"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

D6 Fantasy Creatures


I have not had much experience with the D6 system. I have picked up a few books here and there and I now think that you can download most of it for free or at next to no cost online. I bought this when I saw it just to mine it for anything that that might be unique. The creatures inside are mostly common creatures or those from mythology so there is not too much that I had not seen before but there were a few entries that were new to me.


From the back of the book:

"The D6 Fantasy Creatures supplement offers over 80 different types of mundane and legendary creatures, some with several variations. Players can find game characteristics for a new pet or mount, while gamesmasters get access to numerous monsters to place as challenges for their players. Each entry includes information o habits and habitat, plus a picture and D6 Fantasy characteristics.


To get the most direct use of this book, it requires the D6 Fantasy Rulebook, but it includes conversions to D6 Adventure and D6 Space. "

Creatures come from typical fantasy & mythological sources, covering a good range of expected types. 96 page softback perfect bound book, with full-colour cover & b/w interior.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

D&D X11: Saga of the Shadow Lord

Saga of the Shadow Lord was released in 1986 near the end of my initial steady playing of D&D. At the time I did not pick it up and it was not until the middle 90's or maybe even later that I set about picking up a copy of this. It was one that eluded me for a period of time and for a long period of time went too high price wise for me and what I was willing to pay. It is still sometimes on the pricey side but I have seen it go for under $20 in some cases.

It is a standard adventure plot but it does offer the players options on how they want to accomplish the tasks they need to. I would place it in the upper middle range in level of adventure fare. There is nothing in this that is going to set the gaming world afire but it is a fun romp and it is something that could be expanded into more than what it is. It also offers a number of ideas that a DM might want to borrow for their own use.

From the back cover:

An insidious peril threatens the peaceful kingdom of Wendar. When a traitor stole the realm's greatest treasure, a magical Elvenstar, disease, drought, and famine struck the land. For the first time in decades, hostile armies were poised to invade Wendar.

Yet even greater danger looms. The traitor has delivered the magical gem into the hands of the Shadow Lord, Wendar's greatest foe. This evil being has returned from the dead to seek revenge on Wendar, and the Elvenstar is the key to an even more sinister foe.

You must evade the Shadow Lord's army, penetrate his fortress, recover the Elvenstar, and foil this heinous plan!

This adventure is for use with the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Basic and Expert Rules produced by TSR, Inc. You must have both rule sets to play the adventure.

Monday, July 29, 2013

D&D - X1: Isle of Dread





I have posted about "The Isle of Dread" before and normally would not duplicate a post but this is a different cover and was an earlier printing. You can find the earlier and much more detailed post here. This is actually a second printing of the module. I am not sure I have a first and I hate myself for even thinking I need to find a fist printing but I now know that will happen. The adventure starts with a treasure map and note.

Player Handout:



"When the gale finally ended, we found ourselves approximately seven days normal sailing distance due south out of Specularum, in the Thanegioth Archipelago. We replenished our supplies, patched up the ship, and traded our remaining goods at native villages along the shores of several islands. Some villages were friendly, but others were hostile and the natives attacked on sight. I suspect the hostile villages were filled with cannibals.

We skirted the coastlines of several islands, sailing south by west until we reached a small peninsula cut off from the main island by a massive stone wall. We were well received by the natives of Tanoroa, the small village that guards this wall. The villagers have no name for the large island other than the 'Isle of Dread'. Their own small peninsula is known simply as 'Home'.

The villagers told us a tale about an ancient city in the central highland of the isle that was build by the same people who built the wall. The villagers call the builders 'the gods', but I noticed that the names of the gods and the personal names of the clan ancestors were often the same. I believe that the natives once possessed a much more advanced culture and that the descendants of the builders have returned to a more primitive state.

The inland city is rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining. In particular, I heard persistent tales concerning a great black pearl of 'the gods' that still remains in the inland city. The island waters abound with excellent pearl beds, so the rumor of the black pearl may well be true.

The village contains a number of huge life-like statues of iron, bronze and stone. Since no villager currently has the skill or the craft to make such statues, the tale of a lost city built by the 'gods' seems reasonable. I would have liked to explore inland to verify the rumors, but too many crewmen died in the storm or by cannibal spears. Only five of us are left. I am the only professional adventurer, the others are only sailors. We can sail the small ship well enough but on land, in hostile territory, we would be helpless. Once back in Specularum I should be able to recruit a new crew and a party of professional adventurers, then I will return to claim the great black pearl.

