OSR Review of Scorched - An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Roleplaying Game by Eric Bloat, & Josh Palmer From Bloat Games

 "Bloat Games is excited to announce SCORCHED.

This game is based on the simple concept, "What if Luke never left Tatooine?"

'It's definitely heavily Star Wars inspired with a side of Mad Max thrown in for good measure. And did we mention, it has Power Armors?

Scorched is a full stand-alone TTRPG, clocking in at 223 pages, but is also fully compatible with The Blackest Space and can be used as a supplement to that game, also.

Scorched is a game that utilizes the BoD game system created by Eric Bloat for The Blackest of Deaths RPG."

"The BoD game system is based on the d20 OGL with updates and alternate rules, most-notably the Core Mechanic:  Roll 1d20 & 1d6 Simultaneously

When you attack, make a save, make a skill, etc. roll a d20 and a d6 and add any applicable modifiers to the d20 roll.

If you meet, or beat, the target Difficulty Check or Evade score you succeed.

On the d6, do not add modifiers unless specifically instructed and ignore a roll of 2, 3, 4 or 5. For a roll of 1 add a Hindrance and for a roll of 6 add a Benefit. 

Hindrance

Hindrance adds an additional challenge or difficulty that was not present before the attempt."

Scorched came across my desk through my purchasing it on Drivethrurpg & the rpg comes across  as a mix of  power armor & 'Space Hunter Adventures in the Forbidden Zone'. This rpg has a myriad of micro settings all tied into the planetary setting of Lazarus-3. You've got  warriors, survivors, spacers,magick, you've got power armor, you've got wastelands, and much more.
All of this comes under the heading of Scorched rpg's two hundred & twenty six pages. And within there are the alien races of Lazarus-3 are varied & there's enough choice that can give the players solid races. We've got Feysprouted, a sort of alien psychic Fey, human obviously. Mirewhips alien whip like aliens, robos free willed alien cybernetic lifeforms, Sandkrait alien repitlians, and then its off the classes!  
Here we've got bounty hunters. emmisary representatives from alien cultures, fortune hunter, mercenaries, pilot, raiders, rogues, warmages, and zealots. So generate your stats, pick your race, and pick your class. 
And then we get deep into the weapons & equipment! There's a ton of good gear ready to go for the PC's. 
One thing about Lazarus -3 it centers itself around cybernetic life forms & mecha! And its an alien desert wasteland ready to drop the players into! 
No seriously its that quick! You are ready to go in what looks like about fifteen minutes! And there's even random encounter charts & what not ready to go! 
And this follows the Bloat Games formula down line, quick ruled OSR games ready to play that follow the guidelines laid down by Eric Bloat & company! 

Scorched is no different because it follows the design path laid down in Survive This!! Blackest of Space rpg.  Because the two games are 100% cross compatible and this is another benefit to Bloat games material. 

Do you need the Scorched rpg for 'Blackest of Space' setting ?! Nope, everything you need for a Scorched  rpg campaign is in Scorched rule book. Its very nice to have the option of using 'Blackest of Space' with Scorched. Lazarus-3 is a solid & very interesting world all on its one within Scorched! 
Scorched is a rare bird in the OSR , a complete game unto itself  with everything you need to play straight outta of the box! Scorched is a good solid OSR Science Fiction or Science Fantasy rpg that works well with other OSR games! So its a solid investiment for the OSR DM. 

 Scorched - An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Roleplaying Game by  Eric Bloat, & Josh Palmer From Bloat Games Available Here 

OSR Review & Commentary Zozer Games 'Prelude To Freedom' By David Cooper For The Hostile Rpg

"A scenario for Hostile by David Cooper/ Brass Jester ©2022
The PCs are corporate troubleshooters dispatched to ever-dark Nevermind, an Off-World colony reliant on an Erebus fusion powerplant. But the plant, and the survival of every colonist on Nevermind, is at stake. " 




Three scenarios, maps and encounter tables, the Seonwu tractor detailed, NPCs and situations. "

 Nevermind isn't the kind of world that you really want to be stuck on as presented in Zozer Games 'Prelude To Freedom' By David Cooper. Nevermind is a beast of a world that centers itself on the great fusion plant that's been built there. There are not one but three adventures that 'Prelude to Freedom' presents  & these all center around the colony, the circumstances of decisions, and the fate of Nevermind. 
Let's start off the fact that 'Prelude To Freedom' By David Cooper isn't a railroad & instead its more of a roller coaster; "The following missions are not railroaded scene-by-scene scenarios. I’ll give you the outline of what’s going on, then it’s up to individual referees to use the material as they want." 
And its this attitude that has the fate of Nevermind at its core. And in Hostile that's a recipe for adventure, once again having callbacks to the Eighties action/horror films of the past. 'Prelude to Freedom' charts its own course on Nevermind. 

