Swords Against the Outer Dark

The Reprints

2012-01-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

As I type this, the OSR blogosphere is afire with discussion of the news that Wizards of the Coast will be reprinting the 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide. And for good reason. This is HUGE! When you consider the blasé attitude Wizards has always displayed toward classic editions of D&D, and now suddenly they aren't announcing something as simple as reissuing PDF copies of the 1st Edition core books, but they're going balls-out and committing to full-blown reprints of the books. Complete with updated covers, no less.

I think the astonishing thing is that this news came right on the heels of the announcement that Wizards has officially begun developing 5th Edition D&D. Lots of big news coming out of their camp in just a handful of days! It is obvious that Wizards is trying to get back on the top of the heap, and make D&D the best selling roleplaying game again (assuming that all the talk of Pathfinder being the current top seller is actually true).

Obviously, announcing these reprints is a peace offering from Wizards to the old-school D&D community to try and make up for past missteps. I also suspect that this is something of a test as well, to try and gauge just how interested the old timers, as well as those that might not have been around back in the day, are in buying classic products from their back catalog.

Despite my admission that I am less than moved by the announcement of 5th Edition, I am excited as hell about the 1st Edition reprints. Having proceeds going to the Gygax Memorial Fund has helped stoke this enthusiasm in a major way. I also feel in many ways that this is a win for the Old School Renaissance, and of course that makes me happy. It is obvious to me that someone is starting to listen to the rumblings from our little underground, and are beginning to take this movement seriously. It will be interesting to see if this will lead to other reprints, and perhaps have some bearing on the design of 5th Edition as well.

Win Your Own Brown Jenkin

2012-01-19T17:57:00.002-05:00

Lovecraft eZine has a very cool contest, with the grand prize being a sculpture of Brown Jenkin, sculpted by Joe Broers. Just by subscribing to the site, and leaving a comment buys you a chance to win this adorable little critter. Waste no more time... go enter now!

BLACKOUT

2012-01-18T07:11:00.000-05:00

Nuff said...

2011 Reflections, 2012 Plans

2012-01-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

Here we are a few weeks into the new year, and I am sure I am not the only blogger reviewing 2011 posts and thinking about where to take things in 2012. So let's take a closer look at these things...

Last year was a big year for me personally. My daughter, Eleanor Grey, was born in April, and I was thrust into the wonderful and hectic world of fatherhood. I never expected to ever have children. I am 42, and I just didn't think it was in the cards for me. For the first time in my life, I am so glad I was wrong. As soon as Ellie showed up, I knew life would never the same again. Needless to say, a lot has changed. The biggest change is the amount of free time I now have. Time has become a precious commodity, which is a completely new concept and one I am not liking very much. But it's part of the gig, and I really like the gig!

I am sure my regular readers have noticed a sharp decline in the amount of posts here on the Outer Dark. I even tried to kick start the momentum again with "fluff" like the Music Mondays posts. Yeah, this was a bad idea in hindsight. I mean, I am a huge music lover, and I draw great inspiration from the bands I listen to, but Swords Against the Outer Dark just isn't the place for this kind of thing. I should have known better. These post drew in a large amount of views, but for all the wrong reasons. Unless it somehow is directly linked to Lovecraft, or gaming, or both, don't expect to see these kinds of posts again.

One of the highlights of 2011 was my involvement in last year's One Page Dungeon Contest. As a judge for the contest, I had a lot of fun being a part of the process from behind the scenes. I got to read and critique a bunch of great entries, and I learned a lot about what I wanted from a one page adventure. If asked to judge again I would gladly do so, though I would also enjoy creating my own submission as well.

With the announcement of a new edition of Dungeons & Dragons I am sure I will be tempted to weigh in on all the speculation. As a matter of fact, I have already been compiling a shortlist of things I would like to see from 5th Edition, and how I would like to see Wizards of the Coast release the new game. At this point I am sure all this will be nothing more than wishful thinking, but it might be fun to look at the whole thing from a "what if" perspective. Though I am leery of a new edition, in the end I am still a kid who loves Dungeons & Dragons, and a part of me wants Wizards to succeed in delivering a great game that will appeal to my old-school sensibilities.

To this day I still receive emails asking me if I still plan to release a SAOD game. The answer is, probably. But I am saying this knowing the game I will most likely release will look quite different than the game I was talking about a year ago. Though it won't be considered a retro-clone, the game will still be rooted in old-school design and philosophy. I can't help it, it's where I come from... it's in my blood. Two rulesets I have really been enamored with this past year are Microlite20 (mainly its Microlite74 variant) and Mini Six. I love how these games give the player just enough rules to get into trouble, and then they get the hell out of the way. It is the same philosophy found in the one page adventure movement, where less is definitely more. I have been tinkering with Sword & Sanity versions of both games, and at this point I am not 100% sure which direction I will settle on. If I can get things coordinated, there is a strong possibility that I will soon begin gaming with a group that seems very interested in a D6 Sword & Sanity campaign, so this may end up being the deciding factor. I strongly believe we should be blogging about the games that we are actually playing, so time will tell on this one. Having said that, D&D often sings its siren's song in my ear when I am playing other games, so a Microlite Sword & Sanity game could also happen (Microlite + Swords Against the Outer Dark = MicroDark). If anyone has a strong opinion on this please yell out in the comments.

Another project that had its beginnings in 2011 (well 2008 if you count the game I first used these ideas and adventures) is an adventure setting I am currently calling "Project: Star-Spore," because I am not quite ready to make an official announcement. The setting will be presented as a hex-crawl sandbox, along with a few supporting adventures. This is a true piece of Yog-Sothothery, and will include my own blasphemous entities and creations that snugly fit within the Cthulhu Mythos framework, without relying on the more famous creations of Lovecraft and other Weird luminaries. Right now I am working on the cartography, as well as refining the writing. Presentation is another major factor I have been tinkering with. I also have one other adventure I would like to include, so that needs to be hammered out as well. Chris Huth has already been commissioned and has delivered a badass cover illustration. Things are moving forward, but I just haven't been talking about it much, because I would like to get closer to the finish line before I start promoting the project.

Some may have noticed a new header for the blog. I would like to spruce the place up a bit, so I have been playing around with some new graphics. I have a nonexistent budget to hire an artist to come up with something special for me, but I think I pulled together a header that is evocative, even if it is nothing more than freely available vector art and a bit of creativity. I am sure things will change a bit with time, so please ignore anything that doesn't look quite right. Chances are that I am tweaking something at that moment.

I guess that is about it for now. I apologize if I rambled on a bit. In closing, I would just like to thank everyone for stopping by and checking out my dark little corner of the internet. Keep coming back!

[Review] Delta's Book of War

2012-01-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

Mail call!

I will be the first to admit that math is probably my weakest subject. Oh, I did OK in my math classes in high school and college, but it wasn't because it came naturally to me. This is why I am thankful that we have guys like Daniel "Delta" Collins active in the old-school gaming scene. You see, Delta is passionate about two things: the original edition of Dungeons & Dragons and math. Which is great, because he usually does all the heavy statistical lifting for guys like me. Need an example of Delta's work? Look no further than his analysis of the D&D combat algorithm, which lead to his most excellent "Target 20" core resolution mechanic (d20 + Level + mods ≥ 20).

A few months back Delta was kind enough to send me a copy of Book of War, which is his rules supplement for fantasy mass combat and miniature wargaming. I wanted to take a moment to talk about the book, and share my review. Now, I have to be up front with the fact that I have not had an opportunity to try out the rules presented in Book of War. But I have been reading the book off and on since October, so I feel I have a pretty good handle on the working of the rules, and how they will play out at the table.

The Physical Thing

Book of War (BoW from here on) is a 24 page saddle-stitched paperback, measuring in at 5.8" x 8.3". The cover is in color, displaying an old painting of a medieval battle. All of the artwork used to illustrate the book was taken from a public domain source, and works well with the given subject matter and tone. The interior is laid out nicely, with a clean single-column design. The font choices and spartan design are very reminiscent of the original D&D rule book published in '74, and I imagine BoW would look right at home next to the "little brown books." Overall, I found the book easy to read, easy to reference and I didn't notice anything editorially that I felt compelled to nitpick.

Introduction

Delta wrote this book with these goals in mind (quoted directly from the foreword):

"To create a system that faithfully extrapolates standard D&D combat results on a mass scale."
"To cultivate a game which can stand on it own as fun, entertaining, and elegant."
"To realistically simulate actual historical medieval warfare, wherever possible."
"I also wanted to avoid the need for any paper record keeping during play."

In my opinion, he has succeeded on ever count. Delta also explains that through the use of computers "billions of simulated runs" have helped him analyse the game's statistical data, and present a set of rules that is both solid and balanced. How's that for mathematical heavy lifting?

The Rules

The first section is titled "The Core Rules" and covers Scale (1 figure = 10 men, 1 inch = 20 feet, 1 turn = 30 seconds), Movement (light = 12, medium = 9, heavy = 6), and Combat, which is resolved by rolling a single six-sided die, and comparing the result to an Armor Hit (AH) value (no armor = 3, leather = 4, chain = 5, plate = 6). If the attacker's roll is equal to or higher than the defender's AH, a successful "hit" is landed, and for "normal men" this means that one figure (10 men) is removed from play. All this works in tandem with the original set of D&D rules, and has a simple elegance that I appreciate.

The next section, "Basic Rules," builds upon the core rules by first discussing the Sequence of Play. The game begins by first selecting units, rolling initiative (2d6, high roll takes first turn) and setting up the terrain. Each turn is broken down into three phases: 1) moving forces, 2) attacking opponent with missiles or melee, and 3) morale checks for units who have lost figures during the turn. Unit Selection is discussed next, covering in detail all you may need to know about archers, cavalry, pikemen and horse archers. Details include unit cost, movement rate, Armor Hit value and equipment carried. The remainder of this section has rules form Terrain (randomly determined by rolling 2d6), Formation and Morale (again, rolling 2d6). Delta manages to cover a lot of ground in these four pages.

Next, follows the "Advanced Rules." This is where the more fantastic elements, such as fantasy creatures, wizards, spells and heroes, are introduced. This section also goes into great detail explaining how to convert creatures from D&D over to BoW. Fantasy Units include all the oldies but goodies, broken down into two alignment categories: Lawful Units (elves, dwarves, halflings, men) and Chaotic Units (goblins, orcs, gnolls, etc.). Elite units on both sides of the alignment equation have supernatural abilities available to them (invisibility, regeneration, etc.). Hero units, such as knights, dragons and giants, are also covered. As you can guess, these guys are extremely tough, being 10 Hit Dice or higher. Wrapping up this section are rules for wizards and spells.

Delta has also included a selection of "Optional Rules," which are presented in a modular fashion, allowing players to add as much crunch to the game as they like. Rules for weather, darkness, modifying morale, an expanded armor table, alternate scale options, castles, ships, unit cost options, recovery and disputes. Lots of great crunchy bits to chew on.

One of the more interesting sections of the book is the "Designer Notes," where Delta discusses some of his design decisions. Wrapping everything up is a bibliography, a list of the art credits and a handy BoW reference card.

All in all, I highly recommend Book of War to anyone needing a simple, yet solid, set of mass combat rules for their D&D campaign. What Delta has delivered with this book epitomizes the do-it-yourself spirit the Old-School Renaissance is supposed to be about. BoW is exactly the kind of product that I love seeing come out of the OSR. Personally, I plan to use these rules in an upcoming game, and can't wait to see them in action.

Announcements That I Should Be Excited About, But I'm Not...

2012-01-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

There have been two major announcements made in the past couple of months that should have had a significant impact on me, but after hearing each of them, I am left with overwhelming sense of underwhelment...

The first being the reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath, which was announced on 11/11/2011. The second announcement came today, at 10:00 AM EST, and I am sure I don't have to tell you what that announcement was. For those scratching their heads, follow the link provided, or choose any gaming blog at random and read the news for yourself.

I make no bones about it, both Black Sabbath and D&D mean a lot to me. I discovered them both in 1980, virtually at the same time, so there has always been a strong connection between Sabbath's music and the game I have played for over 30 years now. The announcements that Sabbath will be recording a new album, and that D&D will have a fifth edition of the game published, should have me as giddy as a schoolgirl. The truth is, I feel more numb than anything about this news. And that makes me a little more than sad.

As I thought about all of this earlier today, a few things occurred to me. What is interesting is how much Black Sabbath, and Dungeons & Dragons have in common. Well, at least in my mind. Both are considered seminal entities in their fields; Sabbath being considered by many the first real metal band, and D&D considered the first roleplaying game. Both have come under heavy fire from the religious right. Black Sabbath has influenced countless bands over the years, spawning an entire genre of bands that emulate them to one degree or another, and the impact D&D has had on the gaming industry itself cannot be easily measured. Who knows where games and gaming would be without D&D? It makes my brain hurt just thinking about it!

Looking at how both D&D and Black Sabbath have been emulated over the years reveals another interesting area of correlation. The term "retro-clone" is thrown around for games like OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord and Sword & Wizardry, which have taken various earlier editions of D&D and emulated the rules so closely that it is hard to find the differences sometimes. The same could be said for many of the bands found in the doom metal community, and it would not be a far stretch to refer to many of these Sabbath worshiping bands as retro-clones of the original act. But I think it also needs to be pointed out that in many of these cases the bands have taken the groundwork that Sabbath established, and they have expanded and built upon the original concept. Sometimes with surprisingly original results. This is something I would like to see more of from the Old-School Renaissance and the do-it-yourself game design crowd. A subject best approach on another occasion I suspect...

Getting back to my original line of thought, I guess for me the whole thing comes down to expectations, and the fear of being let down. When people start talking about new editions, reunion tours, movie remakes, reboots, reimaginings, etc. I have trained myself not to get excited, and honestly, I make myself not care. I intentionally make myself not get emotionally invested. The reason is simple: I have had my heart broken too many times by this type of thing, and I am just tired of the perpetual disappointments. The last major attack on one of my sacred cows came in the form of the Conan the Barbarian remake... need I say more?

I guess the next question is whether I will be picking up the new Black Sabbath album, or D&D 5th edition? Time will tell, of course. I admit there is the off chance that I will be pleasantly surprised by one, or even both, but at this stage I prefer to remain skeptical and downright pessimistic about both these announcements.

Coolest Dreamlands Map EVER!

2011-10-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Illustrated by Jason Thompson

I have the Chaosium published map of the Dreamlands, illustrated by Andy Hopp, hanging on my office wall. I have had it for well over a decade. I love that map, and it would be hard to estimate how many hours I have spent pouring over all of its intricate details. If you were to have asked me if another Dreamlands map was needed my answer would have been, "no!" Then I ran across Jason Thompson's map, and I was floored. I am still trying to soak in all the details Jason has added to his map. It is quite striking, and I fully intend to buy a print if he ever offers them for sale.

While we are on the subject, Jason is in the process of taking his previously published The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath comic, and updating it as a graphic novel. The project has a Kickstarter fund drive that has already reached its goal, which is exciting news. I have read the original Dream-Quest comic, as well as his Clark Ashton Smith tribute, Hyperborea. Excellent stuff. And judging by Jason's most recent work, it looks like this new graphic novel is going to be topnotch.

Crypts & Things Cover Revealed

2011-09-04T20:22:00.001-04:00

Behold! The new cover for Crypts & Things, created by the incredibly talented Jon Hodgson. Check out the official announcement over at D101 Games.

The Trolls Offering C&C Books for a Steal

2011-08-21T16:00:00.004-04:00

I ran across something pretty cool today that I thought was share-worthy. Troll Lord Games is offering the Castles & Crusades Players Handbook and Monsters & Treasure, both 4th printing hardbacks, as well as the adventure module Shadows of the Halfling Hall, all for $20.00. I think this is an amazing deal, and a great way for anyone remotely interested in C&C to get started without shelling out a lot of cash.

The Old Gent Would Have Been 121 Years Old Today

2011-08-20T20:30:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday, H.P.L.!

Sorry I'm Late... Here Are My Dice

2011-08-16T20:20:00.005-04:00

Tim, this ones for you! Sorry I am late, uh make that very late, to the party...

So, you want to see my dice, huh? I had to do a bit of digging in the closet, but I managed to find all the dice I have been able to hold onto over the years. Let's begin with the random-ass dice from the 'catch-all' box:

Notice the Rune Dice by Flying Buffalo. I found the dice, but haven't seen the book that came with them for years, so I believe it is lost to time. I thought they were cool when I saw them, but I only gave them a roll maybe three or four time. Those were an impulse buy for sure. Also, I did not realize I still had the dice from the old HeroQuest game. I also have the minis and props from the game, but no longer seem to have the actual board. The other dice are from various other games, of which I have no idea what they might be. The wooden d6s have me puzzled more than any of the others...

