Ashen Void - second review!

Prince of Nothing has written an extremely detailed review of my Ashen Void systemless setting. You can find it by clicking the link below. I wish I could use English language in such lavish form as he!

READ THE REVIEW HERE

Magical Ropes

Each rope is 1d6x5 ft long. Roll 1d12 to determine its abilities:

1. Any undead bound with the rope is transformed into an inanimate corpse after 1d4 minutes.
2. Rope cannot be cut or broken by any means by the creatures of particular race (determined randomly).
3. Rope cannot be cut or broken by any means by the creatures of particular alignment (d6: 1-2 lawful 3-4 neutral 5-6 chaotic).
4. Any corpse bound with the rope will rise as an undead after 1d100 minutes.
5. It's impossible to tangle the rope or make any knot on it.
6. The rope can be animated with a particular word of command (use the stats of any large serpent, except the fact that - for obvious reasons - rope cannot bite).
7. Any creature whose hands are tied with the rope acts as its level is two levels higher.
8. Any living creature bound with the rope regenerates 1 HP per round.
9. Any living creature that is strangled to death with the rope comes back to life after 1d3 days.
10. If the rope is tied around one's waist, it can be controlled and used as a prehensile tail.
11. Any creature whose legs are tied with the rope is able to levitate a few inches above ground.
12. The rope can be stiffened with a particular word of command and used as a staff (for combat, leverage, poking the ground, poking a friend etc.).
    

The Eaters of Madness

The five greatest sages of all time, widely regarded as the ones who pushed mankind further ahead, more than any other person (or even more than any discovery). Despite the fact that all of them lived in different times and their expertise differed greatly, they had one thing in common. They all went insane, crushed by the unbearable weight of their knowledge. Thus, their name. The Eaters of Madness.

The First Eater of Madness was Phandra. The Discoverer of Truths. The Whispering Oracle. 

The Second Eater of Madness was Yvesi. The Mistress of the Infinite. The Measure of Impossibilities.

The Third Eater of Madness was Reerd the Eyeless. The One Who Knew All Names.

The Fourth Eater of Madness was the Watcher of Ngaros. The Master of Wounds of the Earth. The Follower of the Lines.

The Fifth Eater of Madness was the One Who Speaks Words No One Wants To Hear. The Nameless Harbinger of Apocalypse. The Bell-Founder.

Magical flutes

Some nasty, weird or just plainly fucked-up magical flutes. Roll 1d12:

1. After seven minutes of playing it, every sentient being listening to the music must pass save vs. magic to evade brain meltdown (1d100 INT damage, reduction to negative value means death);
2. Can be used to control cattle (as seen above) but after one hour of playing it, one random cow suddenly transforms into a gorgon;
3. Its music causes all gold items in 60 feet radius to vibrate with considerable force;
4. Playing the flute causes it to generate a magical mist, similar to the Cloudkill spell;
5. Playing the flute causes it to generate horrid fumes, similar to the Stinking Cloud spell;
6. After playing it for three minutes or more, the flute's music attracts all lizards and drakes within a two mile radius;
7. Flute's music attracts all mice, cats and dogs within a mile radius;
8. Every attempt of playing the flute causes it to spew fire and clouds of choking fumes;
9. The flute can be used to breathe underwater;
10. If the flute is used to shoot darts, each dart becomes magically poisoned (save or die, if one's immune to non-magican poisons - save twice or die);
11. After playing the flute for more than twelve minutes, clouds of flies start to emerge from the instrument. The flute's music is able to control the cloud of insects;
12. Each living being that is listening to the flute's music for more than three minutes must save vs. magic or fall asleep for as long as the music is played.
    
    

 

Christmas in July!

It's Christmas in July! All my shit on DriveThruRPG is now available up to 25% cheaper! In fact, Ashen Void was released too late (or too early? I don't know, haha) to be included, so I've reduced the price manually.

MY STUFF ON DRIVETHRU - NOW CHEAPER

 

Random table: what's controlling them?

