Getting Ready

I am getting ready for the big GDQ adventure, but this past weekend I was visiting my sister in my old home town.

I stopped by my Seond Favorite Local Game Store, On/Off the Square in Jacksonville, IL.
I love stopping by to support the local guys so I picked through his box of loose minis and came out with these:

Plus some giants and a bunch of bugs.  I have some more here at home, so my collection is growing nicely.

This is going to be great!

Now I just need to sort through my giants and make sure I have enough.  Though, if push comes to shove, I also have some old toys of the kids that would make decent enough hill giants.

Willow & Tara: D&D 5th Edition (Modern)

I haven't visited my witches in a while. Some part of my brain likes to think they are nice and retired, living in the suburbs somewhere raising a bunch of daughters.  So I never even considered doing a post with them for D&D 5.

Geek and Sundry decided to do it for me.

Granted they did for the Buffy cast, but Willow and Tara got a special place on their list.
Check out their link, If the Apocalypse Comes, Play D&D, to give them the hits.

They also did some Harry Potter sheets too, because Hermoine and Willow in the same game would be epic. (Also remember, the Scobby gang are the same ages of the Potter kids. They were in "high school" at the same time).

• http://geekandsundry.com/harry-potter-character-sheets-to-make-your-dnd-campaign-truly-magical/
• http://geekandsundry.com/accio-more-harry-potter-dnd-character-sheets/

But here are my girls in their D&D form.

So. What Wild Shape would Tara prefer?  I also approve of Tara being just a bit lower level than the rest of the gang.

Necromancy for Willow?  You know, I think I can see this.

These are obviously early in their adventures, Season 4 to 5 I would say.

Consequently, today is Alyson Hannigan's birthday! So Happy Birthday Alyson!

Tournament Scoring Sheet

If anyone wants a copy of my DM's Tournament log sheet I have it up on Google Drive.
It's not much different than what is in C2 Ghost Tower of Inverness.

Link to DM Scoring Sheet





Enjoy!

Leprechauns: The PWYW Experiment Continues

Something I put together for St. Pat's day, but didn't get through the approval process in time.
Two options for adding Leprechauns to your games.

First up is a race as a class option for "Basic Era" games.
Leprechauns for Basic Era Games

While I working on that one +James Spahn released his very fun Hero's Journey, so I felt a Leprechaun race option might be fun for that.
Leprechauns for Hero's Journey

The PDFs cover the same essential materials, so having one will give 80% of what the other has.
Both are Pay What You Want.

If you have some spare change and what to try a new class/race might I suggest this.

Weekend Gaming: Ghost Tower of Inverness

This past weekend an old grade-school/highschool friend was in town with his kids so we played some D&D5.  They had been over before and we had a lot of fun then.

Their character were all 5-6 level, but all of our characters were higher and in the middle of the Slave Lords series.  Originally I was going to run an adapted Temple of Elemental Evil, but in the end I opted to run something I have been wanting to run forever; C2 The Ghost Tower of Inverness.

While reading through it I also decided that I was going to run it as a Tournament module, complete with scoring for individuals and team.

Well everyone had a great time.  It had been a while since I last used this module and even longer since I had thought about it for D&D.  But it was quite satisfying.

Tournament scoring is an interesting beast really.  Not sure if I will ever do it again, but I am happy to say that I have now done it.

The adventure took about 5 hours, which is what I expected.  I wasn't too strict on the time in turns elasped since all it did was change their team score.

To tie this into the larger Come Endless Darkness plot/campaign I am having the Soul Gem as one of the artifacts used to drain the sun's life force.

Should make for an interesting and fun time as we lead into the Giant series coming up!

A to Z Blog Challenge 2016 Theme Reveal - Participation Asked!

It's that time of year again!  Time for the Blogging A to Z challenge.

Today is the big reveal of what your theme will be.

I have done a theme most years of the Challenge and will be doing one again this year.  I find a theme really helps focus what I want to do and gives me the chance to go into a topic very in depth.

For 2015 it was Vampires
For 2014 it was Witches
For 2013 is was Demons
and for 2012 it was RPGs.

This year I want to do something to keep my regular audience engaged and coming back and also to share this wonderful hobby with others.

So for 2016 the theme is Adventure!
(yes I am including the exclamation mark).

For the month of April I want to dive into some classic, some new and some odd adventures.  I want to focus on ones people can also still get.  I will talk about my experiences with them and get some tidbits that others can use.

Since my kids have been old enough to play I have been taking them through the classic TSR adventure modules.  Part of it is nostalgia on my part, I won't lie, but it is also more than that.

I have said before that these adventures give us all a shared story in this community of gamers.  My sons can and have talked to complete strangers before based on this shared experience alone.  Over the years at Gen Con I have run S4, B1, Ravenloft and Bone Hill with my kids and we have had tons of people come by to see what we are doing.   It has been a great experience for us all.

I also enjoy it because now at a much older age I can appreciate these adventures on a completely new level.  Sure I can make (and have made) my own.  But that's not what this is all about. I don't need to prove to myself or anyone that I can write an adventure; I did plenty of that over the years.
This is about nothing more than fun and a shared story.

For this Challenge I think I will focus my attentions on the adventures that have appeared in the Dungeon Magazine's 30 Greatest Adventures of All Time.

I am also going to feature adventures from the games I have been playing with my kids.

• The Dragonslayers Campaign (3e D&D)
• Come Endless Darkness (5e D&D)
• Against the Cult of the Reptile Gods/Second Campaign (OSR D&D, AS&SH)
• War of the Witch Queens (OSR D&D, Castles & Crusades)

So for my regular audience, please stick around all month and see what I have to say.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY PLEASE share YOUR story too!

How did you survive the Caves of Chaos?  How did you die in Temple of Elemental Evil or the Tomb of Horrors?  Who did you see along the way? Aleena? Eclavdra? Mordenkainen?

For my new and returning A to Z visitors. Please read these tales and hopefully you will get some more insight to this weird but fun hobby we have.   Adventures are like stories.  But here the stories and the characters take a life of their own.

