AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Homlet

So as part of playing rather than writing about OSR games, I ran a solo AD&D game. Using the Temple of Elemental Evil and as much RAW AD&D as I could muster. For the solo rules I used Black Stream Heroes Solo Rules. The free and conversion-only document that preceded Scarlet Heroes.

It reminded me of the pros and cons of OSR gameplay. On one hand, I could run through a module with just the listed procedures alone, not even the oracles and random decision-making processes from Scarlet Heroes. Each decision made by my character and many NPCs, done according to what the rules suggested was the best move. On the other hand, this was a tedious slog of minutia and tracking. A stop-start experience where very little got done in the adventure.

From here we can see before us the divergent paths taking by Role-Playing Games as the 1980s wore on and the 90s came upon them. Some games like GURPS and Rolemaster embraced the minutia and the complexity. Seeing a structure that anything could be fitted to. Other games like Vampires the Masquerade saw the tediousness as opposed to the storytelling element, where things happen because the game was about a role, not a spreadsheet.

But fundamentally I see both styles as lacking because above all OSR and even modern D&D to a lesser extent is a series of procedures like a board/wargame and that gives it solid basis to teach people how to play and propel their stories along.

I have another day’s worth of Dounil’s adventures, and I’ll either save it for a later post, or I’ll edit it onto the end at some point. So, check back on this post in a week if you see nothing more about my solo game. As it will be right here.

Dounil is a Half-Elf Fighting Man/Magic User, current level 1/1. He uses a Bastard Sword and divides all his XP by 8 before spreading them between his classes. As Black Stream divides the XP by 4 and AD&D Multiclass Demi-Humans divide between their classes.

Day 1 – Dounil arrives at Homlet and lodges at the Inn of the Welcome Wench (-2 GP). He is too open about his plans and refuses immediate assistance. He goes to Rufus + Burne and swears he is not there to cause trouble for them. He cannot reach the level required to threaten them and in fact, would pay them for training.

Day 2 – Dounil goes to the moathouse, random encounter roll is (5)-No [7:00 to 10:00]

The giant frogs in the moat fail surprise him. Optional Black Stream rule means Dounil goes first. Fray Dice (1) Bastard Sword (5, 2+3) means 2 HD damage, so 1 giant frog is killed. Two 1 HD frogs hit (3, 4) so Dounil takes 1 and 1 damage, HP 10 to 8.

Round 2, Fray (10) 4 damage kills all 1 HD frogs, misses with sword attack. 2 HD frog hits (4) HP 8 to 7.

Round 3 Dounil uses magical Silver Spear (MU Fray) (3). Frog HD 2-1=1. Sword (20) means (5, 4+3) 3 HD of damage slays frog.

Dounil rests and bandages, HP 7 to 9. Fighter XP 33, MU XP 30. Butchers frogs on grounds they could have swallowed something. Finds gem worth (100). Time is [10:18]

While entering and inspecting courtyard, Dounil discovers footprints. Bandits (34) spot him and retreat to alert comrades in Area 5 [10:28]

Dounil decides to avoid the main door and looks at tower/Area 4, wandering in he is surprised by a giant wolf spider (5)

Somehow the spider misses (9). Dounil casts his MU Fray (1) and swings sword (15), (4,4+3) so spider HD 2 to 0. FXP 25 MUXP 23 [10:29]

Searching spider and room reveals (71cp, 38sp, Ivory box (50gp), no random encounters rolled [10:39]

Dounil cautiously approaches stairs to Area 5. Looking inside, he decides to explore open parts prior to any doors. He moves south, searching the gloom with infravision to not use any light. No random encounters as he approaches Area 12. Dounil stumbles upon the huge cold body of the adder (giant snake) which rears up.

Fray (2) snake HD 4 to 3, Sword (1, 3, 2+3) HD 3 to 1, snake (7) misses attack.

Round 2 Fray (1), Dounil casts Shocking Grasp (4+1) HD 1 to 0. FXP 69 and MUXP 63 [10:41]

With a snort, Dounil realises he cannot search a cold room for cold treasure with infravision, He rests for 10 minutes [10:51]

Dounil tries to return to a lit area to scrouge a torch, no random encounters. The stairs of Area 8 are searched but the wood and cloth are useless, no random encounters [11:01]

Searching the open storeroom at Area 13, Dounil hears squeaking and rustling, so he is quite prepared for rats but not how many or how large they are. Fray (5) 2/13 are dead, each with ½ HD. Sword (16) hits for (7, 4+3) 8 dead rats 10/13. Rats all miss.
Round 2 Fray (7) all 3 rats die. 15 FXP 14 MUXP

The storeroom is searched by touch (I rule 2 turns), no random encounters, revealing stairs below and a jar of oil. Dounil takes the jar of oil to Area 8 but lacks appropriate cloth or wood. No random encounter. Time is still 11:22 as Dounil is moving at non-exploratory speeds. [11:22]

Dounil takes a chance and opens door to Area 7. The forward brigands jump out (6) only but Dounil’s Elven heritage does he notice first and strike. x7 0-level + x1 0-level aid + x1 F2 leader.

Fray (9) 2 brigands die. Sword (20) hits for (6, 1+3) the leader and his aid die. Remaining 5 brigands fail their morale roll (05, 97, 47) and flee out the bolthole across the moat. Dounil does not pursue. FXP 11 MUXP 10 [11:23]

Searching the room gives 36sp 8ep 5gp 13pp 2 Citrines (50 x 2) and a gold chain (200gp), also detected a spot of digging, no random encounter [11:33].

Dounil rests for 10 minutes and contemplates he didn’t bring a shovel. He could wait for the brigands to return and dig up the loot, but he would be there for a while. Or he could leave and risk them coming back [11:43]

He grabs a bit of kindling, a torn bit of cloth and returns to the snake’s lair. No random encounters. He searches the room again, finding a jewelled dagger (850GP) [12:03]

Dounil opens the door to Area 10, searching the room and finding nothing [12:13]

Dounil opens the door to Area 11 and his torch is knocked out of his hand and is extinguished by the cloud of bats. Reeling back, Dounil goes back to Area 7 to get more kindling. Relights torch 2/10 oil jar, ducking low he searches Area 11 and finds nothing, no random encounter [12:23]

Dounil opens door to Area 9, though made alert by rats scurrying about, a search only reveals a broadsword, still fine. No random encounter [12:33]

Dounil rests for 10 minutes but is interrupted by a giant tick coming from the rafters as a random encounter. Rolling away though tired, Dounil throws magic spear then comes around with a swing. Fray (2) Swing (19) (6, 4) tick HD 3 to 2 to -1. Dounil completes rest, minus the one round. FXP19 MUXP 17 [12:44]

Dounil moves to Area 14, no random encounter [12:54]. Opens door, he searches but finds nothing, no random encounter [13:04]. Moves up to Area 15 and repeats. No random encounters for either, [13:14] and [13:24]. He rests for 10 minutes, no random encounter [13:34].

Dounil hears some noise from the open door, the sound of scraping. Moving to it, he realises it’s coming from Area 7. He attempts to stealthily move up to door (4), unfortunately the brigands digging up the chest hear him [13:44].

They attempt to ambush him again (5) and succeed. Brigand with voulge (19) (0, 3) Brigand with spear (1), Brigand with crossbow (19) (1), Brigand with crossbow (2) and Brigand with crossbow (20) (2). Dounil HP 9 to 6.

Dounil’s turn, Fray (1) Swing (14) (6, 4+3) 4 brigands die, two with crossbows remain.

Round 2, both brigands miss, Fray (7) both brigands die. Dounil stops to bandage (HP 6 to 8), [13:56].

The brigands had finished digging up the chest, Dounil reminds himself to buy a shovel. Searching bodies and chest reveals 45 sp and the chest holding 2000 cp, two bolts of fine cloth (60 gp x 2)a crystal set (80 gp), inlaid wooden box (45 gp) 4 arrows (+1), Dounil is intrigued by why arrows would be so special to be buried [14:06].

Dounil decides to return to Homlet and finish the other rooms later, before descending the stairs. Chest puts Dounil at V.Heavy Load. Moving at half speed, it takes Dounil 6 hours to walk back to Homlet.

On walk he is accosted by Kobort and Turko [17:06]

Thinking Kobort the fiercer opponent (incorrectly), Dounil casts magic at him, Fray (2) HD 2 to 1. And swings at Turko (11+1) hits for (3+3, 8) HD 3 to 0.

Kobort snarls and returns (14) hits and (5) damage, Dounil HP 8 to 6.

Round 2, Fray (3) HD 1 to 0. The silver spear catches Kobort and passes through. Dounil pauses to bandage and loot. HP 6 to 8. Taking longsword, shield and split mail, 40 cp 5 sp and 12 gp [17:08]

At [20:08], guided by infravision, Dounil reaches Homlet. He claims Kobort’s horse and equipment (- GP).

Day 3 7:00 Dounil wakes, eats and begins to sell the loot. HP 8 to 9. Nira Melubb the moneychanger gives 80% (High CHA) of gem value 100gp to 80gp, 2 x 50gp to 80gp. 111cp to 90gp 40ep to 36gp 13pp to 117gp 124sp to 12gp. [7:45]

Next, he stops off at the Trading Post, to talk to the creepy twins there. Selling the equipment and high-value non-jewelry. He felt he was getting a bad deal. Since even with his high CHA, prices were still far below what he would have to pay. They also asked questions about where the goods came from, which he answered truthfully [8:00].

