Charon Prime - Unnamed World

He Was The Man.

Do you remember this post by Blair? It has a really big impact on me, especially that I've used his "method" in 1997-1999 and later forgotten about it. Now I plan to use it in Charon Prime.

Unnamed World is very old, much older than human civilization. Probably there is only one human city, the Citadel of Rust. Except this metropolis, there are only few inhabited outposts, which farthest is about 200km away from the city. Rest of the world remains unexplored, unknown and unmapped and fact that humans live on Charon Prime for over 2000 years means nothing.

As Blair stated in his post - PCs will be the ones who will name the places. In addition, if there will be other groups of adventurers (NPCs), it's highly possible that their names will be totally different from the names given by player characters.

Finally, something more creative - fate of NPC adventurers. If Referee has no ideas for handling groups of non-player expeditions in the dangerous world of Charon Prime, he may roll a dice and pick appropriate result from below:

1-5: They disappeared without a trace. No one knows what happened to them.

6-8: They are all dead. Someone has found shattered bones and tattered clothes.

9-10: Only one member of expedition has returned. He is now half-mad and constantly babbles about "crustacean nightmares".

11-13: Some of them returned but they are somehow "changed" - they became grim, silent and generally strange. I'm tellin' ya, things will get really ugly if they don't disappear...

14-17: Some of them returned but they haven't found anything.

18: They returned with some strange alien artifact. I hope that it will not bring destruction to the city.

19: They returned without any treasures, but I've heard that they have mapped solid portion of the world (direction dice) of the Citadel.

20: They returned with lots of treasure!

Supernatural Horror in the Old School Science Fiction Gaming

Click on the image to go to its DA page

1. Worlds are dying.
2. Everything Alien is Evil.
3. Everything Evil is Evil beyond human comprehension.
4. AI are only pretending to be your friends.
5. You are always lost.
6. Communication channels die at the worst moment.
7. Hope lies only in Gods.
8. There are no Gods.
9. Absolute prohibition of using common, traditional monsters. Fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear.
10. Everything which purpose is unknown is potentially dangerous.
11. Purposes of the most artifacts are unknown.
12. Purposes of the most treasures are uknown.
13. Be Prepared That Your Light Sources Will Fail You.
14. There are no better traps than ones that separates the party.
15. Monsters always hunt down the alone.
16. The Ones Who Hired You Will Betray You.
17. Mankind is only a toy.
18. Do not use lovecraftian evil. Is too well-known.
19. Human-alien hybrids.
20. Deformed beings.
21. Undead aren't scary, unless you've known them.
22. Every Spaceship Has Dark, Uknown Chambers And Corridors.
23. Worst moment is when you discover that your best friend is just cold, inhuman android.
24. Relief is better reward than XP.
25. Flickering lights are GM's best friends.

If you can live with it, you are ready for the Charon Prime ;)

"Is the OSR dead?" - everyone must write a shit about it...

...even myself.

My English sucks so it will be very short - I'm not good at lamenting in foreign languages :D

OSR is not dead and probably nothing can change it. 5e cannot change it and any other "big game" cannot change it. Reason (in my opinion) is simple - big games are made for cash, while most of OSR products are made for fun. While it's highly possible that one day RPGs will be no longer profitable, I don't believe that one day there will be no one to game. At least until we're alive. Period.

This is big game

Underworld Day - catacombs of Paris

Classless Old School RPG

For all those who are not familliar with my Bandits & Basilisks rules. 

In my games, there are no such thing as character class. No fighters, thieves, wizards, clerics. Why?

Conan was a pirate, mercenary, thief, king. Kane was a warrior, pirate, sorcerer, "priest" of the Bloodstone, explorer. Fafhrd ang Gray Mouser were... yeah. They all were just adventurers. They were not limited to blunt weapons, no-armor or no-spells. They all can steal and backstab. So - fuck character classes!

Here are some basic ideas:

One HD per level. You start with 1 HD and gain one Hit Die per experience level. It's up to you what dice you should use. I prefer old, good d6. No need to use different dice.

Simple XP table. 2000 experience points is needed to advance to 2nd level. Double needed XP for each next level:

Untrained: -

Novice: 2000

Beginner: 4000

Advanced: 8000

Specialist: 16000

Expert: 32000

Master: 64000

Grand Master: 128000

Hero: 256000

Legend: 512000

Attack tables. I have my own attack table but you may use OD&D fighting men instead. My version is very similar.

Spell access. Every PC can gain access to magical spells but it may be expensive (see below). Maximum spell level is limited by character's experience level:

Untrained: -

Novice: -

Beginner: 1

Advanced: 2

Specialist: 3

Expert: 3

Master: 4

Grand Master: 4

Hero: 5

Legend: 6

Spell preparation. Access to the spells depends on the level of the character, but their number is not limited. However, the preparation of a spell is not simply memorizing it – it must be “made” in the form of a magic scroll, potion, powder or even a wand or enchanted item. Cost of the components and time needed to prepare a spell is shown in the table below. In case of particularly powerful and / or rare spells Referee may decide to impose additional requirements, such as a special place where the ritual must be celebrated, special equipment or very rare (and not necessarily expensive) components.

In the case of Mystic / Cleric / other character associated with a deity, the method of preparing / obtaining a spell should be changed. Enchantment of an object (scroll, powder etc.) would require adequate time for praying / meditation and a sacrifice for the deity (and it’s not about throwing some gold pieces to the temple treasury, but about a more or less bloody offering).
Arcane Lore check is not required (if you use the percentile skills in your game) if the spell is prepared in appropriate circumstances – a character has time to prepare himself and the place to create a “spell container”. He (or she) has access to necessary equipment and he / she is not doing it under pressure (such as stressful working conditions, limited time etc.).