One thing I managed to do before leaving: we sailed around the island and made the best map we could. We were afraid to land, since village fishermen had warned us that it was extremely dangerous to land anywhere on the main island and the coasts were rocky with no beaches. As a result, the map only shows the coastal areas we could chart from the ship, but it is better than nothing.

-Rory Barbarosay"

Sunday, July 28, 2013

D&D Player Character Record Sheets


There is not much that needs to be said about these. Another iteration of a character sheet. This version was originally published in 1980 but this is a later version that began in 1981. This is indicated by the use of the face logo on the cover. There are sixteen sheets in this so it was not all that great of a deal and although it is the most colorful of the art covers I would have to say it is my least favorite of the Basic D&D offerings. I don't hate it but it is my least favorite.

From the cover:

"Do you have trouble keeping track of your dwarf's hit points? Are you constantly checking to see what your thief's abilities are? Did your magic-user miss going up a level because you lost the piece of paper with all of his treasure on it? Well cast your gaze on this item. At last, all that valuable information has been put on one sheet of paper."

Saturday, July 27, 2013

DA2 - Temple of the Frog


So we have a module here to begin with that is a remake of the first ever published module for the Dungeons & Dragons game (Blackmoor Supplement). Now we add that it includes a kidnapped Baroness and an evil cult that has her. Now we place it all deep in a swamp setting where there is a city, an frog shaped temple with a dungeon. How could you not like a module that begins this way and has all of these components. I know it has technology in it...much more than I would ever really want to have in anything I run but then "every rose has it's thorn" to quote a classic rock ballad. I would also be negligent if I failed to mention a module cover that captures the feel of the adventure perhaps as good as any ever used. Sometimes the DA series can be hard to find and somewhat pricey but I think this is well worth having in a collection.

From the back cover:

"Green Death... That's what old hands call the Great Dismal Swamp. For centuries, this tangled maze of sluggish watercourses, stagnant ponds, and festering marshes has defended Blackmoor's southwestern frontier. Large armies and smaller parties have disappeared altogether inside its vast, dripping, claustrophobic corridors.

Among those who have dropped from sight in this arboreal hell is young Rissa Aleford, one of Blackmoor's most important leaders. Carried off to the sinister City of the Frog, she is now being held by the eccentric Monks of the Swamp. By making the baroness captive, the deranged monks have seriously weakened Blackmoor at a time when enemies already threaten it from all sides.

Yet, even as the Froggies gloat, the king of Blackmoor dispatches a small band of bold adventurers to the rescue. Deep into the Great Dismal Swamp they must go - far from sunlight and sanity - there to seek and save the captive baroness from the foul Monks of the Swamp. There to find - the Temple of the Frog."

Friday, July 26, 2013

D&D B/X Basic Rules

I am not sure what edition of the original Dungeons & Dragons game brought more players into the "fold" as it were. I suspect it was the BECMI version of the game but I think a strong argument could be made for the B/X edition. I never want to slight the little brown books but I don't know that they can be considered the same as the more polished retail offerings. The Holmes blue book was great but I think this was the first retail version that opened the game up to the general publis and caught their attention. I still have very fond memories of  these even though I was entrenched in AD&D long before these were released. These can still be picked up cheap on eBay or you can go the new OSR versions if you prefer but either way I suggest checking out how Mr. Moldvay put a spin on the genre we all love.

From the back of the book:

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS fantasy game is a step out of the ordinary. Each adventure is like writing a novel. Players assume the roles of elves, dwarves, halflings or humans and travel through a fantastic world filled with danger and excitement. Adventurers will wander through frightening dungeons conquering evil foes and meeting terrible dragons.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS fantasy game is the original "role playing" and this booklet makes it easier than ever to play. This rulebook contains all the rules needed to begin playing and running DUNGEONS& DRAGONS adventures. The rules have been reedited and organized so that people who have never played the game before will be able to begin playing with a minimum amount of preparation. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS fantasy game can be played by anyone. The entire family will enjoy a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure. And with more than 100 monsters included in this booklet no two adventures will ever be alike.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

D&D AC3/AC5/AC8 - The Revenge of Rusak


I am really not sure what is in this as it is still in the shrink. That is of course not rue but this is a module with a very definite identity crisis. It is listed on here as AC3 (which it isn't) and then in later printings a sticker was slapped on it labeling it AC5 (which it wasn't) and in fact it is listed on TSR roles as AC8 which it is but was never labeled as that on the product.

