanted to squeeze in "Peace" from the Ralph Bakshi's movie Wizards  in there someplace. Obviously Peace is copyrighted  and trade marked to its owner. I have nothing but the greatest respect for Mr.Bakshi.

No doubt your wondering how the Wardroid cyborg got into the wandering dungeon of "Caliban" in the first place . Its a pretty tough call, how the cyborg got into there. How he gets out is the real rub though.

 Obviously  this is a fan created blog entry. This blog entry is for entertainment purposes only there are attempt to violate the copyright or trade mark infringement of the original copy holder's. work. Everything else is a result of my own warped mind. 

 External Links 

You can find "The Vaults of the Weaver" from Emperor's Choice right HERE

All information Regarding The Exterminator series comes from HERE

New 1d10 Cosmic & Scared Wonders Of The Wastelands Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

 Deep in the post apocalyptic wastelands are wonders that defy rational explanation that heroes and adventurers run across. Some of these can alter lives, heal the sick or perform miracles that call down 'divine explanations'; some of these objects, locations, items, and more demand worship of those who live nearby. Here are a few of those weird and strange pieces of the landscape that demand the attention of those around them and may lead to fortune and glory or far worse. 

1d10 Scared Wonders Of The Wastelands Table 

1. A ring of standing stones where time itself slows down, illness and injury may be halted and death will not come for the victim for 1d8 months. Those who use the ring's miracle need neither food nor drink to sustain them within their death like sleep but there will be a price to be paid for the use of the standing stones in the form of blood and misfortune. The locals view the stones as scared and will slay any that they can for trespassing upon the land of these stones. 
2. A single great eye like orb that opens every new moon and will dispel any mental mutational induced insanity unless it was caused by a head injury. The orb hums with a warmth and purpose of vast intent, the intelligence that controls the orb will telepathically scan the user and determine a price of a valuable relic to be sacrificed at dawn for the orb's attentions. 
3. A stone chest at the head of an ancient alter with carbon scoring across its surface. This sand stone chest holds 'holy food' which will heal most minor diseases and several major mutational damages to the target's genome. The chest will demand a minor boon from those using its miracles. Once per day the chest may call down a lightning strike upon a target up to twenty klicks away. 
4. A single pillar of black basalt with an incredible double whirled pattern across its surface. This twenty seven foot tall feature flows with a black and orange pus like slime which may induce one beneficial mutational change to the target. The target will smell of rotting flesh for a week and attract several large clouds of biting flies however upon themselves. The pillar will demand the small finger of the right hand to be placed within a nearby stone niche and then the user must make a 100 gold piece offering to the 'gods of the wasteland' for his blessings. The pillar's goo can be used only once in a life time. 
5. The hole of flesh is a twelve meter deep hole of living flesh that will grant the user a regenerated limb should an old one have been lost. The user simply places the withered limb's stump upon the inside of the hole and within 1d10 rounds a new limb will start to sprout. The hole will need a bit of flesh for this trade. How or what doesn't matter but failure to do so will result in the limb causing dire harm to the user such as murdering them in their sleep. 
6. The house of relics, this incredibly intricate house is made from millions of relics and artifacts seemingly wielded together. These artifacts  have been constructed this way by androids and robots run by a very dangerous and cagey A.I. who will grant a request made by a supplicant. The A.I. will allow a user to take a specific artifact if it has it upon the side of the small cottage house. There is a 40 % chance of the artifact being there but user must bring two artifacts of greater value back to the house to replace the one that was given 
7. The Weather Maiden - This imposing statue controls the local weather and will grant certain favorable weather conditions for seasons, plantings, and general community conditions. But it is worshiped as a goddess by jealous locals who will try to sacrifice any who seek their 'goddess's' attentions. Certain weather related artifacts may attract the attentions of this fickle and somewhat blood thirsty 'goddess'. She is also interested in the families and well being of those under her charge and ask after them telepathically. She expects an artifact every three months like clock work or she might bring down horrible weather or worse to the locals 
8. The Giant Gray Ball  A giant 150 diameter ball of concrete that floats three feet off the ground is able to grant powers of control over magnetism and gravity to certain mutants brought before it. The ball has a bombastic and somewhat unpredictable personality. It will demand feasts and sports events in its honor. The ball will affect the gravity and magnetic fields around it in a 100 kilometer radius and certain natural disasters will attract its attention. Damns and other metallic nature features of the ancients will be under its protection and no individual power will interfere in the ball's ownership of such objects. 
9. The Lights of Lo - These strange lights will hover around any other dimensional intrusions within a 400 klick radius of the area. These lights are controlled by an unknown planar based A.I. that sees the local area as its zone of influence and Heaven help any monster, demon or other horror that seeks to stalk the land. The lights will swoop in and their nature will be revealed. Each light is actually a very strange energy plasma based mechanism capable of generating incredibly strong laser energy bursts. These things will carve up anything with 3d6 +3 points of damage. There will be a constant hum of energy surrounding each sphere and there is a sensation benevolence surround these creations. Those within 40 meters must make a save or resist the urge to fling themselves into these strange blue green energy filled creations. The spheres will incinerate anyone they contact unless a save vs death is made. 
10. The Column of Constant Light - this seventy foot column of vivid white yellow light is generated deep within the Earth and is actually a time space window into all of history. Anyone approaching this incredible display within 10 meters or so will travel 1d100 years into the past 20% of the time, sideways in time 40% chance to an alternative Earth, or into the far distant future 40% of the time.  This mechanism is controlled by a very advanced android in the form of an ancient old woman who will kindly ask the PC's where they wish to go? Those who avoid her and try to use the column will be aged 1d20 years and all of their relics along with hidden artifacts will be drained. The little old lady will ask a boon from the characters and the locals will see that it is carried out or they will be thrown into the column lost to all space and time for eternity while demons feed upon their immortal souls. 