Afterwards he negotiated the price per night for his horse (-2GP), the remaining money is lodged in the chest with Rufus + Burne. [8:45].

Dounil sets off on horseback, arrives [11:45]

Leading the warhorse over the rotting bridge, the bridge collapses, and after he assists the horse out, he realizes it has hurt its leg. But it is not whinnying in pain, just a little slow. He will see what can be done so he leaves his horse in the courtyard [11:55].

Advancing to the opened doors, no random encounter, he opens the way into Area 16. The giant tick leaps and Dounil swings against it. Hoping to spear it with his magic on the return [12:05].

Fray (3) HD 3 to 2, Sword (12) miss. Giant tick (16) hit (2) HP 9 to 8.

Round 2, Fray (4) HD 2 to 1, sword 916) misses. Giant tick auto damage HP 8 to 7.

Round 3, Fray (3) HD 1 to 0 [12:08].

Dounil bandages and searches but finds nothing, HP 7 to 9 FXP 19 MUXP 17 [12:18].

Angry Dounil kicks down the door to Area 17, the giant lizard hisses at him. Fray (3) HD 3 to 2, sword (20) (6+3, 6) (2 + 2 damage). The giant lizard chopped up, HD 2 to 0. Searching the room and the lizard due to its size reveals a chest and unscathed shield within lizard. Dounil prepared Shocking grasp, not Detect Magic today. He takes note of the condition. When moving material in the search, he disturbs some debris which drift down from the ceiling and Dounil proceeds no further.

33cp, Scale mail tunic, light crossbow and case of 24 quarrels. FXP 25 MUXP 23 [12:49]

Moving to Area 13, he intends to descend, no random encounters [12:59].

He rests in Area 7 before descending, no random encounters, [13:09].

As Dounil descends to level 1, as he did not search here, randomly he did not detect the ring (14). At the stairway arch (31) he dislodges one of the two green slimes, which falls upon him. He has 4 rounds to dislodge it before no resurrection death as he turns into a green slime. He uses his dagger, and it takes him two rounds to scrape it off, (3) HD 2 to 1, (3) HD 1 to 0. His chainmail will need replacing after his return.

Dounil searches the room, Area 18 with no random encounter. But discovers 3 zombies (XP 28, 40, 30). He flings a silver spear (his Fray) (4) and swings (13) (7 1+3) destroying 2. The last surges forward, flailing (17) (5) HP 9 to 8.

Round 2 Dounil retaliates Fray (2) (12 just) (damage didn’t matter as it had only 1 HD left). Destroying and chopping up the body. The room contains only junk, but in searching Dounil finds doors to Area 19 and 20. FXP 13 MUXP 12 [13:13].

Without a hammer, axe or lockpick, Dounil decides to bandage HP 8 to 10 [13:18].

He progresses to Area 21, seeing just dead bodies in the cells but forwarded about the zombies. He strikes at the occupants, the spell/Fray doing HD 2 to 1, but the sudden jerking of the undead making him miss the cold flesh on cold stone. The zombies attack, 1 hits (19) doing (3), HP 10 to 9.

Round 2, Th Fray spell does nothing 91) but the sword (17) hits (1+3, 7), chopping both, HD 1 to 0, 2 to 0. The two zombies at the end of the hall begin to shuffle up.

Round 3, Dounil charges forth, Fray (1) sword (11) misses, but the attacks do little to harm the zombies. Two more emerge from the next cells and attack (16, 12). Two hits (6, 2) HP 8 to 6.

Round 4, Dounil senses he is in trouble here, Fray (4) (14) (5+3, 5). In a flurry of swings, he cleaves and blasts 3 zombies apart. Two more zombies join from the next cells (20, 17), two hits become (7, 2), HP 6 to 3.

Round 5, As two more join, Dounil is getting desperate, he fights with abandon. Fray (3) sord 918) damage (5, 3 +3), destroying 2 and reducing another HD 2 to 1. 1 Zombie hits (15) (6) HP 3 to 1.

Round 6, Dounil has bitten off more than he can chew, he so he relies on zombies being slow. Fray (4) (20) (2+3, 4) HD 1 to 0. With the current zombies slain, he drops the sword and unslings his longbow. The zombies move up.

Round 7, Circling around, Dounil shoots a barrage of magic and mundane projectiles. Fray (2) HD 2 to 1. (20 (13) (3, 5) HD 1 to 0, HD 2 to 0. [13:29]

He rests, bandages and searches the area. HP 1 to 3, FXP 65 MUXP 59, [13:39] and [13:49].

The peridot is found in the cell (500gp) (28XP). When searching the torture chamber (Area 22), the blood trail is spotted (02) but the secret door was not (5).

Dounil decides to return to Homlet after this small expedition.

He passes up the stairs, checking first and so spots the other green slime. [13:59].

He has to walk the horse back, so it takes 3 hours [16:59].

He has to pay for his room (-2GP) and take the horse to the druid who wants 100GP to heal it, he pays (-100GP).

Houserules for SLA Industries 2E

SLA Industries 2E does some very different things than 1E. Adopting a dice pool system where you roll a Success Die (D10) + Stat + Skill numbers to see if the roll passed (Stat only if no skill), and dice equal to skill (0-4) to see how well they succeeded if the Success Die passes, each with the same D10 + Stat + Skill numbers. With the option to buy a success if the Success Die fails, but only at lower difficulties.

A bit of a change from 1E’s process of rolling 2d10 +/-, beat 11 to pass, crits on 21+.

This system naturally has some flaws, not the least being that you can fail everything if the Success Dice fails, regardless of any number of dice being thrown. But that only really happens in bad skills or early on because you can buy a Success with enough successful skill dice. Made worse by combat having a fixed Target Number of 10 before modifiers.

Couple with most Operatives starting the game with hefty stat and skill bonuses. Most characters will never just succeed but succeed with almost a mechanically predeterminable amount of bonus effects. And if they don’t succeed, they will get a regular hit until they have a serious difficulty, they can’t spend Skill Dice successes on. Combat and skills are more varied and dynamic and mid-skill ranges than higher ranges.

I saw a few attempts at fixing this on the Discord, some using more refined versions of the S5S (the game system) from Nightfall Game’s subsequent lines Terminator and Stokerverse. So, I can’t claim any authorship for these.

 

Step one suggested would be to rejig the system so characters only roll Dice equal to the Skill value. One of those is the success dice, preferably a different colour. This was suggested to be combined with increasing the skill cap to 5, but that would mean players have a natural skill cap higher than any normal NPC.

 

With that in mind, you would need to alter the unskilled rolls, which was suggested to be roll two Success Dice without Skill being added and both need to pass.

Someone suggested that rolls of 1s should fail/subtract but that leads to the problem of OWoD, where bigger pools meant mor chances to fail rolls.

 

Without changing too much, unlike above. It was recommended that opposed rolls be systematized in Stokerverse. Rather than Fear Rolls being best of two dice and other such being one die, all rolls become (Stat+Skill+Roll) vs (Stat+Skill+6).

This will be good for static effects, but I’m not super sold on it for characters potentially not being variable in their disposition. But most NPCs are generic anyway.

 

For more in-game stuff, I would copy most of AllmightyBrandon’s House Rules and Clarifications.

This is about as up to date as it is going to be. And surely will be depreciated as more books come out. I would also liek to say that I think Frothers get a raw deal becuase while they are maniacs burning themselves out with drug addictions and violent deaths, their compulsory Drug Addict flaw runs up against SLA Indutries very harsh Drug Addiction and Long-Term Addiction rules.

They are supposed to be raised on combat drugs, but they suffer compulsory HP penalties and stat penalties like everyone else. On top of compulsory money penalties. If that was the intent, they should of had all of those listed in the Species write-up in front and incorporated in.

I Dig Giant Robots

Mecha RPGs are a niche topic among a niche commercial environment. But I’ve owned and played a few of them. This will be very short.

Lancer

I backed the original Kickstarter. Very tactical and I love it for it. While the fact it takes hours to resolve one combat, a good mission should only have 3 or 4 of them. Still a pain. COMP/COMP is great as a tool, even if jumping between the pages to find all the parts can be a chore. Some people don't like the lore, I'm fine with it. It's conceptually Star Trek meets giant robots, don't tie yourself in knots too much.

The issues with it are of course it lacks the flexibility to go off script, like its inspiration Shadow of the Demon Lord. All the moving parts confuse players who aren’t into that. And the devs have been so bound up with other work, I’m still waiting on Kickstarter goals to be fulfilled.

Mekton Zeta and Mekton Zeta Plus

The most in depth and most obviously flawed Mecha RPG. No other one I know can boast the flexibility to build any mecha from Power Ranger monsters and EVA-01 to VOTOMS, but it’s true scale shines at Gundum scale, even if Roadstrikers meshed more mechanically with Cyberpunk 2020. On the other hand, measuring out parts for the bots was an exercise in tedium and it had to be done for every NPC as well. MECH REF was the godstat, just like how REF was in Cyberpunk. The rules for each edition jumped about making it hard to convert, even requiring calculation between MZ and MZ+. The psychic powers though can be ported to Cyberpunk 2020 and those are useful. So, some use out of that.