I hope to see you all here.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Five for Friday

Lots to talk about today, so without further ado.

Classic Edition GM Screen
from +Richard LeBlanc and  New Big Dragon Games Unlimited.

I have been waiting for this one for some time now ever since Richard first teased it.


Sherwood: The Legend of Robin Hood
from +Jonathan Thompson and Battlefield Press

This one looks interesting. I enjoy the Robin Hood legends and this is multi-stated for 5th Ed, S&W and Pathfinder.


Baker Street RPG: Jack the Ripper and Missions from Mycroft
from +Bryce Whitacre

I played Baker Street at Gen Con and it was a fun time.  This looks like an excellent addition to the game.  Honestly with the way Baker Street works this could be an excellent addition to ANY Victorian-era game.


Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for Pathfinder

Sandy Petersen knows Lovecraft.  To see this for Pathfinder is a real treat!  And this one looks so good.


Hollow Earth Expeditions: Perils of Mars
by +Jeff Combos

I enjoy the heck out of the HEX books.  This one looks like a ton of fun too!

Class Struggles: The Basic Vampire

The great thing about Basic-era D&D (OD&D, B/X, BECMI) is how flexible it is.

That flexibility and something I always had regarded as a negative, race as a class, is now something I wish to exploit more.

For that I give you the updated and slightly revised Basic Vampire class.
The Blood is the Life - Basic Vampires

This is actually part of an experiment for me. Well two really.

The first is to see if the Vampire as a class would be something that others would want or play.
If so, there is a whole game I have been playing around with for a while that I think will do nicely.

The second is an experiment on publishing a "Pay What You Want" title.

I have had conversations with other publishers about PWYW and they are unwilling to do it. Claiming that they will never get the money they need to make it worthwhile.  I disagree, I think the gaming community at large and the OSR community in particular would rather pay for the materials they want.

If this is successful, and success is a relative term, then expect to see more from me like this.

The Race-as-Class works so well for the Vampire. Afterall if an elf can fight and cast spells, then a vampire can fight and do all the things that make a vampire cool.

Mind you I am not trying to do a Basic knock off of Vampire: The Masquerade here.   This is still the same basic-era vampire we have been fighting for 40 years.  He just now can start at 1st level and work his way up.

Let me know what you all think.

GMs Day 2016 - Last few days/hours

It's Super Tuesday in Illinois.  With a little bit of luck I'll be out voting later today.

You can also vote today, with your dollars!
The GM's Sale is still going on at RPGNow and there are so many good deals going on.

In particular my Sisters of the Aquarian Order is still in the top 10 of the GM's Day sales.
Get it now before the price goes back up!

The Iconic Witches of D&D

No game this past weekend. I wasn't feeling great and my son was at a birthday party.

I was thinking about Friday's post on the witches of Rahasia and of Ravenloft and it occurs to me that D&D lacks in iconic witches.  There are great examples of Vampires, Liches, Wizards, Priests, Paladins, Rangers, enough Thieves to fill a guild, even Bards.

The witches in Rahasia are one thing, but the ones in Ravenloft don't even have proper names really.

Pathfinder does a good job with their iconics.  Feiya is a proper witch, but even the sorceress Seoni is often referred to as a witch.  Not to mention all the witches to be found in Irrisen like Queen Elvanna.

The witches three. Larina, Feiya and Seoni

I have my iconic, Larina.  But she appears mostly in my Pathfinder books.

Who do we have for D&D?

Well for starters and maybe the most iconic is Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen. We also have Elena the Fair, Witch Queen of Summer. Also, while not as a well know or even explicitly a witch is Skyla.

There is also one witch that both D&D and Pathfinder share, Baba Yaga.

There was also Koliada, the Winter Witch. a Level 26 Solo Skirmisher from the 4th ed era adventure "Winter of the Witch". But there is not a lot out there about her.  Interestingly Pathfinder also has a lot Winter and Cold related witches.

Dungeon Crawl Classics gives us Lady Kyleth, The Witch Queen.

Personally I'd love to see more.  There might be more, I just haven't found them all yet.

Rahasia, Ravenloft and Witches

While reading the new Curse of Strahd book I could not help but notice that Rahasia was listed as inspirational material.  This prompted me to go back and look over my well worn copy.

Like Ravenloft Rahasia was written by the Hickmans. It began life as a two-parter for the RPGA, Rahasia and Black Opal Eye.

Between this and the new Curse of Strahd book it got me thinking about thinking about how witches are portrayed in the Hickman's adventures.

The Ravenloft "Bavorian" Witches are fairly stereotypical to be honest.  While that is fine in the confines of the gothic horror tropes, there is always room for improvement.

In Rahasia, the "Witch Sisters" are much more powerful when the are together and have access to the Black Opal Eye.   This includes taking over the bodies of others and communicating with their black panthers.

I still can't help but think they might be more interesting as one of my Basic Era Witches.

Karelena, Solorena & Trilena
Human Female Witches
Faerie Tradition

Level: 1 (5 when together using the magic of the Black Opal Eye)
AC: 9
HP: 5 (11), 4 (10), 6 (13)
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 (athamé)
Damage: 1d4
Save As: W1 (W5)
Morale: 6 (12)
Alignment: Chaotic

Familiar: Black panther for each

Each knows the following cantrips:
Chill, Close, Dancing Lights, Irritate and Spark

By themselves the witches can cast the following spells:
Karelena, 2 of the following: Command, Magic Circle Against Good, Sleep
Solorena, 1 of the following: Charm Person, Pop Corn, Sleep
Trilena,  1 of the following: Light, Spirit Dart, Magic Circle Against Good,

When encountered together they can cast an additional spell above and any two of the following each.  Hold Person, Knock, Levitate, Mind Obscure, Spell Missile

Together they can also cast:
Level 1 Ritual: Consecration Ritual
Level 2 Ritual: Calling the Quarters
Level 3 Ritual: Imbue Witch Ball

This makes them a little bit more of a threat.