OK, onto the more organized sets that I have, but mostly never use anymore:

It was cool walking down memory lane as I unboxed many of these sets for the first time in decades. My cherished set from the Moldvay Basic D&D set survived better than I ever would have imagined. Most of the crayon is even still in the numbers! This was the very first set of dice I ever owned. The blue precision dice next to these are the first set I actual chose for myself, and bought with my own money from my local game store. Hey, it was a big deal to me back then! I was also pleased to find the set that came out of the RuneQuest 3rd Edition box set. I actually hated these dice back in those days, so I never used them. I am actually thinking about inking them now, because I think they are kind of cool. The only one I can't say for sure belongs with this set is the orange d4.

The next picture kind of turns my stomach now:

Dragon Dice... why, oh why did I ever fall for this money pit of a f'ing game?! I can't tell you how much cash I dropped on this game. It makes my brain hurt to think about it! What is shown in the picture can't be all the Dragon Dice I bought either, so my brother or one of my buddies must have helped themselves to some. Is anyone out there still playing Dragon Dice? Or better yet, has anyone figured out a way to use these dice in their regular D&D game? I would love to find a way to put them to good use.

Next up, my copper and steel set:

I bought these dice for a Conan game I was playing in back in 2005 (I think that date is correct). If you haven't figured it out yet, I freely admit I have a dice fetish. I like to use dice that, to me, evoke the feel of the game. When I found these dice they screamed out sword & sorcery to me, so I had to have them. As for the gigantic metal dice, yeah I went there! They are GIANT METAL dice! What more needs to be said?!

Next, my go-to set that I have used for several years now:

There is no real reason I have chosen to use these over my copper and steel set. I just have. I guess I just needed a change. Not to mention that they are easy to read and have a nice look to them when they catch the light just right. The glass beads in the lower right corner have the same luminous colors as the dice, so they complement the set well. I have used these beads to keep track of various things during games. Here is this set ready to travel:

The next set I showed off earlier in the year:

Black GameScience precision dice with the numbers inked white. I like these dice a lot, and will probably make them my go-to set once I find a steady gaming group and have a regular game going again. To me, there is just something Zen-like to plain 'ol black dice with clean white numbers.

Last but not least, more GameScience dice:

These are 'diamond' with the numbers inked in black, and they are lined up in order in the pic. These are pretty dice, but tend to be a bit hard to read sometimes. This is almost a complete set of Zocchi dice. I am missing a d7, which I doubt I will ever bother to buy, and a d30, which I would love to have one that matches this set.

There you have it. Those are my dice. Like 'em? :-)

And to end this on the proper note, my name is Shane Mangus and I am a dice-oholic...

Twitter and Me

2011-08-06T08:14:00.002-04:00

I have had a Twitter account for around two years now, and I occurred to me the other day just how worthless it is. Or at least worthless to me. Or maybe I am just not using it to its fullest potential, which is most likely the case. At any rate, I am considering turning in my twit card and dropping my Twitter account all together. If you guys would like to talk me out of it, for whatever reason, I am all ears. If not, then expect it to quietly fade into the void within the next week.

[Music Mondays] Jex Thoth

2011-08-01T19:57:00.004-04:00

I have been listening to a lot, I mean A LOT, of Jex Thoth this past year. I have seen their music categorized as doom metal, but I feel this is a bit shortsighted. Yes, they do have a strong Black Sabbath influence, but their sound also has a deep psychedelic quality that sets them apart from many of the doom acts operating out on the musical landscape right now. I have read somewhere that Jex Thoth, lead singer of the band, refers to their music as "alchemical doom." Heavy guitars, spaced-out keyboards and Jex's haunting voice create an atmosphere that is lush and hypnotic, with just a touch of underlying menace thrown in for good measure. Help me, I have been bewitched and can't seem to quit listening to this band! On second thought, under no circumstances help me!

D&D Sacred Cows: Ability Scores

2011-07-31T20:51:00.004-04:00

I have been thinking about all the different components in D&D system, and I can't help but wonder what most people would considered "sacred cows" of the game? You know, the various elements of the system that would be considered game breakers if removed or changed.

Abilities (I prefer calling them attributes) are a good example of what I mean. Seeing the six of them listed together (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) is a clear indicator that the game is D&D. But does this mean they are hardwired into the system and if taken away, or altered, would this somehow change the game in a negative way? Would doing this make it something other than D&D?

Playing around with Microlite20 (M20) has me questioning their importance. M20 uses Strength, Dexterity and Mind, which seems obviously influenced by The Fantasy Trip. Personally, I really like this approach, and applaud the design choice to take a bold step toward simplicity. Some people add Charisma back into the scheme, but this is a point of debate in the M20 community. I can see using Charisma only if henchmen are a key element of the campaign, but if not, then there is no real need for it. But I digress...

So, I have given all of this a lot of thought, and here are the abilities I would use if I did decide to change them:

Body (BODY): Represents physical strength, toughness and overall health.
Mind (MIND): Represents reason, analytic thought and the ability to learn.
Prowess (PROW): Represents agility, hand-eye coordination and reaction speed.
Spirit (SPIR): Represents personality, ability to lead, intuition and strength of will.

Pointing out the obvious here, but I rolled Strength and Constitution into Body, changed Intelligence to Mind, as well as Dexterity to Prowess, and I rolled Wisdom and Charisma into Spirit.

So, what do you think? Do you like the abilities I have chosen? Would using these abilities change the game so much it would no longer "feel" like D&D? If you would change, or have changed, the standard array, which abilities would you choose to use?

Mail Call

2011-07-28T16:13:00.002-04:00

Last week I received something very cool in the mail from a reader of the Outer Dark, David Chandler; his soon to be published fantasy novel entitled, Den of Thieves. David had emailed me a few weeks back and asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy, and of course I was more than happy to do so. The book will be released on August 11th, by Harper Collins.

In his email, David revealed to me that he is a player in the New York Red Box group, is a longtime reader of my blog and from the sound of things he is a proud member of the Old-School Renaissance. Needless to say, he is my kind of guy! He had this to say about his book, "This is not fan fiction, nor the dreaded 'game company novel', but an original story. It is heavily inspired by the contents of Appendix N, most specifically Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar books." I read the prologue and chapter one last night, and though it is still very early, I can already see I am going to like the story. The main character is a thief named Malden "who had never set foot outside the city" in which the story takes place, the Free City of Ness. All in all, it looks like a fun read, and I will have a review of the book posted as soon as I finish reading it.

Thanks for the book, David!

My Results for the "The World’s Hardest Gary Gygax Quiz"

2011-07-27T17:04:00.001-04:00

Shane Mangus took the Hardest Gary Gygax Quiz in the World and got 100%!

You are a Gary Gygax Dungeon Master. You are a world expert on Gary Gygax. My guess is you are either a former TSR employee or an extremely obsessive fan. You can be proud of your in-depth knowledge - few are so expert in any subject! Also, I would like to be in your D&D group.

Paladin Code: You completed this quiz without using Google.

Happy 73rd Dungeon Master!

2011-07-27T11:45:00.003-04:00

Today would have marked the 73rd birthday of Gary Gygax. If only I could somehow give him a gift as large as the one he gave to me... Happy birthday, Dungeon Master!

[Music Mondays] Corvus Corax

2011-07-25T19:41:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I would like to share a few selections from German Neo-Medieval drum and bagpipe band, Corvus Corax. I am a longtime fan, and have used their music during my games on more than a few occasions. Their sound is firmly rooted in early music traditions, while also possessing a bombastic quality that is normally found in more modern musical genres, such as heavy metal. Their stage presence is an odd mix of medieval and Mad Max, with flamboyant costumes and hairstyles. Despite this, the groups's members have gone to great lengths to keep their sound authentically medieval as possible, even going so far as to handcraft their own instruments. Their live show looks to be a ton of fun, and I hope to be lucky enough to attend one someday.

Conan the Barbarian - When Blood Is Spilled (Red Band Clip)

2011-07-19T18:29:00.003-04:00

As most of us involved in the fantasy roleplaying hobby, I have been watching the production of the newest Conan movie with a keen eye. It has been a roller coaster of excitement and then disappointment as each new tidbit of information about the movie has been revealed. Though I have tried to stay optimistic about the film, I have to admit, I have been feeling a little underwhelmed by the previews released so far. Then I saw the clip I have embedded below, and for the first time in a while, a spark of hope sprang up in my heart again. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I am hoping this is a sign that the movie isn't a total wash...

[Music Mondays] Univers Zéro

2011-07-18T16:58:00.005-04:00

Univers Zéro is one of my all time favorite bands. There are many words I can use to describe their music; dark, brooding, beautiful, harrowing, intellectual, delicious and obscure all readily come to mind. Hailing from Belgium, Univers Zéro emerged from the Rock In Opposition movement during the mid-70s and are widely credited for being a seminal force within the genre. Sighting influences ranging from Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky, King Crimson and H.P. Lovecraft, their music is a combination of modern classical chamber music coupled with jazz, rock and even early music arrangements. Univers Zéro is not for everyone, and admittedly, is an acquired taste. Their music is challenging, which makes it that much more appealing to me. Tonight I have decided to share one song from each of their first three albums. Enjoy!

"Malaise" from the album 1313:

"Jack the Ripper" from the album Heresie:

"Dense" from the album Ceux du Dehors:

Congrats to Laird Barron

2011-07-17T19:57:00.002-04:00

I wanted to take a moment to send some positive vibes out to a friend of the Outer Dark, Laird Barron. The 2010 Shirley Jackson Award winners were announced, and Laird was lucky enough, or should I say talented enough, to have won two: the Single-Author Collection award for Occultation, and the Novella award for “Mysterium Tremendum.” Laird specializes in writing dark, creepy stories, and he is damn good at it. Do yourself a favor and buy some of his books. Your life will be better for it!

Crypts & Things Playtest Edition

2011-07-14T14:18:00.007-04:00

At the beginning of June I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the playtest version of Crypts & Things, being published by D101 Games. It is way too early to give a complete review of the game, but today I would like to share an overview of some of the things Crypts & Things will offer, as well as a few personal observations along the way.

I have had a few weeks to peruse the playtest files Newt Newport was kind enough to send my way, and overall I have a very positive feeling about the game. Crypts & Things (C&T from here) is a variant of the Swords & Wizardry (S&W) rules, fine tuned for dark sword & sorcery action. Though I have not had an opportunity to actually run a game of C&T, I can say with confidence that this is my favorite variant of the S&W rules I have read so far.

Here are a few things C&T will offer that sets the game apart (my personal comments are in brackets):

First, the game dials back the standard Tolkien influence found in most fantasy games, and ramps up the Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber influences. [Love it!]
To bring a strong sword & sorcery flavor, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings have been omitted from the game. Humans only for player characters. [This is the type of game I prefer, so I highly approve.]
A Barbarian character class has been added, which was inspired by a version of the class first published in White Dwarf magazine in 1977. [White Dwarf!!! 'Nuff said...]
Fighting styles have been included, which adds a way to help differentiate one Fighter from another.* [Anyone who has been paying attention will know that I have implemented my own version of this into my game, so Newt and I are on the same page here.]
The Magician class has been added, which replaces the Magic-User and Cleric.*
Magic has three flavors, White, Grey and Black.* Magic-User and Cleric spells are combined into a single spell list. There are no spells in the game above level 6, except Restoration, which is a 6th level spell in C&T. [I think this is a very sensible approach that reflects the sword & sorcery setting.]
Damage characters suffer in combat is handled through Hit Point (exhaustion and fatigue) and Constitution (actual life points) loss.* [This has been a long standing house rule of mine, so two big thumbs up!]
Casting spells causes exhaustion, so a number of Hit Points are lost depending on the spell level. The spell Cure Light Wounds only restores Hit Points and not Constitution loss.* [Once again, great minds think alike.]
No Vancian magic system, and spells can be cast as many times as a Magician desires.*
A Thief variant has been added, inspired by the Grey Mouser, so they will lean heavier on their fighting skills than Thieves normally seen in other games.* [Love it!]
Speaking of thieves, the rules state that every character in the game is essentially a rogue, so everyone has the ability to back stab, which means two damage dice are rolled when a successful attack from behind is performed.* [I love this rule!]
The ability to Turn Undead has been removed from the game, making undead much more powerful in C&T than seen in other fantasy games.
During character creation the player can roll on the Life Events chart, which will randomly generates important events that have occurred in the character's past. [I like this... ALOT!]
A Saving Throw mechanic is used to handle class skills in the game.* [Very cool!]
Sanity rules have been included, which boil down to Wisdom loss when mental damage and deterioration is suffered.* [This is a very easy and sensible way to handle sanity loss. I approve.]
The "Compendium of Fiends" has around 120 creatures, with about 60 of those being designed specifically for C&T.
A fully fleshed out sword & sorcery setting will be included in the book, which is "the dying world of Zarth."

This is just a taste of what C&T has to offer. Taken all together, I would say this is a very complete package. It is really hard for me not to like C&T, mainly because I have implemented many of the same rules, or something remarkably close, in my own game. Newt has taken an approach that is very close to my own vision of what I think a dark sword & sorcery game should be. I know this is just the playtest version, but already the game is coming together nicely and one I suspect the old-school community will enthusiastically embrace.

Final note, Newt asked me to mention that 90% of the alternate rules found in C&T are from Akrasia's OGL Sword & Sorcery house rules. These rules are marked with an asterisk (*) above.

[Poll] Facebook or Google+, Which Will You Use?

2011-07-13T10:21:00.004-04:00

There seems to be a new mayor running for office in Social Network Town. Google+ has thrown its hat into the ring, and wants to give Facebook a run for the title "Big Kahuna." Now that we have a choice, which will you be choosing as your social network of choice? Please take a moment and cast your vote for Facebook, Google+, both or neither. If there is a particular reason you have chosen one over the other, please share your reasoning. Thanks!

[Music Mondays] My Favorite Black Sabbath Album

2011-07-11T15:42:00.007-04:00

Looking back, 1980 was a very big year for me. I was eleven, and in that year I began playing Dungeons & Dragons, read The Hobbit for the first time, and discovered the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, by first reading "Rats In the Walls." It was also the year I began listening to Black Sabbath, having acquired an eight-track tape of their self-titled first album from my uncle!

I can't stress enough how influential this album was on my young imagination. To me, D&D, Lovecraft, Tolkien and Black Sabbath will forever be hardwired into the nostalgia-space of my psyche.

In future "Music Mondays" posts I doubt I will link to entire albums, but this is a special case. Black Sabbath is, in my opinion, a perfect album and it would be a crime to not include all of it's songs in this post.

[Music Mondays] Intro

2011-07-11T15:11:00.003-04:00

Since the birth of my daughter, I haven't had an opportunity to posts here on the Outer Dark as much as I would like. Even though I am a stay at home dad at the moment, I find that spare time is a hard thing to come by. When I do seem to find some extra time that can be spent working on game material or blogging, I am often just too drained to concentrate on getting anything done. It goes with the territory, I suppose...

One of the things I am able to do, even when tending to Ellie, is listen to some tunes. Music has become my main source of stress relief, and it helps me unwind. Not to mention, music has always been a source of never ending fuel for my imagination, just as gaming.

In an effort to jump start my blogging habits again, I am going to begin posting some of my musical picks each Monday, with posts aptly tagged "Music Mondays." My taste in music is very broad, but I have always gravitated toward progressive rock, as well as all the various sub-genres of doom music. I also have a penchant for instrumental music. In the end, it is hard to say what I will be inclined to post, but I hope you guys will find it entertaining.

The first post in this series to follow...

Mike Mearls on Minimalist D&D

2011-07-05T20:47:00.005-04:00

These past few weeks have left me with absolutely no time to devote to the blog, and I apologize for that. I would like to get back into the swing of things and share some of the stuff I have been working on in the spare time I have managed to find. No promises, but I will make a real effort to make this happen.

Anyway, back to the real reason I am posting today. I read Mike Mearls' new Legends & Lore article, "Minimalist D&D." The title alone drew me in, since I have been on a Microlite20/75 tear hereof late. First, let me say, I agree wholeheartedly with everything he says in this article. Personally, I think making ability scores the cornerstone of a character is essential. I also agree that ability checks can replace both saving throws and skills.

One thing I wanted to point out, which is obvious to almost everyone in the OSR, is that Castles & Crusades has been doing this for years! It is the main thing I love about C&C, and something I have ported over to other games. I am not quite sure why Mr. Mearls is presenting this game mechanic in his article as if it is something completely new. (Or at least that is how I read it) If he did not realize this fact, then I find that damn irritating. A manager for the Dungeons & Dragons research and development team at Wizards of the Coast should at least have had a look at the competition just to see what the "other guys" are doing. If he knew that C&C is designed around ability checks, then I find it even more irritating that he is rolling this out like he has had some kind of epiphany!

That's it. That's the only point I needed to make. If it sounds like I am being overly critical of Mearls' comments in his article, you are probably right. I am in an incredibly bad mood today. Anyway, now that I have that off my chest I feel a lot better!

