Just picked this up today.
I will let you all know how it is.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monstrous Monday Roundup #3
Here are some more monsters for Monstrous Monday. We are at the half-way mark of October and the big day is just two-weeks away. By that I mean MONSTROUS MONDAY!
From last week at Hit Adjacent Ally, http://hitadjacentally.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-addendum-wax-mockery.html and http://hitadjacentally.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-addendum-charnel-ape.html
We also have,
From last week at Hit Adjacent Ally, http://hitadjacentally.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-addendum-wax-mockery.html and http://hitadjacentally.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-addendum-charnel-ape.html
We also have,
- Over at my other blog we have Invisible Pink Unicorns, http://freedomofnonbelief.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-mondays-invisible-pink-unicorn.html
- Super Parasites for the DC Adventures RPG, http://punverse.blogspot.com/2012/10/mastermind-monday-dcs-bloodlines.html
- Armor plated elephant thing that "teleports", http://www.savageafterworld.com/2012/10/savage-menagerie-ankylophant.html
- Japanese ghost heads, http://dreamsinthelichhouse.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-nukekubi.html
- Creepy one-eyed snakes, http://towerofthearchmage.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-monster-one-eyed-snake.html
- Cold men, http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2012/10/cold-hands-cold-heart.html
- More Stick-men, this time the Terrible Two-Headed stick man, http://gothridgemanor.blogspot.com/2012/10/monsteorus-monday-savage-two-headed.html
- Tomb Harvesters for WaRP, http://madavid13.blogspot.com/2012/10/monster-monday-tomb-harvesters-for-warp.html
- Headhunter worm, http://talesofthegrotesqueanddungeonesque.blogspot.com/2012/10/monster-monday-headhunter-worm.html?zx=34f53957d54aa967
- Not sure if he is participating, but Zak has a great monster, http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2012/10/warning-possible-outgrabe.html?zx=67eda53626bdedbf
- and one of my faves, the Succubus, http://daddygrognard.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-adventure-for-every-monster-succubus.html
- Jenny Haniver, Sea Clergy, and Morkoths, http://rolesrules.blogspot.fr/2012/10/monster-monday-jenny-haniver-sea-clergy.html
- Dragonette Swarm, http://thedwarvenstronghold.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-dragonette-swarm.html
- Zombie Cow! http://silverdivinityrpg.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstorous-monday-zombie-cow.html
Monday, October 15, 2012
October Challenge: Red Lights (2012)
Red Lights (2012)
This one is a bit hard to classify. It is certainly a thriller and has horror elements. Plus just when you think it is all figured out, it gets turned on it's head.
I will say this though. It was a good flick and kept me interested till very end. The cast is great, Cillian Murphy is fantastic and Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro are equally good as opponents. My surprise was Elizabeth Olsen, the "other" Olsen sister. She is quite good as well. Though I'll admit I didn't quite buy relationship between Murphy's character and hers. Oh well.
The movie itself deals with a couple of paranormal investigators (Murphy and Weaver) and their attempts to disprove various claims of the supernatural. This eventually leads them into a confrontation with DeNiro's character a Yuri Gellar type coming out of retirement for another show.
I don't want to ruin the movie for you, except to say that it starts out as a paranormal movie (ala Paranormal Activity) turns into something else, and then again.
The question here is not is this a good movie (it is) it's whether or not it can be classified as horror. I was ready to say no till I got to the very end and then changed my mind. Your mileage may vary of course.
I think that since I am couple of movies ahead right now I will call it horror and pick up a couple of extra ones. There has to be something from the 70s I haven't seen yet.
Tally: Watched 18, New 14
What are you watching?
I will say this though. It was a good flick and kept me interested till very end. The cast is great, Cillian Murphy is fantastic and Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro are equally good as opponents. My surprise was Elizabeth Olsen, the "other" Olsen sister. She is quite good as well. Though I'll admit I didn't quite buy relationship between Murphy's character and hers. Oh well.
The movie itself deals with a couple of paranormal investigators (Murphy and Weaver) and their attempts to disprove various claims of the supernatural. This eventually leads them into a confrontation with DeNiro's character a Yuri Gellar type coming out of retirement for another show.