Review: Ravenloft 3.0

The 3.0 era was on us.  I had just come back to D&D from a long hiatus and to my surprise we were getting a new Ravenloft setting and it was going to be penned by Swords & Sorcery Studios/Arthaus/White Wolf.  Say what you like about WW, they do know vampires.

Ravenloft 3.0 was one of those books I bought in the new 3.x era and I loved how it looked.  I splurged and grabbed the limited edition version from my favorite local game store.

I thought the art was fantastic and loved how well it adapted itself to the 3.0 rules.  But I had already had some experiences with 3.0 and even had pictured up some Swords & Sorcery Studios books and enjoyed those as well. The races were a nice treat to be honest. For the first time I really felt like I could run a Ravenloft game with the likes of gnomes, halflings and especially half-orcs, now rebranded as Calibans and the new Giogoto.

I think though I was expecting more at the time.  SSS was part of White Wolf like I mentioned and I was hoping for some of what made Vampire: The Masquerade so good to be here.  In re-reading it now, so many years later, I find I had unrealistic expectations.  In truth this book is a much better organized and updated version of the 2e Domains of Dread book. The nice thing about Ravenloft (and many of the D&D worlds) is that the plot kept moving along despite edition changes.  Though there is also a nice timeline included so DMs can do what they want.

This book has a black and white interior when most others were going full color.  To me this is a feature, not a bug.  Ravenloft is world of shades of grey and the art here is helps convey this.   The book is a basic campaign guide including the people, the lands and most important for Ravenloft, the horrors of the lands.  There are some new feats and skills. No new spells, but suggestions on how magic will be altered by the Mists.  There is even a section on the Gods of  Ravenloft.

Since most of this book covers the lands, their inhabitants and the Cultural Level of each, there is not a lot of crunch.  Translation: You can use this with any other version of D&D you like.  Even the feats look like they would work well with 5e still.  Even the section on "Fear, Horror and Madness" would work well.

It lacks large foldout maps of the 2e days, but it is a surprisingly good resource to me these days.
Well worth picking up.

Review: Curse of Strahd (D&D 5e)

Quick question. Who played Dracula?

Your answer might depend on a lot of thing from when you first saw Dracula in a movie to your age to what your cultural background is.  I also bet that the choice of actor might also say something about your gaming choices, but I am not getting into that today.
Like Dracula, who keeps coming back from the grave to scare or charm a new generation, Strahd the Vampire and his home in Ravenloft keep coming back for each version of the D&D game.

You can easily buy a Ravenloft product to fit any version of D&D you like.  There have been subtle changes with each round of designers and editors.  To extend the Dracula movie metaphor more, I6 Ravenloft is "Hammer Horror" (Christopher Lee).  2e Ravenloft Domains of Dread (boxed sets and books) were "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (Gary Oldman).  3rd Edition was split between Wizards own Expedition to Castle Ravenloft ("Dracula 2000," Gerard Butler) and the Ravenloft setting from White Wolf/Arthaus (Lestat movies).  4e's board game, Undead books and Shadowfell books were different enough that these are more like the NBC TV series Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).
This new book is "Dracula Untold" (Luke Evans).

I have converted Strahd to a couple of different systems myself.  I have been playing in Ravenloft, the castle and the land, since the original module came out in 1983.  I played it when it first came out and it is one of maybe three adventures I have run under every version of D&D I have ever played.  Ravenloft has history both in game and in the real world.  It was my world of choice in the AD&D 2e years and the effect it has had on adventure design can't be overstated.   To call it a sea change is not hyperbole.

So the new 5e Ravenloft has a lot to live up too.

I mentioned here back in the Summer that I was going to run the original I6 Ravenloft adventure for my family at Gen Con 2015.  I spent most of July prepping for that, working out Strahd's 5e stats, converting the major magic items, filling in some details.  None of it was hard work really. Again I *know* this adventure like few others.  The hardest part was balancing out what has become the de rigueur method of handling a D&D 5 encounter with the more plot-driven nature of the Ravenloft adventure.   Having this new Curse of Strahd book then would have helped me out a lot.

The new book is a retelling of the same I6 Ravenloft adventure from 1983. On the down side there is not much about the "Demi-Plane of Dread" as we knew it back in 2e.  This is more 4e Shadowfell.  Including it as part of the Shadowfell actually gives the DM more flexibility to be honest.   So that is good.  I did not notice much from the disappointing 3e Expedition to Castle Ravenloft here. So that is also a plus.

The book itself is hardcover, full color, 256 pages. Suitable for levels 1 to 10 for D&D 5.  The "Castle Ravenloft" adventure itself has been upgraded to level 9.

The first 90 pages or so are some introductions, some background and the updates Castle Ravenloft adventure.   There is an introduction and forward here too. The subtle snark directed at the likes of Twilight in Tracy Hickman's forward can't be missed.  There is a page on how to run a horror-themed game. It's nice, but nothing new and by no means complete.   If you really want to run a horror game find a copy of +Kenneth Hite's "Nightmares of Mine" or Spooky: The Definitive Guide To Horror Gaming.

The book is basically a sandbox, with Castle Ravenloft (the place and the adventure) in the "middle".  It is designed for adventurers from 1st to 10th level.  There are a few really interesting "side treks" including the low level "Death House", the medium level "Argynostholt" and the high level "The Amber Temple".  Death House is available for free from WotC.  So I would grab that first if you are on the fence about this.

Souls vs. Shells
One of the new "features" of this book is the idea that not everyone in Barovia has a soul.  Now if you were playing this as a horror game then this would be a truly frightening concept. The scenarios that are implicit in this are numerous.  Hapless villagers moving through their lives in drudgery, unfeeling save for a pervasive dread.  Or worse yet the same said villagers coming to the PCs begging them to find their lost souls.  Or PCs born in Barovia discovering they are among the "Soulless Shells".   Sadly though as a D&D game I see this only working as an excuse for PCs to murder bystanders.