Any questions? :D

1930-2012

We will always remember you.

Underworld Day - 30th battery turret of fort Maxim Gorky-I (part two)

Second part of pics that I found on englishrussia.com. Enjoy!

Toxic Blood

Something that may be handy during creation of aliens, mutants and out-of-space monstrosities that dwell just beneath your level of space station. Roll d8:

1. Acid. Highly corrosive, damages non-magical and/or non-stone weapons. Contact with blood deals 1-4 damage. There is 1% chance that dying monster will explode, dealing 2-24 acid damage to everyone (and everything) in 6 meters radius.
2. Pale Slime of Seven Deaths. Each contact with monster's blood deals 1 damage regardless of armor and resistances. After the seventh wound is inflicted, poisoned one will suffer severe convulsions and will immediately lose conciousness and will die within four rounds (no save allowed) unless monster with Pale Slime Blood will be killed during this time.
3. Tar. Extremely dense and sticky blood. Each time monster is hit in melee for more than 2 damage, attacker's weapon sticks in the blood. Successful STR check is needed to free the weapon (roll STR or less on d20), during the attempts to free the weapon monster has +3 to-hit the opponent. There is 10% that dying monster will explode, covering everytihing within 3 meters with black, sticky goo (STR -3 to free yourself).
4. Neurotoxin. Monster's blood has a sick green color. Every contact with blood requires save vs. poison. If failed - you fall into coma and will die within 1-4 days unless healed in some way. Permanent loss of two points of random stat for each day of coma due to the brain damage. Beings without neural system (i.e Mi-Go) are immune to this poison.
5. Toxic Acid. Moderately corrosive acid. Can damage steel and iron objects (including weapons), contact with blood deals 1-2 points of damage. Everyone damaged with the blood must pass save vs. poison or immediately lose additional 1-6 Hit Points. There is 2% chance that dying monster will explode, dealing 2-12 acid damage to everyone within five meters. Everyone hit by explosion must pass save vs. poison or recieve 1-10 additional damage.
6. Gaseous Blood. There is blue gas inside monster's veins. And of course it's toxic. Veins will close automatically after one round but everyone fighting the monster during the round it was wounded must save vs. poison (with additional -1 modifier) or will become seriously slowed for 1-6 rounds (-2 to-hit, halved movement, +1 AC). Any result of 20 during the saving throw means that victim become paralyzed for 2-12 hours.
7. Wormlike Goo of Horrid Domination. Monster's blood is brown-black and rather sticky. After few moments after wounding, it starts to move and transforms into worm-like, amoeboidal ooze. It seeks contact with living beings (i.e. attackers) and tries to drill inside their bodies to connect themselves with their neural network. Further effects are up to Referee's decision, but may include some really nasty stuff, such as mind control, slow and painful metamorphosis into the alien predator, madness or apocalyptic visions of absolutely inhuman cities, worlds, galaxies...
8. Shimmering Elixir. Monster's blood is bright and glows faintly. It's sweet in taste and if consumed it instantly restore 2-8 lost HP, and adds +2 to-hit and +1 to damage for 1-6 hours. However, after this time, victim must pass save vs. poison or his / her body will explode in torrent of blood, shattered bones and torn guts.

Darkness over Krshal

Another meaningless post.

After completing the Tombs of Krshal I plan to release something bigger about it - fusion of ideas incorporated in both ToK booklets plus thingies that makes a complete setting from it - maps, NPCs, more generators, special character classes, additional rules etc. I think that it will be rather big one (maybe 100+ pages).

But now it's only a very fresh idea because I didn't even started working on Tombs and still Bandits & Battlecruisers are much more important for me.

Underworld Day - 30th battery turret of fort Maxim Gorky-I (part one)

Part of the defence lines of Sevastopol, Russia. 305mm turrets, primarily build for battleships, has dealt significant losses to Germans attacking the city.

Found on Englishrussia.com

Blog of the Month - Hidden in Shadows

According to the number of blog followers, not many of you know that place. Hidden in Shadows blog is run by D. H. Boggs, author of Dragons at Dawn game. His blog contains lots of "D&D archeology" and you can find there shitloads of really obscure informations about the very beginning of our hobby. Follow it or die in pain!

Hidden in Shadows

Something Dead Is Coming...

Tzimiscedracul, in exchange for Towers of Krshal review, wants me to make another set of random tables. This is a new idea that came to my mind about one hour ago and I don't know if I will be able to make it but man, I made whole Towers of Krshal in three days! Maybe this time I will succeed too.

Very first ideas:

• Lich Lords
• Crypt names
• Undead Nobles
• Corpse-eaters of Krshal
• Death Cults
• Body snatchers
• Underworld Corpse Market
• Random corpses
• More info about Ghoul Mothers
• Undead Magical Items...
• ...and something more.

Third reviev!

Paul Gorman wrote third review of Towers of Krshal - thank you very much! You can find it HERE. Also, there is one short review on Lulu, which gave one star out of five - yay, first bad review of the supplement! Well, as I stated on G+ - I'm not an awesome artist as Zak Smith, have no awesome publisher, DTP skills or money for editor or artists. You must live with fact that Towers of Krshal is fucking ugly supplement.

:D

Morgenstern

Because We Need WFRP OSR*. I hope that this project will survive.

LINK

*) before GW sues our asses

Underworld Day - abandoned polar lighthouses

Great pics of abandoned Russian (Soviet?) nuclear-powered polar lighthouses. Pics stolen from English Russia.