Nevermind itself in 'Prelude to Freedom' is itself a setting  character with character. It colours everything about this campaign because that's exactly what this is! You've got corporate politics, new NPC's, and lots of Hostile goodness. All this and more with the world really at stake! And that's no lie! 
If the PC's have survived 'Salvatoris' as an opener to a Hostile campaign then 'Prelude To Freedom' is going to take them to the next level! Seriously there's a lot of good things to say about 'Prelude to Freedom' and Nevermind is a compelling world. And its a great place to stick player's PC when events in 'Prelude To Freedom' are over! And I don't want to give too much away from 'Prelude to Freedom' 

David Cooper does a good job with his writing its tight, and Hell even the cover is corporate propaganda in the form of a brochure. Nevermind itself is brutal, dangerous, and very much has the feel of the edge of the frontier. 'Prelude to Freedom' is a fantastic adventure as a mid tier 'Hostile' rpg adventure. And 'Prelude to Freedom' will keep your player's PC's on the edge of their seats! 
Zozer Games 'Prelude To Freedom' By David Cooper  For The Hostile Rpg Is Availabe Right Here 

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Unboxing of 'All Bets Are Off' - An Alternative Setting for Postcards from Avalidad

 "All Bets are Off is a mini-setting for Postcards from Avalidad. It adds the city of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, to the Avalidad game world. Lisbon of the near-future is a new entry in the infamous list of gambling and vice cities of the world, such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Macao, Monaco and Singapore."

Today I got an unexpected package from my friend Miguel Ribeiro From Postmortem Studios for the Postcards from Avalidad rpg. 'All Bets Are Off' is  high end Neo Noir Cyberpunk rpg setting that is  a highly polished & very well done. The whole thing is perfectly suited to the 'shadow wars' & back room dealings of  the 'Postcards from Avalidad' rpg.  And this post will pick up from here on the blog. 

' Postcards from Avalidad' is partially based upon the work of William S. Burroughs & a lot of the author's interesting take on the fake indo Middle Eastern campaign setting. This rpg is  fused with cyberpunk leanings & quite a bit of body horror bubbling under the campaign setting surface. 'All Bets Are Off ' picks up the action in Lisbon, Portugal and targets the usual Las Vegas style campaign issues. Lisbon in 'All Bets Bets Are Off' is a viberant & living cyberpunk city with all of its own glitz, glamour, and an undercurrent of corruption. Adventures within Lisbon are going to be a combination of grift, grief, loss, and gain all in equal measure. 

And here's where the players could get into deep trouble especially if the DM uses  Zozer Games Zaibatsu rpg. Then Lisbon becomes the center of space deals, & corporate gambling and much more. This city is the unofficial center of corporate politics of the setting. Interstellar deals are done over drinks & black jack.

And this is the center of the cyberpunk corporate  situation that we find ourselves within. This of course is going to breed more shadow wars, violence, and more. I highly recommend 'All Bets Are Off' - An Alternative Setting for Postcards from Avalidad. But I might do something completely different with this rpg setting coming up! 

'All Bets Are Off' - An Alternative Setting for Postcards from Avalidad Is Available Here. 

Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands Actual Play Session one! Carcosa Landfall!

 So we've been quietly playing through a bit of Carcosa using Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands rpg. Its been interesting to say the least or at least it has been from my perspective. We've got Arnold Kazram Holy Smiter of Judus Death. He's a war orphan who survived the Holy Wars and went on to become a holy smiter of Judas Death. Sorta of a combination of Megadeath & Judas Priest if these bands were actually a heavy metal god. 

The player wants to swap out his clerical spells for some from Neoplastic Press's Metallic Tome and the metal clerical spells within. Because, Jason's character isn't a healer but an ass kicking paladin of  Eighties metal we can let this pass! Arnold is a third level holy smiter usually dresss in a combination of denim and chainmail. And one of his favorite spells is Abyssal Winter; "Abyssal Winter Duration: 5 rounds plus 1 round per caster level Range: 100’ plus 20’ per caster level Ice forms on the floor and grips the victim’s feet. The cold saps strength and speed, freezing the enemy in place. The victim’s move rate drops to 20’ [2] for the duration of the spell. The victim’s attacks with melee weapons receive a -2 to damage, and missile weapon attacks are -2 to hit. This spell can affect 1 target per caster level, but all targets must be within 50’ of each other" 

Arnold is on a mission to avenge his family taken out by the 'Lost Boys' vampire biker gang and he's on a mission to send the vampires to Hell! Even if he's got to Hell and   follow them himself! And this is how are gang goes from Neon Traxx to Carcosa. A miscast by the biker gang's necromancer puts the group in serious danger when they were teleported right in front of a spawn of Shub Niggurath. And the party runs like Hell while fires blinding running like a pack of wild dogs! 

daviblight dark-young-of-shub-niggurath artwork used without permission 

The party is on an alien world and with few options! They made camp on high ground & began to take in their situation. 

S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic troopers PC class for Mutant Future & Your Old School Campaigns

The Search Conflict Action Reaction Ability Battle Cybernetic troopers are some of the most dangerous troops that PC's can encounter! Based on Cobra La bio organic engineered technology but refined by Cobra's technological divisions the S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic Troopers are a force to be recokoned with on Carcosa! They are the most fanatical & dangerous of the Cobra troops on Cobras's IV outpost on Carcosa! 

S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic troopers are used throughout the most elite of Cobra's installations & are given access to the inner most advanced weapon systems. Many of these troops are fitted with the patiented Mindbender cybernetic systems and these are the most fantatical troops! 
And then there are those who don't take to the brainwashing & these are the PC or NPC  renagade troops! They are often mercenaries & professional soldiers selling their abilities to the highest bidder on Carcosa. These are often guarding villages & fortification settlements. There are some who believe that the S.C.A.R.A.B. cybernetic troopers are also used as spies and sabatours against sorcerers & others who speak ill of Cobra! 