DCC RPG Beta Rules: First Impressions

2011-06-08T21:30:00.003-04:00

I have been reading over the beta rules of Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game for about a week now. With the rules being released for public playtest, I feel I am free to go ahead and share some initial observations. Here are my first impressions, in no particular order of importance:

The Art Direction Is Inspired - it is hard to open the PDF of the rules and not have an opinion about the art, and the way the book is laid out. Joseph Goodman is credited as the art director for the book, and I must say that he is doing a hell of a job. The art is very old-school, and it makes me want to play the game! Peter Mullen's work is probably my standout favorite, but I feel all of the artists involved have done a fantastic job.
Race As Class Is In - I am not too thrilled with this. Even when I was a kid playing Moldvay Basic I gripped and questioned why demi-humans were handled as classes. I didn't like it then, and thirty years later I like it even less.
Dice, Dice and More Dice - this is going to be a sticking point with a lot of gamers. In the age of unified dice theory I am not so sure many people will be willing to go back to multiple dice conventions used in the same game. And not just that, but the game also uses Zocchi dice -- all of them! There is already an outcry of pain because DCC RPG uses percentile dice for thieving skills... Personally, I don't see anything wrong with this approach, but I would like to see the dice in play before offering my opinion.
Tables, Tables and Even More Tables - here again, this will make or break the game for some. DCC RPG is table heavy. There are tables involved in character creation, like how Luck affects you during your adventures. There are Critical Hit and Fumble tables for combat. There is a table for two-weapon fighting, and one for Turning Unholy. There is a table for Spell Duels and tables for various other things involving spells (Corruption, Spell Burn, etc.). Each Wizard and Cleric spell has a table of its own to determine how well the spell was cast, and the various things that might result. The beta rules only list the first level spells. Personally, I am not sure how I feel about this. Here again, I want to try playing the game, with all of its tables, before I decide if I like it or not.
Skills - being a d20-based game I expected a long list of skills, but I was wrong. Skills are mainly handled as Ability Checks, with the character's Ability Scores, Class and Occupation factoring in with bonuses to the check; a d20 is rolled, adjustments are factored in and a target number assigned by the game master must be beat. I like this, and it is basically the same way I handle skills in most all my games.
Classes - classes read like most any other game inspired by D&D. Each class seems to have a lot of flavor, and should be fun to play. I have already expressed my disappointment over seeing demi-humans handled as classes and not races...
Combat - I do not see a lot of complication involved with combat, but there is more to it than say Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry. Critical Hits and Fumbles are a big part of the game, each with tables. Also, there are Mighty Deeds of Arms, which allow Warriors to do cool stuff during battle. I haven't read too deep into this, but Mighty Deeds seem like a nice addition to the game without adding in the complications found with d20 Feats.

Well, that about covers it for now. I am sure I will have more to share as I look more closely at the game. So far, I really like what I am reading and it is a joy seeing the old-school art direction of the book. I really hope I have an opportunity to play the game soon, so I can post a proper playtest report here on the Outer Dark.

Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Open Playtest is Live!

2011-06-08T12:35:00.002-04:00

Grab your copy of Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game Beta Rules for Open Playtest now!

Dungeon Crawl Classic RPG Beta Rules Release Date Announced

2011-06-06T19:58:00.002-04:00

Joseph Goodman sent out an email this morning announcing that the public beta of Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game will be released Wednesday June 8th, so I am doing my part by helping spread the word. I am pretty excited about this announcement, as I am sure it will open a floodgate of opinions and reviews on the game as it stands right now. It will be interesting to see what people think, and to read the gameplay reports as they are posted. I am sure this game will not be for everyone, but I have a feeling it will have a strong following. Personally, I can't wait to try the game out for myself.

Playtest Madness

2011-06-03T15:27:00.009-04:00

This week, I have been fortunate enough to receive playtest copies of two games I have been following very closely these past few months. I am very excited to have gotten my grimy hands on both of these games, and hopefully will find time in the near future to try them both out.

The first is the "beta draft" of Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, being produced by Goodman Games. DCC RPG is a d20 variant that is being designed to emulate the Appendix N suggested reading list from the Dungeon Masters Guide for 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Everything I have seen and read is a strong indication that Joseph Goodman has succeeded in this goal. The public beta version of the game will become available on June 18th, which is Free RPG Day.

The other is Crypts & Things, from D101 Games. C&T is a Swords & Wizardry variant, tailor made for dark sword & sorcery adventure, a genre that is very close to my heart. Newt Newport has told me his biggest influences for this project have been Clark Ashton Smith and Michael Moorcock. Reading through the rules and setting ("the dying world of Zarth") it is obvious that Newt has a real love for the genre, and is well on his way to publishing a great game.

In the coming days, time willing, I would like to share more information about both of these games and hopefully have a couple of playtest reports for everyone.

[Rant] Lovecraft Appears on Supernatural... Well, Not Really

2011-05-25T09:05:00.008-04:00

Earlier in the week I had a chance to finally watch the episode of Supernatural that introduced H.P. Lovecraft to the ongoing Winchester Brothers saga, entitled "Let It Bleed" (season 6/episode 21). I should tell you right up front, I had some serious problems with the show and was left terribly disappointed, to say the least. Also, if you decide to read further, I should warn you there are spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk.

From Wikipedia, here is the synopsis of this episode:

Crowley has Lisa and Ben kidnapped as a warning to Dean not to meddle in his plans. The brothers summon Balthazar for help but to no avail. Their investigation takes them and Bobby to the world of H.P. Lovecraft, who supposedly wrote a manuscript describing Purgatory shortly before his death. They discover that Lovecraft invited guests for a first-hand look into another dimension during a dinner party, where all of them eventually ended up dead or insane. Sam begs Castiel for help, who is enraged that Crowley threatened Dean with his loved ones. Balthazar meets with Castiel and tells him that he knows that he is in league with Crowley, but agrees to help Castiel to the end. Castiel saves Bobby speaks with the sole survivor of the Lovecraft party back in 1937 to know more details, but inadvertently finds out that the old man's mother is Ellie Visyak (who Dean acquired the dragon-slayer sword from back in "Like a Virgin"), who is actually immortal and originated in Purgatory. She explains to Bobby that she fell through the cracks from the opening of dimensions and has been hiding out on Earth ever since. She refuses to tell Bobby how to open the gate to Purgatory or accept his help to protect her. Meanwhile, the brothers get help from Balthazar who teleports them to where Lisa and Ben are held. While the brothers are split up, Sam is knocked out while Dean fights his way to Lisa and Ben. He discovers that Lisa is possessed by a demon who stabs her body to convince Dean to stop the exorcism spell. However, Dean is undeterred and exorcises the demon. He then carries Lisa all the way outside and reunites with Sam and the group heads for hospital. Castiel arrives to heal a dying Lisa. Castiel never wanted her nor her son involved. Dean then asks for another favor and Castiel also wipes clean all memories of Dean from them. Dean although grateful for his act remains unchanged about Castiel's goal. Later, Ellie prepares to leave her safehouse but Castiel arrives and captures her.

First off, I want to state up front that I have been a BIG fan of Supernatural from the very beginning, with my enthusiasm for the show only waining about halfway through season four (but that is another story for another time and place). The way I see it, the show has been something of a "tribute band" for all the great horror movies and literature that came before it, and overall I feel the writers have done a fine job being respectful of their influences. This is one of the big reasons I consider myself a fan. In this regard, the show has excelled... until now that is! And for me, they chose the wrong time and subject matter to play fast and loose with. The way they handled the character and history of H.P. Lovecraft was uninformed and, in my opinion, shameful. And again, disappointing!

The show opens with Lovecraft himself sitting at his typewriter typing away. The date flashes across the screen, March 15, 1937; the date of Lovecraft's death. As the scene progresses, we are shown that Lovecraft is working on "The Haunter of the Dark," which is entirely inaccurate. This is where things start going downhill for me. Every source I could find states that "The Haunter in the Dark" was written in November of 1935. This inaccuracy could be forgiven if the show did not portray this as the last story written by Lovecraft (just before the dismemberment of his body)...

Next, it is revealed that Lovecraft apparently likes to have a slug of whiskey when he is scared and stressed out. AGAIN, wrong on all accounts! Lovecraft was quite clear on his attitude towards alcohol, which he completely abstained from. Here is what S.T. Joshi wrote in A Dreamer and a Visionary: Lovecraft In His Time:

One has to wonder why Lovecraft became so obsessed with temperance. He himself was fond of declaring that ‘I have never tasted intoxicating liquor, and never intend to’. When he remarks that ‘I am nauseated by even the distant stink of any alcoholic liquor’, one is reminded of his extreme aversion to seafood, and cannot help wondering whether some event in infancy or boyhood triggered this severe physiological and psychological response.

Now, to be fair, I realize this information might not be common knowledge, even for those who have a passing interest in H.P. Lovecraft. I am not sure where I originally read about Lovecraft's disdain of alcohol, but I always figured this was a no-brainer, with his prudish ways and attitude toward life in general. For the quote provided above, I reached out to my friend Andrea Bonazzi, who has many of the Joshi written biographies of Lovecraft I do not own (thank you Andrea!). But, I feel this helps illustrate the point of this whole rant. I knew just enough to realize that I needed to do a bit of fact checking before I wrote this post. Why didn't the writers of Supernatural do the same?! Their handling of "Lovecraft the man" was careless, which can only be characterized as shameful, in my opinion.

And there is more! The straw that broke the camel's back was when the character, Ellie Visyak (the entity that came through the dimensional door from Purgatory, so I guess that makes her the Haunter of the Dark), makes this statement about Lovecraft: "Please, that guy couldn't even write hello!" Now, if I have overreacting about everything else, surely I cannot be blamed for my outrage over this one! As I stated before, by my estimation, the writers of Supernatural have always tried to pay proper homage to their influences, and have given proper respect to the subject matter and the roots of the genre. This is why I am so frustrated over their handling of H.P. Lovecraft. After seeing the episode, I am not even sure why they used Lovecraft as a character at all? None of the elements from "The Haunter of the Dark" were used; no Church of Starry Wisdom, or avatar of Nyarlathotep. What I would have given to see the Winchesters face off against the modern day cult and have to hijack the Shining Trapezohedron! I feel there was a real opportunity here that was completely missed...

The episode really comes off as name dropping just for the sake of name dropping. The entire scene with Lovecraft lasts less than three minutes, and in truth could have been written without his inclusion and the story would not have suffered in the least. Other than the mentioning of a dimensional gateway, the episode has no real Lovecraftian elements and is practically devoid of existential/cosmic horror. At least by my estimation. And to top it all off, they felt the need to slight a man who is by all accounts considered a master and founding father of modern horror literature. The flagrant disrespect is staggering!

Two Years and Counting!

2011-05-20T17:47:00.007-04:00

Today marks the two year anniversary for the Outer Dark! And what a year it has been. Looking back on things, I am surprised I was able to get any blogging done at all! I moved to a new city, lost my grandfather, I got engaged and then married, and my wife gave birth to our baby girl. Wow, I am tired! :-)

But I did publish quite a few posts this past year, which mostly dealt with the design and writing of Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying. This is a project that started out as a Labyrinth Lord supplement, but after writing about 80 pages of the book and spending quite a lot of time reflecting on the whole thing, I decided to take a break and put the project to the side, which I did mainly because something just didn't sit well with me about what I had written. When Goblinoid Games released Realms of Crawling Chaos I began to ask myself if the Labyrinth Lord community really needed this supplement? The answer I heard echoing back at me was, no.

I am glad to report that the Sword & Sanity RPG is not dead... but it is dreaming, and soon will rise again in a new form! The time away from the book has allowed me a fresh perspective, and a slightly different approach as well. The game will still be viewed as an old-school RPG, but I have taken a different direction with some of the design elements of the game, so I don't think it will be classified as a retro-clone. Let's call it a tribute to classic D&D, seasoned to taste. The one thing I can report right now is that one of the new design goals is to keep the page count very spartan. This game will be lean and mean. I have had quite a bit of exposure to Microlite20 and Mini Six this past year, and I very much like the format of these games. I want it to be a complete game, while maintaining a very minimalist page count. I will begin sharing much more on this in the coming weeks.

Another highlight for me this past year was interviewing artist Andrea Bonazzi. This interview is in the top three most viewed posts I have published thus far, and that makes me very happy! Andrea deserves as much publicity as possible. I feel he is an unsung hero of the Lovecraftian community, and I am very proud to have developed a friendship with him.

A more recent post announced the partnership I have formed with another online friend and fellow blogger, Sean Robson. Together we have formed Hopeful Monster Creations, which is our ambitious, and grossly undermanned, game publishing alliance. We have a lot of cool ideas, which cannot get written soon enough. A couple of projects we have already discussed: Sean has been busy working on Megadungeon!, which is now in playtest, and I have offered up a reference screen for the 4C System. I am sure the four or five folks on the planet who play 4C (which is a shame, because I personally like the system) will appreciate my effort. I am sure I will have much more to report on the Hopeful Monster front very soon.

Another super big post for me this past year was publishing my Advanced Labyrinth Lord Screen. I first published it via Scribd, but soon discovered that Scribd had moved away from free file hosting to charging customers to view archived documents, so I switched all my downloads to Google Docs. If my information is correct, between the downloads logged on Scribd and those from Google Docs, the screen has been downloaded over 1000 times since it was published. Not bad for a niche product for a niche game! :-) In hindsight, maybe I should have put a small price tag on this screen. It would have been a better fundraiser than selling t-shirts and mugs! Live and learn, and all that...

Finally, as I look back on this past year another proud moment for me was commissioning Chris Huth to illustrate a piece for the Sword & Sanity RPG. I think his illustration speaks for itself, and I couldn't have been happier with the final product.

So, there it is. If doomsday comes and goes, and we all live to see another year, you can expect a whole lot more coming from the Outer Dark. My thanks to all those who stop in and read my stuff from time to time. I really do appreciate it!

DCC RPG Free RPG Day Adventure Starter "Advanced Look"

2011-05-19T18:06:00.003-04:00

Tuesday morning I checked my email and found a surprise waiting for me from Joseph Goodman. Besides a nice note saying something about "an advance look at our Free RPG Day module," the email had a PDF of the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Free RPG Day Adventure Starter (cover art shown above) attached! Joseph, you made my week, man!

Unfortunately, I have not been privy to the playtest rules that have been introduced at various gaming conventions these past few months, but looking over this introductory pair of adventures I can say that I am excited as hell to get my hands on the upcoming beta rules that will soon be released! According to Joesph the beta rules are in a “race to the finish”, and Goodman Games is "hoping to release them a couple days before Free RPG Day." I can't wait!

Looking over the adventures, there are two contained within the adventure starter: The Portal Under the Stars (Level 0-1), by Joseph Goodman and The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad (Level 5), by Harley Stroh. Both are well written, and seem like they are going to be a ton of fun. I really like the art direction Goodman has taken with DCC RPG. The artwork hearkens back to the game's pulp roots, as well as the roots of the hobby, and it makes me want to play the game. There are several full page panels that showcase fantastic pieces by Jim Roslof and Peter Mullen. The hand drawn maps illustrated by Doug Kovacs are inspired, in my opinion. Not to mention the great cover by Mr. Kovacs.

It is apparent to me that Goodman has pulled out all the stops here, and is setting a precedent with this Free RPG Day adventure starter. If this is a sign of things to come then it looks like DCC RPG is going to be a huge hit. If ever there was a time for this kind of game I feel this is the time. And I am saying this without having played the game. I can be a hard person to impress, especially when it come to games. So far, color me impressed!

1PDC2011 Winners Announced

2011-05-18T11:09:00.004-04:00

Alex Schröder has posted the list of this year's winners of the 2011 One Page Dungeon Contest. Quickly, here is that list:

Meckwick’s Revenge by Aaron Frost & Mundi King = Best Dungeon as Thunderdome
Into the Worm’s Gullet by Dyson Logos = Best Old-School Dungeon
The Bastion of the Boglings by Greg Gillespie = Best Monster Lair
Hallways of Thime by Herwin Wielink = Best Map Art
Raid on Chinatown by Jason Morningstar = Best Gangster
The Heart of the Minotaur by Joe Sarnowski = Best Twist to an Adventure
Horror Comes to Haddonfield by Kelvin Green = Best Horror
Hanging in Wolverine City by Leslie Furlong = Best Investigation
Escape From the Lost Laboratories by Lester Ward = Best Use of Teleportation
The Belly of the Beast by Mike Monaco = Best Bio-Crawl
Crime and Punishment by Paul Cunningham = Best Science Fiction
Vermin Hollow by Rob = Best Evil Cult
Citadel of Evil by Stuart Robertson = Best Design
Another Knight Like This by Thom Wilson = Best Solo
Black Tom Muddye’s Treasure Map by Tim Hartin = Best Pirate

As a cursory note, I am glad to say that I am the judge who dubbed The Belly of the Beast by Mike Nonaco "Best Bio-Crawl." Just sayin'. :-)

My Thoughts On Designing a One Page Adventure

2011-04-23T07:20:00.005-04:00

Of all the things to come out of the roleplaying blog community I would say that the concept of the one page adventure* is my favorite. I think it exemplifies the do-it-yourself attitude this community has come to be recognized for. I have never been a big fan of modules for some reason, but I am a huge fan of one page adventures. This is why I am a great supporter of the One Page Dungeon Contest (1PDC), and I was more than pleased to participate as a judge in this year's competition.