I don't want to ruin the movie for you, except to say that it starts out as a paranormal movie (ala Paranormal Activity) turns into something else, and then again.
The question here is not is this a good movie (it is) it's whether or not it can be classified as horror. I was ready to say no till I got to the very end and then changed my mind. Your mileage may vary of course.
I think that since I am couple of movies ahead right now I will call it horror and pick up a couple of extra ones. There has to be something from the 70s I haven't seen yet.
Tally: Watched 18, New 14
What are you watching?
The Awakened Golem
The word Golem and the Clay Golem monster have their roots in Jewish folklore, horror and film. The Flesh Golem is an homage to Frankenstein and his monster.
Other Golems come from a variety of places. The Iron and Stone Golems seem to have basis in tales, but the most likely origin seems to be the films featuring the Ray Harryhausen monsters, in particular the giant statue from Jason and the Argonauts (whose fertile ground also gave us Skeletons).
The one thing that many of these stories have that the RPG monster does not though is the semblance of true life. After all. A Golem with no life that does it's business is no big deal. But give it a spark of true life and suddenly you have horror.
The Awakened Golem then is a Golem that has been "Awakened", it has a spark of true life. This is either by accident such as a word or letter is mis-coded in a Clay Golem, or the personality of the original body lives on in the Flesh Golem, or the animating spirit in the Druther overrides the witch's control, or even the golem becomes the vessel of some spirit of vengeance. What ever the cause a living soul is now in procession of a body that it can only see as an abomination.
Different types of Golems have different chance of Awakening. This percent is rolled when the golem is made or under special circumstance; such as a nearby tragic death, or a bolt of eldritch lighting hits it.
(These Golems have appeared in various editions of the game)
Statue (any golem made to be a statue): 2%
Iron, Stone, Amber, Silver, Mud (any non-living mater): 5%
Clay, Wood, Druther, Bone (formerly living matter): 10%
Flesh, Corpse (formerly a sentient being): 15% +5% if body parts come a wrongly convicted murderer.
Plush (special Ravenloft golem): Plush golems and stuffed toys are better handled as an Imaginary Friend or a Boogey.
In most cases the Awakened Golem will be Chaotic, or at best Neutral. Some rare cases will occur when the awakened Golem will be Lawful.
The changes to the monster will be a greater intelligence (at least Average, often more) and a blinding hate for whomever created it. The Awakened Golem, even Lawful ones, will be driven to write some percieved wrong. An Awakened Golem might want to kill their creator, or kill everyone. Or it might want to discover the killer of some innocent. What ever the motivation it should be tied directly to their origin story.
The Awakend Golem gains HD over their non-awakened counterparts. Better AC and attacks.
Despite their origin and/or appearance, Awakened Golmes are not undead. They are still immune to the effects of mind affecting spells, sleep, charm and hold. They do not need to eat (but might do it out of habit) and can not be healed. Awakended Golems regenerate 2 hp per round, even if reduced below 0hp. Only fire can completely destroy them since they do not regenerate after fire damage.
Awakened Golem (Flesh Golem)
Hit Dice: 10d8+15* (60 hp)
No. of Attacks: 2 (fistsl)
Damage: 2d8/2d18
Special: immunities, regeneration
Movement: 30’ (90')
No. Appearing: 1
Saves As: Fighter 12
Morale: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic
XP: 2800
The Creature (as he is know) is an Awakened Flesh golem. He stands over 7 feet tall and has greenish cadaverous skin. Despising what he sees himself to be he killed his creator and terrified a nearby village. He currently lives in a cave where he prefers to stay in peace, reading books on philosophy.
If he is disturbed though he will fly into a violent rage and kill anyone that disturbs him. He will not though attack children.
The Creature has been killed many times, only regenerate from the smallest scraps.
OGL Section 15 The Awakened Copyright 2012 Timothy S. Brannan.
All text is Open under the terms of the OGL.
Links are not considered part of this entry and are not under the OGL.
How I learned to stop worrying...
and like the Realms.
(I don't quite love them yet)
I have always been a Greyhawk fan. Some of my very first games were looking for ancient Suel mysteries or exploring the dirty streets of the Free City of Greyhawk. While I ran my adventures in the Known World of Mystara, I played in Oerth and Greyhawk.