The module consists of 3D paper models that can be cut out and folded up for use with the adventure. I have never used one of these in that manner. There are a few modules TSR released like this and I am not sure what percentage of them remain intact but I am sure it is rare. The three WG modules come to mind as hard ones to find in general and intact complicates it more.

The module clocks in at a whopping  eight pages but I am sure most people bought it for the props. It is a fairly basic idea and the picture on the cover and blurb on the back lay out most of what you would want to know. It does have some new magic items and a monster included as well.

From the back of the book:

Princess Arelina rushes from the tent as total disorder breaks out across the camp. She descends on your party as you struggle to secure your weapons...

Wonderfully descriptive, isn't it? Well, now you can see it for yourself with the 3-D DRAGON tiles. Use the DRAGON Tiles to bring your DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventures to life.

This package includes 3-D figures featuring tents, trees, carts, a waterfall, and characters. A sheet of 2-sided tiles include trails, streams, creatures, and other wilderness features. A wilderness mapping grid is included to help you lay out wilderness encounters quickly.

The 3-D DRAGON Tiles also comes with a special D&D adventure, "The Revenge of Rusak."

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

D&D - Crypt of the Smoke Dragon


I really don't have a lot to say about this. It may be the shortest module ever released. I know some of the Free Game Day items are short but I am not sure any are as short as this. It is 16 pages long but four of those are character sheets and then you gave the cover and the back page advertisement. Add into that the map you are down to nine pages. They really stretched the filler to make it out to nine pages as well. It was released in 1999 and I am not sure where or how I came across it. It was most likely and eBay purchase and I suspect I paid too much for you. You can find a download copy here. I am not sure if that is still supposed to be live or not.

From the introduction:

This self-contained game gives you and your friends the experience of playing the Dungeons & Dragons game in an easy-to-learn format. In this Fast-Play Games, you and your friends take on imaginary roles in a fantastic tale of mighty heroes, mythical dragons, and powerful magic.

This demo version of the game is designed to give you the feel of playing the Dungeons & Dragons game. The full game contains all sorts of options to help you create your own on-going sword and sorcery campaign. We'll tell you more about that at the end of this booklet.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

D&D 3e - Book of Challenges


This is a book that I fixated on for a long period of time. It was released in 2002 for the 3e so I was not going to buy it new. I had heard good things about it and wanted to buy it but it always seemed to elude me on eBay and other online sites. I didn't want to pay full price for it and even what I paid at HPB was not what I wanted to pay for a book from a system I knew I would most likely never play.

The book almost lived up to the expectations that had been built up in my mind. It went a little beyond the idea of the Book of Lairs as it contains some encounters that aren't lair based. The situations contained in the book range from fun to deadly and from creative to contrived.  Overall they are better than average in quality. The book shines more in the sidebars and advice that it offers though.

From the back of the book:

Danger Around Every Corner and Behind Every Screen!

The greatest threat to any adventuring party is a devious Dungeon Master. This book is spring-loaded with ideas, both subtle and sinister, that will ensure every gaming session is appropriately hazardous, including:

    * Over fifty encounters designed to be dropped into any campaign.
    * Scalable scenarios that can be pitted against characters from 1st to 20th level.
    * Advice for creating your own deceptive and deadly situations.

Dungeon Masters who want to keep their players on their toes will be inspired by the invaluable material within these pages.

To use this accessory, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Cyberpunk - Pacific Rim Sourcebook

 In a few months the subject of this post will  not be one that will be caught by search engines as much as it is right now. I apologize for anyone coming here thinking they are going to find anything about the Pacific Rim movie.

This is a sourcebook for the Cyberpunk game that was released in 1994 and comes in at 159 pages. It deals with the non Americans side of the Ring of Fire. Written in a travel guide style it will give the GM enough information to let characters adventure in the lands it covers without the GM having to become an expert in a country they may not be familiar with. The areas are provided plot hooks that can be used as starter or filler adventures in the areas.