Heavy Gear 4E

Another Kickstarter, more narrative if one could say that of any of the Silhouette system RPGs. Still very tiny text as in all their products. Heavy Gear started out as Not-VOTOMS, someone upset at the inclusion of metaphysics in their gritty small-mech war drama. Tera Nova remains as distinct as ever, even if the metaplot has been kicked back and forth repeatedly. Weirdly, despite its new inclusion of narrative elements, it was the Silhouette system that keyed me into a problem that D&D and even VtM don’t have. For a whole swarth of late 80s and 90s games, they have all the detail one could ever need to simulate life in the game but no gameplay loop. You need to have experience playing D&D with its measures and XP before you know how to innately apply the game logic to other RPGs.

The metaplot gets a little unclear when they stopped the Plot Books and the first iteration of the wargame lore getting decannonised.

Jovian Chronicles

The classic Silhouette system RPG and one that suffers all the same problems. The setting is far more familiar with it being closest to The Expanse in scope and style. While compared more to Mobile Suit Gundum over Heavy Gear’s Armored Trooper VOTOMS, it actual channels a lot more of Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, with a bit of a veneer of Canadian politics. Lot of potential never realized due to Mekton II supplements being cut. So, there is this big gap in terms of plot and adventures between the first, somewhat sparse entries and the main books.

This kind of just compounds the problem in that the game didn’t go anywhere. You have Mekton II (two unrelated campaigns), the remake in their magazine (no stats). The world books (lore) and the start of the big war which disrupted all the lore they had been building. And nothing afterwards than a wargame that also never went anywhere and had not further metaplot.

Heavy Gear D6

Adapting Heavy Gear 2E to WEG D6 was the work of a dedicated poster on RPG.Net who had done work for Dream pod 9 before. However, it ran into a problem. Star Wars D6 did not work well when everyone was driving around vehicles which all had the Blaster-Proof Wookie problem.

Damage was versus Strength/Armor. So, while the rules had biological characters taking light damage and slowly degrading. Vehicles didn’t get stunned as characters did if damage fell into a normal range. Wookies had high enough STR to ignore many attacks outright. Combine that with most converted Gears and vehicles having slightly higher defence than damage, as Heavy Gear worked on damage multipliers as opposed to WEG D6’s dice ranges. It meant most mecha action became plinking with no damage, with the occasion massive lucky dice roll. Still a fun campaign though.

Heavy Gear D6 Bravo

I haven’t yet played but very much looking forward to a tweaking of damage to make it its own RPG variant. And not just Star Wars D6 1E/1.5E but with Mecha action. Does mean that I can’t use them as filler for weird Star Wars planets, but I already did that for FFG Star Wars.

 

I would eventually like to complete my Jovian Chronicles collection and the Heavy Gear 2E collection. This post also intersects with Fabula Ultima, a “TTJRPG” I am interested in. Being based on JRPGs, naturally they have a Techno Fantasy genre book with giant mechs.

Monsters of Antarctica

 In my contribution to the Antarctica Jam, I ended up being greatly inspired by the beastiery being created by the earlier contributers. Especially Mr.Mann's New Age/Remnants of the Old World feeling.

Pretty much all of these are in the beastiery, but goblinoids lack stats, perhalp because I had submitted as a group and so didn't seem to get split up like the individual entries were.

A lot of these were heavily inspired by Wolves Upon The Coast by Luke Gearing. I've not that great at making original ideas, so I mostly just rephrased the monsters from B/X, usually with some sort of conceptual but not mechanical twist.

Gargoyles

Perfection cannot be forever, the world is not perfect enough. To the proto-men of the dim sun, such claims were an abomination. The world could be sculpted by tools, but perfection required internal mastery as well. And so, they shape themselves through the first martial disciplines and elitist thoughts until they left their mortality behind. They are somewhere between flesh and stone now, great pterosaur wings allowing them to spread their perfect race. And yet the imperfect dim sun saps their spirits, reminds them of the flaws they see in each other. So, they hide away, letting their folded wings harden into menhirs.

Their lesser disciples, the vampires, could only preserve themselves and not transform their bodies or soul.

They cannot stand yams, gathered by the women who work the imperfect earth and make more imperfect humans.

I rolled gargoyles for a wilderness encounter and thought how can I do something interesting with this. I started with simpler inverting the notion that gargoyles are ugly, so these must be like beautiful statues. What if the Pukel Men from LotR and other folklore of standing stones being people came to life.

This naturally led to Pillar men from Jojo's Biazzare Adventures and Disney's Gargoyles. Wings adjusted for lost-world feel. The very macho nature of the Pillar Men led me to add the yam dislike, which also reflects the Jojo vampire link with garlic being a traditional ward against them.

Goblins, Hobgoblins and Bugbears

In this new creation, it is readily apparent there is an unfair order to the world. Humanity, regardless of its form, will seek out and use its power and tools to dominate the rest of the animal kingdom. The spirits which are not human wish to see that their progenies have just as much chance. A goblin is an animal repurposed into an equal shape, capable of speech, reason and filled with a sense of injustice for the presumptions of humanity. How dare they call them monsters when they denied the rest a fair chance.

Smaller animals are called Goblins for they have become so numerous. Medium sized or the lower end of mega-fauna are called Hobgoblins, for being smaller than the original Animal-Men. But the first and greatest of the Goblins are the Bugbears, those warriors of crocodile, bear and mammoth.

They are made by taking an animal of the appropriate size and holding it longways, one for each leg. Then they jump over it, causing the body to lengthen and shift, chanting the spirit totem so the animal may learn what it missed.

Animal-Men shun tools which cannot be used to gain an edge upon humanity and likewise shun all treasure but that which may decorate a nest or intrigue a wild creature.

The greatest insult is magic in all its forms, they cannot use it yet and so it is rightfully despised.

Didn't want to just make them D&D monsters but still wanted them to be some sort of living creature. So I couldn't make them too weird. Since goblinoids in D&D are usually rendered as some sort of animal-person, I thought going the full way would be good. Also draw a little bit of inspiration from the Broo/Beastmen of Runequest/Warhammer in how they turn other animals into new goblinoids. The dislike of human civilisation keeps them in the enemy category without tying myself in knots about ethics.

Medusa

Rather than be reduced to ash, some of those from Before became fragments, like a shattered glass depiction of the glamour that they had woven into themselves. To look upon them is the know for less than an instant the moment everything ended. As body and soul fragment into a series of still forms, movement broken down by the frame.

Trying to keep on the vibe which Luke Gearing gave his medusa, tragic and cursed women in the vein of Ovid's fanfiction. Luke's version were the handmaidens of the Roman Empire, now abandoned and lonesome in the ruins of Dark Age northern Not-Europe

 I drew a lot on Mr.Mann's Before Kingdom, which to me was somewhere between Atlantis and the Elves, but probably more on the Atlantis side, all weird magitech and strange ruins. In that I ended up drawing on the semi-scientific language Patrick Stuart used in Veins of the Earth. The idea a monster could be swapping between a naturalistic D&D description and then serge into mentioning it's power worked by quantum mechanics or radiation.

Zygomaturus

Stats as Draft Horses, Number Appearing 3D10

I wanted some Dire Wombats, but realised that Diprotodon were not right for my area. So I picked a smaller extinct Diprotodontidae that better fit the ecology.

The Monster Mash

Or the Population of Supernaturals in Chronicles of Darkness

qzU

Thi is probally common knowledge amoung people who play the RPGs in question. But this blog is for me to get my thoughts down, not for sudden brillance.

Chronicles of Darkness is the revamp/second edition of the New World of Darkness (NWoD), itself a revamp of the classic 90s RPGs, World of Darkness. First and best-selling being Vampire the Masquerade.

I personally found NWoD and Chronicles to be more, sort of playable than the old systems like Vampire the Masquerade or Werewolf the Apocalypse. Even if those had a lot stronger through-lines and concepts. Not helped by the degradation of artwork across the NWoD, with Onyx Path going for photo bashed and manipulated images rather than the glorious black and white line art that set the mood for the 90s games.

 

But that’s not what I’m here to discuss. I’m also skipping accusations that the NWoD 2E/Chronicles lines were over/under complicated compared to their 1E counterparts. What I have here to write about is exceedingly niche. How many monsters can you fit in a city.

NWoD gave ratios, which naturally went out of control as the global population has grown since the early 2000s and would assign most of these somewhat arbitrary. Vampire the Requiem, the most played (as always) have 1 per 50,000 while tribe-warring Werewolves and reality-shaping Mages were 1 in 15,000. 2E for all three just said as many or as fewer as needed.

The most interesting note comes from the Beast the Primordial. An otherwise excretable game, where the worst traits of Onyx Path’s design process simmered under the eye of a sexual predator, imparting a final sinister cast to the incoherence message. I’d like to have a crack at fixing it someday but have been told by every person on the internet it is both impossible and useless.

In the core book, when discussing the sample city of New Orleans, the text notes that the supernatural population of the city is 0.5%. Seemingly small, but one for a highly scalable worldbuilding process. The writer for that section later clarified that he was following the pattern established by Werewolf the Forsaken, where the lesser templates (Ghouls, Kin-folk etc) made up ¾ of the listed supernatural population.

0.5% is 0.005, divided by four is a multiplier of 0.00125 for determining supernaturals, with an automatic assumption of some lesser monsters hanging about.

 

A generic little town of 1,000 people would theoretically have 1.25 supernaturals and 3.75 assistants, rounding down to 1/3. This is very much a sort of folk-horror vibe, where every local area has at least one spooky story/person/locale. Of course that might be a little much, with more room needed to accommodate the regular creeping non-playable monsters that make Chronicles of Darkness not “Have you seen a monster?” to “When was the last time you ignored a monster?” Having both might just tip it too far over.