There are some interesting character options, like the new Haunted One character background.  The iconic magic items like the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind are here too.  As well as the Tome of Strahd.   The Gothic Trinkets are a really nice touch to be honest.
There are some new monsters too.  The is a fantastic full color tear out map of Castle Ravenloft (roughly 32" by 24") on one side and Barovia on the next.

I think in the end I was hoping for more.  Maybe not so much as a repeat of the 2e Ravenloft Domains of Dread campaign world, but something...more.

There will be a Tarokka deck you can buy later.
http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/tarokka-deck
I think I still have my 2e one around somewhere, but I prefer to use Tarot cards myself.

You can read the table of contents here.
http://tribality.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/01_CoS_TableofContents_4s09.pdf
I got excited when I saw that "Barovian Witch" listed under NPCs and had hoped to see an update to the 2nd Ed "Witches of Hala" but sadly this was not the case.  But it has given me some ideas.

Ok bottom line time.  Who should buy this and who should avoid it?

Buy this if...
You are a fan of Ravenloft and want to have a complete collection.
You are a fan D&D 5e and want to have a complete collection.
A fan of adventure design and want to see how a 1st ed to 5th ed conversion can be done.
If you are planning to ever run Ravenloft under 5e.
Like the idea of playing in the Barovian sandbox.  This is actually a big one to be honest.

Avoid if...
You are not planning on running the classic Ravenloft adventure.
You are not playing D&D 5e.
Want to do your own conversion of one of the many options out there for taking on Strahd in his castle.

There are no new classes or races.  Not even rules for playing a Vistani.
There are no new spells or rituals either.  This seems like a bigger miss to me.

In the end you have to decide for yourself.  I am certainly not someone that needs tips on playing horror game, nor am I going to run Ravenloft (the adventure) under 5e (already did it) and don't need help converting.  There isn't anything here I could not have done on my or haven;t already done on my own.  But I got it anyway.  Hopefully there will be a sequel for levels 11-20.

Just like Dracula, Strahd can (and will) come back.  There are even details in the book about how it happens.  So maybe a sequel is already in the works?

Now that would be fun!

Ravenloft, Now on DM's Guild

Curse of Strahd is coming out on March 15.  If you live near a Wizard's Premier store you can get your copy now.  With this releaseWotC has also opened up Ravenloft to the DM's Guild.

http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/CoS_DMsGuild.pdf
http://support.dmsguild.com/hc/en-us/categories/202531048-DMs-Guild-General-Information

I hadn't really considered doing anything for the DM's Guild.  Not because of the pricing structure, but because it was more restrictive than the OGL, but this might make me change my mind really.

Back in college during the dawn of 2nd Ed I played the hell out of Ravenloft.  For me really Ravenloft and Second Edition are synonymous.  I know my experience is not entirely unique.  Of course back then I was a poor college student; money could go for pizza, beer or D&D books.  Guess which one usually lost.

The result was what we all did back then, we wrote our own material.  Now I will admit that my writing from the late 80s and early 90s was not great. So maybe only 5% of things I did then would be worth publishing in any forum or form.  But some of that stuff I really liked and would like to see it see the light of day.  So to speak.

Time to dive into my archives and see what I have.

Going back to Ravenloft

Not sure how or what I might do, but Ravenloft will be in my future.

The New Ghostbusters

The new Ghostbusters trailer is out if you have not seen it.




I LOVED the first Ghostbusters.  I got a Ph.D. in Psychology because I wanted to be just like Peter Venkman. (well....sorta).  It is one of the few movies I consider to be "perfect". It hits every beat and there is not a wasted moment on screen.

I think this new movie looks great.

Here. Let me say that again. I think this new movie looks great.

I said as much on the Youtube site and I have been bombarded with so much ire that I can't quite get what the hell these people are thinking.  I have been accused of being a.) a bot. b.) a Sony employee. c.) a Sony bot.  d.) a woman e.) a lesbian but mostly f.) an idiot.  In fact the comments got so bad that someone (either YouTube or Sony) deleted them all.  I still have the emails though.

I have read some of the comments on this too and frankly, I am dumbfounded.

I am no fan of random off the cuff remakes...but this is that. This feels more like a sequel or reboot.
Plus it is also an idea I have been hearing about for 20+ years.  Restarting with a new generation of Ghostbusters.  It worked for Ghostbusters Extreme. Hell it worked great for the Next Generation. Seriously, what the hell is the problem here?
(Reads more comments).  Oh.  Seriously? People are bitching about an all female cast?
Seriously??
I really only have one thing to say about that.

Grow the fuck up people!

Your whining and bitching about this "ruining your childhood" makes you sound like whiny children.
Your complaining about this being some "feminist agenda" makes you sound like a neanderthal and a stupid one at that.

I am going to watch this movie. Likely I am going to enjoy it. But whether it is good or bad ultimately will depend on the script and the actors involved. NOT in the fact that it's a remake or an all female cast.

Plus Kate McKinnon can do no wrong in my mind.  It should be good just because she is in it.
Provided as proof,
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/obamacare-cold-open/n41321
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/close-encounter/2949239

GMs Day sale at RPGNow

It is RPGNow/DriveThruRPG/OneBookshelf's annual GMs Day sale and there is a ton of books on sale.

Including Sisters of the Aquarian Order.

In fact the Sisters seem to be in very good company right now.

#7 on the GMs Day sales. You can pick it up along with White Star.

I am taking this time to comb through my wish list and grab those books I have been wanting for a while.

Link Roundup

Lots of things going on today. So here are a list of links I have been reading or need to read in detail still.  Thought I'd share.

Curse of Strahd is coming.  Ravenloft was my all time favorite module to play and run. The Demiplane of Ravenloft was my world of choice during the 2nd Edition days.  So I am finding it hard to wait till this new book comes out.  Thankfully my FLGS is a Wizard's Premier store, so I should be picking up my copy this weekend.  But until then here are some things to keep us all busy.

• Character Background, Haunted One
• Introductory Adventure, Death House

Looks great so far!

The Witch is out. The movie that is. I have been following this film for months, so I hope it lives up to the hype.  So far I pleased with everything I read, though I am not trying to read to much to be honest.  Some of my fellow bloggers have already seen it.