Artwork used without permission 

S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic troopers 

 Hit Dice: 1d6 per point of CON

Mutations: 1d4+4 beneficial, any category

S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic Troopers is a  soldier fitted with technological enhancements: Cybernetic implants, bio-ware, nano-machines, etc. In place of the normal +3 boost to INT, CON & CHA, Augmented Humans get 3 points to distribute among any ability, and they get "enhancements" in the form of normal beneficial mutations of any category, much like androids. Just like Pure Humans, they are immune to mutation due to radiation exposure. If the character has access to a specialist that can make enhancements, then the character can get a new augmentation per new level, with 5,000 gp upfront. The surgery takes one day to preform, and 3d6 days to recover. 

S.C.A.R.A.B. Cybernetic Troopers AC:15 
Full Sensor Suite 
Weaponry 

AR 77 Long Range Weapons System Damage 1d12+2 Range 40 yards Clip 30 

52 Plasma Side Arm Damage 2d6+2 Range 20 yards Clip 20 

Cobra Vibro Dagger 1d6+3 operational for 30 minutes of continous use. 

Uses Standard Mutant Future Energy Cell 

To The Max: 
1-10 The S.C.A.R.A.B. does double damage as his or her absolute almost religous fanatical belief in Cobra ideals kicks in to add in mayhem & murder! 

11-20 The Cybernetic systems add +3 to any attack rolls as the cybernetic trooper goes in for an absolutely knarly kill! 

This blog entry is not a challenge to the trademarks & copyrights of the holders of the G.I. Joe cartoons, toys, etc. This blog post is for educational & entertainment purposes only

OSR Review On The Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson From Independence Games For the Earth Sector rpg & Your Old School 2d6 Science Fiction rpg Campaigns

 "Need a freighter on a budget?! Have we got the ship for you!" The Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson came our way through a pre release via  Independence Games

The Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson is the perfect Earth sector adventuring class ship. The Pleiades Light Freighter clocks in at forty pages of wall to wall light freighter for all of those high risk high reward cargos for the Earth Sector. The Pleiades is the perfect little ship to hop from port to port and get your adventurers in & out of trouble on the high frontier! The Pleiades Light Freighter has some excellent artwork by Ian Stead & rocks in with the history, variants, specs, and everything you need to include the  Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson into your Cepheus Engine or Earth Sector rpg campaigns. 
The Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson  is a small adventuring ship with solid chops and includes everything to get your player's PC's into this little beauty of a ship. The whole package comes with some excellent deck plans & starship variants to get you the DM started! The Pleiades Light Freighter is a no nonsense design with tried & true designs at your finger tips. For the Earth sector the Pleiades Light Freighter isn't a starship to break the bank! The material here is aimed with a practical approach in mind! This is an excellent starship to start an adventuring party with and one that allows a party to expand as time goes on. 
The Pleiades Light Freighter is a nice solid addition to the interstellar corp scene in Earth sector because the Earth sector is all about the independent businessmen & women. And its a theme that shines through within the Pleiades Light Freighter. In the darkness of the high  frontier you need a ship to depend upon & that's the Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson !

The Pleiades Light Freighter by Michael Johnson will be available on April 15th through Independence Games & Drivethrurpg

OSR Review Of 'The psychic PC class' by James & Jody Moran- Mishler from Mishler Games For Your OSR or Old School Game Campaigns

" This booklet presents a new 15-level Psychic class that utilizes psychic powers, completely compatible with the existing magic system!"

 
"The class possesses the following:
 
Psychic Powers!
Psychic Combat!
Attune Restricted Magic Items!
Psychokinetic Powers!
Psychic Combat Expertise & Mastery!
 
The new Psychic class can be used alongside traditional magic-users and clerics or can take the place of one or both in a more science-fantasy campaign.
 
Designed for use with Labyrinth Lord, the Psychic Class can be easily adapted to any old-school fantasy role-playing game!"

The psychic PC class by James & Jody Moran- Mishler from Mishler Games is a solid take on the OSR psychic. And its pretty much a reimagining of the psychic from the ground up. Very similar but not quite the same as the 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons Dark Sun psychic. 
Instead the Mishler Games version is a bit more martial & in some ways geared toward the Science Fantasy end of the OSR. And we can see this according to the write up for the PC class right out of the gate;"PSYCHIC POWERS: At 1st level a psychic possess four 1st level psychic powers, plus a number of additional 1st to 4th level psychic powers based on her Intelligence score as detailed on Wisdom Table II. For example, a psychic with an Intelligence of 17 would start at 1st level with six 1st, two 2nd, and one 3rd level psychic power. Those are the number of psychic powers possessed. At 1st level the psychic may choose the psychic powers she possess. Starting at 2nd and subsequent levels, new psychic powers gained might be random. Whenever a new psychic power is gained, the psychic may choose to spend one week in training with another psychic who possesses a desired psychic power, or two weeks in meditation, each per level of the psychic power to be gained, in order to choose her new psychic power. She must then make a Spell Learning Probability Check based on her Intelligence score (Intelligence Table II). If successful, she gains the desired psychic power; if the check fails, she instead manifests a random psychic power (re-roll any psychic power already possessed). Once a psychic power is possessed, it cannot normally be changed (though it can be lost through unusual circumstances)." 