I personally wish that the book had been broken apart into two or three books. The sections on Japan and China are not nearly detailed enugh for the part that those two countries should play in the game. Each could have been afforded their own and then Pacific Rim could have been used to describe. I might even have broken the Australian sections out as they are really more Westeren cultures.

IN the end though the book is still worth having. It will give enough information to get by on all the countries listed though for some a little more research would be warranted.
 
Countries covered:
- Japan
- Korea
- China
- Taiwan
- Southeast Asia

  - Indochina
    - Myanmar
    - Cambodia
    - Laos
    - Vietnam
    - Thailand
  - The Island States
    - Singapore
    - Brunei
    - Indonesia
    - Malaysia
    - The New Philippines


- Australiasia

  - Australia
    - West Australia
  - New Zealand




From the back of the book:

ON THE RIM OF THE CYBERPUNK WORLD

The Pacific Rim. The name conjures up images of high-tech glitterlands. Here every dream can come true, realized by the tech-wizards of the Orient. But under the Westernized exterior lie traditions thousands of years old, and beneath the clean streets lurks a shadow world more sinister than any American sprawl.

This is the Edge of the CYBERPUNK gaming world: Hawaii to China, Japan to New Zealand. The "Rim" has it all: commerce, smuggling, piracy, and revolutions. This region is a place of surprising contradictions and diversity.

It's all in this travel-style guide: Nineteen different countries toured in detail, with NPCs and Adventure Hooks highlighted, plus regional maps. Need the inside on the Outside? You want the Pacific Rim Sourcebook: your guide to the Mysteries of the East.



Sunday, July 21, 2013

Cyberpunk - Deep Space


A book that gives you the ability to add the impact of  "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. " to a game as good as Cyberpunk is not a good thing....it is a great thing. Deep Space fully replaces the earlier released Near Orbit and it contains all of the same material that has been updated where needed.

The book was released in 1993 where Near Orbit was released in 1989. The setting is the year 2025 so we still have time to get there but I don't see that happening. This is again a top notch offering that anyone playing the game should own if the have any interest in adding space as a setting. It is a product worth owning in general if you play any near future games. The only bad part of the book is that reading it makes someone who wants to see us on Mars and in space exploring very sad that we have not progressed more than we have after 44 years and a day (I should have posted this yesterday).


From the back of the book:

BEYOND THE EDGE

The Earth turns silently below, a ball of seething humanity, trapped in an ever-more polluted environment. Meanwhile, desperate Edgerunners battle greedy Corps for what "good" living is left. Mankind has only one place left to go ... up ... and out.

Out to a place of absolute cold and perfect clarity, where immense cylinder worlds spin in the sky; needle-like deltas speed on intercept courses, and spiderty orbital vehicles surround the titanic white lattices of the Far Planetary explorers.Humanity is reaching -- for Deep Space.

Enter the Future of CYBERPUNK with Deep Space, the continuation of the Near Orbit saga. The timeline has been extended to 2025 as the first generation of Highriders struggle for freedom from groundstar control. Lunar colonies are the norm, and the skies are crowded with corporations jockeying for position on this new economic frontier. At the same time, government and private enterprise take their first steps on Mars and into the Belt, in search of knowledge and resources. And what will new missions find inside the Gas Giants?

Deep Space expands Near Orbit's vehicle / equipment lists and contains maps of the Tycho / Copernicus Lunar colonies along with Mars' Chryse Base. As a bonus, we include the adventure Red Conflict -- unrest among the scientific stations of Mars!

Let your CYBERPUNK 2020 campaign break the shackles of Earth, and reach for the unknown with ...Deep Space

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Cyberpunk - Chromebook 2


This is the second in the Chromebook series of books for Cyberpunk. It was released in 1992 following the original entry the year before. This book is just as good as the original and I would consider it almost essential if you want to do the Cyberpunk game right. The book is also worth having just on its own even if you aren't going to play the game. I know that sounds silly but it is just interesting to read on its own as it is written like a catalog and could be used for any futuristic game. The only issue these books have are that they are almost all 10+ years old and the authors were not as forward thinking as they could have been in some area. Items are bigger and less powerful than they are in today's world....for those I would treat them as retro items!