Somewhere like Santa Fe (Capital of the US State of New Mexico) would have 111/333 supernaturals, which is pretty good for a playable area accounting for the NPCs. But once you get to a major metropolis, the multiply gets wildly out of control. Port Moresby (383,000), capital of Papua New Guinea and obscure enough for any game would have 478/1,436 supernaturals/minions. Moscow would have 16,250/48,750. Shanghai would have 31,087/93,262 as the second most populated city in the world. And collecting the gamelines from the wider region into the urban areas just accelerates the problem, while solving the first issue of 1 supernatural per 1,000/6 per 5,000/25 per 10,000 people.

Tokyo is a special case as a few writers have stuck with the idea there are 100 supernaturals there, despite the number working out to over 17,000.

The numbers suggested by the ratio seem to top out for an area of about 100,000 people, which provide enough NPCs for the players to be one among many. But not so that there might be supernaturals who the players could never meet despite permanently residing in the same area. In a game equally about social situations.

It also does not mention if it includes Hunters, who can be supernatural sometimes or minor mortal templates, like Psychics. I would assume so, as the core number covers all those involved in the supernatural community.

 

Therefore, the problem can be addressed in a few ways. You could divide all the numbers by 10, so the supernatural population occurs at a much lower size, at the risk of making historical games harder from spreading the catchment area substantially. You could tally all the minor mortal supernatural talents as the “minion/lesser template” type for Hunters. Or you could add all those who have directly experienced the supernatural (not just ignored it). Which combines well with dividing the supernatural number by 10.

I think Chronicles of Darkness is robust enough to support such large numbers, but it must be reasoned through. There are eleven gamelines and not all of them need the same level of coverage. One gameline should be dominate, usually the one being played and the one which defines the themes of the city and the NPC monsters that contend against the players.

By convention this probably should be one of the big three: Vampires, Werewolves or Mages. But any of them will do. This makes up about half of all supernaturals in the area. The next two gamelines you want to pick NPCs for should be about a quarter and an eighth, which any remainder coming out of the undefined last eighth. Or just fill that with Hunters.

Assign about half or 2/3rds of the main supernaturals type to opposing factions, some sort of plot grit to make the characters engaged and active each Story. This is to ensure that the PCs are never lost in a crowd. In fact, the more factions can be split off, the more likely the PCs will be able to influence the group they end up in.

Special attention must be paid to gamelines outside the big three, as those are implied to be more restrictive Chronicles where isolation helps drive the theme. These still can have many supernaturals, drawn by the anonymity of the crowd, but that means they must be split more finely into factions, to ensure there is social isolation. The rest of the supernatural cast can be filled by filler forces from the big three or Hunters. Prometheans and Mummies especially, as it is implied there are 100 or less of both world-wide.

Huge cities of 100s of thousands of people have been relatively rare in history, so I would say supernaturals generally lack the organizational skills to deal with more than a hundred or so of their kind without splitting off an allied subgroup. Oganised crime and feudal lords delegate, so I would expect the same from how supernaturals are portrayed as very personal-relationship people.

 

A worked example:

Smalltown USA, Count Seat of Yellowclay County OH, has 100,000 people. Therefore, it has 125 supernaturals, 60 are let’s say vampires, 30 are Deviants and 15 are Werewolves. 20 more are any other gamelines that are needed for the plot, maybe a couple of cells of Hunters, a Demonic agency and group of Mages.

25 Vampires pay tribute to one self-declared Mayor of the Night (player faction), 20 pay tribute to the Prince, 10 to the Batlord and 5 independent freaks skulk about on their own. Only if playing a mixed gameline Chronicle would the Storyteller need to set up details for multiple other supernatural factions beyond a general relationship or reaction.

There are 180 ghouls, some as Renfield, working for one master, some as whole families and organisations, working for the powerful. A 3 to 1 ratio naturally favours there are large groups of them under the spell of a power few Vampires. I'm not aware of what Deviant's lesser template is, but it's probally Chimera, 90 crawling about for the few Deviants which stayed on with their conspiracy. And there are 45 Kin-Folk, families supporting their hairier relatives. The remaining 60 or so don't need to be tied to anything, they are introduced as needed.

Shadow of the Demon Lord Adventures to SLA Industries Part 2

More Shadow of the Demon Lord to SLA Industries adventure/BPNs

As in my previous post, I make no bones about adapting the mechanics. It's on the Gamemaster to adjust the plot for the competencies of the squad.

A Year Without Rain – Small farming and crossroad town of Asylum is having a year long drought, but town well still work. People start dying, their bodies dried out. Turns out there is an old ruin under the town, access through the well. Haunted by undead and demons, a minor demon has lurked there since ancient times. Started the drought and now getting powerful by killing people.

Adaption – Blue (Orange) There’s a neighborhood in a Downtown sector, out of the ways except for the company-owned petrol station/local supermarket. All the pipes have not run for a year except a central main. As nowhere else in the sector is reporting pipe issues, players are sent to go see if blockage is caused by something living. In order to see it’s safe to send in a repair team. A minor White Earth entity, the remnant of some ancient cult from the early days, when SLA was just paving over this area to build Mort City still lurks. Finding this out should be a D-NOTICE and possibly an upgrade to a higher BPN reward.

Dark Deeds in Last Hope – Boring but pastoral village, a thief tries to rob the temple of a relic, upset with his thugs getting into a fight at the inn. He fights the priest, revealing the priest to be changeling. The changeling was the lover of the mayor’s son, a failed wizard whose been doing some grave-robbing to study necromancy. Multiple leads and thugs will jailbreak and rampage without extra precautions, formor will come out of woods as sudden twist. Personal pleads are made from different people.

Adaption – (Can call it in as a White or RED as situation develops) A boring and normal sector with a boring and normal neighbourhood. Players were based here as part of 2E’s housing shortage. Failed wizard becomes failed Karma graduate, his lover is a person who has been drinking a somewhat illegal mixture of veraphon-derived material, since veraphon were deleted out of the edition. Trying to restart life with bodies from the morgue and illegal karma stuff. Thugs remain thugs, a gang from somewhere else in the sector. Formors are carrien and the forest is the sewers.

Dead by Dawn – Players arrive an inn where old priest died, next to dark forest. Priest was going to perform blood rites at ancient tree, tree is now awake and seeking sacrifices with zombies. Party of level 0s must last until dawn, when the dead go back, and the tree falls asleep. Can perform ritual out of material in dead priest’s room. Visiting tree in day and attacking it means corrupted dryad comes out and dead reawaken.

Adaption – No BPN/rating but hush money (equal to Jade) – A momic sealed itself up in its horrible trees, out of desperation to avoid the Stormers during the ill-fated attack on Mort, 900 years ago. It failed and now remains impaled and intergrown among a small grove that winds its way through this remote part of the Downtown outskirts (not the Cannibal Sectors). Every year a feral Ebon makes an offering of blood & ebb which keep what’s left of the mind asleep. Using spare ebb hanging around like a miasma, the party can do the ritual. Zombies are corrupted rez ebb spell. Getting out of there and reporting it means SLA will eventually send strike team, possibly players again. Best used with newer characters so the players don’t just shoot and hack through everything, unless that’s what you want.

Slaver’s Lash – Escape orc slavers. Some slaves want to help escape, one is a plant. Formor attack part way through.

Adaption - Tricky since most players are suitably well armed and tough enough to make it difficult to be involved without blatant railroading, though gang or prop characters might be weak enough to start in media res. Scavs are probably the best bet, but Scavs aren’t human enough to have the same personable failings as the orcs. Carrien or cannibals would take the place of the formors. Could also cop out and take place on far distant region of Mort or other planet as an excuse to wear down the players and isolate them. Though that would get old to constantly use off-world = Starting Character Adventures.

Survival of the Fittest – Bandits attack caravan, players are only survivors by fleeing in woods with bad reputation, woods are dark and dangerous from monsters, described ones with a set location or bandits who watch the road. A friendly hermit lives in woods too.

Adaption – No BPN/rating but media rights. On a gauss train out of Mort City or through Lower Downtown, armed gang blow tracks and anyone not dead in crash is killed by them.

Or a Green, where the forest is on another planet and a smaller truck convoy is attacked. Fletcher’s Rest is either an apartment building amid the debris of half-abandoned Lower Downtown or a tiny resupply station for miners and loggers that’s part of SLA Industries resource gathering operations on the planet. Once you get to the station, the actual BPN can begin.

The Witching Wood – Small community of religious and slightly hypocritical ascetics is tormenting by a witch. No twists. The witch is a cannibal and a devotee of evil, hates them for their devotion. Kidnaps child and locals, ultimately brings forth a small army of formors to raze the village.

Adaption – White (Orange) An isolated but not yet devolved neighbourhood on the outer edge of the sector plate in barely-Upper Downtown overlooks an eastern opening in the superstructure, revealing the sun every morning. Local White Earth cultist doesn’t like the community, torments it. Players hear about missing person and go in because it’s conveniently nearby and they have nothing else to do (to keep time pressure on). Cultist later tempts a small group of carrien to attack neighbourhood. Could also do it as a Rawhead cultist and bringing some cannibals up through the sewers. Would just be a standard White then.

In Need of Killing – We return to the village of Asylum where some zombies attack the town. They are mostly people from nearby farmstead. There the players discover the farm on it’s oddly round hill has been ransacked, the inhabitants killed and cultists working down below in the ruins of an old shrine to bring about a minor evil spirit.