The group the PCs encounter is acting, well, strange. Roll 1d10 to determine what's controlling/possessing/deceiving the encountered creatures:

1. Brain-altering fungus, contracted in the nearby crypt;
2. Demon, trapped in the large ruby, held by the group's leader;
3. Cursed dagger, used to sacrifice the high priest of the local most prominent religion;
4. Addiction to the Star Root;
5. Their brains were damaged by toxic fumes, the group is just acting erratically;
6. Sword of Seventh Hell, whispering false promises of power;
7. Ghost of their late leader, killed in ritual combat by the Arthropod Prince;
8. The Quest spell;
9. Hallucinations induced by the spell guarding the nearest place of power;
10. Parasitic magical worms, created by a mad wizard.
11. Moonflower dust, forcing them to search for the way to contract lycanthropy;
12. Angelic vision, in fact being sent by a disguised demon prince.
    

Ashen Void print preview!

I think you may be interested in taking a look at the physical print of the Ashen Void from DTRPG. I'm quite satisfied with the result - the book looks quite sturdy. Only thing I noticed is the fact that they slightly fucked up the cover - it wasn't made properly, which resulted with the logo ending up too high. But I guess I was just unlucky, as my other POD books from DriveThru are way better.

The photos aren't edited in any way, shape or form. My phone has a decent camera and I wanted to show you the print in its "real form", without any enhancements.

Colors are quite dull but it was inevitable with POD standard quality. I don't think that anyone would buy a premium version, as it's ridiculously expensive.

Grays are OK, tables are clear and readable.

Blacks are surprisingly acceptable! And I was really worried about the semi-transparent black frames but they turned out quite okay!

The Goat. It looks good.

Another corpse plundering table is a must. Enlarge the photo to steal the ideas for yourself!

That's it. I'm quite satisfied, with the final result, the book looks good. I think I'll add some of my other booklets to POD option on DriveThru as well.

Ancient Races of Ortix

 

There were numerous Ancient Races that roamed the Ortix. Some of them were just visitors from distant stars and/or different dimensions, while the ones listed below had (or still have) significant impact on the planet’s history, shape and possibly even its ultimate fate.

• Cyclops - invaders from the dying world of Zaat, Engineers of Flesh. It’s possible that they are the ones who created the Feeble Races, including the humans.
• Nghsh - the ones who designed and operated the Eternal Machines.
• Raktai - poisonous amphibians, probably the interstellar travelers.
• Ttth - the Soul Crystals. The factual creators of Ortix. Possibly creators of the entire Shimmering Dimension.
• Xosoko - the ancient rulers of Ortix, masters of the Hidden Sphere.

It’s almost impossible to determine if the Engineers and Shapers were the separate species or races of the Ancient Ones or if they were just a status of the extremely powerful individuals. 

I am currently working on the Ortix Cyclopedia - an alphabetical list of Ortix-related bullshit. A really substantial list, covering, well, the entire campaign setting. Also - something huge is coming. And it's related to this topic. Stay tuned.

Mysterious Structures (Ashen Void)

Scattered on the wasteland, hidden in plain sight, or appearing only in nightmares and trance-induced hallucinations.

1. The Burial Well
2. The Floatstone Monolith
3. The Corridors of Mirrors
4. Cathedral of Reversed Time
5. Sepulcher of the Inscribed Skulls
6. The Crystal Bridge
7. The Bloodsoaked Column
8. The Unending Hallways 
9. Crimson Beam Lighthouse
10. Market of Ill Fates
11. Shrine of the Thousand Eyes
12. Synod of Subhuman Abominations

This table, in slightly expanded (d20) version, appears in the Ashen Void system-less setting I've released few weeks ago.

I've answered Jeff's questions from 2011!

Well, better late than never! In fact, I'm not sure if I've stumbled upon these questions before. Nevertheless, now it's a perfect moment to answer them.

(artwork by me, made in 2020)

What is the deal with my cleric's religion? 

Well, all gods despise humans and other Feeble Races (no elves dwarves halflings, sorry), so I guess you're fucked.

Where can we go to buy standard equipment?

There are some stores in the Iron City.

Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?

The best way is to perform proper rituals to strike a deal with some Eternal Machine. If you find any and manage to determine its function.

Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?