Dealing with psychic PC classes in OSR games are tricky because on the one hand many D&D players love Dark Sun and want a psychic in their party. And on the other hand there are the Grognards who absolutely loath psychics. Me, being the old school heratic that I'm well I love psychics. They are absolutely a blast when you've got a good solid version of the PC class. And 'The psychic PC class' by Mishler Games is a blast! 
Between fifteen levels of psychic weirdness and danger there's a well thoughout class. And it's well done with all of the appropriate abilities that goes along with the class. At first level all of the old favorites are here: "1. Allure (M1) 2. Animal Companion (D1) 3. Auditory Illusion (I1) 4. Charm Person (M1) 5. Command (C1) 6. Comprehend Languages (M1) 7. Detect Evil (C1) 8. Detect Illusion (I1) 9. Divine Weather (D1) 10. Doppelganger (I1) 11. Hypnotism (I1) 12. Jarring Hand (M1) 13. Locate Creature (D1) 14. Message (M1) 15. Phantasmal Force (I1) 16. Remove Fear* (C1) 17. Sanctuary (C1) 18. Sleep (M1) 19. Speak with Animals (D1) 20. Ventriloquism (M1)" 

So its not going to a surprise to the usual old school gamer but its how it's arranged & played with that set's  'The psychic PC class' apart. The whole class does read like the old school but plays as well as the standard OSR reimaging of the class itself. And it's this balance that the class walks well! Is   'The psychic PC class' for everyone?! Hell no! But  'The psychic PC class' works very well for those Science Fantasy rpg campaigns that need the psychic abilities to even out some of the magick and herasies that we see cropping up in the OSR. What the Hell are you talking about Eric?! Well, 'the psychic PC class' adds in the attune ability at higher levels and it works very well; "ATTUNE RESTRICTED MAGIC ITEMS: Psychic powers are merely a different way of manipulating the natural, ambient magic of the world through use of personal, innate magic. Beginning at 2nd level a psychic is able to manipulate the magic of magic items of restricted sort (fighter only, magic-user only, cleric only, etc.) so that she can attune herself to it and use its power, whether it is a ring, scroll, rod, staff, wand, or miscellaneous magic item. To attune to an item the psychic must hold and psychically scan the item in question for 10 minutes. She may then make a saving throw versus Spells, with a penalty equal to the relative spell level of the power she is trying to attune; if she succeeds, she may use that power of the item. For example, if trying to attune a wand of fireballs the penalty to the save is -3. If she fails, she may try again, but if she rolls a Natural 1, she may not attempt it again until they have gained a new level' 

That right there is vicious if used in an OSR horror game, Science Fantasy setting with a Lovecraftian flavor, or a Steampunk campaign venue to name a few. Once again a solid class from Mishler Games. 
Now where would I use the psychic class?! Adventurer, Conqueror, King springs readily to mind! The Science Fantasy elements are already within the late Roman Empire setting. And Castles & Crusades would be easy to slip this class in the backdoor and yes there are psychic abilities in C&C. But this is a well defined class! 

'The psychic PC class' by James & Jody Moran- Mishler from Mishler Games Is Available Here! 

S.N.A.K.E.'s For Your Old School Campaigns

 "The S.N.A.K.E. is a Cobra weapon, powered armor. It weights 70 lbs, has a maximum speed of 12 mph, and it's maximum range is 17 hours of continuous use." 

/

Artwork used without permission 

System: Neutralizer-Armed Cloaking Equipment power armor (S.N.A.K.E.) 

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice: 30 

Frame: Biomorph

Crew:1 

Power Source: Energy cell  17 hours of continious use 

Locmotion: Legs

Manipulators: Hands 1d8 per punch, 

Armor: Metallic Powder Armor AC:3 

Sensors:  targetting system (full sensors) 

Accessories: AV Transmitter, Robolink,M.C.L.C. System (mind control loyality Cybernetic systems - Save vs wands or become loyal to Cobra) 
Sensors: Class III

Weapons:2 x modular arms (flamethrower arm with 5 minutes of fuel at 450 ft range Damage 2d6+3 / 5.56 mm machine-gun arm with 300 rounds 1d6+2 40 yards / rocket arm with one anti-personnel SCRAMJET rocket Damage 1d8+3 Range 40 yards )

Add's +3 to all strength or melee attacks 

To the Max: 1-10 The S.N.A.K.E. does double damage to its target! 

11-20 The S.N.A.K.E.S. cuts the head off its target or its weapon fire does knarly damage to its target 

S.N.A.K.E's were used extensively after the M.A.S.S. Affair on Carcosa from Eighty five. S.N.A.K.E.S. saw even more action after Cobra established their beachead & outpost on Carcosa in 2009. The S.N.A.K.E.S were used in the thousands after Cobra tried to take over portions of the planet of the damned. 

