Splatter Punk 70's & 80's Post Apocalyptic Horror Campaign Sundown Edition Influence- By ways And Haunted Highways 1d10 Random Encounter Table Over At the Dark Corner Blog

You might want to let that hitchhiker go! Especially on some of these byways and highways. A quick and dirty encounter table for your horror games! 

Check it out right
HERE

High Tech Mysticism & High Caliber Adventure - Summer of Sin! Return To The Nazi Mega-Dungeon Moonbases

Introduction

'Scrabble an Archangel recovery unit! There have been Vril spikes of energy upon the moon! The three Easter eggs have hatched! This is the Adirondack  facility! Dispatch the angels. The sealed vaults have become active!'

Perhaps its the dark times we live in or the alignment of the stars. But recently just last week the Nazi bases on the moon have become active! Sealed in 1958 and not heard from since.  These facilities have come back on line. Roxxon Oil has detected potent Vril energy spikes across the board. Who or what is creating them? Details about those bases right over HERE
Details on the Black Guard Units of Roxxon Oil right HERE

Dormant since 1958, there are three bases upon the face of the moon and within it. They have been sealed since the survivors left for Carcosa. Something happened and now perhaps with the Summer of  Sin happening the Vril energies stir once again! 

Vault 668 
Something ancient and twisted awakens upon the moon. The nazi found the remains of a civilzation based upon the journals of Dr.Cavor. They found an extinct society of insect men. The lunar surface concealed many secrets of the Old Ones. The Nazi built their bases and conducted many experiments during the fifties at the height of the Weird Science Wars.
But something happened. 

They carried out many experiments connected with both Cthulhu and his spawn.  They contacted Nythaletep and dealt with his children. 

The bell was constructed in 1955 using a hybrid of weird science and forbidden 'Black Sun' technology. Some of this was from Carcosa and beyond.
Once the bell was activated, time and space split asunder and something was let loose that echoed for all eternity.
The halls of these place remain silent and its former occupants locked the doors and threw away the keys. 

Never to return until now! 

Among The Seas of Dust And Ruin 

So who knows what secrets are hidden away in the seas of the dust of the moon. What treasures or weird occult sciences await the fools ermm adventures upon the Moon? 

Random Lunar Lovecraftian Encounters table 1d10 

1. 1d10 undead Selenite warriors 3 hit points each, AC 7, Damage 1d4 claws 
2. Nazi warriors undead Hit points 3, AC 9 Damage 1d4 30% chance of zombie rot
3. Lunar Cows HP 8 AC 7 Damage 1d6 able to chew through most anything. 
4. Alien Ghosts held in stasis fields tortured for their secrets. The fields are weak and they cry out for vengeance against the living
5. Nazi soldier cybernectic - Immortal undead 3rd level soldiers still guarding forgotten treasures. They attack anything to relieve thier boredom 
6. Alien human wights hybrids HP 3 AC 8 Damage 1d6 per hit. They hunger for the flesh of the living 
7. Nazi cyber spider bots 1d4 Hit points 8 AC 7 Damage 1d6 Mini missiles range 40 yards. 1d4 claws. Utterly insane and remorseless killers hunting the hallways in certain spots. 
8. Former sacrifices now zombie predators slow - HP 1 AC9 Damage 1d3 
9. Tortured Colonists ghosts going through the motions of living. Mostly harmless 10% chance of attacking the living. 
10. Spawn of the Old Ones locked and bound here. AC 8 HP 10 1d8 tendrils, regenerates as troll 

The Observer's House 

This strange unearthly ruin holds many strange holo chambers, stellar scopes, and vast alien computer equipment. The place looks as if it suffered an attack during the 40's and never recovered. There have been extensive computer records recovered from this place. A giant undead giant thing haunts this place and rumors abound about its terrible vengeance against adventurers. 

Vault 554

Once the site of a thriving alien civilization. This alien city has many hidden halls and weird tunnels running through this crater locked location. There are rumors of encounters with flabby white slippery things that haunt the dark spaces of this city. The ruins hold at least 30 or more levels.