Review & Commentary Cepheus Atom By Omer Golan-Joel For The Original Traveller rpg & Cepheus engine rpg

 "The bombs fell. Nations wielded varied and monstrous weapons against one another. Fires, clouds of poison, and worse have swept the world. Now only the savage Wastes remain: haunted by mutants, deranged robots, and genegineered monstrosities. But from the fire, heroes and villains rise: tribals, survivors, mutants, all the warped remnants of Humanity. Armed with primitive weapons, pre-Collapse artifacts, and afflicted by strange mutations, they set forth to conquer the wastes, or at least to survive them. By spear and laser, they shall prevail – or die a horrible death."

There are times when I look at my poor book shelves & wonder if their gonna take another post apocalyptic rule book. Look  Omer Golan-Joel is a master of his design & so this rule book takes the Original  Traveller rpg & Cepheus engine rpg into the realm of post apocalyptic gaming. 

And it does it with style & system gravitus of the 2d6 systems & their OGL which makes everything independant. This means that the entire book has everything you need to take your games into the wastelands. 
Cepheus Atom has everything from the ground up from bare bones equipment,mutations, and even a complete mini mutant manual all within forty nine pages. Everything to get a group of players up & running into the wastelands. And that's not all. 
There' a complete feeling of a Fifties Atomic monster movie fest with the feel of the mutations & the whole cloth of the system. Think 1953's 'Them' & your on the right direction in the wasteland. 





The entire system works together as an organic post apocalytic wasteland whole. And it takes the Traveller game into another direction. The   "Contamination" stat (the cumulative  sum of radioactive and biological fall out that your PC get's is a simple yet highly effective way of keeping track of the horror of mutation that the PC has. Simple, easy, and highly hackable. And if there is any take away from Cepheus Atom its the fact that its a very hackable system. 