S.N.A.K.E.'s were robust power armor that could be used as 'dumb' robotic drone but shines with a pilot inside. The pilot is subject cybernetic brainwashing through the M.C.L.C. System (mind control loyality Cybernetic systems - Save vs wands or become loyal to Cobra). The S.N.A.K.E.'s power armor  system were developed after Cobra interactions with the Transformer cybernetic life forms. See the Marvel papers. S.N.A.K.E's cybernetic systems  were the predesssors for the  B.A.T.T.'s units used by 
S.N.A.K.E.'s power armors have been solid to any number of Carcosan villages & sorcerers. The power armor has had roles as sorcerer's body guards, enforcers, and as protection for these various Carcosa villages against the occult horrors & Lovecraftian monsters. 
Because Cobra uses its Carcosa outposts as testing grounds for its various alien weapon systems & occult artifacts. S.N.A.K.E.'s are still in demand and so are still produced by the thousands. S.N.A.K.E.'s  have also been used extensively by Cobra for exploration roles their D gate programs which were directly adjuncts to the M.A.S.S. Device affair of the Eighties. 

This blog entry is not a challenge to the trademarks & copyrights of the holders of the G.I. Joe cartoons, toys, etc. This blog post is for educational & entertainment purposes only. 

OSR Review Of The Wicked Encounters #1: Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From James Mishler Games For The Labyrinth Lord Rpg & Your Old School Campaigns

"This 16-page booklet has a ready-made wicked encounter ready for the judge to use in the underworld or wilderness. It includes a party of eight villains of 5th to 9th level:"

"Provided herein is a vicious encounter for use in the labyrinth or wilderness. This group of eight villains can be used in place of any high-level (6th to 8th level) NPC Party randomly encountered in the labyrinth or in the wilderness" "Slakt the Slayer, a mighty human warrior-mage – and his “uncles,” the Seven Dread Dwarves:

Ond the Evil, Pretender-in-Exile
Lur the Cunning; “Lur of the Lightning”
Stygg the Ugly
Skrekk the Hideous
Friendly Frykk
Foul Frekk
Skurk the Villainous

The eight are out to overthrow an ancient kingdom for their own wicked purposes. And your party might just be in their way…

Plus, two new magic-user spells and a new magic ring!"

What we have in 'The Wicked Encounters #1: Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves' By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From James Mishler Games is a really bad nightmare for any group of OSR PC's! These NPC's are literally the worst bastards that a party of adventurers can encounter. And this sixteen page supplement goes deep into 'Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves' history, skills, magic,tactics,& more. But just who is Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves? Well,according to their write up;'Slakt is a human fighter who was raised by the Seven Dread Dwarves. Slakt is the son of a princess of the realm who ran away from her family to be with the man she loved – who turned out to be a complete and utter bastard, a villainous warrior who only wanted to use her to take over her father’s kingdom. She in turn ran away from him and bore their son in a hidden dwarf delve, where she had accidentally fallen in with seven dwarves who seemed kindly and helpful. After bearing her son she left, for she could not remain with him, as her son reminded her of her turncoat lover. She later went on to fall in with a coven of hags and conquered her own kingdom… but that is another story…"
Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves is a different kind of a supplement that goes into a twisted dust up between the PC'& Slakt as well as his family. Its doubtful the party would survive a dust up.

Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves  are well written & well rounded as rival NPC's or as even possible patrons for the party. Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves fits the bill quite nicely!
A bit of a warning  Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves should only be used with experienced players because they can & will kill others quite easily. The writing by the Mishlers is tight & well done! 
Where would I personally use Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves?! There are two OSR games that quickly come to mind are Adventurers, Conqueror, King as a gang of criminals & rivals to the PC's. The second game that comes to mind is Castles & Crusades where Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves are perfectly suited as gang of marauders & raiders as well as PC's rivals! Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves are everything that I loved about NPC enemies. Their vile, evil, and deadly. 

The Wicked Encounters #1: Slakt the Slayer and the Seven Dread Dwarves By James Mishler, & Jodi Moran-Mishler From James Mishler Games Are Available Here! 

OSR Review of The Free Cepheus Journal issue #10 for the Cepheus Engine rpg & Your 2d6 Old School Science Fiction Game Campaigns

 Reviews are tricky things & when it comes 2d6 rpging the Cepheus Engine Journal is the key in Cepheus Engine gaming. And Cepheus Journal  issue #10 proves this with a double sized issue clocking in at fifty six pages of pure 2d6 gaming goodness! 

'Beyond Mithril and Adamantine' by Joseph Jaquinta goes down over the natural minerals & magical metals in 2d6 fantasy gaming. These come in handy for magical swords & other magical items this is a perfect gateway for enchanting items for Sword of Cepheus! 
The Alchemist By Paul Drye is another great addition to the 2d6 fantasy agenda! The alchemist is according to the article; " characters who are scholars may specialize in alchemy which is a specific branch of magic oriented towards laboratory procedures and potions rather than on­the­fly spellcasting in the heat of the moment.". These are perfectly suited PC's who also work as patronly NPC's for parties of adventurers! And this article does a fantastic job of outlining alcemists  as complex and well defined careers that can provide a solid addition to your Sword of Cepheus game campaign! 
"Bring me the Head of Izumi Takahiro" by Norton Glover and works as a solid cyberpunk Cepheus Engine rpg adventure for 3 to 6 players! This is a solid mid teir adventure with some solid twists & turns! 
'The Human Destiny' by Jon F. Zeigler is a Space Opera Cepheus Engine rpg campaign setting with some real potential for extended campaign play. The author does a great job of laying out the basics for this campaign product setting that we'll see coming up! 
And then we get into one of my favorite ship types for this issue 'The Junk' by Jo Jaquinta ! While this doesn't sound exciting the Junk is a trade  space craft that is created from any locally available materials according the article; "The design was commissioned to be as cheap as possible in order to facilitate government production, trade subsidies and to be sensitive to extremely low margins. These together allow for the Junk to be profitable over a wide variety of routes. The Junk is extremely popular with many development offices. As the requirements are very basic, they can be built in almost any starport, usually with locally sourced supplies, often qualifying them for most favorable rates and subsidies due to the stimulus to the local economy. Analysis shows that, credit for credit, subsidizing the production, use and distribution of Junks achieves government aims better than any other class of vessel." These are highly useful trade ships especially for the Clement Sector campaign setting! 