From the back of the book

"Make a flashier statement with the chillest Cyb-ware; ride the smoother groove with the hottest cars; deliver more bang for the Euro with the most advanced weapons presented - this is the essence of Cyberpunk, the consumer items your edgerunner needs to make his mark on the streets of Night City.

Chromebook 2 showcases new electronics, chips, and software; plus bodyware - exotic biosculpting for the Euro-decadent and the Nuvo-riche. It's the cat's meow for those who want to be more than uniquely perfect... or just king of the urban jungle.

Also available for the first time ever: Total Body Conversions — the ultimate in cybernetic replacement!

All this and more in this year's Chromebook —You've already got the metal, now give it polish and an Edge!"



Friday, July 19, 2013

Cyberpunk - Night's Edge

This is where we are going to be in seven short years. I won't speak to if that is better or worse than where we are really headed. Night's Edge is a alternate reality setting for the core Cyberpunk 2020 setting. This is a world where the undead and other beasties of legend are real. One has to think that Charlaine Harris might have had some contact with this in the past. Night's Edge was released in 1993 and the books in  "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" started in 2001 so it is possible.I normally an not a huge fan of mashed up genres but this works for me.

From the back of the book:

The night is a wonderful place. You can live it up forever (an some of us do...) without being noticed if you don't want to. Those who live in the night better have the Edge, the Night's Edge, for there is a special kind of "people" who live there.

You might call them leeches, vryolokos, vampires or monsters, but then again, they might call you cattle, meat or lunch and beside, name calling is so childlike. The bottom line remains that even if you don't like them, you gotta respect them. Law of the jungle you know. And the night is one huge jungle, complete with it predators and preys.

Some may want to reverse the roles, make the hunters hunted, but they are few. Most are just happy to not be fodder, food for them. Live and let live, I suppose...


Nights edge is an Alternate Reality Sourcebook for CyberPunk 2020. It is the first in a series of modules and sourcebooks that brings techno-horror to the world of CyberPunk. It contains rules covering mostly vampires but also their brethren, lycanthropes and were-wolves. Also included are rules for vampire hunters and psychic powers.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Cybergeneration - RPG


In continuation from yesterday on how much Talsorian likes the idea.....Cybergeneration Second Edition is a full fledged game and not a supplement. The second edition was released in 1995 two years after the first and the size of the book was increased from 192 pages to 248. I have not taken the time to compare the rules but I expect they are very much the same and only the core mechanics were added but I can't say that with 100% certainty.

From the cover:

The cyberpunk movement is dead, crushed beneath the jackboots of the Incorporated States of America, a tyrannical techno-government that rules through media, money and unstoppable cybernetic might.

But a new force has taken to the Street to carry on the battle their parents lost. Raised on danger and deception, forged in the fires of a mysterious nanotech plague that has ravaged the 21st century, this handful of angry juvegangers now wield incredible powers that defy both science and cybertech.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cybergeneration - Cyberpunk


The first release of Cybergeneration was done as a supplement to Cyberpunk. It dealt with the release of a nano virus that ended up killing a good portion of the adult population due to it's altering the DNA structure of those affected. In those that had not yet reached puberty it had another effect. It gave them superhuman abilities in many cases. So this ended up becoming a mash up of Cyberpunk, post apocalyptic aspects and superhero to some extent. It also exhibited a strong anime influence. In the end it proved somewhat popular to at least the publisher. More on that tomorrow....

From the back of the book:

The final battle for the cyberpunk future.

Evolve or Die

My parents became cyberpunks and all they left me was this dark future...

2027
The Incorporated States of America rules the land of the fast-gun techno-hero with a cybered fist. And a terrifying new plague sweeps the wastland that streetkid America has inherited from the Edgerunners of 2020. Now, with amazing powers beyond mere cybertech - abilities that defy known science, a handful of angry juvegangers have Evolved to become the Cybergeneration; a generation born to the Street - raised on danger and deception, leading the battle to win back their world. The ISA is closing in, hunting them down to eliminate or control them. But these kids know the war's just beginning...

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Conspiracy X - Exodus: The Saurian Sourcebook


Another sourcebook for another alien race in the Conspiracy X game. This book did not hold the appeal to me that the Atlantean book did but that does not make it a bad book. It is a matter of taste on how one likes their aliens in the great alien conspiracy to loo like and behave I guess. I am not sure why but there are two cover options for this book. To the best of my knowledge they are both identical on the inside and only the cover has changed. The format for the book is basically the same as described for the earlier entry and I would say that is a good thing so you have a fair expectation from sourcebook to sourcebook on what to expect.


