Pirates!

Its seriously amazes me sometimes how my A.D.D. kicks in.  Shane picks up a book about steampunk pirates, Shane reads  most of it.  Shane decides he needs to create Pirate Character Classes, scratch that a Ocean hex crawl! Scratch that, maybe a hex crawl plus an alternate version of rules, maybe d6? that could be neat!  Oh wait there's more ideas bouncing around my head.   Checks drivethru rpg, Holy balls there's a reasonable amount of pirate stuff already.  File this in the bank for later.

Here's the book, its a teaser, you have to purchase the whole thing, but the first bit of it is quite good!

On Black Tide

They say the waters of Cryx run black with ancient evil . . .

In the port city of Blackwater, deep in the heart of the Nightmare Empire, life is short and brutal. Murderous gangs rule the streets and surviving to adulthood means being more vicious and uncompromising than those around you. The only hope of escaping the gang-infested streets is to join one of the many pirate vessels that launch raids from Cryx against the mainland.

For Aiakos, a strong yet undisciplined street thug, the opportunity to join the pirate ship Scythe in a trial by combat is the chance of a lifetime. But as he soon discovers, fighting his way onto a Cryxian pirate vessel is only the beginning of the bloodshed.

When the Scythe is drawn into the schemes of the powerful Satyxis Admiral Axiara Wraithbane, Aiakos once again has a chance to improve his station . . . or die trying.

Drivethru download link. 

OSR Pirate Resources! 

Yarr! The Rules Light Pirate RPG

THE Rules Light Pirate ArrrPG for children, beginners and veteran players alike!

Avast, me hearties! Join me, fer adventure 'n' treasure huntin' on t' high seas! Become the infamous pirates ye deserve ta be an’ feed yer hunger fer glory an’ riches! YARR!

YARR! is a fun, easy to learn game for kids, beginners or veteran players who emphasize story and role play over rules. YARR! is intuitive for anyone who has played any OGL / d20 game. It is streamlined so that kids can grasp it easily but robust enough (and including advanced rules for skills) so that veteran player won't find it overly simplified.

Yarr! includes rules for ship to ship combat, a bestiary of human and monstrous adversaries, booty (treasure) appropriate for historical fantasy of the Golden Age of Piracy, Mermaid magic, even a Pirate Talk glossary!

Grab It On Drivethru

Yarr! Pirate RPG Character Sheets

Yarr! Referee Screen

The Baron's Gold Adventure For Yarr!

Buccaneers and Bilge Rats

With Buccaneers & Bilge Rats for Swords & Wizardry (and other old-school fantasy role-playing games), you'll be ready for adventure on the high sea! This 34 page supplement brings piracy and swashbuckling your Swords & Wizardrycampaign!

• Two new character classes: The dashing Pirate and mysterious Witch Doctor
• The Cleric-Variant Class Priest of the Sea
• Two new player character races: The graceful Sea Elf and cursed Dagonite
• Complete rules for Firearms, Artillery, and Fencing Styles
• New Melee Weapons
• New Nautical Spells
• New Magic Items
• Dead Man's Cove - a complete adventure ready to use in your campaign!

Swords & Wizardry, S&W, and Mythmere Games are trademarks of Matthew J. Finch.
Neither the author, artists or Barrel Rider Games is affiliated with Matthew J. Finch, Mythmere Games™, or Frog God Games. Buccaneers and Bilge Rats released under the OGL and in compliance with the Swords & Wizardry Compatibility-Statement License (CSL).

Get It

Pickled Piracy and Other Stories

Shipwrecked and lost at sea, the party receives unexpected recue from a Pirate Ship and its scurvy crew. Invited to join the crew in their wacky adventures, the Party quickly discovers that these pirates are nothing but posers! Adrift with wannabe pirates, and only a Barrel of gherkins for food, the party seems destined for Davey Jones’ Locker! When all seems lost, salvation arrives in the form of a military vessel! Unfortunately, that same vessel is on its way to destroy the goblin capital. Can the heroes stop this massacre with only a bunch of farmers and shepherds at their side, or will the heroes try to stop the genocidal military by themselves? Either way, it looks like they’re in a real "pickle" now!

GET IT

FT - Corsair Bay 

Clover Island is home to one of the wildest towns in the world of Filbar. While the town of Corsair Bay is recognized as the home of the Pirate Kingdom it is a fully functional town. This location sits at the midway point for those crossing the Newmack Sea and is a resupply stop for most commercial traffic pirate and otherwise. The ruler of Corsair Bay is the legendary, and somewhat retired, pirate named Hannibal the Black. This fearsome pirate now enjoys ruling the community and most of the explored areas on the island but his ship still waits in port for him should he decide to set sail again.

This adventure setting was designed for 1st/2nd Edition AD&D for the Filbar Campaign for any level of adventuring party.  This adventure is easily adaptable to most any game and system. Save yourself some time and utilize it for a one shot adventure or a continuing campaign!