For years I even combined the two into one world, and that worked out pretty well.
I remember reading about the Realms in Dragon Mag and I was never impressed. The increased fetishization of the Drow and Drizzt worship turned me off as well. I can't tell you how much I despised "Lloth", it's LOLTH goddamn it. Any way. I saw the Realms as an upstart to Greyhawk and not even a good one to be honest. This oddly enough was right around the same time I played my first game of OD&D set in Greyhawk. To me Realms fans were snotty little kids with delusions of adequacy.
My opinions have softened since then.
This weekend before last I was at the Games Plus game auction. I was able to pick up the Forgotten Realms books for 1st and 2nd Ed. AD&D. I picked up the 3rd ed stuff a while back and had the 4e stuff from Half-Price books. All in all I was able to get all these books for under 50 bucks total.
The 1st Ed box is in fantastic shape, minus some shelf wear. The 3 and 4e books are in mint condition.
I have been using the Realms for the 4e game I am running and I have been enjoying it.
Sure, I am still using elements from the Points of Light campaign that 4e is built around, but all of it is in the new version of the Realms. There are lot of things that came together nicely for this for me really. In the 4e game I am running the kids are going to go after Orcus. Much the same way as the old H1-4 Bloodstone series a while back. That was set in the Realms, so it is kind of fitting really. Plus it would help me flesh out some of the 4e Orcus arc (HPE series). Not sure how I'll fit Hell into it all, but I might not have to worry about it.
I love the gonzo feeling of two worlds mystically crashing into each other. I like that the place has some history to it. Plus I really liked the 3e Realms book. This might irritate some long time Realms fans, but I think the Realms fits better with 3e and 4e. Greyhawk is better for 1st ed and the like. At least in my mind.
So maybe it's my age or something, but I feel I can finally sit back and appreciate what the Realms really are and not what I think or thought they were. I have the main books/sets (for the most part) for all four editions of the game. Honestly I think that is enough. People have done far more with less.
Here are my other thoughts in my introduction and use of the Realms.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/12/could-my-answer-be-in-realms.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/03/drow-should-be-lawful-evil-among-other.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-game-new-world.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/gods-of-new-game.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/01/church-of-lolth-ascendant.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/nothing-like-sun.html
(I don't quite love them yet)
I have always been a Greyhawk fan. Some of my very first games were looking for ancient Suel mysteries or exploring the dirty streets of the Free City of Greyhawk. While I ran my adventures in the Known World of Mystara, I played in Oerth and Greyhawk.
For years I even combined the two into one world, and that worked out pretty well.
I remember reading about the Realms in Dragon Mag and I was never impressed. The increased fetishization of the Drow and Drizzt worship turned me off as well. I can't tell you how much I despised "Lloth", it's LOLTH goddamn it. Any way. I saw the Realms as an upstart to Greyhawk and not even a good one to be honest. This oddly enough was right around the same time I played my first game of OD&D set in Greyhawk. To me Realms fans were snotty little kids with delusions of adequacy.
My opinions have softened since then.
This weekend before last I was at the Games Plus game auction. I was able to pick up the Forgotten Realms books for 1st and 2nd Ed. AD&D. I picked up the 3rd ed stuff a while back and had the 4e stuff from Half-Price books. All in all I was able to get all these books for under 50 bucks total.
The 1st Ed box is in fantastic shape, minus some shelf wear. The 3 and 4e books are in mint condition.
I have been using the Realms for the 4e game I am running and I have been enjoying it.
Sure, I am still using elements from the Points of Light campaign that 4e is built around, but all of it is in the new version of the Realms. There are lot of things that came together nicely for this for me really. In the 4e game I am running the kids are going to go after Orcus. Much the same way as the old H1-4 Bloodstone series a while back. That was set in the Realms, so it is kind of fitting really. Plus it would help me flesh out some of the 4e Orcus arc (HPE series). Not sure how I'll fit Hell into it all, but I might not have to worry about it.