Nhonaop the Bone Sorcerer.

Who is the greatest warrior in the land?

It's widely believed that the King's Champion is the one, however it's easy to calculate that he's over 130 years old now, and that may complicate things abit.

Who is the richest person in the land? 

Reerd the Eyeless, a long-dead sage, enthroned in the city of Vokra as one of its Eternal Monarch. It's said that his wealth is immesurable, despite the fact he's just an ancient corpse.

Where can we go to get some magical healing?

Find the Necromancers, if you're brave enough. Or the Eternal Machinery.

Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?

You can't. Grow some balls and die with dignity.

Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?

I do not plan to include Vancian magic. Or spellcraft is either technology- or ritual-based.

Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC? 

In either Iron City or Grave City.

Where can I hire mercenaries?

In almost every major settlement.

Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?

Some Quarters of the Iron City.

Which way to the nearest tavern?

Follow the stench of vomit.

What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?

Spawn of the Plant Gods.

Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?

The Assassination Wars.

How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes? 

It's said that you can find anything you're looking for in the Iron City. But it may be only a rumor.

Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

Numerous!

What is there to eat around here? 

You're lucky! Not all plants are sentient!

Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for? 

Remnants of the Pyramid Technology, the Emerald Crown, the Abstract Tech, the Blade of Murder and so on.

Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?

This information will cost you at least 500 coins, my friend.

World of ortix - the principles

As I said - the World of Ortix will be "ugly, convoluted and linguistically inferior" - and you've had a glimpse of the gibberish nonsense I will include in the book. OR NOT - as everything is still evolving and mutating.

Meanwhile, here are three principles of the game/setting/whatever it will become. Enjoy more gibberish nonsense.

Artwork by me.

Everything is Weird
Even though the basic elements of the setting may look familiar, many aspects of them - from background to details - aren’t typical. Additionally, logic isn’t extremely important - some things are weird just for the sake of being weird. Ortix isn’t Earth - and will never be. It’s safe to assume that some fundamental laws of physics are different from those affecting our world.

Nothing is Certain
There are many contradictions here. Things that make no sense and ideas that cancel each other (or even themselves). This shouldn’t worry you - although it’s your duty as a GM to interpret things, no matter how coherent or gibberish they are, there is no right or wrong way of using the contents of this book. You should utilize them in a way that will fit into your playstyle and bring fun to your table.

Scientific Mysticism
The World of Ortix is a mix of advanced technology, myths and legends. Both aspects of the world’s description are intertwined on multiple levels - there can be subatomic nanotech devices granting the gods their divine powers and reality-altering machines of a size of a mountain, operated by rituals and human sacrifice. It’s an important part of the setting - in fact, it comprises the very outline of the in-game reality.

The Antitheists

 

Quite well-organized faction of those who view the gods as unworthy of any attention. The gods despise mankind - and should be treated the same way. Antitheists aren’t passive in their ideology - they often kill religious zealots and attack and desecrate temples.

Even though the active worship of the gods isn’t extremely popular, most people fear them. This makes the Antitheists not very welcome in most human settlements, as it’s believed (not without reason) that their actions can bring the wrath of gods.

Heretics

The most radical Antitheists call themselves the Heretics - and they bear this name with pride. The Heretics openly state that the world should be cleansed from all that is divine. They actively destroy everything that is connected with deities - including Abstract Technology and places of power associated with gods. Over the years, they’ve also gathered significant amounts of knowledge about godhood and its various aspects.

The Heretics call themselves the followers of the Godkiller. Some recent rumors say that they somehow managed to locate, overwhelm and kill a minor Shadow God.

Somewhat paradoxically, the Heretics’ main hub is Dranth - the City of the Thousand Gods.

The Geometric Deities

Two-dimensional gods of the numbers. They have discarded their comprehensible forms to gain - according to Yvesi the Mathematician - the “Ultimate propelling Power”. It was required to set the Spheres of Ortix into motion. Or maybe they shed the third dimension to escape the fate of their brothers, devoured by the Mindless Forces during the First Deicide. Or both.

