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). 

The Tomb Of Gardag The Strange

A long time ago lived an evil and very eccentric warlord named Gardag.  Over the years he up aa cult following, many flocked to him and worshipped.  He sent out his cultists to pillage and burn the surronding lands.  Eventually he ammased a huge stock pile of treasure. 

*A OSR module for 4 - 6 Characters Levels 3 and up.  Compatible with Labyrinth Lord (TM). 

Includes Pre Generated Characters

Interesting Henchemen

One Hand Drawn Map 

24 Encounter Locations 

Available now "Pay What You Want" on drivethrurpg.com

Sleep eluded me last night.

Probably because of my cold, the massive amounts of Tea I drank yesterday (and maybe the Pepsi I had at 10 pm? I'm getting old).  I was unable to sleep.  The following was running thru my head:

After reading antipaladin games Mini6, I started to think about running a Star Wars based game.  I have also downloaded what I believe to be a fan created game called "Star Wars Galactic Adventures", which appears to be rooted in the old school.  So first thing I was toying with was which one to use.  The next thing that poped into my head is at what point in the Star Wars timeline would be appropriate.  I think partially because I've been powering thru the Clone Wars, that seems to be the best time period to run adventures in.  Because there is so much going on, there are Jedi all over the place, battle droids, all kinds of turmoil.  Easy to fit adventure ideas in without worrying about canon.  Especially when playing with two major Star Wars nerds.  "what we are Jedi after the fourth movie? nope there are no Jedi after the fourth movie, only 3."

EDIT (Luke, Leia, Yoda).

So that was the first thing, second thing that started running thru my brain was this idea of a campaign setting for Labyrinth Lord, one in which there are no regular fantasy races.  But all new ones.

Then I started thinking, that campaign setting would work better in Mutant Future.

and then it was 3:30 in the morning, and I had to get up at 7 AM.

I tend to wonder what hasn't been done?

There is so much wonderful stuff created in this community!  New classes, adventures, rule sets, campaign settings, the list goes on.  Sometimes people take an idea, and they change it and make it something new and fresh.  It has me thinking, what hasn't been done? What hasn't been looked at yet?  Unfortunately not a lot comes to mind at this point.  That's partially because I think I maybe slowing dying from this cold, that the synapses are not firing quite correctly.  I suppose this blog is a call to action, not only to myself but to the community at large, to really think about it... What hasn't been done yet?

Go and do it, and make it awesome!

A couple of map ideas

The Halfling Village I've been working on.  I may actually sit down and draw this, and add all the little houses in a hill.  (ala The Shire).  

And here is the mini hex crawl I've been working on. 

Huck Finn

I'm currently reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  Who as everyone says is "an amazing classic author".  I have yet to make a decision on it.  First off, because of the age of the book (when it was written), there is a certain word that continues to crop up, a derogatory term for an African American (which pretty much pisses me off everytime I read it).  Secondly (although stated in the preface), there is a lot of dialog that is specifically written in the way that people talked at that point in time.  ex "Going" = "Gwyne".  Things like that, that make it difficult to read.

The whole reason I grabbed the book and started reading, is that it is apparently a classic.  I've decided to go back to a lot of these old books and give them the old college try, (although I never went to college).  Partially because of bucket list reasons, and partially because I needed a break from Fantasy novels.

So far that book has my attention (despite the above caveats).  Time will tell if I actually enjoy it or not.

Of course whilst reading the book, my mind wanders back to role playing games.  A lot of people play role playing games with their kids.  I imagine that kids take on the personality's of Big scary barbarians, bumbling wizards, or super powerful wizards, or Harry Potter, or really whatever floats their collective boat.  What ran thru my mind however is how often an adult plays a child? or a tween, or fuck it that's a dumb word, how about a teenager.

It could be a interesting situation.  Possibly a 0 level funnel idea.  Throw away all the silly adult things that you know.

Did you do it?

Alright your 16, your have some makeshift leather armor, a rusty dagger you "borrowed" from a past out patron at the local inn, a sling with a few rocks you've picked up.  An a world outlook that is very skewed and innocent.  Oh and there's a good possibility that you are in love, and want to prove yourself to "what's her/his face".

Could be fun

Here's the download from project gutenberg, in case you are like me and haven't read it yet
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76

Map Monday

Here's the one I drew with my niece on Saturday.  Not quite sure why the background layer is grey? stupid gimp.