And this is where Cepheus Atom shines, the fact that its an easily unlockable system & works like a dream when it comes to creating the type of wasteland that the dungeon master wants. 
And then we get a robotic & wilderness set of encounters that reminds me completely of Fallout. But remember Fallout sto erm borrowed quite a few things from the old school games such as Gamma World & Metamorphis Alpha first edition. 
Clocking in at a very dense fifty pages Cepheus Atom has everything that a DM needs to get their post apocalytic on without a lot of fuss or muss! Highly recommended! The players can dive right in & get to cracking mutant monster heads in the wastelands! 

1d20 Random Encounters With Cosmic Contamination & Debris Table For Your Old School Campaigns

 There are some hazards that adventurers can't fight against or win, things that fall from the sky and infect the land with roiling horror and degeneration that runs deeper then any horror. There is a 60% chance that when these things happen that PC's might become infected themselves with the cosmic debris of an uncaring universe. There is also a 40% chance that the chaotic quasi dimensional affecting horror will not let the dead even rest quietly and 1d20 zombies or worse undead will heed the cosmic siren call of such visitors. Only expensive super science or magical treatments might heal such wounds but the damage goes much deeper into the victims of these events.

“It was just a colour out of space—a frightful messenger from unformed realms of infinity beyond all Nature as we know it; from realms whose mere existence stuns the brain and numbs us with the black extra-cosmic gulfs it throws open before our frenzied eyes.”
― H.P. Lovecraft, The Colour Out of Space and others

There is a 20% chance of any treasure or other artifacts taken from such areas of being infected with the damning radiations and strange magicks that accompany such weird cosmic visitors from beyond. Ancient and expensive magics might be able to take away the horrid taint that comes with these relics or perhaps not. The madness merely spreads.

1d20 Random Encounters With
Cosmic Contamination & Debris  Table

1. A fragment of cosmic debris from the body of Outer thing has fallen and reeks with the power cosmic from its former host. All within 40 feet of this thing must save vs death or gain 1d6 mutations. This might be cured with strong magicks. Wizards of course will want this fragment of idiotic god hood and pay 5000 or more gold pieces for it. 
2. The head of a cosmic god now crystallized has fallen into the landscape and is infecting everything with poisoned alien thoughts and dreams as it has dies and has for thousands of years. There are 1d6 goblinoid things that hatch from the ground around it every 1d4 days. 
3. From the outer planes has come a spray of incredibly weird prismatic colour infecting everything with a weird other worldly vitality. Add +3 to constitition and strength but in 1d6 days your body will burn itself out as you die spasming and writhing in pain as you explode for 1d8 points of damage unless you get expensive healing.  
4. Weird radiations have seeped in from a meteor that has fallen changing everyone's flesh to an odd blue and that's it but it has lowered their intelligence by -3 points and their now prone to violence and abnormal fights with all those around them. 
5. A decaying alien eye ball from a god thing has fallen releasing the spirits of 1d6 alien ghostly souls onto the landscape. They are now turning the locals into wraiths and giving birth to new nation of weird ghostly warriors who stalk the land insearch of souls.. Those who come in contact must save vs death or want to join them. 
6. A piece of cosmic debris has infected the landscape and now there are giant alien crystals stealing and collecting the souls of those around them. They are dangerous and very deadly. They're agenda and reasons are unknown. 
7. A sword from the hand of a cosmic giant has fallen, the violence and weird radiations are turning everything with a four mile radius into a murderous monster of alien and strange aspects. Should the artifact be removed then the mutations and effects will remain for years to come. 
8. A cosmic coffin from beyond the stars has fallen bring with it, the body of its alien occupant who has turned into an alien drug of incredibly potent aspect. There is a 2 mile drug induced haze surrounding those caught in it with a horrid mutating and rotting disease but they don't mind even as they fall apart. 
9. Weird hallucinogenic crystals have fallen releasing cosmic illusions that create mind shattering visas of reality for those who gaze into their surfaces. They are worth 700 gold pieces to certain mad cults and wizards but those who are exposed must make a save vs death or have their skin infected with the same other worldly qualities. 
10. 1d6 cosmic demonic hunters are after a meteor that has fallen and is now creating incredible fertility within those around a seven mile radius. The hunters consume the souls of those they encounter to find their quarry but it has taken on the aspect of a local pastor and come to be loved by those under his care. 
11. A strange cloud has come from the sky and increased the mutations with the local populations within a two mile radius. This strange god like life form is the memory of an ancient god thing that has died off and now is remaking the locals into his worshipers old images. The cloud leaves scriptures and odd messages of salvation on panes of glass and metal. Those enter this area have a 40% chance of being infected with the strange radiations. 
12. A piece of cosmic debris has become a parasitic lifeform and is infecting as well as mutating the locals in an effort to feed upon their souls. The thing will depart in 1d6 days after eating everything it can. Thing must be stopped. 
13. A cosmic shape shifter has moved into the area to consume the forms and flesh of the locals for its own purposes but it is actually merely a herd animal for a larger cosmic shepherd  who is coming to cull it from the local scenery in 1d6 days. The must be stopped and banished or the area will be destroyed in a rain of fire. 
14. A strange organ from some ancient demon from the Outer Darkness has fallen and is now creating 1d10 imps that are dragging off the souls and bodies of those they can into the great beyond for unknown infernal purposes. They must be stopped or the angels will come to destroy this place. 
15. A piece of alien god projectile vomit is giving birth to 1d6 alien things of 3 hit dice and 9 armor class that are trying to become animals but are consuming things to learn but it isn't working. They will cause untold destruction around them. 
16. The mating of two gods has created a horrid fluid which is causing the plants and animals it comes in contact to give birth to alien humanoid things that murder anyone they come in contact with in wild abandon glee. They use any weapons or tools they can.
17. An alien virus has fallen and is trying to take on the role of the gods but has only succeeded in angering the local demons and devils who will go to war with these invaders. The community is caught in the middle, alien radiations are seeping in from Outside as well.
18. A tendril from some giant alien god has fallen and now 1d8 warrior thralls have been given birth to by its presence. Those caught within a twenty foot radius from them must save vs death or begin to praise their idiotic dark master. The dead have risen to worship it.
19. 1d10 cosmic dead have come from the sky and the local dead are joining with them to praise a strange and ancient necrotic dark master from the sky. They're cult is growing and they shall leave for the stars in 1d6 days but not before feeding on the flesh of any locals they can to power their cosmic journey.
20. A colour from outer space has come to tend its young ones and take the souls of those around it to feed them. The alien radiations dance in the morning's light and within six days the whole place will consume itself unless you can stop it.
    