They took the basic forms:

B’o. The Square. Empowerment, design, improvement, containment.
S’u. The Triangle. Severing the lines, balance, observing the minute detail.
N’i. The Circle. Boundlessness, eternal journeys, cycles of energy.

Over 7800 words are now written, divided into 100 entries, covering various aspects of the setting. Even initial detailing of these things gave birth to 74 new items which must be described. The general shape is still very chaotic but I've already dropped the most ridiculous ideas. Despite that, it still will be really weird.

The Pyramid Wars

 

About three thousand years ago, at least two powerful factions of the Enlightened Ones engaged in wars that led to the destruction of the entire eastern subcontinent. The Enlightened Ones, using the Abstract Tech they gathered for centuries, built the most powerful war machines the world have ever seen - the floating Pyramids with weaponry able to torch cities and melt entire mountains within moments.

Now the Desert of Thol covers the entire eastern peninsula. In the past it was a fertile land of green plains and crystal-clear springs but its ecosystem was totally and irreversibly destroyed by the terrifying weapons of the Pyramid Wars. Now Thol is almost lifeless, dry and scorched by the sun. Despite that there are still men and women that decide to travel to the desert. Maddened by oppressive heat, they traverse the sands in search for even tiniest bits of the forbidden, destructive tech from the time of war.

Eight or nine Pyramids were built. They were engineered and assembled using the Abstract Technology originating from the Deeper Spheres. The Pyramids were both the ultimate tools of destruction and the altars of the Primordial Forces, able to channel the hyper-entropic thoughts of the Primal Gods and focus them into beams of pure annihilation. Luckily all the Pyramids were destroyed, along with their creators and their entire civilization.

The Book of Infernal Angles contains the names of the Pyramids:

Mortontradd
Ormendzhar
Toralemmris
Ghaathrnor
Ashtinumtyer
Emwarruntlor
Voralemnothra
Xarntonran
Lorarnodorsar

The Shroud

 

Veil that separates the material and immaterial. Some do believe that it’s composed of physical fabric, torn during the Mage War. They spend their entire lives looking for the tatters.

There are also other Mystical Fabrics - or the Indescribable Veils. They separate the Spheres - and separate the human minds from the sparks of thoughts about the Inner Mysteries of Ortix.

“The Shroud was made by the Great Abstraction - the most powerful Eternal Device ever created. It was weaving it for millennia, slowly shaping the boundaries of Ran-Gor. Separating the Ran from the Gor.”

“IT was hiding beyond the Shroud. The Primeval Insanity. The Well of Starlight. The Pillar of Darkness. Now its deathless pseudopodia slowly creeps into our reality, boring through the Spheres and sowing its toxic seeds. If there is a way to close the wounds of the Shroud, we must find it. If not, our fate is sealed.”

***

Yes, the stuff I will post in the nearest future will most likely refer to the first idea behind the creation of this blog. Of course, I will also post other stuff. Or not. Or I will disappear for the next few months, like many times before.

Ashen Void now also in print on DTRPG

 

It happened - Ashen Void is now available in POD on DriveThruRPG. It is in fact my first print book available there (paper versions of the previous ones can be grabbed on Lulu).

GRAB YOUR PRINT HERE

World of Ortix

When I started this blog (switching from the Terminal Space, back in the Golden Age of Blogging, damn I really miss those times), I did it mainly for posting stuff about my upcoming weird Sword&Planet / Science Fantasy / Gonzo Fantasy campaign setting that was slowly taking shape in my head. I was heavily inspired by Planet Algol (Blair, you need to come back) and my head was literally bursting with ideas.

And then over eleven years have passed.

Not much was done, at least not on topic of Ortix. Sure many ideas were written down but I cannibalized lots of them for the other projects. But the core remained intact and the last attempt to shape it into something more coherent was in 2019. And now I decided it may be a good moment to finally get it done.

Do not expect the end result within the next decade tho - since it started in 1997, it should take me next 25 years to complete it! More seriously - I don't even aim to complete the "Book of Ortix" or whatever it should be named. I treat it more as a thought experiment and way to keep myself occupied in the most creative way possible, while having fun at the same time. Of course I will post (or at least try to) the things I make, here on the blog.