Adaption – Orange. Zombies are Shi’ian cult stuff, the farmstead is a small locally owned industrial plant/yard with attached house. The round hill is a chunk of supposed superstructure that bulges around the streets. What’s left of an older complex filled in with rubble. Could be run as a sequel to A Year Without Rain as some cultists hear about that incident, especially if filmed.

The God Below – A new cult in a city with many religions has occurred promising to take in bodies of the deceased and convey them to the underworld without the risk of devils leading them astray. They are being fed to a large ooze in the old bathhouse. The patron of the players is an elder in the church of the New God, who has been devoted to a demon-possessed painting for years. He wants the players to investing if the Temple of Duvia is a threat or not. He really wants them to clear house and then follows up with some masked men, the players fight whoever is victorious.

Adaption – White, the twist is garbage because there is no real reason for the twist to occur. The players must do post-adventure legwork to find out about the painting. Easier to make the patron someone who just doesn’t want to pay the characters, or better, someone who has been running the organisation and is clearing house to secure the money. What Duvia is perhaps some protoplasmic mutant thing from CS5 and the organisation is a funeral home, one that’s been undercutting the official system by funneling all bodies into one disposal site.

Fine Country Folk - Two yokels from an isolated forest valley killed a wounded cabalist. Realising his skin was tattooed with magic burning in their brains, despite their illiteracy, they skinned the body and then quarreled over the halves. One has army of deformed, incesteous children and magic, the other has been using his imbred women-folk to entice travellers to him so he can turn them into monsters. They have been doing this for 30 years, scattering the valley with magical debris.

Adaption - White (Orange), this is dead simple. A White Earth cultist went into the wrong part of Lower Downtown, where even the gangs have given up and the situation plays out as is. Players are here to find out why people have been disappearing from local bus stops and train stations that pass through here.

The Demon's Wet Nurse - A childless couple who run a successful dairy had their pleas heard by a demon, child is born to be possessed and the wet nurse/helper who works on farm has increased efforts to have demon possess child. Cultists as hired hands. The family is enthralled/scared of her. Unknown to them all, the milk has been tainted and nearby market town is experiences horrible and grotesque reactions to tainted products, been carried far and wide as well. Easiest solution after defeating cultists is to kill baby, but that manifests demon. Best solution is to remove every one of the demonic sigils, but that takes time and child will grow up forever vulnerable to demonic influence.

Adaption Blue (White) - Something other than demon. A Rawhead cult has been hidden in the area, feeding on bodies from the local sector mortuary. Rawhead supposedly allowed the couple to conceive, the spirit is a Rawhead one. the KZ juice brought by the cultists is leaking into milk/substitute at the food building. Could make it an artificial pork processing plant to keep theme for Mort. Starts elsewhere with responding to food poisoning outbreak.

Tales of the Desolation Campaign – In the big northern desert, a village near a keep experiences a magic curse/disease, roving undead. When the cure’s found, the problem becomes an awakened vampire from the tombs in the desert. 4 adventures from level 2 to level 6.

Adaption Blue/Green - Set it in the No Go Zone, leading south towards the Fission Belt (invert directions in the module). Esker is a piddly little village that exists for unclear reasons not too far (by vehicle) from the fortified gauss rail depot and even closer to the edge of habitability. Undead are various Root Dog mutations made when a survivor huddled amid the Jethians in an abandoned lab tried to infect everyone to see if they all could survive/go into life suspension/turn into bioweapons against SLA Industries. The Dry Death is its legacy, and Vampire is a well preserved Jethian ruler. Big D-NOTICE all over the final report.

40K System – Telamon

Planet of wasted potential

An orange-yellow sun called Telamon entwines three rocky worlds, the third being Ajax, cursed with a prime position.

When the Rogue Trader Kastor first discovered this world, it was in the throws of biological creation, bacteria and slime transforming the oceans into bubbling froth of mineralization and self-refinement.

Over time the miners of Ajax delved, raising cities upon the cratons, draining the oceans into the fault line trenches. The briny soup of the trenches became the water and the food in the Fallas Network. Each craton became a civitates and the unchanging nature of mankind led to cultures, dialects and wars that served to improve one people’s mineral quota at the expense of another.

And then the Orks came, the long trail of destruction left by WAAGH!! Gaddzmax finally ending here. Every day for 21 years, the war has raged and every day for 21 years the population of Ajax runs down. It is not quite the famous line for the Third War for Armageddon “The death toll spiraled towards the billions” but the warcults of the dead grow evermore and will continue long after victory.

 

The situation on the planet itself is grim but stable. The capital Castellae remains secure in the northern-central craton. Adjoining it, the vital war factories of Total, home of the Techpriests and sprawling refugee camps.

The remaining civitates are affixed upon the old ocean floor and climb upon their cratons, perpetually under siege. Bunkers and trenches cut from sand and anchored by what once were seamounts. Saint’s Rest, reputed home of Kastor’s helmsmen Iacob and founder of the nobility. Beceen, home of the twisted cathedral. Voidport Alcázar, where fresh troops are delivered straight to the front lines. In the south, the isolated craton and civitates of Goodtown has fallen and been destroyed. Leaving only Rocky Garden and Sun City amid the slag heaps.

The Tigmamanukans are the cultures of the southern slag mountains: Goodtown, Rocky Garden and Sun City. Brought long ago based on a shared dialect/language but not culture. They profess shared mystical experiences where the Emperor divines his intentions through dreams, mediated by the Bird. A legendary living angel, like a cherub but with no arms and hard lips. Which flies by the Emperor’s authority alone and not technology.

Which civitates depends on the Bird’s name: Quetzal – Rocky Garden, Sarimanok – Sun City or Uqar – Goodtown.

The Fallas Network provides natural reservoirs and aquaculture and so form frontlines. It takes an incredible effort to successfully cross them under fire and are the most vital resource for long-term war. The Orks are hardy, but even their fungus cannot find great purchase amid the dried silt, only the Snakebite Klan might survive there in peace.

 

War defines life now. Every family has at least one serving member. The skies are lit nightly with mountain-shattering fire and whine of aircraft dogfighting over whole cratons. Desperate to conserve food and water, the Governor and local commanders have ordered some seven and fourteen years prior, that one soldier be drafted from every family for mass wave offensives. These have retaken limited ground, and the next conscription is coming. Trench warfare is backed by forward regiments of warriors fighting loosely from rugged terrain. Facing off against Komandos.

Much could be said about the worship of the Three Holy Ministry Sect and how it has been refined to include the Space Marines in the trio. But the noble leaders have lost prominence in favour of holy warbands.

Saint’s Rest is the new home of the Ecclesiarchy and the increasingly syncretic Cult of the Rhinoceros. Forefront is Bishop Torquemada Phalan, whose work on deciphering the mystery cult has provided the scripture needed to propel the faithful gun-martyrs. He despises the people of Beceen for their perceived indolence. Encapsulated in their hideous xeno civitates. The new masters of the Imperial Cult hope the orks next destroy it and Bishop Phalan deliberately withholds aid he can redirect.

When the war is over, there will be purges. The blood of the Ajaxian race will be purified of the slag from the left-hand path of Beceen and the south.

Beceen's crime was to crown their regimented masses of hab-blocks with a new district, a cathedral large enough to house all the nobility, priests and administration at once. This colossal structure looms on the craton, perpetually never finished. Planetary saint Gaudy the Mad designed it to resemble the fantastic forms of sea life that sacrificed their future existence for the glory of Ajax and humanity.

In the southern deserts and in the conscript regiments, Tigmamanukans teach their northern brethren about the Feaykin, warriors trained to seize enemy mineshafts or die in the attempt. This synchronises with the Rhinoceros Cult and justifies to Bishop Phalan that targeting the southern heretics in the refugee camps was divinely inspired.

The new name of these holy warriors is The Strong, Guetre.

Saint’s Rest and Beceen rely entirely on recruiting Ajaxians from sympathetic members of the interior and increasingly divided clergy. Warboss Gaddzmax besieges Beceen but grows dissatisfied. Gaddzmax is older, and the WAAGH!! ends here unless he came break onto the craton mass. He will not end up being a Boss of a bunch of feral orks and gretchin, eating slime and krill out in the desert. He’s thinking of doing something Kunning, like secret diplomacy or a big bomb.

Regiments raised from Chiron and Sandaaina continue to hold the vital northern gap, where the marine trenches do not run along the craton and must be dug. Here is where Warboss Karl concentrated his forces until his death from a Whirlwind missile. His chief drinking buddy Karl the Next runs the Karlist forces and has continued the same mechanized wave attack strategy.

Token Vito Secundus Purity Guard, alongside the few Skitarii from Total, man the defenses outside Alcázar. Neither get along with the local forces, but Alcázar is the only void port.

The remaining southern cratons are held by the 1^st to 3^rd company of the Fire Unicorns, the Space Marine chapter that recruits from Ajax. They are well suited to assisting the Fedaykin battle the Evil Sunz out on the salt-strewn flats. Buggy against land speeder and warbiker vs motorised roughrider.