A  solid continuation of the story The Raiders Lament Part 4 by Jo Jaquinta & it goes a great job of keeping the plot moving! 'World Generation in the Hostile Setting' by P-O Bergstedt is an additional world generation article for Zozer Games Hostile rpg setting & its a solid addition to the Hostile rpg! All in all a great article! 
Using AI for Your Cepheus Engine Setting is a solid article uses A.I. websites & apps  used for creating artwork for NPC's, adventure locations, & a more including on line resources & websites! Highly useful stuff. 
'Edge of Darkness' by Brett Kruger raises the stakes for getting out into the blackness & your own 2d6 adventures! 

Cepheus Journal issue #10 for the Cepheus Engine rpg & Your 2d6 Old School Campaigns Are Availble Here For Free! 

'Menace of From X1 The Isle of Dread ' - Lost In The Eighties! LoFP Carcosa & OSR Actual Play Session - Extension

 Expert  Dungeons & Dragons X1 The Isle of Dread by Dave Cook & Tom Moldvay is a module that we keep coming back to and its been playing on my mind for a long while now. And after watching through Seth Skorkowsky's Isle of Dread review  last night I came upon his idea with the Kopru eggs. This blog entry ties into the Lost In The Eighties! LoFP Carcosa & OSR Actual Play Session - Extension. 

Here we tie X1 onto Carcosa with the isle there. Go and watch the review. But the idea of the last two Kopru are guarding millions of eggs is very compelling & very Lovecraftian. Now let's take the idea that the Kopru empire having once held thousands of worlds within their slimy tentacled grasp. Evolve this idea further & extend it into the modern nights and the Kopru become a major threat to the Earth. 

The Kopru ruins from the TSR archive originally from Darrin Drader for 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons works very well for illutstrating the dangers that these ancient Lovecraftian horrors are to any humanoid life around them. Would the Kopru get along with other Lovecraftian life forms such as the Deep Ones?! No not all in my mind for several reasons. 1. The human population is a major resource for these Lovecraftian races. 2. Both Lovecraftian races are majorly Xenophobic & very terroritial. 3nd These two Lovecraftian races serve completely gods and masters! 

All of this leads into the fact that the Kopru would love to begin spreading their alien influece across the modern world quite easily through enchanted statues, artwork, and artifacts. The Kopru are a huge menace just waiting to hatch upon the modern nights easily. 

The Kopru may have access to planar gateways that extend among the planes & this could easily explain their presence in the modern nights. According to the Greyhawkonline.com wiki in the Kopru history; "Most kopru cities were founded over 3,000 years ago during a period in which their basic food source, a clam mollusk known as the kopura, thrived beneath the southern oceans. The kopru shamans of Demogorgon used their demonic magic to transform the largest kopura into fiendish creatures that produced black pearls the shamans used to work terrible magic. The kopru enslaved sahuagin, locathah, and aquatic elves, occasionally allying with the kuo-toas but warring with the ixitxachitls.

About 2,000 years ago, when the kopru civilization was at its peak, a mysterious disease decimated the kopura, marking the beginning of the koprus' decline. They began to kill and eat their slaves, and in some cases their nobles began to prey on lower-ranking members of their own kind. The kopru city-states went to war with each other.

Around 1,500 years ago a great rebellion of the kopru slaves caused the destruction of most kopru cities. Their leaders were hunted down and killed, and kopru society has been a savage shadow of its former self ever since." 
Could this in point of fact be a part of their alien life cycles where only the fittest survive to guard the next cycle of the Kopru race. And given the fact that perhaps millions of Kopru could  be just about ready to hatch these new menaces could be poised to invade Freisberg! 

And this ties into the fact that Friesberg's supernatural races & PC's serve as a kind of supernatural Earthly immune system. The space craft the PC's faced last session is going to drop them into the Kopru ruins and things about to get interesting. 

OSR Commentary On Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing From Raven God Games

 "Aeons before man arose from the primordial mire, ancient creatures descended from the stars or stepped through dimensional passages to inhabit the Earth. Whilst many of these Old Ones have since passed into inactivity, the secrets they carried with them have been shared with man and now terrible cults haunt the fringes of modern society. These ancient terrors thus still menace mankind and, if the prophecies are to be believed, the Old Ones shall return to reign again over the Earth!"