So far I've compiled the loose list of one hundred ideas, both new and really old, that could be incorporated into the setting. Some of them are rather down to earth, while others (like four inner spheres of the planet) are outrageously gonzo. We shall see what will emerge from that mess.

With the Ashen Void I've experimented with full-color AI art and rather clear and "semi-pro" layout. This time I'll come back to the roots - World of Ortix will be ugly, convoluted and linguistically inferior, sprinkled with strange, hand drawn artwork.

But - as I said before - do not expect any coherent releases on this topic within the next twenty five years.

Ashen Void - first review!

 

Almighty Needles took his time to write a review (in fact, the very first review) for the Ashen Void. I really appreciate that - thank you very much!

OSR Review & Commentary On Ashen Void By Albert Rakowski From Underworld Kingdoms For Your Old School Fantasy or Science Fantasy Campaigns

Probably the two most important sentences...

 ...from the AD&D 1e DMG. I bet that every one of us knows at least one person who clearly forgot (or never knew of) them!

Click to enlarge!

I don't like classic abilities

Okay, I must admit that the title is abit clickbaity. I do not dislike the classic six D&D stats. They are only tools. And - in my opinion - some of them may be replaced and others repurposed to make (my) games more interesting and make all their mechanical aspects easier to resolve.

Constitution (CON) - this stat devours and incorporates the Strength and becomes the general description of one's physical strength and toughness.

Dexterity (DEX) - nothing to see here, move along. Or rather, in some games, DEX was used to determine the ranged attacks, while STR was used to hit an opponent in melee. I find it, well, stupid. So, in my games (non-OSR games, as within the Old School I always stuck to 0e) DEX always was used for melee (and dodge, and of course som other non-combat actions). This brings us to the next stat.

Perception (PER) - I always thought that lack of ability that clearly described one's senses was the biggest flaw of D&D (and WFRP as well, but that's another story). Thus, behold the Perception! Easy to use in ranged combat, easy to use for well, spotting things, hearing things and, uhh, tasting things? Okay, that may be a little too far.

Willpower (WLP) - you may view the Willpower just as the classical Wisdom. I just changed the name to make it more fitting its purpose.

And... that's all! Or maybe not, as I like stats. And I like stat-based games and resolution systems. That's why the second edition of Terminal Space will be based on Knave. To make it even faster and easier to use. So, here are some additional ideas for the statistics:

Tech Level - I used it in both Terminal Space and Bandits and Battlecruisers. Randomly determining one's technological prowess always led to some hilarious results. Also, it fitted the genre really well.

Charisma - extremely useful in most games and/or settings. So, you may ask, why I omitted it? Because in some settings. worlds and circumstances, it becomes quite obsolete. For example, robots aren't very sociable, so in settings devoid of humans (and elves, dwarves and so on) CHA isn't very helpful. That's why I got rid of it in Pain.

Faith - can be used to describe the character's closeness to a god (or gods). Perilous Ages had some other minor mechanical benefits relatable to Faith's level but in more magical settings I would use it to affect one's ability to cast clerical spells.

Sync - very open idea, created for use in Pain to outline one's attunement to the mystical powers of the City. Here (page 3) I've added some additional ideas how to use this stat in your games. Fueled by Pain is percentile ruleset but hey, it doesn't really matter in the matter of the character abilities.

Oh, and the last thing - you may ask - WHERE THE FUCK IS INTELLIGENCE? Well, nowhere. I dumped it. INT is absolutely and utterly pointless, maybe except the situations when you roll it really low, which forces you to roleplay an idiot. But aside of that, it doesn't have many good uses (at least in my opinion). Extracting some information from the GM isn't one of them. If you're stupid and your character isn't, it won't end up well. And I ran games for some, let's say, not very bright individuals (and - to be perfectly honest with you - I like both them and the memories of our games) so it's way easier to remove the PCs intelligence score, thus balancing it with the one of the player.

Sheesh, I think this post is quite gibberish. I sat down and wrote it on the fly, without any previous notes and similar stuff. So, if something is totally unreadable or unclear - let me know!