 

The rigid approach to duty among the Iron Hand successor chapter goes well with the ancient insistence on mining quota. From this was born the Cult of the Rhinoceros. First a mystery cult for pit fighters not chosen for the chapter. The Rhinoceros is the Unicorn: pure, mystical, stubborn and aggressive, it’s mind too small for doubt or questions. The Rhinoceros sacrificed itself to mark Humankind’s passage to the stars. For it was the steed the Emperor rode from the Garden of Life and led the way by ascension via holy human-mediated death. All should follow the Rhinoceros, to obey as a dead body obeys and Live for Death. For there is nothing but death for all mankind except the Emperor upon the Golden Throne.

Of the outer reaches, there is nothing. The moon, belt and gas giants were yet to be mined in force. Ajaxian politics being too concerned with taking each others quotas. Three Techpriest geological/observatories destroyed, a scattering of rare mineral sites. Maybe 200,000 dead. The watchstations in orbit swept aside by the ork fleet, whose ruins hangs in orbit, chewed up by a pursuing naval taskforce. The space hulk drifts, collecting all debris as a new satellite.

The Fire Unicorns are temporarily encamped on their battle barge. Their molten monastary on Ajax the Lesser (closest planet to the sun) was destroyed, but not before they evacuated their relics.

Goodman Games City State of the Invincible Overlord - An Act of Grubby Bastardry

I was going to write a big post about merging the different DCC adventures together, about using the XCrawl setting as a framework to hang the different locations.

Then I found out that Goodman Games was going to make an Original Adventure reincarnated of the City State of the Invicible overlord, by Judges Guild. And I thought “cool, that takes it away from the actively Neo-Confederate, Nazi-enthused and anti-semetite jerk Bob Bledsaw II”.

Whose response to his own bungling of the City State of the Invicible Overlord Kickstarter campaign 15 years ago was to blame a conspiracy of Jews and lesser races five years after it failed to deliver. Causing Bat in the Attic Games, which did more than anyone else to keep his dad’s setting alive to cut ties with him.

As in total here:

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2020/02/concerning-judges-guild.html

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2020/02/concerning-judges-guild-further.html

Then I started working on the idea the Wilderlands were in some sort of Western Interior Seaway.

Then I found out that Goodman Games were just licensing it. And worse going back on a promise made in 2020 to not work with Bob Bledsaw II back when he did his ranting.

And the more I read of Goodman Games lacklustre response, not even a “we are contracted to do this” but that they must for such a classic to be published and insist to tie their campaign back into the previous failed CSIO campaign. With rebates for those involved in that. As Judges Guild has only now been refunding people ten years on. But why staple themsleves to a Kickstarter they weren't involved in for the purpose of bailing out someone who ran his company into the ground?

Their statement talks about building bridges and they have to do this. To quote the Enworld forum:

"So, at best, GG is still supporting something they all find reprehensible, in order to bail Judges Guild out of their Kickstarter fumble from 15 years ago, based on a commitment by JG."

Then they talk about escrows and ensuring that the money for this goes first to pay for the damages of the old CSIO Kickstarter, with no word on Judge’s Guild’s following Tengel Manor Kickstarter which was diverted to pay for CSIO, and no one ever saw anything out of it. And for every refund Judges Guild hands back for that, there is the equivelent value of this OAR book they get to keep. And it's clear they were working on this post-2020, the statement Goodman Games put out saying this was the work of many years (from 2025) confirmed that. Even as Bledsaw was being a jerk on Twitter and they were saying they wouldn't work with him again.

And should this one fail to deliver as well?

It certainly won't becuase they are running it, not Bledsaw. But anyone who could waste two Kickstarters and be so obnoxious to go on a racist tirade about how it wasn't his fault, is someone who does convery any trust that the money for this won't become a point of contention as well.

He might even see it as a reward for being a jerk.

Regardless Goodman Games has taken down a disclaimer for another Judges Guild product theyw ere selling, claiming Judges Guild wouldn't get a cent and it would go to chairty.

All this grandstanding to say they have gone back on a statement on their website, after working with a classic Judges Guild creator, Jennell Jacques, to get her work published separately. After years quietly mulling over whether they can go back to work with someone who personally hates one of the creators for their race.

https://goodman-games.com/a-statement-on-judges-guild/

It is to use a few favourite words I’ve heard,

An Act of Grubby Bastardry.

And so is the act of every person who decides that paying money to someone like that or people who enable him because they want to relive nostalgia or because they want it in DCC/5E.

I’ve read and played a campaign in the Wilderlands. There is nothing in that setting that couldn’t be replicated with the OD&D encounter charts, random roll tables and an online dice roller. The sole thing worth trading on is the brand name and Bledsaw II has done his utmost to trash that.

Considering what else Goodman Games’s OAR reprints have done, they could get 90% of the experience with the corebook because they don’t change much and don’t need to a setting where every few hexes there is another premade encounter fresh from OD&D.

This kind of derailed last week and this week’s schedule as I had to try and stop and start rewriting.

As for my idea. Just have XCrawl be the cities, regular DCC be the boonies and have the other settings be foreign third-world countries the XCrawlers or holidaying party find themselves in. No more though is justified.

Antarctica Jam 2025 - Overview

Taking a break from writing blogposts over the Easter weekend, I found and got stuck into a new RPG project. An immense collaborative effort to write settings, hexcrawls and adventures for Antarctica, rendered as a warmer continent and overlaid with the standard B/X six-mile hex.

There is no understating the enormity of the task. Antarctica may not be the biggest continent, but it is thousands of miles of interior landscape and coastline in every direction. Apart from the need to comply with the limited number of rules, I am free to do what I want with it.

Here's the overview map and the submap I selected my region from.

Most people have taken the idea of an ice-free Antarctica as an excuse to do sword & sorcery and other antediluvian/lost world stuff. I joined in on this because a continually updating bestiary of monsters leaned that way. But I hope to mix in some standard B/X or OSE monsters as well.

This was organized over on Itch.io and can be found here (https://itch.io/jam/antarctica-jam).

Just click join, look at the map, FAQ and head over to the Discord for more idea sharing between members.

Submissions open until February 28th 2026 at 7:00 PM

 

This is obviously a big project, one of which I will be keeping the blog updated throughout the rest of the year on. Interrupting my carefully planned schedule of posts but maybe allowing me to finally start posting about OSR content with any frequency.

My Work In Progress Guide

What I’ve done so far is reserved an island down in what is real-life Wilkes Land to develop. The island itself is a little under 10,000 square miles or about the size of North Macedonia. It’s self-contained and quite warm by the setting’s logic, covered in farmland. But influenced by Wolves Upon the Coast, I wanted to do something a little more mundane. A place of rival tribes and city-states vying for tribute.

I used this chart, lifted from here (https://occultronics.blogspot.com/2024/10/stocking-hexes-with-bx-dungeon-stocking.html), which is already linked on the Antarctica Jam to help fill out the island. Rolling each hex’s feature. Farmland was automatically a town and if farmland and a Special result met, I eventually decided it was a city of thousands.

The low population density of Wolves Upon the Coast’s hex fill procedure worked in my favour. Creating small patchworks of communities with the sort of wilderness that can hide monsters. Luke Gearing fortunately uploaded it here (https://lukegearing.blot.im/wolves-upon-the-coast-hexfill-procedure).

I then used the standard OSE encounter tables to fill out the monster lairs. Adapting any new ideas to try and fit my humancentric and S&S feel.

Eventually I ran into two problems, the idea of reusing the B/X dungeon stocking table for the wilderness meant I had a huge number of locations to write up. As you can see, I had to trim them down to reach 200 or so, especially as each farmland hex was dense enough to justify a writeup on this island.

The other major issue was a self-inflicted one, I had been using the Dungeon Lair numbers and not multiplying them by 5 for the wilderness. Meaning my landscape was carefully calibrated for roving bands of low-population raiders and traders. Not hundreds of monsters.

I tried to justify this by saying the monster-slaying had reduced the population to merely Number in Lair x2 and not x5.

For the dungeons, and it’s hardly an OSR game without dungeons. I used this nifty chart (https://grinningrat.substack.com/p/tetromino-dungeons) to find some random square assemblages of what I learned are called tetrominoes. Then I stuck them together to make dungeon layouts and stocked them with OSE monsters.

In the future, I would just stick to the WUTC hex filling procedure, digitized here (https://dungeon.loottheroom.uk/wolvesfills). Using the OSE SRD to fill wilderness lairs, compensating for the reduced number WUTC would generate.
Or any of the other tools and proeedures on the Hexcrawling page for the Jam.

The areas curently claimed.

I’m super interested to see if the project goes anywhere and how many people finish. If I finish my first region early, I might choose another region. Otherwise, I await you readers to join us in creating a setting that could provide years, if not decades of play.

Worldbuild24 Nangia - Anthropology

Anthropology

Agma Damlag - An import from Zakhara and the Enlightened Faith. Agma Damlag has diverged. The role of the Loregiver and Fate have been mixed with local beliefs. Their Divine Striving is their innate philosophy and the core tenet. Worshippers become more righteous and passionate in their doings in daily life, in service of lunar Goddess, Baginda Sumongsuklay. The moon is both a holy realm and reveals a glimpse into Supreme Reality. When it is eclipsed, it is said that it is the Supreme Evil, a Naga known as Rahuketu, the Not-Goddess, an ancient serpent that encircles phenomenal reality.[i]

Animal-Headed People – The Humanoids of the Sword Islands possess a staggering variety of zoomorphic forms yet possess a common ability to interbreed and with the Kawayanon who dwell with them. Scholars of the Elvish Empire believed this was because they had a malleable Fey ancestry from the Yellow Plant Empire. It is common for any local to display other animal features beyond their bodily type. They are Iro-Iro – Dogfolk, who may be related to the Gouren. Kamikam – Catfolk and Civet people. Monkeyfolk – Laksaman, also called Hanu. Pilandokan – Deerfolk. And Pak-an – Birdfolk, human faces and build, sometimes with separate wings.