So if you've been following 'the Lost in The Eighties' campaign then you know that we've returned to our own version campaign  of  Geoffrey McKinney's Carcosa. And we/ve already discussed White Box Gothic so let's move into Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing From Raven God Games. So what does  Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing From Raven God Games besides adding modernish technology to Geoffrey McKinney's Carcosa. There several reasons why this is a solid OSR addition to the already crowded campaign setting.. And that's adding alien sorcerers to the cultists NPC class that we have in Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing From Raven God Games. The deadliest monsters in the Eldritch Tales are the human cultists. Add to the mix is the alien sorcerers who are more then happy to deal with cultists for more forbidden magicks & knowledge. 

Besides opening up the 20th Century to Carcosa & its Lovecraftian monster gods. Carcosa is open to the Lovecraftian cults as well! This means that Earth's cultists could look at Carcosa as the promised land. And this brings into focus the fact that Carcosa could be the origin point for more then one horror that has been extinct or nearly so on Earth for millions if not billions of years! Plus we've got the unkown horrors as well. 
And this all comes down to the spawn of Shub-Niggurath whose spawn could easily overwhelm large portions of Earth. Fortunately these spawn are fragmented at best & actively opposed to each at certain points. 
The mixture of Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Role-Playing & LoFP's Carcosa is actually a rather rich one to mine! There's tons of ideas just floating within the OSR mix that it could take months to untangle the whole cloth here! 

The Battle Android Trooper (B.A.T.) For Your Old School Campaigns

 "BATs are the perfect Cobra trooper. They never question orders, shirk duty or surrender. They are cheap and easy to replace. However, BATs do not react well to changes in field conditions, or discriminate well between targets. They will shoot at anything that moves. Cobra Infantrymen don't like to be on the same battlefield with B.A.Ts, and will sometimes dispense BATs into a losing battle, by kicking them out of low-flying aircraft without parachutes. B.A.Ts also have a tendency to burst into flame when hit from behind! " 
B.A.T.S. Wiki Entry 

Artwork used without permission 

B.A.T.S. 
The Battle Android Trooper (B.A.T.)

Armor Class: 3

Hit Dice:20 

Frame: Biomorph

Locmotion: Legs

Manipulators: Hands 1d8 per punch, 

Armor: Metallic Mesh AC:3 

Sensors:  targetting system (full sensors) 

Accessories: AV Transmitter, Robolink
Sensors: Class III

Weapons:The right forearm could be equipped with a flamethrower 1d6 +4 Range 30 ft , laser cannon 2d6+2  Range 50 ft, gripper claw 1d8, or standard robotic hand

To The Max! 
On a Roll of 1-10 the B.A.T. shoot at anything that moves friend or foe continuing on with its objective! 

On A Roll of 11-20 The B.A.T. will do anything within its programming to destroy any targets within 20 feet gaining a +1 to all attacks! 1d6 other B.A.T.S. may rush to the aid of their comrade to overwhelm their targets as per their programming. 

The Battle Android Trooper (B.A.T.) were deployed in the hundreds to the alien shores of Carcosa in 2009 and beyond after attempts by Cobra to take over portions of the alien planet of the damned. 
B.A.T.s. have been sold to a number of sorcerers on Carcosa where they have been used as bodyguards & enforcers by these various black magicians. B.A.T.S. are not liked at all by anyone but their masters as they often are far too literal in their programming. 
B.A.T.S. have also been found in a number of Cobra outposts on Carcosa where they continue to be used in their role as disposible troops. Cobra uses Engineering B.A.T.S to maintain a number of these outposts that continue their roles as last ditch bases for the terrorist organization. 
Cobra also uses Carcosa as a testing ground for any captured alien technology & magical artifacts they find. There have been several incidents of B.A.T.S. gaining sentience through technological occult means & the results have not been pretty. B.A.T.S. have also been used extensively by Cobra for exploration roles their D gate programs which were directly adjuncts to the M.A.S.S. Device affair of the Eighties. See the G.I. Joe papers. 

This blog entry is not a challenge to the trademarks & copyrights of the holders of the G.I. Joe cartoons, toys, etc. This blog post is for educational & entertainment purposes only. 

OSR Review & Commentary On Hell Night Hijinks By Super Savage Systems For The Neon Lords of The Toxic Wastelands Rpg

"For one night a year the veil between terra-realm and the terror-realm is so thin that all hell breaks loose. When tricks and treats fill the streets of all the humanoid sectors and all the unspeakable horrors wreak havoc. Within this unholy tome you will find all the stuff needed to run the most spookiest night on neo-terraxx."




"From all the treats to scarf down to the baddies from terror-realm that will scare your socks off!! Included is:

• The adventure “Detroit-Prime Up All Night”

• Rules on how to Trick and Treat

• Hell Night fantastical items and treats as well as mundane treats

• Hell Night Masks to wear while Trick and Treating!

• A few additional monsters to add to the holiday fun!"