Blog visual overhaul and some other news

 

As you can see, I've modified the looks of the blog. The last renovation took place in 2014 and I got quite bored by the mustard colors and wacky logo - so now it looks like a vomit, with even more wackiest logo!

In addition, I phased out of social media. Even MeWe gave me nothing good. I still do have an account but I do not plan to log in anytime soon. Too many toxic fucks there.

Soo, the Ashen Void has been released. And as I totally suck at promoting my shit, the sales are at all-time low! Which isn't good but I will still write new stuff. Because I love to.

What's next? I have no fucking clue. Maybe something based on the Knave (because why not?), maybe Terminal Space-related. Or maybe something entirely new. Or maybe Pain. Who knows - I don't!

Ashen Void - the map

 

The game is out now - grab yourself a copy!

Ashen Void is out now!

 

It's done - Ashen Void is now available both in PDF and print (DTRPG PDF should be available within the next few days). The game is 88 pages-long and presented in full color. HERE you can find more detailed info about its contents!

Grab a PDF from Lulu

Grab a print from Lulu

Grab a copy from DriveThruRPG

No art version on DTRPG

Ashen Void - What Was Lost

 

It will be finished tomorrow. I think I will release it within the next few days...

Meanwhile - WHAT WAS LOST - and became embedded with the powers of the Wastes. This is only a half of one of the many random tables from the book.

1. Wooden horse with antlers made of yellowed bones. Has the power to repel all quadrupedal herbivores.
   
2. Porcelain spoon with its surface cracked from immense heat. Can turn small amounts of dense liquid into silver dust.
3. Tarnished bronze sword without a handle. If thrown into the air, its position after falling on the ground will show the way home.
   
4. Figurine made of glowing metal, depicting a beautiful woman. Its radiance can illuminate the Darkness, but dims during the night.
5. Pendant made of a small ammonite shell. Grants the ability to breathe water, but only when it’s crystal-clear.
6. Wooden plank with four nails made of blackened silver. The plank itself is quite useless, but a single nail is enough to banish a spirit haunting a grave.
   

Ashen Void - Stygian Polypore (example monster)

 

This is an example monster from my upcoming system-neutral campaign setting, called the Ashen Void. As you can see, it's all random tables. I love random tables. And you should love them too.

 

Shape and Size

1. Lumbering monolith, as big as a building. Its surface is cracked and wrinkled
2. Oval sphere, six feet in diameter, moving slowly on several fragile legs
3. Thin and worm-like, several dozen feet in length, ended with a bright red cap
4. Giant, gray sponge, covered with crater-like openings glowing with blue light
5. Approximately human-sized, shaped like a grub, its surface covered with green spikes
6. Three feet tall, lignified pyramid with a white surface covered with pulsating veins
7. Seven feet tall, almost perfect cube with all surfaces dotted with large holes
8. Vaguely resembling a humanoid with a black exterior and extremely twisted limbs that cannot hold the weight of the body

Spores

1. Extremely hallucinogenic
2. Time-stopping globules, exploding with Stasis Field if touched
3. Addictive and pleasure-inducing; the Polypore is always followed by the ones dependent on it
4. Exploding with Darkness, which can sometimes spew horrors of its own
5. Razor-sharp and very brittle bolts with serrated edges
6. Pink mist of very fine particles, inducing dizziness and allergic reactions

Magical Growths

1. Able to heal all wounds caused by acid
2. If consumed, allows one to see invisible things but also makes one unable to see anything else
3. Will summon a dazed Angel if thrown into fire
4. Will slowly crystallize into a fist-sized emerald. The crystallization process takes approximately 90 days
5. Charged with static electricity. Cutting them open with metal tools is ill-advised
6. The extremely stinky brown liquid inside them can turn an ordinary rock into a Floatstone

Emblems

1. The Sickle of Regrowth
2. “It’s hard to believe that they were once humans - powerful Fungal Wizards, consumed by the primal forces they couldn’t control.”
3. “Be very careful with fire. The Polypores can explode if touched by flames.”
4. Death Cap Helmet
5. “The Fungi of the Caustic Maze can levitate somehow. Beware of the ones with long limbs, as they can use them to grab you. And they will never let go.”
6. Bell of Fungicide

Ashen Void - what's inside?