• From the Sorcerer's Scroll, The Historicity of The Witch
• The Junto, Guest Post: Discovering Witches
• Krell Laboratories, Bothered and Bewitched
• NY Public Library, The Witch: A Reading and Resource List
• Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque , So, You Saw The Witch...

I need to see this movie.

Once a again a tip o' the hat to my good friend +Calvin Heighton at Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool for this one.
It's a "Dragon Wagon" with a surprisingly familiar font.

Is this the conveyance of some mad wizard?  A collector from the future? A Gamma World/D&D crossover?  No idea, but damn if I don't want to do something with this.
Here are some more links of information/pictures.

• Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coo, Tuesdays From The Toybox
• Tom Daniel's Dragon Wagon
• Just a Car Guy, The Dragon Wagon 1/24th scale model by Monogram

Need to learn a new language?  Well there is a Chrome add-in that simulates language immersion by swapping out words you read with those of the chosen language.  Which language?  Any language in Google Translate's database.  Trying it out now.

Finally the same folks that brought us the Harry Potter fan film The Greater Good just finished their newest fan film, Severus Snape and the Marauders.  I do love a good fan film!



I have to say the casting of this is spot on.

Old Loves

I have been blogging here for a while.  Mostly about D&D and related clones, but some other games too.  I was reading over some rule books for games I have not played yet or haven't played in a long while and I was thinking.
I really miss the modern supernatural genre.  I have lost track of all the games I have played over the years since the early days of Chill and Call of Cthulhu. I have lost track of all the books I have read in this genre as well; has to be in the hundreds by now.  But I also enjoy the over the top heroics of D&D and supers games too.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Eden Studios was finally publishing the long, long, long, awaited Beyond Human.

Years, a life time ago it seems, I helped with this book.  I contributed quite a bit to the magic chapter.  The magic system is based on my Ghosts of Albion game, which is based in turn on C.J. Carella's own magic systems in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (another game I worked on) and on the WitchCraft game.

I really would love to get something new for these games going again.   Ideas are plentiful, time really isn't.

One day I'll return to this world.

I Want to Believe

I know I am late (by a week) to the game here, but I just watched the last episode of the new Season 10 of X-Files.  I want to start off by saying how phenomenally pleased I was with the entire season.

Now I was a huge X-Files fan back in the day. This was my favorite show.  I was just moving up to Chicago. Had a new apartment in the heart of the Near West side after living in nothing but small Southern Illinois towns (under 20k people).  I was working on my Ph.D., engaged and X-Files was my Friday night (later Sunday night).  I loved the Myth-arc, the monster of the week episodes and getting on the internet on Monday to talk about it on alt.tv.x-files.  No world had pulled me in so hard since Star Trek or Doctor Who.

Like Trek and Who, X-Files came back.  But I was worried that so much of what had made it awesome was gone.   Clinton wasn't in the White House anymore. The nascent internet is now ubiquitous. The paranoia of the 90s has turned into the .... whatever the hell this is we have now.

I was surprised and very, very pleased how the new X-Files picked right up.
Not only picked up, but made the intervening years part of the larger story.  I was excited to see Mulder and Scully back in action. I loved the subtle changes made to their dynamic and even the addition of Miller and Einstien. I laughed out loud during Mulder's "Shroom" trip and the "blink and you'll miss them" cameo of the Lone Gunmen.  X-Files was back and hitting all the notes in my book.

I'm not a geek. Not at all...

At first I thought 6 episodes were plenty, but very soon I wanted more.  A lot more.
Maybe we will get more, Chris Carter certainly thinks so, but time will tell.

In the meantime I am now wanting to dust off all my Conspiracy X books.

Mail Call: WITCH Fated Souls

Mail call from yesterday.
I just got my copy of WITCH: Fated Souls by Elizabeth Chaipraditkul.

The book, screen and Tarot Cards look great and can't wait to try it out.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Interview with Debra Hoenig Parizek

Debra Hoenig Parizek is working on bringing here late husband's dream to life, The Everyverse RPG.

I thought I would spend some time with her to talk about the Everyverse RPG.

Tim Brannan/The Other Side:  Let’s start at the beginning,  who are you and what is the Everyverse RPG?
Debra Hoenig Parizek: I am the widow of the author now, production and marketing director for EVERYVERSE RPG. Both the author, Dennis, and I grew up in Iowa and graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. I spent 34 years in IT. Since being laid off in Dec, 2014, I have been working in online marketing. I was nudged to bring EVERYVERSE RPG to market after a long weekend gaming session with friends at the end of last June.

EVERYVERSE RPG is a universal system that may be applied to any setting.

TB: How long did your late husband work on this game?
DHP: At least 10 years

TB: How did you get into gaming?
DHP: I got into gaming because my late husband was a gamer. I believe the first scenarios he and I played were Star Wars based using an early version of what is now EVERYVERSE RPG. Later, I joined his gaming group of college friends. That group started meeting again with the 2nd generation (i.e. sons of 2 members) playing with us old timers.

TB: What are some of your favorite games? Why?
DHP: I've played Cyberpunk and AD&D. To be honest, I've been spoiled by playing EVERYVERSE RPG.

TB: What is one of your favorite features about Everyverse?
DHP: I think using The Attempt to resolve all outcomes. The structure of The Attempt is simple -- what action is performed, applicable character attribute score or skill cascade score, modifiers. That's basically it then roll your 4D10.

TB: What is Everyverse to set it off from other multi-genre games?
DHP: It features 5 methods of character generation, uses the Bell curve (the curve used in real-world IQ measurement) where a score of 100 is average for a population in character attributes and skills scores for more meaningful information at a glance, has skills cascades to describe a skill set from general to more specific and uses a single method, The Attempt, to resolve all outcomes.  Also, it presents tables for conversion from other systems to EVERYVERSE RPG.

TB:  What sort of games/stories do you expect that people will use this for?
DHP: Most recently, it was used by folks who play online to do a supernatural hunters scenario. We have used it to play low-tech, high-tech, Star Wars, Highlander. I believe we will be doing a Harry Potter scenario for a podcast next weekend.