 Site 334 


 This site was the home of a hybrid race of centaur like beings who have long ago turned to dust. These ruins still seem to echo with their ghosts and seem to be haunted by a wide variety of alien undead.
The place however holds many rich treasures of alien technology and extensive tunnel systems built for non human beings. The nazi parties only made the briefest of surveys here as their parties kept disappearing amid the ruins. 

The Ecology Of The Storm Bird From Bloody Arduin For Your Old School Campaigns

 Within the glowing confines of the storm the monstrous birds wheeled, turned, and pivoted on wings of brilliant blue and the lightning arched off their bodies. The rains cascaded from their silver beaks and claws.
One could not help but to respect the sheer fury and raw power they generated as the thunder storm kept pace with their power.
The young shamanic pupil sat terrified as his master instructed him telepathically.  'They have come young one and have answered your call. Now all you must do is control their fury with your own.'
The young shaman watched as all four of the storm birds weaved their way through the clouds as he stood with his master braced against the night sky. Their inhuman tendrils tightly gripping the sides of the mountain.
 ' Master these things born of the winds of the Hells themselves.' 

'So why have you called them my pupil?' 

The statement was punctuated with another clap of thunder and flash of lightning against the claws of the monsters!

 Storm Birds are monstrous giant birds of prey who fly through the worlds on wings of brilliant blue feathers, silver claws and beaks. They are creatures of the fierce storms born of both element fury and hellish power. 

They are fly between the elemental planes of Air, Water, and the semi elemental ones as well and are well known to the inhabitants of those places. They also come to our own as the fury of the most violent storms call to them as they carve open dimensional openings.
These monsters however are most often found among the storms of gas giants and the like hunting down the delicate life forms of those worlds. They feed and feed well upon the molecular bounty of that prey.
Storm Birds 

Number Appearing 1- 2  I
If Summoned 1d6 may appear 45% of the time 

Armor Class: 3(16)

Hit Dice : 7 

Attacks: Bite (1d6), Claw (1d8)
All attacks accompanied by electric damage 

Specials : Flight , Immune to wind, fire, sonics, electricity, and storm effects
Lightning strike 1d4 per round three times per day 

Move : 12(27 when flying)

HDE/XP : 8/800 

 Master what are the secrets of the storm birds? The old one looked at his pupil with multi faceted eyes and drew a heavy sigh. ' They are far to easy to summon my young one. For to call one is to call many.'
'They roam the sixth plane of Hell and hunt many of the inhabitants there. Souls do not easily escape their gasp and they hunt in packs that rage through the skies. There are few things that can stand against a full pack of ten of the wings of destruction.'
'Their claws can rip and tear wound of terrible burns and only dragons can stand against them my young one.
I have summoned them very few times and they have left their mark upon my body as well as my soul.' 

Notes 

• Storm birds are from 'Bloody Arduin' and appear to be one of the more dangerous monsters within the works of Dave Hargrave. 
• The birds are semi otherworldly and demonic. They appear upon the sixth plane of Hell. 
• They don't regenerate as demons do and a have a completely alien elemental psychology
• They hunt in packs and are almost never encountered alone. These giant birds relentless. They hunt both flesh and element power feeding on both in equal measure. 
• These monsters always use pack tactics and often play with their food and prey for a time until they tire of such devilish games. 
• These monsters are creatures of pure violence and fury. They are distantly related to both thunderbirds and phoenix. 
• They hate pagasus and hunt them whenever possible. This often puts them at odds with red dragons and the like as well who compete for such food. 
• Very few demons and the like tangle with these monsters. There are rumors of some demonic overlords who use these monsters as mounts. 

Certain esoteric 'Summon monster spells' may summon these creatures. DM's desecration as always. 