Something I thought would be helpful, especially to future participants, is to share a few thoughts on what I personally look for when judging a one page adventure. The comments that will follow are, of course, my opinions, and I am sure not everyone will agree with everything I say. We all have different expectations from games and gaming supplements, so having said that, I still hope this post will be viewed as helpful.

So, without further ado, here are a few things I think are important design elements for any one page adventure:

Design Your Entry to Be As Complete As Possible

There were several entries I had to judge this year that were not complete adventures, and as such, I had to all but disqualify them. No matter how nice a diagram or map may be, if there isn't some sort of additional corresponding adventure details included on the page, then I am afraid the entire point of the design was missed. Why spend hours creating a lavishly illustrated map or diagram and fail to include the most important element, which is the actual adventure? The most basic design goal of any one page adventure that is submitted to the 1PDC is that it must be a complete adventure, and be able to be played at the game table with little additional design effort from the Game Master running the game.

Your Design Should Be As User Friendly As Possible

One-pagers submitted to the 1PDC are supposed to be designed to be used by others, so keep the text and layout of the page as simple and clear as possible. This is easier said than done. It is very easy to get carried away with dense background text and small fonts to help fit everything on the page. Find ways to breakup the text, and make finding important information easy to spot. Embolden, highlight or use different colored text to make these important details pop off the page. Keep background details flavorful, but also keep them brief. The easier it is to read and use a one page adventure, the better chance it will be viewed as a great design, and as a potential winner.

One Page Adventures Should Be Self-Contained

The whole idea behind a one-pager is to present a complete adventure on one side of a single sheet of paper. I think I am stating the obvious here. But you would be surprised how many of the entries had links to outside sources to help fill in the blanks for additional information. For personal use I see no problem with this at all, and I might be splitting hairs with this suggestion, but for the scope of the 1PDC I feel this is an important point. If part of the design of your one page adventure requires additional information from an outside source then you might want to consider another entry for the contest.

Write Your One Page Adventure for Others, and Not Just for Yourself

When presenting a one-pager that others will be using, and judging, I feel it is important for all of the background information to be as complete and clear to the reader as possible. Avoid including information that is so personal that it comes across as confusing to others. Its like telling an inside joke to a perfect stranger. For the scope of the 1PDC, I suggest only presenting generic information and text that is easily understood by the average gamer.

Simple Concept Is King

When designing a one page adventure you must be able to convey a lot of detailed information in a very limited amount of space. Keeping the concept behind the adventure simple and straightforward is important for this very reason. If the concept is too grand then chances are you will never truly capture the entire essence of that concept on a single sheet of paper, and attempting to do so will only result in frustration on your part as a designer, or on the part of others as readers of your entry. Try to be as laser-focused as possible when developing the concept behind a 1PDC entry. In the end, avoid trying to be too clever or too complex, and just concentrate on a straightforward, clean concept. I think it will result in a much stronger overall design.

Everything Old Can Be New Again

It is tough trying to come up with a concept that is entirely fresh and new, but this shouldn't deter anyone from taking an old concept and trying to present it in a new light. A great way to set your 1PDC entry apart from all the others is to do just this. Even a simple dungeon crawl can be spruced up by adding unexpected twists and turns, or by looking at the design from a different angle. But, as stated above, keep the complexity of your concept simple. The trick is to not over conceptualize things, and to strike a nice balance between being straightforward and being innovative.

Don't Be Afraid To Think Outside the Box

The one thing I wish the 1PDC had was a different name. I feel that One Page Adventure Contest would be more appropriate, as the scope of the contest is not limited to just dungeon crawls. It is nice to see submissions with concepts that step outside of the confines of the contest's name. The one page adventure concept is broad enough that it can be applied to any genre you can imagine. Also, do not feel you are limited to creating just an adventure that revolves around a single location or event either. Some of my favorite entries read more like one page campaigns, and provide the blueprint for countless adventures over a long period of time. In the end, design your one-pager with any concept or scope you feel is appropriate.

The Devil Is In the Details

Despite the limited amount of space, it is possible to present a flavor packed adventure when creating a one page adventure. Including small details like non-player character concepts, lists of rumors and tables for random events and wandering monsters can make a huge difference in the design of a one page adventure. Choose your words carefully, and try to pack as much flavor into them as possible, without inflating the word count. Details like these can change a one-pager from being seen as "just another dungeon crawl" into something unique and special. Above, I said the overall concept of a one page adventure should be kept simple and straightforward; I am also saying the details added should be as rich and lavish as possible. These flavorful details can be the game changer, and win the contest for you.

Nice Maps Are Important, But They Will Not Always Win the Contest for You

OK, this is purely my opinion, but I think it needs to be stated. Not everyone involved in the 1PDC has the ability to create the perfect map. I say, who cares? But don't get me wrong here. Maps are an important element to any adventure. They can also provide the "wow factor" that can set your entry apart from the others. I do not want to downplay their importance at all, I am just saying that they do not have to be perfect little works of art to win the contest. When creating a map that corresponds with your adventure just make sure it is neatly presented, can be clearly read and is keyed properly. There are plenty of free mapping tools available out on the 'net, so there is really no reason a decent map can't be rendered for you one-pager. In the end, just do the best you can and make up for any shortcomings with the other details you add to your overall design.

Just Do It

I guess the last and most important piece of advice I can give is to just get out there and create. You never know just how good of a one page adventure you can design until you actually get you hands dirty and design one. This was the attitude I had when I decided to create my own entry for last year's contest, Raid on Black Goat Wood. I had never attempted to design a one-pager before, and it turned out to be a bit more work than I had imagined it would be. But it was also fulfilling as well. Especially when I started getting feedback from others.

Well, that about covers it I suppose. I am sure I will think of other things I should have added or said, but I think I highlighted the things I feel are most important. I just hope this post will be useful to future participants in the 1PDC.

* I use the term "one page adventure" and not "one page dungeon" to help broaden the focus of this post, as not all one-pagers, even those submitted to the 1PDC, can be seen strictly as dungeons.

[1PDC20011] My Top Picks

2011-04-22T10:46:00.003-04:00

So last night I finished up going over all the entries for this year's One Page Dungeon Contest, and I got my top picks turned into Alex. For those interested, here they are (in no particular order):

Citadel of Evil, by Stuart Robertson - I am calling this "Most Creative Design" or just "Best Design" - I am going out on a limb here and picking this as my standout favorite.
Raid on Chinatown, by Jason Morningstar - I am dubbing this "Best Gangster" - very detailed and creative.
Crime and Punishment, by Paul Cunningham - "Best Sci-fi" - this is just an all around great entry, with TONS of useful detail.
Into the Worm's Gullet, by Dyson Logos - "Best Old-School Dungeon" - great design, great map.
Horror Comes to Haddonfield, by Kelvin Green - "Best Horror" or "Best Ravenloft Tribute" - I am a sucker for horror, and I felt this was a well designed horror adventure.
Clockwork Invasion - Uraniborg, by Justin Colussy-Estes - "Best Alt-History" - I really liked this one, and felt it was a total package.
The Slums of the Desert City of Barb-el-Shay, by Ravi Shankar - "Best Non-Traditional Fantasy" or "Best Urban Map" - beautiful presentation, and nicely written.
Black Tom Muddye's Treasure Map, by Tim Hartin - "Best Pirate" or "Best Treasure Map" - this looks like it would be a ton of fun to play!

I rated each entry from 1 to 5 in both Function (mainly how easily it would be to use the 1PD at the game table) and Design (layout, graphics, overall presentation), and then took the average to come up with an Overall score. These eight entries were the only ones on my list to all score above 4 in the Overall rating, which made them my top picks. The category titles are mine, and are subject to change as other judges suggest their own titles and we all hash everything out.

If your entry is not on my list, please do not be disappointed. I had over 30 entries that scored at least a 4 out of 5 in the final Overall rating, so there is a LOT of good stuff to be found in this year's contest, but sadly I could not include them all on my final list. I urge those who haven't to take a look for themselves, as I am positive everyone will find at least one entry that will be of use to them at the game table.

Also, I want to let all those who submitted an entry into this year's contest know that I am willing to share my thoughts and opinions of all the entries directly with each of you, so just email me (psmangus at gmail dot com) to let me know if you are interested. I tried to be as objective as possible while judging the entries, and any criticism I might have will be constructive, and I hope helpful.

Over the next week or so all the judges will be corresponding back and forth, and we will take all the top picks and whittle them down to the final winners. It will be interesting to see the final list and who comes out on top.

Update

2011-04-21T11:58:00.004-04:00

This past week has been a blur, to say the least. It has felt like Steph and I were trapped inside a gigantic baby delivery machine, as the gears of the hospital turned and pushed us from one room to the next, and a never ending staff of baby technicians poked, prodded and probed all the livelong day. Getting home from the hospital and into our own bed was a relief. We are all finally settling in and starting to get some rest, and little Ellie is already sleeping through most of the night. So all is well here on the home front.

On the gaming front, I have been busy reviewing the entries for this year's One Page Dungeon Contest. Today is the deadline for the judges to have their picks turned in to Alex, and it looks like I should be able to meet that deadline with no problem.

One thing I have realized during this judging process is how particular I am when it comes to what I expect from an adventure write-up, especially when it is limited to a single page. I strongly believe there are certain basic things that must be present in the design of a one-pager to be considered useful, and more importantly, complete. Before the end of the week I would like to dedicate a blog post to my thoughts on this, and try to offer up some advice that might help future participants in the 1PDC. More on this in a day or two...

She Is Here!

2011-04-12T21:01:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce to the world that my wife, Stephanie, and I are now proud parents of a newborn baby girl! Her name is Eleanor "Ellie" Grey Mangus, and she was born 4/11/2011 at 4:48 PM. She came into the world an odd shade of purple, and in twenty-four hours has mutated into a little strawberry!

Seeing Ellie in my wife's arms fills my heart with pure love. I never dreamed in a million years I would someday be a dad, so Steph has given me the perfect little gift, and I will always love her for it.

I never thought I could be this exhausted and excited all at the same time! Must... find a way... to sleep now...

Wow, Nine Months Went By Fast!

2011-04-07T21:23:00.004-04:00

Some of you may or may not know, but my wife and I are expecting and the official due date is April 12th. Time has flown by, and we are down to the wire. My daughter will be here any day now!

I realize my posts have been at a snail's pace these past couple of month. This is mainly due to preparations for the new addition to our family. I do not expect things will pick up any time soon. As a matter of fact, I can guarantee I will have even less time to dedicate to the Outer Dark, or to Hopeful Monster Creations in the very near future. But I hope to keep plugging along on a couple of projects I have brewing when I find the time, so please be patient if things go quiet for a bit.

Once I power through sleepless nights and the shock of being a new dad, I hope to come back with a new found enthusiasm, and be able to get to the business of finishing up the adventure setting I am working on, as well trying to get my Sword & Sanity rules finally published as well. Sean Robson, my Hopeful Monster partner, and I have been busy brainstorming quite a lot lately. I believe we have come up with some unique and interesting product ideas that we would like to develop, and eventually offer up to the gaming community. The trick now is to find the time to get beyond the research and development stage, and make these games a reality. Please be patient in the interim. I promise lots of productivity in the not so far away future.

1PDC2011 Deadline - Time's Up!

2011-03-31T21:32:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks like the submission's deadline for this year's One Page Dungeon Contest is now past us, and there are over 60 entries! Over the next few weeks me and six other judges will be looking over all these entries, and individually we will each be compiling a list of our top picks. The interesting part of the judging process will be creating categories as we go, like "best monster," "best crypt," "best old-school adventure" or "best Cthulhu." There are no set categories, so keeping things open like this means there is a real no holds barred attitude behind many of the submissions. I have looked over several already and I am very impressed with the creativity being shown. This is not going to be an easy task, but I am going to have a lot of fun picking my favorites. I am sure I will have more to report, as soon as I find out just how much I am able to share.

1PDC2011 Deadline Reminder

2011-03-28T09:18:00.002-04:00

Just a quick reminder this morning that the submissions deadline for this year's One Page Dungeon Contest is April 1st, 0:00 GMT. You only have a few more days left, so put the last spit and polish on your entry and get it turned in on time. Good luck!

The Monster Is Loose!

2011-03-24T09:38:00.003-04:00

I have a pretty big announcement that involves a new partnership, as well as a new blog. Go here to find out more: Hopeful Monster Creations

Go Figure!

2011-03-22T21:40:00.002-04:00

I write like
H. P. Lovecraft

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

My Message to the OSR

2011-03-11T09:21:00.007-05:00

To all my OSR comrades, I just wanted to share this bit of wisdom:

"...when dogma enters the brain, all intellectual activity ceases." —Robert Anton Wilson, Cosmic Trigger 1: Final Secret of the Illuminati

This statement can be applied to the game we play, as well as the scene we are actively, or for some, are inactively part of. Never allow anyone to tell you that you are doing it wrong! No company, group or individual has ownership of The Game, no matter what game that may be. Rules are written for the game table, not for style of play, or pattern of thought. Rules are created as guidelines, and they are made to be broken. Even those rules that somehow take shape, because some have convinced themselves that there is only 'one true way.' And as a reminder to myself, never allow anyone to get in the way of your fun. It is only a game, and that is the whole point! Stop playing if you ever decide it is no longer fun...

If the above quote did not move you, please consider another in relation to our game, as well as our community (supplant "D&D game" with "OSR" as needed to help make my point):

"the D&D game has no rules, only rule suggestions. No rule is inviolate, particularly if a new or altered rule will encourage creativity and imagination. The important thing is to enjoy the adventure." —Tom Moldvay, from the foreword of Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Adventure Game Basic Rulebook

Remembering the Dungeon Master

2011-03-04T21:26:00.004-05:00

Ernest Gary Gygax

July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008

March 4th has been bittersweet for those of use who lost Gary Gygax three years ago. It is a day to mourn, but it is also a day to remember. I have been playing Dungeons & Dragons in one form or another since 1980. The Game has been a constant source of entertainment, stimulation, joy and illumination for me from the very moment it came into my life. Gary Gygax is seen as the father of roleplaying games, and he is a hero to me and millions of other people across the globe. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet the man, but if I had I would have shook his hand and thanked him for the gift he gave to me. I do not have the words to express the debt I owe Mr. Gygax, so I will leave you with a few words of his own...

"I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else." — Gary Gygax

One Page Dungeon Contest 2011 Announced

2011-02-28T19:22:00.003-05:00

Just a quick heads-up for those who have not heard, this year's One Page Dungeon Contest has been announced. I will not be participating as a dungeoneer this year, but as a judge. I am really looking forward to this, and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. I urge everyone to get their creative juices flowing, and design the hell out of a dungeon for this year's contest.

The deadline for entries has been set for April 1st, 0:00 GMT, and the winners will be announced on May 16th, 0:00 GMT. It is still a bit early to discuss prizes, but if the previous years are any indication I am sure the prizes will be pretty sweet. If anyone reading has prizes to donate to the contest or would like to participate as a judge, please contact Alex Schroeder (kensanata@gmail.com).

Poll Closed, Looks Like Zocchi Dice Are In... Barely

2011-02-21T13:15:00.004-05:00

This one was closer than I had anticipated. I wanted to find out if including the use of so called 'Zocchi dice' in a game would be viewed as a good thing or as a bad game design decision. The votes are in, and it looks like those who voted "Yes, I like the idea of getting to use an array of cool, funky dice!" won... but just barely, with 24 votes (24%). While those whose voted "No, I would rather not play this type of game! Using all these dice will make the game more complicated and cost me more down the road." came in with 20 votes (20%).

I would be inclined to call this one a tie, especially with 15% of the votes being, "Zocchi dice? Who needs 'em? I will make due with the dice I have.", and 13% being, "Well, kind of... It seems like a fun idea, but I'm not thrilled about having to drop the extra cash."

Some of the comments people left were pretty interesting, and good arguments were raised on both sides of the issue. Personally, I have a soft spot for dice, and I would like to play a game that uses Zocchi dice, but only if they were implemented in a way that brought something cool to the game. If the use of these dice does not make sense or feels ham-fisted in any way then I would not be interested.

Also, if I were the game designer I would not include the use of either the d7 or the d14. The reason for this is that, as far as I can figure, there is no easy way to simulate them unless you have the actual dice. Other Zocchi dice can be simulated using a standard dice array and a bit of creativity.

An example: A d16 roll is required, and an actual d16 is not available. Simply, roll a d8 as the primary dice, and any other dice (say a d6) as the secondary. This second dice is read as odd or even, with odd representing low (1-8) and even representing high (9-16). So, if you roll an 8 and the secondary dice is an odd number you count the result as an 8. If the secondary dice is even then the result is counted as a 16.