TB: What are your future plans for this game?
DHP: The basic rules are available now and I am prepping a supplement on Paranormality. Then, there is a High-Tech Equipment supplement and a Future History supplement. I also want to expand some adventure scenarios into modules for sale.

TB: And finally where can we find you on the internet?
DHP: my website is http://rpg.parizekdevelopmentllc.com
my facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Everyverse-RPG-907277846032063/
my kickstarter is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1945825895/to-realize-a-dream-everyverse-rpg

TB: Ok last question and this is for my own benefit. Who is your favorite wizard, witch or magic-user
DHP: Harry Potter

--

There are a lot of really great things that Debra is giving away for this game.  It would be nice to this game make it.

The Witch Game

Jonathan Becker of the excellent B/X Blackrazor posted this to my Class Struggles post yesterday:

Have you considered (or run) a game where witches simply replaced magic-users?

Reading this post and your earlier ones, I'm struck by the idea that the "witch" (which I've written several times myself) may need to be something setting-specific, rather than an archetypal class. So much of the witch...and version (folkloric, historical, literary)...is intimately tied to its particular setting, mainly with regard to culture. Sure, they do magic...but that magic varies from source to source (I know you're an expert on the subject, so you can draw references from tons of sources). Real witchcraft is extremely personal to its practitioners, and in a way that parallels the media depiction of witches: each filmmaker or TV producer or book writer has their own personal interpretation of the abilities of a witch. There's a shit-ton of differences between Bewitched and the film Warlock and those Harry Potter books...and a galaxy of difference between any of those and Baba Yaga!

The real defining thing about witches is their (sub)culture, not their powers. They are outsiders from normal society. They are close-knit (have shared ties) with each other. They're feared and often persecuted (or shunned if too powerful...see Baba Yaga). Even so, they can be helpful to non-witches. They seem to have an appreciation for the natural world, especially animals and plants. Their "natural world" also includes forces that mundane folks see as "supernatural" (whether you're talking about spirits, sympathetic magic, or whatever).

The default setting of most editions of D&D don't really leave room for this culture of the witch. People don't shun and persecute magic-users. Magic-users are prone to secrecy and isolation in order both to guard their power and to prevent every Tom, Dick, and Jenny from banging on their door asking for help with some quest or village plight. The evil ones go crazy and live in dungeons and command legions of orcs and monsters. The helpful ones are out on adventures, fattening their purses, getting in knife fights, and acting as magical artillery. I don't know...for me, there's just nothing "witchy" there (culturally speaking).

To really do witches, you need a specific campaign setting that works with their culture. After that, most any spells or abilities will work (and there's plenty of inspiration to draw from). But without the right setting? I don't see a real place for witches in the D&D game.

Jonathan knows his stuff. He also did a very excellent witch in his Complete B/X Adventurer. He makes a lot of excellent points.

Let me dive in, in detail.
>>Have you considered (or run) a game where witches simply replaced magic-users?

I am currently in one now and have played some in the past. In general the witch is less powerful than a same-level wizard, but has some advantages the wizard doesn't have, such as healing.

>>There's a shit-ton of differences between Bewitched and the film Warlock and those Harry Potter books...and a galaxy of difference between any of those and Baba Yaga!

Oh yes. That is part of the problem, and part of the fun.  I  could find some similar differences in say a thief. Like Robin Hood vs. The Grey Mouser vs. The Stainless Steel Rat and others.  D&D only models a particular type of reality.  I have often said I'd kill to do a Harry Potter game, but damn if I know how I would build Hogwarts in D&D yet.

>>The real defining thing about witches is their (sub)culture, not their powers. They are outsiders from normal society.

There is a ton of good in these two sentences. It also concurs with things I have said in the past, repeating what Tom Moldvay has also said.   One thing to consider is that one man's cleric is another man's cultist.  So often a "witch" really could just be a wizard, cleric or some off-the-wall druid.
It really does give weight to the idea of a "magic-user" class.

>>I don't know...for me, there's just nothing "witchy" there (culturally speaking).

Which I think is why the witch has traditionally been an NPC class.

>>To really do witches, you need a specific campaign setting that works with their culture. After that, most any spells or abilities will work (and there's plenty of inspiration to draw from). But without the right setting? I don't see a real place for witches in the D&D game.

For me though I think this can be handled in right role-playing environment.
Pathfinder does a good job makeing their witch very different from their wizard.  D&D4 had a different take on their witch, but it was still fun.  In both cases there is a lot of "background" to help seperate them from the other spell casters.  I tried to do this with the Traditions.

I see your point that the differences between a witch and wizard are largely cosmetic (my words) or cultural (your words); but even the "wizard" as an archetype has a lot of variety. I mean is Hermoinie a D&D wizard or witch? She is called a "Witch" but her magic seems more "Wizard" to me.

Heck. In some ways your B/X Witch is more "witchy" than mine!

In any case I like that these points are made.  
I do like the idea of a specific campaign setting that supports a witch.  I suppose in many ways that is my "default" game setting.  But "my D&D" tends to have healthy doses of horror in it as well, so the witch, potentially a person that deals with these elements from beyond, is more of an outsider.

But you have given me some material to consider and I appreciate that.

OD&D Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes

The "last" OD&D supplement is out this week, Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes.
This was always one of my favorites and I remember it well from the days playing Basic D&D and discovering that there was this "whole other D&D game".

I remember getting my first copy many years ago and thinking it didn't live up to the hype in my head, but years later I really enjoyed that crazy little book.

It has seen better days.

I still find use for this little book and glad to finally have a good copy in PDF.  Even if it doesn't match the version I have above.

Class Struggles: Clerics, Wizards and Witches

This is Zohir Totek. Is she a cleric, wizard or witch?

Ok so stop me if you have heard this one before...
a Cleric, a Wizard and a Witch walk into a dungeon...

ok, you likely haven't heard that one before.  Why? Well there is still some confusion over what roles each of these character classes play.