GET IT

Advanced Adventures #5: The Flaming Footprints of Jilanth

Advanced Adventures #5: The Flaming Footprints of Jilanth is an OSRIC(TM) module designed for 6-8 adventurers of levels 3-5.

A short time ago, the Lord Admiral of Ranste suddenly disappeared. Now the streets of this thriving trade port are filled with bare footprints that dance with ghostly green flames, the signature of the long-dead pirate Firebeard. Has the dreaded buccaneer come back from the grave to haunt the city that hounded him to his grave? The Ranste Council fears the worst, and has hired a band of adventurers---the PCs---to determine the truth behind the unsettling happenings.

To that end, the PCs have been sent to the abandoned pirate-cove on the tropical isle of Jilanth to ensure that Firebeard has not returned to his old haunt. If indeed he has, the PCs are to use all the resources at their disposal to send the cut-throat back to hell!

GET IT

Obviously there is more than enough pirate material out there to sink your teeth into! That said still going to fart around with the idea I had, atleast in the background :) 

Cheers!

12 Gods

Need to figure out what church the Cleric or healer belongs to? 
Roll 1D12 

1)  Ahmora - Goddess Of Agriculture.

2)  Aflan - God Of Mining

3)  Deg  - God Of Water

4)  Gulan - God Of Fire

5)  Jasel - Goddess Of Wind

6)  Harth - God Of Earth

7)  Iz - God Of The Underworld

8)  Laglin - God Of Neutrality

9)  Gamok - Goddess Of Evil

10)  Ergil - God Of Good

11)  Huak - God Of The Woods

12)  Lizlit - Goddess Of The Mountains

Frigga's Chosen - Review - Genius Loci Games

I managed to get my grimey hands on a copy of this just before it was released.  Frigga's Chosen is a 5 Next Adventure module written for "Brave Souls Of The Second Thru Fourth Level".  I love that sound of that.  This adventure was written by Johua De Santo.  Johua also did all the cartography and layout.  Edited by Tim Snider.

First things first, and I hate to "judge a book by its cover", but WOW do I love the cover art on this!  The cover art is by Javier Charro.  The interior art is provided by Javier Charro, Mark MacAusland and Dave Peterson, Pawel Dobosz, Richard Spade.  The module clocks in at 23 pages, including the sexy cover.

A quick point, You will need copies of D&D 5th edition to play this adventure, at the very least the basic rules.
As noted in the text:

A quick Note on Monster s & Items - The only monsters and item's stated out in this adventure are those that do not appear in the core books for the Fifth Edition.  All
original monsters and items can be found at the back of this adventure .

This adventure can easily be converted to Labyrinth Lord, and or any other awesome retro clone, 5e hack with ease.  When I get a chance I'd like to run all the Usarm adventures using Labyrinth Lord as its my current favorite flavor of old school.  Even the "Chosen" character class could be converted to Labyrinth Lord advanced edition rules.

First things first, the layout of this is amazing!  It has the new fifth edition feel to it.  Everything is easily readable, the maps are fantastic!  (However I'd like to draw one for Johua at some point... dig dig).

There are 3 detailed maps, with 24 encounter locations.

My one and only critique is that I really need to get a campaign setting for Usarm,  Even having a map of the "Lands Of Usarm" in every module would be handy.  "This adventure takes place there, alright".

Please see below for the product description, if you are a fan of other previous Lands Of Usarm adventures, you are totally going to dig this!  I've read thru the pdf a few times, but rather than spoil it with any actual spoilers, I suggest read below.

Included:
A New 5e Character Class called "The Chosen"
3 Cool magic weapons!
11 New 5e Monsters!

There is a healthy background informational section within the adventure, including a Prologue, and a good concluding the adventure section as well.

Product Description

Deep in the Apegia mountains, long forgotten to mortals, is a small building that leads into the heart of the mountain range. Once a Clan of goblins called this place home, but have now been slaughtered and raised as Charion servants to the cult of Orus. The Cult searches for an artifact of the Usarm that will aid them in the release of Orus and provide him with a sacrifice that will empower him and sate his Unmortal masters.

Legends say this artifact the Cult frantically searches for rests in the Apegia mountains waiting for its black heart. Where this heart is no one knows, but if found the relic has the potential to destroy everything from the City of Newrk on the coasts to Icago in the west. Hundreds of miles of death and destruction.

Frigga has summoned her last surviving Chosen; a woman who has turned away from her faith, to stop the cult from finding this object.

Unfortunately for them a small band of adventurers has been swept up into this battle of life, death, and godly politics.

You can grab Frigga's Chose on RPGNOW for $5

And on the new Genius Loci Games Lulu store (bad assed!)

Other "Lands Of Usarm" Titles

Assault on the Southern Horn 

(drivethru link above)

In the swamp lands of southern Usarm a horn, glowing and bright has erupted from

the fetid earth. The town of Backbend has become lost within the swamps it once
boarded and its people have vanished. Tyor, Sage of the Mage Academy in Coralius,
and his young apprentice Cami have been sent to investigate and discover the nature
of the swamp’s encroachment and that of the glowing Southern Horn.