This same technique can be applied to any other Zocchi dice, except a d7 and a d14. Even a d30 can be simulated with a d10 as the primary dice and a d6 as the secondary. In this case the d6 is rolled, with 1-2 (low) representing a result of 1-10, 3-4 (medium) representing a result of 11-20 and 5-6 (high) representing 21-30.

As you can see it would take a bit of practice to run this type of game smoothly without the required Zocchi dice, especially for new players. It is altogether possible, but there would be a bit of a learning curve, even for experienced players. Eventually, if a game requires these dice to play, the players will want to buy them instead of wrestling with the added complication of not having them. This means there is an added investment for the player, which in this age of gaming ADD, not to mention the way our global economy is at the moment, might lead potential gamers to decide it might not be worth it in the end.

Sorcery & Super Science! is out now, and Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG will probably be released this year. Both games use Zocchi dice. I am very interested to see what people think about these games, especially after playing them for an extended amount of time. It will be interesting to see if folks will tend to house-rule the use of Zocchi dice out of the game, or if the trend will be to stick to the rules as written.

[Poll] To Zocchi or Not to Zocchi?

2011-02-14T11:24:00.003-05:00

I am wondering how many out there will be picking up a set of Zocchi precision GameScience dice now that more games (Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG and Sorcery & Super Science! to name a couple) are being designed to specifically use them? I believe it is a fun design decision to include Zocchi dice (d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24) in the mechanics of a game, but I wonder how popular this will be and will it turn potential players off of a game because they will ultimately have to spend a few extra dollars buying more dice? And before anyone brings it up, I realize there are ways around using actual Zocchi dice, but it is my opinion that eventually this might get tedious and a real set will eventually be desired. Please take a moment and cast your vote.

[Mapping] Useful Brush Collection

2011-02-12T19:13:00.004-05:00

As we all know, making custom maps for our games can be a pain in the ass at times. This past year I have come to rely on GIMP for all my mapping needs. It is easy to use, provides just enough utility to get the job done and most importantly it is free. Something I am always on the lookout for is various fiddly bits (brushes, textures, fonts, etc.) I can use with GIMP to help make my maps look visually appealing and hopefully somewhat professional looking.

This afternoon I ran across a veritable treasure trove of useful brushes that will offer endless potential to the do-it-yourself cartographer. These brushes were created by Chris Wahl, and he has been gracious enough to offer up all of them for free. I have to say, I have looked at hundreds of brush collections for Photoshop/GIMP, and very few have come close to looking this attractive. And if they did, they were not free.

I went there looking for a cross hatching brush, and I am glad to say that I found a lot more to boot. So, I am just helping spread the word that Chris is sharing the wealth. For those who download this collection, take a moment and leave a comment on Chris' blog to let him know he is appreciated. Enjoy!

THIS Makes Me Want to Play DCCRPG!

2011-02-07T17:12:00.001-05:00

The Science Is In the Dice

2011-02-04T09:31:00.003-05:00

Behold! My newest set of GameScience precision dice in all their glory!

For those looking to bolster their old-school gaming cred, I suggest you get your hands on a set of these dice. Don't believe me? See what Colonel Louis Zocchi has to say about it:

A good source I found for buying GameScience dice is the Comic Lair. They have very reasonable prices, even for the dice they offer that have the numbers hand painted, and they ship their orders very quickly. I couldn't have been more happy with their service!

Quick Update

2011-02-03T18:23:00.008-05:00

I know it has been a little quiet here on the Outer Dark this past week. I have been taking a break from writing and blogging as I try to decide what my next move is. Just to keep everyone in the loop, here are a few things I have been working on, and things I might be working on soon...

I made a minor change to the blog graphics this afternoon and put the header Dave Carson designed for me back in place. Dave is a great artist and an all around cool guy. I feel privileged that he has allowed me to use a few of his images here on my tiny corner of the 'net. If I haven't said it enough, thanks Dave!

I have taken the Zazzle storefront widget down for the time being. It is not fair of me to ask folks to help in a fund raising effort when I cannot say for sure where those funds will be allocated. Once I have a clear direction for myself I may open the storefront once again. For those that took the plunge and bought some items, I appreciate it more than I can ever convey.

So, what is my plan now? I have decided to take a piece of advice I gave Il Male™ when he was wrestling with whether or not to release his project for a specific set of rules, or to keep things generic enough that they can be used with any game system. I have decided that I will mainly be focusing on system-neutral material and I am out of the retro-clone business, at least for right now. I have a setting and several adventures that have been simmering for a couple of years now that need to see fruition, and I have been pulling together campaign notes preparing to find a way to present them in a cohesive manner. I have a few games that have my attention right now (OpenQuest, vs. Monsters, Mini Six and Call of Cthulhu), and I am not prepared to commit to just one to focus this project on. Once I have a better idea how all this will develop I may decide to use a specific system. I am not sure yet. In the interim I am calling this Project Star-Spore. Lets just leave it at that, shall we? ;-)

A smaller project I already have in the works is a spin-off game from vs. Monsters called vs. Sorcerers. As you can probably guess this will allow you to use the vsM Engine to run a sword & sorcery game. It is a very rules lite game, but that is exactly what I like about it. Being such a bare bones system allows for infinite expandability. The System Reference Document for vsM is only around sixteen pages, and the page count for vs. Sorcerers should not be much more. And before anyone complains, I will be offering optional rules to use dice in place of cards for the resolution mechanic. I will be using public domain art, in the same vein that vs. Monsters was released, and I have a specific artist in mind that is perfect for my needs. I think it will be a very cool little game when it is all said and done.

On a side note, Bat from Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets is also working on a vs. Monsters project. On top of that he is also putting together a Mini Six book. It looks like both projects will take the spells, monsters and magical items he has been obsessively blogging about these past couple of years and pull them all together to form a campaign guide for each respective game. I find this very interesting, especially given that his blog is focused more toward old-school D&D. Personally, I love the direction he has decided to take and I can't wait to see the fruits of his labor.

Another project I would like to launch soon is a sister blog to this one that allows me to explore some areas I am interested in beyond the Sword & Sanity concept. This could include: music and book reviews; discussion of philosophy, personal beliefs and politics; as well as present other roleplaying project that are outside of the scope of Swords Against the Outer Dark. Really anything I want. This may or may not see the light of day, depending mainly on time. Time will tell...

I don't want to spread myself too thin, so that is about it for now. Before I forget to mention it, I picked up a few more followers this week, which puts me over the 200 followers threshold. This is a great milestone for this blog, and I appreciate everyone's patronage. I also appreciate the patience and support I have received this past week. Thanks for hanging in there with me guys!

Thinking Out Loud

2011-01-28T21:02:00.008-05:00

Truth time. I have been struggling these past few weeks with my latest writing project. For several reasons that have everything to do with some personal issues, as well as the gaming landscape (both locally and out on the 'net), I have run out of steam trying to get the Sword & Sanity book completed. I was chugging away nicely just before the holidays hit (almost up to 80 pages), and when I returned to the book the first week of January I hit a brick wall. And I have struggled to find direction ever since.

What are the reasons for this? I think it is a combination of a lot of things. The main one is the amount of work I am having to do molding a class-and-level-based system to my needs. I think I have known this for a while now, but put blinders on and tried to plow ahead anyway. In my quest to create an authentic sword & sorcery feel for my game I have reached a point where I feel I can achieve this better, and more efficiently, using a classless system. From the beginning of the project I have wrestled with designing classes that capture the feel I am looking for, and so far I have not been satisfied with my efforts. I have come close to reaching that satisfaction when I all but eliminated classes from the game, but who wants to play a D&D influenced game sans classes? Not many people I would guess.

I am also a big believer that a guy blogging and writing about a certain style of gameplay should actually be playing the games he is blogging and writing about. Back in April I moved to a new city, leaving behind my longtime friends and game group. These past nine months or so I have not had the opportunity to play D&D, Labyrinth Lord, Castles & Crusades or any other type of old-school class-and-level-based games. I have played Call of Cthulhu, Mouse Guard, a few Sword & Sanity games powered by the D6 System, as well as vs. Monsters. Why is this? Well, the one Labyrinth Lord game I found in town was being played on a night during the week that conflicted with my schedule and I just couldn't work it out to join in. I had hoped to drum up some local interest in helping me playtest the system I have been putting together, but I am sorry to report that I failed to find enough players who were interested in the project. Other than that I just have not been able to find a game group interested in any form of D&D other than 4th edition or Pathfinder, and I am sorry folks, those just aren't options for me right now.

So what does all this mean? I am still trying to get my head wrapped around the answer to that question. I have considered turning my attention to another system for the project. In all honesty, it seems there are enough Cthulhoid D&D projects out there to choke a Gug! I stand firm in my assessment that there can never be enough Lovecraftian influence in gaming, but I can't help but feel my efforts might be better served releasing a game that is not tied to a D&D retro-clone or the d20 system.

As mentioned above, I have been doing some gaming of late, but in doing so I have had to adapt to the local gaming scene. This is not a bad thing at all. And in my participation in these games I have rediscovered a few system I thought I had all but long abandoned. The D6 System, BRP/Call of Cthulhu and vs. Monsters are the games I have been thinking about the most lately, simply because these are the games I have been playing. Am I ready to tether my ship to any of these games? Maybe.

If I developed for any D100 system out there it would be for OpenQuest. Its a lite system that is deeply rooted in the Open Gaming License (OGL) and I like a lot of things about the game. It reminds me of RuneQuest 2 and Stormbringer, but with some modern sensibility to the system. I admire Newt Newport and his approach to gaming, and I know I could count on him for all the support I would need from a developer. The D6 System I am not so sure about. The jury is out on this one. If I decided to go this route I would use the Mini Six system, because I like it and it seems to cut the D6 System down to its most essential components. As for vs. Monsters, I like the hell out of this game. It is as rules lite as they come, but the game just exudes flavor, and I have been scheming away at the possibility of developing for the system (it too is OGL) for some time now (actually, even before I launched this blog). The problem is I am not sure how many people play the game, much less have heard of it. But in a strange way I find that appealing, and it would be cool to champion a game that deserves a hell of a lot more attention.

So there it is, laying out there for all to see. Does this mean that Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying is dead? Hell no. Just dreaming, if you will. That is until I decide in which direction I want to take things. I am hoping it will not take long for the winds of change to blow me in the right direction. I am sure I will have additional thoughts to share very soon.

Happy Birthday C.L. Moore!

2011-01-24T22:02:00.003-05:00

Today would have marked the 100th birthday of Catherine Lucille Moore, were she still living. Happy birthday to the First Queen of Sword & Sorcery!

Happy Birthday Two-Gun Bob!

2011-01-22T15:09:00.004-05:00

Robert E. Howard

Montage and sculpture by Andrea Bonazzi

If Robert Ervin Howard were still living he would be 105 today. Happy birthday Two-Gun Bob!

Happy Birthday E.A.P.

2011-01-19T21:18:00.002-05:00

Edgar Allan Poe

Montage and sculpture by Andrea Bonazzi

A big happy 202nd birthday to the macabre Mr. Edgar Allan Poe!

In Praise of 'Microlite' Gaming

2011-01-18T16:51:00.011-05:00

There has been a very positive trend in RPG design these past few years where folks are taking Open Game License rule systems, breaking them down to their most essential components and re-releasing them as 'microlite' games. I am guessing the term microlite originated with Microlite20, which is the d20 system parred down with laser precision to its most basic elements, and it does so without loosing the flavor of the game. (I am sure there is a lite beer joke waiting here, but I am walking away from it right now) My favorite version is Microlite20 Purest Essence, designed by Robin V. Stacey, Darrell King and Al Krombach.

Actually, it seems there are several variations on the microlite theme for d20. Randall Stukey from RetroRoleplaying has been hard at work developing Microlite74, Microlite75 (published as two books: Characters & Magic and Options & Monsters), as well as an upcoming Microlite20 OSS (Old School Style) and Advanced Microlite20 OSS. He has been a busy guy!

Another busy guy is James D. Hargrove, who has a couple of microlite style games under his belt, those being Core Elements and Simple 20. Butch Curry of Zombie Nirvana Games has released a 'toolbox' edition of Core Elements, though ZNG seems to be down at the moment, but keep an eye on it and make sure to download Core Elements as soon as it comes back up.

Another microlite game that is out (this one is not based on the d20 system) is Mini Six, which takes OpenD6 and boils it down to less than 38 pages of solid gaming goodness. Mini Six is published by AntiPaladin Games and is written/designed by Ray Nolan and Phil Morris. For those of us who are longtime fans of the D6 system, Mini Six comes to us as more than a small miracle, with the kerfuffle that seemed to plague West End Games there at the end, and the way D6 was mishandled these past few years.

I am sure there are many more of these types of games that I am not aware of. I know each of these games has a rabid following, though some are more popular than others. All of the games mentioned in this post are free to download, and some are available to buy in print. As a gamer who prefers rules-lite systems, I am a big fan of them all, and admire all of the designers who have worked so hard to bring them to us. And doing so without a hefty price tag attached! These games are highly playable and prove that the number of rules padding a system does not necessarily make for a great game...

Mazes & Minotaurs Viking Expansion Released

2011-01-16T20:26:00.003-05:00

As a fan of Mazes & Minotaurs, I am glad to see that the long promised expansion Vikings & Valkyries has been released! I think it is very cool that M&M is still getting the attention it deserves. The expansion is free to download, as is the core game, so don't hesitate to grab yourself a copy.

Happy Birthday Klarkash-Ton!

2011-01-13T09:17:00.004-05:00

Clark Ashton Smith

montage and sculpture by Andrea Bonazzi

Today would have marked Clark Ashton Smith's 118th birthday, had he not passed away in 1961. Happy birthday Klarkash-Ton, high priest of the Weird!

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Damage Discussed Further

2011-01-11T07:49:00.003-05:00

The other day I posted a brief combat overview for Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying. I am glad to report that I received a lot of feedback on this post. Overwhelmingly, there were many positive things said about the way I have decided to handle Initiative. There were also some concerns with the Critical Damage rules I presented, which has had me brainstorming about a different approach these past couple of days, and this morning I woke up with what I feel is an elegant solution. Here is what I have in mind...

First, I should mention that Hit Points (HP) are calculated a bit differently than standard Dungeons & Dragons. All characters, not matter which Class, begin the game with a number of HP equal to their Constitution (CON), which would between 8 and 18 since Ability Scores are generated by rolling 2d6+6. This value is not adjusted by CON at 1st level. Beyond 1st level, HP are rolled as per standard D&D Hit Dice and CON adjustments are added. Beyond 9th level, HP are not calculated by rolling Hit Dice, but receive a set number of HP per level and CON adjustments do not apply. Warriors use 1d8+2 Hit Dice, and gain 3 HP per level after 9th, so a Warrior with an 18 CON (+3 HP adjustment) has the potential to have 99 to 232 HP by 20th level (if my hasty math is correct).

Keeping all this in mind, this is what I have come up with for potential weapon damage and Critical Damage:

Damage dice are set at a standard d4, and the number of dice rolled depends on the size of the weapon.
Damage dice do not vary due to Class (as per the previous rules I presented), but each Class has a Base Damage Bonus (BDB) they receive as they gain levels.
Small weapons = 1d4
Medium weapons = 2d4
Large weapons = 3d4
Roll Xd4 for potential damage. When 4 is the result on any of the dice, Critical Damage has been dealt, allowing those dice to be rolled again and added to the damage total.
These additional damage rolls are not open ended, and offer only one additional roll of the dice, even if another 4 is rolled. If, for instance, damage is being rolled for a large weapon and three of the dice have a result of 4, then all three dice can be rolled one additional time each, and their results added to the damage total.
Critical Damage dealt from a small sized weapon would potentially range from 5 to 8 points of damage.
Critical Damage dealt from a medium sized weapon would potentially range from 6 to 16 points of damage.
Critical Damage dealt from a large sized weapon would potentially range from 7 to 24 points of damage.
Damage is adjusted by Strength and BDB once all dice have been rolled.
Optional Rule: Treat Critical Damage dice rolls as open ended, so anytime a 4 is rolled, that dice is rolled again and added to the total damage.

I believe handling Critical Damage in this fashion eliminates much of the unwieldiness found in the rules presented before. It also addresses the higher potential for 1d4 damage weapons to land Critical Damage rolls, since all damage is now based on an Xd4 standard. And finally, it allows me to assign the d4 a specific "something special" in the rules, which is a goal I have for each dice used in the game.

Now I put this out there for you guys to look over, and tell me what you think. I have not playtested these rules as of yet, but I believe they are going to work just fine once in play.

Are There Too Many Lovecraftian Projects In the OSR?

2011-01-09T10:45:00.007-05:00

Hell. No.