I love the gonzo feeling of two worlds mystically crashing into each other. I like that the place has some history to it. Plus I really liked the 3e Realms book. This might irritate some long time Realms fans, but I think the Realms fits better with 3e and 4e. Greyhawk is better for 1st ed and the like. At least in my mind.
So maybe it's my age or something, but I feel I can finally sit back and appreciate what the Realms really are and not what I think or thought they were. I have the main books/sets (for the most part) for all four editions of the game. Honestly I think that is enough. People have done far more with less.
Here are my other thoughts in my introduction and use of the Realms.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/12/could-my-answer-be-in-realms.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/03/drow-should-be-lawful-evil-among-other.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-game-new-world.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/gods-of-new-game.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/01/church-of-lolth-ascendant.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/07/nothing-like-sun.html
Sunday, October 14, 2012
October Challenge: Twins of Evil (1971)
Twins of Evil (1971)
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My love for Hammer films is well known and well documented. I am also a huge fan of the Carmilla story. So it really seems like a no-brainier that I had already seen all the movies in the Karnstien Trilogy. Except that I haven't.
This movie works a little a prequel to The Vampire Lovers. This time we have a Count Karnstein. I like the story itself is not a bad one. Afterall the Karnsteins were supposed to be a family of evil, this current Count helps fill in some of those gaps. We get a guest appearance from Mircalla who turns our count into a monster. There are other call backs to the first movie in how the vampires can still move about during the day, but their shrouds they need in death are now gone.
Let's be honest here. There was really only one (er..two) reasons why this movie was made. Mary and Madeleine Collinson. The former Playmates, and the first twins to appear in Playboy, where here not for their acting ability (they were over dubbed in fact) but for their ability to appear in the movie nude. Mind you this is usually a good enough reason for me, but I did want some more.
Peter Cushing is back, but not as the same or related character, but as a witch-hunting zealot and uncle of the twins. In fact he plays a rather unlikable character. In truth his character kills more people than the Count does either before or after his vampiric transformation.
The plot seemed a bit confused and it isn't due to my lack of sleep here. I think some bits were cut out of the version I saw on TV via some channel/cable service called Impact. Pity really. I had great hopes for this one.
This one put my wife into a deep sleep and she is just about ready to ban me from watching anymore Hammer films. I did point out that the Woman in Black was also Hammer.
Tally: Watched 17, New 13
What are you watching?
.jpg)
This movie works a little a prequel to The Vampire Lovers. This time we have a Count Karnstein. I like the story itself is not a bad one. Afterall the Karnsteins were supposed to be a family of evil, this current Count helps fill in some of those gaps. We get a guest appearance from Mircalla who turns our count into a monster. There are other call backs to the first movie in how the vampires can still move about during the day, but their shrouds they need in death are now gone.
Let's be honest here. There was really only one (er..two) reasons why this movie was made. Mary and Madeleine Collinson. The former Playmates, and the first twins to appear in Playboy, where here not for their acting ability (they were over dubbed in fact) but for their ability to appear in the movie nude. Mind you this is usually a good enough reason for me, but I did want some more.
Peter Cushing is back, but not as the same or related character, but as a witch-hunting zealot and uncle of the twins. In fact he plays a rather unlikable character. In truth his character kills more people than the Count does either before or after his vampiric transformation.
The plot seemed a bit confused and it isn't due to my lack of sleep here. I think some bits were cut out of the version I saw on TV via some channel/cable service called Impact. Pity really. I had great hopes for this one.
This one put my wife into a deep sleep and she is just about ready to ban me from watching anymore Hammer films. I did point out that the Woman in Black was also Hammer.
Tally: Watched 17, New 13
What are you watching?
Saturday, October 13, 2012
October Challenge: I am Legend
I am Legend
One of the things that I love doing (but irritates my wife) is watching multiple versions of the same movie. This year I choose the various incarnations of Richard Matheson's "I am Legend". I had read the book years ago back in grad school and I recalled seeing "The Omega Man" (which I ad always thought the Police song was based on). Well the new I Am Legend was on so I figured what the heck.