Animal Clans of the Khiimori Mountains – Not quite a kind of Animal Nomad, these six clans thrive along the slopes of the Khiimori Mountains to the south of the Valley of the Five Fires. They are Eagle, Worm, Fox, Wolf, Bear and Leopard. They do not ride horses and consider themselves to be part of the environment. Some think they existed before the animal nomads, but much is uncertain as they are difficult to get news from. They must know secret ways over the mountains.[ii]

Balat-Kayo – A people assumed to be transformed into a semi-monstrous form by one of the innumerable spirits of the Sword Islands. In fact, these are what traders might term Half-Orcs. Orcs, had long been confined to the western half of the Known World by their divine father’s conflicts. But with the expansion of the Elvish Merchant Fleets, Gruumsh seeks to counter them in his favored lands. He sent his paladins as mercenaries, and they began to interbreed. Supplying valued warriors for the strife.[iii]

Bungayas – In ancient days there rose a people kin to Halflings and fiery Gensai. They are small and thought to resemble children. Long, unruly reddish hair loosely covers their half-naked bodies, and a feverish, quickly changing mind. Bungayas are said to like pranks, jokes and fire, and deeply dislike working or creatures of water. This is said to be why they live in ramshackle villages or work as rovers and scoundrels. These villages are usually built in the close vicinity to banyan trees.[iv]

Burned Emperors – Few in Jungo speak of the last Age of Chaos, when distant Arkhosia released its grip upon the puppet government in its death throes. That time lasted more than a century and involved a dozen candidates, some backed by remnants of Dragon-cults or hellish navies afloat in the South Wind Sea. Eventually each pretender was destroyed in battle, by their underling’s treachery or by time itself. Allowing the true Emperor to emerge from Shang-Wu, the new capital and now one of the Five Loyal Cities in memory.[v]

Chocho – A race of amphibian people who dwell in the southern reaches of the Druk Yul as the Qelong River forms from ten thousand streams. Descendants of the Naga Qelong, they embody the worst animalistic stereotypes of the mountain and forest folk of the Zomia. That is because people assume they are cannibals when they really are giant salamanders who have gained thumbs and faces by consuming Humanoid flesh. With the chaos in Sajavedra, many are drawn south to the growing mandalas of the Chaom. There they can sell their herbalist arts and act as guides for the power-hunger Maharaja.

Debtors Class – In the Sword Island, most people, including some warriors, owe their debts but not their bodies to a member of the warrior, aristocrat, or ruling classes. Since land is not owned, this is a major source of wealth as it provides labor to work it. Debts can be inherited with varying customs and can be paid off by anyone. Akari also has slaves which are less mobile and have fewer rights. But seen as a form of debtor, inherited from Zakharan traditions. Such classes exists in the Spirit Kingdoms and Jungo as well with varying levels of control.

Halflings of the Steppes – Unsurprisingly for people who wander, Halflings have traveled east from the Vidya Mountains and over the Forest Wall to the steppes. Due to a lack of rivers to build their barges and fertile land to build their smials, they have become Animal Nomads. Unfortunately, they are still too small to regularly ride ponies, even small steppe ponies. So, they ride large long-haired mastiffs.[vi]

Flower-Liches – A cult which rules openly in the trade city of Kwantoom. They are undead masters of some ancient Dawn Age semi-civilization. Kwantoom is ruled by an undead crime lord called the Shadow Lord, and the Liches are bound to not interfere except in the fabled dragonboat races. Held to warn off foretold danger, the Liches may directly interfere as they can seize the losing crews as payment as well. Under their tutelage, Kwantoom remains prosperous, and the boat race is famous. This sickening devotion has been copied in many fearful cities to all sorts of pact spirits.[vii]

Gouren – Humanoids with the zoomorphic traits of dogs. They are reclusive and usually form their own communities in the wilderness of the Jiang Hu. But can still be found in the larger trading towns and cities. They are generally aggressive and warlike in nature, but some are noted as great artists, poets, and magicians. They are thought to be related to the Iro-Iro Animal-Headed People but are not Fey. There is frequent speculation in the gatherings of magic-users whether they are related to the Adventine dog barbarians of the hilly southern Riverlands, in Brakmar’s hinterland.[viii]

Hengeyokai – The shapeshifting Fey race which is just as animal as they are Human can be found throughout the lands of Nangia and Imaria, with many names. They were forced to flee the Feywild by vengeful Eldrain. They may take any of their three natural forms: animal, human or hybrid. In this way they live the life of their choosing in the wilds or among Demi-Humans. The animals are local to their homes and fixed in form. The Animal-Headed People of the Sword Islands may be their forgotten descendants. Changed by the Yellow Plant Empire as the Elven Empire persecuted them.[ix]

Hobgoblin Khanates – While most Nangian Hobgoblins come from surviving Feywild states like the Bakemono. The steppes are home to those who ride wargs. Untrusting and in harsh lands, hobgoblin Animal Nomads place little emphasis on loyalty even among themselves, succeeding khans by cunning. Living isolated lives to ensure there is enough meat for their mounts and fodder for the few herds they don’t immediately eat. They serve as mercenaries, but while they are skilled riders, they will happily change sides if immediately advantageous. Khan Bouil of the Baize Horde boasts he has been on the winning side for every battle this way.[x]

Issohappa – The name of the land of the Elves. This is frequently confused with all lands west of Arodia, particularly when Zakharan crews include Desert Elves and the Adventine factors of the Elvish Merchant Fleets talk of many different homes. It is assumed by those of the Sword Islands and slightly less so elsewhere that Issohappa is a place of alternating dreadful cold and heat, where water is always scarce, so the inhabitants do not bathe and there are no spices. Those who serve with the fleets can only confirm some of those stories.[xi]

Iyaizu – The Pale Kings are those who have come out of the west for a thousand years now. Coming in their strange swan ships to buy and sell, and carry people from one end of the Known World to the other. The Elven Merchant Fleets may disappear for a century or two if the political situation becomes conflicted, but they always return. They see Nangia in its commodities and the falling Yellow Plant Empire ruins as hauntingly barbaric. This has bred far too many rumors they brush off as idle chatter until it unexpectedly becomes far too dangerous.[xii]

Kadanay – A people who have fallen from their great heights, they once dominated the Sword Isles using their ability to imbue stone and abundant gold with magical properties and use it for their technology. They thrived across the archipelago after the fall of the Yellow Plant Empire, falling to a spiritual apocalypse in Antiquity. It is their ruins and creations that treasure-seekers desire. Now most descendants live on Rusunuga and barely a spark of their powers remain even in Ba-e royalty. But the fiery magenta eyes carry on.[xiii]

Kadungganan – Free warriors, unbound to the Debtor System. They can choose who to serve (has its own benefits, such as protection and connections). Commonly become lords by power or acclaim after they’ve accrued a following. To be a Kadungganan is to be innately honorable if not always good. The most terrible raiders and greatest heroes of the Sword Islands are both Kadungganan. Who may have an intertwined history spanning islands, duels, and comradeship. Can always solve problems with violence.[xiv]

Kawayanon – The name of the Human people who inhabit the Sword Islands. Like the Wose of western Adventia, they long lived under the reign of the Fey, the Yellow Plant Empire. In this way they are a more earthy form of the Bamboo Spirit Folk and it is said they grow leaves and twigs on occasion. Like all the inhabitants of that place, their Fey blood lets them mingle with Humanoids more readily. Which is the source of much amazement from merchants.[xv]

Kenku – Not Animal-Headed People and not Hengeyokai. Kenku are just a Humanoid race in the shape of ravens, though some say the ducks of the west have the same origins. They were ravens cursed by The Raven Queen and the Demon Lord Pazuzu for trickery. They may have been planar creatures akin to bird spirits, like tengu from Rokugan. They organize themselves into clan-like groups called flocks. Each flock follows no laws but their own and distrusts outsiders including other kenku. Their natural ability to mimic sounds including voices makes them excellent spies, manipulators, and performers.[xvi]

Korobokuru - These small, Demi-Humans usually reside in secluded villages far from civilization and live simply as hunters, farmers, or artisans. They get along poorly with Humans, who consider them backward and primitive. Korobokuru venerate the Primal spirits that dwell near their communities. They are often confused by merchants with western Dwarves or Gnomes and are somewhere in between. They have served as guides for Animal Nomads and Wild Men to sneak through hidden passes and game trails to wreak havoc on settled lands.[xvii]

Lungyi – It is not known to scholars how Dragonborn, an empire associated with the Sea of Ships could occur on the other side of the Known World. But there are dragons in Nangia. Lungyi are the ruling class of the Bai Hu Hegemony, yet another state with claims to the throne of Jungo from its claim the precursor was Ku Chun, ruled by the Dragon Kings. They have crafted their own sect where they are the pinnacles of enlightenment after reincarnations, followed by their Bantai half-born. This has spread into the southern Nangia by their monastic missions.[xviii]

Mandala System - Instead of states having strict geographical borders, there is instead a powerful centre, and then that power emanates outward: those closest to the centre are more influenced and connected, while those farther are more prone to having their own bespoke cultures and only answer to the mandala out of trade agreements or out of acknowledgement of their power/bonds. The centre plus the surrounding power it exerts over other places are known as a mandala. It is a personal affair.

