Ashen Void and cannibalizing of published works

I like Ashen Void. Alot. I think I outdid myself when designing this one. The ideas are interesting and unusual. But it suffers from the AI illustrations... obviously? But let me explain myself.

When I decided to use AI "art" for the book, it was still more or less a curiosity. Models weren't as sophisticated as they are now - and I saw it as strength. It was relatively hard to produce something coherent and good looking - and really easy to spit out nightmarish abominations. And I like nightmarish abominations. And they fit the book nicely.

I don't think it was a mistake. I still enjoy the final result, weird text, even weirder creatures and random tables, combined with "what the fuck I'm looking at" graphics. But it's time to move on.

At first, I thought about making a second edition of the book, with expanded tables, new monsters, some artifacts, NPCs, and - most importantly - my own, handmade artwork. Sadly (or not!), it won't happen. 

I will cannibalize the Ashen Void. The project was rushed and it has much more potential than it's already presented in the book. I want to expand on some ideas and while I'll probably ditch more than I'll preserve for another project, I'll most likely post the "rejected" content here, on this blog. 

Thus, Ashen Void will disappear from both Lulu and DriveThruRPG in the near future. If you want to grab yourself a copy - it's the right time to do so, either now or until the end of year. In 2026, the book won't be available anymore.

Also, I think the new project will have a new blog. It's already getting quite huge and I want to have it organized and easily available. I haven't decided whether it will be here, on Blogger, or on substack. Time will tell but I'm leaning towards Blogspot, mainly because I'm so used to it, I don't plan to monetize the blog and I like the ability to change layouts, colors etc.

That's all for today folks, see you next time!

Mandatory random table. Roll 1d8.

1. Duck Duke. Mutated beyond recognition, except for the feet and the beak.
2. Bear Baron. Skinless, all muscles exposed. Huge fangs dripping with acid.
3. Viper Vicar. Protected by the Serpent God. Casts perversely altered Cleric spells.
4. Parrot Prince. As big as a house. Knows all languages and all secrets. An idiot.
5. Leech Lord. Stores blood of various beings, even gods. Can trade samples for riddles and crosswords.
6. Koala Knight. A really old man. Wears bright-yellow armor. Undefeated in duels. Eats only koalas.
7. Emu Emperor. Governs a vast empire, stretching throughout the Guntranrar Plains. Extremely frustrated by stupidity of his subjects.
8. Crab Cardinal. Really tiny. Glows in the dark. Knew all Clerical spells of the world but forgot them all. An alcoholic.

Poisonous Brochures

Do you need a new poison for your game? I've got you covered!

Just open your meds cabinet / drawer / vault / tabernacle and pick up a random brochure. Read the side effects and combine them all. Voila, your new exotic poison is now ready! 

Septagram Amulet

A simple magic item. An amulet made of cobalt, depicting a seven pointed star.

• It provides a 7+ saving throw against all clerical spells targeting the Amulet's wearer, even if they are healing spells.
• Each successful saving throw must be noted by the GM, because each third successful saving throw causes the Amulet to drain 7 HP from its wearer. The effect is immediate, no saving throw can save from this Hit Points drain.
• If the amulet is soaked in its wearer's blood for seven straight days (at least 1 HP worth of blood per day), it grants its wearer one-time boon of 7777 XP - and one Hellish Mutation (figure it out yourself). Probably it also does something nasty to the wearer's soul.
• The amulet has no effect on any creatures that aren't alive (eg. undead, automata, golems, spirits) or doesn't possess soul.

Enjoy!