Uses within a Space Based Game 

• These monsters have often appeared within the confines of gas giants summoned by the elemental tears that these types of storms inflict on the dimensional fabric. 
• The storm birds are sometimes summoned for certain types of terraforming operations by esoteric alien Dwarven clans. 
• There are certain alien cultures who use these monsters in weird rites of passage for their shamans
• Storm birds have been used as weapons of mass destruction by psychics and madmen who have summoned them by the fury of their psychic wraith. Such events are rare however. 
• Storm birds are sometimes hunted down for their carcesses of semi precious metals and the jewels found within their gullets. The corpses of these creatures is used in the making of many kinds of space based technology level five artifacts.
  The Storm birds are from the fevered mind of Dave Hargrave and Arduin Eternal's Bestiary and Treasures book. No copyright violation of their copyright or the artist's is intended.
  You can purchase the Bestiary from Emperor's Choice Games HERE 
  This blog entry is for entertainment purposes only. The author's intent is for entertainment purposes only.

Free Supplement For Swords And Wizardry - Varlets And Vermins 1.0 Review And Commentary

Up on the Dark Corner blog is a very solid and free pdf for something off beat and very cool for all of your mega dungeon settings. With a bit of work it can be used for a science fictional or science fantasy setting. Varlets And Vermins 1.0 is a perfect underground or meg adungeon setting book check out my quick review right over
HERE

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- 1d10 Random "Vintage" Cargo Finds

Introduction 

Not everything is going to be found packed in suspension, in great shape, and ready to sell to a collector or repo man in those wretch hives of scum and villainy. 

There is a 30% chance of every time you open the cargo hold that some items aren't going to be in fantastic shape. 
 Here's a list of minor items that won't disrupt game balance but might not be worth as much as PC's think. 

1d10 Random Aged Cargo Finds

1. 1d4 3 ton shuttle hulls pitted and carbon scored from lots of use. They're not in the best of shape but with a bit of work they might be worth a hundred credits to a collector or someone doing a restore on a vintage shuttle. 
2. Particle accelerator with most of the hard ware intact.  Worth about two hundred credits on the open market. There's some wear marks on the outer casing but otherwise she'll run. 
3.  Minor star ship weapons systems over two hundred years out of date but still good for meteor or asteroid defenses. 
4. A ten ton early warning system about twenty years out of service. With some work it could be used as a decent computer array system. 
5. Three tons of food stuffs and sundries still in packaging. Actually infected with slimes and a variety of the Connobus plague. Worth about five hundred credits to the bio weapons division of some major corporate interests. 
6. Three tons of out moded computer equipment that will jump start a level two technological society. To all others mostly worthless junk but there are three minor A.I familiars among the junk. 
7. Three Spike Drives that have issues with their destination and dimensional controls. They open doorways to dimensions of darkness and pure chaos. The drives are more then worthless they're dangerous. However to a cult or some other infernal organization they're priceless. There is cult that has been seeking them for ages. 
8. A small portable nuclear reactor unit ready to go with the flip of a switch. The unit works like a charm. Its a bit to efficient however and could cause problems as collectors via for the unit. The 'Little Atom Men' units were only produced for a limited time. The market is very specialized for these and you are going to have to find the right buyer. 
9. A collection of alien pron which seems mostly worthless but to the right collector is worth two thousand credits. To a low level technological two society these would spark a bio engineering revolution. They could cause several interstellar espionage agencies to come after the party. 
10. A small matter/antimatter vintage generator that is being sought by a galactic combine that wants this item back. The item is also being hunted down by a inter stellar cult who worship the thing. 

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- Actual Play -Into the Lyon's Den

Introduction 

Tonight's game found the PC's doing some heavy salvage work within the confines of a Capital Class wreck. They were exploring inch by inch within mechs and heavy space suits. 
They were worried about what might be left behind on the wreck from the Mi Go whose toys they encountered last game. Things left over from the 'Extinction Wars' have been very hazardous to their health for a few games running.
Between the parasites and the slimes. The party mostly seemed to end up using hand flamers. 
There were a couple of sealed rooms some of which held suit chewers and a few of these were lurking around. 

Mi Go "Enhanced" Collector Bot 
Deer Tick  Series 
Number Appearing: 1d6
Armor Class :4 

Hit Dice: 2(10HP)

Attack Bonus:+5 

Saving Throw :14+

Move: 30
Damage: 1d6 +1 particle beam weapon 

1d4+1 micro laser scapels

Morale:12
Skill bonus:+2 Captured colony soldier brain box
This bot has room for four human sized head in cold storage. 