 

 

Here you can find the full list of everything that will be included in the book. The page above is a screenshot from InDesign, depicting one of the monsters. As I said in the previous post, no stat blocks whatsoever - it's completely system-neutral.

THE WORDS - list of 50 rumors; treat them as the main description of the setting.

ORIGINS - short descriptions of the 14 different places/nations/social groups from which PCs can originate.

THIS CURSE IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT -  if one or more of your starting stats is exactly 13, you are cursed.

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS - 6 random tables, containing info about traits of the cities and some random encounters.

THE RUINS - 4 random tables about... the ruins. Tomb Cities, ancient capital of the empire and something more.

PEOPLE OF THE WASTES - Tribes of the West, Hermits of the Mud Flats.

HIRELINGS AND MERCENARIES - self-explanatory. Two tables.

NIGHTMARES INCARNATED: 42 random tables about the monsters.

• Effigy of Loss
• Giant
• Jewel Thief
• Necrosphinx
• Nihil Warlock
• Orb of Dead Dreams
• Shadow People
• Stygian Polypore
• Swamp Stalker
• Toad

THE TRIALS - more info soon!

WHAT WAS LOST - twelve mundane items, lost and saturated with the powers of the Wastes.

THE ANGELS - info about the menace of the world.

MAGIC OF BONES AND ANTLERS - self-explanatory (or not!).

Random FOSSILS

Random IMPERIAL POISONS

CORPSE PLUNDERING

ADVENTURE HOOKS

 

Introducing Ashen Void - a system-neutral campaign setting

 

I wrote a setting. I needed a break from Pain and Sci-Fi (and Sci-Fantasy) in general. So I sat down and wrote a game. Systemless and comprised almost entirely of random tables. The proofreading and editing is already done, all artwork is done (with use of an AI). Now I'm fighting with InDesign to make a proper PDF (better than my previous releases, made in... Word).

• The world is arid and stagnant. The main region of the setting, simply known as the Wastes, is in fact an ancient seabed...
• ...or not - as there's nothing that should be considered a fact. Everything is just a table (or a list) of possibilities.
• Speaking of tables - there are seventy eight random tables in the book. And hardly anything else in terms of text. You can form your own version of the world by picking different results or rolling the dice. Or - what's most likely to happen - you can cannibalize some ideas to include them in your own ongoing campaign.
• The game will be released under Creative Commons license. And the package will contain a text document, to make aforementioned cannibalizing even easier.
• Ten monsters, without any stats or concrete form. Just strange ideas. 4 random tables per monster. And they are really weird.
  
• The Trials will await the heroes. They must prove themselves to be worthy or be slaughtered by the ancient, timeless monsters: the Roach, the Goat, the Scorpion and the Guardian Angel.
• I think, according to the current progress with the design, that the book will have about 80-100 pages. Full color. And will be available both in print and PDF, both on Lulu and DTRPG.

 More info soon.

PAIN update - and something new as well

 

Well, I'll keep it simple - I took a break. I was unable to make quality artwork in time that was satisfactory for me. All artwork I made for the Character Classes turned out to bee too low-res to be OK in print. And I need to make over 80 drawings for the game. And I felt pressure, so I snapped.

It was a purely self-exerted pressure, as I haven't promised any deadlines, release dates etc. So - it was just fucking stupid. I felt pressure, so I become feeling uncomfortable. And I've lost fun I had while working on Pain. And - to be honest - it was all about fun. The process of designing and illustrating this game was a source of great joy, until something in my mindset has changed.

So - let me repeat myself once again - I snapped. I felt like shit, like I let myself down.

Did I mention it was stupid? Yes, I did. And I realized that just mere moments later. So I've decided that it have to wait and that I need some rest. To regain the ability to have fun while working on the project.

My way of taking a rest is, well... I immediately started to work on something different. A setting that was slowly taking shape in my head for quite some time. And man, when I started writing it down, it begun taking shape really quickly. And still is.