I mean we all, old-school gamers and new-school, seem to have a good grasp on the concept of what a wizard does, or at least can do.  They cast spells. They are the "smart guys" in the group. So I am not going into detail about them just yet.

Clerics also cast spells.  But they also heal and are better at bashing in skulls and killing undead.  Some old-school blogs in the past have posted things about not needing clerics in games. I believe that Lamentations of the Flame Princess doesn't even have a Cleric class.   I have seen other posts over the years that also attest to this anti-Cleric vibe.    This is not even getting into the divide between clerics, druids, mystics and invokers.   I never quite got this. My first character was a cleric.  For me he was a hunter of the Undead and later demons.  While certainly there is the "party medic" part to the cleric's job, there is the "occult" aspect too.  When you stop fighting orcs and goblins and move to ghouls, vampires and demons then you are going to need/want a cleric in your group.  Yes. Wizards can and should cover some of this as well.

It is fairly well known that the idea behind clerical undead turning  came from Peter Cushing's Van Helsing characters in the various Hammer Dracula films.  Why not extend the metaphor to include the rest of Van Helsing's portfolio.  As a class that puts a high value on Wisdom then the cleric should be a font of knowledge. Sure, this can also be done by the Wizard,  but the cleric's input should not be understated.  For me I guess I look at what is the prime attribute of the any-school Cleric.  Wisdom. Always has been, likely always will be.   Compare this to the equally constant Wizard; Intelligence, always has been, likely always will be too.
For me, if your cleric and wizard are not getting into heated arguments in the game then you are missing out on some good roleplaying experiences.

Matters become more complicated when you through in a witch or a warlock (as I am wont to do). Or even and Oracle (Pathfinder), Druid (any), Invoker (D&D4), and/or a Sorcerer (Post D&D3).  It can quickly become a mess really.

I have talked at great length on what the roles and powers of a witch are or should be:

• What Should an OSR Witch Do or Be?
• Tom Moldvay on Witches
• Class Struggles: The 5e Witch Project

so I am not going to recount those all here.

In my book The Witch I have an appendix of things you can do with the Magic-User to make it more Wizard like.  I know this goes against the central conceit of the "magic-user" but it is what has worked for me. Yes you can play a by-the-book magic-user and give her "witch" spells.  I have done this for every edition of D&D I have ever played to be honest.  I spend a lot of time and energy on this topic.

So here are some rough guidelines.  These are based on my games really and focused on my own particular flavor of Old-School.  So your mileage will vary.

Clerics (Wisdom, Divine): Max spell level 7, some powers (turning undead, healing magic in other editions), greater combat ability and greater hit points.  Knowledge of outer planes and evil magical monsters.  Worship and follow their gods.  Best healing spells.
See also Mystics, Druids, Healers, Invokers.

Wizards (Intelligence, Arcane): Max spell level 9, not a lot of extra powers (I give them Read Magic for free). Weak combat ability, best at knowledge on monsters.  No special attention is paid to gods.  Best at spell research and magic item creation.  Best damage dealing spells.
See also Sorcerers, Illusionists.

Witch (Charisma, Occult): Max spell level 8, extra powers. Spells are overall weaker than a wizard. Weak combat ability.   Knowledge of supernatural and fey creatures.  Learn spells from patrons via familiars.  Might call them gods, but they are not necessarily so.  Best change of condition/state spells (curses, polymorphs) that may or may not cause direct (HP) damage.
See also Warlocks.

I can see a relationship that goes like this:

Of course, this is overly simple. But I can see other magic using classes here.
I wonder what is in the center?  Any ideas or guesses?

Compare to this RPG Archetypes graphic I saw on facebook, G+ and recently over at Observations of the Fox.

Click for much larger

I love graphics like this.  I could do the next 10-12 Class Struggles on that triangle alone.

Review: Scum and Villainy

"Scum and Villainy" is likely to be the most aptly named supplement for the White Star game I have picked up in a long time.  After all, if White Star is the godchild of Star Wars and 70s D&D then Scum and Villainy had to come up sooner or later.

S&V is a 17-page book (cover, credits page, table of contents, 1.5 pages of OGL bring us to 12.5 pages of content) for playing the low-life of the galaxy.  Written by +Omer G. Joel it also features some really nice art from +Luigi Castellani.   It is very evocative. I see that and I think "Traveller" and that is not a bad thing.  Nor is it an accident.
I am in love with that cover.

There are two new classes, the Assassin and the Rogue who do pretty much what you think they do, but there are some nice features to make them fit the WS universe a bit better.

The gems of this though are the expanded rules. How to go unnoticed in space. How to sell stolen goods.  Really the stuff that you expect to see in a book like this, but never really do.

There is a section on ship mods, new equipment and new weapons.

There was a lot of good things here, but I was hoping for more.  Maybe a bit on a notorious crime synidicate or something along those lines.

With 17 pages at $3.99 I was expecting more.  Compare this to the B/X Rogue which is 24 pages at $1.50 and covers similar ground.   Combining the two would give you some really potent rogues!

What is "Other Side Publishing"?

Sisters of the Aquarian Order continues to not only do well, but it is surpassing my initial beliefs of how it will sell.

I want to take a moment here and talk about my new "label" The Other Side Publishing.
This new outlet gives me a better degree of control over products that are a little closer to me and allows me to get some books out that other publishers might not want to do.

I enjoy freelancing and I have the luxury to be able to pick and choose which products I get to work on.  This is really just an extension of that.  I am not looking to become the next big thing.  I am looking to have a little fun, get some books out of things I'd like to play and if I make some money while doing it; well it will buy art for the next book!  Yeah not the best business plan, but one I can live with.

No idea what is coming next.  I have a supplement I would like get out the Basic Psionics Handbook.  I have a bunch of research material left over from my witch research over the years to get some other books out.   Also I have OSR, 3e and 5e material I'd like to get out there; so it is a really odd mix.

My hope is that you all will find this as much fun as I do.

I'm Number 3!

Ok. So maybe not the cry you normally hear, but I am still happy.