    

1d10 Random Weird Battlefield Encounters Table For Your Old School Campaigns

There are some strange vehicles and odd wrecks that adventures come across in the wastelands, here is a random encounter table for those strange twisted hulks that lay abandoned on the side of the road. Twisted hulks of metal  in an urban or country landscape just waiting for adventurers to come across them. 

These battlefields cross time, space, & even planes.The burning wreckage is often too tempting a target for looters, adventurers, along with the occasional salvagers. They become targets for some of the most vicious monsters that come to prey on the foolish, the damned, & the the lost. 

1d10 Random Weird Battlefield  Vehicle Loot Table

1. 1d8 small mini tanks each with some undead horror within it.These things are not what they appear to be at all. These things are actually twisted assassin robots built to resemble undead. There are 1d6 small minor relics in the tanks as well for salvage. 
2. A selection of strange jeep like vehicles part wreckage and part rotting organic something else. There are 1d6 goblin mutant things that will burst forth from sacks within these things. 1d8 minor super science relics are entwined in the pseudo organs of these things. 
3. A futuristic troop transport houses 1d6 free willed intelligent juju zombies with ray guns and a bad attitude. There are several power cells for super science weapons scattered about. 
4. A large twisted wreck of a hover car is waiting for tow truck that will never come. A zombie flays in the front seat and he has a watch, slug thrower, several freeze dried rations, and a Geiger counter. 
5. Some strange wreck glows faintly with weird ration. Any approaching with forty feet must make a radiation check. There are jewels, and ancient cash stashed aboard. 
6. A wrecked and twisted space craft waits for a crew who will never come. Several small swarms of mutant striges wait for anyone exploring this wreck.
7. This small wrecked space coop holds the skeletons of a male and female humanoid along with a small monkey. Two invisibility belts are present with six charges each. The skeletons will animate and attack anyone disturbing them. 
8. A medical hover craft has smashed itself into the Earth, there are trio of wights inside along with 1d4 super science medical devices and a 1d3 healing potions. 
9. This is the shattered remains of a corvette class space craft that holds 1d8 ghouls and some minor relics and artifacts. This thing holds a valuable gold bar that happens to be radioactive. Any coming within 20 feet of this thing must make a radiation check. 
10. This wrecked flying car holds four ancient undead horrors just waiting for someone to unleash them. They each have a ray gun and guard an ancient energy jewel that will burn any that touches it for 3d6 points of damage.
    