From the back of the book:

Before the dawn of time, they rose to rule their world.

Sixty-five million years ago, they fought a war so devastating that it nearly destroyed that world and everything on it. Those who survived fled into the vast night of space, looking for a new home.

Today they are here, among us.

Those who know them call them Saurians, viscous looking lizard creatures with technology centuries beyond our own. For the moment, they walk among us, hidden within false flesh, barely recognized as their own.
Soon more will arrive -- many, many more.

Then, the true battle will begin.


Inside Exodus: The Saurian Sourcebook, you will find:
  • Details on the history, culture, biology and psychology of the Saurians.
  • Overviews of the eight major ancient Saurian clans, and the four active on Earth today.
  • Full descriptions and game stats for a wide variety of Saurian advanced technolofy.
  • A rogue group of Saurians, the Dreamspeakers, that may be used as allies or as potential new recruits for any Aegis Cell.
  • A review of current Aegis knowledge about the Saurians.
  • An espionage mission attempting to root out a hidden threat to mankind.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Conspiracy X - Atlantis Rising


Released in 1998 Atlantis Rising is 111 pages long and most of it is not about Atlantis at all. It is instead a sourcebook on the Atlantean people. It does tell us things about Atlantis but only in respect to the people that call it home. The book gives the GM information in great detail about the people. It tells of their history here on Earth. It also provides information on their technology including a number of artifacts. Even if you don't play Conspiracy X I think this book would be useful to any GM running a modern or dark future game where you need aliens that are and could be again an integral part of human history.


From the back of the book:

From the dawn of civilization they have walked among us.
They have been our kings, our demons, our angels, and our gods.
For eons, they have shaped human existence.
These are the enigmatic Atlanteans.


The most human of all aliens, they may be humanity's greatest enemy, or our only hope. Immortal, invulnerable, possessed of astounding technology, Atlanteans sit astride the pinnacle that mankind hopes one day to achieve. Will they help us climb to their heights or will they send us tumbling down into an eternity of servitude as their slaves?

  • Detailed history of the Atlanteans and their culture.
  • An overview of Aegis' knowledge about Atlanteans.
  • Complete rules on Atlantean nanotechnology.
  • New player character option: The Forgotten.
  • Five detailed Atlantean NPCs.
  • A exciting adventure introducing the Forgotten.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Cthulhu - Dark Ages


If someone does not like modern day Cthulhu settings then perhaps they might like it set even further back in the past that what good old HPL wrote about right? Well it is a possibility and I am not sure that I don't like 1000 AD better than 1990 AD for the setting but I am still not sure.

This was originally written in German and then translated into English. It is not merely a new setting but is a stand alone game and as a result much of the 176 pages are tied up with core rules and information that would not need to be there if it were a supplement. The information provided for the setting is good but there could have been more of it. There is also an adventure included in the back of the book to get the GM started in the setting.

From the back of the book:

Cthulhu Dark Ages is a complete roleplaying game presenting the era of the Dark Ages (C. 1000 A.D.) and the continuing threat posed by the denizens of the Cthulhu Mythos as described by H.P. Lovecraft, the Lovecraft circle of writers and the works of Chaosium, Inc.

Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying in the Year 1000 AD

The Dark Ages world is filled with life, death, and the pain of old age. Vengeful hordes wash across the world. Petty warlords fight among themselves like ravenous dogs. Disease runs rampant. Illiterate city-folk and simple farmers dread that which lurks in the dark. And in the greatest abbeys, a few know of forbidden books that speak of blasphemy and of those who would destroy the world of god-fearing men and women.

"The living close the eyes of the dead, but it is the dead that open the eyes of the living." Old Slavic saying

950 A.D.-- The Byzantine Theodorus Philetas translates the al-Azif into Greek and renames it the Necronomicon. It will be more than a century before this blasphemous tome is finally condemned, and most copies destroyed.

During these hundred years, when manuscript copies of the Necronomicon covertly pass from hand to hand, mankind almost yields to the uncaring forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. The dark young of Shub-Niggurath infest the boundless forests, mi-go guard mountain passes, ghouls and miri-nigri haunt forgotten burial grounds, and deep ones plague coastal settlements.