So far I have over 8k words written (it means about 1k words per day - not great, not terrible). And it's not 8k words of notes - it's 8k words of an actual game. It's Towers of Krshal pace. And it's fun. Hard and difficult work but fun nonetheless.

Maybe I will post something more about the setting tomorrow.

Oh, and the artwork above - it was made with help of an AI. I like it alot. And the new thing will have all artwork made or enhanced by a heartless machine.

If all of this sounds gibberish - I'm sorry. I'm not very good at writing essay-ish things about myself, in foreign language, haha!

Fueled by Pain ver. 1.0

It overwhelmed me once again. I found out that I am unable to create quality artwork under pressure. And I found it the hard way, even though all pressure I felt was 100% self-exerted.

I will come back to this game - I put way too much heart into Pain to give up. But I need another break.

Meanwhile, I present you the full game mechanics of Pain RPG. It's a very simple, percentile ruleset, based on my Perilous Ages game. You should be able to post comments in the document, so feel free to ask questions and post your ideas and concerns.

FUELED BY PAIN ver 1.0

PAIN RPG - more substantial info about the game!

 

Inspired Artisan. Or maybe a Banana Warlock?

Few days ago I realized that every information I've already posted about the game is just some cryptic, in-game mumbo jumbo and that people don't really know any concrete information about the overall premise. It's time to change it!

GENRE

I'd say Science Fantasy. Even though technology is ever-present, not many inhabitants of the City understand how things work. In fact, they don't even understand the nature of their bodies. Also, there's magic. So yes, Science Fantasy is the best term to describe the game's genre.

SETTING

Only one City (named... Pain) remained after the cataclysm that destroyed the world one thousand years ago. And - of course - there is a vast Underworld below it. From the huge scrapyard of Rust, through the accursed Bone Forest and mysterious Sorrow, down to the ultimate corruption of the Machine - device which was used by the Hollow Ones to 'save the world' - which, of course, didn't go well.

RULESET

Percentile but very streamlined, kept in the OSR vibe. I grew up on WFRP 1e (as most of Polish gamers of my generation), so I'm very fond of % rules. They are extremely easy to tweak and hard to break. But, if someone decides to ditch the mechanics, I'll provide some (very general) guidelines how to adjust monster stats to the old-school D&D or modern retroclones.

THE FORM

Almost all descriptions of the setting will be presented in form of in-game quotes. And these quotes are sometimes contradictory. This way every GM can build his/her own vision of the game world.

And there will be maps. Probably lots of maps. Slightly artpunky maps. But I want to make them somewhat readable (and usable).

And there will be random tables. I love random tables. There will be over a hundred of them. Because I enjoy making them.

THE ARTWORK

I'm not a professional artist (although I sell my artwork from time to time) and I have no training in art. But I want to make almost all artwork for the game myself. The results may vary. But I enjoy the process and the results are acceptable (at least IMO). You can see the example above. It's not my best one but I'm not ashamed of it, haha!

I most likely forgot about something really important. Feel free to ask questions!

Some news about my recent RPGish activities

 

 

Guys and gals - I have some news to share with you. Both great and small. Well, mostly small...

• First - the biggest news! I finally finished writing Pain RPG. It took me a long time - and a long, seven-month break. But after it I managed to finish everything I had left to do in eight days! You can read more detailed report HERE.
  
• I've decided to shut down my Patreon page. I am waaaay too inconsistent with the pace of my work to charge people money for just waiting. Well, it was worth a shot but I'm sorry for inconvenience.
• As you are probably well aware, I don't know shit about promoting my games. But I keep trying. So, After eight years of dropping the initial account, I created a Twitter account for the Pain. You can find the link below (yeah, that big-ass, ugly text at the bottom.
• What are my plans for MMXXII? Well, playtesting! And drawing. I must make about 90 new drawings for the game (I even posted a detailed list on my MeWe page yesterday). And lots of maps. And after testing the shit out of the game and creating about 75% of all artwork, I will MAYBE launch the Kickstarter campaign. Yeah, I know what I've written in this post. But well, I must overcome my fears, self-doubt and other shit, And I have some amazing help down here, at my side! So - wish me luck!

FOLLOW THE PAIN RPG ON TWATTER

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