Mask People - Hunted for their masks, the Mask People are suspicious of everything. This is because they draw their powers from their large, leering masks and can switch from focused to fleeing to madness with a subtle movement of their hands. Their real faces are very rarely seen, and many describe them as Kadungganan. They are the last remnants of the Fey/Human folk of the Yellow Plant Empire, closer to the western Wose than even the Kawayanon. Many also fear them as cannibals, lurking on islands for sailors and that is not all lies.[xix]

Miwo Nu – A mountain people who dwell a weeks’ ride from Kwantoom, in the northern mountains. Which were always a little more independent than the empire thought. They are the guides who help bring the caravans from Xinjiang to Kwantoom and the northern Dragon Rivers. They know how to ride deer, skin muskrats, and weave the silk of snow spiders. The combination of fur and silk they wear is said to be as strong as boiled leather. Some people say they might be part Elven, while others say that knowledge is rarely found in one place.[xx]

Naga - Serpentine creatures with Humanoid faces, more spirit than flesh. They are the guardians of sacred places and secret lore, immune to the ravages of age, hunger, or sleep. Some stay from their mission and take command of primitive reptilian tribes. Servants of Zehir favour invoking them. But the strongest naga are themselves petty Gods of the water and air. Embodying the great rivers of Nangia like the Qelong or the innumerable currents of the Sword Islands. Commanding and merging with the draconic sprits of the northern waters and storms. Beings who do not serve but are worshiped.[xxi]

Nangian Amazon – A somewhat obscure people from the Zomia. The women walk around bare breasted with satin girdles and long pants, if they are not adopting them when serving in Jungo. Besides that, they appear to be merely another tribe who live free of outsider influence in their remote valley. Apparently, they belong to one of the monastery cultures like the Pandawa, practicing with blades and raiding their neighbors. Kwantoom is decadent and equitable enough to hire them as exotic bodyguards and henchwomen. Details about their actual culture are sparse.[xxii]

Nezumi – Humanoid rats which are not related to spirits. It is believed they exist elsewhere in the world but must be greatly secretive. Indeed, the Dwarves and Goblins tell of wars in Antiquity with the skaven, a now gone western variant of great fear and mechanical cunning. Nezumi scavenge and serve as eastern Assassins called Ninja. It is said each has forty brothers and lives only a few years. They live in Shadowlands and other Planar crossings where their constitution allows them to thrive. Locals find them hard to see and outsiders more so.[xxiii]

Ninja – The life of a ninja is death. A form of Assassin originally from Rokugan and now found wherever their merchants sail. They are supposedly members of the warrior class. They frequently worship Vecna for hidden ways, shadow magic and to swell the ranks of the dead. Or Ioun to seek knowledge of death.[xxiv]

Pandawa - The so-called panda-people of southwestern Jungo. Not actually a form of zoomorphic Humanoid, the Panda-Wa (small people resembling panda-bears) live in the valleys as the Druk Yul seep into the tropical jungles. In their own language they are called the Djala and bear little hair except on their tops, pale skin, and dark splotches of pigment around their eyes and backs. Formerly tributaries by force, their society is centered on villages serving central monasteries/breweries. They have developed a dangerous reputation for martial arts, which they practice on tribal enemies like the Chocho. Their costumes are sparse and preferably red.[xxv]

Sages –Masters of secret knowledge and bodily control that allows them to perform feats undreamt of and defeat foes with their bare hands or will. Frequently this overlaps with certain forms of magic, and many lesser sages focus on one path alone, hoping to maximize their efforts rather than master a synthesis. They dwell in isolated monasteries or hermitages to escape distractions with a few chosen disciples. Unfortunately, many are as arrogant and prone to overexaggerated claims, as they poison themselves with alchemical regents or assume their cultivations make them undefeatable. Few live to find or enjoy immortality.

Shanxiao – See Hanu

Spirit Folk - The descendants of Humans and various nature spirits, spirit folk are highly attuned to nature but typically live among humans. Three distinct kinds exist (bamboo, river, and sea spirit folk), and all resemble slender, comely humans. It is quite a surprise to learn that these people have nothing to do with the Yellow Plant Empire and exist as they are. It is said that they maintain their elemental and Primal shrines unbroken in their manors and rural huts, responsible for individual allotments. And though they may call upon their mighty lords, they are bound to serve them.[xxvi]

Snow Tigers – A tribe of the Frostfell, these hardy hunter gatherers live by their skills with tracking and slaying. Though they are not Animal Nomads, they are greatly feared by them. For they are known to ambush riders who enter the taiga or permafrost north of the Khiimori Mountains. That is not to say they are any more unfriendly than others in that region, just more successful. Their hunts summon fur merchants from across the north. Trading for the curved blades of the Mountains of the Moon that so interests them.[xxvii]

Tohey – A highland people who live on the mainland of the Jamiyun Kulisa’s Arrows. Many tribes of farmers or hunter-gatherers have chosen or been pushed into the mini-Zomia where the flatland and coastal states cannot reach. They share a distinct appearance with some of the highland people of Apumbukid and Gatsun. Sailors say they resemble Imarians.[xxviii]

Uji Clans – In Rokugan, the Wild Men and the later farmers worshiped Primal entities as equals with later Gods. With certain ones, the ujigami as patrons of their kin group. As the empire was established, these kin formed the oldest clans. Though they still fill the capital, they serve more for the samurai clans to claim legitimacy from, while they pursue their clan wars. In fact, the court still exerts power in the raising of new uji clans from the rank of the samurai to reward and deny others. Fenghoo, Kani, Ki-Rin, Ku-Ren, Ryu, Sasori, and Tora.[xxix]

Valley People – The mountain corridors and the mighty rivers which flow through them encourage the presence of centralized states, fed by the great trade routes from Arodia to Jungo in ages past. This in turn breeds invaders from the Zomia and beyond, who may themselves be fleeing another foe. Each group conquering or loosely incorporating others into numerous independent Mandala and adopting new traditions as demanded. Currently the dominant Human ethnic groups are the Baw in the center, ancient Qelong and Hongsa, eastern Liên and Ba-e and the western Daung. Older Humanoid or Fey ancestry forms a rural continuation.

Wild Men – A allegedly hidden people, who claim to be descendants from the inhabitants of Rokugan before the rest and taught them the proper ways to appease the Primal spirits. Before they imprisoned them with their strictures and drove them north. But they appear to share much the same culture and persisted as petty lords, bandits and peasantry until the Age of Chaos began. Then a spiritual revival occurred followed by rebellion. They claim to have been taught the ways to summon forth elemental and animal spirits to destroy castles and lay waste to foes. It may be spreading to northern Nangia.[xxx]

Yu-Shentong – Hunters from the Zomia, this small tribe has survived Jungo tributary status by being morbid, pale and scarred to the point magistrates have left the Tunshang Barony to govern them. In this way they have thrived since the lands south of Kwantoom were swallowed by the Jiang Hu. They find frequent employment in Kwantoom as Assassins, and though they dress in normal clothes, their blowgun-daggers and poisons are noticeable. Some poisons come from the Underdark and they must know the ways down below.[xxxi]

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[i] Exact details in Gubta Banwa p.93, p.167

[ii] See Valley of the Five Fires p.5

[iii] Term from The Islands of Sina Una

[iv] See Mad Monks of Kwantoom p.12

[v] Inspired by the spell Vestige of the Burned Emperors, Arcane Power p.84

[vi] See Valley of the Five Fires

[vii] See Flower Liches of the Dragonboat Festival

[viii] See Swords of Wuxia pp.5-6

[ix] See Dragon #404 pp.16-25

[x] Hobgoblins as steppe nomads is of course from Warhammer Fantasy

[xi] See what they will think centuries later Gubat Banwa pp. 542-544

[xii] See what they become to the locals later in Gubat Banwa pp.542-544

[xiii] Very occasionally mentioned in Gubat Banwa

[xiv] See many worked examples in Gubat Banwa

[xv] Mentioned in Gubat Banwa

[xvi] See D&D 4E Monster Manual 2 pp.152-154

[xvii] See Dragon #404 p.16, Oriental Adventures p.12

[xviii] See Gubat Banwa pp. 522-523

[xix] Inspired by the real-life masks of the island of Papua and the Masqueraider class from Dofus/Wakfu

[xx] See Flower Liches of the Dragonboat Races p.14

[xxi] See 4E Monster Manual p.194, Gubat Banwa p.32

[xxii] See Flower Liches of the Dragonboat Races p.88

[xxiii] See Adventures in Rokugan pp.32-33 and Legend of the Five Rings 5E

[xxiv] See textbox in Dragon Magazine #404 p.3 and the opening line is from the Usagi Yojimbo comic series

[xxv] Inspired by the Djala of Exalted and the Pandawa from Dofus/Wakfu

[xxvi] See Dragon Magazine #404 p.16, Oriental Adventures p.13

[xxvii] See Martial Power 2 p.53

[xxviii] See TTI 01 - Mr-Kr-Gr - The Death-Rolled Kingdom p.40

[xxix] The Legend of the Five Rings main five clans with more Japanese names and with all the families broken off as actually clan-level Daimyos alongside the minor clans.

[xxx] What if the Emishi from Princess Mononoke could summon Pokémon as ridable animal-kami for battle.

[xxxi] See Flower Liches of the Dragonboat Races p.16