Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Horror is everywhere

I have recently seen some posts on how to do horror games.  Inevitably someone posts something like "You can't do Horror with XXXX system."

To which I always mentally add "Maybe YOU can't, but the rest of us have."
Horror is about tone. It is about style. The system can support it, even add to it.  Think about the game Dread and it's Jenga block mechanic or Call of Cthulhu and it's sanity system. Those are system supported horror.  But can you do horror with say Toon or d20?  Yes. But expect it to be a little different.

In d20 systems the characters will have more power as the level up.  You could take the cheap path and up the baddies too, but that isn't horror really.  You need to get them where their fears live.  Even the most powerful character will find themselves in a situation they can't control or even properly understand.  Lovecraft said it best, the greatest fear is the fear of the unknown.  So keep players in the dark.  The powers they have are not the ones they need.  Modern supernatural books do a good job of this.  When solving a problem Harry or Rachel have all the magic they need, but what they don't have are answers. They have allies, they don't have knowledge of who or what their enemy is.

What about Toon?  Well if a picture is worth a 1,000 words then here are 100 score words to illustrate my point.

Toon:

Toon + Horror:


Artist here: http://sideshowmonkey.deviantart.com/art/CASPER-ISSUE-41-by-Hartman-191809383
Yes that is the same Hartman who did animation for Rob Zombie.  So Wendy here is cut from the same cloth as The American Witch.

I'll keep talking about how you can do horror in future posts.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Jeff Dee kickstarter

Jeff Dee has new Kickstarter project to recreate all his old Egyptian gods art from the original Deities and Demigods (one of my favorite books).

I guess at some point TSR threw out all the art he did. So he is not only redoing them, but also doing some new ones for gods not pictured.

You can read more and donate some money here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jeffdee/re-creating-my-egyptian-art-from-deities-and-demig

I have supported other Kickstarters in the past and would love to support this one too.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Zatannurday: Zee with ink?

The new cover for Justice League Dark #5 is out now.

Is it me or does Zee look like she has a tattoo on her right arm?


Hard to say at this point.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Heroes of the Feywild: first look

I got my copy of Heroes of the Feywild today.

I skipped right ahead to the witch and her associated paragon paths and epic destiny.

So far??

I LIKE IT.

No really, I do.  The witch is really cool.
I can't wait to roll up a new witch character and compare her not only the 4e warlock and the Pathfinder witch.

I will be honest here.  I like this witch much, much more than the Pathfinder one, but I'll no more soon.

Details later.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Ghosts of Albion. In print!!

Posted by Eden's Zombie Lord, George Vasilakos.


Ghosts of Albion. In Print!!!

To say I am excited is a major understatement!!

No idea when it will hit your shelves, but it is coming!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Well...it's not YDIS

But I got called out anyway.

http://misstress-of-doom.blogspot.com/2011/10/it-only-gets-better.html

Out of the Closet blog. That made me laugh.

Mistress of Doom doesn't quite have the same level of gravitas as YDIS.  But give her time and I am sure she will end up pissing someone off just the right way to get some attention.

Until then I'll give her some free clicks.  What the hell.

Now if I can only remember where I left my flash-drive with my 10,000 page massive Willow/Tara and Xena/Gabrielle crossover epic.  Maybe it is in that jar she mentions.

Sir Gannon, the Gold Knight

I normally don't mix my professional day-to-day job with my gaming or blog writing,  but I was on campus recently and this thought came to me.

So here is a character you can steal for your game.

Sir Gannon, the Gold Knight
There is a small hamlet on the shores of a large lake in the Land of Penn that has known peace for nearly three generations.  The land has had a history of great war, the Burg of Getty in east still sees the ghosts of long dead warriors from their bloody battles there. Even the home of the King in the Burg of Harris is constantly prepared for war and many of the best warriors come to this town to learn the arts of combat.   But these towns do not have the one thing that has insured peace of small village of Erie.
They are not the home of Sir Gannon, the Gold Knight.

Gannon began, and many say remain to this day, a modest man of simple means.  He inherited his father's castle at a young age.  While he could have been content with the life of a land-owner he instead began his trainning for the priesthood.  He spent long hours in quiet meditation, prayer and scholarship.  His studies began early as a child and continued long past what others had done into his manhood.  He turned his father's castle to a place where all could come and learn as he had done to make their lives better or just to satisfy an intellectual hunger.  He only asked that help contribute to the town, and embrace his values of good over evil, charity over greed, and lawfulness over chaos.  Some said he was naïve of the world and even old-fashioned, but Gannon knew better, he simply wished for a peaceful, quiet life.
Gannon would have been at peace, but peace was not offered to him.  His land was plagued by foul undead, goblins and fell spellcasters.  Reluctantly he took up the sword and defended the people that had come to learn from him.
He doned the only armor he had available to him, his father's magical gilded platemail and he met the challenges.  For years Sir Gannon defended his lands.  He always meant to exchange his armor for something less ostentatious, but his renown had grown.  While not vain, he knew that the stories of "The Golden Knight" were often enough to persuade evil men and creatures to find spoils elsewhere. Plus the sight of his gilded armor on horseback was a welcomed and reassuring sight to those he defended.

Though now the great Sir Gannon is old and there are few willing, or able, to take up his cause.

Here is the great Sir Gannon as a Spellcraft & Swordplay Paladin (Warrior Elite-path).

Sir Gannon, The Gold Knight
Paladin 10th level
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 17
Charisma: 18
HD: 10+7 (60 hp)
AC: 12 (magical Field Plate and shield)
Attacks: 8+6
Special: +2 to Con-based saves (+4 total), Combat Style Mastery: Mounted Combat +2, Healing touch 20hp per day, +2 to all saves, disease immunity, detect and dispel evil, Holy Sword +3 ("Aggredior"), Holy Mount ("Charger").

Sir Gannon has recently taken on a young squire to aid him.  Del is not a knight, but he will to aid the Gold Knight and that makes up for his lack of combat skill.
Bards are an elite path found in Monstrous Mayhem.

Del, his squire
3rd level Bard
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 16
HD: 2+2 (11 hp)
AC: 3 (magic leather)
Attacks: 2+1
Special: Favored Abilities (Indigence, Charisma) +1, Open Locks +3, Trapsmith +3, Pick Pockets +4, Stealth +4, Perception +2, Expert Linguist, Climb, Vital Strike, Uncanny Dodge, Lore +1,  Prestidigitation

Currently Sir Gannon and Del are perusing what they believe to be a coven of evil witches.  They are in fact Succubi.  The Succubi though have no greater plans than to stir up some trouble and maybe claim a couple of souls, or at least enough gold to move on to the next town.  They were summoned by an old warlock that died before he could send them back and now they are running free.  They have taken false names to hide their True Names.

Succubi, witches and warlocks all appear in Eldritch Witchery.

"Sabrina", "Raven" and "Destiny"

AL: E
SZ: M
AC: 7
Move: 90' / Fly: 120'
HD: 6 (25)
Attacks: Claw/Claw/Special (2 dagger-2)
Special: Fly 120', Energy Drain (kiss), Darkvision, Dominate, Magic Resistance (fire), Immune to mundane weapons
Treasure: 6
XP: 345