The phraint seemed to watch over the party with several probes in order to keep an eye on the party. The wreck had several key pieces of mining and terraforming equipment on board. The party got into a throw down match with a couple of claim jumping pirates after their salvage. Between the laser blasts, the traps, and tricks the pirates gave the party a hard time. Their ship needs a bit of dry dock time but the phraint have several keep pieces of pre Scream technology. The party has gotten a hold of a map to another ship for salvage but their still working room by room aboard this one.
The party wasn't too happy that they almost blundered into a huge room full of mecha eating macro organisms. This time a plasma flamer was needed to scrap the thing off of them. They're going to need about 300 hundred credits of work on their light scout salvage mecha. They did come  away with another piece of the star maps that they need to find another salvage job for the phraint. So all in all it was a pretty sold and exciting Stars Without number game!

There are several rumors of Mi Go Swarm ships coming into the area signaled by the Collector bots.
To be continued. 

Pacific Rim Featurette And Giant Mecha Love.

I've been thinking, dreaming, and dealing with lots of giant monsters in Rpgs especially old school stuff. Pacific Rim has lot of my friends geeking out and I've heard nothing but good reviews of this film. 

Giant Robot Action! Giant Monsters and Lots of scene chewing Adventure! 

So I'm including more information and a more in depth look at both the mecha and the making off. There are quite a few designs that are floating around out there. 

Here are a couple of the videos that have made the rounds.

Here are a few more designs that don't appear in the film but are official none the less. 

I'm looking into a wide array of campaign options to run this including Gamma World, Carcosa, Stars Without Number, Star Frontiers, and the Hollow World. 
More come.

 All of the Plans for the Jaegars and mecha details are right over
HERE
 Hope You Enjoy 'em 

One of the Mega Dungeons of Lost In Space 1965 Episode #5 "There Were Giants In the Earth"

Introduction 

So I'm kicking back looking through Hulu this evening and decided to rewatch an old episode of the cult classic 'Lost In Space'. The episode was 'There Were Giants In The Earth". The basic plot goes something like this according to Wiki : 
'The Robinsons begin to make themselves at home on the strange alien world, growing plants and herding local animals for food. After checking a meteorological station, the Professor learns that a severe cold front is coming which will drop temperature to lethal levels. To make matters worse, the Professor and Major West are attacked by a giant cyclops creature that lurks in the area. The family decides to abandon the Jupiter 2 and head south to a warmer climate, but Dr. Smith refuses to go with them. Journeying in the chariot, the family seeks shelter from a freak lightning storm inside a cave. There they find ruins of a past civilization in which to explore.'

There were quite few interesting similarities between this episode and one of the original Star Trek Episodes.
 More on that in a minute. We get to see an over arching idea here of the family's fight for survival. This episode was really a glimpse into how 'Lost In Space' mankind against the universe on a thrilling small scale was supposed to work. 

Behind The Ruins On The Planet 
 
Throughout the episode there are hints that behind lurking just over the horizan is a history behind this plane the family finds itself on.  The place has the feel of some lone deserted outpost of a long forgotten alien race. 

Everything about the planet screams terraformed planet. The fact that it just happens to be  a compatible atmosphere and conditions with the human  family strikes me as vary odd. Its place screams backwater ancient colony world.
The whole planet has the feel reminiscent of the 'Isle of The Bronze' from the film 'Jason And Argonauts. This is a planet that was never meant for humans to step foot on. The race that was here before humanity was very advanced and very dangerous. Some might even say Lovecraftian in some of its aspects. 

Madness rides the star-wind... claws and teeth sharpened on centuries of corpses... dripping death astride a bacchanale of bats from nigh-black ruins of buried temples of Belial..."The Hound" Written September 1922, published February 1924 in Weird Tales, 3, No. 2, 50–52, 78
The planet that the family finds itself is not only Earth like but riddled with caverns, tunnels, ruins, and perhaps even working pits of machinery. The place has the feel of some outpost left on autopilot whose owners never returned. The gods left the place in the middle of the universe and all their toys are still in storage waiting. It might be waiting for a group of adventurers to stumble upon them. Who knows what secrets this place might hold? 