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Vincent Price stars as the Robert Neville character, Robert Morgan. The interesting thing about this movie is that Matheson worked on the script, but decided that he didn't like it. The vampires in this version are more of the classical, "Hammer" vampires. Affected by mirrors, sunlight and garlic. This premise though is the same as in the book. Neville/Morgan spending his day killing vampires. As far as the movie adaptions go, this one is the closest to the book, though there are still some differences. The name it the first obvious one. Plus while the vampires are closer to the book, they are more like zombies here in the movie. They are fast and more vampire like in the book. The feel of the movie is closer to the book as well.
Vincent Price of course is always a joy to see in the movies and frankly it would not be Halloween without him.
This movie was also an influence on George Romero for his zombie movie Night of the Living Dead.
The Omega Man (1971)
I remember seeing this one years ago. At the time I thought it was a little stupid and slow. It took a lot a liberties with the book and the vampires now were suddenly a thinly disguised racial tension metaphor.
Rewatching it now a lot fo that still holds true, but it is also a fun horror/action movie.
So what was going on in the 70s? Cause there is a lot of fear in this movie. Not horror movie fear, but fear of the world written into the movie. Chemical waefare, race riots, all sorts of things to scare you.
Now I like Heston in this, even if his Robert Neville is getting further away from the book.
The movie has a similar ending to the book, but not really the same impact.
This movie is notable for one of the first interracial kisses between Charleston Heston and Rosalind Cash.
I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith is now Dr. Robert Neville in this version that tries to use more science. In this case the vampires are altered humans from a genetically re-engineered measles virus. In this movie Neville is the last man here, but maybe not the last man anywhere
It is a passable version. Will Smith is fun actor and he is good in this role. The movie though in the translation seems to have lost something since the 60s and 70s.
I Am Omega (2007)
I am not even sure what to say about this one. I will be honest, I like The Asylum. Their "Mockbusters" are often a lot of fun But this one fell far from the mark. It only shares surface similarities with the other movies and book; only enough to make it any generic Post Apocalypse movie really. I suppose you can admire their cheek of it all.
This Tally: Watched 4, New 2. Best: Last Man on Earth
Tally: Watched 16, New 12
What are you watching?
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Vincent Price stars as the Robert Neville character, Robert Morgan. The interesting thing about this movie is that Matheson worked on the script, but decided that he didn't like it. The vampires in this version are more of the classical, "Hammer" vampires. Affected by mirrors, sunlight and garlic. This premise though is the same as in the book. Neville/Morgan spending his day killing vampires. As far as the movie adaptions go, this one is the closest to the book, though there are still some differences. The name it the first obvious one. Plus while the vampires are closer to the book, they are more like zombies here in the movie. They are fast and more vampire like in the book. The feel of the movie is closer to the book as well.
Vincent Price of course is always a joy to see in the movies and frankly it would not be Halloween without him.
This movie was also an influence on George Romero for his zombie movie Night of the Living Dead.
The Omega Man (1971)
I remember seeing this one years ago. At the time I thought it was a little stupid and slow. It took a lot a liberties with the book and the vampires now were suddenly a thinly disguised racial tension metaphor.
Rewatching it now a lot fo that still holds true, but it is also a fun horror/action movie.
So what was going on in the 70s? Cause there is a lot of fear in this movie. Not horror movie fear, but fear of the world written into the movie. Chemical waefare, race riots, all sorts of things to scare you.
Now I like Heston in this, even if his Robert Neville is getting further away from the book.
The movie has a similar ending to the book, but not really the same impact.
This movie is notable for one of the first interracial kisses between Charleston Heston and Rosalind Cash.
I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith is now Dr. Robert Neville in this version that tries to use more science. In this case the vampires are altered humans from a genetically re-engineered measles virus. In this movie Neville is the last man here, but maybe not the last man anywhere
It is a passable version. Will Smith is fun actor and he is good in this role. The movie though in the translation seems to have lost something since the 60s and 70s.
I Am Omega (2007)
I am not even sure what to say about this one. I will be honest, I like The Asylum. Their "Mockbusters" are often a lot of fun But this one fell far from the mark. It only shares surface similarities with the other movies and book; only enough to make it any generic Post Apocalypse movie really. I suppose you can admire their cheek of it all.
This Tally: Watched 4, New 2. Best: Last Man on Earth
Tally: Watched 16, New 12
What are you watching?
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