The reason I say this is because I feel the projects that have seen the light of day (Carcosa and Lamentations of the Flame Princess), and the ones that are being promised (Realms of Crawling Chaos, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea and Swords Against the Outer Dark), all seem different to me. They are all very different from each other. And I believe this is the way Lovecraft himself would have wanted it!

Lovecraft encouraged other writers to add to his so called Cthulhu Mythos as they saw fit. And many, many writers have done just that. For better, or for worse. If you have read as many of these stories as I have over the years, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious that the variances in the way the Mythos is approached is staggering. The beauty of Lovecraft's shared world is that there doesn't seem to be any limit in the way it can be molded and applied to new concepts. Sounds like what is happening in the old-school renaissance, doesn't it?

I guess that is what attracts me to both the OSR and the Cthulhu Mythos. The do-it-yourself attitude is encouraged in both circles, and there will always be those who are willing to do just that. And the sky is the limit for what is possible for both. When reading one of Lovecraft's Mythos stories it is easy to get swept up in the whole thing and want to jump in there and add to it somehow. Same goes for Dungeons & Dragons. We have all had dreams of writing the next big module or campaign setting, or better yet, work for TSR and get paid to create games. The important thing is that both D&D and the Cthulhu Mythos inspire us to dream.

I own PDF copies of Carcosa and LotFP, and Dan Proctor sent me a preview copy of an early version of Realms of Crawling Chaos. I have not played any of these games, but I have read them all. Some more than others. As for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, I have not had the opportunity to see the playtest copy of the game that is floating around out there, but I have followed its development for a very long time now. The one thing that strikes me about every one of these games is how unique they all are from one another. Superficially all of these games are shades of D&D, but when you look closer each game has its own feel and flavor. From gonzo over-the-top Weirdness, to more subtle shades of Weird. Swords Against the Outer Dark will be no different. It will have its own brand of Weird as well. I can promise this much.

So in the end there will be those who will say one of the above mentioned games is better than the other. This is conjecture, and nothing more. Hell, this same debate rages on in the realm of Cthulhu Mythos fiction. And it always will. This story, or this game, is "truer" to the original vision than that one, as the story goes. It is like saying chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla. In the end they are just different flavors of ice cream. And everyone likes to have a choice of flavors. I know I do. I might like chocolate more than vanilla, but I love ice cream.

By now everyone knows that adding tentacles to a story or game does not make that story or game Lovecraftian. On the contrary. It just adds tentacles, and that's all, as long as other Lovecraftian elements are not added in as well. Does Carcosa, LotFP, Realms of Crawling Chaos, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea and Swords Against the Outer Dark have Lovecraftian elements designed into their game systems? Yes. Do these games stay true to the source material? Yes and no. I'm not convinced that staying slavishly true to Lovecraft's brand of cosmic/existential horror makes for a fun fantasy roleplaying game. It certainly adds depth and flavor. But there has to be some give and take in my opinion. With Swords Against the Outer Dark I decided the game is as much a tribute to Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard, as it is to Lovecraft. All of these writers wrote Weird fiction, two wrote sword & sorcery tales and all three practiced Yog-Sothothery. In the end, all three were very different writers, yielding different results with their fiction. The same can be said for all the game designers of the games mentioned above.

There will also be folks who review one of these games and tell you "they did it all wrong." I'm not buying this one either. One man's boredom is another's "game of the year." Each and every game/product released into the OSR community, inspired by Lovecraft or not, is a welcome addition in my opinion. And there will always be someone out there loving the product. Even if you don't...

So what drives someone to write a Cthulhu Mythos tale, or to create their own fantasy roleplaying game? Madness is probably a correct answer. Passion for the source material is also a correct answer. I am passionate about the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. I am also passionate about the game that Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson gave to the world. I feel compelled to honor all of these men by offering up my own Lovecraftian infused sword & sorcery roleplaying game. If I am wrong for wanting to do so, then I am just wrong. I am not in it because I am under the delusion that writing this game will make me rich. If I make a few bucks then of course that is a plus. A big plus. I am writing this game because I am driven to do so. Believe me, I have tried to walk away from it, but I always seem to gravitate back to the project. In the end, all I can do is follow my bliss, and publish the best damn game I can. Once I have done that then the universe will decide if it was all worth it or not.

In closing, let me explain what I envision Swords Against the Outer Dark to be. It is a game of Lovecraftian horror as much as it is a game of sword & sorcery high adventure. It might even lean heavier on the high adventure side of the equation. The rules presented draw heavily from Labyrinth Lord and classic D&D. I have also taken many design cues from other modern non-D&D roleplaying games that I enjoy. The tone of the book is a serious one, and reflects the influence that Lovecraft, Smith and Howard have had on me as a reader and as a gamer. Adventuring is designed to be a perilous undertaking, and the world at large harbors ancient horrors that lie forgotten or undiscovered by mankind. Those brave enough to explore these dark corners of adventure could be rewarded with fame and fortune, but only if they are smart enough, skilled enough and lucky enough to overcome the challenges that await them.

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Combat Overview

2011-01-08T18:17:00.008-05:00

I am going to try to ramp up the posts about some of the design decisions I have made while working on Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying, beginning this new year with an overview of combat. For me, the way I have approached combat in general is to not try to tinker with it too much, and keep it as straightforward as possible. As most know, this project began as a supplement for Labyrinth Lord, but is now going to be released as a standalone game. Much of what I began with came straight from the LL Open Game Content, but I have tweaked a few things and built upon it where I felt it needed to expand a bit to help flesh out a stronger sword & sorcery feel. All in all, this combat system should be just as simple and flexible, with a few minor twists and turns. Quickly, here is a brief overview:

Armor Class will be descending, beginning with 9 and going down from there.
Initiative is rolled on a d6, to this roll the players add their Armor Class value and the highest roll at the table attacks first. This helps simulate how cumbersome armor can be during combat. The lighter the armor the better, as the higher AC value adds more to the Initiative roll. In most sword & sorcery literature the combatants tend to wear lighter armor or none at all, and handling Initiative in this manner helps simulate this pretty well I think. (Edit: In most cases, the Armor Class value added to an Initiative roll is not adjusted due to any magical properties the armor might have. This, of course, is something each Game Master will need to decide for their own game, and also may vary from one magic set of armor to the next.)
Characters will receive bonuses to attack and damage, which varies with Class and increase as levels are gained. Warriors (fighters) receive the highest Base Attack Bonus (BAB) and Base Damage Bonus (BDB) of all the Classes.
I wanted to get away from having to use charts during combat, so this is the formula used when rolling for Attack: 1D20 + STR Adj + BAB + Foe’s AC ≥ 20 “Hits”
A natural 1 always misses (Critical Miss), and a natural 20 always hits (Critical Hit). Critical Hits do not affect the damage that is dealt out, but the fact that this roll penetrates through all defenses no matter what is enough of a "critical" effect in itself. An optional chart to address Critical Misses will be included in the book, but that will be covered in another post.
As stated above, Critical Hits do not affect damage in the game, but there is Critical Damage nonetheless. When damage is rolled and the dice yields maximum damage (i.e., 6 on a D6) as the result, another roll of the dice is made and added to the first result. The second roll (and all additional damage rolls made in this fashion) is adjusted by -1, so this roll may in fact result in zero extra damage. If the second roll also yields a maximum damage result, damage is rolled again and the result is added to the total. The player can keep rolling the dice for additional damage as long as the dice keep yielding maximum damage results. Only the initial damage roll is adjusted by Strength. Example: a combatant (with a STR: 15, which gives a +1 bonus to damage) is attacking with a short sword (1D6 damage), and rolls a six. Adding in +1 from the Strength bonus, the initial damage dealt out is 7. Since maximum damage was rolled, another 1D6 damage is rolled and added to the first. The second damage roll results in a 6 as well, which translates to 5 points of damage, and another roll of the dice can be made. The third roll yields a 3, which gives us 2 additional points of damage. Since the third roll did not result in maximum damage, no additional damage rolls are made. The total damage dealt out from these three dice rolls is 14 ([6+1]+[6-1]+[3-1]=14).
When damage is inflicted a character may suffer Grievous Wounds, which occur when the total damage dealt out in a single combat round exceeds a character's Constitution score. When this happens a save vs. Death roll is required. If this roll fails, the character is reduced to zero Hit Points and rendered Moribund (incapacitated and dying). If the saving throw is successful, the character remains conscience, but is affected in such a way that they are forced to take a -4 penalty on their next Initiative roll. Unless defended, a Moribund combatant can be killed by coup de grâce the following round. If the damage dealt out is non-lethal, a failed save results in the character being rendered Unconscious.
Weapon damage varies depending on which class is wielding which weapon. Here again, Warriors receive the highest potential damage over all other classes. Example: a Warrior and a Mystic (cleric... kind of) are both wielding spears. The base damage for the Warrior is 1D8, while the Mystic has a base damage of 1D6.
Formula used for potential damage: roll dice for weapon damage + STR Adj + BDB = total damage
Characters are not restricted in their weapon choice due to Class.

That is the short of it. These rules have been playtested and in my opinion work well in achieving a sword & sorcery flavor, while at the same time keeping combat fast and fluid. If anyone has questions, by all means let me hear them. Feedback is always appreciated.

"Your Header Is Too Big..."

2011-01-07T10:12:00.004-05:00

I thought I should offer up this post after receiving the third email telling me that the header I have in place here on The Outer Dark is too big. I chose to use a great portion of Chris Huth's fantastic illustration for the current header to show off many of the small details of the piece. I didn't use the entire illustration because of how much room it would have taken up. But I agree that the portion of his illustration I decided to use does take up the entire screen, which may be excessive. As it stands, when a person bring up this blog the first and only image they see is the illustration. I do not plan to leave this as the permanent header, but I couldn't help myself and felt compelled to show off Chris' work. Thanks for your patience. :-)

Realms of Crawling Chaos Coming From Goblinoid Games

2011-01-06T23:32:00.004-05:00

I knew Daniel Proctor had this one in the works, but was unable to discuss it until he made the announcement. I am glad to see that Goblinoid Games will finally be publishing Realms of Crawling Chaos later on this year. Here is the blurb from Dan's blog:

In R’lyeh, Cthulhu Stirs…

Evil cultists consummate their union with Shub-Niggurath in dark woods no mortal dares go. Alien terrors lurk in the underworld; their vast riches wait, or their incomprehensible powers could leave you broken, dead, or worse. Adventure in underworlds filled with horrible entities, or the ruins of alien beings that enslaved the ape-like ancestors of mankind. Seek hidden secrets from the arctic wastes to dark, briny seas. But as you approach the ocean, what are those strange longings you feel?

Realms of Crawling Chaos is a Lovecraftian Dark Fantasy campaign supplement for Labyrinth Lord and the Advanced Edition Companion. Referees can incorporate the new material into existing campaigns, or design an entirely new milieu of gritty sword and sorcery gaming.

In this book you will find:

New player races from the works of H. P. Lovecraft, including white apes, white ape hybrids, sea blood, and subhumans. New races are presented both as race-class options and as races for use with advanced classes.

New spells

New monsters

New artifacts and a system for designing unique artifacts

Rules for psionics, fully compatible with Mutant Future

Pages: 64

Written by Daniel Proctor and Michael Curtis

Happy Birthday Professor!

2011-01-03T12:41:00.003-05:00

Montage and sculpture by Andrea Bonazzi

Today would have been John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's 119th birthday if he had not passed away in 1973. Happy birthday Professor Tolkien!

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Fundraiser

2011-01-02T23:08:00.003-05:00

It is done... the fundraiser for Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying has officially begun!

A while back I posted a poll to try and gauge the interest in the possibility of using Kickstarter to start a pledge drive to raise funds for expenses (read art budget) that I would need help covering to publish the book properly. I decided not to take this route, and see if by offering a few items of swag would do the trick instead. In the end I just did not want to ask people to donate money. I wanted to offer something more immediately tangible to those willing to help support this project.

I have designed and added a few items on Zazzle, and they should be showing up in my storefront anytime now. I was very surprised and pleased with the feedback I received on the poll I posted, which presented the idea of a pledge drive in the first place. Now I hope I can generate the same kind of interest with this fundraiser.

make custom gifts at Zazzle

As an added incentive to help generate more interest in this fundraiser, I am willing to email anyone who purchases an item from my storefront a PDF copy of the beta version of the game (once it is ready), as well as acknowledging them in the book as a participants in this fundraiser. All I ask is that you take a picture of yourself displaying the item and email it to me. I can be reached through my Google profile, which is linked on the sidebar on the right. Easy enough I think. If you receive a beta version of the game and actually help playtest it, your name will be included under the credits for "Playtesters" as well.

If there are items anyone is interested in that I do not have up for sale please let me know, and I will try to make them available. Also, do not hesitate to let me know if you have questions. This is the first time I have ever attempted anything like this, so I am learning as I go. I am just crossing my fingers that this will work, and everything will go off without a hitch. I just want to thank everyone ahead of time, and I will report back with an update as soon as I have something interesting to share.

Excuse the Mess...

2010-12-31T14:30:00.005-05:00

I am gearing up for a few changes here on The Outer Dark, so please excuse any mess I might create while doing so. I have been getting an online store ready to open (still debating whether to use CafePress or Zazzle) so I can offer a few items of swag to help finance a certain little project I have in the works. I am sure I will be adding a gadget that allows these items to be displayed and browsed once I am ready to pull the trigger. I am also working on a new look for the blog. It has been quite a while since I changed how things look around here, and I believe it is high time I do so. Other than that it is business as usual.

Oh yeah, if anyone has a strong opinion about which is better, CafePress or Zazzle (or any other e-commerce site that allows me to sell t-shirts, mugs, etc.), I would love to hear about it. It might help me make up my mind on which one to use.

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Labyrinth Lord Compatibility License - Final Word

2010-12-29T21:13:00.003-05:00

Earlier in the week I made an announcement that Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying was not going to be a standalone book, and would require the Labyrinth Lord core rules, as well as the Advanced Edition Companion. To my surprise I received quite a bit of negative feedback from friends and followers about this announcement. It seems that most everyone who has an opinion on the subject has their heart set on a standalone rulebook.

As it turns out, I have been writing the book as a complete ruleset all along, and only faltered in this decision once I reviewed the Labyrinth Lord compatibility license. To carry the "Labyrinth Lord Compatible Product" logo on the cover I would have to comply with this portion of the license:

No work may constitute a complete game. For the purposes of this license, a "complete game" is defined as any work that a player of a PC and/or the player in the role of the Labyrinth Lord can use for character generation and/or reference in game play exclusive of the Labyrinth Lord core rules book. As a general guideline, if the work is so complete as to make the Labyrinth Lord core book obsolete to one or both of these kinds of players, it fits the definition of a complete game for the purposes of this license.

As it stands, I would have to go back through portions of the book and take away much of what I have written to be in compliance with the license. I have done a lot of thinking about how to proceed from here, and I have come to the conclusion that I am not ready or willing to do this. Instead, I will take advantage of much of Labyrinth Lord's Open Game Content, as well as some of the Open Game Content from Swords & Wizardry, Castles & Crusades, Conan Roleplaying Game, Grim Tales and a few others, to help build the system I am wanting to present with this book. All with my own personal tweaks of course, not to mention the original Open Game Content I will be designing just for the game.

As stated in the introductory chapter of the book:

A Note about the Rules
This gaming tome was written as a complete game system, and does not require any other rules manuals to play. However, the system presented herein is highly compatible with many other classic versions, as well as modern simulacra, of class-and-level-based fantasy roleplaying systems. This allows for the importing and exporting of game rules and adventures with little effort on the player’s part.

So there it is. No more wavering on whether to proceed with writing a complete game or not. The game will be very compatible with Labyrinth Lord, but will not have a "Labyrinth Lord Compatible Product" logo emblazoned on the cover.

Does this mean I will no longer support Labyrinth Lord or Goblinoid Games? Hell no! It just means I do not want to be hindered in any way as I try to write the best roleplaying game that I possibly can.

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Illustrations

2010-12-28T08:56:00.010-05:00

I am pleased as hell to announce that Chris Huth has agreed to illustrate Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying. Chris is a very talented artist, and I feel his work captures the tone and feel I am looking for for this project.

This morning I wanted to take a moment to share the first illustration Chris has turned in. I sent him this as a concept for the piece:

The idea I have is to incorporate the "when the stars are right" statement that Lovecraft used for when the Great Old Ones would awake and return to rule the earth again. The idea I had was a scene of a battle between druid-like cultists dressed in dark robes and wielding curvy daggers, and a group of stalwart adventurers. The encounter takes place amongst an ancient set of standing stones, perhaps on a barren hilltop. The scene is at twilight, and an exaggerated star field acts as the backdrop. Maybe within the constellations there is an implied image of Cthulhu or some other Elder Thing looming down from above. I am thinking two large stars gleam where the eyes would be. I prefer an ancient look for the armor and weapons, so more Atlantis or Hyperborea over quasi-medieval.