Hell Night Hijinks By Super Savage Systems For The Neon Lords of The Toxic Wastelands  Rpg is a twenty page Halloween themed Eighties Romp of an OSR adventure in which your PC's come face to face with some of the worst horrors that Neo Traxx has to offer. And its all right in the adventure's opening; "During the time of the Flesh-Gods in the time of the Neon Wars a scientist unearthed a very unholy tome in an archaeological dig. The magic thought to be lost in the sands of time was re-awoken giving the scientist power beyond his wildest imagination. On a day they called Hollow-weens the mad scientist opened a portal to the Terror-Realm causing a rip in the space time fabric causing the portal to open on the same day every year until the end of time itself. Some think the mad scientist survived the portal opening and thrived in the Terror-realm ultimately becoming the scourge of Neo-Terraxx himself. The techno-lich TerrorRex, but that is a story for another time. Now as means to appease the monsters that come through the veil, the humanoid sectors partake in customs and practices they think the Flesh-Gods used to keep the nightmares at bay. This includes Trick and Treating, where humanoids dress up go door to door looking for trouble and get fed massive amounts of sugar and energy drinks. Chronosages do their best to figure out what they see with the sacred smoke, but a lot of times they have no clue what the Flesh-Gods were up to"

Hell Night Hijinks takes place in Detroit Prime & the adventure reads like one part 90's Judge Dread mixed with Nuke Em High swirled in with a heaping helping of Eighties horror films. The Pc's are going to get thrown into the deep end of  Hell Night Hijinks.  The real question is will they survive? And Hell Night Hijinks takes a deep whiff of the systems that were laid down in Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands. And Hell Night Hijinks as a beginning adventure for Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands rpg! 
We get some really nasty pop culture themed encounters & then double down on those. And while Hell Night Hijinks takes its ques from Neon Lords then enough to keep the players coming back for more!
If your going run Hell Night Hijinks then you going to need equip your party with a Neon Lords Holy Smiter & a cosmic barbarian to help handle the Halloween load of critters. Hell Night Hijinks is part adventure event & dungeon crawl. And it take full advantage of the Neon Lords of The Toxic Wastelands rpg. 
Hell Night Hijinks is a great adventure to throw your player's PC's into the fray! 

Hell Night Hijinks By Super Savage Systems For The Neon Lords of The Toxic Wastelands  Rpg Is Available Here For Free 

OSR Commentary On Black Box Books -- Tome Three: Cannibals and Confusion By Kirt A. Dankmyer From Ivanhoe Unbound For Your Old School Campaigns

 Now we've been revisiting Geoff McKinney's Carcosa recently & digging through my old campaign notes I came across a reference to Ivanhoe Unbound's Black Box Books -- Tome Three: Cannibals and Confusion By Kirt A. Dankmyer. And these monsters, races, and magick are a perfect addition to Carcosa according to the author Kirt A. Dankmyer; "Four of these six ANTAGONISTS are based loosely on Clarke Ashton Smith! As for the OTHER TWO, one STRANGE CREATURE comes from authentic myth and legend, and one FOE comes from inauthentic myth and legend that I wrote last week!

WHAT SIX MONSTERS DO YOU GET?

1. Stats for an Avatar of Mordiggiel, corpse-devouring Angel of the DEAD!

2. The SKINNY on the Clergy of Mordiggiel and the way they have been CHANGED by association with their DREAD LORD!

3. The forbidden DETAILS of the Graedigg, half human, half FIEND, master of illusion!

4. The tale of the HEADLESS Akephalos, who DEVOUR MEN WHOLE when they go MAD!

5. The secrets of the clever Fögr, who HIDE their VUGLAR HABITS behind DISQUIETING MASKS!

6. And finally the TABOO-BREAKING RITUAL that will bring forth WRATHFUL EMANATIONS from a man's soul... or a Graedigg's soul.

AND THAT'S ONLY THE FIRST HALF!

Ever feel your CLERICS and MAGES need more RANDOM TABLES?'

WHO DOESN'T? Well, our CHAOS MAGIC system has got you COVERED! For every ADVANTAGE, there is a DISADVANTAGE, or at least a GOAT! " 

These races fit the weird & wonderful of Carcosa quite well and given the ten mile size of the hexes of Cacrosa these monsters have more then enough room to appear. And that's some of the advantages of these monsters they quite nicely fit the cultclassic 'B' movie asthetic of Cacosa. And add to this the fact that these races have been inspired by Clarke Ashton Smith & everything becomes clearer. 
We get some unexpected weirdness not directly taken from Lovecraft or Jack Kirby. 

Sprinkling these races & entities throughout the Carcosa setting allows the DM to make Carcosa his own and gives a greater range to the occult forces on the Weird Tales aspect of the campaign. 

Add into Carcosa another alternative magick system & things take an unexpected turn giving PC's even more magical options for their wizards without having resort to the more powerful and icky occult rites that belong to the villains. And this comes into the grip of the Chaos magick of Cannibals & Confusion; "During character creation, with the permission of the referee and all the other players, a Magic-User or Cleric can be declared to be a Chaos Devotee. The character cannot be Lawful in alignment, and a Chaos Devotee Cleric must worship an appropriate god, like a trickster deity. A Chaos Devotee is exactly the same as a normal Magic-User or Cleric in nearly all respects. The only difference is whenever a Chaos Devotee casts a spell, they roll on the special tables below to modify the effects of the spell. First, roll for a Chaos Blessing." 
Ok, not one player I know is going ask permission to play a Chaos Devotee and even if they are a nice one these PC's don't seem to last at my table. These are at best temporary PC's who always seem to get themselves killed. 

And this is one of the aspects of the Carcosa setting, its that deadly all on its own. Numerous times has the Lovecraftian aspects or mundane aspects of Carcosa claimed a victim. Its simply part of the landscape so have a few PC's available.