The Lost World

After my stint of reading a bunch of Sherlock, I've turned my attention towards "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Yes I haven't actually read it yet (I'm 35 or so).  I can't quite believe it either!  It must have just slipped down the list over time.  The nice thing about ebooks and a kobo is that you can grab these old books off the gutenberg project check em out, and if they are not right for you delete!  This book however I can't put down.  (its only 180 pages).  I digress... reading this makes me want to play some "Monkey Isle" for Basic Fantasy, written by JD Neal. 

A "lost world" setting on a remote island, where dinosaurs and stranger things lurk...

You can download it here.  

You can grab a copy of the "Lost World" from gutenberg here. 



A few little thoughts I had on this adventure while reading it this morning. 

I'd like to run basic fantasy with it probably as my players are quite happy with the system.  I was thinking however rather than the usual fantasy treatment, I might stick closer to the book's theme.  Have human PC's that become shipwrecked on the island.  Give them daggers, and maybe blunderbuss's.  So mid 1700's? I'm trying to figure out the mechanics of a  blunderbuss, I'm guessing you could only fire it every other round, and maybe a d12 for damage? 

Any thoughts on that would be appreciated!  

Another idea I had rolling around my head, although it would take quite a lot of conversion would be to use Mutant Future rules, atleast for the PC's.   Of course the monsters could use a bit of mutations and spiking up stats.  Maybe years ago this island was found and was never cleared out properly.  The man made Apocalypse happened.  The PC's are out in the middle of the Atlantic looking for a new place to create a civilization and viola Mutated Dinosaur Island! And for a twist, how about a highly intelligent Ape community?  (Planet of the apes anyone?). 

God I love open clipart!

Interesting Henchmen NPC's

A quick little random henchmen table.  Roll 1d12, or pick one that suits you.

1.  Galwain - Human Warrior, lost his leg in a freak farming accident, tells everyone the reason he has a peg leg is because of a alligator bite.

2.  Rain-ah - Elf,  After leaving her home in search of adventure, Rain-ah fell madly in love with Pies! She is still quite a capable warrior, albeit slower than most.

3.  Razoule - Wizard, Razoule accidentally blew up his master when he was at school, even since then he has been a bit gun shy to use magic.  He's attempted to learn how to fight like a warrior, but fails miserably.

4.  Fingle - Halfling.  Fingle spent most of his early life pick pocketing in major cities, His crimes eventually caught up with him.  In a public display his left hand was cut off.  Since then he has become a wanderer never staying in one town for any longer than a week.

5.  Ralgar - Warrior.  Ralgar is very inquisitive, so much so that she tends to act first before thinking.

6.  Hermonah - Dwarf.  Most people tend to believe that there are only Dwarven men, Hermonah likes to point out that there are in fact Dwarven women!  If she's not out adventuring she can usually be found in a tavern spending her hard earned gold and participating (and usually winning!) drinking contests.

7.  Gurlarh - Cleric.  During Gurlah's child hood his great uncle was killed in a freak accident.  Ever since then Gurlarh believe's the ghost of his uncle haunts his every waking hour.  While a perfectly capable cleric and healer, he tends to have minor freaks outs and talks to himself.

8.  Roolandh - Warrior.  The most pompous uppity twit you've ever met.  If you have a story, he has one better, if you have a long sword, he has a gold long sword.  He refuses to spend time in less than ideal locale's.  More often than not when he is faced with a situation that is not up to his standards he will just up and leave.

9.  Aleah - Thief.  Aleah is more of a swashbuckler than a thief, having grown up as the daughter of a Pirate captain.  She's more comfortable hanging out with men.  Always up for adventure, the more challenging the better!

10.  Berton - Wizard.  Berton is obsessed with nature and animals.  When wandering the country side he will stop every half a mile to digest some interesting insect, or plant.  A doddler.  Berton is also a problem gambler.

11.  Selar - Elf.  Selar was a prince, before his family was shamed and booted from the Elven city.  Selar has a brooding personality, and speaks very little.

12.  Zertey - Halfling.  Zertey is quite deaf, and blind in one eye.  He is very short for a halfling, standing only two and a half feet tall.  Although a bit old and shakey he is deadly in a fight, and his aim is almost unbeatable.