    

The Influence of Yragael: Urm By Philippe Druillet For Your Old School Campaigns

Imagine a world where humanity is on its last legs, a doomed warrior deals & dallies with the forces of demons as well as gods. This is the universe of Yragael and his child Urm who are dealing with a wounded far future Earth and given full birth by the creative mind of Philippe Druillet (French: [dʁɥijɛ]; born June 28, 1944) is a French comics artist and creator, and an innovator in visual design. It tells the story of the mystic warrior Yragael and his child Urm who are best on all sides by petty gods, demons, and the horrors of a far future Earth as humanity does a slow death around the rim of entropy.  The  WIN WIACEK blog Now Read This has a very nice break down of the graphic novel

The tale is a nasty bit of sword & sorcery business equal parts Jack Vance, HP Lovecraft, & with a sustained air of the Michael Moorcock's absurd style of mythology. At times monstrous, tragic, and with air of the doomed that seems to echo throughout the piece.  This graphic novel is the first thing I thought of when I read Carcosa. way back in '07 or '08. Everyone sites The Six Voyages of Lone Sloane but for me its YRAGAEL : URM which has all of the weirdness & awesomeness that make Druillet's artwork a visual feast. Murder, horror, and all of the sins are still with humanity even in this far flung era of extinction.


Comic panel to comic panel in this doom laden saga of operatic proportions that has many of the same elements of Carcosa. The weirdness almost seeps through the whole affair winds its way almost like a hex crawl as one event of the lives of these characters wind their way through to the next. Yragael: Urm is a masterpiece of the absurd and cosmic surreal as Druillet the 'space architect is in full force with weird temples, outrageous terrain, space gods of the most dangerous kind and a landscape peppered with characters whom Jack Kirby would have loved. When I picked up Carcosa from the Lamentations of the Flame Princess imprint I knew what the landscape looked like Philippe Druillet had created the visual landscape for me.



If you haven't read Yragael: Urm its not for the faint of heart but its real doomed cosmic opera of the type that Elric by Michael Moorcock echoes with the same refrains. Philippe Druillet style is dark, dangerous, and at its best here and this is a cosmic beast of a story.  I'm glad to have dusted this one off last night and started rereading it, its a brilliant ride!



© 1974 Philippe Druillet/Dargaud Editeur. © 1975 Philippe Druillet/Dargaud Editeur. All rights reserved.
Carcosa and Lamentations of the Flame Princess are copyrighted & trade marked to their owners this blog post is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

The Planar Macro Parasite - Revised & Revisited For Your Old School Space Campaign

“	If I was wealthy I'd never do anything but poke around in ruined cities all over the world - and probably get snake-bit.	”
	— Letter to H. P. Lovecraft, 1931

Frequency: Rare 
No. Enc.: 1d6
Alignment:Inimical
Move: 120'(40’)
Armor Class: 6
Intelligence: Nil
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d4 (plus special)
Morale: 6
Size: Small to Medium 