Sisters of the Aquarian Order is doing much better than I expected! Getting to #1 would still be nice.

Check it out and make my weekend.

The Sisterhood of the Aquarian Order

The Sisterhood of the Aquarian Order

“Our only limits are imagination.”

    - From the Records of the Sisterhood of the Aquarian Order

A new class for the White Star RPG.

The Sisterhood of the Aquarian Order is a class human mystics that have guided humanity towards the stars for centuries untold.

In ancient times when mankind was still battling over feudal lands, the Order was plotting the motions of the planets. When humanity was first using solid fuel rockets the Order was projecting their consciousness beyond our solar system into the stars.  When humans first set foot on alien words, the Order already knew the songs of these Aliens. Now that humans have taken their rightful place among the stars the Order does what it can to keep humanity moving forward.  To what future, only they know.  They believe that humanity is on the cusp of a new consciousness and a new age.

This book includes:

• The Sisters of the Aquarian Order Class for White Star
• Psychic Powers and Rituals of the Order
• New Equipment and space ships
• Advice for using the Sisters in your games

Details on the Capricorn Heresies and the future of the Order.

Now available in both PDF and Print!

Waiting...

All the files have been submitted, proofs checked and rechecked.

Just waiting on RPGNow to do it's thing.

Sisters of the Aquarian Order: The Geminian Prophecy

The Sisters of the Aquarian Order believe in reincarnation.  They have seen the same souls over and over again throughout their long history.  While the memories of former Sisters live on in the Gestalt, the "souls" are reborn again and again.

Such is the case with Kimbra III and Kelleigh III.  Not only reborn but reborn as twins again.
Unlike most Sisters, Kimbra III and Kelleigh III were left for the Order after showing signs of power at a very early age.  They already had advanced telepathy between themselves, they are Anamchara and showed knowledge of the Order that many Initiates did not even have.

Tragedy struck the young twins when they were separated in a conflict between the Star Knights and the Void Knights.  Kelleigh III was believed to have been killed, though her sister knew better.

Kimbra III now serves as a "cultural liaison" to the Star Knights.  Here she provides them details she has learned about the Void Knights in her studies.

Kelleigh III is still alive, but now a member of the Capricorn Sisterhood. Here she also works as a cultural liaison to the Void Knights.   Only Kimbra knows her sister is alive via their Anamchara link.  The Aquarian Order suspects she might be alive and is watching Kimbra closely for any signs of heresy.

In truth both sisters work toward the same goal, the discovery of the return of the Old Ones.

Kimbra III
5th level Aquarian Sister

Strength: 11
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 16

Hit Points:  16
AC: 7
Base to hit: +2
Saving throw: 11

Powers
Empathy, Telepathy (Anamchara: Kelleigh III)

Rituals 
First: (2) Far Sight, Read Languages
Second: (2) Agony, Hold Person

Eqipment
robes, baton


Kelleigh III
5th level Capricorn Sister
(Note: to Aquarian Sisters she is an Omega Level Heretic)

Strength: 11
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 16

Hit Points:  17
AC: 7
Base to hit: +2
Saving throw: 11

Powers
Empathy, Telepathy (Anamchara: Kimbra III)

Rituals
First: (2) Cause Fear, Drowsy
Second: (2) Detect Thoughts, Phantasmal Force

Eqipment
robes, baton

The Geminian Prophecy
The Geminian Prophecy is so old that most Sisters don't even know about it. It is not in any database, but only recorded in ancient preserved scrolls.  So old in fact that there are no Heresies surrounding it.  The prophecy states that twins will be born into their powers early in life.  They will represent two sides of the same duality and they will either unite it or destroy it.

Planetary Profile: Gaia

>Galatic Data Network...Accessing.
>Begin Database transmission.
>Planetary database connection enabled.
>
>Ready...
>$ Information request: Gaia
>Accessing...
>
Planetary Data File: Gaia
Name: Gaia  (Ouranos 2)
Class: M. Rocky with nickel-iron core
Satellite: Phoebe (natural)
Semi-major axis: 85,114,187 mi
Orbital Period: 258 planetary days (300 galactic standard days)
Rotational Period: 20.95 hours (20 galactic standard hours)
Mean radius: 3,645 mi
Gravity: 1.176 g
Geography: 75% land, 24% water, 1% polar ice
Mean Surface Temperature: 65 degrees F
Atmosphere: 75% nitrogen (N2), 23% oxygen (O2), 0.9% argon, 0.5% helium, (He), 0.04% carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.02% water vapor (H20) 1.3% other gases.
Government: Planetary Hierarchal Theocracy
Leader: “Her Gracious and Wise Eternal Mother, Cassiopeia CXIV, the 1,153rd Mother Eternal”

The Sisterhood of the Aquarian Order make their home on the small, but lush green planet of Gaia.  No one but members of the Sisterhood are allowed on the planet surface.  This is one of their most inviolate laws.  Scattered across the surface of the Planet are their 40,000 temples, also known as a Priory. Each is controlled by an Prioress, an 8th level or higher Sister.  Forty temples  are controlled by an Abbess. Ten Abbesses report one of 100 High Priestesses who in turn report to four Hierophants and finally to the Mother Eternal.  The current Mother Eternal is Cassiopeia CXIV, the 1,153rd Mother Eternal.

Each temple can house up to 25 individuals of various degrees.   All are connected by the Gestalt.
Nothing happens on the surface of Gaia that all the Order does not know about.

There are a few “lay-members” on the planet, the so-called “little Sisters” that did not pass the trials of the Order.  They provide a number of the support services to the temples.

The one thing the lay-members are not expected to do is physical labor.  Gaia is a fully technologically advanced planet, but their use of much of the technology is limited.  The food is grown on the planet by the members of the Order themselves.  They are a fully self-sustaining agrarian society.  Space ports and meeting areas for off world visitors are all dealt with in their state of the art space station on their moon, Phoebe.  Here Sisters may meet with other species who wish to visit their planet.  Transport to and from the planet is done by space ferry and transmat beams.