In this world the last magi explore powers not meant for humans, and are lured to into the abode of Yog-Sothoth.

CTHULHU DARK AGES is a complete roleplaying game, using the intuitive and flexible Basic Roleplaying System used and developed by Chaosium for many years and is also used in our Call of Cthulhu game. If you know how to play one, you can play the other.

CTHULHU DARK AGES presents the era of the Dark Ages (c. 1000 A.D.) and the continuing threat posed by denizens of the Cthulhu Mythos as described by H. P. Lovecraft, the Lovecraft circle of writers, and the works of Chaosium Inc.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook


Chivalry & Sorcery is the game that scared me the most as a fledgling gamer. It was not that there was anything scary in the game or the subject matter. It was the intensity of the rules that scared me. As I gained experience I came to appreciate the rule set and the game mechanics. I guess you could say that I leveled up into C&S as it were. The Sourcebook adds some new rules and helps clarify the rules. It was released in 1978 and is 106 pages long.

The first edition of the Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook was 106 pages and included answers to the commonly-asked questions about Chivalry & Sorcery. Other topics include designing outdoor adventures, designing monsters, medicine, extensive information about feudal economics, siege rules, and magic.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Crossroads of Eternity RPG






I have no idea when, where, why or how. I know I bought it and that it is still in the shrink wrap.It was released in 2004 and clocks in at 208 pages. Beyond that the only information I know i was able to find online. The system still has a semi-active site. By that I mean some pages exist while others don't.


From the back cover:

"In the beginning, the world was savage, and all factions waged war with one another. There was one God of all who created two lesser Gods, one of good, one of evil. A man's only hope of salvation was complete devotion to his God."

Detailed character generation results in highly individual characters. There is a good range of skills, and rules for creating more.

Core rule book contains Bestiary, Races, and a Game Master section, along with the usual Character Creation, Equipment and Magic sections.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Cyberpunk - Tales from the Forlorn Hope


Tales from the Forlorn Hope is a combination sourcebook for a base of operations and book of short adventures. It is set in what I feel is one of the best written futuristic (now modern) city offerings ever produced. That being Night City. The premise is a bit contrived being a bar run by former military special operatives (black ops) for their ilk. It works though and to be honest the "inn" in for an adventure works almost as well as any less the GM has done a real good job of binding and then keeping the characters lives intertwined and as a player I sometimes felt the need to try and break that effot.

Forlorn Hope is a bar in Night City

A bar where solos and cops like to go to drink and forget about their troubles; present and past. And hope that there aren't anymore for the future.

The book summarizes NPCs that hang out there and some of the conversations that characters might over hear. As well as floor plans and details needed to find your way around Forlorn Hope.

There are then 8 unrelated adventures that you can pick and choose from.

Agency Job
A Road to Go
The Impalers
Girls Night Out
Colombian Cookout
Fall of the Axeman
Tough as Nails
The Last Long Riders

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cyberpunk - Home of the Brave


I am not going to comment too much on this. I will wax philosophical and political and this is not the forum for that. I have stopped reading other game blogs because of the inane political"philosophy" the spout off about. Published in 1992 and coming in at 144 pages it might end up being a bit too prophetic. Set in 2020 we will have to wait and see. I prefer Shadowrun anyway. Still this is a good book and the Cyberpunk stuff (such as Night City) is always good.

From the back of the book:

A State of DIS-UNION

"America's undergone flood, fire and famine in the last thirty years. Along with Martial Law and one of the longest guerrilla wars we've ever fought. There's gangs on the street, pollution in the air, and the Corps looking down from above. But when the Outside gets too nasty, we still pull together and get the job done.

Why? Cause it's our country - and that's just the way it is."


A soucebook for Cyberpunk 2020

This sourcebook deals with the downfall of the America as we know it and the rise of the America of the 'Cyberpunk Way'

Throughout the game are 'adventure hooks'. These are just 'ideas' for a GM to run with to find adventure for your group.

Chapter 1 - Fall of America
Chapter 2 - The New America
Chapter 3 - The New America Government
Chapter 4 - The US Military -- A Recent History
Chapter 5 - The US Military in 2020
Chapter 6 - The Military Soldiers
Chapter 7 - The State of the Union


This gives you a brief overview of America as it stands now.

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