Psionic ability:Nil 
Attack/Defense modes:- 


A parasitic worm often found between the eddies of subspace where they lurk waiting for a passing object to move through. These vile creatures exist in at least 4 different planes of existence at the same moment. The minute that they detect a ship or traveler moving through their strange angles of subspace they are drawn to the life energy of the target. The victim must make a  saving throw vs poison or fall over unconscious as the parasite begins to feed on the life force of the victim. More parasites will be called to the feast as the victim's life ebbs away from the star fish like feeding mechanism of the parasite. Seen with the naked astral eye the parasite looks like a cross between an overly large star fish & a dead flat worm left in slime for a time. These creatures are often found in the war torn ruins of space battles. Sometimes an egg packet of a macro parasite is left behind in hyper space or the astral plane. These eggs will attach themselves to a host if the host doesn't save vs death. The eggs will burst from the host's stomach in a splattering of 1d6 planar macro larval. The macro planar parasite is often  drawn to the quantum flux of hyperspace jumps & faster then light drive leavings. A 'cure light wounds' spell will stop an infection of these creatures if the eggs are caught early enough.Usually within the first 1d4 days of initial infection. 
Only medical super science can overcome a late stage  infection of these creatures. They are often seen growing to about a 2 foot length after a recent feeding. These creatures can be summoned to the prime plane by a standard summon monster spell if the black magus uses the inverted Voorish sign. Black magus often summon a small swarm of planar macro parasites to make the 'black wine of the void' from the pickled remains of these least demonlettes. The black wine can be drunk & a save vs poison must be made failure & the magus's mind floats in the black void between realities for 1d4 months. Success & the magus may merge with a non sanity shattering aspect  his or her demonic or infernal god head there by gaining 1d5 spells that can be slotted at anytime.
  If the fool is under the influence of a blank cyberspell  while drinking the wine he or she can create a spell scroll regardless of level through self possession &  automatic writing. This is not without danger as these scrolls often have 'keys of the damned' woven into them. Random demonic summonings have occurred when these spells are read or cast. But this is chance the magus takes when the black wine is drunk & the rites of the planar macro parasites are used. 

1d6 Random Negative Planar Entities Encounter Table For Your Old School Campaigns

They're names are legion, they are all that remains once Chaos has had its way with men and near men's souls. Sometimes these things find their way back into our reality, a bit of space time flotsam and jetsam that continues to circle the drain of entropy and reality. Often times these horror escape from the Outer Darkness, the Abyss, or other place oozing their way between the cracks of our world. The damned find their way shadowing our world and hungering for the lives that we lead here are all that remains of those who have slipped their bounds and escaped into the world of the living once again. Often times an angel of Death or a bailiff from The Beyond comes to fetch these creatures back to the border lands again. But this can take months, sometimes adventurers and freebooters are the best hope against such entities.