From this concept Chris sketched a few ideas and sent me this:

When I saw the sketches I knew I had the right guy. I could see the potential behind these rough images, and I could tell the direction he wanted to take the piece. Chris took these concept sketches one step further and refined them into this:

Needless to say, I was hooked when I received this sketch. I couldn't have been happier with what Chris was producing here. He took my idea, and was able to keep it within the frame of the concept, while presenting a scene that is both straight forward and powerful. Another early comment I made to Chris was this:

Overall, I am looking for pieces with atmosphere over gonzo.... I know a lot of people mixing fantasy and cosmic horror tend to take it over the top with tentacles everywhere and "full frontal" Cthulhu kind of thing. I am not saying that sometimes going that route is wrong. I am sure we will have several illustrations with sword on tentacle action. It cannot be avoided with a product like this. But I would like to present a product that is rich in dark texture and has a brooding atmosphere to it.

Chris understood this comment an delivered an illustration that was very faithful to my wishes. A few days later he sent me the final piece, seen here:

In the end the constellation idea morphed into the swirling nuclear chaos of Azathoth. Three cultist stand at the base of a set of standing stones, cauldron in front of them, as they perform a dark ceremony. A strange smoke emits from the cauldron, boiling up to the heavens; rising and mixing into the the swirling chaos in the sky. All the while, Azathoth looms above, gaining in power as the invocation is performed. At the base of this strange outcropping of rocks stands our stalwart warrior ready to risk everything to stop this terrible act he is witnessing.

I believe this will end up being the cover of the book. It will definitely be used for a t-shirt design I am currently working on. The sale of these shirts, and other swag I will be offering, will help finance the illustrating of the rest of the book. I will have more on all of this before this coming weekend.

All in all, I think Mr. Huth has done a great job with this first illustration. I personally can't wait to see what he is able to come up with as the project moves forward.

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Labyrinth Lord Compatibility License

2010-12-26T21:26:00.005-05:00

Work progresses on Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying, my supplemental rulebook for use with Advanced Labyrinth Lord. It has been a very long time since I have looked over the compatibility license agreement for Labyrinth Lord, so I decided to do so again tonight. I realized I am going to have to alter my plan just a bit to be in compliance with the agreement. This is not a huge deal, and in the end may help save me a bit of time.

A while back I published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for my project, and this is one of the entries I will need to adjust:

Q: Will the Sword & Sanity RPG book be a stand alone rulebook, or will the Labyrinth Lord rulebooks be required to play.

A: When I first decided to take on this project I thought the book would be designed as a supplement and require the Labyrinth Lord rulebooks to play. When the writing began I quickly changed my mind on this and now I am writing it as a stand alone product. This is not to say that some of the Labyrinth Lord rules I have decided to not use or to change cannot somehow be worked back into the game, so in essence I am not making the Labyrinth Lord rulebooks obsolete with this product. Just not totally necessary.

The new answer:

A: Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying will not be a stand alone rulebook, but a supplement for Advanced Labyrinth Lord. This project will carry a Labyrinth Lord compatibility logo on either the front or back cover, so the Labyrinth Lord core rules and the Advanced Edition Companion will be required to play.

So, my plan to create a complete rulebook has been nixed. I think Dan Proctor has done a hell of a job with Labyrinth Lord, and I see no reason not to show my support for the product and release compatible supplements and materials. Why reinvent the wheel... again?

What this means on my end is that I need to adjust the way I am approaching the classes, by building on existing ones and offering a few new ones, as opposed to ignoring all the old classes and designing the game around a complete package of all new ones. Also, I will offer ways to integrate existing spells from the Labyrinth Lord rules, though the rules for spellcasting will not be the same. Also there will be new spells included with this supplement.

All this also means its back to the drawing board for just a bit, which should not take long to readjust things and get some forward momentum going again. I am just glad I reread the agreement again, and realized the error in my design plans before they had gone too far.

Spoils of Christmas

2010-12-26T10:27:00.002-05:00

This was my first Christmas as a married man, and I am glad to report that there was fun to be had all around. My wife, Stephanie, came through in a big way, and proved to all that she is indeed the best wife any Lovecraftophile could ever ask for. I have waited aeons to get my hands on a copy of Arkham Horror, so I was completely taken aback when I found it waiting for me under the Christmas tree! The deluxe dice set rounded of the gift. Needless to say I am one happy bastard! Now the trick is going to be getting Steph to play the game she bought me... :-)

Thinking About Sword & Planet Adventures...

2010-12-22T08:53:00.002-05:00

The sword & planet (also referred to as planetary romance) sub-genre of heroic fantasy has been on my mind quite a bit of late. I am sure this has much to do with the fact that I recently read Robert E.Howard's Almuric, read and reviewed Clovis Cithog's Red Planet: The Fantasy Roleplaying Game Based on Selected Martian Tales and I have Michael Moorcock's Kane of Old Mars series of books waiting in the wings to read. And come to think of it, I watched Flash Gordon just a few weeks ago as well. All this has me pondering an idea for a setting that can be used as the backdrop for a Sword & Sanity campaign with a strong sword & planet flavor. This is inevitably going to spawn a series of posts that I will tag under "Dark Corners of High Adventure", which I will begin in the next few days.

[Mini-Review] Red Planet by Clovis Cithog

2010-12-21T20:01:00.009-05:00

About a month ago I received a couple of copies of Red Planet: The Fantasy Roleplaying Game Based on Selected Martian Tales from the writer and designer of the game, Clovis Cithog. As you can probably tell from the title, Red Planet is a roleplaying game designed to emulate the planetary romance stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I have taken the time to read over quite a bit of the rules, and I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts. This is by no means a full review, but I may take the time in the near future to amend that. I would actually call this a mini-review or even an overview since I have not had a chance to playtest the game.

Red Planet is a do-it-yourself publication released by Clovis' Abbadon Games, and is an Open Game License (OGL) product. The book is 69 pages, not counting the index, glossary, Open Game License and the included character sheet. By the looks of things, this is a complete game, and should contain everything you might need to run a sword & planet campaign of adventures on Barsoom.

Though this is not a d20 product, Red Planet is an OGL game that has a lot of similarities to the Dungeon & Dragons system. There are some difference though, but most are more cosmetic than a real departure from standard D&D rules. A good example of this is the six ability scores the game uses: Strength, Agility, Tenacity, Reason, Intuition and Persuasion. Obviously, each of these are just D&D ability scores by another name. As I said before, most of the differences are merely cosmetic. There are no rules for the feats found in most d20 products, which keeps the ruleset lean and flexible. Red Planet uses all the same dice conventions as D&D, and I could see very little difference in the way the game is played. It would not be hard at all to convert much of the material presented in Red Planet over to your D&D or Labyrinth Lord campaign if needed.

I would go out on a limb here and say that Red Planet can be considered "old-school" in its overall design philosophy and presentation. It feels like a game that could have been produced during the early years of the roleplaying hobby, but keeps and eye on modern game design sensibilities. The artwork presented is a mixed bag of interior black and white illustrations, pictures of a line of Barsoom inspired miniatures and digital artwork for the cover. All the artwork is serviceable and appropriate, with the interior illustrations being on par with many of TSR's pre-second edition publications. My only nit to pick here would be the cover. Generally, I am not a fan of digital art, so this next statement is a result of my personal taste, but I would have much preferred to see the cover illustrated by one of the artists that provided the interior artwork. Having said that, the cover is serviceable... and obviously eye catching! :-)

There are ten chapters in the game manual, and they are as follows:

Measures - this chapter covers pertinent information for the setting of the game, such as a brief overview of Burroughs' Mars fiction, as well as a brief timeline and map of Barsoom. It also covers important game measurements, such as increments of time, linear units of measurement and money conversion. This is a strong introductory chapter, and serves it's purpose in introducing the players to the setting, various Barsoomian terms (the Game Master is referred to as "nolach") and overall flavor of the game.
Races & Vocations - as the title suggests, this chapter details the playable races and vocations of the game. The races include Red Martians, Green Martians, Yellow Martians, Therns, Black Pirates and Exotic Races. Vocations include Scientist, Trooper, Criminal, Warrior, eXtra and Priest. Each race has a preferred vocation, and each vocation has a primary ability score that it is linked to. The rules cover the first ten levels of the game.
Abilities & Saving Throws - This chapter covers ability scores, ability throws, saving throws and hit points. If you have played D&D then you will be right at home with everything in this chapter. Saving throws are handled as follows: roll d20 + appropriate ability modifier + character saving throw modifier +/- GM circumstantial modifier. Ability throws are handled as followes: roll 2d6 + apprpriate ability modifer +/- GM circumstantial modifier. Difficulty class is the number to beat for the saving and ability throws, and can range from 4 to 40.
Weapons & Combat - This chapter does a good job covering equipment (weapons and armor) that span through the ages; including Tech Level I: Stone Age through Tech Level IX: Inventions, and everything in between. Also, combat rules are thoroughly explained, with rules for combat actions, movement, defense class and parrying. Again, very much in line with standard D&D rules.
Spells - this chapter covers spells and spell-like effects for priests. These spells could be dropped into any D&D game as written.
Critical Hits - in this chapter you will find advanced combat rules covering critical hits and their effects on characters damaged in combat. There are critical hit charts for blunt, energy, piercing and slashing damage.
Skills - there are twenty-one skills detailed in this chapter. I have not held the list up to the one found in the d20 SRD, but I suspect the skill list is somewhat similar. The list is obviously not as long, but it seems to do a good job in covering much of the same area as the d20 SRD, but with fewer skills.
Fliers - this chapter has all the needed information and write-ups for various Barsoomian flying vehicles.
Starting Adventure - Red Planet has an adventure designed for beginning adventurers, complete with maps.
Beasts of Barsoom - as the name implies, this chapter is the creature compendium. There are creature write-ups for: Apt, Banth, Calot, Plant Man, Ulsio and White Ape.

After chapter 10 there are rules for calculating experience in the game, a glossary of terms used on Barsoom, the Open Game License and a character sheet.

Overall, I am very pleased with Red Planet. I like the old-school feel of the game, and the less-is-more design approach Clovis took. As I stated before, I have not had a chance to playtest the game as of yet, but I would have no problem recommending Red Planet to anyone looking for a rules-lite system to run sword & planet adventures. Especially at the $10 cover price! Those of you who are interested in ordering a copy of the game should go to Clovis' blog, Jasoomian Dreams, scroll to the bottom of the page and the ordering instructions are listed there.

Fun With Google Reading Level Filter

2010-12-18T15:36:00.007-05:00

Following Sean's lead, I decided to see what results I would get if I used the new Google Reading Level Filter on my blog. Here are the results:

I apologize for not offering any advanced level reading... :-)

Note: I ran some other very high profile blogs I follow through this filter, and I actually feel pretty good about my results. The blogs in question will remain unnamed to protect the innocent.

Thank You To My Readers!

2010-12-17T20:32:00.007-05:00

I have been out of town for the past few days, and I sat down this evening to catch up on some of my blog reading. I was floored when I went over to Cyclopeatron and found he had updated the list he has been maintaining for OSR blog rankings, and Swords Against the Outer Dark had moved up the list! It seems I am number 15 on the "December Blog Rankings", and number 5 on the "Hottest Blog List". Basically, this means I have gained 30 new followers in about a month and a half.

You may be asking, what did I do to gain so many new readers? The honest answer is, not much! And this is entirely my fault. I have been working very hard on my supplement for Labyrinth Lord, and I just haven't taken the time to update very often in the past few weeks. I am sorry for that. I have decided it will become a priority for me to update much more often, and keep everyone in the loop with the book.

As for the new readers, welcome! I am proud as hell that you have taken an interest in this blog. For old readers, thank you for sticking around! I promise this coming year is going to be a big one for Swords Against the Outer Dark. No one said maintaining a gaming blog was going to be easy, but it sure as hell has been an interesting ride.

Thanks again, everyone! It means a lot, so please keep coming back.

New Goblinoid Games Forums Up

2010-12-17T20:19:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to alert everyone to the new and improved Goblinoid Games forums. If you have even a passing interest in Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, Starships & Spacemen and/or GORE, I urge you to join the community and become active on these forums. Hell, if you are interested in old-school roleplaying games in general, you should join. And join the Labyrinth Lord Society while you are at it. There is no such thing as too much support for a company as cool as Goblinoid Games!

Bonazzi "Head of Cthulhu" Pipe On eBay

2010-12-12T20:13:00.005-05:00

For those interested, one of Andrea Bonazzi's hand-carved pipes is up for sale on eBay. The pipe listed is the "Head of Cthulhu" model, which on Andrea's site is titled ""Tobacco-Pipe V", and there is a "Buy It Now" price of $799.99. It is listed as new and unsmoked. If only I had the money...

Interestingly enough Swords Against the Outer Dark is specifically mentioned in the classified on eBay, so it is only right that I help spread the word. I believe this is Andrea's brother who has the pipe listed for sale, he has 100% feedback on eBay and if you look at his other items he has many other pipes listed as well.

This could be the only chance to obtain a one of a kind piece of Cthulhiana created by the gifted hands of Andrea Bonazzi, so if you have the means to do so please do not hesitate, because there may not be another chance like this again in the foreseeable future.

Looking For Celtic Legends RPG

2010-12-05T22:15:00.005-05:00

If anyone out there in the blogoverse has a copy of Celtic Legends, a French roleplaying game published in the early 90's, and would be interested in selling or trading it please contact me (psmangus at gmail dot com). It is one of those games I traded ages ago, and for whatever reason I have had the itch to get a copy of it again. So far I have almost zero luck finding a copy for sale on the 'net, and I don't think a PDF copy is available. Thanks!

The North Winds of Ithaqua Blow South

2010-12-04T16:39:00.011-05:00

Our first snowfall of the winter season fell today! For North Carolina it is a rarity that we get snow before Christmas, so we were surprised and elated when we saw the white flacks begin to fall. I hope this is a sign of things to come, and we get a lot more as winter pushes on!

Poll Closed, Multiple XP Tables Wins

2010-11-28T06:54:00.003-05:00

Well, anther poll has closed and this one was very close. I was curious to see if most folks playing classic Dungeons & Dragons/Labyrinth Lord/Swords & Wizardry play the game as written, and use a different experience point progression table for each class, or do they use a single experience point chart that everyone uses? Turns out that the answer is almost split, with multiple tables winning out by only four votes. The comments that were left for this one were interesting, and there are some compelling arguments for both styles of play.

I am not sure where I truly stand on this one. I have played the game both ways, and honestly there is not a whole lot of difference in the end. A single chart is much easier to keep up with, but it also detracts from any kind of strategy a player might enjoy when deciding which class to play. Thieves have the lowest experience point requirements, and in my opinion Clerics get the most bang for their "experience buck". This kind of thing should matter when deciding what class to play, and maybe even adds a kind of game within a game for some players. In the end I believe it is a matter of wanting some variation and texture in the system over having the elegance of unity.

[Sword & Sanity RPG] Resolution Systems

2010-11-23T20:37:00.003-05:00

Roleplaying games are designed around two very important building blocks, player interaction and task resolution. I want to take a moment to discuss the later, and some of the choices I have made while designing the various task resolution systems for Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying.

As I have discussed extensively in the past, this game is being designed as an extension of the Labyrinth Lord rules. When I decided I wanted to take on this project it became clear early on that I wanted the design and gameplay to be as close to LL as possible. So far, I feel I have achieved this, but there are a few things I have changed along the way. Task resolution has been a big change, though my approach has been more of a reorganization of the rules more than it has been an overhaul.

In Labyrinth Lord there are several task resolution systems which are used. A very thorough breakdown and discussion of this can be found here (B/X D&D and LL work the same). All in all, I do not have many complaints about how most things are handled, but I have to admit that the OCD part of my brain tends to squirm when I try to understand the reasoning behind some of the game design decisions that were made.

A good example of what I mean by this is the way thieving abilities are handled. Six of the seven skills listed require percentile dice to be rolled when used, but Hear Noise instead requires a d6 to be rolled when it is used. Why is this? Why not have all thieving abilities use a d00? Also, why do thieving abilities use percentile, as does the Ranger's tracking ability in AD&D, but the Cleric's turn undead ability uses a 2d6 when used? It just seems odd to me to create a different task resolution system for Class Abilities each time a new class was designed...