What Tyor finds is a town overrun with Dark Elves and strange beings. Cami is taken
in the night and Tyor desperate and alone sends a plea over psychic webs. Come to
Backbend, breach the horn and discover its secrets and the plans of the Dark Elves
… and most of all save the apprentice he regards as a daughter!

“Assault on the Southern Horn” is a new 5e/Next adventure for 4 to 6 characters of the 4th through 6th level and suitable for one to two nights of play. "Assault on the Southern Horn" featuring new monsters, magic items and a new Elvish sub-race and background!

Under the Horn

(drivethru link above)

South of the Mage Academy of Coralius lay the Horn. An object of ancient mystical might. While always studied by the mages this Horn was nothing but a mere curiosity … until now. Months ago children started to vanish from their rooms. At first just mundanes, the children of the small village that supported the Academy, but now the apprentices from the academy have begun to disappear as well.

No one would suspect the Horn, many children have been known to run-away to a life of grand adventure. However, with the disappearance has come a change in the Horn. It has begun to glow in the night and a strange and hypnotic humming can be hear emitting from it … what link is there between the Horn and the missing children?

Under the Horn is the first part of the “Horn Saga” for the Lands of Usarm world created by Genius Loci games and is suitable for brave souls of the 1^st through 3^rd level. If there is enough desire the rest of the “Horn Saga” will be converted to Pathfinder.

Spectres of Usarm

(drivethru link above)

To the north the mysterious Orc tribes threaten the coastal town of Icago. Already the Abbey of the Goddess Thiseir has fallen due to their raids and farmers and fishermen have reported seen the horrid pig-faced creatures moving inland.

The Cloaked Mage promised the Lord Mayor a way to be rid of the threat … no one has heard from the mayor or his family for a week. Every search attempt is a failure, the Lord Mayor's farms are protected by strange metal constructs known as Scarecrows. Strange lights streak the night sky, toward the Scarred Relic Moon … from the Lord Mayor's home.

A call goes out to anyone brave or stupid enough to aid the town; you have answered.

“Spectres of Usarm” is the Fourth Two-Page -Adventure from Genius Loci Games and the third to use the Swords & Wizardry rule set. Created for a party of 4 to 6 players of the 4^th to 6^th level, the “Spectres if Usarm” mixes exploration, story and combat as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide at least 2 hours of fun.

Enjoy! NOTE:  I played in a play by post version of this and it was a lot of fun!

Back to the future Part 2 - Samurai & Ninja Weapons

Here's another find!  I remember creating this with my cousin who was super into Ninja's at the time.  Actually weren't we all? TMNT anyone? hahhaha.  I believe he used all this stuff in a Advanced Fighting Fantasy Campaign.  I think I may eventually work on this a bit more and put it out as a freebie pdf.  For the time being viola, Ninja & Samurai weapons, including bad hand drawings and a typed up section explaining everything.

Back to the future, Found Maps From When I Was 16

OH the epicness! I found the following at home.  2 maps and an adventure I wrote when I was 16.  Including a town with rumors!  about 8 or 10 AD&D 2e characters ready to go.  AND....drumroll...... A list of Samurai and Ninja weapons, including traditional names and some hand drawings.  These were collected and created with my cousin who was mildly into RPG"s and big time into Ninja ish. 

Here are the 2 maps.  

Temple Of Greed now available in PDF and POD

I had the pleasure of working on this, with a bunch of other great OSR personalities! 

Within the Temple of Greed avaricious adventurers will find no monsters, but tricks, traps, and treasure.

Are they greedy enough to take the challenge and salvage the now-forgotten treasure? Or do they die trying?

Welcome to Temple Of Greed

Dungeon module written by: Daniel "Thaumiel Nerub" Neffling

"Keepers of the Watching Squirrell" written by: Edward Lockhart

Cartography by: Dyson Logos

Border illustration: Jeff Russell

Layout: Shane Ward & Thaumiel Nerub

Text Editor: Tim Snider

PDF: $1.70

Softcover B&W book (with PDF): $4.47

Get it here:

Quick post regarding Gardag

I had originally intended to amalgamate the finished adventure "The Tomb Of Gardag" with a few other ideas that I had, including a hex crawl.  I felt that it stood well on its own rather jumbled in amongst a larger hex crawl idea.  The good news is, while I was working on the half crooked idea of amalgamating the temple with the hex crawl idea, I managed to write a bunch of stuff for the hexcrawl, so hopefully my next mission will be to finish the hex crawl and release it.  After that I better finish the Enormity project before I have an aneurysm.

I hope that you enjoy the Temple Of Gardag, it was a fun little adventure to write.  As usual I left it fairly open ended so that it can be plopped in to an existing campaign, or used as a starting point.

If you were expecting a bit more I am sorry about it, as I said after reading it thru I just like the way it sat by itself.  If you feel there is no need to apologize, (I'm Canadian we do that).

Cheers!

(Entertaining picture of me at brunch enjoying some Guinness).