1d6 Random Negative Planar Entities Encounter Table

1. This robed entity only half exists in your world and the smell of sulfur as well as damnation cling to its weirdly seen frame. The thing flashes a bit of a half wind blown face whose eyes are pits into the deepest abyss at the end of the universe and the thing is hungry for your soul. Only silver or a laser sword may harm it. Because of its half real nature this horror can't be turned.  Only destruction assures its hunger will be destroyed.
2. Once the leader of a cult of Chaos this entity knows 1d4  spells of 3rd level but can not remember its name or purpose in existence. Still it serves its ancient demon god masters murmuring their praises even as it pathetically pulls itself along the ground leaving an ectoplasm slime trail of its own digestive juices. 
3. This collection of 1d4 damned souls were gossips who ruined many a man's reputation in life, in death and change their minds have been scrubbed clean by the hellish winds of eternity.  They're non existent tongues murmur with the forbidden gossip of ages long forgotten there is a 20% of them dropping some minor cosmic truth otherwise they are in your business spreading lies about you and your lives. There is a 4% chance that these things may now a spell or two of 2nd level and they love to open with magick missile. 
4. These pathetic and slightly strange injured damned who seem to follow PC's and manifest at the most inopportune times. The half charred corpse thing will shift through realities and stalk PC's, always on the look out for fresh meat and they've somehow latched on to your party and will follow at a 100 yard radius. They also steal small objects such as keys, telekinesis enables them to move small things at a 60 yard radius. They seek to spread their own brand of depression, apathy, and horror in the face of entropy. These horrors have weird hooks for hands. 
5. Weird gas mask like bio mechanical faces mark these damned, far too long bodies and odd black garment glistening skin cloth these beings. They seem as if they're partially awash in a storm that only exists for them only. They their rounded snout like faces are filled with strange sucking lamprey like teeth that tear out horrid chunks of flesh from their prey's bodies and souls. Their touch smells of burnt cinnamon and human waste. These things swim through space to reach their prey. Their claw like hands held in downward mockery of prayers until they reach toward their victims with wet sucking sounds. 
6. These strange beings are clothed in black cloth like flesh resembling modern suits, these being's black glistening slime covered eyes resemble smoked glasses of the finest quality. They are not, instead these things are tall humanoids covered in pock marked flesh with odd alien eyes covering every space of flesh on their bodies. Two too wide mouths flutter with intense hungry sucking sounds as two tendrils wreath around their hands that can sense strong life forces which they will feed. But really their main meat is the moments of joy and happiness in life. They will drain 1d10 years from their victims with each touch. There are some varieties that level drain but these entities are mere rumors in space bars and brothels of spacers, adventurers, and some esoteric outlaws.
   

New Wasteland 1d10 Random Minor Lovecraftian Finds Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Because the energies release by the apocalypse were so devastating and incredible, holes within the fabric of space time attract the attention of the Great Old Ones and their minions. As they pass through the wastelands leaving madness and insanity within their wake. These horrors often leave behind minor bits of relics and artifacts  that leave little doubt of the horror that often follows in their passage.

Here's a list of some of the minor items that can be found by adventurers and relic hunters in the deeper wastelands and death lands.

1d10 Random Minor Lovecraftian Finds Table

1. A small copper skinning knife that is covered by a thick syrupy icor. This cultist's blade is etched with the name of a minor great old one whose got a 5% chance of appearing should its name be pronounced from the blade. Treat as a highly intelligent shoggoth with very dangerous and unpredictable attacks, he will try to carry off the offender to a vast unseen Outer Darkness realm. 
2. A glowing piece of fish like flesh that actually belongs to a high priest of Dagon. The thing will heal any wound it is pressed to but within 1d8 days the 'healed one' will begin to turn into a Deep One and hear the song of Dagon. 
3. A minor map of the Dreamlands of HP Lovecraft, this map will serve to get the owner out of the worst lands of Nightmare and parts of the Underworld. 
4. This is a radioactive gold coin emblazoned with the image of Hasur upon one coin face. The coin is actually a fortune telling device capable of divining the appearance of the next resurrection of one of the Gods. Exposure to this coin for more then 1d10 hours will result in a hazard check and because of the strange alien radiations this thing gives out. .This coin has become a minor item of myth and legend. Its appearance is rumored to signal the reappearance of Hastur or worse. 
5. This partially barbed arrow is actually a deep one hunting device capable of taking down larger prey and it has bits of alien flesh on one end. Any consumption of this meat will result in a horrid mutational check. The arrow is made from what seems like an alien gold like substance. 
6. A small cube containing an alien essence and mind. The two linked together form a dangerous time traveling essence that is looking for a way back to its time period. Fortune smiles upon those who are looking for those who came down when with this criminal. 
7. This strange like cross device when picked up will cause strange 'holy visions' to infect the mind and soul of the PC. These victims may be subjected to possession by a Lovecraftian demonic creature. 
8. A set of bloody surgical tools in a black doctor's bag. The bag actually belongs to a Mi Go surgeon whose traveling across space and time slicing and dicing various specimens.
9. A staff made from a humanoid femur, and spine that is able to call 1d10 alien ghosts from beyond the Pale. These horrors may try to devour the victim 20% of the time. The staff acts as +2 weapon because of its connection to the negative material plane. 
10. A small piece of amber like material that is actually a telepathic lens that has been sinked up with a Star Spawn of Cthulhu who will begin tracking the PC in an effort to destroy the PC. The amber like substance shows images and illusions of distant and forbidden lands. There is a 2% chance of any minor  Lovecraftian god or demon who may be tracking the where about of the lens. 