Anyway, as I said before, I am not redesigning the game as much as I am reorganizing and cleaning things up the way I feel they need to be cleaned up. Quickly, here are a few thought I want to share concerning the task resolutions systems I will have in place:

Texture and Fun - I could have easily discarded most of the dice mechanics present in the LL system, and pared it down to just one task resolution system, but I decided against doing that. The main reason for this is because rolling dice is fun. Its that simple. I honestly believe that some of the system burnout I suffered from playing d20 based games came from the fact that all of the subsystems present in older editions of D&D were thrown out and replaced with a single d20 based system. It took me a long time to realize that by doing this D&D/d20 lost a whole hell of a lot of texture and flavor. The system became boring. By keeping multiple systems to resolve various tasks it allows the players to roll a wide variety of dice during the game. It sounds childlike, but I feel that rolling a wide variety of dice makes the game that much more interesting and engaging. This is just my opinion, of course.
d6 Common Adventuring Actions - In the Sword & Sanity RPG all player characters are Adventurers first and foremost, no matter what Class the player chooses to play. Each of the different Classes in the game simply represents a "class" of Adventurer. Nothing revolutionary about this, but it is a different way of organizing the game data. As it stands, LL has a few common adventuring "skills" that use a d6 to resolve, such as Find Traps, Hear Noises, Foraging, Hunting, etc. Unfortunately, all of these skills are scattered throughout the rulebook, just as they were with the B/X D&D rulebooks. In the Sword & Sanity RPG rulebook all of these Common Adventuring Actions have been compiled and listed under the entry for Adventurer. These actions on the most part work the same as they did before, and use a d6 to resolve.
d00 Class Abilities - As I mentioned earlier, it bothers me that Clerics use one dice system for their Abilities and Thieves use another. Why not have all Class Abilities resolve using the same dice mechanic? I decided to use a d00 to resolve the use of Class Abilities across the board. I have designed six Classes for the game, and every one of these classes has Class Abilities that use the d00 mechanic. (I will be discussing the Classes in greater detail beginning next week) So, why not use a d6 to resolve Class Abilities just like the Common Adventuring Actions mentioned above? The reason I chose to use d00 over d6 is because I feel Class Abilities require a dice roll that offers pinpoint accuracy in the results. When rolling a d6 the range of results is very dramatic (i.e. 1 = 16.66666666666667%, 2 = 33.33333333333333%, 3 = 50%, 4 = 66.66666666666667, 5 = 83.33333333333333%, 6 = 100%). This seems fine to me when rolling to resolve Common Adventuring Actions, because they are not as important to the character as Class Abilities are. Class Abilities deserve more attention to detail and accuracy, which can only be gained by using percentile dice.
2d6 Calculating Results - When a Class Ability is used sometimes there is a need to calculate a random number that represents the end results of using said Ability. The number of undead which are turned, or the number of rounds it takes for a lock to be picked, are two examples of how this works. If larger sums are required, simply add additional six sided dice to the mix, roll the dice and add up the total.
d6 Initiative - Nothing has changed here. Initiative (so far) has remained unchanged from the LL rules.
3d6 Ability Checks - Ability Checks work as explained in the LL rules, but instead of using a d20 to resolve these checks I decided to use 3d6. This allows for more predictable results due to the belle curve 3d6 creates when rolled. Using a d20 can be more unruly than I wanted for Ability Checks in the game.
d20 Combat - Unlike Ability Checks, I wanted combat to be chaotic and unpredictable, so I decided it best to keep the d20 mechanic in place. Not much has changed in this regard.

So, what do you think? Am I on the right track here, or have I included too many resolution systems in the game? I look forward to hearing arguments for and against my design choices.

I Am Now A Pundit

2010-11-23T09:05:00.004-05:00

Last night, as I slept, I advanced to a new level in the OSR blogging community due to gaining some new followers. I now have 160 followers here on The Outer Dark, advancing me to Level 7, which grants me the title of Pundit. I would like to welcome all the new folks, and thank all the regulars who takes the time to stop in from time to time to read my stuff. It means a lot!

Blogger Word Verification As Random Name Generator

2010-11-22T20:18:00.007-05:00

A game I started playing with myself a while back was writing down interesting words that happen to pop up on Blogger word verification when posting comments on other people's blogs. You know, the little popup that asks you to type in a randomly generated word to verify that you are a flesh and blood person and not a spambot? Anyway, if you pay close enough attention to these things you begin to see that sometimes a pretty cool sounding word happens to be generated. It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes you get lucky and it happens more often than not that an inspired word presents itself. Case in hand, here are the last twenty words that were generated for me these past couple of days:

semerris
rorapp
poidenh
sycherco
selis
caten
dinunsep
chezdeg
olopiga
cuush
nessen
prusneb
cularic
enaria
lisuru
uluxin
sotra
morgos
coffl
tresneg

Yes, these are all gibberish words. Nothing here Tolkien could hang his hat on. But there is plenty here for a writer of Weird fiction to love. Many of these words have a strange and exotic sound to them. Add little flourishes, like hyphens and apostrophes, and they begin to take on even more character. If you think about them for a minute, some of these words begin to evoke images in your mind. People, places and things all present themselves when I hear some of these words. I am not sure if it is some kind of word association thing that is working on an almost subliminal level, but when I hear some of these words I can't help but associate them with things I can use in my game world.

Let's take a handful real quick, and I will quickly share with you the first thing that springs to mind as I type the word:

Semerris - a notorious sorcerer who is a known diabolist. Some whisper that Semerris killed his own master as a blood sacrifice to enter into a pact with a powerful demon.
Nessen - (the Nessen Forest) the old wood where the tower of Semerris lies enshrouded in an unnatural tangle of thorn trees. Some say there is a "Black Man" luring young maidens deep into the old Nessen Forest, never to be seen again.
Enaria - a local girl who has recently gone missing, and is widely thought to be held captive in the tower of Semerris. This is the daughter of the mayor of Coffl, and he is willing to pay anything for his daughter's safe return.
U'luxin - the demon with whom Semerris is aligned. Uluxin requires an annual blood sacrifice to be performed in his name as payment for any pact that is entered into with him.
Coffl - the town that lies just on the edge of the Nessen Forest. Folk have whispered of seeing a "Black Man" skulking on the edge of the forest, and "hell hounds" can be heard in the forest, baying at the moon deep in the night.

Like I said, these are the words that jumped out at me, and I typed out the first description that came to mind for each one. In my descriptions I linked all five words together to weave a small tapestry. This tapestry could easily serve as an adventure seed, and even provide a foundation for a larger campaign.

So here is the challenge. I would like to see other bloggers try this same experiment, and post the results on their own blogs. Take a group of randomly generated Blogger word verification words, choose the five that "speak" to you and quickly describe what each of the words could be used for in your own game, which could be anything -- places, people or things. The choice is yours. Once you have them posted, come back and leave a link to your post in the comments, so others can check them out. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.

[Poll] XP Charts -- One For Each Class, or One Size Fits All

2010-11-18T14:27:00.006-05:00

While working on my Sword & Sanity RPG I have been doing a lot of obsessive thinking about Dungeons & Dragons/Labyrinth Lord and why certain rules were designed the way they were. I have been going back and forth on whether or not I prefer a unified experience point table, or if I prefer having each class in the game have its own unique experience point table. I can find justification for both, and will probably include rules for each in the upcoming book. Or I may not. Time will tell.

I am curious to see what you guys think. I am only including a vote for one or the other, and not allowing a middle of the road choice on this particular poll. Please take a moment to cast your vote, and leave a comment if you feel strongly about your answer. Thanks!

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly -- Prose. Poetry. Pulp.

2010-11-16T19:19:00.004-05:00

Looking for an online magazine that specializes in publishing heroic fantasy? Well, look no further than Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. I ran across this site back in January of this year, and I have to say that the quality of stories and poetry that they publish is very good. I have yet to be disappointed and I highly suggest anyone who is interested in the genre to take the plunge and read an issue. I can safely say you will not stop with just one.

From the site:

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is an ezine dedicated to publishing short works of heroic fantasy. More than that, through both prose and poetry we hope to hearken an older age of storytelling – an age when a story well told enthralled audiences. Traits of great oral storytelling survive the ages to influence treasures of literature, the pulps, radio plays, late-night game sessions, and now Heroic Fantasy Quarterly.

Think you might have the writing chops and want to see your stuff published by these guys? Here are their submission guidelines:

As its name suggests, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is a quarterly ezine dedicated to publishing heroic fantasy — in both prose and poetry. We are unrepentant in our goal of elevating unapologetic sword and sorcery to a rightful high place. We pay $100 for stories and $25 for poems, upon publication. (Scroll down for info on art submissions.) We purchase first world English language electronic rights, electronic rights for 90 days, archival rights for twelve months, and excerpt rights.

We publish in July, October, January, and April. Each issue will include up to three stories and two poems. We accept submissions year-round. Our fiction word limit is 10,000 words, although we are willing to serialize at a maximum of 50,000 words over four issues. You may submit up to three poems, with a cumulative maximum of 30 pages. Tolkienesque (as in really long) poetry epics/sagas/vedas will most likely be treated — and paid — like fiction. Similarly, prose pieces of fewer than 1,000 words will be paid at poetry’s standard rate of $25.

Art: HFQ is looking for quality banner art to accompany each new issue. Please review art from the past two issues to see the style we prefer. Image dimensions should be approximately 850 x 250 pixels. We’re not interested in non-banner art at this time. We’ll pay you, but rates are negotiable. If you’d like us to consider your work please email a link to the website where your art is displayed. DO NOT SEND US AN EMAIL WITH YOUR ART ATTACHED; WE WILL DELETE IT, AND YOU’LL NEVER KNOW IF WE EVEN GAVE YOU A LOOK! Follow our submission instructions below, but insert ART instead of fiction or poetry in the subject line of your email. We look forward to seeing what you’ve got!

Seal of N'gah

2010-11-15T21:04:00.005-05:00

In a letter to Clark Ashton Smith, H.P. Lovecraft makes an offhand reference (like he often does in his letters, as well as fiction) to a symbol he calls the "Seal of N'gah". He also mentions the Elder Sign in the same sentence. Here is an excerpt of that letter which contains the reference:

"Again thanking you in Tsathoggua’s name for the recent shipment, & hoping to see more items from your pen ere long, I append the Elder Sign & the Seal of N’gah, given in the Dark Cycle of Y’hu."

I have done quite a bit of looking around for more information on this particular reference, and I am surprised just how little there is out there concerning the Seal of N'gah. It seems to be one of the very few pieces of Lovecraftian lore that has been ignored. Especially considering how much coverage the Elder Sign has gotten. Strange, given that both were referenced together in the same letter.

Looking in The Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia there isn't an entry for "Seal of N'gah", but there is an entry for "N'gah-Kthun", which is listed as a, "pre-human city in which the high temple of the Elder god Ulthar was built." This comes from "The Whisperer In the Darkness", written by Lovecraft in 1930. Still the reference is vague and may not even be related. But that seems to be the way Lovecraft wanted things.

Anyway, for the sake of documentation, and the fact that I could not find an image of this anywhere I seemed to look on the 'net, here is a scan of the Seal of N'gah:

Elder Sign & Seal of N'gah, illustrated by H.P. Lovecraft

Something that is instantly noticeable is just how crude the drawing of the Seal is. Even the Elder Sign has a certain flare and a cool mystique to it. The image Lovecraft drew of the Seal of N'gah looks hastily drawn and uninspired. This must explain why there is not a whole lot of discussion to be found on the subject. There is really nothing very cool about it at all.

If by chance there is more information on this than what I found please let me know. I would love to learn more. Special thanks goes out to Andrea Bonazzi for dragging out his copy of Selected Letters vol. III, scanning and emailing the above image to me.

Counting Lovecraft's Tentacles

2010-11-13T18:03:00.005-05:00

A recent blog post from another gamer who enjoys mixing Weird fictional influences with traditional fantasy gaming got me thinking. I totally agree with the opinion that tentacles in and of themselves do not make something "Lovecraftian". Not at all. But, how they are used, on the other hand, can add a Lovecraftian flavor to something, be it fiction, art, film, whatever.

It is a delicate thing all together though. The trick to achieving a sense of cosmicism or existential horror is to weave together a dark, mysterious atmosphere by combining various elements that are designed to unnerve us. There are a lot of things that can be called "Lovecraftian" (alien gods, blasphemous tomes, gibbous moons.... and yes, even tentacles), but none of them stand alone when trying to create a sense of foreboding doom. Woven together in the proper amounts though can result in a type of weird tapestry that Lovecraft could be proud.

The true Yog-Sothothery is to find those elements that unnerve us personally, and use those to weave our own unique mythologies of cosmic horror. As students of Lovecraft's genius we tend to lean too heavily upon the master's own personal nightmares and ignore his overall lesson, or to tap into our own unique and personal brand of darkness...

Now, back to my original point. The thing this post got me wondering about was just how many times H.P. Lovecraft used the word "tentacle" (or tentacles/tentacled) in his fiction? Through clever use of Dagonbytes.com and the Alt-f keyboard command I came up with these results:

"The Alchemist" = 0
At the Mountains of Madness = 9 (tentacle 1, tencacled 1, tentacles 7)
"Azathoth" = 0
"The Beast in the Cave" = 0
"Beyond the Wall of Sleep" = 0
"The Book" = 0
"The Call of Cthulhu" = 1 (tentacled 1)
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward = 0
"The Cats of Ulthar" = 0
"Celephaïs" = 0
"The Colour Out of Space" = 0
"Cool Air" = 0
"Dagon" = 0
"The Descendant" = 0
"The Doom That Came to Sarnath" = 0
The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath = 2 (tentacled 1, tentacles 1)
"Dreams in the Witch-House" = 1 (tentacled 1)
"The Dunwich Horror" = 2 (tentacles 2)
"The Evil Clergyman" = 0
"Ex Oblivione" = 0
"Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" = 0
"The Festival" = 0
"From Beyond" = 0
"The Haunter Of The Dark" = 0
"He" = 0
"Herbert West: Reanimator" = 0
"The Horror at Red Hook" = 0
"The Hound" = 0
"Hypnos" = 0
"Ibid" = 0
"Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" = 1 (tentacles 1)
"In The Vault" = 0
"The Lurking Fear" = 4 (tentacles 4)
"Memory" = 0
"The Moon-Bog" = 0
"Nyarlathotep" = 0
"The Music of Erich Zann" = 0
"The Nameless City" = 0
"The Other Gods" = 0
"The Outsider" = 0
"Pickman's Model" = 0
"The Picture in the House" = 0
"Polaris" = 0
"The Quest of Iranon" = 0
"The Rats in the Walls" = 0
The Shadow Out of Time = 4 (tentacles 4)
The Shadow Over Innsmouth = 0
"The Shunned House" = 0
"The Silver Key" = 0
"The Statement of Randolph Carter" = 0
"The Strange High House in the Mist" = 0
"The Street" = 0
"The Temple" = 0
"The Terrible Old Man" = 0
"The Thing on the Doorstep" = 0
"The Tomb" = 0
"The Transition of Juan Romero" = 0
"The Tree" = 0
"The Unnamable" = 0
"The Very Old Folk" = 0
"What the Moon Brings" = 0
"The Whisperer in Darkness" = 0
"The White Ship" = 0

There are 63 fictional works listed, with 8 of those containing a variation on the word tentacle (i.e. tentacle, tentacles or tentacled) and the total number of times it was used is 24.

There you have it. More useless information to impress your friends and family with, courtesy of The Outer Dark.

Edit:

Thanks to Andrea Bonazzi for the assist on this one. Add these ghostwritten tales to the list ("Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" written for Houdini is already listed above):

"Out of the Aeons" (with Hazel Heald) = 3 (tentacled 1, tentacles 2)
"The Horror in the Museum" (with Hazel Heald) = 1 (tentacled 1)
"The Diary of Alonzo Typer" (with William Lumley) = 3 (tentacled 2, tentacles 1)
"Collapsing Cosmoses" (with Robert Barlow) = 2 (tentacles 2)
"Within the Walls of Eryx" (with Kenneth Sterling) = 9 (tentacled 1, tentacles 8)
"Medusa's Coil" (with Zealia Bishop) = 1 (tentacles 1)
"The Mound" (with Zealia Bishop) = 1 (tentacled 1)

Making the new totals 70 fictional works, 15 of those stories had the word "tentacle" (or variations there of) being used 44 times.

Albion Adventures

2010-11-08T17:56:00.005-05:00

Newt Newport, who owns D101 Games and maintains the excellent old-school gaming blog Sorcerer Under Mountain, has announced that he will be producing a series of adventure modules "intended to be a tribute to the old UK AD&D adventures of the 80s, that were published via White Dwarf, Imagine Magazine and of course the early Fighting Fantasy books.". These modules will be published as "Albion Adventures – UK 1st Edition Adventures", and will be designed for use with Labyrinth Lord and the Advanced Edition Companion. Here is a run down of what Newt has planned:

Adventure Modules
I've roughly got the following planned.

AA-UK1. The Furnace – write up of the Tournament game I’ve just run.
AA-UK2. Bone Valley – my tribute to Keep on the Borderlands, through a gritty UK lens. A valley filled with old tombs and caves, and at its head Fort Boneguard, a seedy town from ancient times that has seen better days and is an adventurers hang out. A sandpit for levels 1-3?
AA-UK3. Sorcerer Under Mountain - go to a mountain to get a long dead sorcerer’s treasure. What could possibly go wrong?

I am excited by this announcement. Newt is a great game designer, and he is passionate about gaming, which is obvious from the products he has released (OpenQuest, Wordplay, various HeroQuest products, etc.).