The Unclean Guardians 

'Theosophists have guessed at the awesome grandeur of the cosmic cycle wherein our world and human race form transient incidents. They have hinted at strange survivals in terms which would freeze the blood if not masked by a bland optimism. But it is not from them that there came the single glimpse of forbidden eons which chills me when I think of it and maddens me when I dream of it. That glimpse, like all dread glimpses of truth, flashed out from an accidental piecing together of separated things — in this case an old newspaper item and the notes of a dead professor...'
HP Lovecraft. .
There are races of giants that guard the artifacts and outposts of these forgotten vistas of a bygone age.These monsters almost seem to stride from legend and myth. They watch over the ruins of their former masters and reign destruction down on anyone who would dare approach. These unclean beasts aren't the only such beings other worlds also have their own primitive and unclean watchmen.
The planet is very similar to Taurus II (Murasaki 312) where the crew of the Star Ship Enterprise's Shuttle crashes in 2812. Both planets have similar characteristics. Such as: :

' Long-range scans revealed basic characteristics of this planet, such as it had an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere.'

Other similarities among the life forms  also included : 
The inhabitants of Taurus II were order 480-G anthropoids, similar to lifeforms discovered on Hansen's Planet but much larger, ten to twelve feet in height. They were at approximately a stone-age level of technology, slightly less advanced than a "Folsom culture"

Could there be miles of tunnels and artifacts on both of these planets that have never been found because of the dangerous tribes of degenerate life forms that inhabit the planets? Generations of giants that destroy any whom they encounter because they have been genetically modified for strength, speed, deadliness and will never evolve into anything greater? Could these degenerate things be all that is left within our universe of the once mighty 'Gugs' that rule the Dreamland's underworld? Are there rites still being performed under the dead stars that are pale reflections of those that caused the gods to banish the 'gugs' to that cold nameless hell? Only the DM can decide that.

Many of the OD&D games or retroclones already contain stats for just these  sorts of giants and so it becomes a matter of simply plugging and playing the type of giant you want or need into your game. Vary the culture to keep things interesting. 

Are these giants still acting out forbidden rites to Lovecraftian gods whom they will never see again. Beings left behind to guard treasures and forbidden secrets across the stars that shall never see the light of day? 
Judge for yourselves and take a look at this cult classic right over here on Hulu
HERE

Retro Review And Commentary - The Delian Book of the Dead by Ben & Mary Ezzell For Your Old School Games

Introduction 
An old friend came to see me this weekend and brought me a present. A copy of this little gem The Delian Book of the Deadby Ben & Mary Ezzell .The book is geared for doing exactly as it says. Running dead characters and such through the after life in an OD&D or AD&D first edition game.  According to intro from the Dragon Tree Website: 

In addition to the far traveller's vade mecum of the Planes of the Abyss and the multitudinous realms of the Neather Worlds, The Delian Book of the Dead includes a dastardly miscellany of new traps, poisons, artifacts, devious Delian spiders, character class Archeologist, Master Thracian's Apologia of Grave Robbing, character class Deceased and much more ...

Absolutely essential... the one volume which no Ghost (or Mortal) should be without ... A. Bierce -- Stygian Review

 Tongue is planted firmly in cheek like many of the Delian products. But this one is slightly different. There's an assortment of NPC classes and then the real roundabout of the Delian version of the Abyss again from the Dragon Tree Website : 

In Fantasy Role-Play, death is real and important but, as in life, it is also much ignored.  When a Player Character dies, the event is treated with only slightly more importance than the death of an NPC or a monster.  However, this need not be the case and, in Delos at least, death can sometimes simply be the beginning.