1d10 Random Lovecraftian Horrors From Beyond The Pale Encounter Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

There are horrors that come into the wastes when certain cults and worshipers of ancient terrors from beyond seek the eternal favor of things best left alone are disturbed. These horrors watch and wait outside our worlds and where they stride men shake in horror, blood runs cold, and men of extreme courage are called upon to deal with the results. Here then are a list of encounters for a minor roster of horrors and things that wait outside. Use these things wisely. 

1d10 Random Lovecraftian Horrors From 

Beyond The Pale Encounter Table

1. A partial amoebic minor demon prince thing waits brooding and has come in search of souls and worship. The thing is armed with a cold rod of iron meteor ore inscribed with the twenty two guardians of the greater gateways. In OD&D terms this thing will conform to a pit fiend with several weird powers including division and chaotic corruption. 
2. Astral demonic reptilian wolf things pack of 1d10  has come through looking for easy victims to take with them back to the Outer Darkness. They sort weird tendrils upon their flanks and to look upon them is to see into other places outside of our reality. They seem to grow and shrink as you gaze upon them. 
3. A formless shape shifting blob pack  comes through. The remains of some thing that might have been a group of humans has come through already adapting and adjusting itself to our local time space continuum. The horror will telepathically rape anyone's mind it comes across. It will have the stats of a stout warrior with the ability to induce madness and horror in its victims. These horrors will want to devour the souls of those they come across. But they will strike in secret and use guile to try to draw prey in. 
4. An ancient lean and hungry demon rat thing like predator that is looking for fresh meat and its wizard master who has accidentally teleported it into this location. The thing is armed with dagger of iron and has a belt holding the scalps of previous victims. All of them were heroes of renowned. 
5. A weird cybernetic lifeform that floats several feet above the ground and twist as well as turns on metal and glass organs. The spaces between it are made from weird regions and anyone caught by it will be ripped apart by the angles that it is made from. It will impart forbidden knowledge to those who contact it telepathically but there is a price in blood and souls. 
6. A strange bag of organs and demonic tendrils that rolls along the ground leaving tracings of blood and slime. The thing is a weird mix of several collected corpses held together telekinetically by sheer demonic will power and malice. The thing seeks to add anyone it can and grow in sheer mass of gore and horror. The thing will soon erupt in a division of blood and gore into nine separate little horrors. 
7. A pseudo life form made from several cosmic slimes and fire filled star things held together by a body of nothingness and blackness reeking of insanity and soul searing horror. The thing seeks the minds of humans and hungers for what they contain. It will attack and strip a victim in seconds in a grasp that corrupts and erodes anything it touches. It can be bought off with the tears of a maiden and a very touching tale or it will devour the wizard who runs across it. 
8. A weird spinning collection of bone dust, cosmic debris, & bits of weird sonic stuff held within a rolling ghost like shape. The thing seeks esoteric knowledge and wisdom from the Ancients. They worshiped the thing in ancient times and it has come looking for them. Now its angry and bitter at their destruction. The thing might share its wisdom for worship and a bit of super science. The thing can age anything 1d100 years in seconds if it envelops the thing within the field of its body. 
9. An intelligent coloured being from outside space and time. The weird coloured spirit thing is made from the nightmares of ancient dead universes lost eons lost. The thing will drain anything it runs across to fuel its escape from our local time space continuum. It will trade a a map of neighboring universes for several children's toys. It is playful but very dangerous. 
10. A star spawn alien priest of some ancient lost world, this thing is a worshiper of Cthulhu and wishes to find its master. It will disappear in a puff of dimensional smoke only to attack any fool it can. It will leave behind a victim's liver and a symbol of futility and insanity.