The Delian Book of the Dead introduces the Character Class: Deceased (Phantom) along with an examination of the role of the departed spirit as a Player Character.  Other topics include funeral rites, phantom magicks and other spirit-related magicks as well as the nature of the afterlife and the Planes of the Abyss and other matters of importance to those recently deceased.
 The Delian material is a true mixed bag of stuff. It comes from a time when the hobby wasn't so clearly defined and OD&D players were looking for something different. The world of Delian is similar to Dave Hargrave's Arduin that there's some real similarities.
Check out the table of contents from the website for exactly what I mean: 

Table of Contents (abbreviated) Character Class: Deceased (Phantom) While not all who die are capable of returning as phantoms, for those who do, a life after death can be a rewarding existence. Phantom Class Abilities & Limitations Just as death brings an end to old abilities, life as a phantom -- if you'll pardon the expression -- brings new skills and fresh possibilities. Phantom Magicks While mortal magicks are of little use to those of the phantasmal persuasions, life after death does not mean that there are no magicks to be mastered.  New Spells & Spirit-Related Magicks While little attention is paid elsewhere to magicks used by mortals in connection with spirits, those adventuring with phantoms may well find these new spells useful in their endeavors. Character Class: Archaeologist Long before Indiana Jones appeared, archaeological adventurers were wandering the paths and byways of Delos.  Sharing some of the abilities of the Thieves class, Archaeologist have their own skills, interests and abilities. Notable Tombs of Delos Excerpted from The Complete Cracksman by Professor R. J. Raffles, Prof. Emeritus of the University School of the Delian Thieves Guild, Professor Raffles was well noted for her personal investigations of many of the more remote areas of the Delian Commonwealth. Funeral Rites of the Commonwealth Quite aside from possible personal participation, the wise adventurer may well find a knowledge of both guild and regional funeral rites an advantage in remaining among the living. Gem Stones & Other Jewels It's all very well to scoop up a chance handful of gems in the hopes of finding them profitable ... but how well do you know your gemstones ... and not just which ones are profitable but which ones are safe to handle at all? Natural Hazards & Other Dangers In Delos, the adventurer not only must contend with monsters and wildlife but should also be wary of less obvious dangers ... because some are not obvious at all. And Doors On New Vistas Opening Most are accustomed to using doors without a second thought ... but, occasionally, doors are more than they appear ... Arms and Armour ... of course, weapons are not always the answer ... but they are, sometimes, the question ... A Gentle Cup of Poison From the Hand of a Friend Accomplishing the transition from the world of the living to the Planes Beyond may be undertaken in many ways ... and one such route might be ... Mirrors and Other Windows As we all are aware, ghosts and other specters, like vampires, can not be seen in mirrors ... or can they ...? And, For Light Reading,... Notes on books, scrolls and other writings which may be encountered while adventuring ... but not always safely ... A Matter of Menagerie On the care, seeking and acquisition of strange pets ... (and the consequences of living with them later...) The Book of the Planes Just as the Delian Commonwealth encompasses many diverse peoples, so too does the Delian afterlife present a diversity of places, planes and regions which are commonly referred to as the Neather Planes, the Abyss or the Great Beyond.  In some cases, these regions are even accessible to mortals (via the Well of the Worlds) and a number of the more popular regions and their inhabitants are described here. The Horn of Hern is an adventure designed for the recently deceased but is not limited to those who have passed beyond. As a mission offered by Amazon Mutual Life Assurance, this is a challenge for the living and the dead alike ... and may lead to a most singular conclusion                            Where the Material shines  If you like the Arduin books of Dave Hargrave. The Delian stuff might be where its at for you. I personally loved both the Archaeologist class and the Phantoms NPC class. The material on the Abyss was from another time period. The Book of the Planes was a different if somewhat nice change of pace from the usual Dragon Magazine fare of the time. On the whole its got its usefulness if your into something different for a game. The material might even be used within a science fantasy setting  if the DM is inclined. A DM might also convert some of this material for use with a dimension jumping campaign.  All of the Delian Book of the Dead material is pretty Rpg system generic with a slant toward OD&D and the like.If your looking for something odd, off beat, and plane different this book might be up your alley.  The two adventures are pretty much in the spirit of the other 'Amazon Mutual' things I've read. They're interesting and a bit piffy if your into your early Delos material. I'd give this one a three stars if you know what to expect and are not afraid of doing some adapting. About ninety percent of this book is usable with any of the retroclones on the market. Swords and Wizardry especially as well as many of the others.  You can still get this book from Dragon Tree Press right over HERE